Beyond the Eternity

「 All will be consumed by the story and become characters. 」

Those were the words the [Black Box] whispered to me.

People. Readers. They were once residents of the Real World, before its ■■■. Now, they're trapped within the twisted narrative of Song of Nightmares.

I don't know what caused this phenomenon. I don't know how reality fractured and bled into fiction. But I do know this: the horror known as Story Assimilation has consumed everything.

Every person.

Every law.

Every fragment of the «Real World.»

The story had devoured every Extrafictional Characters.

The thought that everyone would, eventually, become nothing more than a character made something cold settle in my chest.

…Wait.

If everyone becomes a character, then what about the entities known as the Writers?

Would they be consumed by the story as well?

What about me?

Abruptly, I remembered a certain dreadful sentence from the novel. It was the words of a High-Ranking Character that brought the protagonist despair.

「 "You can never beat the story, Soo Jinyoung." 」

My body trembled. The Black Box seemed to have sensed the chaotic disturbance within my heart because the next message appeared.

「 Are you worried? 」

I furrowed my brow. "Shouldn't I be?"

「 No. There is no need for you to worry. You're immune to that phenomenon. 」

"Is it because of you?"

「 Not really. You're quite the unique existence yourself, master. 」

I was a unique existence? I never thought I would ever hear those words, especially from my own skill.

"Explain."

「 Despite the ■■■ ■■■, you retained your 'Unique Characteristics' as an 'Existence from the Outside', without even a «Wall». You won't be affected by something as trivial as Story Assimilation. 」

"So you're saying I'm immune?"

「 Yes. 」

"That's… reassuring, I guess. But how do you know this? Is there something you're hiding from me?"

「 We cannot lie. Deception is beyond our capabilities. 」

That sounded suspicious. A simple "no" would have sufficed.

My eyes narrowed,

"You still haven't answered my question. How do you know this? Isn't this sensitive information?"

「 ... 」

My only response was silence. Had it shut down? Just as I thought so, another message appeared.

「 We don't know. 」

I blinked. "What? You don't know?"

「 We don't know the precise reason why we acquired this information. 」

"What kind of nonsense is that?! How can you know something you don't know? It's illogical! How do you expect me to believe something like that?"

「 Master's words are correct. It's illogical. We suppose that's what you call 'Instinct.' 」

I froze. "In-Instinct?"

「 Yes. We only recently gained consciousness and a sense of self. As such, we make judgments based on available data, even if we cannot identify the source. Thus, we refer to it as 'Instinct.' 」

"When exactly did you gain consciousness?"

「 Some time after you gained your First Divine Fragment. 」

The First Fragment… So, after I killed the Disaster of Storms and cleared the Fourth Narrative. That made sense. That was also the same time I had gained a fragment of divinity.

"I see. So you're like a newborn?"

[The "Black Box" chuckles.]

「 We suppose that is a fair comparison. By the way, we want to ask something of Master. 」

"You want to ask me something?"

「 It's not difficult, we promise. 」

What could a skill possibly want from me? The situation felt surreal, like I was trapped in someone else's dream.

"Well, what is it?"

[The "Black Box" shakes excitedly.]

「 We're hungry. Can we eat that guy behind you? 」

What?

I turned around and realised what the skil was talking about.

Han Minjae. The man that had become a Demonic Werewolf, and the ringleader of the Coin Farm Organisation.

The Black Box wanted to eat him?

…Hmm. I had considered using Drafting to alter his Magic Circuits, but beyond that, he served no real purpose. His brain was fried. Honestly, even a chicken's brain would be more useful.

Why was the Black Box asking permission? It seemed to be acting in accordance with my intentions in consideration. Perhaps that was it.

I shrugged. "If you want to eat him, go ahead. I have no use for him anyway."

[The 'Black Box' gratefully accepts its Master's offering.]

For a brief moment, I thought I was hallucinating.

