Beyond the Eternity

[The Hidden Fable has begun its storytelling.]

I stared at the system notification floating in front of my eyes.

There could only be one reason for a Hidden Fable to trigger within the Sixth Fable—somehow, we had fulfilled the conditions to unlock this secret story.

Yet, any sense of accomplishment or excitement was absent. Instead, a heavy sense of foreboding settled in my chest.

Shaking off the unease, I swiftly manipulated the system interface, pulling up the details of the Hidden Fable.

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[Hidden Story ### — Devil's Roulette]

✧ Type: Special

✧ Difficulty: ???

✧ Story Objective: Collect the missing fragments while surviving the relentless assault of the hunters. During this duration, the 'House' will enter full assault mode and constantly attack the walkers.

✧ Time Limit: 24 hours

✧ Rewards: Missing Fragments

✧ Penalty: ???

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The description aligned with my expectations.

The entities pulling the strings within the House would now assume the roles of 'hunters,' their sole purpose being to hunt down every participant until either the story's mystery was solved or we were wiped out.

Simply put, It was a demonic game of life and death.

It wasn't hard to see why this Fable was labeled with an S-grade difficulty.

Was this how the previous participating walkers had failed to clear the Fable, and got turned into furniture as a result?

No, I didn't think that was the case. Those people were likely killed by the House, just as Ryu Yeji had been.

Triggering the Hidden Story was no small feat. It didn't add up that someone else had managed to activate it before us. If they had, they wouldn't have ended up as mere furniture.

For some reason, those people had chosen to awaken the Hidden Story. Maybe they saw us as a threat. Maybe it was just a reckless whim.

Either way, I need to brace myself for whatever madness is about to come.

I'm sensing some bullshit along the way. But it's good to be prepared, Yes?

With the Silver Magic Gun, Ivory, in hand, I moved through the house shrouded in gray fog.

†

†

A sharp sound echoed through the air.

The last knight, encased in heavy, battered armor, crumpled to the ground as the magic bullet pierced its defenses, exploding its head like a balloon.

The only noise that followed was the hollow thud of its body hitting the floor, lifeless. Its limbs twitched briefly before falling still.

And just like that, it was over.

My cold, emotionless gaze swept across the space, now littered with the lifeless bodies of the knights that had ambushed me.

There was no guilt. No regret.

Why should I feel guilt for killing enemies that had tried to take my life?

No matter how I tried to rationalize it, I couldn't understand why I should feel bad about it. Besides, even if I wanted to, I couldn't force myself to feel sorry for them.

My eyes narrowed.

Dark, shadowy mist began to seep from the knights' broken bodies. It rose into the air, swiftly carried away by the wind, and disappeared into nothingness.

All that was left were the fragments of their armor.

The soldiers hadn't been alive to begin with.

They were merely Existences (存在) created through Magic.

Hmm. What type of magic was that again?

I closed my eyes, diving into the depths of my memories until I finally reached my answer.

Individual Magic (个人魔法)

A technique that uses a person's own source to transform their imaginery into reality. Unlike spirit magic, It does not require an external source, as long as the caster holds a clear image of the phenomenon they wish to manifest into the World (宇宙).

Essentially, It is a form of power born from one's 'virtual reality' within the «Mind Body», creating phenomena based on principles of quantum theory.

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By observing the world and applying changes on a micro-quantum level, one can create phenomena on a macro level. For example, drawing heat from the environment to create freezing, or imagining burning to manifest a flame.

From what I can tell, these knights were created using Creation (创造) and Destruction (毁灭) as a form of virtualization.

So, those people were capable of something like this too, huh?

"Tch, tch, tch."

I clicked my tongue three times in quick succession.

Everything's been a damn mess since the Hidden Story began its narrative.

Where do I even begin?

An hours. A single relentless hour since I started exploring the house, fending off constant attacks with no time to rest.

First, there were arrows flying from unseen sources with unpredictable trajectories. Then came the shadow wolves, striking at irregular intervals. After that, soldiers clad in tattered, unrecognizable armor charged at me with swords drawn. And finally, the phantoms—intangible horrors that slipped through walls and objects, striking from angles I couldn't anticipate.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the gray fog, once lingering in the corners, had thickened, enveloping everything and making it nearly impossible to see.

I suppose the system wasn't lying when it said the house would go into assault mode.

In addition, it seems I can't leave the first floor, no matter how many times I climb the stairs. Am I being trapped? What a strange phenomenon.

The house was actively shifting, preventing me from ascending to the next floor. It dawned on me that if I could find the hidden fragments scattered on this floor, perhaps I could move on.

Honestly, that was the only solution that made sense.

Or am I supposed to fight some hidden boss here?

If only things were that simple.

Tap! Tap!

The sound of my footsteps echoed through the dense gray fog. At the same time, I began counting my steps as I moved forward.

A straight passage stretched ahead, seemingly endless.

The gray fog felt like it was mocking my effort.

The house was manageable when explored in groups. But when you were separated from your party and left all alone, it showed its true colors, and its fangs.

Like it was doing now.

Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight...

The moment I took my hundredth step—

Thwish!

Out of nowhere, an unidentified projectile tore through the gray fog.

Before it could reach me, I activated a skill with a single thought.

[The skill 'Eagle Eyes' has activated.]

My vision sharpened, and the world around me seemed to slow to a crawl.

Without hesitation, I raised [Ivory] and pulled the trigger.

Thud!

The magic bullet struck the projectile mid-air, diverting its trajectory. It embedded itself into the wall with a heavy clang.

The projectile was revealed to be a silver arrow.

Not the kind crafted from wood, but forged from steel.

