Beyond the Eternity

Upon explaining the situation to the party members, I followed Moon Jiyeon, who was roleplaying as the High Priestess, as she led me into a large tent set up at the center platform located inside the Dongdaemun-gu station.

Unlike the smaller tent used by the High Priestess for tarot divination, this one had a solid, fortified exterior, as though it could withstand tremendous force. Several security personnel in black suits stood guard around the perimeter, excluding a frightening amount of aura. They were all elite players, with stats likely around or above level 50.

Where were they when we were battling the Disaster of Storms?

As I thought, this was the true nature of the Kings of Seoul. Humans haven't changed even in a time of crisis.

[Only players with the required qualifications can enter.]

[The Sound Barrier has activated in this space.]

A barrier too? No. Judging from the mana fluctuations, there were at least four barriers layered around this place: one to ward off intruders, another to guard against physical attacks, a third to neutralize magic, and a final one to contain any sound within the tent.

They were certainly cautious.

Upon stepping inside, I was struck by the luxurious interior of the tent. A large table sat in the center, surrounded by chairs, with untouched food spread across it. It was evident that a conversation had been ongoing before we arrived.

"Why the rush to begin the Sixth Fable? We don't have enough information to move forward."

"Are you suggesting we just sit here? If we don't act now, the gap between South Korea and the other nations will only grow wider. Haven't you heard? America and Japan are already forming Guilds."

The conversation between the two men abruptly halted as everyone turned toward me, aware of my presence. Wait, don't those faces look familiar?

A middle-aged man with a paunch glanced at Moon Jiyeon and asked, "Who is this?"

"This is the last Tarot Ruler, Kim Jakga."

"Kim Jakga? Where have I heard that name before?"

"Wait... isn't he the one who defeated the Disaster?"

"... Ah, he's that Kim Jakga."

One by one, the people who had watched me with curiosity and uncertainty gathered around as soon as they recognized me, offering their greetings.

How strange. Was I, Kim Jakga, really that famous?

The first to approach was a woman clad in knightly armor. A face I recognized from the Holy Grail War.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm The Justice, Yoo Hyewon. I'm a huge fan of yours."

"I see... it's nice to meet you too, I suppose."

"Ah, almost forgot. Would you mind signing this?"

Yoo Hyewon excitedly pulled out something and presented it before me. It was a book and a pen.

What was this?

I was genuinely taken aback. Although I still didn't fully understand the situation, I reluctantly signed the book she handed me. As soon as she got what she wanted, she eagerly returned to her seat, with a satisfied smile on her face.

The next fellow to approach was a man wearing a lab coat and extended his hand for a handshake. He greeted as he shook my hand.

"Nice to meet to you. I'm Hwang Dowon."

"Same here."

Then the next person was someone with an energetic personality, and said excitedly. "I'm Han Taeyang. It's nice to meet the person who killed the disaster. Your fight was spectacular."

"It's good that you enjoyed it, but why did you people know about that?"

"Oh, you don't know? The fight was broadcasted throughout Seoul. I doubt there's anyone in Seoul that doesn't know you."

The fight with the Disaster of Storms was broadcasted? That would explain the sudden surge in popularity, but that revelation only made even more uneasy and suspicious.

Was the battle really broadcasted, or did these people learn about it from the system announcement?

I thought this because the survivors in Seongdong-gu hadn't recognized me. In fact, this was the first I'd heard of anything like this.

Was there something I didn't know? I should probably ask Aurora about it once this meeting is over.

The middle-aged man with a paunch approached, offering a smile that never reached his eyes. "Nice to meet you, Kim Jakga-nim. I'm Nam Gun-seok, the Vice Chairman of Dongdaemun-gu."

"The Vice Chairman? I thought all the government officials were wiped out during the First Fable."

"Ha ha! Do you doubt the government? It's natural that humanity would survive, no matter how many monsters there are."

His words rang hollow. I was certain that all government officials had been eradicated during the First Fable.

In fact, Aurora had taken over the Blue House, where the President—the representative of South Korea—was killed, and had repurposed it as her headquarters for running the Star Broadcast Channel.

Who exactly was this man?

[Personal skill, 'Black Box' has activated.]

[The target's information will be extracted.]

+

[ Soul Information ]

Name: Nam Gun-seok

Primary Attribute: Vice Chairman (Rare)

Patron Constellation: Master of State Affairs Management

Skills: Command Presence Lv. 4, Political Maneuver Lv. 6, Strategic Deployment Lv. 7, Aura Suppression Lv. 5.

