Beyond the Eternity

"GYAAAA... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

A delicate scream echoed throughout the lonely world of the dark passage.

It was a cry of sheer agony, born from the merciless strike of a blade that tore through flesh and pierced deep into the abdomen.

No one who had witnessed the scene moments prior could have foreseen such a turn of events—not even the hunters, who had been confidently overwhelming their prey.

"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! YOU BITCH... HOW ARE YOU STILL MOVING IN THAT CONDITION?!"

Avaritia's voice trembled with panic. Her body stiffened as she instinctively adopted a defensive stance.

Behind her was Invidia, whose stomach was brutally sliced open, her intestines spilling from the wound in a horrifying cascade. She desperately tried to push them back into place, but the blood gushing from the wound soaked her once-pristine suit, turning it a deep crimson, and a metallic smell lingered in the air.

Her strength waned with every passing second. The blood loss drained her, and soon her trembling body gave way, collapsing to the ground. Her breaths grew ragged as she struggled to hold her organs in, with her blood forming a dark sea around her collapse.

It didn't take an expert for Avaritia to realize that her older sister was teetering on the brink of death.

But how could this be? When had everything gone wrong?

Their opponent had been someone who gave them a bit of trouble in the beginning, but they had adapted and came out as the victorious. Instead of finishing her off immediately, they decided to have fun with her first. They stripped her of all her clothing and body protection, then began to lash her back with the Whip of Discipline. It was a torture method designed to break the spirit of the victim.

In a normal scenario, being lashed by a whip on the back was a horrifying experience. But the item known as the Whip of Discipline was actually a spirit weapon, one that amplified the pain inflicted by its strikes. That was like experiencing the pain of being torn apart from the inside out, with the agony of each lash then multiplied.

No matter how strong minded someone claimed to be, they would definitely break and be crushed if their pain was amplified by times hundred.

That was beyond anything a mortal could endure.

That's right. That was supposed to be the case.

However—

Tap! Tap!

Accompanying the trembling of the ground, The ominous sound of footsteps echoed through the passage, growing louder with each passing second. Despite the fact that the enemy was walking, it felt as though the distance between them was collapsing at a terrifying rate.

The approaching figure had been stripped of her clothing, yet she showed no sign of hesitation. Brilliant flames of light danced around her bare body, scorching the air as they mended her wounds the air and surged into her open pores with an almost otherworldly intensity.

She couldn't tell whether it was magic or some other incomprehensible power. Even then, she knew for certain that woman was definitely not human.

"...?!"

Panic clawed at Avaritia as the woman drew closer.

"You... Are you still trying to resist? Don't blame me if you get hurt!"

She shot Soo Jinyoung a fiercely glare.

Her words were meant to intimidate, to make the woman falter even for an instant. Yet, they were meaningless. The woman continued her advance as if Avaritia's voice had been carried away by the wind.

The bluff failed spectacularly.

"Damn you... Eat this!"

She conjured the magic stakes that had defeated the woman earlier and released it. The produced stakes went along with the wind straight for Soo Jinyoung.

At that moment—

KEEEEK!

A sharp, shrill sound tore through the passage.

In an instant, the demon stakes vanished.

"What...?!"

Avaritia's eyes widened in disbelief.

For a fleeting moment, she thought she had seen a streak of white flash from the side— And in the next instant, her magic was obliterated. Soo Jinyoung infront of her eyes was holding a sword adorned with a crimson dragon-shaped hilt. The power of the contracted weapon feed back even onto the user's body.

'How could this be? How was she able to erase my magic so easily?'

It was absurd. Her magic stakes were no match for true destruction magic. It wouldn't have been strange if her opponent had simply repelled or neutralized them.

But Soo Jinyoung hadn't just blocked the magic. She had cut it. A single swing of her sword, and the stakes were gone.

What truly unnerved Avaritia the most was the absence of any trace left behind. When magic was used, it always left some kind of residue, no matter how powerful the defense or countermeasure. Yet, there was nothing. The magic she had unleashed had been utterly erased. As if it had never existed to begin with.

"Eh…?"

Avaritia suddenly blinked. Soo Jinyoung, who was supposed to be infront of her, had vanished.

