(8-3F – Atalos Royal Palace Library)
The heavy oak doors of the library groaned shut behind Kim Dokja. The silence that followed was heavy, filled only with the hum of a million books and the faint ozone smell of high-ranking magic.
Klein Moretti stood amidst the shelves, his hand resting on one of the book piles.
He observed his companion with eyes that saw far more than the physical.
Kim Dokja looked… different. It wasn't just the coat, which had turned the color of a thunderhead. It was the density of his existence.
Before, Dokja felt like a collection of stories held together by duct tape and willpower. Now, he felt like a singular, heavy point of gravity.
"You have changed," Klein said, his voice calm but probing. "Your spirituality… it is gray."
"Is it?" Dokja touched his face, a faint, self-deprecating smile playing on his lips. "I guess you could say I went through a bit of a genre shift. Call it character development." He looked at Klein, noting the new skills buzzing around his aura. "You've been busy, too. I see you've already started looting the place."
"I was merely being efficient," Klein corrected.
Behind them, the doors opened again.
Tomer stood in the threshold, looking impatient.
She checked her pocket watch with a sharp click.
"You have half an hour," she announced, her voice echoing through the vast hall. "After that, the Royal Guard locks this place down. The Empress is strict, even for guests of the Ironblood Duchess."
"Half an hour?" Dokja complained, his brow furrowing. "This place is huge! How am I supposed to find a build in such short time?"
"If you hadn't wasted time testing your new powers against me, you would have had two hours," Tomer retorted, crossing her arms. "…honestly. You're as bad as Hajin."
"I was checking my stats," Dokja defended himself weaky. "And I didn't break in. I just…"
"Tell that to the Commander who is currently filing a report about 'psychological damage'," Tomer rolled her eyes. "I have a meeting with Empress Araha. You'll join us after finishing. Do not get locked in. The library has its own defenses." She turned and swept out, the doors booming shut behind her.
"Well," Klein said, adjusting his top hat. "We should hurry. I have nearly completed my selection, but the Ultimate Skill remains."
"Right," Dokja sighed, cracking his neck.
While Dokja disappeared into the aisles, moving with a speed that blurred the air, Klein returned to the section housing the [Ultimate Skills].
He had rejected the Stage of the Puppeteer, the Realm of Ascendancy, and the Eternal Echo. None of them felt right. They were powerful, yes, but they lacked the specific conceptual weight he needed to counter what will come. At least that's what his Spiritual Intuition of Miracle Invoker felt.
He walked deeper into the section, past the floating books and the glowing grimoires.
Then, he stopped.
The aisle ended abruptly.
In front of him was nothing but empty air, yet his [Spirit Vision] screamed that something was there.
A barrier.
It wasn't a magical wall of fire or ice.
It was a distortion of space and authority.
"What is this..?"
System answered joyfully.
[System Alert]
[You have encountered the 'Sovereign's Veil'.]
[This barrier was installed by the First Ruler of Crevon, King Arthur.]
[Only descendants of the Royal Family may pass.]
"King Arthur…" Klein muttered.
He reached out with his gloved hand.
The air rippled, hard as diamond.
It felt dense, ancient, and absolute.
It reminded him uncomfortably of the Western Continent barrier in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
"I cannot see through it," Klein realized. He tapped his foot.
Slash. He stepped into the Spirit World (0F).
His glove turned transparent.
The chaotic, neon storm of the Tower's root dimension swirled around him.
Here, physical barriers shouldn't exist.
But the Veil was here, too.
A massive, golden curtain cut through the Spirit World, blocking the path even in this dimension. Shape-shifting monsters, glitches of the Tower's code, skittered along the edges of the barrier, chattering in static.
They sensed the intruder.
Klein ignored them.
His [Master of the Spirit World] trait flared, and the monsters fled, terrified of the aura of the Sefirah.
"It is absolute," Klein observed, returning to the physical world. "It exists on all layers of reality."
He had to break in. Or rather, he had to open it.
He looked at his glove, [Hunger of the Digital Void].
He scrolled to the abilities he had retained from the original Creeping Hunger souls, specifically the Sequence 9 Apprentice ability that he received after grazing Mr. X's soul.
Apprentices possess the ability to Open some things related to Doors. Using the unique traits of the Spirit World, an Apprentice can phase through walls… provided the barrier is not too thick.
