The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

What is a dream?

An expression of the unconscious, or a confirmation of a long-desired value, it appears in various forms.

What would it feel like if, if you keep having the same dream?

Although no one in the world could answer this question, there is one person who can.

“Why on earth…”

The only person who could answer this question was Kang Seol, who just turned 25.

A man of few words, quiet, from an orphanage.

Kang Seol was having the same dream.

For 17 years.

* * *

Kang Seol had a dream around the time he was just about to enter elementary school.

-Huh? Are you new here? Come sit here.
We have an empty seat.

In his dream, he was an adult, dressed modestly, wearing unfamiliar clothes and a mask he had never seen before.

Not only Kang Seol but everyone there was the same.

-Well, it’s time to roll the dice.

-Ha ha ha! This is my favorite part!

-Everyone picks their pieces.

-I’ll stick with it! I’ll stay with this red butcher!

-Then I’ll be the same, the Wind’s Scout.

-Um… we have someone new here…

-Well, let him make a new one then.

The woman in the fox mask spoke kindly to Kang Seol.

-How should we call you?

Kang Seol tried to spit out his name, hesitated, and then gave a different nickname.

“Snowman.”

-Snowman, huh? Nice.
Alright! Now, Snowman, please create your own game piece.

Kang Seol chose an ice magic-user, made random decisions about the details, and waited his turn.

-The dice is rolled!

-6! It’s a 6!

-But it was a 20-sided die.

-No!

They enjoyed the game cheerfully.

The dice rolled across the board, and a plethora of choices swarmed.

-The spiky thorn chieftain has arrived.
So, what’s your choice, ‘It’s Always Your Fault’?

Run away. Fight back. [Requirement: Intelligence 15] Persuade them with words. [Requirement: Mechanical Engineering 1] Create a smoke screen.

-4! Let’s go with 4!

-Oh, no! Unfortunately, the attempt to create a smoke screen failed!

-Damn it! This is a scam!

The party is on the verge of annihilation.

But then, it was the turn of the wizard that Kang Seol had chosen.

“I’ll choose 3.
‘Bind the spiky thorn’s feet with frost magic.'”

-The magic was effective! The Spiky Thorn’s feet froze, and he was defenseless for a moment.

The man wearing a new mask next to him cheered.

-Well done! Now it’s my turn! Hurry up!

-Yes, Cat Tower Destroyer.

‘Cat Tower Destroyer,’ as the man was known, successfully targeted a weakness in Thorny Spike’s defenses, landing a powerful blow that turned the tide of the party’s situation.

Eventually, the party overcame Thorny Spike and successfully completed the adventure.

-That’s it for today’s adventure.
Did everyone enjoy the world of eternity?

-Ha ha ha, needless to say.
Even though it’s a trial version, it’s really fun.

-Hey, Snowman.
Do you have any plans to join us again tomorrow?

Kang Seol nodded his head.

Thus, he enjoyed the world of eternity every night in his dreams, swapping out members with these unknown entities.

Once, Kang Seol told his orphanage siblings about these dreams.

The responses were as follows:

“Brother, you’re strange… saying strange things…”

“…What?”

“Where does something like that exist?”

Their reactions were expected.

Few, if any, would believe that one could continue to dream the same dream.

From then on, until he turned 25, Kang Seol never mentioned this dream to anyone again.

His life in the orphanage was tough and he rarely conversed with others, and he was worried that if he shared the secret of his dream, he might not be able to dream the same dream again.

So, he grew up and became a part of society.

And yet the dreams continued.

For a whopping 17 years, he rolled dice and played with these unknown entities.

It’s not that he wasn’t curious about their identities.

But for the same reason he couldn’t blab about his dreams to others, he couldn’t ask them either.

‘Who are you guys, really?’

They meet in the dream, roll the dice.

And they laugh.
That’s all there is to it.

At one point, Kang Seol thought they might be gods.

But he soon lost interest.

It didn’t matter to him whether they were gods, monsters, or demons.

What mattered was enjoying this world of eternity.

That alone was his sole concern.

-Snowman, didn’t you decide to join us today? Or didn’t you?

-What are you talking about! Snowman had decided to be with us on the last day! – Didn’t he?

-Both of you, be quiet! Today, Snowman will be playing a solo adventure because of the last adventure of the Grand Sage.

-Right! Then we must watch that!

Snowman, a being created in Kang Seol’s dream.

Snowman had now become nothing less than an idol to those who enjoyed the world of eternity.

After all, he had created several legendary pieces that would long remain in the world of eternity.

The pieces he played were nearly 30 in total, some of whom had died in vain, but most of Kang Seol’s pieces had left their names in the history of the world of eternity.

The Great Frost Mage, the One-armed Swordsman, the Undying, and even the Grand Sage.

