Beyond the Eternity

"I won't know unless I try, right?"

"So be it."

The librarian stabbed another needle into his neck.

"Bring a hideen rifle in my hand, loaded with a sword. Quantity: One will suffice."

He swung his right hand as he commanded, and a rapid-fire musket pistol materialized in his grip. The slender man raised the firearm and continued speaking.

"Application: penetration. Execution: Fire at twice the same conceptual speed as the previous order and break through any armor."

He squeezed the trigger, and a beam of light explosed from the barrel, hurtling towards my face.

I instinctively raised Athena's Aegis to defend, but it shattered upon impact. Fortunately, I managed to deflect the bullet upwards into the air.

Clang

The sword slammed into tht ceiling with a sound and I bursted out in a tremendous sprint. If I wanted to win, I had to close the distance somehow.

Now, there was only seven meters between us. If I could cross that distance before he could speak...

"You disappoint me, boy. Your thoughts are too plain." mocked the slender man, swiftly stabbing another needle into his neck and spoke with deliberate calmness.

"Thou shalt not draw near."

In an instant, a massive change occurred.

At first, it was imperceptible. However, as I continued running, I realized the distance between us wasn't shrieking. It seemed like the library keeper was infinitely sliding away.

It felt like chasing the sun on the horizon. No matter my effort or speed, the distance between us remained the same. Just like the sun on the horizon, the distance was an illusion.

Fortunately, the situation didn't need to persist. I was no longer at the mercy of that power.

I stabbed the Four-tiger sword into the ground, activating its inherent skill.

"Dispel!"

Crack!

There was the sound of glass breaking. The illusion was forcefully repelled by the four-tiger sword.

[The connection between a certain god and his Incarnation has weakened.]

The library keeper took a step back, stunned and shouted.

"HOW? THIS IS ABSURD! HOW WAS MY AUTHORITY OVERTURNED? THE LAW HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED! THAT SWORD... I SEE.

IT IS THAT SWORD, THE SOURCE OF YOUR ARROGANCE. YES? YES... I SEE NOW. I'LL DO IT! I SHALL DESTORY THE SOURCE OF YOUR HUBRIS INTO PEIECES!"

The librarian repeated the repulsive action of stabbing a needle into his neck and tossing it aside like drawn blood.

"MANIFEST TEN ASSAULT RIFLES IN THE AIR, EACH LOADED WITH MAGIC BULLETS. THE MECHANISM IS RAPID FIRING. BEGIN FIRING!"

Upon command, the ten rifles manifested in the air with a sound and fired bullets upon me like a rain of fists. Surprisingly, the bullets flew and slide past me as if avoiding me, leaving me unharmed.

"A MISSFIRE!? IMPOSSIBLE! SUCH A THING...!"

The white mask proceeded to spiral deeper into fury. I knew the intervention has occurred from somewhere else but gratitude could wait.

I continued to move forward, closing the distance between us. The distance has reduced to five metres.

"Damn you... I won't let you escape. DEPLOY AN ENDLESS ARRAY OF EXECUTION SWORDS TO DISMEMBER THAT PERSON QUICKLY! EXECUTE THE ORDER! I ALLOW IT! KILL HIM WITHOUT DELAY!"

In accordance with the law, numerous number of enormous guillotines appeared on the ceiling space and dropped onto my head. There was no escape so it was meaningless to try fleeing.

I simply swung the four tiger sword and the blades of execution, each weighing over 100 kilograms, shattered like breaking glass.

The librarian staggered backwards. Anxiety has already formed in his heart. "DAMNIT ALL! INTRUDER, BE CRUSHED! BE STRANGLED! FORGET EVERYTHING!

EXPLODE FROM THE INSIDE OUT! BE BURNED LIKE A WITCH ON A STAKE! DROWN IN A BOTTOMLESS OCEAN! BE TORN TO PIECES!..."

He repeatedly stabbed his neck with needles and shouted an endless stream of commands. However, there was no change in the world. His power did not change the world.

