The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

A year had passed, and then two. Before I knew it, I had turned seventeen.

I had now delved quite deeply into magic, and the field I was the most confident in was…

[Repetitive study has awakened the mysteries of Darkness.]

[The Darkness is nearby.]

[Awakening! You awaken a new skill.]

[You awaken Passive: Darkness Affinity.]

Whoosh...

"You did it... Congratulations."

"Did I do well compared to others?"

"You don't need to compare yourself to others... You just need to keep moving forward."

"Yes."

Darkness primarily focused on physical enhancement, the manipulation of surrounding objects, and lastly, summoning.

Snowman recognized me.

"Have you ever killed someone?"

"What...?"

"Why are you surprised? Although magic might have developed for many purposes, it was originally a discipline created to kill."

"I haven't yet..."

"Too bad."

Snowman quietly mumbled.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to learn step by step. We're going to the laboratory tonight, so prepare yourself mentally."

"To the laboratory?"

"Yes. It will also help in treating your chronic illness."

He said I could live without worrying about my seizures, so I had no choice but to follow him.

"Understood."

Snowman trusted me.

I instinctively learned how not to go against his nerves.

The laboratory he had mentioned when I first arrived here… I had never brought it up again or had never shown any interest.

'I wonder what on earth is inside the laboratory...'

That night, I opened the door to the laboratory with him.

Clank...

Creak...

The door led to a basement.

'Damn...'

An unpleasant scent filled my nose the moment I stepped in—a smell that evoked memories of the past.

'It's the smell of blood and flesh...'

Although it was unpleasant, I didn't show it outwardly.

I followed him with an expressionless face.

He kept stealing glances at my face, as if he was monitoring my expression.

And then he seemed satisfied.

The view of the basement unfolded.

'You crazy bastard...'

The reason I didn't look at Snowman was because I sensed that a crisis was near.

The scenery of the basement resembled hell—blood was splattered everywhere, and the groans of people filled the room.

"What kind of experiments did you conduct here...?"

"To be more precise, I'm researching mana and the human body's strength."

I approached the humans who had become test subjects. Each was tied to different experiment tables with dazed eyes.

"Mana Blood Vessels."

"Mana Blood Vessels?"

"Yes. Mana circulation is akin to human fingerprints. They use different paths and create different routes."

Snowman continued explaining with a nostalgic look in his eyes.

"What would happen if everyone used the same path?"

"..."

"We can use blood vessels, which are organs already present in the body, and guide mana to flow through them."

"So what does that produce?"

"Humans become stronger as they accumulate knowledge. Magic is the same. The more knowledge you gather, the more powerful the spells you can create. However, only those who can produce a flow of strong enough mana can handle powerful magic. Do you know what that means?"

I looked into Snowman's eyes.

Evil eyes were easily recognizable. But why… his eyes were peaceful.

They weren't the eyes of someone capable of committing such acts.

"In the end, it's all just nonsense! All of it! Great magic can ultimately be handled by those who are great. After all, those who lack talent cannot withstand the flow of mana. However... What if one can create a standardized flow of mana?"

Dry words.

"It wouldn't be unreasonable for everyone to be able to wield great magic."

"So... are you planning to use blood vessels? How?"

"I discovered a substance called Atromil."

"Atromil?"

"Atromil doesn't melt nor absorb mana. The funny thing is that magic likes it so much that it follows it persistently. It's a very special substance... What if this substance wraps around the inner walls of the blood vessels? No, what if it flows with the blood?"

"..."

"You should be able to make mana circulate through your body just by breathing."

I didn't care about many Great Magicians being born. What was important was why such experiments were necessary.

"Why the experiments..."

"Atromil has one problem. It makes your heart stop."

"..."

"A lot have already died. I want to correct that."

"Understood..."

In other words, he was a madman.

Instead of talking, I checked the condition of the other test subjects.

There was a man and a woman who were fine. However, there was another man whose body had been shattered.

