Beyond the Eternity

Kagura and Lee Dokho were discussing what to do with the unconscious high school girls who had chased them down the corridor. They had knocked them out, but the lack of any message from the system left them conflicted.

"The trial didn't say we should kill them, right?"

"Yeah. The system said defeat, not kill. Defeating the enemy by incapacitation might also work, I guess. But would the Nightmare Trials be that forgiving? I don't know."

"Then?"

"Look. I really don't know. Maybe Kim Jakga-nim would know what to do in this situation but I haven't been able to reach him through private communication."

"Kim Jakga-nim?"

Kim Jakga. Maybe that person would have known what to do in this situation. However, It has been an hour since they seperated from him and haven't any word from him since. Was he caught by the enemy, or in a situation they couldn't imagine?

Kagura sighed as she glanced down at the unconscious girls sprawled across the floor. Their uniforms were torn, and the bruises from their brief skirmish were already beginning to show. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, even though she knew they had no other choice.

"Deputy-nim is probably dealing with his own mess right now..." She muttered with a troubled expression. "But we can't just leave them here. What if they wake up and attack us again?"

Lee Dokho crossed his arms, and tilted his head left and right like a penguin. "That's the problem. We don't know how long they'll stay down, and we can't afford to babysit them. But if we move on, there's no guarantee they won't follow us and cause more trouble. Ugh... This is why I hate complicated situations.

It would be better if we just close our eyes and become a devil, but losing our humanity is not desirable."

After saying all he had in mind, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. At the same time, Kagura also bit her lips to the point of drawing blood. Leaving the girls behind felt wrong, but dragging them along was impractical. Yet, doing nothing could spell disaster for them later.

"Then let's... ?"

Kagura started to say something but stopped abruptly. Something had appeared infront of her, that was why.

[All appointed magicians has been defeated.]

[Congratulations, you now have the qualifications to enter the secret room.]

"Huh? What's this all of a sudden?"

Lee Dokho was the first to speak with a stupid expression. All the magicians were defeated? Wait, could it be...

What if someone had thoroughly wiped the zombified highschool girls? Kim Jakga would have been the most likely candidate but they haven't heard from that guy ever since. What if it was the handwork of someone else? A hidden enemy they don't know?

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was heard and caused both Kagura and Lee Dokho to tense up. It was a soft, rhythmic tapping—like someone was walking down the hallway toward them. They exchanged wary glances while their hands instinctively moved towards their weapons.

"Do you hear that?"

"Yeah. It seems like someone is coming this way."

The tapping grew closer and closer to the point where they could hear it clearly. Along the 30 metres corrider, somebody is moving their way.

No one should have been there. But, in the blink of an eye, a man had appeared infront of them.

He looked around the age of 18 or older with the appearance of a delinquent with those golden bracelets and necklace around his neck. Not to mention, his choice of clothing and dyed blonde hair reinforced his delinquent-like appearance. But to be completely honest, he didn't look like the type that would be able to win in a street fight, let alone survive the Nightmares of the Great Apocalypse.

Even so, the pressure that person was emitting completely shattered that Illusion. He was thirty metres away yet both Lee Dokho and Kagura felt an overwhelming sensation as if they had stabbed with a sharp blade.

Despair. Absolute despair.

The young man stood nonchalantly with one hand in his pocket, but every cell in their bodies screamed at them to run away. That person was dangerous. Even then, they were unable to move from their position as if their feet were glued to the very floor.

They instinctively knew. That person cannot be defeated as long as he remains inside this artificial world (우주).

Kagura tightened the grip on her weapon and asked, "Who are you?" Her voice sounded more desperate than alert, despite her best efforts to hide it.

In response, the young adult looked at her and smiled like a child who had found an interesting toy in the conference store. Kagura felt a sharp coldness crawled up her spine.

Finally, the mysterious fellow opened his mouth. "Isn't this rather interesting? I didn't expect to meet a Japanese woman in Seoul. I don't know whether I should celebrate or cry."

"Stop talking nonsense. Who are you? And why are you here?"

"Don't you already know? I thought since you came here then you would already know. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I introduced myself so you better listen carefully. My name is Ollerus Izzard and I am the main king candidate representing the World."

How could one contain so much arrogance? He spoke with a tone that was almost dismissive, as if they were beneath him. One could only imagine where he obtained such arrogance from.

"I see. So you're the bastard that brainwashed these girls."

"Girls?" Ollerus Izzard glanced at the unconscious girls on the floor with disinterest. "Oh, them. I don't know about brainwashing, but if that's what you want to call it, sure. I'm responsible for their current state."

"You bastard..."

Kagura gritted her teeth and strengthened her grip on her sword. She really seemed like she would pounce at any moment.

"Hm? Hm… hm… hm? What an interesting expression you have on." Ollerus looked at her as he found her reaction amusing, "I think you're misunderstanding something. I didn't force those girls into this situation. In fact, it was those girls themselves that wanted this scenario to begin with so I simply gave them what they wanted."

"What nonsense is that? Do you think we're children? Who the hell in this world would agree to being brainwashed?"

