Beyond the Eternity

The suffocating atmosphere of the Demon Suppression Agency faded as we stepped out of the main building.

Using [Sound Sensitivity], I had caught the conversation between that kind officer and the woman. If this reached the Association President, he would undoubtedly pass it on to the veterans.

Fortunately, the Demon Suppression Agency and the Holy Church of Destiny were independent organizations. It would take time before word reached the Cardinals.

But that only meant we were on a fucking timer.

[The main requirement has been satisfied.]

[A story update has occurred.]

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[Main Narrative ##7 – Tower of Chaos]

Type: Main

Difficulty: S+

Clear Conditions: Conquer the Dragon's Labyrinth located in the No. 4221 planetary system, Arkiel.

Time Limit: 90 days

Rewards: Varies

Penalty: Death

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On the bright side, we had officially obtained our license. That meant we were finally eligible to challenge the Dragon's Labyrinth.

But clearing an S+ grade Story in just three months?

That was just beyond ridiculous.

God damn [Soul Link], do I look like some kind of invincible warrior?

"Jakga-ssi, what the heck was that back there? Since when did you become a vassal of the church?" Lee Suhye asked, walking behind me.

"Of course, I'm not a member of the Holy Church. I just said a bunch of nonsense so we could enter the tower."

"I'm not worried about that. What happens when we come out? Wouldn't we be arrested for impersonating a church vassal? Speaking of which, the year in this world is 1955, right?"

"I know what you're thinking. And yeah, you're right to an extent. Falsely identifying as a vassal of the Holy Church is a serious crime. If we get caught, there's a real chance we'll be executed publicly."

"You…!! If you knew that, then why the hell did you do it?!" Lee Suhye looked like she was about to explode.

…Well, that was certainly an expected reaction.

Miyuki, who clearly didn't understand what was going on, blinked in confusion. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

Lee Suhye let out a frustrated sigh and turned to her.

"I'll make it simple. Some idiot decided to impersonate a member of a certain religious organization. The problem here is that this organization are rather strict and don't take kindly to that kind of thing. And by 'don't take kindly,' I mean they will hunt us down and execute us for it. So yeah, thanks to Mr. Kim here, we're basically future wanted criminals!"

She clicked her tongue.

I laughed at her exasperated expression. "Hey now, you don't have to be so upset. I wouldn't have done this if I haven't thought of a plan in mind. Although we might be punished if we're caught by the church, that story changes completely once we pass the second floor."

Jung Yunhee's eyes sharpened. "I see. If the second floor, which has remained uncleared for so long, suddenly gets conquered by a mysterious group, the church would have no choice but to acknowledge us. Is that correct?"

"Bingo!"

I explained the situation without stopping my strode

"The tower is a big deal. If all its floors are cleared, this world would benefit immensely from the resources inside. Naturally, the more floors we clear, the more recognition we gain. Even if we're officially criminals, our achievements will outweigh the laws of this land."

Lee Suhye still looked unconvinced. "I get the logic, but what if we don't clear the second floor? You're betting everything on a slim chance."

"That's also a possibility. We don't know what kind of trial awaits us there, and using past experiences as a reference would be meaningless."

"Then—"

"You don't have to worry too much," I cut her off with a grin. "Even if we fail, we'll just die. Certainly, dying is a much better outcome than being captured by the church. Ha ha! We might even get tortured by those sadistic bastards. Either way, we won't have an easy death."

"..."

Lee Suhye abruptly stopped talking. Her face seemed to have lost all color.

Jung Yunhee, walking beside her, took notice and casually slapped her on the back.

"Why are you so stiff, Suhye-nim? Come on, it's not like Jakga-nim would risk our lives carelessly."

"I know that," Lee Suhye muttered, rubbing her temple. "Still, this whole situation makes me uncomfortable."

"Don't think like that. If anything, this makes the scenario even more fun. Doesn't it make things more thrilling? We just have to clear the second floor, right?"

Lee Suhye shot her a deadpan look. "You're the only person who would think like that. And honestly? That makes you even more unsettling."

Yoo Jinsung, who had been quietly listening, suddenly chimed in.

"I also don't think Jakga-nim would put us in danger without a plan. So please don't worry too much, noona-nim."

Jung Yunhee blinked. "Eh? You call her 'noona,' but not me? That kinda hurts, you know."

"Well, of course, I'd call my senior 'noona.' Especially when she's ten years older than me!"

Lee Suhye's expression darkened. "Hey! Are you indirectly calling me old?! Am I an old lady?"

"I'm sorry! I'll change it to noona-ssi!"

"Dammit! That makes it even worse! Can't you see I'm still full of life?!"

I resisted the urge to sigh. Lee Suhye was definitely over 25, which meant she had already reached the stage where anyone younger would naturally call her 'Noona' or 'Noona-ssi'.

So what was this whole fuss about being called old?

Did she actually believe she'd stay young forever?

... Hmm, I suppose that's possible.

According to Song of Nightmares, even the weakest Walkers had enhanced physiology due to the forced awakening from <Link>.

Even if she didn't achieve immortality in this lifetime, she would still live longer than the average person, provided she kept growing stronger.

But believing you would remain young forever was just pure delusion.

There was even a passage in the novel that mentioned how witches used certain spells to appear youthful.

I could never understand why anyone would waste time learning something so unproductive, but I supposed some women were just obsessed with those things.

"Ughh."

