Beyond the Eternity

The next day, the members of the Dragon Association moved along with the rest of the survivors. The marked destination was Dongdaemun-gu.

To be more precise, we were moving to the Dongdaemun-gu station. It was because of a sudden announcement from the <Link> system.

[Gather at the Dongdaemun-gu station for the next Fable.]

The Star Selection had ended, leaving nothing to prevent the Fables from advancing further.

The distance from Seongdong-gu to Dongdaemun-gu wasn't too great. It would take around 30-45 minutes if we walked at a moderate pace. First, we crossed the Wangsimni Station and headed westward into Dongdaemun-gu.

We passed by the Cheonggyecheon Stream, sparing it only a glance before continuing on our way.

There wasn't much to carry. Angelica, Jung Yunhee, Kim Hyunwoo and the rest used backpacks to carry whatever they needed, while I had the watcher's dimension coat with the unlimited storage.

Maybe I should have offered to carry their luggage, but then I remembered the rank of the Watcher's Dimension Star Coat.

I couldn't reveal it carelessly, especially when my standing with the constellations was unclear.

Yoo Jinsung and Miyuki Kuroi followed behind, while keeping a careful distance. Covered in bite marks from head to toe, Yoo Jinsung shot a glare at Miyuki, who smirked at him and responded with a playful flick of her tongue.

Time passed.

When we arrived at Dongdaemun-gu Station, I was genuinely surprised by the crowd already gathered. There were this many survivors left in Seoul?

"!"

Suddenly, I felt a hard impact on my back, jolting me forward. Was I being attacked in broad daylight?

Just as I reached for Ivory, my gun tucked within the folds of my dimensional coat, I turned—only to freeze in my tracks at the sight of a familiar face.

"Yo, what's up? How're you doing~?" A playful voice teased.

"... Lee Suhye?"

"Ah, I'm glad you haven't forgotten about me. But what's with the red coat? Did you suddenly pick up a sense of fashion?"

"Damn woman... Don't you know it's rude to attack someone so carelessly?"

She grinned. "I don't need advice on manners from someone who sends explosive letters."

I sighed while slipping the gun back into my dimensional coat without her noticing. Naturally, the rest of the missing party members would gather here as well, and it seemed she wasn't alone.

"... Deputy-nim."

"It's good to see you again, Kagura-ssi."

Hearing my voice, a figure turned, and a familiar shout broke through the crowd. "Nee-san!"

"What? Miyuki!"

Kagura looked as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Then, in a blur, Miyuki dashed forward at lightning speed and wrapped her in a warm embrace. It was a heartwarming union after weeks of tragedies.

Kagura's eyes filled with tears as she glanced at me, and I awkwardly looked away, scratching my cheek. With her staring like that, even I felt a bit embarrassed.

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With sincerity, she said, "Thank you so much."

"Why are you thanking me? If you want to thank someone, thank Jung Yunhee. She's the one who found her."

"Is that true?"

Jung Yunhee shrugged. "I guess you could say that. But please, let's keep it down. People are starting to stare."

"Ah, right. Sorry."

Kagura noticed the onlookers' gazes and quickly wiped away her tears. Meanwhile, Jung Yunhee's eyes narrowed as she pointed.

"...Isn't that Mister Lee?"

"Mister Lee? You mean Lee Jongho-ssi?"

"Yes, that's him. Over there! Jongho-ssi!"

At the sound of Jung Yunhee's call, Lee Jongho turned and came this way. He appeared more muscular, and even his posture and the way he walked had changed.

What happened while he was away? Also, he was walking with the Berserker, Jung Donghyun.

With that, the party was finally complete.

While the party members talked and shared their stories, I looked around and furrowed my brows. Something was off. Why was everyone just standing around? The Sixth Fable should have started by now.

I approached a man standing alone, caught his attention, and asked, "Excuse me, there was a message to gather here for the Fable, right? So why is everyone just standing around?"

"Ah, well... I'm not sure either." The man scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"What? You don't know?"

"There hasn't been any new message from the system yet, so no one knows what's going on. That's why everyone's just waiting."

No system announcement? Was it because not everyone had arrived yet? No, it had to be something else. Wait.. was it that kind of story? I see. I think I understand the situation.

"The announcement hasn't come because the Fable hasn't started yet."

A voice spoke up as a woman in dark clothing approached. Her dark hair framed a gaze that was both warm and calculating, and her lips were like fierce blooms on the surface of a shifting, shadowed lake.

She was dressed like a fortune teller with a veil, yet she radiated an undeniable elegance.

If everyone in Seoul had gathered here, then it was inevitable that she would be here as well.

I greeted calmly, "You're the High Priestess, correct?"

"Oh my, I didn't realize I had such a reputation. But this is our first meeting, isn't it?"

"That's correct. Nice to meet you—I'm Kim Jakga. Though, I suspect you already knew that."

"Yes, I'm Moon Jiyeon."

The High Priestess, Moon Jiyeon. She was one of the few king candidates to emerge from the Holy Grail War with both her life and her card intact. The fate of the other candidates remained shrouded in mystery. Most of them might even be dead.

