Seol looked completely pitiful as he was wrapped in chains and slept silently.

Hey, Mirei! Is this really alright?

Nothings happened yet, so I dont know either.

Even though Master is sitting still like hes dead?

Because its a False-Death Inducing Device. Hes essentially dead right now.

Karuna pondered with his eyes shut, leaning against the wall. Meanwhile, Karen was worried about both Seol and Jamad as nothing was happening.

It wasnt as if Seols summons waiting for him in reality felt easy either. Rather, it was more painful because they didnt know what was happening.

Frrssss

Huh? L-Look!

Seols body was turning black.

Is it a success?

Mirei looked at Seol with focused eyes.

However

Ah

Slide

The black energy reached Seols golden eyes and turned them black.

Seols face looked not only eerie, but also somewhat frightening.

Not to mention

Bathump!

Bathump!

Seols body contorted and bent like a bow as if his heart pounded intensely. Shaking the chains as well.

This is bad

Why? Whats happening?

It looks like hes having a harder time overcoming his memories than I thought. This isnt the normal response. This means that the shadows are eating into him.

Are you serious?! What should we do then?

Nothing. We just have to wait and hope he overcomes it.

Thats so irresponsible, though

Its something your master decided. Do you not trust him?

......

Step.

Karuna stepped away from the wall and approached Mirei.

Mirei, let me ask you a question.

Sure.

Karuna then continued.

Didnt you say that there was a method for us to enter our Masters nightmares?

Well um

- We could forcibly try including more shadows, but because we dont know what side effects would occur if we do that, well just have to pretend that option doesnt exist.

Mirei had said that in her conversation with Seol.

She grabbed her head.

I mentioned it as something only possible in theory.

I will go.

Karuna!

Karen shouted at Karuna.

No, you wont be able to find your way. The deep consciousness is a maze, so youll get lost. Regardless of your masters intent, you would fall into danger.

I dont care.

Karuna, take me with you!

Karen, this is dangerous.

Thats exactly why Im telling you to take me with you, you idiot! Are you going to leave me alone again?

......

Mirei listened silently for a moment before snapping her fingers like she had realized something.

Snap!

Yeah! You could just do that.

Do what?

Youll definitely lose your way if you enter alone. Just finding where your master is could take in the time there about a month or even a year. However, its different if its two people.

You heard that, right?

What would be different about it?

The nightmares treat intruders as foreign entities. The two of you wont be welcomed there. And when that happens, a ripple will occur in the deep consciousness which in turn would create a resonance that would not only let you find each other, but also your master

Stop! I dont understand any of that! For now, just send us in! Master will die at this rate.

Though Karen was hasty, it was hard to blame her for it.

Mirei didnt tell them outright, but the two still realized that it was a dire situation where talking would be wasting time.

Not to mention, it didnt matter to them whether they understood what Mirei was talking about.

Get into position. Ill send you to your master.

Alright! Come on, Karuna. Come here.

What do we do?

Craaaaaackle

First, it will hurt like hell. We already used all of the medicine.

Thats fine.

Yup, for me too!

After you endure that, search for your master in the dark space. And then, run to the exit.

Understood.

Hurry!

Karen and Karuna shouted after being attached to the False-Death Inducing Device.

It was because the machine had started running.

Guaaaaaaaaaargh!

Aaaaaaaaaaargh!

Zap!

Beeeeeeeeeep

Both of their heads sagged forward.

...Then am I the only one left?

Mirei pulled out a cigarette from her inventory and lit it.

Fuu Like master, like summon Wouldn't you agree, Sodin?

As expected, there was no answer.

Yeah. Honestly, Im a bit jealous. Those are the dreams I wanted to achieve. And as such

It started to get louder outside.

...nitely here! I can smell the witch!

Mirei opened her eyes.

I plan on looking over him until the end.

She stepped out of the hideout.

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Karen, Karuna, and Mireis worries were on the mark.

Currently, Seol and Jamad were in a dire situation.

Jamad had broken the wall and met Seol.

However, the gods werent going to just sit and watch.

Crackle

As they waved their hands, the cracked area immediately reformed.

Seol blankly stared before asking them a question.

Wasnt Wasnt there something here just now?

The gods feigned ignorance.

I dont know I didnt see anything.

Maybe you just saw it wrong?

Well, it could be due to the shock of making so many mistakes haha

Come back here and sit down. You need to keep playing with us, Snowman. Dont you enjoy our games?

Seols vision started to blur once more.

Yeah, I want to play with them forever. Thats what I want.

Seol looked at the game board once more.

One of the strongest desires is the desire to control. The act of controlling something other than oneself provides indescribable pleasure.

Did Seol move the pieces on the table to satisfy this desire? Was it really to let those pieces live their own lives like he had claimed?

Seol no longer knew the answer.

He had become a fool, a child, and simply watched the game board.

However

...No, Im sure that I saw it correctly. Im sure I saw it.

Do you not trust us?

Arent we your friends? You should trust your friends.

Friends

Were we really friends?

Seol, who had become a child, shook his head.

And then he spoke.

I want to leave here.

Haha! Youre choosing that path? Everyone, look! Snowmans trying to leave!

Do you think its possible?

Slide.

A dice was handed to Seol.

The hand holding the dice flicked their fingers, gesturing Seol to quickly take it.

Roll the dice, Snowman.

It will all depend on what the dice say.

Whether you leave or stay all depends on this dice.

Seol silently looked at the dice.

It was something that he had been with for 17 years. Its faces were smooth, and the corners sharp.

Whenever Seol rubbed his fingers against the dices sunken eyes, he felt uneasy.

To Seol, the dice was his god, his fate, and his life. He had always lived as the dice told him to. Those were the rules.