"This barrier is thick," Klein murmured. "Conceptually thick."
He activated his new Unique Skill.
[Lv.4 Tiresias Calculation].
Probability of Success: 0.0001%
"Low," Klein noted calmly. "But not zero." He began to layer his advantages. He was a Magician. He was a Miracle Invoker. He prepared the stage.
First, the item.
Having pulled it out, he touched the [Gem of the Concealed Star]. Effect: Enhances spiritual concealment and strengthens 'Beyonder' effects. A shroud of darkness wrapped around his spirituality, condensing it, making it sharper.
Next, the skills.
[Lv.3 Spiritual Sleight of Hand] -> [Covert Transfer].
He transferred a tiny, needle-point amount of his spiritual influence onto the barrier surface, trying to trick it into accepting his energy as its own.
[Lv.2 Controlled Spiritual Overflow] -> [Overflow Boost].
His spirituality surged by 25%. The air around him began to crackle with terrifying pressure.
[Lv.7 Mysticism Stabilization] -> [Controlled Ritual Breath].
He breathed in, stabilizing the turbulent energy, reducing the chance of the spell backfiring by 35%.
Finally, the deception.
[Lv.0 False Logic] -> [Speculation]. He infused his voice with Spirituality.
"This barrier," Klein whispered to the empty air, "is a door. And doors are meant to be opened."
He had to fully believe it's door. Then just in case he lampooned.
"You are a door," Klein used all of his composure of a Clown to not start laughing.
Words sank deep into his soul and spirituality disappeared into the barrier.
He raised his gloved hand.
The circuitry on [Hunger of the Digital Void] glowed blindingly blue.
[Door Opening].
Hummmm.
The barrier vibrated.
The golden light rippled like water disturbed by a stone.
But it held.
Failure.
Klein didn't blink.
"Again."
Hummmm.
Failure.
"Again."
Hummmm.
Failure.
His spirituality began to drain rapidly.
One more. One more.
He activated his Beyonder power.
He exerted influence on the future. He grabbed the probability of "The door opening" and tried to drag it into the present. With all the amplifying Probability reached almost 2%.
"It is not enough," Klein gritted his teeth. Sweat beaded on his forehead beneath the hat. "I need more."
He reached into the Historical Void.
He didn't summon a person. He summoned spirituality itself—a projection of his own peak state from the past.
He consumed it instantly to refill his reserves.
"Open!" He slammed his hand against the golden light.
Failure after failure.
He felt his Spirit body straining.
His head hurt, blood rushing from his nose.
Klein knew that there was the skill he wanted.
He tried once more.
CRACK.
It wasn't a shatter.
It was a groan of reality bending.
A small gap appeared in the Sovereign's Veil.
Klein fell to his knees, trying not to faint.
It was tiny—barely half Klein's height, a slit in the curtain of light.
And it was closing fast.
The barrier's regeneration was instantaneous.
He couldn't fit through.
Klein's eyes snapped to the space beyond the gap. His eyes intuitively reached for the item.
There, floating on a pedestal of starlight, was a single, ancient scroll.
He couldn't reach it.
The gap was closing.
Snap.
Klein snapped his fingers.
He had accumulated some wishes. He expended a great portion of them in one burst.
"I wish for that scroll to be here."
Pop.
The book vanished from the pedestal just as the golden barrier slammed shut with a thunderous BOOM.
The shockwave ruffled Klein's coat, but he stood firm.
In his hand, he held the scroll.
He looked at the cover.
The title was etched in letters that shifted and changed, written in the language of dragons and kings.
[You have acquired a unique Ultimate Skill book!]
Even though it was a scroll, the system still classified as book of skill.
===
[Lv. 0 The Once and Future King]
○ Temporal Awakening (Fate's Sovereign)
—The user borrows the destined power they will eventually possess, gaining increased spiritual and combat power for a minute period of time.
===
Klein stared at the description.
"Borrowing power from the future self…" he whispered. It resonated with him. It resonated with the concept of "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era." If he used this… would he borrow power from a future Klein Moretti? It was a gamble. It was perfect.
[You have acquired the Ultimate Skill: The Once and Future King.]
[Your Skill Slots are full.]
While Klein was waging war against a barrier, Kim Dokja was speed-reading.
