The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

Whir…

How long had it been? What had happened? How far had Seol drifted after being swept by the explosion?

Blink… Blink…

Seol tried to open his eyes, forcing his heavy eyelids upward.

"Pff…"

His mouth was full of snow and pieces of ice.

"Snow…?"

Seol sat up and looked around. He was touching snow, and the scenery unfolding before his eyes was a snowy plain.

The snowfield stretched endlessly beyond the horizon.

Seol was momentarily dazed.

'No. That can't be.'

Although he couldn't stop the Barrier Stone from exploding, the explosion itself wasn't powerful enough to kill him.

Of course, this only applied to him and not Chi Woo and Seol Hong.

'Someone's coming.'

Step…

Step…

Someone was approaching him while stepping on the snow.

He thought that the only beings he might encounter in such a desolate snowfield were wild beasts or monsters. However, it surprisingly was a person.

A bright red nose and round eyes greeted Seol. They were also wearing goggles that looked like protective eyewear.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Fortunately, they didn't seem to be bandits.

'Where did I end up?'

Although it was unlikely, he might be able to return to Seol Hong soon if he were close to Khan.

"See? I told you I wasn't seeing things!"

"Sorry, sorry. But isn't it stranger to believe you would encounter someone in such a snowfield?"

"Well… That's true."

A woman with blue eyes approached him. Her nose was also red.

"Hey, aren't you cold?"

"Ah… no."

"That's amazing… Do you perhaps have really high cold resistance? What's your secret?"

"Yes?"

"Ah, aren't you a transferee?"

The person seemed to be a transferee. Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to show some camaraderie, Seol introduced himself.

"I'm a transferee. My name is Kang Seol."

"Ah, your name… Are you Korean?"

"Yes. What about you?"

"I'm Japanese!"

Swoosh…

The man lowered his mask and grinned. The beard clinging to his chin like seaweed was eye-catching.

"Ishi. You can call me Ishi. Ugh… how cold… I think my tongue might freeze."

"Ishi…"

"I'm Yeva. I used to live in Russia… There's something I wanted to ask you."

They muttered to each other.

"Hurry up and ask… Before it gets awkward…"

"Couldn't you ask instead…?"

After scratching their heads for a moment, they asked Seol.

"Well… We haven’t had a proper meal in a few days… Do you happen to have any food?"

Seol had made new acquaintances in the middle of the vast white snowfield.

Nod…

"R-really? That's a relief!"

* * *

Sharing food wasn't hard. In fact, one of the easiest ways to increase one's cooking proficiency was to serve a hungry person a great meal, so cooking for them could be good too.

"There's an outpost in that direction."

"How far is it?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure. After all, it's rare for us to come all the way here where we found you. Ah, also, feel free to speak more casually."

"Got it, Ishi. But… an outpost?"

As Seol asked, Yeva scolded Ishi.

"Don't call it an outpost. He might expect something impressive."

"Ah, is that so? Well… In that direction, there's a lousy cave where you can avoid the snow, at least. It's full of bugs, though. So if you feel like throwing up, let me know beforehand."

The transferees Ishi and Yeva. Where were the three of them currently?

Upon seeing the snowfield, there was one place that came to mind.

'It must be the North.'

He was probably further into the north than Khan.

The distance he had traveled made him sigh.

"By the way, where are we?"

"You don't even know where you are? Did you just transfer?"

"No, that was a while ago."

"Hmm… I see. This place is…"

"Let's talk after getting to the outpost."

"You mean trash dump."

"Right. Anyway, let's rest and talk at the trash dump. If I start talking now, I feel like the cold air will freeze my insides. By the way, you really have food, right?"

Nod…

When Seol nodded, Ishi clutched his stomach.

"Oof… Thank goodness. It's been a while since the supply chains were cut, and we haven't been able to hunt anything worth eating yet. I was starting to get worried."

"Worth eating?"

"The meat of the monsters here has a foul stench. How should I describe it?"

"Just the smell alone makes you feel like passing out. I tried eating it once, but it felt like I was eating Ishi's socks, so I spat it all out."

"Hey! My feet don't stink!"

"Anyway."

He became increasingly certain that this place was the North. It was notoriously barren, and those unlucky who landed here at the beginning ended up spending grueling days.

After a long walk, they finally arrived at the outpost—no, what they called the 'trash dump.'

