Beyond the Eternity

From the beginning, we were at a massive disadvantage the moment we stepped into the «House.»

Not only were we restricted in how we could move, but we were also under constant surveillance.

What if the group was forcibly separated by supernatural means?

What if one of us was randomly singled out?

What if the people behind the house began hunting us down one by one?

Those were the questions that had been dwelling at the back of my mind. Before we entered the Sixth Narrative, I used «Drafting» to manipulate the results of the randomizer, ensuring the most suitable seekers were chosen.

Yoo Rin was chosen for her strength as a Fighter.

Miyuki Kuroi was chosen for her power as a Magus.

Moon Ji-yeon was chosen for her Intellect.

Su Jinyoung was chosen for her Experience.

Ryu Yeji was chosen randomly for the role as the Sacrifice.

After running through everything repeatedly inside my head, this was the best list of seekers I could come up with.

The Black Emperor, Sohn Jinwon, was too aggressive for cooperation, and the rest of the Tarot Kings were no better either. At best, they would just become a liability for the group.

Lee Suhye was a ranger, but she lacked close combat skills and physical attributes.

Lee Jongho was also a Fighter, but I didn't think he would be able to properly use the Authority of Gigantification just yet.

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Kagura had the Saint attribute, which disqualified her completely since she couldn't kill the enemy.

Jung Donghyun was out for the same reasons as Sohn Jinwon, plus, he was too impulsive and quick to anger.

Jung Yunhee was a good candidate, but if the enemy had mind-manipulating abilities, she could easily become a liability. The last thing we needed was a mind-controlled Jung Yunhee.

Kim Hyunwoo had excellent defense skills but lacked mobility when conjuring his constructs.

So, after considering all these factors, this was the list of Seekers I settled on.

Some might label me as a cruel and heartless bastard for choosing Ryu Yeji as a potential sacrifice. However, that was only a contingency for when things spiraled out of control.

If we navigated the story without casualties, all the better.

But given the lack of reliable information about this place, the chances of a flawless run were slim.

In the end, Ryu Yeji became the sacrifice.

I had also considered the possibility of someone else being taken, which led to the decision to split up and gather evidence simultaneously.

Yoo Rin paired with Moon Ji-yeon, Miyuki was assigned to me, and Soo Jinyoung partnered with Ryu Yeji.

Despite being paired with the strongest in the group, Ryu Yeji was still taken. His misfortune seemed to exceed even mine, a feat I hadn't thought possible.

In stories like this, the weakest were often taken out first. The fact that Ryu Yeji was chosen suggested the enemy perceived him as the weakest and eliminated him the moment he was isolated.

That was strange.

Did this mean he was considered even more worthless than the group's weaker members, like Moon Ji-yeon, Yoo Rin, or Miyuki, who had yet to realize her full potential?

It would have made a good joke if it wasn't so tragic.

Thankfully, none of the children were taken. But a far more pressing issue now confronted me.

I had encountered a dangerous entity.

She introduced herself as Superbia, one of the Seven Flames, the Flame of Pride, the First Flame.

When I checked her information, the system stated she was potentially the weakest among the Sisters.

What kind of nonsense was that? What part of this woman radiated anything resembling weakness?

No matter how I looked at her, I knew for certain that she was an opponent far stronger than me.

A person with such a powerful presence could never be called "weak."

Even someone like me, with limited magic potential, could clearly see the mana overflowing from her body, as if it were too vast for her form to contain.

The system claimed that if I dominated her, she would obey my every command.

But seriously, how was I supposed to do that? How was I supposed to defeat someone like her?

Using Drafting was not out of the question if I didn't want to waste my precious reality points.

The Black Box wouldn't save me from death, and the rest of my skill cards were practically useless in this scenario where the enemy had the territorial advantage.

My only win condition was the Mythical card, «The Joker».

If I could show her an illusion so violent and horrifying that it filled her heart with unimaginable dread, I might be able to win without lifting a finger.

But that would be hard.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The Joker card had two stages, in addition to its concealed effect, Resurrection by Death Revival:

"Half-Illusionary" and "Full-Illusionary."

But to unleash the absolute effect of Full-Illusionary, she would need to look directly at the Joker card for at least ten seconds. Half-Illusionary could only create a simple illusion by manipulating the senses, something could be easily countered by anyone with proper mana control or a decent level of capability.

Superbia was far more than just "somewhat capable," so simple illusions wouldn't cut it.

Thus, during my introduction, I pulled out the Joker card smoothly and flashed it directly at her.

The moment her eyes squinted, focusing on the card for exactly ten seconds while distracted by my carefully crafted wordplay, my victory was sealed.

I didn't need to exert much effort.

With just a trace of my spirituality, the Full-Illusionary power of the Joker activated flawlessly.

Still, I needed to use my imagery to craft a compelling illusion capable of deceiving the enemy, one strong enough to force her into submission.

Inspiration struck when Superbia unleashed her black flames.

There was a ruler of a Demon World, a Dark Lord who commanded the concept of flames, an existence whose sole purpose, whose only desire was the complete destruction and annihilation of all beings and everything.

His name was Seraphar, The Scorched King.

Based on the information I gathered from the novel, he doesn't seem like the type you could have a reasonable, intellectual conversation with. In fact, he lacks much of a personality beyond his obsession with destruction.

