Beyond the Eternity

Once most of the troops successfully crossed the bridge, a man who looked like the commander of this cavalry, opened his mouth and shouted.

"Advance! Show these lowly monsters the might of the Royal Empire!"

"For the empire!"

"Form up and charge! Lets sweep away the enemy all at once!"

The royal knights charged forth and pierced the ogres with their swords and spears. The horde of ogres were slowly overwhelmed under the might of the empire. It was inevitable. There was a vast number difference them so their defeat was apparent.

The party members gathered and silently watched the scene unfold. Lee Suhye opened her mouth with a tired expression.

"Ah... We really did it. We can rest now, right?"

"Yes. I suppose so."

"Then I'll help myself."

Lee Suhye sat down on the floor and exhaled an exhausted breath. Her authority must have consumed alot of magic power.

As I was wiping my sword, Angelica came over and asked.

"Shouldn't we lend a hand?"

"No, the soldiers will be fine. The story is meant to unfold this way."

"Ah, I understand. What's the title of this story? I've never heard of it."

"It's a story without a name, so there's no way you would have known."

"In that case, why don't we give it a name? What would you call this story?"

I was surprised. I wasn't expecting this question.

In the original novel, this fable lacked a name, so readers saw it as just a fleeting trial and quickly forgot about it. I was no different. But now, given the current circumstances, I should probably give it a proper name.

I thought about it for a while and then opened my mouth when I finally made a decision.

"Considering the story genre is action and fantasy, I'll name it the 'Uprising of the Royal Empire'."

"Pfft. What kind of cringe name is that?"

Lee Suhye chuckled behind me. I scratched the back of my head, annoyed. Coming up with a satisfactory name was much harder than one would think especially when you were a writer.

As if reading my thoughts, Angelica quickly opened her mouth.

"I think it's a good name."

"Don't worry about it. It was a stupid name to begin with."

I tuned out everything else and gazed up at the sky.

The Librarian must be silently watching our performance from above.

As if to answer my question, a system message appeared infront of me.

[The Omniscient Wall has sensed the gaze of the Librarian.]

In response...

[The Keeper of the Library dungeon is looking at you.]

[The Librarian is eagerly anticipating the conclusion of the story.]

"Eh?"

Lee Suhye tilted her head as if confused.

"Hold on... This is not the end?"

"Of course not. The story has yet to reach its conclusion so we can't leave."

The mission was to prevent the destruction of the city, not ensure the arrival of the reinforcements.

Even with potential reinforcements, there was still a vast number gap between the ogres and the knights. Meaning, there was a possibility the city will be destoryed even with the help of the reinforcements.

Therefore, if we wanted to create an exit and return to our original world, we needed to see the story to the end.

The cavalry advanced towards the northern part of the city, where the main battle had already begun. They pressed forward, not once looking back at us, as if it were the expected course of action.

As I looked around, I saw horses wandering aimlessly, their riders having been slain by the ogres. Even though their numbers were

I opened my mouth. "Can anyone ride a horse?"

"I learnt how to ride one when I was young."

"What about you two?"

Jung Yunhee and Lee Suhye shook their head. Meanwhile, only Angelica could ride a horse.

"Jakga-ssi, do you know how to ride a horse?"

"I don't."

"It doesnt seem very useful if only one of us can ride."

"There's a way to ride a horse without learning."

"Huh?"

"Just bring one over."

Angelica mounted a horse without a rider and took hold of the reins. At first, the horse was startled but Angelica gently stroke its neck and calmed it down. Meanwhile, I approached the corpse of the fallen soldier.

Unsure if it would work, I decided to take a test drive. Placing my hand on his chestplate, black smoke erupted from the corpse and engulfed my body.

[The conditions has been met.]

[Exclusive skill 'Omniscent Wall' has activated.]

[The Omniscent Wall has moved to consume the fragments of the fallen knight.]

[Error! A Skill will be taken in exchange.]

[The Exclusive Skill 'Riding' has been acquired.]

[You have gained the ability to ride any tamed creature.]

A surge of knowledge about horse riding smoothly overwhelmed me. Tips and techniques for mounting, holding the reins, changing direction, moving forward, stopping, and accelerating effortlessly filled my mind.

The same phenomenon happened with Shin Jinhyuk. My initial suspicions turned out to be correct. The 'Omniscient Wall' was far more than just a skill that shielded me from negative effects.

I mounted a horse next to me and rode it towards Angelica's side.

Lee Suhye looked at me with a puzzled expression and opened her mouth.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to ride."

"But I know now."

I chuckled and continued speaking. "We'll assist the soldiers as backstage characters."

"Backstage characters?"

"You don't know?" I felt a little disappointed. "Backstage characters are actors behind the scenes of a story. The main threat is not on the battlefield but somewhere else."

"And where would that be?"

"The source of the contamination."

I gestured towards the forest, from which the monsters had emerged. The forest exuded an ominous dark aura that caused discomfort. Clearly, there were more entities hiding within its depth.

"Jung Yunhee, you will get behind Angelica. Lee Suhye, you'll come with me. Without a saddle, it might be difficult, so hold on tight."