Before she could process what was happening, an icy grip clamped around her throat. In an instant, her body was hoisted off the ground and slammed into the wall with bone-rattling force.

"Ack!"

A gasp escaped her lips as the impact radiated through her body, knocking the air from her lungs.

Her vision blurred momentarily, but when it cleared, the sight before her made her blood run cold.

It was Soo Jinyoung.

Avaritia's eyes locked onto hers, and she froze.

The woman's pupils had narrowed into sharp slits, glowing with an intense, golden light. They carried an otherworldly authority and an elegance that sent chills down Avaritia's spine.

Those were not the eyes of a human.

They were eyes of a dragon, a giant predator standing at the peak of the world's hierarchy system.

Those terrifying eyes bore into her, dissecting her existence with a gaze that felt both omniscient and cruel.

Avaritia muttered, "You... how...?"

"Is it that strange? I simply moved toward you," Soo Jinyoung replied calmly.

"What...?"

"You asked how this happened, and I answered your question. I simply moved from one place to another. Haven't you heard of a movement technique? You can manipulate mana, can't you? It should be easy for you to understand."

"Ack... I'm not talking about that, you idiot! I'm asking how you were able to escape from those chains!"

Soo Jinyoung tilted her head as though the answer was obvious.

"What are you talking about? I could have escaped anytime I wanted."

"Eh?"

Avaritia blinked.

"That's ridiculous! There's no way you... Wait, don't tell me..."

"It seems you've finally caught on," Soo Jinyoung's voice seemed almost playful. "I allowed myself to be defeated and captured. I wanted to catch you and your sister off-guard. If there were any real signs that my life was in danger, I would have simply escaped."

Avaritia's face went ashen.

"You… You let us capture you? You went through all that pain just to catch us off-guard? What kind of lunatic does that?! Are you completely out of your mind?!"

The very idea sent chills down her spine. Who would willingly endure such torment, suffering lash after lash, humiliation, and agony, just to gain the upper hand?

No one sane would. A normal person wouldn't gamble their very sanity for such a ploy.

There were only two possible explanations. Either this woman was a deranged masochist who thrived on pain, or she possessed a mental fortitude so unyielding it was practically inhuman. But even the strongest will should crumble under prolonged suffering.

Soo Jinyoung shrugged.

"What's the big deal about it? It's just pain."

"....?!"

That simple, nonchalant response was enough to tell Avaritia everything.

This woman was crazy.

No, she was more than just crazy.

She had transcended the realm of madness and descended into the Abyss of Insanity.

Avaritia truly understood now.

She realized what kind of monster was standing infront of her, and terror gripped her soul. She clawed frantically at Soo Jinyoung's hand, trying to pry herself free, but the iron grip around her neck didn't so much as budge.

Soo Jinyoung tightened her hold around her neck.

She said coldly,

"Now then, why don't we end this little shuffle? I was thinking about death by flames, but killing you quickly would be far too easy. After all, I still owe you for taking such good 'care' of me earlier."

A wicked smile spread across her lips, and Avaritia felt her terror multiply. She couldn't decide which was worse—the monstrous grin or the fact that death itself seemed to be closing in around her throat.

True to her words, Soo Jinyoung didn't crush her neck. Instead, she yanked Avaritia away from the wall with brutal strength and slammed her back into it with bone-shattering force.

BAM!

The sound echoed through the passage as a fresh wave of agony tore through Avaritia's body. She screamed, but her torment was far from over.

Soo Jinyoung yanked Avaritia from the wall and then slammed her back.

BAM!

Soo Jinyoung pulled her back once more, then slammed her into the wall again.

BAM!

And again.

BAM!

Then again.

BAM!

Over and over, the cycle continued, relentless and merciless.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Each impact sent shockwaves of pain coursing through Avaritia's body, with her screams growing weaker with every slam. It was as if Soo Jinyoung were toying with her, treating her like a rag doll.

Ordinarily, the repeated force from a Walker would have shattered any normal wall, but the reinforced barriers of the 'House' remained intact, bolstered by an unknown power. The only one bearing the brunt of the impacts was Avaritia, with her body absorbing the full fury of Soo Jinyoung's strength.

"Ughh... Avaritia..."