Fortunately, such a being was forever trapped within the Demon World, unable to leave freely due to the seals placed on the Qliphoth after the First Great War of Saints and Demons.

Even so, his power was undeniably fearsome.

If I could project an image of such a terrifying entity through myself, achieving my objective would be far easier.

However, I hadn't anticipated the Full-Illusionary's power having such a profound effect on Superbia.

'Damn. Had she truly wet herself from sheer terror? This was something I did not foresee.'

'Perhaps this must been her first encounter with genuine fear.'

'If her mental fortitude were stronger, she wouldn't have been reduced to such a pitiful state.'

For someone so prideful, the act of soiling her own pants was the ultimate humiliation ritual.

Like a child whose false bravado had been stripped away, leaving only raw vulnerability.

But what reflected in her eyes was neither vulnerability, fear, nor hatred.

Only emptiness.

A vast, unfathomable void that was deeper and darker than black, as if I stood before the gaping maw of a bottomless chasm beyond even the monstrous maws of oblivion.

She looked like she didn't care what happened to her existence like she had become a hollow of her former life.

This was true despair.

How could someone fall to such depths?

Was this the true horror of the Joker?

「 For the first time, he was frightened by the Joker. 」

"Ah..." I gasped.

Information about the situation subconsciously surfaced within my Sea of Knowledge.

The illusion had been undeniably successful—perhaps too successful. It may have inflicted more than mere psychological torment. There was a high likelihood that something within Superbia's brain had sustained irreversible damage. Although I knew little about the Seven Flames' physiology, I assumed it closely resembled human biology.

Injuries to the body could be healed with magic. Healing spells were, at their core, surgical.

High-level magic could mend even complex injuries like severed limbs, with the exception of decapitation.

But a cerebral hemorrhage?

That was an another matter altogether. No spell could reverse such damage to the mind.

Unless a specialized doctor was nearby to perform emergency surgery on Superbia, I couldn't see her ever recovering from this blow.

"Well, this is something," I muttered, awkwardly scratching the back of my head.

"Since it was my first time using the Joker's full capabilities, I figured it was a good chance to experiment. Maybe I miscalculated and overwhelmed her pain sensors. Damn. What a bloodly blunder that was."

I let out a heavy sigh.

At least I had achieved my objective of defeating the enemy. But with her brain damaged, how was she supposed to follow my orders now?

I guess even the system couldn't have foreseen this outcome.

'But should I do with her? Would it be alright to leave her here?'

My gaze fell back to Superbia.

She remained motionless, still crouched in her position, showing no sign of wanting to move.

Her eyes were dull, her soul and mind shattered.

Like a discarded doll, broken beyond repair, she had lost all purpose.

A truly pathetic sight.

She had been an enemy that would have been impossible to defeat under normal circumstances.

In fact, I was certain I would have died at least once, if not twice, had I fought her without the Joker's abilities.

Now, she had been reduced to this state. I doubted she would move or resist if I chose to kill her.

Of course, I couldn't do that, especially since she had already forfeited her story participation rights.

She couldn't harm me, and I couldn't harm her either, since I still existed within the narrative.

'Maybe I should just leave? It's nothing here anyways.'

Just as I turned to leave, I stopped mid-stride, noticing something strange.

"....?"

A bright light erupted from behind me, illuminating the dark corridor. I spun around and immediately saw the source: Superbia's body, now glowing white.

Like a ghost departing from the world, her body disintegrated gradually, breaking into data particles.

I understood instantly. She was being ejected from the narrative.

Instead of facing complete destruction, she was likely transported to some unknown location, perhaps even a sanctuary I couldn't know.

Suddenly, the voices of the servants resurfaced in my mind:

「 "Oh dear, it seems this one has broken." 」

「 "Let's take her to the Housekeepers for repairs." 」

「 "Yes, yes! She'll be good as new soon!" 」

I recalled witnessing the scene when a female seeker, transformed into furniture, collapsed and was carried away by the other servants.

If broken servants were brought to the Sisters, the housekeepers, for repairs, then who repaired the Sisters themselves when they were defeated?

As that thought lingered, Superbia's body completely dissolved and faded into nothingness.

Throughout the entire process, she made no sound. No curses, no screams. Just silence, as if surrendering herself willingly to an unknown fate.

Then, just like that, the radiant glow vanished, leaving no trace or whisper behind. It was as if she had never existed in this lonely world.

"...."

I remained motionless.

I wasn't sure how long I stood there, staring at the empty space where she had once been. That place where that person had existed.

No change occurred in the world when she was gone.

Even so,

'What an interesting development. I suppose that was a better ending than death.'

A smile formed on my lips. Then it disappeared in the same breath, replaced by a stern expression.

'In any case, I shouldn't linger for too long. She isn't the only sister.'

I swept my gaze across the corridor, searching for an exit.

'Finding the others is a must. They are probably still fighting the other sisters. It won't hurt to offer assistance. But first, I have to find a way out of here. An exit should be somewhere around.'

There was also the grim possibility that they had already fallen. That was the worst case scenario, but I had already prepared for that. If that possibility became reality, I would simply move forward with Plan B.

With that resolve, I turned fully and disappeared into the darkness.

This time, for good, accompanyed by the echo of my own footsteps.