Beyond the Eternity

Upon confirming their absence, I removed the Hermit Cloak.

The Hermit Cloak was an item from the exclusive shop that could be only used in the dark so he had to hide at the dark corners of the corridor. It was an item that was usually used for stealth and assassination. However, it can also be used for concealment.

"Ugh! That was really close. I thought I would be caught back then. But what should I with this one?"

I sighed and looked down at the unconscious highschool girl resting on the floor besides me.

The girl had tried to ruin herself by self overheating her magic circuits but I managed to neutralise her before there was an explosion.

The girl was shot in the middle of her forehead. However, there was no blood. In fact, there was no shot wound to begin with. It was strange indeed. However, since the world was now akin to fantasy so It seems anything was possible.

What happened was rather simple. I had activated <EoN> before I pulled the trigger.

(N/B: EoN is the short names of Endless One. I'll be using it from time to time.)

Said skill was completely shrouded in 'Mysteries'. Even so, I only knew that It allowed me to manipulate the story to an extent. It was possible to adjust the properties of the magic bullet, making it so that the bullet could only target supernatural forces rather than the physical body. As a result, the mental power affecting the girl besides him was broken and her body was left untouched.

The concept was similar to how an alchemist could change the physical properties of solid matter like changing lead into gold. However, <EoN> operated differently from Alchemy. If used improperly, a single mistake would have resulted in something more disastrous than her mind being shattered.

Even so, one problem still remained. The self destruction sequence was stopped abruptly. However, the girl's magic circuits were still overheated and her body was damaged as a result.

I closely examined the girl's condition. Her school uniform was dyed red with blood and visible parts of her body was damaged. It looked like small mini explosions had occurred in each one of those areas. Since her magic circuits inside her body overheated, there might even be internal Injuries. If left untreated, she might really take her last breath in this place.

Despite that, I remained calm upon seeing her current condition.

"Hmm. It looks bad but the injuries itself aren't serious."

I pulled out some elven forest essences from my pocket and placed them inside her mouth one by one. It might not be heal her fully, but it would be enough to heal any internal Injuries.

Slowly but surely, the girl's condition began to become better. Her breathing steadied as colour returned to her pale face.

...The blood loss should have stopped. However, It should take around two to five minutes for the blood to clot and once it does, the wounds would close up. Fortunately, she didn't go halfway with the self destruct sequence or else, her body would have unrepairable and her death would have been guaranteed.

Oddly enough, I felt like a doctor despite not knowing anything about treating Injuries. In fact, I was only able to save this girl because of the items from the exclusive shop. Basically, I was completely useless without the <System>

More importantly, my heart has been restless throughout the whole ordeal. The cause wasn't that I was currently inside a place where I could die if I was not careful. The true cause was the girl infront of me.

Originally, the girl was enemy I was supposed to defeat. But I saved her instead. But did I make the right choice? What if this girl wakes up and attacks me again?

I've been somewhat logical in my decision-making since the start of the nightmares so It didn't make any sense at first. It was not as if I had suddenly developed a heart. However, It felt like the right thing to do at the moment.

...I wonder though, was there even a character like this? She seems like the type of character that would have died in the beginning. Surprisingly, she's managed to survive somehow but that would mean she was a murderer as well. In any case, I suppose death would have been a better fate for her indeed of this.

To truly understand the reason behind my actions, I decided to learn the girl's story first.

[Exclusive skill 'Omniscient Wall' has activated.]

[Exclusive skill 'Omniscient Wall' has failed to read this person's information.]

What? The skill failed?

Soon, another message appeared infront of me and everything became clear.

[The target is not registered as a character.]

[The Omniscient Wall has started collecting information related to the target]

If the Omniscient Wall failed to read her information, then that means she was not a character of the story but a real person instead..

Unknowingly, a faint smile spread across on my face.

I was relieved to know that not everyone in the world has become a character. But even a person like this would eventually become a character in the story or perhaps she would have reached her end (파괴) before then.

(NB: 파괴 means destruction in Korean)

Thud, thud, thud—

It was then the sound of footsteps was heard.

My rather nice expression crumbled into a frown.

Those footsteps contained an unsuppressed volume of confidence. Absolute confidence that could not be challenged even by the gods. Where exactly could someone obtain that amount of confidence?

The owner of the footsteps spoke. "What's this? I thought I sensed three people. Where are the other two? Or could it be that you're the only one left?"

"..."

I felt like I was supposed to answer but I chose to remain quiet and observe the speaker.

The speaker himself was a young man with a lean build and slightly-tanned skin. He wore a white jacket that was left casually open, revealing a black T-shirt underneath, with golden bracelets gleaming on his wrists and a necklace hanging loosely around his neck.

His hair was dyed blonde was as if he was aiming for a rebellious look, however, his entire demeanor was different from that of a lowly delinquent.

His name was Ollerus Izzard, and 18 year old male. He is the main king candidate representing the <World> and the <Lord> of this territory.

However, something was wrong here.

Unable to maintain my curiosity, I opened my mouth first. "What are you doing here alone?"

"What?"

"This entire building itself is a giant sanctuary, meaning this place your Personal Reality. Even if you don't have any strength in the outside world, this World would fight as long as you're within Its boundaries. So there should be no reason for you to carelessly reveal yourself. What do you hope to achieve by coming here alone?"