Toss.

Clatter

The dice spun.

The dice that would decide everything.

Clatter

Stop.

And finally, the dice stopped.

It stopped on a 1.

The dice had announced his death.

Bwahahahahaha! Its a 1, Snowman.

What are you going to do now? You can never leave from here, Seol.

Youre going to be with us forever

Ah, really? I guess if the dice said it, then it must be true.

Seol despised everything.

He despised their mocking laughs, the dice that rolled a 1, and the table itself.

Seol despised it all.

He held hostility toward everything.

It was clear that he would be eaten away by his nightmares.

He believed so too.

But then the ground started rumbling.

Thud!

Huh?

What?

What did you do, Snowman?

Seol looked at the dice that rolled a 1.

It had turned into a 2 from the rumbling.

The gods, who didnt recognize it, started blaming Seol. They accused him of cheating.

I didnt do it.

Thud!

Thud!

The rumbling became stronger.

Roll

Each time the ground shook, the dice continued to change faces.

It would turn into a 4, then even turn back into a 1.

Stop it, Snowman!

Im telling you, it isnt me!

Hmph, who else would it be?! Why wont you listen to the dice?!

Thud!

Roll.

The dice weakly rolled until it finally revealed a new face.

6.

The dice had rolled a 6.

It was the highest number a six-sided die could have.

The gods were all in silence.

Seol glanced at the location where the rumblings came from. He saw his own shadow.

"Look, Snowman. I'm a simple troll, so I only know how to do things like this. Hitting things is the best I can do."

Seol noticed a fang, which reminded him of someone.

Jamad? Is that you, Jamad?

How dare you look into my nightmares, Snowman. Youre quite fearless, arent you.

...Go back. The dice rolled a 1.

No, I never agreed to that.

Thud!

Thuuud!

Jamad continued to pound on the dark space.

Who cares! Who cares about the damned dice!

But those are the rules.

Rules? Do you think rules exist in the world? Are you stupid?

What?

Who are you?

Me? Im

For a moment, Seol was about to say that he was Snowman. Why did Jamad ask him this question now? The snowman mask Seol wore started to feel uncomfortable.

Im

Seol then gave his answer.

I am Kang Seol.

I see. Seol, what is reality to you? Is rolling dice with these terrible bastards reality?

No, its not.

Then why are you hesitating? You always think too much. Sometimes, you have to be simple, like me.

The mask-wearing gods grabbed Seols arms.

Snowman, snap out of it! What are you doing?!

The dice rolled a 1. Youre going to follow the rules, right? Youve always followed!

At that moment, Seol realized something.

He realized that he should have told them something a long time ago.

He should have told them the moment he became an adult, pioneering his own future.

Grab.

Slide

Seol took off the snowman mask.

His heart was swirling and surging with many emotions. He felt light and relaxed, but also free.

He carefully opened his mouth.

Its boring.

...What?

Y-Youre joking, right? Youre going to stay with us, right?

Seol looked at them, expressionless.

Things like this now its boring.

He had finally become an adult.

He had become an adult living in the real world.

You can play these boring games on your own.

Throw!

Seol grabbed the dice and tossed it aside.

Jamad laughed.

Rumble

The dark space started to tear down.

Seol realized why he felt so hostile toward the world.

It was because he hadnt met them.

He, himself, chose to wear his mask and refused to face them head-on.

And now, Seol turned around to look at his shadow. The same shadow that would turn its back on him if he would turn his back to it. However, this time he also saw another shadow.

There, Jamad smiled.

Seol called out to Jamad.

Lets leave.

The gods refused to let Seol go.

Where do you think youre going?!

Bad children like you need to be punished for breaking the rules!

Craaaackle!

Aaaaaargh!

Seols neck was burnt black again.

It was a memory that Seol had forgotten It was the same ring of lightning that was wrapped around his neck before he was kicked out by the gods.

Once again, it materialized and choked Seol.

Krrrgh

The world only exists thanks to rules. Do you not know that a world without rules is chaos itself?!

At that moment, Seols shadow crumbled away.

Crumble!

Jamad leaped out from it and stood side by side with Seol.

I see so that black mark around your neck was because of this. I finally learned everything about you, Seol.

Gasp Gasp

You had some very interesting thoughts. Let me ask you this then, what do you plan to do now?

Krgh Krgh

I should get rid of this annoying chain first.

The lightning god laughed at Jamads words.

"Haha! That's not something you can break with your powers!"

Is that a rule too?

It is.

Then I will reject them.

What?

Jamad grabbed the ring of lightning that choked Seol and flexed his forearms, slowly pulling them apart.

Crackle

Craaaackle!

No No way

Rules are just promises made between cowards. I shall reject everything about you. Seol! Tell me! What do you desire?!

Seol gasped for air for a second before immediately responding to Jamad.

Revenge. I only want revenge.

Kuahahaha! Dont you think thats too small? How could a man abandoned by the gods only dream so little?

For my revenge I shall become a god. And I shall punish them from the same eye level as them.

Seol, who had become an adult, stood up.

I will become a god.

Jamad gave a big smile and reached out a fist.

Then you have the right. You have the right to join me on my journey to become king of all beings. I will prepare a spot for you in my glorious journey.

Seol laughed as well. He reached out his small human fist to Jamads big troll fist.

Bump.

Dont make me laugh. Im going to use you for my Ascension.

Hmph! Regardless, it means that we have the same goal.

Jamads eyes glowed red.

He looked at the gods, who were the cause behind everything.

Then lets leave here

The two of them were now individuals who had rejected the rules imposed by the gods.

Jamad finished off the sentence by quietly murmuring to himself.

My true brother, chosen by my own heart.