31The second word overturns the game board (Episode 353)
It's been quite some time since the snowfall disappeared since the night before..
As the embers of bravery burn again in the East, those searching for the missing snowfall have also flowed to various parts of the continent..
“Scarlett! I got a feeling! Sniff! I have a feeling that we will meet here….”
“It's just the thirty-seventh time now..”
“yes?”
“I said that 37 times in total so far..”
“Why are you counting all that??”
“Because I was disappointed 36 times.”
“aha! sorry!”
“You just need to know. So don't get excited.”
They were a simple search team that dispersed throughout the East under orders from Seolhong..
No matter how much they searched the east, no traces of snowfall were found, so they have now expanded their territory and crossed the border between the northern and southern regions..
“But have we already moved thirty-seven times??”
“what… That's the way it is.”
“Then how about taking it easy? It's better to act a little more leisurely….”
“Remember whose orders you are taking.”
“…….”
“This is the name of Seolhong, who may become the next Dragon Emperor of Khan. How can we neglect the search for his missing dragon stone?!”
“…Still, it's too far from here. The news was cut off for a while. Oh my god, how can I find a man I don't even know where he is??”
“…….”
“To be honest, it's just a guess that he's still alive.….”
“stop! How….”
“oh! mistake! That's a bit excessive. anyway! I was so tired. You've been on a forced march so far.?”
What the subordinate said made sense..
Due to Joo-hong's stubborn personality, the number of adjutants from two was reduced to one..
Since I had gone on a long journey without any compensation, I had nothing to say even if I was upset..
Suha smiled and said this.
“ah… It would be nice to rest here.”
“Haven't you heard? It is said that a labyrinth appeared here and that a death occurred among the villagers.….”
“That was a long time ago! They say business is normal now. They say there were often people visiting because of the hot springs.….”
“Hmm…”
“Instead of that, how about taking a leisurely rest in a hot spring? We are trying to bring some vitality to the quiet mountain valley..”
Joo Hong shook his head..
“Personnel from the Northern Federation were dispatched due to the labyrinth problem. Former and guilds also came..”
“Ah, what kind of token is this and why are they fighting about it? That's why they say you can't even go near the labyrinth. Only the mountain village residents are having a hard time because of the bastards..”
“Just in case, I tell you, never conflict with them..”
“to? It's a conflict and there's no reason to wake up and cause it. Because what they are looking for is different from what we are looking for. or not… Are you even interested in the labyrinth? ah! If you want to make a fortune there and resign from your job at Yonggung,….”
“It's too thick!”
“Ugh… You are wise. That would be great. I also benefited... ah! Speaking of which, if things go this way, it wouldn't be surprising if we clashed with their personnel.?”
“what? Why??”
“Oh my gosh, you can’t come to a hot spring town and enjoy the hot springs! There are only two reasons to come here: the labyrinth or the hot springs. If not both, who will believe you? You will definitely be suspected of targeting the labyrinth.!”
“…….”
“Moreover, we are shameless guys who came over from the East on a secret mission! Even your place of origin is questionable.….”
“I got it, I got it.!”
“yes?”
Suha opened his eyes wide and waited for the next words..
Joo Hong sighed and followed his subordinate’s words..
“If it is an extension of the mission….”
“lol… Isn’t it all fun at the mission level? All public funds are given away to be used in times like these..”
“Ugh….”
“Okay, let’s find a hotel with a hot spring..”
“Yeeeeeeeeeee! Wait a minute, there is room for public expenses.?”
“I can afford to save money. do not worry.”
“also! Good job Seolhong caught the line.!”
“guy! Don't express yourself frivolously.!”
“It’s a hot spring, a hot spring! the best!”
* * *
Joo-hong was taken by Su-ha and stayed at a hotel with a suspiciously higher price..
“Joohong, don’t you go to the hot springs? Spa!”
“Come back first.”
“Sheesh! Not funny.”
“what?”
“The hot springs are the best! Spa!”
After a while, Suha returned to the dorm with a tired expression..
The bedding was separate, so there won't be any problems even if the genders are different..
It's always been like that.
“lol… I sleep first. The hot spring was the best….”
“Hmm….”
At dawn, Hong headed to the hot springs..