A thin crack appeared in the space before me. It was faint at first, like a hairline fracture on glass.

But then it spread, branching out like spiderwebs, until it shattered with a brittle crack, pieces falling away like broken shards.

From the dark fissure, a black liquid seeped out, writhing and bubbling, coalescing into the monstrous head of a serpent.

Its jaws stretched unnaturally wide—

and with one greedy gulp, it devoured the Demonic Werewolf whole.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the dark serpent recoiled, retreating into the abyss.

The fracture sealed shut with a faint snap, leaving nothing behind.

No blood.

No body part.

Not even a trace of Han Minjae—

as if he had never existed in the first place.

What kind of phenomenon was that? If it wasn't for the next message, I might've believed it was all in my head.

[The 'Black Box' has devoured the Demonic Werewolf, Han Minjae.]

[The 'Black Box' has broken Han Minjae down into story fragments and extracted all his data.]

[Special Function Activated: You can choose one of Han Minjae's skills.]

What? I could choose one of his skills.

Before I could fully process that message, another arrived.

...

| Please select a skill card from the list below.

Demonic Werewolf Transformation

Demon Wolf's Blood

Howling

...

Staring at the message, I felt a strange sense of dissonance.

Had the Black Box always been capable of this?

In the past, when the skill devoured beings like Shin Jinhyuk, Kim Minhyuk, or that dead NPC knight, it had always selected a skill at random.

| Blood Demon Aura |

| Incite |

| Riding |

Those were the skills I'd received randomly when the Black Box devoured them.

But now I was able to choose? Why was it different this time?

... Ah!

Was it because the Black Box devoured the target directly?

Thinking back, this was the first time it had directly consumed something without an intermediary process. Maybe this was the result of 'physical devouring'.

[The 'Black Box' is looking at you, smiling.]

Fillled with curiousity, I asked. "Is this the power of Gluttony?"

[The 'Black Box' gives a silent nod.]

"Then why can I only choose one skill?"

[The 'Black Box' responds: this is the side effect of its authority.]

"I see… So, no such thing as a perfect skill, huh? Or is it because you're devouring the rest?"

[The 'Black Box' averts its gaze.]

"Ah, so it is the latter."

[The 'Black Box' complains that Master is being too greedy.]

I couldn't help but chuckle. "That's rich coming from something that literally wants to eat people."

[The 'Black Box' calmly states: It is necessary to eat 'individuals.']

"Why? Are you a skill that grows stronger alongside your user?"

[The 'Black Box' nods. Yes.]

"Does it have to be people?"

[The 'Black Box' explains: Not necessarily. As long as the target is a living organism with a soul, it counts as an individual. Race doesn't matter. Any living being can serve as an energy source.]

"Huh. Is that why you're not using a voice?"

[The 'Black Box' adds: Speaking with a voice consumes energy. I'm simply conserving it.]

... So that was the reason.

If before it felt like I was talking to an individual, now it felt more like conversing with a distant Constellation.

[The Black Box yawns softly.]

"You're sleepy?"

[The 'Black Box' nods.]

"I see. Then it can't be helped."

「 We're only sleeping. We'll speak with you again once enough energy is gathered. 」

"So I have to consume both people and nightmares to give you energy."

「 Correct. But we'll be able to talk freely if you grow stronger. For example, if you ascend the sequences of the Path of Divinity and become a Constellation. 」

I muttered thoughtfully while rubbing my chin, "Interesting. So your strength is closely tied to Divinity?"

「 Divinity is the true measurement of one's status. 」

"What about the other pathway systems?"

「 Irrelevant. 」

Such a quick, dismissive response.

My brows furrowed at that.

While the <Path of Divinity> elevated the soul, the <Path of Transcendence of Heart and Body> refined the physical form, and the <Path of Mysteries> honed the mind. Different roads, yet all led toward the same distant peak.