+

Interesting. I had assumed he was faking it, but it turned out he was genuinely the Vice Chairman of Dongdaemun-gu.

...

Aura Suppression, huh? I get it now. He must have survived by hiding from the monsters. Considering he's still alive, he must have fought and killed to survive the First Fable. I can't hold that against him, though; I'd be a hypocrite. But where was he when the world was falling apart? Does this mean some of the political leaders might still be alive?

It seemed likely they were still out there. But so what? The people had managed without them up to now.

But why was he here? Wasn't this supposed to be a meeting for the Tarot Rulers?

Moon Jiyeon, sensing my confusion, leaned in and whispered, "He's not a ruler, but he commands a significant military force."

"Ah, so he's stepping in for a fallen ruler?"

"That's one way to put it."

Now the situation made more sense. It was clear that survival by hiding alone was impossible. He must have been building up his forces while keeping himself safe.

Just because someone received the blessing of the System didn't mean they'd instantly become a powerhouse.

The System bestowed the players with infinite potential, but talent was another story altogether. That was why even obtaining the power of a Ranker wasn't enough to guarantee survival.

Of course, not everyone was the same. Some might excel in Swordsmanship, others in Martial Arts or Magic Arts.

As I had said before, an omnipotent type would be ideal, but it's impossible to excel at everything. Even without combat prowess or personal strength, one could still command an army and lead from the rear.

From the provided information, the Vice Chairman seemed like the type to command an army from a safe space. A Strategist of sorts.

... I had misjudged him earlier. But relying solely on strategies without strength would only take you so far. It doesn't seem like his Patron Constellation was the wealthy type considering that he doesn't have a package privilege.

Master of State Affairs Management. Was there a constellation like that in the Korean Peninsula?

Ignoring the middle-aged man in front of me, I scanned the room, with my eyes sweeping over the others present.

Two people remained seated at the table. One was a woman I instantly recognized as the Outcast King. With her white hair and mask, she was impossible to miss.

She glanced at me briefly, gave a subtle nod, and then diverted her attention elsewhere. We had no relationship beyond a fleeting acknowledgment, so our interaction ended with nothing more than that simple gesture.

Then, the other person was... Wait, what? To my surprise, Soo Jinyoung was also present.

It was strange. She wasn't the type to show up to meetings like this, so her presence caught me off guard. She sat there, unfazed, completely ignoring my presence as though I didn't exist.

The way she sat there without a care in the world was exactly what you'd expect from a protagonist.

But wouldn't it make sense for her to suppress everyone and announce the participants of the Sixth Fable herself?

I couldn't understand Soo Jinyoung's actions. Maybe I should just use [Black Box] to read her thoughts directly.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I silently activated a skill.

[Exclusive skill, Black Box stage 2 has activated.]

Soo Jinyoung's thoughts gradually entered my mind.

「 This is such a pain. 」

「 What is the point of this meeting? 」

「 Those who want to participate should participate, so why are they even discussing about such a trival matter? 」

「 Maybe I should just beat up everyone and pick the participants myself. 」

「 No. Aside from the High Priestess, the rest would be useless in the Sixth Fable. 」

「 Plus, why is that person just standing there like a Fool? Is it because he became a little popular? 」

This woman... As expected, even her thoughts were impolite. I couldn't help but wonder what the others would think if they could hear her inner monologue.

Maybe I should say hello and punch the back of her head. But I was afraid of what she might do in response, so I could only leave that idea as wishful thinking.

Moon Jiyeon and I quickly made our way to the vacant stairs and settled down. I glanced at everyone who had gathered for this meeting.

The High Priestess, Moon Jiyeon.

The Justice, Yoo Hyewon.

The Sun, Han Taeyang.

The Hanged Man, Hwang Dowon

The Vice-Chairman, Nam Gun-seok

The Outcast King.

And finally, The Empress, Soo Jinyoung.

The people were undoubtedly the strongest players currently in Seoul, South Korea.

... W-Wait a minute.

My face turned pale as I realised something.

According to the High Priestess' Tarot Divination, the Empress or someone holding the Empress's status was directly connected to my future.

But wasn't Soo Jinyoung the Empress?

At least, in Song of Nightmares, she held that title.

So, does that mean Soo Jinyoung is my future?

No, that can't be right. Something's definitely off somewhere.

Before I could dwell on it further, Hwang Dowon, also known as the Hanged Man, cleared his throat to draw attention and began.

