The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

Grrr…

The blue trolls were looking around while muttering something.

Joneh and Santio, who had cast not only an invisibility spell but also a noise-canceling one, whispered to each other.

"What are those guys saying?"

"I can't understand them… Well, I guess there's no way trolls would use human language."

Seol spoke with Jamad, keeping the Magicians unaware of Jamad’s presence beside them.

- Those guys… They're from the Frostmaw Tribe.

'Frostmaw…? Ah!'

Blue skin and white fur were notable genetic traits of the Frostmaw Tribe.

- Those guys…

Jamad's explanation continued.

However, Seol already knew quite a lot about the Frostmaw.

They were a tribe that tightly banded together to survive in the North, where a raging snowstorm froze everything.

For many years, they had reigned as the dominant force in the North, where even the most powerful beings struggled to survive.

"They're starting to move. Let's go!"

"We're going to have to stick close. Their stride is so long we could lose them if we aren't careful."

The members of the Frostmaw tribe continued to move while murmuring to each other.

"We'd have some clue if we could understand what they're saying…"

"They said light leaked from here. They're adamant they saw it."

"What? If they mentioned light… It seems light came through when we came here through the stairs—huh? Where did you hear that?"

"The trolls said that."

Seol understood what the trolls said.

Unlike Mael, who worked in the Artifact Association, the Frostmaw Tribe didn't use the common language. That's why the two were amazed by how Seol had been able to translate what they said.

"Do you understand troll language?"

"I thought it might be useful, so I learned it."

"I've also learned some needlework just in case I get thrown out into the streets… But troll language? That's a bit unexpected."

"Still, I'm glad. That way, we can figure out what's going on."

Seol tailed the Frostmaw tribe and interpreted what they were muttering.

"It seems they're the scouting party."

"Scouting party? Scouting for what?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems they patrol regularly. However, given the frequency and scale, it doesn't seem like anything significant."

"That makes sense. If they control the entire 8th floor, what would they be wary of to extend their scouting efforts?"

Crunch… Crunch…

The crunching of footsteps on snow and ice echoed around them, and then something transparent glimmering on the horizon caught their eyes.

"Oh my god… Am I seeing this right?"

"It seems things just got serious…"

The place the scouting party was heading to was a huge ice castle nestled in the uneven terrain around it.

Although it looked rough and impractical compared to a human castle, its sheer size was extraordinary.

"These guys… Why are they so huge? If you told me they were ogres, I would have believed it."

"They're from the North. They must have grown to this size to adapt to the harsh environment."

Santio explained to Joneh what Seol had already noticed a long ago.

The Northern trolls were hairier and bigger than trolls from other regions due to the environment.

'Jamad, if we reveal ourselves, would they welcome you as one of their own?'

- Have you ever seen me welcomed anywhere?

Jamad responded to the joke with his own.

- But anyway, the Frostmaw…? Those guys who once lived hidden in their territory have now spilled out from the pages of a book. Hmm…

'Do you know what kind of book it might be?'

- I have a rough idea. But if my guess is correct…

Jamad frowned.

- Things might get a bit troublesome.

Seol asked Jamad for more details about the Frostmaw Tribe.

Although he already knew quite a bit, he figured there might be some insider knowledge only a fellow troll could provide.

Fortunately, Jamad revealed much information only an insider would know.

- The Frostmaw is a solitary tribe. Although they're part of the Tribe Alliance, they’re famous for never sending their strongest to the Council of Elders.

'Why is that?'

- There are many theories, but the most plausible one is that survival in the polar region became their sole focus—they didn't have the luxury of caring about much else.

'And the Tribe Alliance just let them be?'

- All the Northern trolls fell under the Frostmaw’s control. After all, if they didn't unite, they risked being wiped out by snowstorms or monsters. As a single force, they might be the strongest group. The Tribe Alliance probably thought provoking them wasn't worth the trouble.

'The world of trolls is surprisingly complicated.'

- The world of the living is never simple.

While Seol and Jamad were talking, they arrived at the gates of the castle.

"It seems we have arrived. Stay close, everyone. If the door closes after they go in, we'll be in trouble.'

At Santio's words, Seol and Joneh got close to the trolls.

Grr… Wack!

"The troll leading them just said something, didn't he?"

"He said, 'Open the door.'"

Grrwack!

"What about now?"

"He's mostly cursing and complaining about the cold, I think."

- Ugh… Damn, this is freezing.

- I'm frozen! I told you I'm frozen!

- Once inside, I'm going to cook some noodles~

Swoosh…

"Fortunately, it seems they haven't detected us. Okay, then…"

Creak…

Creak!

