Beyond the Eternity

At very least, It's clear they used to be human but not anymore.

The fungal growth on their heads had split their skulls open, revealing a gruesome mass of reddish flesh and a maw lined with jagged teeth.

Their clothes were ragged, barely hanging from their decaying bodies, and their skin was covered in sickly patches of mold and scales from the fungal infection.

In addition, their face was covered by the mass of flesh and fungus so it was safe to assume they were blind.

Kagura, crouching next to me, looked like she was holding back the urge to vomit. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she whispered, "What the hell are those things? Zombies?"

"Well, I guess you can say that. But it's more complicated than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want the long explanation or the short version?"

"Obviously, I would like to hear the short explanation."

I explained. "It's rather simple, really. Those people and the masses of flesh that had formed on the wall were all part of one creature."

"What? How's that possible?"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down. Their eyes might not be functioning but their ears has become very sensitive in exchange."

"Ah, I'm sorry."

I continued while speaking in a low voice. "Have you seen a giant creature that has been moving around Seoul?"

"Of course, I've seen it. I barely managed to escape with you two in tow."

"Ah, that's right. I never thanked you for that."

"Same here." says Lee Dokho.

"That's alright. But what are we going to do about them?"

Kagura eyed the zombie-looking people that continuously made a sound as they roamed the streets.

I opened my mouth.

"They're the remnants of people infected by that giant creature you saw at that time. Simply put, they're puppets of the giant creature or as I said before, they're part of the creature itself."

According to the data book of Song of Nightmares, those infected by the Grade 4 Faceless One were known as 'Echoes'. They have enhanced physical strength due to the fungus and can easily overwhelm many players at once. However, their most dangerous attribute was their incredible hearing which had a ridiculous range.

Incredible hearing, enhanced strength and infection upon being hit. Needless to say, our situation wasn't looking too good.

Kagura's expression darkened as she glanced back at the Echoes. "So, they're basically extensions of that monster?"

"Yep. That giant creature controls them like a hive mind. It's spreading its influence through the city and converting it into its Territory."

Lee Dokho cursed under his breath. "So we're not just dealing with regular monsters. We're dealing with something that's turning everything into an extension of itself."

"And It's not just these people. The mass of flesh you see on the buildings is part of it too. It seems to be growing faster the more it spreads. Soon, the entire city might be overtaken."

Kagura glanced at the creatures with her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "So what's the plan? We can't just hide here forever."

"You're right about that. But the situation is more difficult than it seems."

I pointed at the Echoes and continued speaking.

"Those creatures relies completely on their hearing since they're blind. But their hearing is incredibly sharp so they will hear us if we try to attack. From the looks of it, there are approximately one hundred of those things here. If we fight and get hit even once, we'll get infected as well. Worst case scenario, we'll be completely annihilated before we even reach Gwanghwamun."

"That's ridiculous. What are we supposed to do then?"

It did seem hopeless. Every path forward was blocked by these creatures, and even if we fought our way through, the risk was enormous. The odds were against us. But still, I couldn't help but smile.

"Not necessarily hopeless," I murmured and glanced up toward the distant sky.

Kagura blinked. "What?"

At that moment, a familiar sound broke the tension in the air—a soft, ascending whistle.

Fwoosh... whoooosh...

"...!"

The party members looked shocked and shifted their gaze to the sky.

The object in question sounded like a rocket but it was too small to be an actual rocket. The small object shot upwards and left a trail of light as it moved. It reached its peak before exploding in a dazzling array of colors.

Crackle... pop... BOOM!

The aftermath of that explosion tesembled something that would only be seen in Christmas and New Year celebrations. Naturally, It was fireworks.

I smiled. It seems Jung Yunhee made it just in time. Was she able to locate that 'person' as well?

AAAHHHHKKK!! AAAHHHHKKK!!

The Echoes were drawn by the sudden noise and flinched towards the sound of the fireworks. They had advanced hearing but since the sound came from all directions, they couldn't locate the source even if they tried.

For a brief moment, the streets were lit by the brilliant flashes of light. In that moment, I saw a way out.

"Let's move while they're distracted."

We slipped out from our hiding place, keeping low and moving swiftly while the Echoes stumbled around, confused by the sudden barrage of noise.

The loud fireworks masked our steps as we darted through the abandoned streets.

Lee Dokho released a sigh of relief.

"That was too close. But what was that about anyways?"

"It's one of my companions." I answered while running. "She's the one that launched those fireworks."

"Really, is that so? Deputy-nim, I seriously underestimated you. Did you know we'll be trapped in such a situation?"

"What are you talking about? How do you expect me to know something like that?"

"What? If you didn't know then..."

"There's a different reason behind those fireworks. But It's good that she launched around this time."

Lee Dokho looked confused. I naturally had no intention of explaining.

After all, It was good to have a hidden trump card in this kind of scenario where my victory was not guaranteed.

There was still the Devil Park Joonhyuk, The Black Emperor Song Jaewon and the other King candidates like the Death and the High Priestess. Even if I could not defeat those people directly, my hidden card would do all the dirty work for me.