'Ugh...'

His blood vessels were completely exposed.

"Kill... me..."

It was surprising that he was still alive.

I was disgusted and furious, but I couldn't defeat Snowman.

With an expressionless face, he asked me.

"Are you disappointed?"

"Disappointed?"

"Yes. I'm asking if you're disappointed I'm such a person."

I shook my head, contrary to my true feelings.

"You're doing this because it's necessary, right?"

Snowman paused for a moment.

"Ha... Hahaha..."

"What's wrong?"

"Because I feel like I chose the right person. I think we could proceed together with the research from now on."

"Yes."

"Today's purpose was to show you around the laboratory."

If I had let my anger show, I might have been killed here today. I'm glad I'm good at controlling my expression...

"But... how did these test subjects end here?"

"They are all villains."

"Villains?"

"Yes. They are paying for their sins. They are people who have wronged me."

"What kind of..."

"This guy is a mercenary who accepted a request to assassinate me. And this guy is..."

Snowman told him the identities of the two men.

I didn't think they particularly looked like villains—no, they might be, at least from that person's point of view.

"And this child..."

The woman with bobbed hair. She had calloused hands and a body that felt resilient.

'She's a swordsman.'

I checked the woman's face.

"..."

"She's a child of the Veil. I managed to catch her because she was still inexperienced. Haha..."

"The Veil..."

"Do you know about the Veil?"

"I don't... What kind of organization are they?"

"They are hypocrites. They speak about justice and judge others while hiding in the shadows."

"Are they strong...?"

"They are. That's why they are dangerous."

Snowman patted the woman's head.

"This girl also has a dangerous ability."

"What kind of..."

"She could read my movements in advance. It's a power whose identity I don't know, so I need to check it."

"She's..."

"She's going to be last. After all, I think she's going to be the most interesting, haha..."

"I see..."

"What's wrong?"

I answered with an expressionless face.

I wore a mask—one that would never show anger.

"It's nothing. I just briefly recalled the past."

"Okay, let's go."

That woman was Yurim.

I could tell.

Her features, the connection to the Veil, and the fact that she could read the movement of others in advance.

Everything was telling me that the woman was Yurim, and fate told me to make a choice.

That day, at dawn.

I made a choice… before it was too late.

Clank...

As I released her restraints, a woman with a hazy look fell into my brace.

"Huh..."

"Yurim, wake up. Yurim!"

Her eyes regained liveliness.

"Seol...? Why... I... Ah... Aah!"

This place was a horrifying laboratory.

"There's no time to explain. You must leave."

"Why... if you do this..."

I will die—no, I will become a test subject instead.

However, I couldn't stop myself from making this choice because I had learned from Santos.

- Obvious things are just obvious. That itself is the reason.

"It's obvious. We're friends, after all."

"Seol..."

"Leave! Run down to the west before he notices!"

I sent Yurim away.

I also released the other test subjects.

One had already stopped breathing, while the other was soon captured again.

"You've done something interesting..."

"You crazy bastard."

"Did the Veil send you?"

"Who cares about the Veil..."

"Then, why did you do this?"

Why was it? Why could I remain calm even in the face of death?

"Because I'm a man?"

Because Santos had taught me so.

"It might be a bit early, but I guess I have no choice."

Snowman smirked.

"I'll have to put Atromil inside your blood vessels."

CLAP—!

I tried to use magic, but it was useless.

"How cute."

[Agras used Magic Lock.]

[You prevent the contracted target from using magic.]

"You... You aren't Snowman, right?"

I think I knew why he didn't have those evil eyes—he was using someone else's body.

"Are you talking about this guy? The owner of this mountain villa?"

"I knew it..."

"Hehehe... I'm Agras. If this experiment succeeds, I will use your body next."

I weakly spat out.

"So I won't be able to see your face even here."

"What...?"

"Huh...?"