"Now then, since everyone is present, let's proceed with the meeting. We're going to select the players who will participate in the Sixth Fable."

The room fell silent. It was the awkward elevator-like silence that emerged from the issue at hand.

The first to break the silence was Nam Gun-seok.

He adjusted his body weight on his chair, while eyeing the group with a hint of skepticism.

"A meeting to determine participants? Isn't it enough for those willing to join to step forward themselves? Why waste time with bureaucracy when the stakes are clear?"

Hwang Dowon narrowed his eyes.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Let's not pretend here. If memory serves me right, most of your forces were wiped out during the Fourth Fable, and the same applies to almost everyone in this room. From a practical, democratic standpoint, shouldn't the one with the largest remaining forces be the one to participate?"

Moon Jiyeon interjected.

"Are you suggesting you can clear the Sixth Story by relying solely on your forces?"

"That's right. Just because the world has fallen apart doesn't mean order has completely collapsed. As the last remaining government representative, doesn't it make sense for me to decide who will participate in the next Fable?"

Han Taeyang noticed the situation and immediately retorted.

"That's completely unreasonable. Are you trying to use your authority to claim the Sixth Story for yourself?"

"So, are you saying you plan to face the Sixth Fable with practically no forces? Didn't you suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Black Emperor? What makes you think we should trust someone like you with a Story that holds the future of Seoul?"

"Ah. Well, T-That..."

Han Taeyang struggled to find an excuse, but no words would come. In the end, he had to swallow his pride and hold back what he wanted to say.

This was the true objective of the meeting. With the contents of the Fable unknown, securing an early position was crucial. Whoever could participate first would gain the advantage needed to shape future Fables. That was why they were all fighting for the chance.

But It seemed that Nam Gun-seok had the upper hand in this situation, as the others were unable to effectively counter his argument.

Their military forces had already been wiped out during the Holy Grail War, leaving them in an even more precarious position. Even the High Priestess, who had gathered the other fallen tarot rulers, was forced into silence. At this rate, the balance of power would tip further in Nam Gun-seok's favor and make the situation increasingly more one-sided.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, I raised my hand and spoke up.

"Look, I get that everyone wants to be the first to participate in the Story, but there's a problem with that approach."

Nam Gun-seok raised an eyebrow.

"What are you trying to say?"

"First of all, the number of people that can participate in the Sixth Fable is limited. Only six people can participate."

"What? Six people?!"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Where did you get this information from?"

"If you doubt my words, feel free to ask the fairy herself. Of course, you'll need to pay a fair price for that privilege."

Everyone stared at me in disbelief, as if they couldn't quite process what I had just said. Even the Outcast King was looking my way, though her expression was unreadable. Who knows? She might have even been smiling.

Nam Gun-seok frowned.

"Normally, I wouldn't ask where you got that information. But shouldn't you tell us if you know something? This isn't just about us—it's about the future of Seoul as well."

I smirked at his words.

"The situation won't hold if you keep relying on empty words. Besides, what that guy said is right. Aren't you really just trying to claim the Sixth Fable for yourself?"

"Hmph. Is that how it seems? I suppose there's no helping it. But that doesn't mean my group is the only one that has to participate in the Story. In fact, it's perfectly fine if a certain number of individuals from a specific group are chosen."

"In that case, there's no need to select someone from your group."

"While you may have a handful of powerful subordinates, that's still just a few. We, on the other hand, have a greater number of powerful players. At a time like this, aren't you aware that quantity can often outweigh quality?"

There were a several points that I could easily counter, but his argument wasn't entirely without merit.

As expected of a politician, Nam Gun-seok was not an easy opponent. However,

"You made a good point. But you're forgetting something."

I leaned back on my chair, crossed my legs on the table, and pointed up with a calculated smile.

"That person hasn't arrived yet."

"What are you.... "

Nam Gun-seok wanted to say something, but was silenced by a loud sound and the ceiling collapsed.

Kwaaaaang!

A violent storm of black wind, infused with overwhelming magical power, swept through the room, sending several people tumbling away. At that moment, a dark shadow descended from above and crashed onto the table with a thunderous impact.

I couldn't help but think to myself,

Why does this guy always insist on making such dramatic entrances?

Upon noticing the situation and confirming the identity of the black silhouette, the collapsed people turned pale and screamed in terror.

"Black Emperor!"

However, Song Jaewon paid no attention to their cries. He swept his gaze around the room until it locked onto me.

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"You..."

He then pointed the gleaming tip of his metal spear, Byakko, directly at me.

"... I'm here to take your neck."