The tension lingered in the air as we slipped through the narrow alleys and shadowy buildings of Gwanghwamun. The fireworks had done their job in drawing the Echoes away and giving us a brief window to escape. At this point, we must have gotten away from those bloody abominations.

The three of us stopped at a comfortable position to catch our breath. We hadn't fully recovered from our previous injuries

I swept my gaze around and noticed there was nobody else here. But It was clear that the king candidates were hiding somewhere around here.

Lee Dokho muttered. "What's this? There's nobody here."

"That's because you are not seeing them. They're probably waiting somewhere around here and observing the situation."

It was known that the king candidates were hiding somewhere around here. The problem was when would those guys make their move?

Of course, there was no need to worry about them remaining silent.

[Number of king candidates remaining: 10.]

[The 'Last King's Qualification' has begun.]

Rumble! Rumble!

Along with the system announcement, there was a sound of something rising from the center of Gwanghwamun.

It was an altar glowing with a golden aura. On top of that altar was a golden cup that released a gigantic amount of magic power. Without a doubt, that was the Holy Grail, the reward of the 4th Fable.

I heard gasps from all directions. There wasn't an explanation yet but all the king candidates would've realized it at this moment.

Only a single person can become the Master of that Item.

[The main story has been updated!]

Lee Dokho was surprised by the system message and muttered.

"So this is the final trial, is that it?"

Of course, It was not good news. The last task of the Fourth Fable would make the king candidates fight against each other and turn Gwanghwamun into a slaughter house.

I read the contents of the updated 4th Fable.

+

[Main Fable #4 – Holy Grail War.]

Category: Main

Difficulty: A

Clear Conditions: Become the Owner of the Holy Grail located at Gwanghwamun

Time Limit: 8 Hours

Reward: 10,000 coins, A single wish of the Holy Grail Master will be granted.

Failure: ???

+

A single wish of the Holy Grail Master will be granted, was that right?

Anyone will be attracted by such an absurd reward but it was really strange. The original purpose of the Holy Grail was something else entirely but now it has been reduced to a reward of a Fable.

There was a familiar voice that echoed throughout Gwanghwamun.

[Hello everyone! Did you miss me? I bet you want to give me a big squeeze, don't ya~]

Aurora, the cheeky fairy, appeared in the air and said nonsense. Despite her cheeky words, nobody opened their mouth. It was natural. Everyone did not want their heads to suddenly explode.

...Wait, hasn't it been a while since she made a physical appearance?

More importantly, It looked like she had added some weight. Where has she been this entire time?

[Naturally, you lots would be wondering why I suddenly chose to make an appearance. But who would explain the situation to you apart from me?]

Aurora spoke arrogantly and pointed at the centre of Gwanghwamun where the Holy Grail was located.

[You see that shiny cup over there. It's called the Holy Grail which will be the reward of the 4th Main Story. You may have guessed it already. The final trial of 4th Fable is to become the King of the Holy Grail, which will grant any wish of your desires. Of course, there is a catch.]

Aurora spoke with a mischievous smirk.

[Not everything can hold that cup. Naturally, there can only be one absolute king after all so you must already know what you have to do if you want to become a Master, right?]

That little fairy, who was hovering in the air while flapping her wings, clicked her fingers.

+

[King's Qualification]

「 There can only be one King of the Holy Grail. Therefore, the true king must be absolute. 」

— The Holy Grail does not want a weak king. To hold the Holy Grail, defeat the rest of the king candidates.

+

The absolute king, huh? Naturally, this has always been the case.

Suddenly, the ground beneath us trembled, and dark, swirling energy began to gather around the altar where the Grail stood. A barrier shot up and formed a huge barrier around Gwanghwamun. There was no escape now.

[Hehehehehe! That should be enough to build enough momentum. Make sure to create a good story.]

Aurora laughed and disappeared. I had forgotten she was still a lackey of the Administration Buseau so it's natural she would do her job.

Soon, the sound of weapons being drawn was heard from all sides.

The people who possessed their own selfish desires will fight for the Holy Grail. Perhaps some of them wanted to become the absolute king, some would want a new world while some will simply want to survive.

Whatever the case may be, they will raise their swords and fight for their ambitions.

"So, it's a free-for-all then?" Kagura muttered under her breath. "I don't like this."

"Well, It's not like we can do anything about it."

"I always wonder how you can be so calm?"

"What makes you think I'm not afraid?"

Perhaps I looked calm on the outside but I'm actually afraid. Everyone in Gwanghwamun was sealed inside a barrier. Therefore, there was no escape. There's even a possibility that I would die in this place. My chances of winning was only 30 percent at best.

However, my worries did not last long. Reason? Death was inevitable so it was useless to keep worrying. Everyone will face death sooner or later including someone like me.

But my story will not end with death. The Kim Jakga who wrote stories has already died a long time ago but I was still standing. The absolute truth known as Death only occurs when one stops thinking.

Therefore....

「 I am Kim Jakga 」

[The exclusive skill, Omniscient Wall has activated.]

"Attack!"

Somebody shouted and countless people with weapons jumped out of their hiding spot. They were the king candidates along with their pieces (servants). In no time, those people clashed, skills were activated and blood flew in the air.

The Holy Grail War has truly begun.