"Okay."

Angelica assisted Jung Yunhee onto her horse while Lee Suhye got on the back of mine. As we moved closer to the scene, the cavalry knights were already done with their preparations.

"Prepare for the charge! Charge!"

"Don't let them through the formation!"

Upon hearing the commander's orders, the soldiers raised their swords and spears, and clashed with the ogres. We watched the scene from a few meters away.

"Damn! They're going all out, aren't they?"

"I guess you could say that. Angelica and Jung Yunhee, you guys will assist the soldiers. Me and Lee Suhye will clear the forest."

"Understood!"

"Lee Suhye, hold on tight."

I gripped the rein and urged the horse to move.

The horse exhaled and sprang into action, with Angelica and Jung Yunhee breaking away from us and charging towards the northern gate.

Several ogres blocked out path and raised their blunt weapons.

"Lee Suhye, clear a path!"

"You got it."

Lee Suhye adjusted herself on the horse and raised her submachine gun. I lowered my head.

Bwoom, bwoom!

In the next moment, several magic bullets escaped from the barrel and pierced the ogres one by one. Lee Suhye took the role of ranger and cleared a path.

The cavalry knights were positioned at the northern gates alongside the other knights. With the defensive weapons in place, if Angelica and Jung Yunhee assist, they should be able to hold out for a while.

Although the ogres were more stronger overall, the cavalry knights were more superior in terms of experience. So it didn't take long before hundreds of ogres were crushed.

As we entered the forest, we came across the dark mist that surrounded the place.

[Warning! Warning! You have entered a danger zone.]

[Be careful with your breathing and exit the forest as quickly as possible.]

Naturally, since this was a dangerous place, danger messages popped up. In fact, no living creature can survive in this place so our plan was nothing but suicidal.

[You have been exposed to corrupting properties of Miasma.]

My skin touched the black fog and turned black. I glanced behind and saw Lee Suhye begin to turn pale.

Damn it. I should have prepared countermeasures for situations like this. In any case, let's proceed with the plan.

Kyahh!

Once I followed the source of the contamination, several monsters made a terrible cry and jumped out from the forest.

It was an ogre mounting a deformed creature that resembled a rhino. It was a Ogre Rider. Not only humans had the ability to ride tamed creatures.

These bastards were waiting here for the right opportunity to strike. If they joined the battlefield, the consequences will be dire.

I hurled a couple of ether bombs towards them and the explosion blew them away like autumn leaves.

Fwoosh!

The rain has stopped and the wind carried the residential fire towards the surrounding trees, creating a great forest fire.

The fire rapidly engulfed the area.

Finally, the remaining Ogre Riders jumped out from the burning forest. Most of them charged towards the northern gate while some of them pursued after us.

A direct confrontation would not help us in this situation. I turned my horse, changing direction, and accelerated, setting the forest ablaze with explosions.

The explosion was strong but that was not the main point. To spread a great forest fire, destory the cause of the contamination and kill all the monsters hiding in the forest. That was our main goal.

When the Ogre Riders were combined, they were an unstoppable force but the explosions quickly penetrated their formation.

My gaze shifted towards the north gate.

The knights and ogres army clashed fiercely. Most of the original ogres were scattered throughout the battlefield, dead, while the ogre riders were slowly being repelled. Angelica and Jung Yunhee were also engaging with the ogre riders.

Angelica's swiss sword shone brilliantly with a golden glow while Jung Yunhee's eyes has turned crimson, a sign that she has activated demon slaying.

Bang, bang, bang—

Lee Suhye frantically shot down the grotesque monsters that pursued us without mercy.

Within the contaminated zone, these monster were far more powerful, making them nearly impossible to kill. Not only that, we were slowly running out of time.

Why? Look at our current condition now. Both of our skins has darkened considerably. Lee Suhye has noticeably turned paler than before. Even my condition was not good.

My vision was blurry and my breathing became rough. As we moved deeper into the depth, the rate of corruption was intensifying. Fortunately for us, we finally reached the core of the contamination.

"There it is."

In front of us, there was an oddly shaped substance embedded in a tree, throbbing like a human heart. It was the source of the contamination. If we destroyed that thing, everything would be over.

Just as I prepared to hurl the bomb, a sudden rustling in the underbrush made me freeze.

From the shadows emerged a massive black creature, larger and more grotesque than any we had encountered so far. Its eyes glowed with a sinister intelligence, and it moved with terrifying speed, lunging towards us.

"Watch out!"

I shouted, barely managed to evade its razor-sharp claws. Unfortunately, the horse was pierced and let a dying moan.

The creature's roar reverberated through the forest, summoning more of its kin from the shadows. We were surrounded.

Without hesitation the monsters pounced on us from all directions. My heart pounded as I struggled to keep my footing, dodging attacks and retaliating with my blade.

Each swing barely kept the creatures at bay, but we were running out of time. The source of the contamination continued to throb ominously and release miasma.

"Cover me!"

"I'll try. But hurry!"

Summoning every ounce of strength, I sprinted towards the throbbing mass, dodging the onslaught of monsters but I was blocked by a huge mass.

