The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board-Chapter 419

The guardian of the Star Graveyard, Eorian.

He was guarding Maradum's statue while awaiting his resurrection.

Swoosh…

Seol drew his sword without hesitation and stepped forward.

It was something he did to protect his party since his opponent wasn’t someone he could afford to underestimate.

Whoosh…

[Eorian used Iron Blade Crush.]

[You can throw and recall an axe.]

[It creates a massive shockwave upon impact, dealing additional damage to the target at its apex.]

Whir—!

Agony clashed with the axe.

Creak…

BOOM—!

Tss…

Seol was pushed back, leaving grooves in the ground.

Paf—!

The axe returned to Eorian's hand.

Oof…

Seol cracked his neck and took a deep breath. His opponent was far from ordinary.

"Sh-Shouldn't we help?"

"That's right! If we join forces…"

"Leave him alone. It seems he'll have to handle this alone anyway."

"Huh…?"

"What does that mean…?"

As Ur mumbled, a message popped up on Seol and Somi's message window.

[Maradum, The Calamity Magician's resurrection used Power: Stone of Time.]

[The Stone of Time charges Calamity as time passes.]

[Eorian, the Forced Guardian, cannot be defeated until enough Calamity is gathered.]

[Eorian, the Forced Guardian, is immune to status ailments until enough Calamity is gathered.]

[As Calamity gathers, Maradum grows stronger and gains access to various abilities.]

[As Calamity gathers, Eorian grows stronger and gains access to various abilities.]

[The Stone of Time is currently overcharged and cannot be destroyed.]

[Maradum’s abilities can no longer be read.]

…

That information also flowed into Ur and Mariju. But to them, it felt as if these were truths they knew all along.

"To think he'd use such a cunning method…"

CLANG—!

[Eorian used Physical Charge.]

[Charge forward, dealing 80% of your Strength as damage to everything you collide with and knocking them back significantly.]

[If the knocked-back target hits a wall or structure, they take the same amount of damage again.]

TAANNG—!

Seol was sent flying back.

"Ur! This guy can't be killed."

"I know. That's what's troublesome. Was he called Maradum? He put a lot of thought into this…"

Ur said, looking at Mariju and Somi, "There's no way to kill that dwarf as of now."

"Th-Then, what should we do?"

Seol was the only one here who could withstand Eorian's fierce attacks—even Ur had his weaknesses.

An opponent immune to his signature freezing abilities and that charged at such a pace was a burden even for him.

That's why Eorian was left to Seol.

Ur looked at Maradum's statue. "If we can handle that, the problem becomes simple."

"So we have to destroy the statue!"

"No, just watch. It isn't that simple."

Ur led to the party to the statue. He was planning to manipulate the orb.

"Do you enjoy traveling?"

"Not particularly…"

"I don't like going far."

"Is that so? That's too bad. Then, it will be a bit tough for you."

"Huh…?"

"What?"

Ziinng…

[The Stone of Time opens the predetermined door.]

[Pursue Maradum.]

Whir…

Bzz…

A huge hole appeared, shimmering before their eyes.

" Seol, I'll leave this to you."

"Whatever it is, just hurry up…"

Whoosh…

Whoosh…

Whoosh…

The three disappeared into the hole.

BOOM—!

Seol and Eorian's clash continued.

* * *

Bzz…

"Agh! My body…"

"You'll be fine."

"I'm fine?"

"Where are we…"

Everyone except Ur was busy looking around, trying to understand where they were.

"Don't tell me…"

"There's no way…"

Ur smiled at them and said, "Your guess is correct."

"Oh my God… it's the Throne of Ashes!"

"So, is this all ash?"

Something was lingering in the air.

Their throats felt itchy, and their mouths dry.

Mariju, who had been amazed by the fake Throne of Ashes the Star Graveyard recreated, was utterly overwhelmed.

"So this is the Throne of Ashes… The lost history…"

"Didn't you say you dislike traveling?"

"Th-That's for regular trips! Ruins are more than welcome!"

"Unfortunately, this isn't a ruin." Ur grimaced. "It's a battlefield."

"What…?"

"Don't tell me…"

"Yes, Maradum is here. He used a cunning trick—he used us as a passageway."

"Passageway?"

"If we fail to stop Maradum here, he'll cross into reality through the door we opened."

"Then… shouldn't we have stayed on the other side?"

"Then we would have been slaughtered by that ferocious warrior. That guy should’ve been the one boasting about his immortality."

"…"

Mariju touched the stone gate nearby.

"The Throne of Ashes… Not a fake… To see the real thing so closely…"

"Yes, it's the real thing. Let's hurry and find Maradum. The real Maradum must be here too."

"But why is it so chaotic here…?"