The gates of the ice castle opened, and Seol's group sneaked past.

Swoosh…

Once inside, they separated from the trolls and moved along the outer edges of the wall.

The house style seemed somewhat civilized. If it weren't for the trolls here, they would have easily mistaken it for a human settlement.

All of the houses were huge. Considering the trolls' massive size, this made perfect sense.

Whoosh…

"S-Santio."

"What's wrong, Joneh?"

"Y-your beard is frozen… I feel like my blood will freeze soon… Can't we go inside somewhere?"

"In the enemy's territory?"

"They aren't our enemies yet, right? We haven't been caught."

Seol gestured.

He had found a house where there were no signs of life.

"This way."

"Young man, you've saved me."

"Oof… I guess we don't have much choice."

"If I turn into a corpse, that will be a problem for you too, right?"

Creak…

* * *

Seol’s group discussed the situation after coming inside.

"Hmm… The Northern trolls' homes aren't much different from human houses."

"They probably want to keep the Northern wind from blowing into their homes. Compared to the houses of other trolls, these have proper doors. No matter how resistant they are to cold, a blizzard would be deadly, just like for anyone else."

"Anyway, I'm going to erase our presence."

Swoosh…

The entire house was wrapped in a veil that Santio created.

This is why traveling with Magicians is convenient.

It was probably also one of the reasons adventurers always ensured that they had at least one Magician in their party.

"Then, I'll light a fire."

Fwoosh…

Joneh activated the central heating device.

"Oof… My back is freezing, but my belly's warm. I wonder if this is what humans in the purgatory feel," Joneh said with a relaxed expression.

Santio asked, "More importantly, what do you think has happened here?"

"Hmm… From what I can deduce, some fool messed with the rules on the 6th floor. That's probably why the Shadow Wolf appeared."

"Until there, it's certain."

"At that time, probably more than one book was open. Not just the one that summoned the Shadow Wolf. The trolls on the 8th floor probably came from another book."

"Why did these trolls come up to the 8th floor? Did they think they couldn't deal with the Shadow Wolf?"

"Could you have handled that beast earlier?"

"For trolls, they're quite wise."

The Early Evening's Kukuru that Seol had easily obtained was Immortal rank.

Although Seol and the viewers had become desensitized to the Immortal-rank after encountering countless enemies of the same level, to the residents of this world, they were beings they couldn't even dare to oppose. Unless they frequently encountered Immortal-rank beings like Seol, they might eventually get used to them and even start to believe they were manageable.

Anyway, the conversation between the two Magicians continued.

"But that's still just speculation. Isn't it strange that such a large-scale force has occupied the 8th floor and hasn't come down?"

"They might have thought they could handle it but weren't certain of victory. Maybe they didn't want to spill blood."

"What were they after?"

"Could it be that they simply want to cherish their newfound lives and want to survive?"

"It's hard to say. I wonder why the Head of the Library doesn't fix this…"

"Isn't the position of Head of the Library vacant…?"

"Ah, that's right."

While half-listening to their conversation, Seol and Jamad continued their own conversation.

There was a massive ice castle filled with formidable troll warriors.

'There must be a leader, right?'

- Probably.

'The leader of the Frostmaw Tribe…'

Seol delved into his memory.

After thinking for a while, he said, 'There's something strange.'

He had recalled a crucial fact.

"The Frostmaw Tribe…"

- Yes. They don't have a chief. They're currently ruled directly by an Old God.

Seol flinched.

'Could it be that the Old Gods directly… No.'

The entire Library of All Knowledge would have been obliterated if the Old Gods had emerged from the book.

- There was one in the past.

'What…?'

- A rather brutal fellow who ruled over the Frostmaw.

Jamad's eyes gleamed.

- Hey, Seol. I must see it with my own eyes… to find out if that guy has returned.

After a brief rest, Seol and the two Magicians slipped deeper into the ice castle.

* * *

Whoosh…

Grrk…

"The wind feels ominous."

There was a massive troll sitting on a throne carved from ice. He was so massive that it was difficult to think any other troll could be as large as he was.

"A snowstorm is approaching."

"We're well-prepared."

Elder trolls stood beside him, murmuring incessantly.

"It's quite curious."

"What is?"

"I thought I had finally escaped these damn blizzards by dying… Yet now, revived, I find myself faced with this same hellscape once more."

"Being able to endure the Northern snowstorm is the pride of us—the Frostmaw. It signifies that we are stronger than others."

"Hmph, what nonsense."

"Wh-what?"

The troll on the throne gazed at the approaching blizzard and said, "That Old God's lies have fooled you. That's not true. Overcoming the blizzard is our pride? That's nothing but nonsense made up by the Old God."