"…"

"See? I told you you would be disappointed."

"There really is nothing here."

As they entered after going through an artificial barrier to block the cold wind, he saw a shabby bed and traces of an extinguished fire.

Ishi and Yeva took off their masks. They both had striking features.

Ishi had shoulder-length curly hair, while Yeva's was just past her shoulders.

Paf…

Yeva grabbed a bottle she had placed by the bed and opened it.

"Want to drink?"

"Alcohol?"

"Yes. It's cold, isn't it? Also, there's nothing better than this for a conversation."

"I'm fine."

Seol didn't feel that cold in the first place.

He faced off against Branka, the Frostmaw Troll, so this level of cold was nothing to him.

"Well, you don't have to drink if you don’t want to."

Yeva shrugged and took a sip from the bottle, followed by Ishi.

"Oof…"

"Ah… this is great."

Ishi scratched his beard and asked.

"So… You were asking where we are, right?"

"Hic…"

"Hey, go over there."

As Yeva hiccuped, Ishi pushed her away.

"Yeva has a terrible drinking habit. Her passing out like this is actually helpful. The cold becomes harder to resist at night."

"Hmm…"

"Anyway, let's get back to what we were talking about. How did you end up here?"

"I don't even know where this is…"

"Hwigeltong…"

Seol's eyes sparkled.

"Hwigeltong?"

Then he tilted his head.

'But this terrain doesn't seem to match Hwigeltong's…'

Then, as expected, Ishi smiled and kept talking.

"This is a Federation outpost."

"Are you part of the Northern Federation?"

"Oh, you know the Northern Federation? Did you get transferred here?"

"Not exactly… I've just heard rumors."

As expected, he was indeed in the North.

'This is bad… The distance from Khan must be huge.'

Well, regardless of how long it took him, he just needed to return. He had yet to recover Yu Hwa's unfulfilled desire, so he needed to head back to Khan.

'Has the Federation's influence extended so close to Hwigeltong?'

Technically speaking, it was most likely just an extension of the border while leaving the infrastructure as it was, but either way.

There was a federation in the northern region of Pandea.

Several nations had joined forces. And according to the information he gathered, they rapidly absorbed transferees to strengthen their ranks.

It seemed Ishi and Yeva were some of those transferees.

"It will be easier to talk if you know about the Federation. Do you know who lives in Hwigeltong?"

"Ice Moles and Trolls."

"Oh! So you're well-informed. But Ice Mole is just a nickname. Here, they're called Emon."

"Emon…"

"Yes. The Emon, who are rapidly expanding, and the fallen Frostmaw live in Hwigeltong."

"Then, are you part of the Federation's border patrol, keeping an eye on them?"

At that moment, Yeva, who had been dozing off due to the influence of alcohol, suddenly sat up and answered.

"Dast roight! We ah the Fed'ration's border pat…"

"…"

Ishi blankly looked at the drunken Yeva when he began emitting a peculiar energy.

Swoosh…

The pungent smell of alcohol briefly tickled Seol's noise.

'Is this Divine Power…?'

When Seol glanced at Ishi's hand, he grinned.

"There's nothing like this for a hangover."

Yeva frowned.

"Hey! I told you not to waste my precious booze like that!"

"Then you should have behaved."

"Did I stutter..? How many things have I said?"

"Yes. One."

"Then, well done…"

She flopped down nearby and said.

"Well, what's there to hide? It's obvious at first glance. We're part of the Federation's border patrol. Our duty is to keep an eye on the Emon and the Frostmaw. Our job is to monitor them as they cause trouble."

"Sorry to interrupt, but… can we eat before talking?"

"Ah… Right… I'm sorry, but we haven't been eating much recently…"

"Are supplies delayed?"

"They're usually pretty punctual. But apparently, they got ambushed along the way. The escort team took a heavy hit… That's why they ordered us to survive on our own for now."

Seol pointed to a frozen piece of meat in a corner.

"What about that…?"

A frozen thigh cut was visible.

"It's Yangusni meat. The last time we went hunting, we caught that out of all things."

"Isn't it edible?"

"Wanna take a sniff?"

"Hey, what if he throws up…"

"Well, sometimes, you have to experience it yourself."

Following their suggestion, Seol brought his nose close to the Yangusni meat.

Seol couldn't help but frown.

