Beyond the Eternity

Minerva tilted her head as though something sounded unusual. [Keikoku Amane?]

"You don't remember? Wasn't he your previous Avatar Body? He was quite well-known, causing trouble everywhere he went."

[Interesting. How did you come by this information?]

"I have my own methods."

She frowned for a moment, as though something was off, but then her usual calm smile returned.

Did she attempt something just now? I thought I felt a faint pressure, but it seemed like it was just my imagination.

[I see. This is quite intriguing.]

"As I mentioned before, I've come for the soul of Keikoku Amane."

[I'm sorry, but that won't be possible.]

"Is it because of the Patronage Contract?"

[Yes. Due to the nature of the contract, his soul now belongs to me. It's not something I can give away freely. But I'm sure you already knew that.]

Patronage Contract.

When you form a contract with a constellation, you gain their support, along with their funding and blessings. However, what most gullible aspirants fail to realize is that once the contract is signed, their soul becomes the possession of that Constellation.

This was the dark truth behind Constellation Support.

Keikoku Amane had entered into such a contract with Minerva before his death. Of course, he hadn't expected to meet his end at my hands.

From the beginning, I knew this exchange wouldn't be simple. That was why I had prepared a counteroffer.

"I understand that you can't give me his soul for free. In fact, I'm not asking for it to be given freely. That would be unreasonable. But what if I offered something of equal value in exchange?"

Minerva's lips curled into a faintly amused smile. [Oh? And what could possibly hold the same value as the soul of a Disaster?]

"Of course, it would be the soul of another Disaster. I'll offer you the Three-Headed Frost Annihilation Dragon's Heart in exchange for Keikoku Amane's soul."

[Do you have that item with you?]

"No, I don't."

Her amusement vanished in an instant. [I'm sorry, what did you just say?]

"I said, I don't have it on me right now. But—"

Before I could finish that sentence, Minerva cut me off.

[What's this? You want to make a trade with an item you don't even have? Did you seriously come here just to waste my time? You must be either foolish or incredibly brave.]

Her once sweet voice had now turned guttural, as though she had swallowed shards of metal.

Her face twisted into an ominous black shadow, and the world around us trembled as if caught in a violent storm. An unbearable pressure descended upon me, and slammed my body to the marble floor at once.

It was as though the gravity in this space had multiplied tenfold.

Damn it. What kind of pressure was this? Was this the power of a being comparable to the Divine Constellations?

Modern physicists might claim that the Soul didn't exist, and dismiss it as superstition. But at that moment, I could feel the undeniable truth.

My «Soul» was on the verge of being crushed!

"...!!"

Abruptly, truly abruptly, for a fleeting moment, I glimpsed beyond the outer shell of the Witch and saw something incomprehensible. I had a mouth, but I could not scream.

How could something so vile and wretched be allowed to exist?

Was this the true face of the beings who shaped this world, cloaked in deceitful forms of power and beauty?

The sheer wrongness of it nearly shattered my mind.

Then, without warning—

[The personal skill 「 Black Box 」— ??? has strongly activated.]

...

[The exclusive skill 「 Black Box 」— ??? has strongly activated.]

...

[The exclusive skill 「 Black Box 」— ??? has strongly activated.]

...

[The exclusive skill 「 Black Box 」— ??? has strongly activated.]

...

[The exclusive skill 「 Black Box 」— ??? has strongly activated.]

...

[The exclusive skill 「 Black Box 」— ??? has strongly activated.]

...

[The exclusive skill 「 Black Box 」— ??? has strongly activated.]

...

The ringing in my head echoed, and within moments, the pressure on my body began to lift. Slowly, I started rising again.

Minerva's shadowy visage shifted to one of genuine shock.

[Wh-what... This is...? Is something like this even possible?]

Fighting to maintain my composure, I forced the words out evenly, "Wait a moment, hear me out... I believe there have been some kind of misunderstanding..."

[....]

Minerva regarded me warily, but there was no trace of hostility in her expression. I seized the opportunity and pressed on.

"In my world, the Seventh Narrative would start in a few days. It's a scripted scenario where the Three-Headed Frost Annihilation Dragon will make its appearance. When it does, I'll kill it, take its head, and bring you the Dragon's Heart."

[I see. So what you truly want is the Meta Narrative to carry out this action.]

"That's correct. If you doubt my capabilities then—"

She waved a hand dismissively.

[There's no need for that. From this interaction alone, I have a rough idea of what you're capable of.]
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The study, once shrouded in a dense, grey fog, slowly regained its vibrancy. Beads of sweat trailed down my back as the lingering pressure faded away.

Minerva calmly lifted up her teacup and took a delicate sip, as though nothing had happened.

As if everything that had just occurred had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

Her voice was serene once more.

[Really now, why didn't you just say that from the start? You almost made me think about doing terrible things to you. It would have been a shame if that happened all because of a misunderstanding.]

"I apologize for the misunderstanding," I said, forcing a smile. This woman... you're the one who interrupted me before I could explain!

Still smiling, I continued, "So, what do you think of my offer?"

Minerva, still holding the teacup, seemed to fall into deep thought. I waited, but her gaze wandered, and it was almost as though I were no longer in the room with her.

I was about to speak again when she broke the silence herself.

