Beyond the Eternity

Tap! Tap! Tap! A few minutes later, a white male descended into the underground passage. The sound of footsteps echoed behind him, following closely as he led the way with a flashlight.

Kim Hyunwoo glanced over his shoulder at the group members trailing behind him, then sighed helplessly, his breath barely audible in the stale air.

It can't be helped, he thought.

He had been with the group for a long time, ever since the emergence of the Third Narrative: Nightmarish Defence Scenario. Apart from his [Crafting] skill, he didn't have much going for him. His appearance was average at best. He was one of those individuals that you would see on a train station and never recall for the rest of your short days. Furthermore, his physique was weak. No, the problem wasn't that he was weak. Even someone with a weak body could grow stronger by raising their overall stats with the currency of probability. But for some reason, his physicality never seemed to improve, no matter how many coins he spent.

The root of his shortcomings lay in his special trait.

«Weak Physique»

It was a cursed constitution that made his body frail, more vulnerable to fatigue and physical strain. And it was the reason he couldn't improve his physical stats through coins.

The «Link» system could elevate an average person beyond the territory of humans. However, it couldn't change a person's starting point. For example, someone with an amputated limb before the emergence of Link would still be missing that limb, and an unattractive person would remain unattractive, though it was possible to use skills enhance their charm or charisma, but that was it. In the end, a person born sickly in the old world would remain sickly in the new world.

Unless you gained a new body through 'Regeneration,' 'Reincarnation,' or 'Possession,' your innate constitution couldn't be altered.

Kim Hyunwoo was one of those unfortunate souls born with a cursed constitution.

Truly, the world was a harsh and unforgiving place.

It was almost a miracle that he managed to survive the «First Story.»

Looking back, from the moment he was born, he had suffered countless misfortunes just because of his frail body. Misfortunes such as almost dying immediately after birth, enduring frequent illnesses throughout his childhood, and constantly being seen as fragile by others, as though he were a mere breath away from collapsing. Even when the <Stories> began, he was looked down upon, and bullied by others who sought to take advantage of his weakness and oppress him.

If Jakga Kim hadn't appeared, beaten his oppressors, and completely shattered the delusion that someone else would save him, he was certain he would have remained trapped in his pitiful state.

No. He was certain that he wouldn't have been saved if his delusions hadn't been shattered.

That was why...

I'm really grateful for that time. Really, it's strange. I never thought I would be in a group where everyone is treated as equals.

Even the survivors are treated equally regardless of their status. As I thought, Kim Jakga-nim is truly an incredible person.

Of course, if he ever came to me asking for a favor, I'd have to repay him for what he did back then. Yes?

Even so…

To think the situation would end up like this, where I'm basically forced to betray him and give up his location...

Damn guy... Why does he have to be so secretive?

As these thoughts ran through his mind, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

To say he wasn't a little curious about what Kim Jakga had been doing in his underground quarters would've been a blatant lie. Although he had built those quarters, Kim Hyunwoo had no idea what business Jakga had down there.

He already had a few ideas, but he wasn't exactly sure.

Perhaps Jakga-nim just wanted a private space where he could escape from others. Or maybe he was testing his abilities down there. His mind even wandered to the possibility of illegal experiments, but he quickly shut that down. He didn't want to insult Jakga's character with wild imaginings. Still, for some reason, he felt a little uneasy.

After descending the hidden stairway for a few minutes—

"We're here," Kim Hyunwoo announced.

The space was pitch black. Fumbling with his flashlight, he eventually found the switch and flicked it on. A harsh, fluorescent light buzzed to life, flooding the underground chamber.

The group froze and shielded their eyes. Soon, their eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness as they took in the sight before them.

At that moment, the constellations watching through the channel took notice.

[Many of the constellations are watching.]

[Some constellations are shocked by the scene.]

[The constellation "Lunatic Mechanist" is laughing.]

For an underground space, it was strangely clean.

The concrete floor was spotless, save for a few damaged training dummies about ten meters away, riddled with bullet holes. A long metal table stood against the wall, neatly organized with firearms, mostly short-range weapons like pistols and handguns. Empty bullet casings littered the ground, and the acrid scent of gunpowder hung heavily in the air.

