[System Rebooting...]
[Trait 'Fourth Wall' is restarting.]
[Updating Database...]
[Welcome back, Player ???]
—Heart rate stabilizing! Brain activity returning to normal.
—He's waking up.
—Bring another pack of stories! His narrative density is critical!
[The Advanced Synchronization Chip and the Plaque begin merging to prevent host collapse.]
…
[Evolution Successful!]
[Advanced Synchronization Chip → Transcendent Ontology Core]
The frantic voice of the APG-Medical robots flooded his ears.
Kim Dokja gasped, his eyes snapping open.
He took in a deep, desperate breath of sterile air, his lungs burning as if he had just drowned.
He was back. The ceiling was white. The lights were blinding. But in the corner of his vision, a new window floated, its text shimmering with a faint, nostalgic light.
[The 'Fourth Wall' is looking at you with a tired expression.]
Dokja stared at the message. The familiar text box was the only thing anchoring him to reality.
[The 'Fourth Wall' says: "You owe me."]
"Yeah," Dokja whispered, managing a weak, broken smile. "Thank you."
He tried to sit up. His body felt... heavy.
It was as if every cell in his body was packed with a thousand sentences.
The robots hovered over him, their scanners flashing red.
—Subject Stabilized.
—Identity Check... Error.
—Subject ID matches [Kim Dokja], but existence coordinates are [Null].
The next he received an alert from the Tower's System.
[Tower cannot confirm your identity, most of the information was erased!]
[Register your new identity in the next two day, or else you will need to begin your Challenge through the Tower of Wish once more!]
Dokja checked his status:
=== [#PLAYER NOT FOUND]===
▷Variable Stats
…
▷Invariable Stats
…
[Status: ???]
[Degree of Existence: Unmeasurable (Error)] [...2 more]
▷Traits
…
===
Then, the sky outside the Upgrade Center rumbled.
The ceiling of the 7th Floor seemed to turn transparent, revealing the swirling nebula of the merged universe. The messages didn't ping like game notifications.
They thundered like narrator lines.
[The 'Star Will' looks at the anomaly.]
[The 'Star Will' cannot find the first sentence of your story.]
[The 'Star Will' cannot find the last sentence of your story.]
Dokja frowned. Usually, the Star Stream loved to categorize things. Hero. Villain. Incarnation. Constellation. But now...
[The 'Star Will' attempts to classify your existence.]
[The two opposing myths are spinning in perfect equilibrium.]
[The 'Star Will' declares your existence a '■■'.]
[The 'Most Ancient Good' has finally chosen its new owner!]
[The 'Most Ancient Evil' has finally chosen its new owner!]
A new window appeared, burning with a color that wasn't blue or red, but a twilight gray.
[A new 'Modifier' is being granted to the '■■' without a name.]
[The Modifier is constructing itself from your 'Hidden History'.]
Dream.Witness.End. The words floated in the air, colliding and fusing.
Dream dissolved, transforming into Unwritten.
[The Modifier 'The Last Witness of the Unwritten End' has been acquired!]
"Last Witness..." Dokja tasted the title. It felt heavy. It felt lonely. It fit perfectly. "So I'm not the Demon King of Salvation anymore?"
[The 'Star Will' remains silent.]
He looked at his status window again.
[Your Tower stats have exceeded the limits of your original ones.]
There were also two traits missing.
His [Demon King Transformation] and [Angel Transformation] disappeared.
Instead…
===
[Trait: Nephilim]
[Rank: Myth (Genesis)]
[Attribute: Twilight / Transcendence / Paradox/ Chaos]
[Description: A hybrid existence born from the collision of Light and Darkness.
You are neither angel nor demon, neither human nor constellation.
You are the twilight horizon that bridges the Beginning and the End.
You are immune to all classifications of 'Good' and 'Evil'.
The dichotomies of the world cannot define you.]
○ Lv.1 Nephalem Transformation — "Twilight Incarnation"
—The user temporarily manifests their true form, the 'Twilight Body'.
—During transformation, all stats increase proportionally to the number of 'Light'- or 'Darkness'-based entities within a 5 km radius.
—Grants complete immunity to Holy, Demonic, and Morality-based damage types.
—Perception expands into the 'Border Realm', allowing you to sense events that are about to occur within 3 seconds of causality.
○ Lv.1 Gray Dominion
—Your presence imposes the law of 'Equilibrium'.
—Hostile entities with extreme alignment (Holy/Demonic) have their power reduced by 30%.
—Abilities that manipulate alignment, karma, or sin cannot affect you.
—Your attacks deal 'Paradox Damage', ignoring any attribute-based resistance.
○ Lv.1 Twin-Origin Authority — "Birth & Annihilation"
—You wield fragments of the First Angel and the Last Demon that were sealed in [Fruit of Good and Evil].
