Beyond the Eternity

Chapter 224 Fractured Reflections [5]

«Sword God» He was the founder of the Path of Transcendence of Heart and Body, as such, only he stood at the pinnacle. Despite the passage of time and the efforts of countless others to refine and expand upon the pathway, introducing Martial Arts to simplify the arduous journey of ascension, none could simply surpass him.

His mastery was so complete that even the advancements made by later generations could not diminish his legacy. He remained the ultimate transcendent.

He was even considered comparable to the legendary Great Sorcerer Laplace, the founder of the Path of Mysteries and the one who ascended as the «First Demon God» Even the Half-Transcendent Gods, who reigned at the summit of the Path of Ascension.

Minerva flicked her finger.

The scenery changed once more. It was a familiar place.

[Do you know where this is?]

"How did you know about this place?"

[Did you think I wasn't watching? My reach is vast, far greater than you realize,] she said with a sly smile.

The place was the setting of the First Nameless Story, a treacherous trial we faced when we ventured into the depths of the Library Dungeon. But now, the city lay in ruins. It had been reduced to nothing but ash and rubble.

The Witch flicked her finger again.

The scene morphed into a more intense tale. This time, an armored knight was locked in combat with a massive black dragon.

[Do I need to explain this story?]

"No, that won't be necessary."

I recognized it immediately.

The story of the legendary Dragon Slayer Siegfried battling the Evil Dragon Fafnir with the holy sword Balmung in hand.

He was a great national hero of Germany, whose legacy was immortalized through various depictions in legends and folklore. His most iconic role came from his debut in the medieval German epic poem, the "Nibelungenlied," where he was portrayed as the protagonist.

Siegfried became invulnerable after bathing in the blood of the dragon he had slain, but a linden leaf had fallen on his back during the bath, leaving that spot unprotected.

Tragically, this vulnerability was exploited by Hagen von Tronje, the man Siegfried trusted most. While on a hunting trip, Hagen betrayed Siegfried, stabbing him in the unprotected spot as he knelt to drink from a stream.

The murder was driven by Hagen's loyalty to Queen Brunhild, who believed Siegfried was a threat to her and King Gunther.

Siegfried died not in a noble battle, but as a tragic hero, slain by trickery.

He believed his death would resolve the growing animosity between Kriemhild and Brunhild, but this grave misjudgment only unleashed a far greater tragedy where his wife Kriemhild sold her soul to a devil for vengeance, only to be defeated by a chivalrous strike.

I wasn't certain about the rest of the tale, but it was undeniably a tragic one.

The Black Witch continuously flicked her finger.

With each flick, the scenery changed.

The backgrounds were different, but they all had one thing in common.

They were all Stories.

"...!?"

Before I realized it, I was once again seated across from Minerva, the chessboard and a neatly arranged tea set between us.

As if we had never left the study.

Minerva, now wearing her white shirt and dark pants, smiled leisurely, clearly amused by my bewilderment.

[Was it good? I hope you enjoyed it. What you saw was simply the Souls of several individuals being filled with data. Once they die, their stories come to an end, and the data-collecting process stops. When that happens, the slate (Soul) is either consumed or becomes a blank slate once more.]

"Does the same logic apply if someone is resurrected?"

[Resurrection is a false concept.]

"I know there are exceptions. What about the stories of Plato and Aristotle? Or Osiris? Or Dionysus?"

[Those individuals you mentioned died and became Constellations, or were already Constellations. The concept of resurrection doesn't exist. It's an illusion created by humans who wish for the continuity of their stories.]

[All stories must end eventually, and death is the embodiment of that undeniable truth.]

Your journey continues at empire

Her words struck true.

If resurrection truly existed, then Soo Jinyoung wouldn't have endured so many regenerations. The same could be said for Sohn Jinwon.

But because of my goal, I couldn't accept such a truth.

"Are you saying it's impossible to revive that person?"

[The person you're trying to save has already become a data file, consumed by me.]

"It is that data file I desire."

[I don't understand. Why are you trying to save him? Surely, this isn't worth the struggle.]

"I'm doing it because I want to."

[Because you want to?]

"That's right."

Truthfully, no sane person would go this far to save someone, especially someone who tried to kill them.

But I still wanted to save him. I couldn't explain why, but it felt deeper than just surface reasons.

[I really don't understand humans. Perhaps that's why I abandoned my humanity long ago.]

The witch sighed, resting her chin on her hand.

Looking at her, something felt strange. I wasn't speaking in terms of beauty, but something unusual about her appearance.

Black tattoos with intricate designs seemed to flow from the right side of her face, snaking down to her forearm, where they disappeared into the soft folds of her white sleeves.

Upon closer inspection, I realized those weren't tattoos at all.

They were Soul Marks.

Minerva glanced back at the chessboard and chuckled,

[By the way, are you sure you should be concerned with saving others? You might want to focus on your own situation first.]

My gaze dropped down to the chessboard. Although I had managed to capture a few pieces, most of my own had already been taken.