"Why…"

"Now that I've been freed from the chains of the Old God, I understand his motives. He simply needed us to serve him and exercise his power. After all, if we abandoned these storm-battered lands, he would be abandoned too."

"Th-that's heresy!"

Thud…

"Ugh…"

The one sitting on the throne suddenly grabbed the elder by the throat.

"Heresy? Must I still deal with such nonsense after having already died once?"

"Ugh…"

Thud…

"Cough… Cough…"

"After dying, I finally broke free from the Old God’s chains. Now, I can act based on my own desires. Hey, Great Shaman."

"Y-yes…"

"How far along are you with waking up the Head of the Library?"

"I think it would be better for you to see it yourself."

"Lead the way."

BOOM…

BOOM…

BOOM…

The ground shook every time the huge troll took a step.

The Head of the Library looked the same as when they had found it on the ground. The device was bowing down while covered in vines full of Energy of Life.

The Head of the Library was placed in a spot visible from anywhere in the ice castle, and it remains there even now.

"To think a mere machine could call us back from death… Could anyone have imagined that?"

"To be more precise, it wasn't this machine's doing. This thing is merely a pawn. The ones who had created the Library of All Knowledge are the truly terrifying beings."

"That makes sense. When will we be able to wake up the Head of the Library?"

"It should wake up once this snowstorm passes."

The massive troll stroked the Head of the Library.

"Good. I'm looking forward to it. So, what will happen if it restores the Library of All Knowledge to normal?"

"There's no need to worry about that. Although it's a machine, it's a tool with a mind of its own. We've placed a curse on it, so once it wakes up, it won't turn us into dust or anything like that."

"Yes. There's only one thing it needs to do when it wakes up."

A sly grin spread across his face.

"To make the desired power flow out from the desired book…"

"So you're talking about restoring the lower floor's rules."

"Exactly, once that troublesome beast is dealt with… We will be able to take over the entire place with our army."

The snowstorm was approaching.

And someone needed to stop it.

"This time, I, Branka… Will finally rule over the world… This is an opportunity the heavens have bestowed upon me!"

BOOM…

BOOM!

As Branka and the Great Shaman left the Head of the Library's side.

"A-are they gone?"

"They're gone. Their presence is fading."

"Haha… So… What did they say?"

Standing in a spot hidden from the sentries' sight, Seol said.

"They're planning to revive the Head of the Library after changing the rules to their liking. It seems they've already finished preparations."

"Wh-what?!"

Santio turned pale.

"So that means… when they wake up the Head of the Library and descend to the 7th floor…"

"They're planning to take control of the Library of All Knowledge and advance to the world! This is a disaster!"

While the two Magicians looked desperate, Seol remained calm.

"Wh-why are you smiling?"

"Do you have a plan?"

Seol replied.

"Let's ask my friend."

"Friend?"

"Friend? Didn't they all leave?"

Swoosh…

Suddenly, Jamad—who wasn't as big as Branka but still boasted a huge figure—appeared by Seol's side.

"Th-they found us…"

"Behind you…"

"He's my friend."

The two, shocked to the point of nearly fainting, scolded him.

"If you had a troll friend, you should have told us sooner! I had no idea you were so open-minded!"

"Y-you scared us!"

"But…"

They already knew Seol was a summoner after seeing him summon Koko. But they didn't expect him to have a troll as well.

"Does your friend know anything about the current situation?"

Jamad said while snorting, "Branka… As expected, it's that guy."

"Branka?"

"He's someone from long ago. It's been a long time since this ice castle collapsed. He might not be from Ancient times, but he's from a previous era."

"Was he the one who led the Frostmaw?"

"Yes. From what's been passed down, he was a formidable figure who used Ancient Shamanic Spells. I thought it would be fun to fight him since he was supposedly strong, but…"

Seol asked him the most important question.

"So, what was your impression of him."

Grin…

"His presence doesn't quite match the rumors. He was a bit disappointing."

Joneh and Santio, who had been watching Jamad speak the human language fluently, were mesmerized.

It was both terrifying and reassuring that such a powerful figure was on their side.

"Th-then what…"

Crack…

Jamad said while cracking his neck.

"Since the old man has crawled out of his grave after so long, let's allow him to enjoy the sights for a bit. And then… As his descendant, I will send him back underground where he belongs."

He was enjoying this situation.

Grin…

"Of course, he will have to leave his Shamanic Spells behind. This is a golden opportunity the heavens have bestowed upon me."

The snow began to fall.

Whoosh…

The snowstorm was approaching.

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