Snowman had played various roles over 17 years and had smoothly reached the peak.

Although luck with the dice worked in his favor, his acumen for seeing through choices also contributed significantly.

It was a result of his interest in the world of eternity, to the point where he almost memorized the rulebook.

‘It’s a shame, if I had a little more time, I would have tried that too.’

The piece he was planning to play last.

The growth direction and strategies he had pondered and created after switching through various jobs and experiencing trial and error.

He was planning to make the final piece that embodies all of this, but unfortunately, the world of eternity was only until today.

-From tomorrow, our dream will become reality.

-It’s a bit late.
Now we need to regain our divinity.
Also, we have to take revenge on the bugs that made us like this, haha! It seems like the latter is getting more weight?

‘Did they say the trial version of the world of eternity ends tomorrow?’

The notice that the trial version of the world of eternity ends today and starts the official service.

Kang Seol didn’t know what this official service meant, but they seemed to have a rough idea.

Kang Seol let their words pass and focused on the situation in front of him.

Because Grand Sage was going through his final adventure, Ascension.

‘Please please…’

Now, Kang Seol rolls the last dice for his piece, Milan.

Rumble.

Thud.

Startle!

Kang Seol, who checked the dice, quietly closed his eyes.

The dice came up as 1.

[Magic backflows during the Ascension process.]

[Due to the magical backlash, Milan has suffered a great shock.]

[Milan fails to Ascend.]

-Snowman, it’s regrettable.

-It’s a pity, Snowman.

-Cheer up!

Kang Seol confirmed that Milan had no remaining choices.

‘Again….’

Among the 30 pieces that Kang Seol created, the last 10 that were born, all reached the final adventure, Ascension.

However, they didn’t break through.

It wouldn’t be easy to be born as a human and ascend to the heavens, but it’s that all 10 pieces failed with Grand Sage being the last one.

‘How am I supposed to break this…’

Kang Seol stared silently at his piece and made a choice.

[Will you give up on Milan’s adventure?]

Yes. No.

If you choose 1, the player can no longer control the fate of the piece.

Kang Seol chose number 1

[Adventurer Milan will now carve out his own destiny.]

[Although the thrilling adventure has ended, his life continues.]

As Kang Seol blankly watched Milan, the others spoke to him.

-It’s okay, Snowman.
You did your best.
Just making it to Ascension…

-That’s right, it was something only Snowman could do.

-The number of pieces that have reached Ascension is now 10.

All of them were Kang Seol’s pieces.

While it was an amazing achievement for those enjoying the world of eternity, it left a sense of regret for Kang Seol himself.

“Sigh….”

That’s how the world of eternity that he enjoyed for 17 years came to an end.

However, this end was the beginning of a new fate.

Chapter 1

Whoosh-

‘Huh?’

What on earth is making me continue this dream?

Kang Seol dreamt the same dream again today.

Architectures marvelously built on the clouds.

The eternal world was surely supposed to end yesterday, yet he was still walking there today.

That doesn’t mean there were no differences between yesterday and today.
Certainly, there were differences.

‘Why… Why is no one here?’

He was definitely a celebrity here.

Whenever he inhaled the air of this world through his dreams, without fail, others would come to greet him.

However, today, no one came to meet him.

An ominous feeling slowly climbed up his back.

Why?

Why indeed?

Kang Seol found out the reason when he arrived at the central square.
A man wearing a lightning mask greeted Kang Seol.

“Ah, the protagonist has arrived!”

“Capture him!”

‘What, what is this!’

Realizing that something strange was going on as he saw people charging towards him, Kang Seol immediately turned and ran away. 

Bzz!

But from somewhere, a chain of lightning flew towards him and bound his neck.

“Argh!”

Kang Seol felt like his brain was burning from the pain etched into every joint of his body.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“You wretched human…”

“Trying to deceive us all this time?”

As Kang Seol fell to the ground, those wearing masks dragged him to the square.

Thud.

Insults and ridicule were poured onto him, as if he was a criminal.

“I can’t believe I’ve been talking to you all this time!”

“How dare you, converse with us at the same eye level?”

“What has everyone been doing while a mere insect-like human was desecrating heaven?”

“Who showed this man the way?”

“Kill him! He must die!”

“Kill him!”

Despite the dizzying sense of isolation, Kang Seol heard the voices clearly demanding his death.

‘Just until yesterday…’

Yesterday’s best friends  wanted to plunge a dagger into his heart.

“Why… why are you doing this…”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? You, a mere human, dare to disguise yourself as a god in the lofty heavens?”

“But…”

“That’s enough.
I no longer wish to speak with you, kill him…”

No, it’s wrong.

Their eyes were enveloped in madness and turned red, not listening to anything he said.

