The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

Chapter 371

The beginning of the Shin family's four brothers was humble until the hidden power of a child born with unprecedented talent was revealed. Until that moment, all of the attention was focused on Shin Rip and Shin Hyun—nobody cared about me.

"Hyung! Do you…"

"I'm busy, Yu. Go talk to the servants. They will take care of your needs."

"Okay…"

Was it because I was born with a frail body?

The training grounds were strictly off-limits for me, and I couldn't engage in intense training.

I could see the second brother passing by.

"Hyung!"

"Ah, Shin Yu. Hihihi… I have a sparring set with hyung-nim. So let's talk later, okay?"

Even the usually cheerful second hyung vanished to the training grounds.

As for the third hyung, Kang, he wasn't in the training grounds in the first place.

'He's probably there again.'

It was a secret I had only recently discovered—that Shin Kang was spending his days somewhere else, other than the training grounds.

"Oof… Oof…"

Maybe I shouldn't have followed him.

…Aab! Haab!

Whoosh…

Whoosh…

Even though there was some distance, I could hear a loud sound.

My heart was racing. Was it from the excitement at the thought of surprising him? Or was my frail body making it beat faster?

"Kang hyung!"

"Yu…"

"Oof… Oof… Aren't you going to the training ground? The other hyungs are…"

"This place is more comfortable. Why did you come all the way here?"

"That's because…"

My eyes naturally drifted to the third hyung's hands.

Despite bleeding from his hands, he was still training with his hands wrapped in bandages.

"Your hands are bleeding…"

"It's fine… It’s cold out here. I'll take you back down."

"I can wait…"

"Yu."

"…"

Although it wasn't a scolding, I couldn't defy Kang hyung's words.

Stumble…

"Ah…"

"It seems your legs gave up. See? I told you not to force yourself. Get on my back."

Kang hyung's back was damp with sweat, and warm steam was rising from it.

'It's comforting…'

I fell asleep on his broad back.

When I came back to my senses, I was back at the residence, and Kang hyung was nowhere to be seen.

I was left alone in the vast residence once again.

'Yes…'

That day, I requested my father, the family's patriarch, to allow me to learn the sword, just like my hyungs.

Looking back, I'm certain those words changed our fate.

"H-He's a genius!"

"He has martial talent the continent may never see again! Even if he starts now, he will surely achieve greatness!"

I remember the moment I first held a sword.

'It feels comfortable.'

It felt as if my arms had extended, though others might have felt differently.

A lot had happened in the year since I first picked up the sword.

Since all of my hyungs practiced swordsmanship, we spent more time together. Sometimes, we would even have heated arguments about each other’s swords.

I chose my words carefully.

Except for my hyungs, the other family members would treat my words like truth. It felt as if I was deciding the path for everyone else.

'It's frightening…'

I'm not a god.

I'm just a human.

That's why this was wrong.

I developed a psychological sickness, and I didn't want to hold a sword anymore.

Whenever I grasped it, the universe filled my mind.

Everyone struggled desperately to see that beautiful moment. However, no vision that filled my mind could be compared to the warmth of Kang hyung's sweat-drenched back.

It had been a while since I felt that warmth.

Regardless, I couldn't abandon the sword.

Whenever I thought of Kang hyung climbing the mountain daily, even the smallest laziness felt like a sin.

One day, I overheard the servants gossiping. They were insulting the family members without restraint.

"What does a little brat like Shin Yu know… right?"

Although jealousy and envy always followed, hearing it directly felt unpleasant.

'They are insulting me.'

For a moment, I felt upset. But then, curiosity crept in.

That's why I didn't stop them.

That day, they stopped bad-mouthing me. Yet, they still gathered there every day to gossip.

Perhaps those insults were their way of venting their frustrations from their labor.

"Shin Rip's skills are unimpressive for the eldest."

"Shin Hyun's light attitude will eventually…"

They even criticized my hyungs.

Finally, they even brought up Shin Kang's name.

"I feel sorry for Shin Kang… Due to being stuck between talented brothers…"

"They say he can't even enter the training grounds. He must be too embarrassed to show himself… Ah!"

"Hey!"

