The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

Although Seol had boldly made a bet with Shin Yu, in reality, he was feeling quite frustrated.

'I didn't expect the gap between us to be this wide… Did he become stronger?'

No. Shin Yu's skills might have been the same. After all, the comparison went from the Shin brothers to him—a summoner.

'I didn't even see what happened.'

His space awareness, Strength of the Mind, and Eyes of Foresight couldn’t process the information properly.

It might have been different if he had faced Shin Yu's attacks head-on. But his attack was so fast that it felt like a passing scenery.

Of course, that didn't mean he was completely discouraged.

'The problem is my defense.'

Even though he had an outstanding regeneration ability, if his defense were comparable to a water balloon that would pop with a single poke, he would just be Shin Yu's plaything.

Night beasts fought with missiles in their hands. They exchanged blows so powerful that even a single hit could destroy their bodies.

Seol concluded that rather than blocking against such an attack, it would be better to burst once and recover. Although this might have worked against wolves, it was ineffective against someone strong.

"Let's see…"

Seol wrapped his hands with mana to check how soft the flesh of the night beast was and stuck his hand into its body.

Swoosh…

"…"

His hand was sucked in without any resistance. It felt like he'd stuck his hand into a swamp.

- Welcome~

- It looks like marshmallow, hahaha.

- Is it a high pass? Lol.

Seol frowned.

He expected it to be a bit stiff, but his fist had gone in too effortlessly.

'Even a simple graze will be fatal.'

If every hit it took was fatal, then being able to recover quickly was pointless.

Ultimately, he needed to increase its defense above a certain threshold.

'Defense… defense…'

He needed to create something out of nothing again, so he needed materials.

'Hmm… I must take something from what already exists.'

Defense was related to firmness.

As he thought about firmness, he thought of a few abilities that had given him that impression—Jamad's Earth Shamanic Spells, Karen's Incomplete Combustion, and the Bones of Origin.

He couldn't summon Jamad and Karen. In Karen's case, since Incomplete Combustion was an Exceptional Skill, he couldn't even grasp how to use it.

"I have no choice but to use Bones of Origin."

Bones of Origin would be enough to provide the defense Seol wanted.

Although it might seem a bit blunt, there was almost nothing that could match Bones of Origin in terms of defense.

- We're going to find the answer, as always.

- It actually isn't us, but him, hahaha.

- Is there a need for us to step in?

Fortunately, Seol was quite skilled in handling the Bones of Origin.

Perhaps it was because it had awakened along Karuna's Asura’s Sixth Sense. Like the wings of a bird instinctively knowing how to soar through the sky, it felt like a familiar sensation to him.

Rather than an ability, it was almost like an instinct.

'So I have to implant that into this guy.'

The medium-sized night beast was so large that he couldn't help but gasp at the sight of it. In comparison, a small-sized night beast was merely the size of a rabbit.

'To a creature like this…?'

Just as it was hard to obtain a cloth bigger than a certain size, the process of enveloping such a creature with the Bones of Origin would probably be really difficult.

'I have to form the Bones or Origin over a large area…'

It wasn't an easy task. And he wasn't sure if it was possible in the first place.

Tap—!

'Well, I guess if I keep trying, there will be results.'

If one was unsure, it was a good idea to reevaluate after seeing the results of a first try.

Just worrying wouldn't lead to a conclusion anyway.

Seol focused on the Bones of Origin for another month.

The first thing he did was to transplant the Bones of Origin forcibly.

Unlike Blood of Origin, Seol was confident in forming its structure, so he thought he could transplant it easily.

However.

Crack…

"…"

Due to it not hardening properly, the formed Bones of Origin broke easily.

Since it seemed like this method wouldn't yield an answer, he moved to the next stage.

'For the Bones of Origin to properly form…'

If he couldn't directly hand over the Bones of Origin, how about he generate it within the night beast’s body?

Seol immediately took action.

The principle behind the formation of the Bones of Origin was simple. The key lay in the coagulation of the Blood of Origin, where it stagnated, forming the Bones of Origin.

'In the end, the blood gathers to form the bones.'

Just like how cement hardens over time, the Bones of Origin had to go through the same process.