His [Reading Comprehension] skill, boosted by the new [Story Sense] function of his chip, allowed him to absorb the essence of a skillbook just by touching the spine.
He moved through the aisles like a ghost, his eyes scanning titles at impossible speeds.
Warrior's Grit… no.Mage's Wisdom… primitive.Assassin's Step… redundant.
He checked his status.
He had already learned the [Special Skill – Lv.0 Narrative Intervention].
Description: Allows the user to slightly alter the flow of a 'Scenario' through speech, provided the probability allows it.
He had 3 Basic, 1 Special, 1 Unique, and 1 Ultimate slot left.
Now, the [Basic Skills]. He found it in the "General" section of the library. He pulled out a book titled The Protagonist's Fabrication.
"Um… I will be able to give fake Scenarios? That's kinda… if they don't have real power?"
But to think about it… Who'll know that he has this skill.(;3)
"I'll take it," Dokja murmured, laughing like a real villain inside his head.
===
[Lv.0 Protagonist's Fabrication]
○ Fraud
—The user can assign a temporary, fake Scenario for 10 minutes. The fabricated scenario appears real to anyone involved, but it is only a limited illusion that will fade after a short period.This could involve changing a real Scenario's contents.
*Note: Can only affect up to 3 targets per use.
===
Dokja scanned the shelves for another twenty minutes. He felt a strange sensation at the back of his mind. That came from the depths of the Library.
"What's he doing there?" Dokja felt some Magic Power fluctuations from the Ultimate Skill section, the Noble part one.
He reached the end of Basic Skills section.
Dokja still couldn't pick two more Basic Skills.
"Bruh, I'll figure out the two Basic ones later."
That left the Unique Skill and the second Special Skill. He browsed the shelves, frowning. Sword of the Sky…Demon's Rage of Rust…Angelic Bones… Nothing fit.
"Why am I so picky." Dokja muttered.
He needed to be. He needed to choose wisely. After all, that was something he couldn't change in the future when picked.
He checked his Star Stream system.
[Dokkaebi Bag]
It was still not working. He guessed that different items, including things from Hajin's universe and beyonder ingredients, will be available for sale after the barrier between realms disappears.
[Community]
"Selling Book of Basic Skill – Lv.1 Fireball for 500 TP!".
"Lv.8 Unique skill – Aurora's Energy Testament for only 10,000 TP!"
…
Dokja browsed the Auction house, using keyword 'Skill'.
[Current Funds: 6928 TP]
He'd be really happy to spend his money on a good skill, if he had enough TP of course.
"I'm broke," Dokja realized. "I can't buy anything from the Auction House." He looked at the empty slots in his window. "I guess I'll have to leave them empty for now. Maybe Hajin can help me later."
After half an hour of going through hundreds of books he reached the deepest part of the library with Ultimate skill books, though it looked kind of empty since one bookcase was only for one book.
[Giant Story 'Torch That Swallowed the Myth' feels bored.]
At this point Dokja's head hurt because of all that information he needed to analyze.
He noticed that Klein was nowhere to be seen.
He skipped some of the bookcases.
In the far corner of the Ultimate Skill section there was Klein.
Unconscious.
As soon as Dokja's gaze fell on him, Klein opened his eyes.
"Ah, you are here," Klein forced a smile.
"You... alright?" Dokja asked, a hint of concern threading through.
Klein let out a small sigh, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, I was just... resting. Drained my spirituality. I'll be fine after some sleep."
Dokja hesitated, eyes flicking between Klein and the space around him, unsure of what to do.
"Should I help you...?"
'Why is it suddenly so awkward?'
"Nah, I can..!" Klein tried to force himself on his two.
[The exclusive skill 'Bookmark' is activated!]
[The 4th bookmark, Lycaon is selected!]
[The exclusive skill 'Way of the Wind' Lv. 10 (+1) is activated!]
Air flow caught Klein.
"Chill, I got you," Dokja lifted him onto his back, Klein had no choice but wrap his arms around Dokja's shoulders.
[Story 'Life and Death Companions' shows great jealousy.]
Klein could feel Dokja's warmth seep through his clothes.
Dokja retrieved the [Great Return Pill] out of his black Space Coat and, after a brief pause, gently placed it into Klein's mouth.
Klein swallowed it, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity, but inwardly, he couldn't deny how strange the whole situation felt.
[Story 'Life and Death Companions' roars!]