Invidia's blurred vision flickered as she laid helpless on the floor, unable to do anything but watch as her sister was repeatedly slammed into the wall.

Her body felt like it was on the brink of collapse. No matter how much energy she poured into her healing magic, her wounds refused to close. It was as though there was mysterious interference stopping the healing process. She could only use just enough of her magic to keep herself from dying.

She knew that if she stopped, it would be the end for her. But she couldn't just stand by and let her sister die either.

"No.... Stop..."

Soo Jinyoung slammed Avaritia into the wall once more. Her voice was too weak to be heard.

She raised her voice.

"Stop... Stop..."

Her voice was a little louder this time, but the other person showed no signs of stopping.

Invidia gritted her teeth and shouted with her remaining energy.

"STOP! STOP! PLEASE STOP! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT YOU'RE KILLING HER?!!"

Her loud sound finally stopped Soo Jinyoung. She shifted her gaze towards the unmoving Invidia, studying her for a brief moment. A cruel smile tugged at the corners of her lips before she refocused on her 'plaything' and resumed slammed her into the wall with renewed force.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

A few more slams later, she stopped and released her grip.

Thud!

Avaritia collapsed onto the floor, motionless like a discarded ragdoll.

Blood trickled down her face from a gash in the back of her head, mingling with the dirt and grime that coated her skin.

Her limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, and several bones within her body was broken along with her spinal cord, since her back suffered the most impact.

Her clothes were torn and ragged, stained with both dirt and blood. Her arms, which had once been used to defend herself, now hung limply at her sides. Her eyes were hollow like all flames of life within them had been extinguished.

Without a doubt, Avaritia had departed from this world.

She was dead.

"No..."

Invidia muttered weakly, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Despite being an existence created and programmed by a higher power, she possessed all the emotions of a human—fear, sorrow, and the despair of losing someone close to her overwhelmed her in that moment.

Soo Jinyoung ignored her despair, retrieving her discarded clothes and dressing herself.

Finally, she approached Invidia, stopping directly in front of her.

Invidia glared at Soo Jinyoung. She hated her from the bottom of her heart.

If it weren't for this woman, everything would have proceeded smoothly. They would have crafted a compelling story, and their master would have been pleased. Avaritia would still be alive, and she wouldn't be in this dire state.

If only this woman hadn't interfered with the Story.

If only she didn't exist.

If only she herself possessed the strength of this accursed woman...!

But she gave no thought to the immense torture and pain she had inflicted upon Soo Jinyoung. Her human-like emotions led her to focus solely on her own suffering, conveniently forgetting the cruelty she had perpetrated.

Invidia sneered,

"Damn you! You wretched fiend, you'll pay for this! I swear, you won't have an easy life after this! Do you hear me?"

Soo Jinyoung remained indifferent.

"I really don't mind," she replied coolly.

She raised her foot, positioning it above Invidia's head.

"My life is already filled with countless misfortunes; adding one more will make no difference. So please, feel free to curse me from the bottom of your heart and beyond the grave."

With those final words, she brought her foot down with crushing force.

The impact shattered Invidia's skull with a sickening crack, sending blood and bone fragments flying in all directions. A crimson spray painted the air as remnants of her brain splattered, pooling around the lifeless body.

Silence descended upon the passage. Soo Jinyoung's revenge was complete.

But that wasn't enough to satisfy her cautious nature. To ensure there was no chance of her enemies resurrecting, she activated her Phoenix Flames and incinerated their bodies.

The flames consumed them, and their charred remains lightened up the darkness like a torch.

She watched them burn.

They had tortured her using chains and a whip, but her lack of remorse was absolute. Even so, she took no pressure in their destruction. Killing them was simply a mission, and she had accomplished it. The method mattered little to her.

It was just that simple.

Of course, she wasn't a pervert that liked the pain of being tortured. She simply chose the best outcome to obtain victory.

She looked around.

Hmm, that reminds me. I should have asked them how to escape from this space before I killed them.

She thought briefly.

But that should resolve itself when the hidden fable ends. If not, I'll use those "eyes" to slice up the «Errors».

She didn't spare a glance at the carnage she left behind.

There was no hesitation.

With both enemies silenced, Soo Jinyoung turned on her heel and strode forward, vanishing into the shadowy depths of the passageway.