"Naturally, you're wondering the reason behind such actions. However, I have no obligation to explain. You wouldn't understand, even if I told you a thousand times. From where I'm standing, it's clear you invested all your intelligence points in those giant tits of yours."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!"

Forget his rude manner of speaking with honorifics, he even went out of his way to bluntly insult her. Surely, she couldn't let that slide.

As Kagura was about to jump out and swung the sword, Lee Dokho immediately moved infront of her and blocked the way forward.

"What are you doing?"

"I should be asking you that question. He's clearly trying to provoke you. Do you think it's wise to rush out carelessly when the Master of this Territory is standing before us?"

"...."

Kagura remained silent as something flew into her mind. According to what they discussed beforehand, the opponent was someone that can create a personal reality and manipulate the world with that reality like a god-like existence.

Wouldn't it be foolish to blindly attack such a person without a strategy?

"Tck!"

Kagura clenched her fists and slowly cleansed the surge of anger that had flared up by taking deep breaths which also cleaned her mind.

What the hell was I thinking? Getting easily angered like that?

She thought she was rather foolish at the moment but It felt like something was wrong somewhere. Normally, she wouldn't be easily provoked. Yet for some reason, it felt like the words of that person easily defile her entire being. It was as if something foreign was playing with her emotions.

"I don't understand. Why are you so anxious? Why is your heart filled with so much disorder?"

Ollerus Izzard inquired with a mocking smile and cracked one of his fingers as if to hypnotize himself.

Kagura tightened her grip on her sword but remained still. Even so, the hand holding the hilt of the sword was shaking.

Meanwhile, Lee Dokho shifted his gaze between the two as he began to stimulate a solution inside his head.

...The atmosphere is already tense and it's clear Kagura can't think straight for some reason. That bastard, he must be using his authority as the territory master to manipulate her emotions. I have to find a way to keep the situation from escalating somehow. It would be best if I make him keep talking.

Lee Dokho pondered and finally opened his mouth. "What do you want? Territory masters aren't supposed to leave their designated space, so why are you targeting us? Aren't you afraid of the consequences? Even you would be affected if you disobey the laws."

Ollerus, who was slowly walking towards them, suddenly stopped upon hearing his question. He was now only 15 meters away.

"Targeting you? You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Ollerus said nonchalantly, "Unfortunately, you two are not interesting. I'm looking for someone else. He defeated one of my clones. Normally, I'd overlook it, but he did it so easily that it's concerning. He also deviated from the script by sparing those girls.

Do you know where I can find such a person?"

A man? A clone? A script? What was he talking about?

Lee Dokho was confused until he remembered the person they had been separated from an hour ago.

... Could it be that this person is looking for Kim Jakga-nim? If he was looking for Kim Jakga-nim, he could have used his master's authority to located. But he decided to come here instead? Is this some kind of mind game? No, his words sounds sincere enough so he might not be lying.

I see. I understand now. His reason for coming here.

For an omnipotent-like existence, wasn't he rather cautious? He could have easily killed them and extracted information but he chose to talk to the enemy instead of using violence. And It was also strange that he couldn't track the location of a single person inside his territory when he has complete control of said territory. What if he wasn't as unbeatable as he seems?

Lee Dokho seemed to have uncovered the weakness of such omnipotent-like existence standing before him.

He spoke with a smug grin as reinforcing that fact, "Who is this man you're talking about? We haven't seen anyone like that since we entered this place. By the way, why are you only focused on one person? It almost seems as if you're afraid of that person."

However, Ollerus Izzard only smiled at him as if he was expecting such an answer. "Is that so? Tell me, why must your heart be filled with such dishonesty?"

"Huh? What are you saying now?"

"I'm only stating the 'truth' I see. Did you really think that I wasn't expecting such an answer? Did you think I wouldn't see through your heart. For you to forsaken your companion and inflict harm on helpless innocent souls, you must be a terrible person filled with dishonesty."

"W-What?"

Lee Dokho was completely taken aback. He was planning on throwing off the opponent, but his act was discovered instead.

As if mocking him, Ollerus Izzard spoke ever so calmly. "Basically, I don't have time to waste on you two. There're too many things to deal with. There's also the Intruders that entered prior and they seem to be advancing to my private space more quicker than anticipated. I would like to deal with the anomaly first, but the king candidates take priority."

Other king candidates? So those people were still alive? Wait, if that was the case, why haven't we seen anyone till now?

Lee Dokho became confused. They had climbed up and down the five main levels yet they haven't seen any other king candidates apart from the ones that were slain. It was as if they were locked in an entirely different space.

"Ah, shit!"

What if the latter was the case? That would explain why they hadn't encountered anyone, despite wandering the massive school building for over an hour.

As he saw Ollerus Izzard raise his hand, Lee Dokho was suddenly filled with this unshakable sense of foreboding.

"Do not fear, for I will not kill you. I've decided to change the script instead." Ollerus cracked one finger from the hand that was raised and smiled, "Oh, please tell me why..."

Damn it! What kind of sick joke is this!? Lee Dokho wanted to scream out something, but Ollerus was one step faster and finished his sentence.

".... Why must you forget everything now?"