Just when Kang Seol, terrified by the claim of his impending death, was about to respond, a man wearing a mask with big eyes stopped observing the situation and shouted.

“I object to that!”

“What? Co, Codon…”

Codon was a man of considerable influence among them.
It was a fact that Kang Seol could feel subconsciously as he conversed with them.

Anyway, the man named Codon sprang to his feet and walked over to Kang Seol, pushing aside the crowd.

Of course, there was resistance.

“What are you doing right now, Codon?”

“Right now, deceiving us….”

“Whoa, whoa, you seem to be too excited.
Calm down.”

“Hmm… Hmph….”

Why would Codon be on his side?

Kang Seol held a bit of hope.

Perhaps, this guy could solve this situation.

However, that was a huge mistake.

“Do you think we can shed human blood in heaven? No one gets executed in this heavenly realm.”

“Well, that’s right.”

“So what should we do?”

“Well, I’ll tell you what I think.
This guy…”

Codon grinned.

“Do you mean to send him back where he belongs?”

“What, what!”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

“Of course, if we send him back as he is, you might feel that we are not punishing him for his sins… But have you all forgotten what day it is today?”

The masked ones responded strongly to Codon’s words.

“Right! We were scheduled to start harvesting from today!”

“So if we send this guy back….”

“That’s right.
This guy will return to his rightful place, the earth, and die off like a worm, becoming a sacrifice to madness.”

“Hahahaha! That sounds good! We can’t stain the heavens with his filthy blood.”

“I agree too! How dare he crawl into the heavens without knowing his place? Die stuck to the earth like a bug!”

“Codon, you are indeed wise! This way we can teach a lesson! How dare he try to mingle at the same level as gods, not realizing his true place.”

Codon wasn’t trying to protect Kang Seol.
He had chosen a different way to inflict greater pain.

Kang Seol couldn’t speak.

He didn’t know what these people, who called themselves gods, were up to.
He couldn’t move.

Then, someone’s voice penetrated his brain.

-Snowman, can you hear me?

It was Codon’s voice.

-Your identity has been revealed.
I don’t have time to explain it in detail.
I’ll tell you only what needs to be passed on.

He wanted to ask Codon.

Who are you?

Why are you helping me?

What happens if he dies in his dream?

While Codon skillfully deceived the gods with his eloquence, he continued to pass information to Kang Seol.

-The place where you lived will become a different world from today.
The convergence of the worlds is scheduled for today.
It’s your world and the world of eternity, Pandeia.

What is he talking about.

‘The worlds… are merging? How?’

-Gods have chosen madness over faith to regain their weakened power.

-Your sufferings and stories will now be sold to other believers in exchange for madness.

‘What are you talking about!’

-Snowman, there is only one way to save you and your race.
Reach Ascension, the final adventure.
Being as noticeable as possible will help in this process.
Madness is necessary for the gods to regain their original power, but it can also be useful for you.

‘Reach Ascension? How is a mortal like me supposed to do that? What are you talking about….?’

-Also, if you speak about heavenly affairs, it gives gods a reason to intervene with you.
Then you will inevitably die.
Please, act wisely.
I wish you luck, Snowman.
I hope we can meet again someday.

At the end of his words, Codon lifted Kang Seol with one hand.

“Hahaha! Now, let’s see how this bug squirms and dies….”

“Wait! If we send him back like this…”

Before the situation could change, Codon swiftly threw Kang Seol under the clouds.

Still feeling the horrifying sensation of falling without wings, Kangseol was banished from heaven.

Whoooooosh!

“Darn… He’s already thrown.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

Codon replied with a smile.

“Now, shall we watch the harvest of madness? Oh, noble gods.”

“Hu hu hu… Good.”

“Now, we can finally regain our power.”

***

Kang Seol felt completely empty.

A hollow feeling.

This was not only from the fall from heaven but also the aftermath of a panic attack he experienced after such an overwhelming event.

‘Were they real gods?’

Things that had only existed in his dreams were not just imaginary, they were actual gods with substance.

Kang Seol confirmed the collar that had just been choking him had disappeared, and he touched his neck.

Having experienced the sensation of dying and coming back to life, he sighed in relief at being alive and looked around.

Darkness.

The world was drenched entirely in black.

“What…?”

Suddenly, messages began to pop up before his eyes.

[The World of Eternity is being applied.
97%]

[The application of the World of Eternity has been completed.]

[Welcome to the World of Eternity, Pandeia.]

[A total of 7,900,021,232 lives are joining the World of Eternity.]

[Moving to character setting space.]

[Please set the abilities of your character.]

[Shortly, the first adventure will begin.]

Seeing these messages, Kang Seol understood what codon had been talking about.

Kang Seol had become a piece.

The piece of the World of Eternity that he had enjoyed for 17 years.

His 31st and final piece was himself.