It felt like I had said something.

But given the chaotic circumstances, I wasn't sure.

Clank...

This time, I was tied to the table where Yurim had been.

"The anesthesia..."

"Don't exaggerate. Okay, here I go."

Swoosh...

A needle pierced my skin and invaded my blood vessels.

It felt as if ice had entered my blood vessels.

Even I, who had endured all kinds of pain, felt an excruciating pain that made my hair stand on end.

"AAAGGGHHH!"

"Either die in agony or survive and become my body."

How did I get entangled with this horrific Magician? And why did he think Yurim was a man?

Yurim...

'I wonder if she safely escaped...'

This was the second time I had saved her. There was no reason. I did it because I felt I had to.

'Ah...'

I felt my consciousness gradually fading.

[Blood of Origin activates.]

[The blood vessels have merged with the Atromil.]

[Awakening! You awaken a new skill.]

[You awaken Passive: Magic Engineering Blood Vessel.]

Blood of Origin...?

* * *

I became a doll.

Agras, who never imagined the experiment would succeed, seemed extremely pleased.

However, it seemed like transferring to my body would take time. He took me out of the laboratory, dressed me in good clothes, and fed me nutritious meals and other bizarre things.

"With this, I, Agras, will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Great Magicians."

Due to having been subdued by him, I couldn't take any proper action. Was this how my body was going to be taken over?

'Haha... How pitiful.'

At seventeen years old, was I really going to face such a bizarre ending?

If I die like this, I probably won't be able to reincarnate as a human but become a ghost or a spirit.

Regardless, I had no regrets about my actions. Everything was in accordance with the natural order. Meeting Yurim again was my destiny.

'Even if I hadn't saved her, I would have ended up with the same fate...'

Even at times like this, my twisted optimism was active.

But while Agras was away for a moment.

Crash—!

The window shattered, and someone entered.

That someone quickly rushed toward me.

"Who are you?!"

[Agras used Dark Hand.]

[Dark Hand targets the subject.]

Swish—!

The dark hand just smashed the floor repeatedly but failed to achieve anything.

Crash...

I fell over with the chair. Someone was hugging my neck.

"Sob... You were alive... you were alive..."

This voice, was it Yurim?

"Yurim..."

"Let's go back, let's go back together..."

I can't.

There's a demon living here.

Agras laughed upon seeing who the opponent was.

"So you're the girl from the Veil. To think you would come back on your own. Have you lost your mind?"

With tear marks all over her face, Yurim helped me up and said to Agras, "I'm mentally fine. Also... I didn't come alone."

Knock, knock...

Paf—!

Agras turned toward the door.

Knock, knock...

"Is anyone here?"

A man's voice came from beyond the door.

And…

BOOM—!

I could hear the door breaking.

I could clearly see it from here—a man with a missing tooth appeared, smiling.

"Excuse me, I urgently needed to use the bathroom. Hihihi..."

Was that guy crazy?

'No. He isn't crazy...'

The energy that could be felt from his voice and his eyes that resembled stars…

'It feels like I've seen him before...'

It seemed that the man was quite famous.

After all, Agras looked frustrated.

"Y-You..."

All expression disappeared from the man's face.

That cheerful self was nowhere to be seen.

An unbearably heavy man stood there.

"Boy, it seems you had a hard time."

Where have I seen this man?

"If you've suffered a lot, it's okay to cry."

"Ugh..."

"It seems that even crying is painful. Fine, let's go back together, boy."

Agras said while licking his tongue like a snake.

"This boy is mine. Even if it's you..."

"God has sent me here..."

Whoosh...

A wave emanated from the man's body.

At that moment, the man’s voice echoed in my head.

- Then, I, Toki, in my final moments... will smile.

The man's name was Toki. Although I hadn't met him before, I somehow felt that I knew his name.

"My purpose is here."

Soon, a shock hit me as if my brain was being crushed.

"AAAHHH!"