"It seems we've been connected to this timeline from the start. This is the day Maradum visited the Throne of Ashes."

Somi spoke in a doubtful tone. "Isn't it strange…? Maradum's plan started after the Throne of Ashes collapsed…"

If Eorian exists now, the timeline they arrived in should be the one where Eorian was resurrected.

"Well… time magic isn't that simple. What you believe to be true is just what you've been told. There is no fixed rule to this power. That's what makes it so dangerous."

"What? What do you mean?"

"This timeline is just an illusion. You've heard changing the past alters the future, right?"

"Yes! Then, we could change the dwarf…"

"That's not possible. The so-called Stone of Time doesn't have that kind of power. Those who can wield such power are few and far between."

"So… we can't change anything? This is too complicated…"

"Don't try to understand the phenomenon. Most of what I say won't make sense to you anyway. Just do as I say." Ur’s confidence was reflected in his voice. "If you follow my lead, you'll be able to return to reality safely."

"Is that a promise?"

"Yes, it's a promise. And I've never broken one."

Oof…

Ur pushed the stone gate.

WHOOM…

A deafening noise poured out from inside.

Normally, it was incomprehensible, but thanks to Ur, things went smoothly.

[Ur, the Frost Storm’s Wizardry activates.]

[Ur, the Frost Storm, deciphers the unknown language]

[Language deciphering in progress.]

[The language has been successfully deciphered.]

"Stop him! Stop that guy!"

"Don't let him get near the throne!"

"Sirion! We cannot hold him back! Hurry and…"

As soon as they heard screams, the group rushed toward the source.

Although they were outsiders, in situations like this, that didn't matter.

This was a world where there were only the elderly and children. The only threat to them was the impending encounter.

Whir…

"Ugh… The wind…"

"It's a cliff! The Throne of Ashes… So this is what it really looked like!"

A worn circular groove encircled the throne as it sat precariously near the cliff’s edge.

It perfectly suited the atmosphere of this place.

"Ugh…"

Along with someone's groans, they felt an overwhelming presence before them.

"Maradum…"

"So that's Maradum…!"

[Maradum, The Calamity Magician, has been detected.]

[Maradum attacks using time.]

[Maradum's Stone of Time can be destroyed.]

Maradum was gripping someone by the neck.

The one being suppressed was the King of Ashes, Sirion.

"M-Maradum…"

"It seems we have guests. Let's end this here."

Swoosh…

Whoosh—!

"Oh my God… Just what did he do…"

Somi's expression twisted.

Maradum released his grip, sending Sirion to fall to his death.

They had just witnessed a page torn from history.

Ur muttered, "If we destroy the orb he's holding, we can go back and sleep in a warm bed."

"…"

"…"

"Look for an opening. You don't have to do anything necessarily. So… act carefully."

Maradum, holding the Stone of Time, asked, "Who are you…?"

"Your guests."

Maradum became silent for a moment, then muttered, "I see, so the plan succeeded? But out of all timelines, why this one?"

With just one sentence, Maradum seemed to have grasped the identities of Ur and the two women.

Could he see into the future thanks to being a Time Magician?

"From now on, things will diverge greatly."

Maradum's red eyes glared at Ur, "I'm omnipotent."

"That's just your opinion."

Swoosh…

Crack…

Frost began to creep on Ur's body.

[Ur used Body Freeze.]

[Slightly decrease your Agility to greatly increase your mana recovery.]

Crack…

"This isn't my specialty… So I'll borrow it."

[Ur used Ice Flower.]

[Summon hands made of Frost that perform rapid strikes. Each attack deals damage equal to the amount of hands created. Each additional strike on the same target deals 10% increased damage.]

[Successful consecutive attacks slow the target down.]

BOOM—!

A blue fist came flying toward Maradum.

Whoosh…

The Stone of Time vibrated.

[Maradum used Time Deceleration.]

[All attacks directed at Maradum above a certain speed are slowed down.]

Ziinng…

As the wave swept through, Ur's Ice Flower slowed down.

Maradum had already moved out of its range.

Maradum calmly spoke.

The battlefield, which had been moving at a frantic pace, seemed to slow down to match his speed.

"How did you deal with Eorian…?"

Crack…

Crack…

Ur's arms transformed like a mantis' blades.

[Ur used Ice Scythe.]

[All bleeding caused by Ice Scythe inflicts Frostbite.]

Paaf—!

Ur rushed in to close his distance to Maradum, but his movements were also slowed down by Time Deceleration.

Whoosh…

Slash—!

The Ice Scythe's attacks slashed in all directions. However, only the attacks aimed at Maradum were slowed down. The rest of Ur’s slashes cut harmlessly through the air.

"Tsk…"

"How pointless. I'll ask again—what about Eorian?"

"Your minion won't come. He's met an opponent he won't be able to defeat."