Letting out a deep sigh, I shook my head.

I could understand why she felt that way, but it was still a pointless concern.

How long had we been walking?

After taking a few hundred more steps, while half-listening to the group's meaningless chatter behind me, we finally arrived at the city center.

Just like the rest of the city, it was a breathtaking sight. However, the number of people present was surprisingly low. A quick glance around revealed only a handful of passersby, heading somewhere beyond the plaza.

Of course, there was an obvious reason for this.

At the heart of this vast civilization stood a structure so immense that its peak vanished into the ever-shifting clouds and endless blue sky.

The Tower of Chaos, Frost Dragon's Labyrinth.

But its appearance was rather strange. Rather than a simple spire, the tower's form resembled an inverted hourglass. No, that wasn't quite right. There were four massive, slender pillars encircling the structure, stretching skyward before curving inward toward the upper section, framing the tower's central body like an ethereal scaffold. The tower itself was a monolithic cylinder, standing resolute amidst the four supports.

At the top, several thick spires or conduits emerge, reaching toward the sky. Perhaps due to the overwhelming concentration of magic, the sky above the tower swirled in an unnatural blend of pink, blue, and crimson, as though the very heavens acknowledged its divine status.

Without a doubt, it was no surprise that the old farts at the Mage Association had named it the Greatest Mystery of Known Mystery.

But that title felt rather shallow, especially when, at its core, it was just a ■■■.

Despite that truth, everyone gazed at the tower with the same awe-struck fascination. Miyuki, in particular, stared at it with the wide-eyed wonder of a curious child before exclaiming,

"Wow. I know I've said this before, but it's really beautiful. It looks even taller up close... and a little close."

I nodded. "Well, it's certainly an intimidating structure. People are naturally afraid of the unknown. In simpler terms, they fear 'what they do not know' and 'what they do not understand.'"

Laughter almost emerged, then I added,

"Also, the tower isn't actually taller than when you first saw it. What was the term for that again?" I tilted my head. "I believe it's called the illusion of perspective. Basically, it's an optical illusion created by the way our brains interpret distance and scale. When something is far away, our mind registers it as smaller, but as we approach, the details become clearer, and our perception adjusts, making it seem much larger and bigger than it actually is."

I smiled slightly.

"In other words, my dear young Miyuki, the tower hasn't changed in size, you're just realizing how overwhelming it truly is."

"I see..."

Lee Suhye rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Do you really have to bore a child with all that information? Is there any point in telling her that?"

"Naturally, most wouldn't consider such information 'fun.' But understanding even the simplest things is important," I replied calmly. "Earth is still undergoing reconstruction, so knowledge must come from somewhere or someone. And since she is one of my precious avatars, it falls to me to teach her."

"You sound like a teacher I used to know."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? He must have been a remarkable individual."

"He certainly was unique. He had a way of speaking; smooth, refined, and incredibly bewitching. Just like you." She paused, then smirked mischievously. "Of course, he was also caught fooling around with younger girls at the college. Lost his job not long after."

"…"

I blinked. For a moment, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be offended.

It was absurd.

Me, akin to some fallen academic who abused his authority to seduce students? How could she even make such a comparison?

Certainly, it was too unreasonable.

Instead of answering Lee Suhye, I simply walked forward. The others must have understood my intent because they followed closely behind, their footsteps echoing mine.

Two guards stood stationed in front of the gate, clad in luxurious armor that gleamed under the sun. They both held a sword and exuded an air of authority.

These were no ordinary elite guards of the kingdom. They were Holy Knights of the Church.

Their magic power radiated outward subtly yet fierce, like a caged lion waiting to pounce. It was as if they were daring someone to make a wrong move.

Two of them were enough.

To prevent cultists and lawless elements from infiltrating the Dragon's Labyrinth, security at the gate was enforced at the highest level. The same measures existed across the kingdoms of the four main continents.

Anyone foolish enough to force their way into the tower would surely be erase.

Fortunately, there was no line. We approached the Holy Knights. It felt as though their gazes behind the helmet were tracking our every move.

They were probably searching for any sign of aggression. But we carried ourselves with composure, exuding an air of dignity. And so, they simply watched.

As we approached, one of the knights spoke in a firm, deep voice.

"Identification."

Something about his voice felt off. It was unnaturally deep, and even felt almost distorted. Were they using voice magic to alter it?

Now that we were closer, I could fully grasp their size. They were both easily over six feets.

Was this the average height of Holy Knights?

No doubt, their sheer presence was meant to intimidate untrained individuals and deter ordinary citizens from approaching.

Not bad. They weren't quite on the level of the Inquisitors, but their aura was still impressive.

A solid 7/10.

I smiled and held out my team card for the kind Holy Knights to see.

No words were needed.

The knight barely glanced at it before giving a curt response.

"Pass."

Team cards were magical artifacts issued exclusively by the Demon Suppression Agency. If they detected no trace of mana or even the slightest attempt at forgery, the knights wouldn't hesitate.

We wouldn't even have time to blink before we were cut down.

How scary~

Smiling inwardly, I moved past the gullible holy knights.

"Are you guys ready?"

I arched my head back, looking at my team with a smile.

"Of course."

They all nodded and looked at me with the same smile.

I nodded back. Then, without hesitation—

Crack!

... I pushed open the massive black iron gate.

The entrance to the first floor of the Dragon's Labyrinth slowly revealed itself.