If I'd allowed that arrow to hit me, it could've torn my arm clean off. And if it had struck my head, eyes, or abdomen...

Needless to say, the result would've been fatal.

'Like I thought, there is a pattern to the traps. They weren't placed randomly after all.'

At first, it might seem like a series of random attacks. However, a closer inspection reveals underlying patterns in the traps. Once these patterns are recognized, everything becomes much easier to navigate.

Though it was frustrating that I had to endure relentless attacks before I finally began recognizing the patterns, I knew it was only the beginning.

'It should be starting soon.'

I tightened my grip on [Ivory] in my right hand, my shooting hand.

The next set of traps would activate as soon as the intruder stood still for too long.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Steel arrows hurtled toward me in rapid succession, each coming from a different direction.

Tracking them with the naked eye was impossible, especially with my current stats far from their peak.

Fortunately, the skill 'Eagle Eyes' was still active, making it easy to read their trajectories.

I dropped into a low crouch and rolled forward. As I moved, I raised [Ivory], charged it with magic, and fired three rapid shots in quick succession.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three flashes of light erupted from the barrel, striking the incoming arrows with pinpoint accuracy and deflecting them off course.

[Marksmanship Lv. 8]

The passive skill that significantly enhanced my shooting accuracy.

Even with Eagle Eyes sharpening my perception to the point where everything seemed to slow down, hitting such fast-moving targets with precision was no easy feat. Thankfully, the boost from my passive skill made all the difference. Having a shooting skill like this truly made the impossible possible.

I stood up and began moving steadily along the straight path ahead.

All the rooms on this floor had vanished—or rather, they had been concealed by the house itself.

Did I mention that the House was a living terror and also a massive magic tool?

Reconfiguring its layout and scattering traps throughout the area was hardly a challenge for something like this.

What kind of game is this? A one-sided game where the opposing side holds all the advantages.

I can only hope the others are faring better than I am.

Shlickt!

As I moved forward, my foot pressed down on something that sank into the ground. Judging by the sensation, it felt like I had stepped on a button.

'Damn it!'

To make matters worse, it seemed the traps weren't just ahead of me; they were beneath me as well.

Kakakakkakakakkakakakakaka!

Behind me, something materialized out of nowhere, surging toward me with incredible speed.

A giant skull.

The mechanism beneath my feet had triggered the manifestation of that thing?

I laughed bitterly. "Hah! A giant skull? Since when did they start getting creative with their traps? It's not funny at all."

Were there still people who used such outdated horror traps?

The person behind this seriously needed to take a few online courses on setting up haunted house traps.

The giant skull, however, clearly didn't share my sense of humor. It closed the distance between us, its jaw snapping open and shut like the maw of a ravenous beast.

If I get caught by that thing, I'm certain my death won't be a pleasant one.

Even if I could resurrect, being crushed and devoured alive is definitely not on my to-do list.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

I raised [Ivory], charged it with a large amount of magic, and pulled the trigger.

Fmoosh!

The shot transformed into a large beam of light that tore through the giant skull in an instant.

A huge hole formed.

However, it was only a hollow victory.

In the next moment, the giant skull completely reformed and continued its relentless pursuit. There wasn't even a scratch.

"Eh, so this is how it works."

Unlike the physical traps like the silver arrows, the giant skull was most likely created using Magic.

As long as the source existed, attacking it was as pointless as trying to strike the moon reflected on the surface of a river.

It was that kind of phenomenon.

The giant skull laughed at me as if it was mocking my efforts.

"Tch! This is some serious bullshit."

With no other choice, I turned and dashed forward, sprinting down the seemingly endless straight path.

No, that wasn't right.

The path ahead twisted and turned in ways that made it feel like the hallway was stretching on forever, elongating just to torment me.

Thwish!

I barely dodged another projectile, the sudden, sharp whistle of the arrow cutting through the air like a blade.

My brows furrowed.

As if the giant skull wasn't enough, the other traps were all springing into action as well. It was as if they didn't want to miss out on the party known as kissing Kim Jakga's ass.

Click!

Amidst my tremendous sprint, I stepped on something and jumped instinctively. The floor shifted, splitting apart to reveal several steel spears jutting up from below.

For a brief moment, I glimpsed a skeleton beneath the shifting floor. It seemed like someone had fallen victim to that particular trap.

I ignored it and continued running forward like a madman.

BAM!

A heavy footfall, followed by another, echoed through the corridor. A massive shadow loomed behind.

The giant skull was gaining momentum and closing the distance.

Every instinct screamed at me to run faster, but I knew better than to rely solely on my speed. The house was constantly shifting its layout, and if I didn't figure out the pattern soon, I'd be trapped with no way out.

Running down the endless straight path wasn't going to cut it.

I focused my mental energy into the Eagle Eyes.

The skill wasn't just enhancing my vision—it was sharpening my awareness of everything around me. Every subtle shift in the walls, every echo, every creak of the house under pressure.

It was how I'd managed to evade countless projectiles until now.

Now, I needed to use that heightened awareness to find a weak point.

A series of clicks echoed beneath my feet. I quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding another series of arrows triggered by the trap.

"Dammit!"

Then, as if time had slowed down once more, I saw it: the faint outline of something ahead.

A door.

It could have been set there deliberately, or perhaps it was a mistake, an error created by the House.

I didn't care about the possibility of either. All I saw was that door. It was my salvation.

Without hesitation, I veered off course, heading for it. I could already hear the skull's shrieking mouth behind me, with its hunger ever growing.

I reached the door, turned the doorknob, and slipped through, shutting it behind me.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

All that followed was the sound of the monster's banging and cries outside.