Unlike the others, Moon Jiyeon never truly participated in the war. She withdrew as soon as it began.

Some might call her a coward, but anyone who thinks that hasn't considered the bigger picture.

I smiled and shook her hand, saying, "I should thank you for helping my companion. Without you, I might never have found her."

"Did that really happen?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "I've met so many people, it's hard to keep track of every face."

"You don't need to remember. I'm just showing my gratitude."

"Hmm... You're a strange fellow."

Moon Jiyeon smiled, but there was no warmth in it. This meeting was part of her plan.

[Personal skill, Black Box has activated.]

[Extracting personal information of the target.]

+

[ « Soul Status » ]

Name: Moon Jiyeon

Age: 37

Primary Attributes: Occult Researcher (Common), Seer (Unique)

Star Contract: King Maker of Goryeo.

+

I glanced over her attributes and star contract details.

King Maker of Goryeo. That referred to the heroic constellation Mok Ji-sang, who helped General Yi overthrow Goryeo and found the Joseon Dynasty. I vaguely remembered a story called The Great Seer that went along with it.

Either way, the woman in front of me was a diviner.

It was possible she had aided Angelica to defeat the Disaster of Storms, but I was sure she had other hidden motives.

"By the way, do you have any information about the next Fable?"

"What? You don't know?" She sounded genuinely surprised. "I thought all the king candidates were given that information. Aren't you the True King?"

"I'm not the Absolute King. To be more precise, there is no Absolute King. And secondly, did all the king candidates get informed about the next Fable?"

"We received a hint from the fairy when we arrived. It seems only a select few can participate in the Sixth Fable."

"Only a few?"

"Yes. The order will be determined by the Kings of Seoul."

As expected, the details of the Sixth Fable hadn't changed. It was the kind of story that revealed nothing until you were actually inside it.

Still, I wondered why Aurora hadn't said anything. Maybe kings had to pay for such information.

"I see. So that's why you approached me."

"Exactly, Jakga-nim. The meeting of the remaining king candidates will begin soon."

I raised an eyebrow. "There are still king candidates alive?"

"Of course. Are you underestimating humanity's stubbornness to survive?"

"No, it's not that. I was just surprised since most of the king candidates were killed during or even before the Holy Grail War."

"Fufufu," Moon Jiyeon chuckled softly, amused. "I suppose that can't be helped. I was shocked too. But what I said is true—some kings are still alive. In fact, I even managed to save a few myself."

Her words were intriguing.

"You saved other kings? Why?"

"The rules never stated that we had to kill the kings. You can pass the Fable by forfeiting your card to another king and joining their group. For those who lost their cards, there were other ways to surrender. It's a sad reality, but who ever said life was fair?"

She smiled again. But this time, there was something unreadable in her expression.

I remembered the king candidates who had their cards stolen by Park Joonhyuk to summon the Yellow Dragon Sword during the World Invasion. I assumed they died during the explosion, but as it turns out, they were absorbed into the High Priestess' Faction.

Was that why she didn't participate in the hunt? So she could gather the broken pieces and build her army?

She withdrew from the Holy Grail War and risked the possibility of falling under the control of whichever king candidate would ultimately become the Absolute King.

It was a mad gamble. But that possibility did not become a plausibility.

Rather than becoming the Absolute King to control the other kings, Park Joonhyuk used the False Grail to summon the Unknown God. Therefore, the Absolute King wasn't born due to his mistakes.

The False Grail could only be used once. Once depleted, it eliminated any chance of an Absolute King emerging.

Did she foresee such an outcome and acted accordingly with that knowledge?

Truly, this woman was a seer.

My attention snapped back as the High Priestess, Moon Jiyeon continued, "Actually, I didn't just come here to inform you about the meeting."

"There's more?"

"Indeed. I find you rather intriguing, and my star constellation won't stop mentioning you. They keep bringing you up."

"Oh? I'm honored. Will they also support the Dragon Association, then?"

"Many constellations from the Korean Peninsula have already heard about your company. Perhaps, when the time is right, they'll offer their support. But I wanted to ask—would you be interested in trying divination?"

"No."

The high priestess laughed as if she was expecting my answer, and said. "You don't have to worry. I'm not going to charge you for my services."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"Is it because you think I'm trying to recruit you under the pretense of divination? There's no need for concern—I'm merely intrigued by what lies ahead for a man like you. And I'm sure you're curious about your own future as well."

"..."

I didn't answer right away.

Reluctantly, I had to admit that she was right.

Who wouldn't be curious about their own future?

I was not a prophet nor did I possess the foresight skill, so I couldn't see the future.

If I wanted to survive in this cursed nightmare, I needed more than just the information from Song of Nightmares. I needed something that could help me uncover hidden valuables—especially now that I've established the Dragon Association.

Even so, the notion of having my future read made me feel uncomfortable.

I sighed and said, "I'll give it a try, I suppose."

It wouldn't hurt to try, right?