Beyond the Eternity

As I stepped through the door and into the room, I was greeted by an endless expanse of marble flooring. Towering shelves loomed overhead, impossibly high, packed with an unfathomable number of books.

It resembled a library, but it was far from ordinary. The domed ceiling seemed to encompass an entire world, and ladders, hundreds of meters long, hung precariously from the shelves. Countless floors spiraled upward, connected by a grand staircase so intricate and steep that merely glancing at it made my head spin.

But what truly caught my attention was an even more astounding sight: at the farthest reaches of my perception, where my spirituality barely touched, new shelves were materializing from thin air.

Drawing from the information in Song of Nightmares, I quickly recognized the phenomenon for what it was.

New stories were being created!

No, that wasn't the appropriate wording.

New stories were being recorded!

Once those stories were recorded, they would appear in the form of "books", and within those books, entire worlds were documented, with events unfolding in real-time as the number of books multiplied.

Impossible. What exactly is this place?

A random thought emerged upon the sensation of a terrible premonition.

A sudden, unsettling thought flashed through my mind, accompanied by a deep premonition.

'Wait... Could this place actually be the manifestation of that person's virtual reality?'

The concept of <Virtual Reality> sprang to mind.

It was the domain of the mind and the core of one's imagination. Its growth was tied to the mind's calculating ability and, by extension, magic. The stronger the mind, the more expansive the virtual reality would become, increasing both mental strength and the ability to manifest magic.

But using virtual reality to manifest magic in the world, and manifesting the virtual reality itself into the world were two completely different concepts!

I had made a grave miscalculation.

At first, I believed my unease stemmed from the fact that none of the residents here were human. But in reality, my discomfort arose from the nature of this world itself.

This wasn't a proper world. This was the manifestation of someone's virtual reality!

I could only think of a few beings capable of manifesting a virtual reality of this scale.
Experience new stories on empire

The leaders of the huge godly societies like <Olympus>, <Asgard>, and the <Demon Gods>

[Oh, how delightful. When was the last time I had a visitor? Hmm… aside from that one incident, it must have been ages…]

A voice emerged from somewhere above, echoing in the vast room.

I glanced up at the banister of the spiral staircase and saw a tall, black silhouette staring at me. Backlit by the lights from the ceiling, her features were obscured, but there was something creepy about her gaze.

There was no malice or murderous intent, but that gaze left me with a genuine sense of discomfort.

[Mmm... So you're the participant that one-sidedly defeated my oldest daughter. I was expecting you to be taller.]

Before I could even blink, she was suddenly standing before me.

It happened so suddenly that I froze due to shock.

Wh-What? How? My mind screamed in disbelief.

I couldn't move. It felt as though countless invisible threads were binding me in place, leaving me frozen beneath her gaze.

A woman.

She wasn't human, but she took the appearance of a woman probably her early twenties.

Her features were unnaturally flawless, her figure impossibly perfect, like a sculpted doll brought to life. Standing over seven feet tall, she wore a simple white button-up shirt paired with black leggings. Her piercing gaze swept over me, as if dissecting every fragment of my entire story.

The woman tilted her head slightly upon noticing my tense expression.

[Oh my, why are you looking at me like that? Did I perhaps frighten you?]

"No... Of course not," I managed, forcing a strained laugh. "You startled me, that's all. You suddenly appeared in front of me."

[Forgive me if I gave you a fright. It's been so long since I've received any visitors, and I suppose it's difficult to control my excitement.]

She placed a finger to her lip in a playful gesture.

[But I wonder if there's any need to carry out basic introductions?]

"There is no need. It's a pleasure to meet you, Witch of the Night."

Minerva Aurora Blackthorne. The Witch of the Night. She was the one behind the tragedy of the Fifth Narrative.

[Oh, such polite manners. How refreshing.]

"It's only proper to show courtesy when greeting the master of another territory."

[Hmm, you have a point. But you're quite the intriguing one, aren't you?]

"Intriguing? How so?"

[Because you're still standing, unscathed, after hearing my true voice.]

True voice, was it?

Those who walked the <Path of Divinity>, <Path of Heart and Body Transcendence>, or <Path of Mysteries> could wield a "True Voice" upon reaching a high enough sequence.

A voice that directly impacted the mind, body, and spirit.

Considering Minerva's status as a Witch, she was undoubtedly on par with high-ranking constellations.

But now that I thought about it, wasn't it strange? To remain unaffected after hearing the true voice of such an entity should have been impossible.

[The private skill 「 Black Box 」 has activated.]

Ah. So that's what it was.

The Black Box.

It had intervened, and shielded me from her true voice.

But how exactly did it function? Was it an active skill? Or something tied to my subconscious mind, interpreting this world as "fictional"?

I recalled moments when it had weakened before.

Its exact nature eluded me still.

Minerva moved past me with an elegance that bordered on unnatural, and the air around her shifted subtly as she did.

As she walked, her form began to change. Her towering height of over seven feet gradually diminished until she stood at approximately 175 centimeters. Her hair, pitch-black like the void between stars, still impossibly long, flowed like a river of shadow, but it never interrupted her stride. The world around her seemed to bend in deference to her presence.

A circular table materialized in the center of the room, accompanied by two ornate chairs.