The entire room resembled an indoor shooting range, complete with a white safety line painted across the floor, separating the firing zone from the observation area. Yet, despite the minimal clutter, the space felt clinical, sterile in a way that hinted at something more than just marksmanship practice.

It didn't feel like a training ground. It felt more like a secret laboratory.

"This is..."

"Well, isn't this something? Kim Jakga-ssi was certainly busy."

"I don't get it. If he wanted to raise his marksmanship level, why do it here? Why not outside where it's safer?"

Indeed, it was strange.

Shooting ranges were typically built outdoors or in specialized, ventilated indoor facilities to manage the lingering effects of gunpowder and sound. Constructing one underground, especially without proper ventilation, wasn't just impractical. It was outright dangerous.

The only reason to create a private range like this, hidden underground, was if you didn't want anyone to know what you were doing. More than that, they couldn't help but wonder how had Kim Jakga managed to stay here for long hours despite the suffocating presence of gunpowder in the air?

Unbeknownst to them, Kim Jakga's [Drafting] ability allowed him to manipulate environmental factors like air purity by using "reality points" to clear pollutants. In a confined environment like this, it would've cost him almost nothing. Yet, for some reason, he hadn't fully cleared the gunpowder residue.

Truly, they did not know about [Drafting], so they speculated that he must have used some other skill, perhaps one that allowed a person to hold their breath for extended periods without breathing.

Of course, Kim Jakga had no such skill.

He wasn't some kind of land koi fish. If he'd been present to hear their ridiculous assumptions, he probably would've been genuinely offended.

A few seconds later, the group began to search the room, convinced that Kim Jakga hadn't built this space just to practice his aim.

All of them scattered around the confined space.

Yoo Jinsung, Yoo Rin, Kuro Miyuki, Kuro Kagura and Angelica moved and carried out basic observations.

Jung Yunhee and Kim Hyunwoo examined the damaged training dummies.

Meanwhile, Lee Suhye and Lee Jongho lingered near the long table cluttered with firearms. Recognition flickered in their eyes, quickly followed by shock.

Lee Suhye muttered under her breath, "What is this? There's some really good stuff here."

She picked up a rifle, inspecting its weight before setting it down and moving to the next. One by one, she named them with growing disbelief.

"ARX-160… MP7… even an AWM sniper? Where the hell did he get all of these?"

Lee Jongho's frown deepened as he picked up another weapon, inspecting its serial number. "These aren't just rare. Some of these are military-grade."

"K5, SIG P226, K2, K1, even the K2C1," he listed.

Pausing, he narrowed his eyes. "Did Jakga-ssi break into military bunkers?"

Lee Suhye snorted softly, and set down the weapon in her hands. "Who knows? Maybe he bought all of them from the Shop."

"The Shop sells guns used by the South Korean military?" Jongho arched an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"Anything can be sold on the Shop. Guns aren't an exception. Wait—" her eyes narrowed in realization, "I remember seeing soldiers with the Outcast King. Could it be…?"

"Outcast King?"

Jongho tilted his head, confused. Then recognition flashed in his eyes and he soon remembered.

"Ah, right. That woman. Now that I think about it, why would soldiers be following someone like that? Aside from being the child of a governor, I don't see any reason for that."

"Perhaps mind control? Kagura did mention something about having her mind controlled."

Following that, both Lee Suhye and Lee Jongho fell silent, and their expressions turned grim.

Mind Control. It was a terrifying phenomenon where an individual would penetrate another's mental defenses and manipulate their body like a puppet on strings.

According to Kagura's account, the most horrifying part wasn't the loss of control over her body, but the fact that she'd remained fully conscious throughout the ordeal. She could see, hear, and even think for herself, but none of that mattered. Her body no longer responded to her will. She was nothing more than a prisoner trapped within her own flesh.

Even the stoic, samurai-like woman had been visibly shaken as she recounted her experience.

If your mental defenses aren't strong enough… you'd be completely at the mercy of someone else.

Imagine someone planting the idea in your head that you could fly through a 'suggestion', and without hesitation, you'd step off the edge of a rooftop with a smile on your face. Or worse, receiving a direct, absolute order:

"Kill yourself."

And you'd obey.

No hesitation. No resistance. Just an empty smile carved across your face as you carried out the command, because it wasn't your will anymore.