He is wary of being noticed and prefers a quiet environment, so he deliberately chose this time of day..
He heads to the hot springs with a drink to quench his thirst and a cloth to cover his important parts..
“hmm?”
Even though it was early morning, a man sitting in the bath across from me was enjoying the hot springs with his back turned..
Since she was immersed with a cloth placed over her head and eyes, Joo-Hong didn't pay much attention and went to her seat to soak in the hot spring..
pong…
The hot sensation gradually became dull and soon made my body feel tired..
Jjoljjol…
Zuuuup…
“nice….”
As I took a sip of the drink I brought, my body relaxed as if I were a mollusk..
Haaaa…
Haaaa…
“hmm?”
“huh?”
Funny enough, the sigh could be heard from across the room. There was a large rock blocking the view, so only sound came through, but it was an amazing coincidence..
Was that why I had the courage to talk to a stranger?
“Brother, I don’t think you’re a village resident… Are you here because of the labyrinth? Are you from the north?”
Oops, these aren’t things to ask all at once..
Juhong thought so, but the answer came back quite appropriately..
“That said... I guess. That one?”
“I am….”
When I thought about it, there was a risk that problems would arise if I revealed my identity. No matter what the internal circumstances were, it was a secret mission and this was not even Khan..
“hmm… It's difficult to say. Oh, was this such a strange thing to say? I'm sorry.”
“There must be circumstances. I understand.”
Fortunately, the other person was a generous person..
“I heard you sigh earlier... Do you have any concerns??”
“That too... I heard you rest more deeply than me.….”
The man was right..
Joo Hong was actually not very satisfied with her current life..
“ha… in fact….”
I told the story of how I came here without revealing my identity..
“There is someone who is looking for me at the owner's command... There's no trace at all. I've been looking for it for quite some time, but there's no harvest..”
“No trace? Are you an enemy??”
“No, not like that. If I had to be honest, I guess he would be a benefactor..”
“your?”
“It's the owner's benefactor..”
The man across from me laughed and asked.
“Why are you looking for him??”
“that… Because the master still needs him.”
“Um, did the benefactor run away??”
“…You may not believe it, but one day it suddenly evaporated..”
“It's hard to believe.”
“I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself..”
“You must be very loyal to come all the way to this rough place to look for him..”
If you look at the sentence alone, it may have sounded sarcastic, but it didn't feel that way at all in the other person's tone or tone..
Rather, it feels like admiration..
Joo Hong, who had developed feelings for the man for no reason, scratched her head and felt embarrassed..
“haha… It's loyalty, maybe it's just the wind.”
“wind?”
“I can only hope that He becomes stronger. If there is anything that can be helpful, even if it means crawling into hell with the duty entrusted to you,.”
Then, the man across from me responded with respect:.
“I don't know who your master is, but I have a subordinate like you, so even if I don't find that benefactor, I will be able to get through the future..”
“…These are words that I truly want to cherish like gold. The situation hasn't changed much, but it feels like something has been resolved just by those words. Can I listen to your concerns now??”
“My worries are not that big of a deal. Do you really want to listen??”
“Well, if you share even trivial concerns, they will be easier to resolve. Isn't it??”
“…….”
“Is this difficult for you to say??”
A negative answer came back to Zhu Hong’s words..
“no. It’s an abstract worry… hmm….”
“Even if it's simple….”
“I feel lost.”
“lost?”
“I put the boat on the sea and thought it was going as well as I thought. Even though we encountered storms and storms several times, the direction did not change. however… It feels like that confidence has suddenly disappeared. It's to the point where I start to doubt whether I took the right direction in the first place..”
“hmm! It's definitely abstract..”
“I have a lot of work to do. You can't waste time worrying about these things.….”
“Fortunately, this is a problem I can answer..”
“yes?”
“Looks like you need some time.”
“…hour?”
Joo Hong must have been pleasantly drunk and gave advice to the man across from her as if he were her senior in life..
“Even if you spend time on the road, you won't run away from it..”
“…….”
“Isn’t the direction you first look at always correct? When you walk down the street, there are times when you have to turn around... Because there are times when you need to take a break. uh… So, what I mean is… The idea is not to be too attached to your destination. If you pay attention to your surroundings, you won't have to worry about getting lost again.?”
a moment of silence.