The gameboard was the reflection of my current predicament.

The white queen, Minerva's queen piece, sat in the center of the gameboard.

It was surrounded by her rooks, knights, and pawns, all lined up strategically. Her rooks, positioned at the corners of the board, flanked the queen, while her knights were strategically placed to cut off any retreat for my pieces.

The pawns were advancing in a solid formation, pushing forward with little room for maneuver. Her queen controlled nearly the entire center of the board.

On my side, the situation was grim. I had a few scattered pawns left, some knights positioned awkwardly on the edges, and my king was forced into a corner.

My key pieces had already fallen into the hands of the greedy witch, leaving me with no cohesive strategy, and no chance to fight back.

The outcome of confronting a near-omniscient existence was painfully apparent.

A few more moves, and I'd be checkmated. When that happens, I would be completely ruined.

[If I must say, you're surprisingly good. I didn't think you'd last this long. Four minutes— it's better than most.]

"I can't tell if that's supposed to be a compliment."

[You don't sound too pleased.]

"It's difficult not to be frustrated when I'm about to lose my freedom."

Minerva's eyes widened slightly in surprise before she broke into laughter.

[When did you get the idea that you would lose your freedom? Slavery is such a pitiful concept, and I have no interest in it. You'll join my faction, yes, but you may leave whenever you like, provided you have my permission. Think of it as being akin to a 'career soldier' in your world.]

"I don't like the military," I replied flatly.

[Ah, but don't the people in your country eagerly join the military?]

Where in the world did she hear that information from?

I couldn't speak for everyone, but I knew for sure that most people would rather stay in their cozy houses, sprawled out on their comfortable beds, than willingly sign up for military service.

Truly, I wondered why a witch would care about Korean men.

"I think you've been misinformed."

[Is that so? Either way, I can assure you, you'll be treated properly.]

"Now you sound like a professional recruiter."

[How rude! How could you compare me to something so mundane? Could a recruiter create worlds like this or serve you tea? Speaking of which, why don't you look at your tea?]

"I don't like tea."

[Won't you take a look? You might find it… interesting.]

What was this fuss about tea?

Reluctantly, I glanced down at the tea in front of me.

? Fine, I'll learn the sword! The sword ghost is too noisy! ?

I froze. For a moment, I thought I'd misheard.

Squinting, I focused on the liquid, and the world within the tea flashed vividly before my eyes.

It showed the "memory" of an old man training with a sword.

? The sword is one with the body, and the body is the extension of myself. ?

? Therefore, the sword is me. ?

? I have to wake up early in the morning and climb the tower. ?

Only a few scenes were shown. Even so, I was surprised and leaned back. This wasn't normal tea.

"This... This is a Fragment?"

Minerva nodded, and her pleasant smile deepened.

"But why does it take the form of tea?"

[A Fragment can take the form of anything—items, weapons, even something as simple as tea or food. All the snacks you see before you are no different.]

She gestured toward the array of snacks on the table.

[That one by your side would make you a Great Alchemist.]

... Great Alchemist?

I glanced at the snack she mentioned, an unassuming piece of confectionery, and frowned.

[The one next to it would transform into a Dragon Slaying Sword.]

... A Dragon Slaying Sword?

My gaze moved to the snack beside it. An ordinary-looking delicacy, yet it could wield such formidable strength.

[Lastly, the tea infront of you would give you the power of the Sword Saint.]

Sword Saint. It was a higher realm just below the Sword God (Martial God) in the «Path of Transcendence of Heart and Body». It was a sequence under the category of «Martial Saint»

I couldn't help but swallow hard. Drinking this tea could give me the power to overwhelm even the current Soo Jinyoung.

[You can drink it if you wish. You're my precious guest, after all.]

Minerva sipped her own tea elegantly. I looked down at my teacup. After a moment of quiet contemplation, I replied,

"I'm sorry, but I won't drink it."

As tempting as it was to gain the strength to defeat both Soo Jinyoung and the regressor, Sohn Jinwon, I wanted to earn that power on my own accord, not through something like this.

Besides, if I drank it, I'd be bound to this place, even if I managed to meet the win conditions. The idea of being trapped here, forever tethered, was something I couldn't accept.

? Never trust a witch no matter how beautiful or innocent they might look. ?

Those were the words contained within the Song of Nightmares. No. They were the personal words of the "Author" from beyond the grave.

I fixed my gaze on Minerva. "Also, I think it's about time to end things here. The results are clear. There's no need to continue this game any further."

[Are you giving up just like that? How boring~]

I tilted my head as if confused.

"Whatever are you talking about? I think you're misunderstanding something here."

I let the words linger for a moment, then added with a sly grin,

"When did I ever say I was giving up? Why don't you take a look at the gameboard and see for yourself?"

[What are you... Wha...! Wh-What is this...!!]

Minerva's face paled as her eyes darted to the board. She froze, mid-sentence, with shock written all over her face.