The problem was how to make that coagulation happen.

Seol initially focused on the night beast’s blood vessels, which were formed by copying his.

'I'll use this.'

Blood needed to be discharged outside the skin for the Bones of Origin to form. So, he started creating new blood vessels that were connected to the skin.

Instead of connecting these blood vessels to the heart, he linked them to pre-made blood sacs. These sacs stored coagulated Blood of Origin and served to send it into the bloodstream.

Then, by controlling the blood vessels and causing congestion, he would form the Bones of Origin with explosive force at the right moment.

Although the explanation sounded complex, half of it was based on intuition rather than theory.

Whir…

The Bones of Origin slowly started forming…

Thud…

"…"

Blood poured out from the night beast.

Since there wasn’t enough congestion, he couldn't form Bones of Origin all at once.

However, Seol thought this was the correct method, so he clung to it for a while.

And that effort led to success.

"It worked!"

[An organ based on the blood sacs is merging with the night beast.]

[The night beast can synthesize Bones of Origin within its body.]

[Bones of Origin’s defense is proportional to the founder's level.]

…

The night beast was armed with magnificent armor.

Seol wanted to test this power immediately, but it wasn't night yet.

Once the night fell, the creatures that appeared would be great opponents to test the new power.

Grin…

Although he tried to look calm, he couldn't help his lips from curling up.

- What's up with him?

- It's like when you wear your new shoes the night before the field trip, hahaha.

- Ah, I see.

The viewers weren’t the only ones watching him.

Shin Rip and Shin Hyun were also watching him practice from a distance to avoid interfering.

"What do you think?"

"He still has a long way to go. But it's enjoyable to watch…"

"He learns through experience… So I guess that will also be the case this time."

After a while…

Grrr…

Once night fell, the cries of the night beast flowed out from the forest.

"They're here."

It was the moment Seol had been waiting for.

* * *

Whoosh…

CLANG—!

He fought a wolf he encountered in a fairly open area.

"Hahaha!"

Whoosh…

Clang—!

Whoosh…

Clang—!

Its attacks were all offset by the Bones of Origin that enveloped the night beast.

"It’s a success… It's a huge success."

It felt as if the wolf was being overwhelmed.

"Now, defeat it."

Whoosh…

PAAF—!

As the night beast's fist struck the wolf, it completely shattered.

Whir…

[The night beast has collected Darkness.]

[You have accumulated a bit of Darkness.]

…

It was a satisfactory result.

At this level, a battle might end before his night beast needed to use Blood of Origin.

Now, the most important task remained.

It was to pass through the first gate through his night beast.

'Spend all night.'

If his night beast could safely spend a night without him, he would truly step into a new realm.

That meant he wouldn't have to be tied down to night hunting anymore.

Could the night beast perform even while Seol wasn't watching?

CLAP—!

'Start…!'

Boom… Boom…

His night beast disappeared to the other side of the forest with heavy steps.

The night beast was a being that had inherited his blood.

Due to the influence of Lineage, which he was the founder of, he could tell where it was and its current state.

An hour had passed…

"What…?"

His night beast had collapsed.

Paaf—!

Seol quickly ran to where it had fallen.

BOOM—!

BOOM—!

A wolf was trampling his night beast.

Upon taking a closer look, it seemed that the wolf’s attack had struck a spot that the Bones of Origin didn’t protect.

"…"

Clap—!

Seol summoned a new night beast and finished off the wolf.

Crack!

The wolf stumbled and fell, but Seol was still angry.

Seol looked at the night beast that had collapsed and was recovering.

The Bones of Origin couldn't cover the whole body, so it would collapse if it were attacked in an unprotected area.

Seol closed his eyes and thought about what would happen if the opponent was Shin Yu.

'It's impossible…'

Shin Yu could probably crush the night beast with one hand.

Seol thought while touching the intact Bones of Origin and thought.

'It's too inefficient…'

Too much defense was concentrated in a limited area. While such a defense could prevent certain areas from critical hits, it offered not much else.

Seol returned and focused on research again.

Whir—!

Whir—!

He summoned two night beasts of the same size, making one defend and the other attack.

Of course, he gave them specific commands.

