Beyond the Eternity

We proceeded with the task on the First Floor. Before we could begin our investigation, securing a warm environment was our top priority, to protect ourselves from the glacial cold.

But simply finding a house didn't guarantee warmth.

The house provided by the village chief seemed... I suppose, gloomy.

The wooden walls were sturdy, but a biting chill seeped through the cracks. The air inside felt stagnant. A single fireplace sat in the corner, and its stone frame was covered in dust.

With a single glance, it was clear that this house had been abandoned for a long time.

Even if we got a fire going, there was no telling how well it would keep the cold at bay.

Certainly, it wasn't an ideal resting place for a noble.

If I were some third-rate noble from a cliché fantasy story, I'd probably be throwing a fit right now, demanding compensation and punishing the village chief for offering such poor lodging.

Then again, I wasn't a cheap novel character, and I had no intention of acting like one.

According to the laws of this floor, harming the villagers or abusing my authority was considered a crime. If I crossed that line, both my party and I would face execution at the hands of the floor's enforcers.

This scenario reminded me of the Fifth Narrative, where we had to clear the story while avoiding the executioners.

…Though the storyline was different this time.

"In the end, it's the same story."

I exchanged a glance with my companions and said,

"We need to check the insulation and gather firewood. If this place isn't properly sealed, we'll be freezing before nightfall."

Lee Suhye let out a groan. "Does this mean we have to go back outside?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Then, I turned to the rest of the group. "While Lee Suhye and I gather firewood, you guys stay here and fix up the place."

"Okay."

"Wait, so it's just you and me? Why can't Jung Yunhee come?" Lee Suhye complained.

"Both of us are enough. Also, you're an adult, so a little cold won't kill you. Right?"

"A little cold won't kill you, he says~ That cold could kill a bear!"

Ignoring Lee Suhye's grumbling, I stepped outside. A second later, she followed, begrudgingly helping me search for wood.

Fortunately, the village outskirts had plenty of deadwood scattered beneath the frost-covered trees. Though the cold was harsh, the snowfall wasn't heavy enough to bury everything.

Lee Suhye shivered as she picked up a thick branch. "I swear, if I get frostbite from this, I'm blaming you."

I glanced at her gloved hands, then at her scarf wrapped tightly around her face. "You're covered from head to toe. If anything, you should be worried about sweating too much under all that."

She shot me a glare but said nothing.

We worked in silence for a while, gathering as much wood as we could carry. The air was thin, our breath forming white clouds in the freezing cold. Every step crunched against the hardened snow, leaving deep footprints behind.

After a few minutes, we finished gathering the firewood and made our way back.

Inside, we dropped the bundle onto the floor, and I turned to Jung Yunhee.

"While we repair the outside, put the firewood in the fireplace and light it up."

She frowned. "How am I supposed to make a fire without a lighter? I already searched around, but there's nothing here."

"I don't know. Can't you just rub the wood together?"

"Do you really think that would work?"

Miyuki raised a hand hesitantly. "I… I think I can make a fire."

"Oh, right. I forgot you could use magic." I paused, eyeing her curiously. "Have you been practicing what I gave you?"

"Um… yes…" She touched her cheek, looking away.

Huh? Why did she seem so bashful? Maybe it was just my imagination, she was always a bit shy.

... Ah, let's concentrate here.

I cleared my throat before saying, "Alright then. Miyuki, you handle the fireplace. Just don't go overboard. The last thing we need is to burn down the place the village chief generously arranged for us. We don't have the money to compensate him if something happens."

"... Yes!"

"Pfff—!" Yoo Jinsung barely stifled a laugh, earning a sharp glare from Miyuki.

What was so funny, I wonder? It feels like I was missing something important here.

Shaking off that thought, Lee Suhye and I grabbed some tools and wood before heading outside, while Miyuki used her low-instantaneous flame magic to ignite the fireplace.

Meanwhile, Jung Yunhee and Yoo Jinsung arranged the shattered house. Perhaps they wanted to be useful.

The frigid wind nipped at my skin as Lee Suhye and I stepped back outside, tools in hand. The house's wooden frame groaned softly in the wind, as if reminding us of how much work needed to be done.

Lee Suhye let out an exasperated sigh. "Remind me again why we're the ones stuck fixing this place?"

"Because we need shelter, and unless you'd rather sleep outside, this is our best option," I replied, stepping around the house to inspect its condition. "Additionally, you're not bad with your hands. I heard from Kim Hyunwoo that you helped out during Night Management construction."

"This and that are different. Besides, it was Kim Hyunwoo that did most of the heavy work."

"Well, that is indeed true. Apparently, you have no talent apart from using guns, but it's better than being completely talentless I suppose."

"Hey! I heard that, you rude bastard!"

Ignoring the energetic Lee Suhye, I crouched near the house's foundation, pressing a hand against the wooden walls. The boards were solid, but the gaps between them were wide enough for cold air to seep through. We needed to reinforce them somehow.

"Hmm. If we pack some snow into the cracks, it might help block the wind temporarily," I muttered, tapping my chin.

Lee Suhye raised a brow. "Seriously? You want to use snow for insulation?"