I couldn't hold back anymore and burst in, yelling.

However, I got so worked up that I fainted and woke up in my room.

"Are you awake?"

"Kang hyung…"

"The other hyungs were waiting for you to wake up but had to leave. Are you alright?"

Overwhelmed by anger, I told Shin Kang what happened that day.

The third hyung, someone serious, would surely take some measures.

"So that's what happened."

"Aren't you angry…?"

"About what?"

"That…"

"Isn't everything right?"

"…"

Kang hyung's response left me speechless.

"Their words reflect the present, not the future. Those words are just obstacles we need to overcome."

The reason I said this was probably out of selfishness, hoping he would get angry and…

"Aren't you frustrated? That they are saying you lag behind your brothers…"

"Yu."

"Yes…"

The third hyung said.

"Brothers are family. Not rivals."

"…"

"Our paths are connected. In the end, we all walk the same path."

Shin Kang was a towering figure.

"In the end, we will all stand shoulder to shoulder."

"Hyung…"

That was the moment I began to hold Kang hyung in special regard.

I thought he would be my guiding light as I walked my path.

That's what I thought, but…

"How could this be…"

"Say it clearly! Tell me what's going on!"

"It's a miracle he's alive… All of his major organs have already decayed."

"…"

Thud…

"Patriarch! Patriarch!"

Our family smiled because of me but ended up crying because of me in the end. I was facing death at a young age.

"…"

"Are you awake?"

"You're saying that often, right?"

"Yes. How about you stop giving me reasons to?"

"Where are the hyung-nims…?"

"They're outside, waiting for you to wake up. Should I…"

"Am I dying…?"

"…"

I ended up asking it.

The third hyung stared at me blankly before replying.

"It seems so."

"…"

"A rare disease seems to be rotting your body and dulling your senses."

"I see… So that's why it doesn't hurt…"

But still, he could feel it.

"Please, call everyone."

"…"

"I think my time is nearing its end."

I had never seen Kang hyung's eyes widen like that before.

Paf…

Kang hyung stormed out and shouted.

I couldn't hear what he shouted in detail, but it felt like all of the family members were rushing toward me.

Everyone knelt silently, listening to my fading breaths.

"Everyone…"

"…"

"Thank you. I wanted to repay for everything I received, but…"

"Stop! Don't say that."

Father and Mother had already fainted, so the eldest hyung responded instead—the always reliable eldest hyung.

I think he is someone admirable.

"Yu, smile. Wasn't it fun?"

The second hyung said that. He wanted to send me off with a smile.

"…"

And the silent third hyung.

"I'm sorry I couldn't go until the end with you all…"

The eldest hyung clenched his lips before replying.

"If someone among us reaches the end of their path, it would be as if everyone had reached it, too. That's why, Shin Yu, you will also be there. Your—no, our dream will keep us moving forward. As long as one of us stands, our path will continue."

"I have one last request…"

We were always together.

By always, I meant past, present, and future.

It was natural, just as water flows and mountains stand.

That's why…

"Please, don't cry. After all, we're always together."

I honestly don't remember what I said last, but I remembered I said something.

"Goodbye, hyungs…"

Thud…

I later learned that not a single one of my hyungs kept their promise.

* * *

Seol continued listening to Shin Yu's story.

Although he had heard most of it before, there were details he hadn't known.

- Death felt like a dream. And one day, I became the hand of my third hyung.

"Your hyungs must have been shocked."

- The second hyung laughed so hard he fainted.

"…"

- I became family again. However, in a corner of my heart, I had a doubt.

"A doubt?"

Why could he have doubted?

- Am I truly Shin Yu?

"What…?"

- Aren't I perhaps just a hand with Shin Yu's memories? But when I reached the end of the Pitch Black Labyrinth…

When he reached the end of the Pitch Black Labyrinth… Shin Yu realized himself.

- It disappeared. All I could think about were my hyungs. Saving my hyungs that had been left behind.

His feelings toward his hyungs.

His devotion to them.

He was Shin Yu.

- I am Shin Yu—the youngest son of the Shin family. I can exist not as a ghostly hand but as Shin Yu, thanks to my hyungs.