Minerva gestured toward the empty chair across from her as she gracefully took her seat.

[Come, Aspirant Jakga Kim. Let us talk.]

I hesitated briefly before nodding. "Thank you for the hospitality," I said, lowering myself into the chair.

A strange aroma drifted into my nose. My gaze shifted downward, and I noticed an array of snacks and a steaming cup of tea before me.

Odd. I was certain none of this had been here moments ago.

Was my mind playing tricks on me?

And then, I realized.

This virtual reality was the manifestation of Minerva's imaginary. Naturally, she could manipulate it at will, and reshape it to her whims with the ease of thought.

In other words, the woman sitting across from me was simply messing with me.

This was her original form. She probably took that seven-feet tall form in order to prank visitors.

She was rather mischievous than I expected from a refined lady. Perhaps this was due to her loneliness.

Minerva, now comfortably sipping her tea, met my gaze as I mustered a faint smile.

"Would you mind if I asked a few questions? I'm curious since this is my first time meeting someone of your status."

[Flattery will get you nowhere, but I don't mind. Ask away.]

"Very well. First question, what I see before me, is this the full extent of your virtual reality?"

[Ah, so you noticed.]

"It's hard not to when you pull off such… careless pranks."

[Hehe! Are you holding a grudge?]

Minerva flashed a mischievous grin.

Damnit. She wasn't behaving like a refined lady at all. For someone who was the object of worship for the Demonic Cult, she carried herself with an unexpectedly playful demeanor.

I sighed and briefly glanced at her richly-shaped body before asking, "Is that your True Form?"

[Is that your second question?]

"It's an extension of the first."

[Hmm… in that case, no.]

"Can I see it?"

Minerva raised an eyebrow with a flicker of surprise.

[Obviously, that would be a "No." Humans cannot endure the sight of my True Form. And frankly, I see no reason to show you such a disturbing thing.]

"That's... strange. Why do you sound like you hate your own form?"

Her gaze faltered slightly, and her tone shifted.

[Yes, I do. I find it… unsettling. Repulsive, even.]

Her candid answer took me by surprise, and I studied her carefully.

A being of her stature harboring such feelings about herself? It was almost hard to believe.

Shaking off my surprise, I pressed on. "For my second question, what's your relationship with Aurora?"

[Are you asking because I look identical to her?]

"Yes. And your middle name is also Aurora. Surely, that can't just be a coincidence."

[It's not. But first, let me correct a misconception. I don't look like Aurora; it's the other way around. A child would naturally resemble their parent, wouldn't you agree?]

"I see… So you're saying Aurora is your daughter?"

[Not exactly. To be precise, she's one of my creations. The species you call fairies were all created by me. They serve the Central Bureau as 'lackeys', and Aurora is simply one among many.]

She said it so casually, as though it were the most mundane fact in the world.

It was information that I, the reader, wasn't even aware of!

In that case, could I consider her the Fairy Queen? Of course, I had no intention of actually calling her that.

"So… you're basically the primogenitor of the fairies?"

[If you wish to put it that way.]

"And you created them to serve the Administration Bureau? Why would you do that?"

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, as though debating how much to reveal.

[I can't reveal the exact details, but you could say I have a special relationship with the Central Buseau.]

A special relationship? It sounded like she had formed some sort of contract with the Buseau that prevented her from disclosing specific information.

At any rate, it seemed unlikely that I'd be able to extract any information on that matter.

Minerva asked,

[I believe you had three questions for me. What will your final question be?]

"Yes, as for my final question..."

I paused, giving it more thought. I had initially planned to ask about the Fifth Narrative, but I changed my mind. Instead, I decided to ask something else.

"... What do you know about the existence known as the Creator?"

Minerva paused. Her brows furrowed, and her expression shifted from its usual calm to one of mild concern.

It was a stark contrast to her usual calm demeanor.

She shrugged casually. [The Creator shaped everything in this world, including the Narrative Tree known as the Tree of Mysteries. In fact, the Tree of Mysteries was the first to be created, and from it, everything else followed. What more do you wish to know? There's nothing particularly remarkable about that entity beyond its origin.]

"There's something I wish to confirm. Since you're a great existence, your information archive should be rather vast, yes?"

[What do you want to know?]

"Is the Creator connected to the person known as ■■?"

[Sorry, what did you say?]

"I said, is the Creator connected to the person known as ■■?"

[I'm sorry, but I can't hear what you're saying.]

Damn, was my question being filtered by the system, or was she pretending not to hear me?

No, I was certain she knew exactly what I was asking. She was just pretending. Even so, there was nothing I could do since I couldn't confirm my suspicions.

It was a shame, but that wasn't my main goal for coming here.

"Since I'm running out of time, I'll skip to the point."

[I heard a bit from that child, but it holds more meaning to hear it directly from your mouth.]

By that child, she was referring to 'Aurora'.

I nodded. "Yes. I have come here to collect the copyrights for the Sixth Narrative."

[Huh? Is that all? That child could have easily handed it to you. If that was your only goal, then there was no need for you to come here personally.]

"No, that's not my only goal. Actually, I've come here for a soul within your possession. I believe you already know him, but his name is Keikoku Amane."