'Yeah, this is really awkward,' Klein thought, staring at Dokja's back and trying to ignore the warmth spreading across his cheeks.
The moment lingered, but neither of them spoke for a while, the awkward silence hanging in the air like an unspoken question.
"So… Are you finished with filling the slots?" Dokja broke the silence.
"It was exhausting, but yeah I picked quite decent ones."
Dokja continued observing the Ultimate Skill books one by one… Still with Klein on his back.(;3)
"Um… Do you need help?" Klein asked, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant.
"My thoughts are a little messy because of the new function and I'm overthinking a little. But do you have like a skill or something?"
Klein chuckled, finding Dokja's nonchalant manner cute.
"I can divine it, receiving revelation from the Spirit World."
"Divine it?"
Dokja scratched his head.
"Would it help me pick?"
"It wouldn't, but it'll show you the revelation."
"Then… How do you..?"
Dokja trailed off, but before he could fully process what Klein had said, he felt a sudden shift in Klein's posture. He glanced behind him, only to find that Klein had fallen asleep against his back, the soft weight settling there.
'Did he doze off just like that?'
As Dokja moved through the shelves he continued using [Reading Comprehension].
===
[Lv. 2 Spiriclast Omega]
[Description: The user compresses all available spirituality into an infinitely dense point, creating a singularity that erases spiritual existence.]
○ True Spiritual Zero
—Erases buffs, curses, spiritual powers, and mystical states up to Angel level.
○ Void Snapback
—The collapse creates a retroactive shockwave that deletes the last 3 seconds of spiritual actions taken by enemies.
===
That was an Ultimate Skill suitable for Klein since Dokja wasn't even a Beyonder yet.
'It sounds pretty powerful… I wonder what he chose in the end.'
===
[Lv. 3 Colossus]
○Colossal Reshaping
—The user transforms into a giant, growing in size by up to 10 times their original height. This transformation increases their physical strength, defense, and stamina exponentially.
—The user's attack power is multiplied by 3x and their defense by 2x.
—The aura of the transformation is felt for 100 meters, intimidating enemies and making them feel small in comparison to the user's newfound power
…
===
[Story 'Giant's Liberator' watches in approval.]
'You like it?' Kim Dokja moved his eyes away.
[Story 'Giant's Liberator' pouts.]
At that moment the voice interrupted his thoughts.
"You need to go there," Klein pointed behind Dokja, "Back in the Special Skill section."
"Weren't you sleeping just now?"
"I was using the dream divination."
Dokja nodded and followed Klein instructions, until he reached a pile of books.
Books of skills were stacked on each other, creating a big tower of knowledge.
"Are you sure… It's here?"
"I'm not, divination is rather vague, it has to be somewhere here."
Dokja squatted checking each book.
"And by the way… You can let me go now…"
"Ah, right."
Klein stood up.
That pill Dokja gave Klein was extremely effective.
BONG. BONG. BONG.
The grandfather clock in the main hall began to toll. A system message flashed red in front of both of them.
[System Alert]
[The Rulers of the 8th Floor are invoking their Historical Authority.]
[The Atalos Royal Palace Library is closing.]
[All guests must depart immediately.]
[Warning: Remaining inside will result in 'Temporal Lock'. You will be trapped until the next cycle (1 Month).]
*Note: You cannot take anything out of here unless you've received the permission of the Royal Family.
"Hurry up," Klein said.
Even without Klein, Dokja knew he should.
His hand touched one of the grimoires at the base of the book 'tower'.
Another description appeared in front of his eyes.
===
[Lv.9 The Power of the Narrative's Core]
○Story's Law
—The user taps into the core of their own narrative, amplifying their story's influence over the world. They are no longer simply an actor in the story but become the force that shapes their fate, decisions, and abilities.
○ Interpreter
—For a brief moment, the user gains the ability to rewrite the rules of the current story, gaining powers that reflect their personal growth and past narrative arcs.
○Temporary Exhaustion
—After the skill ends, the user experiences fatigue, reducing all stats by 20% for 20 minutes as they recover from the mental strain of manipulating the narrative of owned stories.
*Note:This skill can only be used once every 72 hours. The user must rest and allow their stories to regain their powers.
===
...
[You have acquired Ultimate Skill – Lv.9 The Power of the Narrative's Core!]