—'Birth': Temporarily rewrites a target's state to its uninjured form
(except fatal damage or destiny-linked wounds).
—'Annihilation': Deletes an effect, barrier, fate-thread, or spell as if it had never existed.
—Using both in succession triggers "Backlash of Paradox", reducing user's HP.
○ Lv.1 Threshold of the End
—Your body becomes a living boundary stone for narratives.
—Prevents dimension collapse and stabilizes distorted spaces within a 1 km radius.
—Immunity to Story Corruption, Outer God Madness, and 'Plot-Driven Fatalities'.
===
Suddenly, a wave of dissonance hit him.
His Stories.
The narratives he had collected.
They were waking up.
[Giant Story 'Season of Light and Darkness' embraces its owner.]
[Giant Story 'Torch that Swallowed the Myth' recognizes the 'Status'.]
But the smaller stories were confused.
They swirled around his spirit body, unsure where to attach.
[Story 'One Who Killed an Outer God' is wary.]
[Story 'King of a Kingless World' hesitates.]
Then, a small, quiet message popped up.
[Story 'The Stone and I' rolls towards you.]
[Story 'The Stone and I' says: "A pebble is still a pebble, even if it is gray."]
Dokja snorted, a genuine laugh escaping him. "Thanks. I needed that."
He hopped off the table.
His movements were fluid, silent.
He felt the [Transcendent Ontology Core] humming in his wrist, regulating the flow of his new power.
[Function 'Story Sense': Active.]
He turned to the APG unit holding the bill. "The cost?"
—Paid in full. Balance remaining: 0 TP.
Dokja smirked.
He grabbed his [Infinite Dimension Space Coat].
As he slid his arms into it, the coat rippled.
The pristine white fabric drank in his new aura, darkening until it was the color of a storm cloud—a deep, shifting black.
He looked in the mirror.
He looked dangerously like the man he had watched for ten years.
"Let's go," Dokja said, turning to the exit.
He moved through the Game Center. The Players parted for him, sensing the heavy, unreadable pressure radiating from his grayish-black coat.
He checked the time.
[30:00:50]
"Thirty hours left."
"Exchange," he commanded.
[Exchange Rate: 1 TP = 10 Cash]
[1000 TP -> 10,000 Cash]
He bought the ticket.
He stood before the gate.
The 'Star Will' was still watching him, its gaze heavy with suspicion, but it didn't stop him.
He ripped the ticket. Flash.
***
[8-3F - Atalos Royal Palace Library]
The library was a labyrinth of knowledge, a cathedral built from the spines of a million books. It smelled of old parchment and the ozone tang of high-rank magic. Klein Moretti stood in the center, his [Spirit Vision] overwhelmed by the sheer density of spirituality radiating from the shelves. Every book here was a potential power, a piece of the Tower's history waiting to be claimed.
In the grand hall of the library stood intricate grandfather clock. It gave Klein an ominous feeling.
"You have access to the General Section and the Noble Section," Tomer said, checking a pocket watch. "As a guest of the Ironblood Duchess, you can take what you need. But be warned, some of the books changed since the beginning of 'Forced Collaboration', we don't know exactly what some of them do, be careful."
She turned to leave. "I have a meeting with Empress Araha. I'll be back in three hours to collect you…"
Bang!
The heavy oak doors of the library slammed open. A knight in shattered armor stumbled in, his helmet dented. He looked like he had been hit by a siege weapon.
"Duchess!" the knight gasped, falling to one knee. "Emergency report from the Crevon Frontier!"
Tomer's eyes narrowed. "The Frontier?"
This reminded her of how 9F's Calamities broke through. Tomer felt nostalgic.
"Your Grace! It… it was an Outsider!" The knight swallowed hard, his face pale. "An intruder breached the 'Wall of Rejection' single-handedly. He didn't use magic. He didn't use a sword. He just… walked through the defensive spells as if they weren't there. When the Royal Guard tried to apprehend him, their weapons… 'broke' before making contact."
Klein's ear twitched.
"What are the loses?" Tomer asked, her hand drifting to her claymore.
"He didn't hurt a single soul. He just suppressed them." The knight fumbled in his breastplate. "And… when the Commander Kipha arrived, the intruder showed him this." He held up a familiar black card.
[VIP Certificate]
"He said he was late for a meeting," the knight whimpered. "He is waiting outside your mansion, Your Grace."
Tomer stared at the knight, then let out a long, suffering sigh that seemed to deflate her entire aura.
"Of course," she muttered. "He breaks the strongest defensive line in Crevon just to save five minutes on the entry process. Birds of a feather…"
She looked at Klein.
"That sounds like your friend. I'll go collect him before he accidentally dismantles my front gate." She turned back to the knight. "Stand down. He's an ally. A very… enthusiastic one."