"Time will take care of that as well…"

Ur sneered at him. "You overestimate the power of time."

"Time is perfect."

"Well… even if it is, you probably aren't."

WHOOM…

One of the giant statues at the entrance, slashed by the Ice Scythe, began to topple.

"NOW!"

Whoosh…

The mana of Mariju, who had been hiding and waiting for an opportunity, surged momentarily.

[Mariju used Giant's Gesture.]

[For a short time, a force with mass is directed in a specific direction.]

[The power of the magic is influenced by your Intelligence.]

WHOOM…

The dwarf statues toppled toward Maradum.

It looked as if they would crush him at any moment.

However…

[Maradum used Time Stop.]

[Non-living objects become frozen in time.]

Whoosh…

As the Stone of Time glowed, the statue hung in mid-air, and then…

Thud—!

Crack—!

[CollegeStudentsMustDie used Forced Silence.]

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[Shoot an arrow that doesn't make a sound.]

[The arrow’s destructive power is reduced by 50% and cannot penetrate armor.]

"Huh…? I-I hit it!"

Somi, who'd been waiting for an opportunity, struck the Stone of Time precisely.

As a result, a small crack appeared on the Stone of Time.

Maradum's expression changed.

From afar, voices of resentment reached him.

"Maradum! Was this truly your doing?!"

"You evil Magician! Return everything to how it was!"

A group of elderly dwarves and overly young dwarves tried to join the battle.

Their heavy weapons made them ineffective in the fight, but their spirit could still be felt.

"You bugs…"

BOOM—!

Maradum, who was now out of the statue's range, blocked the entrance to the hall with it.

Whir…

[A certain amount of Calamity has been charged.]

[Maradum can now manipulate time.]

"All life, whether young or old, is weak. You are no exception."

"…"

Crack…

Once again, equipped with the Ice Scythe, Ur charged at Maradum.

Maradum clicked his tongue. "Become a child, Magician."

[Maradum used Immaturity.]

[Turn your target's body into a past version of itself.]

Whoosh—!

The Stone of Time shot a beam of light at Ur.

"NO!"

"DODGE IT!"

It was already too late. The beam struck Ur in the chest.

Then, Ur's body started to swell.

"AAAHHH!"

What appeared was Ur's previous form, back when he was a massive spirit threatening Seol.

This was something Maradum hadn't anticipated.

Whoosh—!

Ur's massive fist swung down toward the stone floor where Maradum stood.

"Ugh…"

Panicked, Maradum quickly shot another beam of light.

Fwoosh—!

The light reached Ur once more.

A wave of relief momentarily washed over Maradum—his opponent’s form would no longer be the massive spirit that smashed the stone floor.

"…"

Maradum waited expectantly, but Ur's figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Ha… Hahaha…"

A rising discomfort surged from within Maradum.

"Magician, Magician…?"

"Where are you?!"

Maradum was afraid.

The form Ur had just taken was something not even Maradum could comprehend.

"Where do you think? The answer is…"

Maradum looked down at the Stone of, his reflection appearing on its surface.

And in one of his red eyes, a blue light suddenly flickered.

"Inside you."

"Ugh!"

Crack…

Maradum clenched his hands tightly.

He acted as if he would shatter the Stone of Time.

"NO!"

Whoosh—!

Maradum quickly shot a beam of light at himself.

Whoosh…

Maradum rapidly aged.

And then, Ur was ejected.

"Oof… Oof… Wh-What are you? Just what are you, that…"

Maradum shone the light on himself to restore his vitality.

Then he tried to shine a different light on Ur—one that would cause aging.

But his hand froze, paralyzed by fear.

He was afraid that something might happen if he tried to move his time.

"Scared? That's what time is like."

In the end, Maradum's actions were appropriate.

Ur was most likely at his weakest state now.

Since he had been alive since the Cagon Empire, returning him to his childhood was nearly impossible.

Ur grinned at the Stone of Time. "That's soon going to break."

"Who… are you?"

Unbeknownst to Maradum, Ur was the Wizard of Origin—even the near-omnipotent power of time was nothing but an illusion before him.

"Magician, that rock you cherish so much…"

"The Stone of Time isn't a simple rock!"

"Haha… That's right… The ones who made it also spouted the same nonsense. Arrogant, daring to speak like that without taking into consideration who they were in front of…"

Maradum's pupils shrank.

"You…?"

"That's why I killed so many of them—Time Wizards, I mean. Now, let me ask you something."

The Magician, who had been consumed by madness, witnessed madness itself.

Ur's eyes glowed blue. "How many do you think I killed…?"

Crack…

Frost formed on Ur’s hand.

The cold light that formed in his hand was infinitely gentle compared to the horrifying past he had just shown.