"It's better than nothing. We'll reinforce it with some of the extra wood we gathered."

She muttered something under her breath but started gathering snow anyway.

Inside, muffled voices echoed from within the house as Jung Yunhee and Yoo Jinsung worked. Every so often, a loud thud rang out, followed by Yunhee's exasperated complaints.

"I said gently, you idiot! You're going to break it even more!"

"I am being gentle! Forgive this old man, it's not my fault most things here are totally fragile!"

Lee Suhye and I exchanged glances. She laughed. "At least we're not the only ones suffering."

I let out a dry chuckle and got back to work with the hammer.

† †

By the time we finished reinforcing the walls, the world outside had grown even darker, and the snowstorm had intensified. The wind howled through the village, carrying sharp flakes that lashed against the wooden walls.

Fortunately, I barely felt the cold as my coat, forged from the essences of dying stars, shielded me from the worst impact. Although I couldn't say the same for my partner besides me.

I dusted my hands off and stood, surveying our handiwork with a smile. "That should hold for now."

Lee Suhye stretched, rolling her shoulders with a groan. "Ugh, finally. Let's head back inside before my fingers freeze off."

"Is there anything like frozen fingers?"

As we stepped inside, a comforting warmth greeted us. The fireplace crackled with life, flames hungrily consuming the firewood.

Miyuki sat near the fire, staring into it with a satisfied expression. As expected, magic sure was convenient.

Really, what was the point of struggling with a lighter or rubbing two sticks together when you could just conjure a flame with a flick of your fingers?

If something that convenient existed in the real world, life would be so much easier.

…Or maybe not.

That's not completely true. If magic existed, then humanity would have simply used it to kill each other. They're already doing so without magic, so I wonder what kind of story would be formed. Perhaps I should jolt it down and use it as inspiration for a new story.

Unknowingly, a small smile crept onto my face. But I shook my head and discarded the thought.

I shifted my gaze and saw Jung Yunhee brushing dust off her sleeves, while Yoo Jinsung lounged against the wall with an unreadable grin.

What kind of smile was that? It almost looked… resigned.

Jung Yunhee glanced up. "Oh, you're back. How bad is it?"

"We patched up the worst gaps. It won't be perfect, but at least we won't freeze to death."

"Good enough for me." She stretched before heading toward the fire.

In the next moment, Lee Suhye and Yoo Jinsung followed suit, crouching down and stretching their hands toward the warmth of the flames.

The warmth of the fireplace should be enough to ward off the lingering cold. In addition, we had just replaced the outside structure of the house using additional wood, so we should be able to manage somehow.

Lee Suhye let out a content sigh. "You know… as much as I hate freezing my ass off, I have to admit, this kind of atmosphere isn't so bad."

"Only because we managed to get a fire going," Jung Yunhee muttered, rubbing her hands together. "If it weren't for that, we'd be shivering all night."

Miyuki pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. "I don't mind the cold that much. But I guess that's easy for me to say when I have magic."

Yoo Jinsung snorted. "Right, because having a built-in survival cheat makes everything easy."

Miyuki frowned at him, puffing her cheeks slightly. "It's not a cheat."

I leaned back against the wall, watching the flames dance. Then, I said,

"Well, at least we're settled for now. The real issue comes tomorrow."

Silence followed.

Everyone understood the weight of those words. According to the laws of the First Floor, this village would be reduced to ruin within the next 24 hours.

And the cause of the destruction remained unknown.

To be more precise, our duty was to find the source of the destruction before this village fell into ruin.

But that was easier said than done, especially when we lacked enough information.

More precisely, our task was to uncover the source before the village fell.

But that was easier said than done, especially with so little information.

Lee Suhye shot me a serious look. "What do you think it is? An enemy attack?"

"Hmm… It's possible, but unlikely. Who would bother attacking a remote village in the middle of the mountains? Even if it were bandits, there's nothing here worth taking. Unless—"

"It's not bandits, so that leaves monsters, right?"

"That's the most probable answer. But we can't be sure. There's also the chance that the real threat comes from within."

Jung Yunhee asked. "You mean… a hidden enemy?"

"That's a good guess. But for now, it's just one of many possibilities."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Our duty is to investigate, so we have the right to ask questions. But if we explain too much to the villagers, it might cause unnecessary panic. Or worse, make the culprit hide more carefully."

Lee Suhye frowned. "That doesn't answer the question at all."

I nodded. "That's because there's no simple answer. We've been thrown into a trial where a single mistake could mean failure. Fortunately, we have 24 hours, that's plenty of time to think."

I swept my gaze around the group before speaking with my monologue.

"For now, we start by questioning the villagers. We don't need to explain the full situation, just ask if they've noticed anything strange. Even a hidden enemy would leave behind traces or act suspiciously. Once we find them—"

"...We kill them?"

I frowned and flicked Miyuki's defenceless forehead.

"Ow!" She held her forehead and looked at me as if she has been wronged.

Ignoring her, I continued with a rare serious voice.

"We don't need to kill. Once we find the culprit, we report them to the executioner for proper judgment. We can't afford to act recklessly!"