"How about it? Amazing, right?"

"Is this even meat? Isn't it rotten?"

"More than a stench, it's a reek, hahaha!"

"Okay. I'm going to make something delicious out of this."

"Hahaha! What…?"

"Are you joking…?"

"You just watch."

Seol opened up the windbreak for ventilation and welcomed the cold air.

Tss…Tss…

Fwoosh—!

Soon, a roaring campfire blazed.

"Woah… The fire caught fast!"

"What's that?"

Seol's cooking tools were remarkable, even by general standards. He also carried the best equipment for making fires as well.

He quickly crafted a cooking stand for the campfire and cut the Yangusni meat into bite-sized pieces on a cutting board.

Dadada…

"The meat is soft."

Seol smiled and began applying a seasoning he had to the Yangusni meat. Normally, he would have let it marinate, but he instead put it directly into the pot because of its intense odor.

Tss…

"Ugh… The smell…"

A rotten stench filled the air.

As Seol stirred the meat, he added various ingredients to mask the smell, including some classified as toxic plants.

Tss…

"Huh? The smell has improved a bit…"

Fwoosh!

As he added a special pre-refined liquor, the flames flared and carried away the foul odor.

Tss…

Now, it seemed like a good aroma was rising from the pot.

The next step was simple. He scooped up some snow from outside and added it to the meat and vegetables, letting it all boil together.

Bubble, bubble…

As an irresistible smell came out of the pot, Ishi and Yeva started to drool.

"It's cooked, right? I mean… I-it must be cooked! It's done! I'm sure of it!"

"I agree! I wholeheartedly agree with Russia's opinion!"

"Japan's on board too! Hurry!"

[You have finished cooking.]

[You have made Yangusni Stew.]

[The flavors are rich and deep. The dish was a success.]

[This recipe has never been seen before.]

[The polar region’s cuisine inspires you.]

[You have been inspired.]

[You feel like you will be able to come up with a recipe the next time you come across a new ingredient.]

[Your cooking skills have greatly improved.]

Clack…

He put the dish into separate bowls.

"Is it Korean-style?"

"Try it."

"I'm not good with spicy stuff…"

Yeva pulled her hair back behind her ear and took a bite.

"Russia closed her eyes here… The Kremlin shimmers before her eyes."

"Wow… That terrible smell is completely gone. How could this be…"

[Your cooking skills have further increased.]

"Ah…"

"Oof… Nice."

- Their reactions are fun, hahaha.

- They reacted just like a Korean.

When Seol asked them about this, Ishi and Yeva explained.

"Ah, there was a Korean here. However, he got reassigned somewhere else. But we began imitating his eating habits to tease him, and it sort of stuck."

"What's the Federation like?"

"Can't you tell? They've thrown us out here and asked us to survive on our own… I'm starting to miss Earth."

"That's right… We realized the preciousness of Earth far too late. We were all one big family…"

"But still, I would never live with Ishi. His morning breath is unbearable."

"Yeva's farts are so loud that the Emon stop digging and bury their heads, thinking there's an earthquake.

"Hey! I'm going to kill you!"

"Who started it first?"

Some things were universal, just like eating well and bickering.

Now that they had relaxed a bit, they patted their stomachs and said.

"Ah… I ate too much."

"I'm starting to feel sleepy. Thanks, Seol. But now that I think about it, we haven't heard about you."

Before reviewing the rewards he obtained before being transferred here, Seol replied to Ishi's question.

"I'm from the East."

"Where…?"

"Khan."

"Woah…! I had no idea! Then, did you see it?"

"See what?"

"Yaksha's war. I heard Khan was trembling in fear because of a terrifying monster. Is that true?"

"…"

Seol was at a loss for words.

His chest started to ache again.

"Yes… Probably."

"That's amazing. I heard a lot of people died… But it's been half a year, so things must be okay by now."

Seol's expression hardened.

"What…?"

"Huh? What?"

"What did you just…"

"That a lot have died?"

"No…"

"That it's been half a year?"

"Yes."

"Well, Yaksha's war ended half a year ago, right? Or was it seven months?"

Seol had been asleep for over half a year since the clash with Yaksha.

[The Linked Adventure continues.]

[Sudden Adventure 'The Place Where Blood Freezes' is now active.]

[This Adventure is very dangerous.]