Looking up close, the huge mass had the appearance of a massive black werewolf with sharp claws and fangs. It was a monster belonging to the 7 grade species, Black Fanged Wolfman.

Grrr... The beast glared at me for a while before suddenly swinging its right claw. It was a sudden attack aimed for my nose so I rolled away in an instant.

Kwang!

The claw slammed into the ground and made a loud sound as if there was an explosion, leaving massive claws marks behind.

My body trembled. The black wolfman species were known for their terrifying speed. I thought the novel was overexaggerating but this was just ridiculous. If I didn't react in time, I would have lost my face.

"Tck."

I clicked my tongue. Damnit, why did that thing have to show up now.

I raised the sword but the wolfman was already infront of my nose.

My eyes widened.

"Shit."

I barely managed to roll away and escape the jaws that attempted to bite off my face. The wolfman made an irritated sound as if lamenting missing its target and then leaped out again.

This time, I was ready.

I activated the soul purifying sword and leaped out to meet my opponent but I was repelled by an immense force.

"Argh!"

My body slammed into a tree and I suddenly lost my breath. Perhaps it was because of the burning forest or the lingering pain, it was difficult to breathe.

I surveyed my surroundings. I was looking for a way to escape this predicament.

Lee Suhye was still locked in combat. Her skin has darkened considerably, becoming even more pale. Now she resembled a walking corpse.

I suddenly released something horrifying. If I don't do anything quick, we're going to die. That reality became more evident as I saw the wolfman rapidly approaching. It was impossible to win with my current condition.

Was this really the end? No, there had to be another way.

My mind raced through countless possibilities for our survival. It was as if time had slowed to a standstill, but I knew it was an illusion. Finally, my mind landed on the only possible to survive.

Zero One

It was the only skill that I haven't used since the beginning of the nightmare trial. And since there was no description, it was impossible to know what it could except I used it. But it was my best shot at survival.

With that in mind, I activated the skill.

[Exclusive skill 'Zero One' has activated.]

[The command sequence '1' will take effect.]

"...!"

Then it happened. The moment I activated the skill, a torrent of unknown information overwhelmed my mind in an instant.

I clutched my head in agony and nearly screamed. The influx was so overwhelming that it felt as if my mind was being torn apart from the inside out.

After a while, the pain slowly subsided and my mind became clear. Everything was clear now. It really felt like time had slowed down. Maybe it has... That doesn't matter now.

I pulled out the smartphone from my pocket. To use the skill, a writing medium was required— anything would suffice as long as I can write with it.

[The constellations are puzzled by your actions.]

[The constellations are asking if you're insane.]

Of course, the audience would think my actions was insane. It was unreasonable for someone to use their smartphone during this situation.

[Exclusive skill 'OmniscIent Wall' has activated.]

But I ignored them completely. I focused on the flow of the story.

The entirety of the world was a story. The trees, the sky, the ground and the characters– they were all nothing but words on a paper.

Finally, I began to write– writing new words. It was ironic. Writer. It was someone who writes and also the meaning of my name 'Kim Jakga'

[The eye of the black Wolfman was suddenly pierced by a stray bullet.]

Lee Suhye suddenly fired a bullet at an approaching monster. The bullet missed its target and hit the eye of the Wolfman instead.

The Wolfman screamed in agony as it staggered backwards.

[Then the right leg of the Wolfman suddenly broken. The bones in that leg was weak from the beginning.]

Then with unsettling sound of a snap, the right leg of the Wolfman bent at an unusual angle.

The beast screamed again. This time, its scream sounded more painful as it lost its balance and crumbled to the ground

Now!

I leaped forward and slashed through the neck of the Wolfman. The head was sliced cleanly off and flew into the air.

[You have killed the grade 7 Wolfman species.]

[You have obtained 1000 coins.]

[You have changed the flow of the story.]

[The Eyes of Fate have taken notice of your existence.]

Suddenly, sparks flew and my body was electrocuted. I couldn't hold my scream this time.

It wasn't a normal electrocution. It was the penalty for altering fate so the effects was more profound. Fortunately, I didn't cause a big change or else my soul would have been destoryed.

Even so, I continued moving. It was not yet over until destoryed that thing.

[The constellations are puzzled.]

[The constellations are suspicious of the recent events.]

Beings like the gods would have noticed something was wrong. Perhaps some of them have identified me as the source of the change.

[The gods of the heavenly society are looking at you.]

Each time I took a step, the effects of the penalty would increase. You are going to die here. Perhaps that was what Fate was trying to say. But I completely reject that fate.

The scream of Lee Suhye was heard from behind me. A monster slipped through her blind spot and slashed her back. Lee Suhye was a ranger, not a fighter.

Let's hurry.

I pushed forward despite the pain. Now the core of the contamination is infront of me. It continued to beat in an eerie manner as if to taunt me.

With the last of my remaining strength, I hurled the ether bomb in my hand towards the source.

A deafening explosion erupted, sending flames cascading throughout the area.

Kiaaahhh!

The monsters made a final cry as they were swept away.

My eyes slowly closed as I lost unconsciousness. Finally, I heard someone shouting my name before everything turned silent