Joo-hong was embarrassed for no reason and was thinking back on what he had said, wondering if he had said too much..
However, the other party expressed gratitude to him..
“That seems correct..”
“uh… Was this helpful??”
“Enough.”
“There is a saying in the hometown I left behind: It is not the fastest or the most tireless who can climb the mountain top..”
Vermilion spoke the truth that has been around for a long time..
“He is someone who desperately wants to climb that mountain..”
“…….”
Sigh.…
The man across from me stood up and said.
“…Thank you for your words. It was a great help.”
“ha ha ha! I can't believe it was helpful... I guess there's nothing more to say. then… I hope you make better decisions.”
The man turned around and walked away..
“Brother, I hope you find your benefactor too..”
“I will definitely find it. If you appear right in front of me, I will tie you up with a rope and take you away..”
As the man left, Joo Hong sipped the remaining drink and smiled happily..
“It was a good conversation. I really feel like I can find obsidian..”
* * *
Snowfall did not enter the pitch-black labyrinth right away, but was worried about it over and over again..
He is now at a crossroads..
‘It's right to skip the labyrinth and head to Seolhong. but….’
I lost confidence that it was the right choice..
Confidence is proportional to ability.
When Kang Seol checks himself now, he sees that not much has changed since right after he came to the East..
‘The same applies even if you use the ability tree..’
Even if you increase the efficiency of your abilities, it will not lead to an increase in rank..
Maybe it happened because he met Mirei too early, who taught him the secret art of the night raven..
Maybe he realized it too early, and the next step seems so far away..
He analyzed himself accurately.
‘If it continues like this... When trouble arose in the East….’
For example, when a large-scale incident such as the resurrection of Hwagumu occurs…
‘Die. Are you sure.’
Jamad has reached a new level, but Hwagmu has achieved a higher level than him..
Tantu'inu was a young dragon, but Hwagmu was an old evil dragon..
Even though the two are the same dragon, they are different species, so I wonder if it's right to compare them, but if you're only looking at strength, that's the case..
- There are no shortcuts, the wise already know that. That's why I just run fast on the designated path.
- Honest thoughts will sometimes keep your order. There is no process, only results... It might protect your future to come.
Kangseol pondered what the sleepyhead said..
“There is no process, only results.….”
What that means, Kangseol realized after some time had passed..
‘It's just me.’
If you wanted to become stronger, you had to put in the appropriate amount of time and effort. However, he has overcome many large-scale adventures by creating variables and using the power of his summons..
Thanks to this, I received a reward beyond my expectations, but the balance was broken..
It's like putting only high-end equipment on top of weak words..
Of course, compared to other transferees, he may still be a long way ahead, but the subject of comparison for Kang Seol should not have been transferors..
“decided.”
Kang Seol thought about what she heard at the hot springs last night and finally made a decision..
“I'm heading to the labyrinth.”
Jamad laughed at Kang Seol’s words..
“Have you finally made up your mind? The East is?”
“Go back a little bit, okay?.”
Snowfall smiled bitterly as she looked at the two arrows heading into the labyrinth..
‘I thought it would be a little later before I set foot here.….’
Lian Kuros' Compass.
There was a time when the location of words related to calling went around in circles..
That was when the jet-black labyrinth appeared here..
‘they are here.’
I remember passing through a pitch-black labyrinth in the past..
Two stopped and only one got out..
The reason why Kang Seol did not call it a breakthrough was because it was only a half-success..
‘Can I do it now?….’
A rumbling sound was heard from far away..
A cloud of people was blocking the entrance to the pitch-black labyrinth..
“Until the owner of the token is determined, make sure no one approaches.!”
“In what capacity does the Federation claim ownership of the Labyrinth??”
Snowfall, which had nothing to do with them, just stared at the pitch-black labyrinth..
A jet-black labyrinth, two arrows headed there..
Two people died there and one escaped..
And even those who escaped were not safe..
Because I lost one arm.
Snowfall, filled with emotion, remembered what happened in hell..
‘long time no see….’
The days of hell when the one-armed swordsman barely escaped from losing one arm..
All the reasons are sleeping there.
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