Instead, his little world was crumbling as he saw me approaching. It was time to strike the final nail.

[Divine Protection 'Monster Killer' has activated.]

[Your presence will strike fear into the hearts of all monsters in the vicinity.]

Swoosh—

An overwhelming dark aura rose from my body and exploded outwards. Although it was just a whisper dream, it was a dream of great power.

The library keeper took several steps backwards as if seeing a great monster.

"IMPOSSIBLE! WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?! HE'S JUST A MERE HUMAN?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! WAIT, COULD IT BE... IS ALSO HE THE INCARNATION OF A GREAT DEITY!

RIDICULOUS! I REJECT SUCH A REALITY! I SHALL... I SHALL..."

His hands trembling, he attempted to remove the needle from his neck, but instead, a cascade of unused needles fell to the floor. He hastily tried to gather the needles, muttering something under his breath as if trying to conceal his weakness.

"MY NEEDLES! I MUST CALM MY THOUGHTS! EASE MY ANXIETY! WITHOUT MY NEEDLES... MY POWER..."

The librarian held his breath. It was already too late. The party members were slowly raising from the floor and Soo Jinyoung's wounds began to close. Naturally, Soo Jinyoung's revival was caused by the librarian's anxieties.

I was already standing before then white mask. I said nothing and silently stared at his face concealed by the mask. It was ironic. At that moment, the librarian resembled prey caught in a mouse trap.

I slowly raised the sword.

"NO! STAY BACK!! I CAN'T... DIE! DIE! DIE!

MAKE THIS HORRIBLE CREATURE... DISAPPEAR!"

His voice cracked with desperation and fear. But the sword in my grip shone coldly like the moonlight and I swung it down, hitting the firewall.

Clang!

The tiger sword hit the firewall and sparks flew as the final act of resistance. But that was only for a moment.

The firewall cracked under the might of the evil dispelling sword and scattered like glass, leaving the trembling man behind the wall unguarded.

Puok!

There was no scream. Once the library keeper was pierced— his anxiety, helplessness and insanity dissipated into nothingness.

It was somewhat sad to see the lonely man disappear but death was his salvation.

[Exclusive skill 'Omniscent Wall' has automatically activated.]

[Exclusive skill 'Omniscent Wall' has consumed the remnants of the library keeper.]

[The conditions to unlock the third stage of 'Omniscient Wall' has been partially fulfilled.]

Perhaps I would have been happy if I could read the description of the skill but unfortunately, the description was void as if trying to hide its secrets. Was it a shy highschool girl?

"Ugh..."

I sighed. This skill was more troublesome than I expected.

"Hmm, what's this?"

My gaze shifted downwards. As the library keeper died, he vanished with all of his possessions as though he was an illusion except for one item— the white smile mask.

Since I was struggling to survive, I didn't have the opportunity to look into the item's details.

I narrowed my eyes and studied the mask features very carefully.

The mask itself was designed with a mischievous smirk running from its cheekbones down to, slightly above, the jawline and arching back up to the opposite cheekbone. The source of visibility were two crescent-shaped spots flowing downwards, forming a wicked portrayal along with the mouthpiece.

Simply, it was a mask with an unsettling design. Since the mask was left behind, then it must be part of the clearance rewards.

Curious, I picked up the white mask and checked its details.

+

[Item Information]

Name: White Mask

Rank: S-

Description: The prized possession of the Clown. Crafted from rare ingredients found only in special environments, the mask holds extraordinary powers revolving around deception.

•Multiple Faces:

The white mask allows the wearer to appear as someone else based on the user's command, providing a perfect disguise.

•Identity Theft:

With the mask, the wearer can flawlessly mimic the behavior and voice of others, ensuring seamless impersonation.

•Trickster:

The mask interferes with the opponent's cognitive abilities, making it difficult for them to recognize the wearer.

*The white mask also possesses an self-restoration feature. Can repair itself when damaged.