Clang—!

Instead of directly hitting the skin, he made it hit the Bones of Origin.

"Again."

Clang—!

"Again."

Clang—!

While the night beasts repeated the same actions, Seol focused on finding the optimal defense—just enough to prevent it from being crushed by a single blow. That was enough, thanks to its incredible regeneration.

Clang—!

"Again."

Each time the word 'again' was uttered, the Bones of Origin’s defense was gradually reduced.

The Bones of Origin had lost much of its initial brilliant appearance.

Clang—!

"Again."

He needed to cut it down.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was a task that required precision. Seol couldn't help but be picky since he needed to replace his main force for a while.

CLANG—!

CLANG—!

CLANG—!

Again.

Again.

Again.

- The old man who cuts night beasts.

- Life expert, night beast edition.

- One million twenty-one… One million twenty-two…

- What's up with his determination…?

Clang…

Clang…

Clang!

"Hmm…?"

Seol was raising his hand when he paused for a moment.

'Did the sound change?'

Bones of Origin had already been cut down quite a bit.

Even the armor’s shape was faint.

Upon looking closer, he found a dent from a recent strike.

'This is it!'

He finally found the critical point.

Seol immediately began preparation.

Applying it directly to the night beast's body was too much. This whole process was a first for Seol as well.

"Oof…"

Seol was planning to apply the change to his own body first. In other words, it was like a trial.

He was much smaller and more adaptable than a night beast.

Whir…

Crack…

Seol enveloped himself in the Bones of Origin.

The intricate bone surrounded him and protected him from the outside.

'If here…'

He needed to give up the Bones of Origin’s unwavering defense.

'No, it's okay if it wavers. No, it has to.'

Just as a too-sturdy tree snaps in a storm, he needed an armor that can bend and dent appropriately to fit the flexible body of a night beast.

He needed something closer to chain mail than plate armor.

'I must focus…'

Seol imagined himself immersing his body in a mud swamp.

He felt like his entire body was being coated with a sticky slime.

He shattered the Bones of Origin into small pieces and spread it over his whole body.

Crack…

"Ugh…"

He was struggling to breathe.

It felt as if he were being tortured.

'It should be a bit looser than this…'

He emerged from the mud and walked through the field for a while. Soon, the mud attached to his body started to harden.

This feeling…

'Yes… This feeling…'

Seol had a calm expression as if he were falling asleep. This entire process was a series of enlightenments—the growth the Pitch Black Labyrinth had granted. Numerous abilities, like One-mind, were in a state that supported his enlightenment.

Although the time he spent on this process seemed long, considering that he had actually elevated his summoning arts, it wasn't long at all.

He was rapidly improving.

Swoosh…

Seol squinted.

[Bones of Origin is transforming into a different shape.]

[This isn't an enhancement but a transformation.]

[This isn't a normal evolutionary process.]

[The total amount of power has been maintained.]

[Awakening! You awaken a new skill.]

[You awaken Skin of Origin.]

[Skin of Origin is born!]

…

Seol checked the loose skin surrounding his body.

'Perfect…'

He hadn't been hoping to step into the next stage in the first place.

He was after just the necessary amount of defense.

"Come here."

Thud…

The night beast knelt on one knee.

As Seol transmitted his will, it extended a palm.

Swoosh…

Seol pressed his palm against it.

Clap—!

At that moment…

Whoosh…

The Skin of the Origin enveloping Seol's body started to transfer to the night beast.

To be more precise, the night beast was reading the information from Seol's body.

Whoosh…

Formed with Darkness, the night beast had excellent base stats.

Among them, the most eye-catching ones were absorption and imitation. It was like a sponge. It learned by watching and mimicking.

The Darkness collapsed several times in the process of mimicking.

And finally, a new substance was layered onto the night beast's body.

[The Night Beast has learned Skin of Origin.]

[The Night Beast can synthesize Skin of Origin using blood sacs.]

[Night Beast Summoning is transforming.]

…

It was a satisfactory result.

However, messages kept coming in.

[Awakening! You awaken a new skill.]

[You awaken Exceptional Skill: Darkness Dweller]

[Exceptional Skill: Darkness Dweller is born!]

…