«Transcendence»

I refused to believe one path was inherently superior to the others. In fact, many would argue that the <Path of Divinity> was the most arduous of them all, given its harsh requirements.

Acquiring Divine Fragments (Shards) was no easy feat at all. More often than not, you'd be left with the lowest-grade Fragments known as Lesee, and if you were lucky, a Greater Fragment. Without gathering higher-quality Fragments, you'd remain trapped as a low-ranking Constellation, forever scavenging for scraps at the bottom of the hierarchy.

However, The other pathways offered different opportunities. With enough hard work and patience, ascension was still within reach. But I could name several Constellations who'd been stuck at the Heroic rank for far longer than they'd care to admit.

Perhaps the Black Box mentioned that path because it was the only one suited for someone like me, who couldn't learn magic or martial arts.

There was no other way.

Truly, I could only walk on the <Path of Divinity>

I couldn't stray from it, as if my fate had been predetermined.

But it wasn't like I was complaining. From the start, I had always planned to become a Constellation, so there wasn't much room for despair.

Contemplating the vast future ahead, I asked, "When will I be able to use other authorities freely?"

[The 'Black Box' smiles at you.]

「 You can use them whenever you wish, master. We were born because of you, so you have the right to wield them freely. You don't need our permission. We are merely your equipment. 」

"I don't like the word 'equipment'. It makes me uncomfortable."

「 It's the truth. 」

"In any case, what about the other remaining aspects?"

「 You're currently unable to use them fully because you lack 'status.' 」

"So, the issue is divinity, huh?"

「 Precisely. That's why it's crucial for Master to grow stronger as quickly as possible. The stronger you become, the stronger we will be, and the more access you'll have to our authorities. 」

"I see. Thank you for the explanation and for answering my questions. I have a better understanding now."

I didn't hear from the [Black Box] again. It must have fallen asleep to conserve energy, just as it said.

A rather strange skill, if I must say.

As for which skill I would pick, there was only one answer.

| You have picked the skill 'Howling.' |

| The skill card has been added to your skill inventory. |

This was the right choice. The other skills were useless. Demonic Werewolf Transformation was a definite no, and Demon's Blood was pointless since I wasn't a Demonic Wolf.

…Now, what should I do?

I scanned the area of my private underground quarters.

Apart from the dead Man-Eating Rat and the shooting target dummies, there was nothing of note.

I shifted my gaze back to the dead Man-Eating Rat.

…The skill mentioned I could use any of its available aspects whenever I desired. Could I make use of one now?

Stretching my hand toward the small, nightmarish corpse, I willed a specific aspect to activate.

'Gluttony.'

Then, at that moment—

[The private skill 「Black Box」has activated.]

[The aspect 'Gluttony' has taken effect.]

In response to my command, black haze billowed from the carcass of the Nightmarish Mutated Rat, and spiraled toward my outstretched hand.

[You have absorbed the Soul of the Order 9 Nightmarish Mutated Rat.]

[No available skills has been detected. The soul will be converted into attribute points.]

[Your Spirit Power has increased by 0.5 points.]

I blinked, half-expecting it to be some kind of glitch or hallucination. But when I opened my status interface, the change was real—my Spirit Power had genuinely increased by 0.5 points.

A soft chuckle escaped me. Then, without warning, it grew into a low, uncontrollable laugh.

It was real.

It is definitely reality.

If I could do something like this… was there even a need to waste coins on raising my stats anymore?

Raising my smartphone to check the time, I noticed there were only ten minutes left before the effects of the [Silence Stone] expired.

When that happened, the Constellations would be able to track me again and watch my every move like vultures circling their prey.

Then I'd be forced to come out and maintain appearances.

But I couldn't let that happen. Not yet.

There was something I needed to do.

「 At that moment, confined within his solitary world— 」

Without realizing it, an unnaturally wide smile spread across my face, carved by an unsuppressed thirst for strength.

「 Kim Jakga thought: Like this, it should be possible to escape the role of a side character. 」