Whether the case may be, that wouldn't be a good experience.

It was highly plausible that the soldiers following the Outcast King were under the same influence. Maybe it was something subtle, like a suggestion—"I am a target you must protect." Or perhaps something more absolute—"Protect me, even at the cost of your own life."

Either way, their loyalty might not have been a choice at all.

If the Outcast King had truly taken over military personnel, then it made perfect sense that she'd have access to their weapon stockpiles. That meant the only way Kim Jakga could've obtained such an arsenal was either through the Outcast King's influence, or by breaking into a military facility himself.

And when it came to the terrifying phenomenon known as mind control, they'd have preferred the latter.

At the same time, both Lee Suhye and Lee Jongho couldn't help but entertain the thought of purchasing a few mental barrier skills.

Thud! Thud!

Jung Yunhee lightly tapped one of the training dummies with her foot, applying minimal force just to test its durability.

She raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the unexpected resistance.

"Oh. This thing is pretty sturdy."

Kim Hyunwoo shot her a glance, his tone matter-of-fact. "Well, of course it is. It's designed to receive bullets while mimicking human physiology."

"Mimicking human physiology, huh?" The while girl smiled, tilting her head. "It'd be more interesting if they bled. Like… using ketchup as a substitute for blood or something."

Hyunwoo let out a short sigh,

"There's already something like that. They're called ballistic gel torsos, which are used in forensic testing and military training. And no, they don't use ketchup. They're filled with synthetic fluids."
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"That's too bad. It'd feel more realistic if they used something closer to real blood."

"The goal is to test the accuracy of firearms, not to simulate torture. Watching something bleed isn't exactly pleasant."

"That's a lie, you know."

"It's not a lie. It's just purely practical. They're not some sick perverts that enjoys inflicting pain and misfortune."

"Oh~"

Still smiling, Jung Yunhee tilted her head even further. "Is that so? They're testing the accuracy of guns that'll be used to kill people. Isn't that right? After all, isn't murder the reason guns were created in the first place?"

"..."

For that question, Kim Hyunwoo had no comeback.

Of course, one could argue that guns were also created for protection or self-defense. But even in those cases, protection often meant pulling the trigger and ending a life—justified perhaps, but still murder wrapped in logic and cause.

At its core, the driving force behind the creation of guns was undeniable: to kill more efficiently. The earliest forms of firearms appeared in 9th-century China during the Tang Dynasty, following the invention of gunpowder around 850 CE. By the 10th to 12th centuries, the first recognizable gun—the "fire lance"—emerged. As gunpowder technology spread to the Middle East and Europe by the 13th century, firearms evolved into metal-barreled hand cannons and eventually muskets and rifles through advancements in metallurgy and engineering.

Though their creation was rooted in military necessity, to inflict greater damage than bows and arrows, the undeniable truth remained the same.

Humanity simply kept searching for better ways to kill each other. And that led to countless needless suffering.

That was a fact that neither of them could deny.

Indeed, firearms weren't created with good intentions.

Even though Kim Hyunwoo knew that undeniable fact, he still felt uneasy.

The source of his unease wasn't the guns, but the girl standing in front of him.

She was usually quiet and reserved, blending into the background without much notice. But now, she wore a smile that reminded him of a mischievous girl. The problem itself wasn't just the smile; it was the nature of their conversation. They were talking about death, blood, and killing… and she was smiling.

Was she the type that enjoyed violence and blood?

Such people were often the most dangerous. The kind who found amusement where others found horror. The kind who didn't just tolerate violence, but craved it. There had been countless cases like this in the past where individuals who appeared normal, even charming, but beneath the surface hid something monstrous. Those who turned out to be the most ruthless killers, devoid of any sense of morality or empathy.

Serial killers, war criminals, even so-called "normal" people who snapped, there was often a common thread: that detached fascination with death.

And right now, that same thread seemed to glint in Jung Yunhee's smile.

Although they happened to be in the same company by complete chance, Kim Hyunwoo knew he might become ruined if he continued to associate with such a person.

Even so—

A faint smile spread across the corners of his lips. His logical reasoning screamed at him to avoid this girl at any cost, but it was already too late.

「 He had already developed an interest in her. 」

His smile didn't falter as he replied to the white girl's question, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I suppose that's true."