Tomer swept out of the library, her cape billowing. "Three hours, Mr. Moretti. Choose wisely."
Left alone in the silent cathedral of books, Klein adjusted his top hat. "Three hours," he whispered. He checked his status window.
[Empty Skill Slots:]
Basic: 3
Special: 2
Unique: 1
Ultimate: 1
He was a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker.
His Beyonder powers were vast, but they consumed [Spirituality]. The Tower's "Skills," however, operated on [Magic Power] or cooldowns. To survive the upcoming war, he needed abilities that could complement his pathway—passive buffs, alternative resources, or utility that didn't drain his main pool.
He walked to the [Basic Skills] section. The books here were thin, buzzing with faint light. He picked one titled The Art of the Iron Wall.
"Inefficient," Klein muttered. He didn't need to be a tank. He needed to be slippery.
He found a gray book tucked away in a corner.
[Basic Skill – Lv.3 Spiritual Sleight of Hand]
===
[Lv.3 Spiritual Sleight of Hand]
○ Minor Identity Blur
—Temporarily weakens the user's "spiritual signature", confusing detection.
○ Covert Transfer
—Transfers a tiny amount of spiritual influence to an object or person.
○ Null Trace
—Reduces spiritual trace left behind by 50%.
===
Next, he looked for something to aid his Spirituality. He found a book bound in velvet. [Basic Skill – Lv.2 Controlled Spiritual Overflow].
===
[Lv.2 Controlled Spiritual Overflow]
○ Overflow Boost
—For 5 seconds, temporarily enhances spirituality output by 25%.
○ Overflow Barrier
—Creates a thin spiritual barrier that blocks one low- to mid-tier attack.
○ Overflow Purge
—Burns away minor spiritual contamination by releasing controlled excess energy.
===
The last Basic slot took him the most time, he moved slowly observing every book.
[Basic Skill: Lv.1 Mana Sensitivity].
===
[Lv.1 Mana Sensitivity]
○ Sensivity
— Allows the user to perceive the flow of 'Mana' (Tower's energy) distinctly from 'Spirituality'.
○ Overflow Barrier
— It would allow him to better understand the attacks of Players and Monsters, distinguishing them from Beyonder powers.
===
…
"Nah, that's not it."
…
[ Basic Skill – Lv.3 Micro-Distortion]
===
[Lv.3 Micro-Distortion]
○ Space Ripple
—Distorts a 30 cm space around your hand for prediction or dodging.
○ Object Delay
—Delays the movement of a small object for 0.2 seconds.
○ Spiritual Fold
—Folds a portion of your spirituality to hide it from detection.
===
…
After another 15 minutes, Klein felt one of the veins on his forehead bulge.
'I wish I could just ask Arrodes…'
He took out a simple stick out of his inventory.
'Suitable Basic skill.'
He repeated the sentence seven times.
The stick fell not forward but to Klein.
It meant only one thing. Klein had already passed or missed the last basic skill that suited him.
He passed the endless shelves.
[Lv.4 Basic Skill – Symbolic Vision]
...
[Lv.0 Basic Skill – Fate-Twisting Pulse]
...
Some books had interesting names, but in fact were trash.
Klein did this divination eleven times until he reached the far right corner of the General section from where he started.
'Your love is always near, they say…'
Klein looked through the bookcase.
'Nah…'
He moved his eyes chaotically.
'Meh!'
Until he noticed one book.
[Basic Skill – Lv.7 Mysticism Stabilization]
===
Lv.7 Mysticism Stabilization
○ Controlled Ritual Breath
—Improves stability of rituals and spell signs, reducing failure chance by 35%.
○ Symbolic Anchor
—The user creates a temporary symbolic focus to stabilize unstable spirituality.
○ Cognitive Shield
—A thin layer of spirituality protects the user from psychological pollution.
===
He held three books with basic skills he chose.
Alerts appeared from the System:
[You've acquired the basic skill, 'Lv.3 Spiritual Sleight of Hand'!]
[You've acquired the basic skill, 'Lv.7 Mysticism Stabilization'!]
[You've acquired the basic skill, 'Lv.2 Controlled Spiritual Overflow'!]
"Where is Tomer? She should've arrived with Dokja by now."
But Klein didn't have much spare time, so he just went into the deeper part of the Library.
He moved to the [Special Skills] section. The pressure here was heavier. The books had teeth. He needed deception. Something to enhance his identity as The Fool.
[Basic Skill – Lv.5 Spirituality Compression]
"What is basic skill book doing here? They should definitely organize the library better," if there was a system of reviews from modern era, he'd definitely include this into his comment.
Then, he found a book that seemed to be vibrating.
[Special Skill – Lv.0 False Logic].