[Mmm. It's a good offer. The heart of that dragon would undoubtedly hold more value than the soul of a newborn disaster.]

Some might argue that Keikoku Amane truly became a Disaster after acquiring his «Antimatter Body». But the Three-Headed Frost Annihilation Dragon had existed far longer. In comparison, Keikoku Amane was nothing more than a child.

He was truly just a child. And for that reason, we were all able to survive.

[But~]

The moment I heard that nonchalant "But," my gut twisted with dread. I knew the worst was coming.

[I think it would be too easy. Wouldn't it be boring if we ended our interaction like this? How about we add a little spice to it?]

"What do you mean?"

[How about we seal the deal with a game of chess? Are you familiar with the rules, or should I explain?]

"Yes, I'm quite familiar with it. In my country, we have something similar."

[Good. I'll set the conditions. If you manage to last for five minutes against me, I'll accept your offer. However, if you lose before then, the deal will be cancelled, and you'll remain here, with me, forever.]

"Is such a game necessary?"

[Of course, it's not. You have the right to accept or refuse, but if you refuse, I won't accept your offer. After all, a young disaster is still a disaster. I'm not in a hurry to trade a soul of such high quality.]

"Is it because you personally raised such a disaster?"

[I suppose you could say that. I'm somewhat attached.]

"Why the insistence on playing such a game?"

[Haven't I mentioned it before? Even someone like me can become terribly lonely~ There's nothing much to entertain me in this place except taking care of children or watching dull stories. Won't you entertain this lonely lady?]

I frowned bitterly.

Her intentions were quite clear. She made no attempt to hide it at all.

She was trying to con me into playing a game rigged for her victory. It was impossible for me to win. Given the size of this virtual reality, she was likely a higher being within the «Second Order» of the Path of Mysteries. Meaning, her "mental power" was comparable to the "divinity" of Divine Constellations.

Chess was a strategy game, and trying to win against someone with that level of intellect was pure folly.

It would be like challenging ten thousand supercomputers to a game and expecting to come out on top.

Why would I play a game that was rigged from the start?

But I couldn't just leave here like this, could I? Wouldn't everything I had done so far be for nothing?

'Wait a minute... Isn't this the perfect place to test Drafting?'

Of course, using skills would be considered cheating, and I'd likely be caught, instantly losing. But I couldn't let such a rare opportunity slip through my fingers. Furthermore, she never explicitly stated that skills were prohibited.

In other words, I could use skills as long as I wasn't caught.

Even if she suspects and accuses me of cheating, I can always deny it. After all, without any trances, it would be hard to substantiate such claims.'

With that in mind, I silently activated «Drafting», and with a confident smile, I declared:

"Alright, I accept."

[Ah, how excellent~ Let's start right away!]

Minerva said eagerly and then snapped her fingers.

An item materialized between us, perfectly positioned in the center of the table. The snacks and delicate sweets that had been scattered around the table were subtly pushed aside.

A classic chessboard.

She created the chess pieces one by one and placed them on their respective positions on the game board.

They were all created using Magic.

I narrowed my eyes as a faint pulse of energy caught my attention. Life energy. It radiated from each piece like a soft, steady heartbeat.

"Excuse me, may I ask a question?" I said cautiously.

[Yes?] she responded, tilting her head with a curious smile.

"Those pieces... They're not normal chess pieces, correct?"

[How could you tell?]

"Sensing such things is my speciality."

[Interesting. So you're skilled in the spiritual arts, then?]

"You can tell just from that?"

Minerva's smile widened ever so slightly. [Of course. Do you take me for a novice? Are you looking down on me? I've spent over a thousand years mastering the art of mysteries. Naturally, I can discern such things at a glance. However…]

Her brows knit together, as if she had just detected something utterly unpleasant.

[...Your magic potential is disappointingly low. Frankly, I'm surprised.]

"How bad is it?"

[Do you really want me to be honest?]

Her tone sent warning bells through my mind, but my stubborn curiosity got the better of me.

"Yes," I muttered reluctantly. Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut.

[If you insist, I won't sugarcoat it. Your magic power is abysmal. It's so low, it's almost laughable. In fact, it's somehow lower than a child's! I didn't even think that was possible. Are you trying to transcend every law of logic?]

Her words hit me like a thunderclap, and my body froze all over.

It felt like static electricity surged through me, leaving me momentarily paralyzed.

"...!!"

That tremendous blow had left me incapacitated for 600 seconds.

After what felt like an eternity, I managed to stammer, "Um… excuse me?"

[Yes?]

"Could you… elaborate on what that means?"

[Are you truly asking because you don't know? Or are you simply in denial? Sadly, that will not help you. The bitter truth is, the mana in your body is so faint it might as well be nonexistent.]

"But... I can increase it, right? Surely, with enough elixirs and potions, it should improve, right?"

[.....]

She did not respond. She averted her eyes away.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Hey, don't look away! Please tell me it's not what I'm thinking!"

Minerva let a heavy sigh. Her expression softened as she looked at me with pity.

Slowly, she shook her head, and the words she spoke next flattened any lingering hope I had clung to.

[I'm sorry, but it's impossible. Your constitution simply isn't compatible. Even if you consumed the «Dragon Heart», you would never be able to wield magic in this lifetime.]