+

I was surprised. I hadn't anticipated receiving an artifact of this level Nonetheless, this was a pleasant surprise. Although it was unexpected, I already had a clear plan for how to use this mask.

I quietly put the white mask inside the dimensional storage ring.

[The 'Library Keeper' has been killed for the first time.]

[You have obtained 10,000 coins as a reward.]

[You have achieved an impossible feat!]

[Additional 5000 coins will be given as a bonus reward.]

[You have met the conditions to clear the hidden dungeon!]

[You have obtained 5,000 coins as an additional reward.]

As the system messages appeared, I turned my head and looked at the party members. Angelica and Jung Yunhee were catching their breath.

I silently walked towards the rest of the party and opened my mouth.

"... Are you guys okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a slight headache." Angelica answered while rubbing her temple.

"I see. What about Lee Suhye?"

"She's still unconscious."

Out of party members, Lee Suhye was the one that suffered the most abuse from the White Clown so she was the last to recover.

I approached Lee Suhye and assessed her injuries. Her body was riddled with holes, particularly on her arms, legs, shoulders, and thighs. Thankfully, none of the wounds were in fatal areas.

Despite not being life-threatening, her injuries needed immediate attention to prevent infection.

I crouched down and administered an elven forest essence into her mouth. This should help her endure the pain and aid in her recovery.

[The boundary surrounding the library dungeon will collapse.]

It was about that time.

Without the dungeon master maintaining the dungeon structure, the boundary was bound to crumble.

Shatter—

With the pathetic sound of glass breaking, the surrounding space distorted and changed before our eyes.

The large space filled with beautiful decorations and bookshelves turned into the green grass of a building rooftop. Were we on the rooftop of the university main building?

I stepped forward and looked around the surrounding space. At this moment, I didn't know what kind of expression I wore but it was probably something unpleasant.

Perhaps curious, Angelica and Jung Yunhee staggered over. Someone moaned.

"This is... Seoul?"

Angell asked as if confused but I did not say anything. Her reaction was similar to a person desperately trying to reject the cold reality before them. I could not blame her. In fact, how could I even describe what I was seeing.

The iconic skyline now lies shattered and desolate. Skyscrapers that reached all the way to the heavens were now skeletal remains, with their windows broken and covered in reddish vines resembling a biological mass. The glass and steel of massive building structures were cracked and crumbling, their once-glimmering facades now dulled by layers of grime and decay.

The air was thick with the smell of rot and decay, creating a suffocating sensation every time I tried to draw a breath. A thin, misty fog blanketed the abandoned streets below, shrouding everything in a ghostly haze and creating an unsettling, eerie atmosphere that made the shadows seem to shift and move.

In the distance, a massive silhouette loomed, its grotesque features obscured by the misty fog. Although its details were unclear, I could make out its movement, propelled by multiple slender tendrils that surprisingly supported its enormous frame. The creature's form seemed to pulse and writhe unnaturally in the fog.

I heard the echoes of fighting and screams from far away. It seemed like a group of survivors were caught by the creature, their desperate cries blending with the monster's eerie, guttural sounds. One could only imagine the sheer terror they faced as the tendrils wrapped around them, dragging them into the fog. Their fate was sealed; those caught by that creature would suffer a fate worse than death.

Everywhere I looked, signs of struggle and despair were evident. Abandoned cars, overturned and rusting, lined the streets. Bloodstains that marked the ruined streets and unmoving cold bodies. The miasma that permeated the air wasn't just physical but emotional, a tangible sense of hopelessness that clung to everything.

This is the Seoul I now see: a ruined city filled with miasma, despair, and the lingering echoes of a civilization that once was. Similar scenes were probably occuring all over the world.

The ruined area was illuminated by a faint crimson red. I silently gazed at the sky and noticed the crimson dome covering the landscape.

I narrowed my eyes when I noticed a few cracks forming in the barrier.

It was a bad sign. It meant the seven gates of hell will soon be opened and the next waves of nightmares will be unleashed ino this world.