===
[Lv.0 False Logic]
○ Speculation
—By infusing spoken words with Magic Power or Spirituality, you can temporarily convince the 'System' or entities of a false premise.
*Note: the lie must be plausible within the target's cognitive range.
===
"Perfect," Klein smiled.
For the second Special slot…
===
[Lv.1 Minor Direction Shift]
○ Micro-Trajectory Alteration
—Applies to physical projectiles, falling objects, thrown materials, and simple mechanisms.
—The effect is instantaneous and undetectable to ordinary perception.
○ Non-Interference Rule
—Cannot directly alter living beings, spiritual attacks, skills or abilities.
===
It was a simple but very interesting skill. A tiny change → massive consequences. Klein could exploit it to the fullest.
Now, the [Unique Skill].
He walked into the deeper recesses of the library.
He passed different pedestals and bookcases with books.
A book floated in a glass case, surrounded by a fog of data.
[Unique Skill – Lv.?? Tiresias calculation]
===
[Lv.?? Tiresias calculation]
○ Probability
— Analyzes the variables of the current situation and provides a percentage chance of success for a chosen action.
○ Seer
— This skill would act as a supercomputer for his intuition, processing the data his [Spirit Vision] collected.
===
"Acquire."
[The Roulette of Fate activates for the first time!]
[The unique skill's skill level will be randomly chosen… (the maximum possible level is 10)]
[You acquired Lv.4 Tiresias calculation!]
"Um… Okay?"
Finally, the [Ultimate Skill].
There was a separate case for each book, and at the same time, their number could be counted on the fingers.
Klein approached the first.
It held a single, black book that seemed to absorb the light around it. Klein approached it. His [Spirituality] flared. The book had an ego. It growled at him. "I am the King of… wait." The book paused. It sensed the status. The growl turned into a whimper. "…Please read me."
Klein opened it. [Ultimate Skill – Lv.0 The Stage of the Puppeteer]
===
[Lv.0 The Stage of the Puppeteer]
○ The Stage
—Deploys a "Domain" (Radius: 100m). Within this domain, the user can designate "Roles" to up to 100 targets. Targets are subconsciously compelled to act according to their Roles. Their stats are adjusted (+30% / -40%) to fit the narrative.
○ Puppeteer
—As the main director of the scene your puppets have 100% less influence on you.
*Note: The targets role may occasionaly change by themselves according to the stage.
You can use this skill for a total of one hour.
===
It was a skill that forced reality to follow a script.
There were quite a few of area-aimed skills.
Klein moved to the next book. This time it glowed and remained silent.
[Ultimate Skill – Lv. 5 Realm of Ascendancy]
===
[Lv. 5 Realm of Ascendancy]
○ Spiritual Overload
—The user's spiritual power grows by 100% for 5 minutes, amplifying all abilities, spells, and skills. The user also gains 25% resistance to damage for the duration.
○ Realm Expansion
—A 50-meter radius around the user becomes an "Ascendant Zone," where their spiritual influence is greatly amplified, improving ally abilities by 15% and suppressing enemy abilities by 10%.
○ Burst of Omnipotence
—The user temporarily reaches the threshold of god-like strength, enabling the next attack to deal *devastating damage* regardless of the target's defense or resistance.
===
There was also a quite useless ultimate skill for him.
===
[Lv.0 Eternal Echo]
○ Fatal Resilience
—If the user is killed, they return to life within **30 seconds**, fully restored.
—The resurrection time cannot be interrupted by any known means, but can only occur once per **30 days**.
○ Charges
…
===
As soon as Klein saw the line with the resurrection he moved his gaze away on the other book, which fortunately landed on his way wide open on the first page.
"A single coin toss becomes the anchor for Fate…"
'Player Encyclopedia.'
[Ultimate Skill – Lv.?? The Coin That Decides Fate]
===
[Lv.?? The Coin That Decides Fate]
○ Fate Binding
—The coin declares a binary outcome (Life/Death, Success/Fail,Attack/Miss, Save/Kill).
○ Absolute Resolution
—If the coin lands as chosen, the selected fate becomes **absolute**.
—The world, the gods, and causality must obey.
○ Deviation
—If the coin lands the opposite way, the failure becomes beneficial(or not) to the user in a way they could not predict.
===
For some reason, Klein felt a sense of déjà vu reading through the skill description.
"Does it have something to do with the Uniqueness of the Wheel of Fortune Pathway?"
Wary Klein stepped away and avoided the book.
When he was about to check the next book…
Creaaaak.
The heavy oak doors of the library groaned. They didn't open normally. They were pushed open with a slow, heavy finality. A cold wind rushed into the warm library, carrying the scent of ozone, blood, and old stories.
Standing in the doorway was a figure. He wore a long interdimensional coat that had turned the color of storm clouds. His face was pale, his eyes dark and bottomless.
There was a cut on his cheek.