"Do you resent Shin Kang for having left…?"

- Our dream continues! We couldn't all stop here. Someone had to move forward. Kang hyung left to make that happen.

He became a sharp sword, tearing through obstacles as he moved forward. Right now, where Shin Yu was, his hyungs were also there.

So then why…

"Shin Yu, why don't you leave? Or rather, why can't you leave?"

- If I leave, it will become real.

"…"

- My hyungs, having died in the labyrinth, will become true.

Even after dying, Shin Yu remained with his brothers.

'So that has become a shackle…'

Guilt, regret, longing, denial—a whirlpool of emotions were holding Shin Yu here.

He couldn't move forward because he was worried about his fallen hyungs.

Seol stood up and said.

"The choice is yours, Shin Yu."

- I can't choose. After all, I'm just a hand.

"That's just an excuse. Someday, the moment when you must make a choice will come. Whether it's the past or the future."

Shin Yu hesitated before writing on the ground.

- Did you choose?

Seol nodded and said.

"I'm going to leave the labyrinth. And if I can, I will take you with me. So…"

He was burning with determination, hoping his resolve would reach Shin Yu and save him.

"So be ready to answer."

* * *

After the conversation with Shin Yu, Seol prepared to move to the next gate.

If someone asked him if he had gotten as strong as he wanted, he would have answered no.

He had obtained the Ghost Sword Yaksha, but it was an unstable presence. It was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.

In this situation…

'The second gate will be crucial.'

What Seol remembered about the second test was that it was a dull, monotonous space.

However, that was based on old information. If he wanted updated information, he would have to ask Shin Rip and Shin Hyun.

"It's a dream."

"Yes…?"

"Didn't I tell you? The Demonic Beast of Dream has taken over the gate."

"What happened to the gate…?"

"Hihi… All the dreams of those who enter it will get mixed together. People you know might appear in unexpected ways, or completely different versions of them might show up."

Shin Hyun started explaining, then handed the baton to Shin Rip.

"I think it would be better if hyung explained it."

"That test will reshape your subconscious. From the moment you step into its domain, the dream will begin."

Why did Shin Hyun let Shin Rip explain?

"Hyung and I have both stepped into its domain before."

"I see."

"Hyung even went back there once more."

"What? Why…"

Shin Rip explained.

"The dream will do anything to break your existence. It will summon figures from your past or unconscious to torment you. The illusions will be vivid and convincing. If you let them consume you, you will end up dreaming forever."

"Then, why return to such a place?"

"Because it's also an opportunity for transformation."

"Transformation…?"

"Look at your Shadow."

Seol looked at his body.

The Darkness had devoured him after trying to use Night Crow. The parts of the Shadow on his face that had broken looked pitiful.

"You have grown significantly stronger compared to when I first saw you. But still, the Shadow remains. That means it still isn't enough."

Shin Rip raised his sword and said.

"If you escape from the dream, you will probably be able to gain the power you seek. The experience of being dismantled and reconstructed. There's nothing like it."

"Is the potential of that gate that big?"

Shin Hyun explained further.

"Hyung's Thunderbolt Sword was an incomplete sword art because the 3rd form was lost."

That was something Seol also knew.

'Don't tell me…'

"Yes, the Thunderbolt Sword was completed through that dream."

It was the sword Seol had given up.

Because the 2nd form was the end, he remembered having focused on mastering and perfecting the 2nd form.

"What kind of world is that place…?"

Seol asked, and Shin Rip answered.

"It's like another life. You'll have to experience it yourself."

Seol turned around.

A massive door stood firmly shut before him.

As he prepared to face the next gate, a high-pitched voice reached him.

"Wait for me—!"

It was a figure drenched in blood.

'Who was she…?'

A woman yelled.

"I'm Lucia! Don't you remember? We even exchanged greetings!"

Seol remembered the woman who entered with him.

'But where's that man?'

There was a handsome man who accompanied her the last time he saw her.

'I also haven't mentioned the ones who had the token.'

He didn't remember seeing anybody from the Federation.

Seol frowned.

"Where's the man?"

"He died."

"Have you encountered the ones that came after us?"

Lucia smirked.

"I killed them."