In response, Ollerus only smiled as if it was nothing. "It's not anything serious. Don't you know how boring It is to stay locked up in a single location. I decided to move around a bit and I ran into you here."

"Please, do you think I'm an idiot? What exactly do you want?"

Ollerus' expression became a bit more serious.

"Yes, you're right. I wanted to eliminate you at first but I changed my mind. There's something I want to ask."

"What is it?"

"You said so yourself. This entire building is my sanctuary. No one can enter without my knowledge and all Laws placed must be followed. But then, there was an existence that was unaffected by by said Laws. That would naturally raise curiousity, don't you think?"

"..."

"Then I began thinking. How could this person be unaffected by the Laws I have established? Was he an Incarnation with a high ranking support constellation? But that was not it. Even the arrogant constellations would have to follow the Laws if they were to enter my territory so it had to be something else. In addition, that girl behind you was set to self destruct upon encountering an enemy.

Yet somehow, you managed to stop her without killing her. There's only one explanation why such a place was possible. You must be a writer as well, aren't you?"

I remained silent. Ollerus took my silence as an answer and a satisfied expression formed on his face. His expression seemed to say I've finally solved the mystery about this person.

Indeed, It was the truth. Apart from the leaders of godly societies, only writers had the qualifications to become the <Master> of a Territory. Even then, there were special conditions that came with that and downsides as well.

I finally decided to open my mouth. "It seems you're well informed. Is it because of the revelations or the apostles?"

"It's a mix of both. But I killed those guys once they were no longer useful. It's good to be cautious after all."

"I understand that, those guys deserved to be killed anyways. But what about this girl?" I pointed at the girl resting on the floor, "Isn't she your ally? Yet despite you gave her the role of sacrificial lamb just so you can take out the enemy. If you were going to kill her, you should have done that from the get-go. Why did you have to go this far?"

"Because It doesn't matter."

"What?"

Ollerus Izzard glanced at the girl behind me with complete disinterest as if she was a piece of trash. "That girl is nothing but another piece on the board just like the rest. Therefore, their lives holds no meaning so I can use them as I wish. Besides, even if they somehow die, I can always repair damaged goods."

For a moment, I thought I had heard something strange.

"Repair damaged goods?"

"Why do you seem so shocked? Since you came here then you must already know my card ability, isn't that right? Because of that card, even something like resurrection or life creation is not impossible in this place. In fact, that girl besides you had died more than once."

"...!"

Upon hearing his words, I became speechless as something slowly crawled its way into my mind.

The World Card. An Arcane card originating from the major seires with the 'Characteristic Power' to create a 'Personal Reality'. In such a reality, the power was only limited to the user's imagination which means he can resurrect his dead allies anything he wished. However, these girls were seen as nothing but disposable pieces to him.

But wouldn't that make the user a god-like existence? Of course not. But most people believed in that illusion of supreme power. Ollerus Izzard was no different. He was a writer and because of that, he viewed people as simply characters in a story despite being a character himself.

"Tck!"

I clenched his fist tightly. Perhaps this was the reason why I hated this guy from the get-go. If such a character would look down on others, what would happen if he was a real person?

...Wait a minute.

All the anger building accumulating in my chest suddenly subsided as I remembered an important piece of information from the novel.

It was strange indeed. This person had said that this was not the first time that one of those girls had died in battle. If he truly didn't value their lives, why did he choose to keep on reviving them upon death? He must have valued them enough to allow their deaths. In addition, why couldn't I feel any pressure from him?

To confirm my suspicions, I activated a skill and saw something interesting within this person's status window.

I laughed. I just couldn't help myself. "I see. So that's how it is. Why didn't I realise it sooner."

"What? What's wrong with you?"

Ollerus became confused upon seeing me laughing. Without waiting for him to regain his bearing, I opened my mouth first. "I have a question. What is your goal for obtaining the holy grail?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course, I'll become the king of Seoul and create a new world."

"Is that so? What's your reason for creating a new world? Why is it that you kept reviving these girls despite claiming you don't value their lives?"

"That... Of course... What?"

Ollerus couldn't complete his words and then frownerd as if something was amiss.

I laughed even louder. "What's wrong? Why won't you answer? Don't tell me you have forgotten your own ambitions?"

"...!"

"Hmph! It seems you can't really remember. Or could it that you never had those memories to begin with?"

He glared at me. "What are you trying to say?"

"It seems like you're beginning to notice. In any case, I shall break it down for you. You can't remember because you are not the real Ollerus Izzard. You don't know what Ollerus Izzard is thinking and you don't know what he is doing? You're a fake. Do you think it's easy for a <Master> to become part of the story he has created?

How naive. Why did you think you were the real Ollerus If you cannot even remember your own ambitions."

"SHUT UP!!"

Ollerus instantly became agitated. Perhaps he has also realised something but It seemed he was trying to reject the truth– the reality that he could be a fake created by the real Ollerus.

He swung his right arm and then along with a sound, something flew towards me at blinding speed. Said object shot out from am item hidden within his sleeves.

... A bullet? There was a hidden rifle within his sleeve this whole time?

Simultaneous to those thoughts, the magic bullet ripped through the very air and there was the sensation of my head exploding like a popped balloon.