"This time, I don't feel dizzy," said Nier, wiping a wound on his arm.
"Then we can move on to another type," she said, wiping her dagger. "Whose turn is it now?"
This was a process where we used Lucy's poison abilities, trying to build an immune system against all kinds of poisons — even the deadliest. It required non-lethal doses of various poisons, and each of us took turns protecting the carriage.
I replied, "We've all taken our dose of poison today."
"Well, that's a relief."
Mary interjected, "There's a village nearby. May I suggest we rest there?"
"Good idea, but are you sure the villagers will welcome us?"
A proud smile appeared on Mary's face as she replied, "Don't worry, Lucy. We're in the kingdom of Altherion, and as you know, I used to be the deputy commander of the knights."
"And is that something to brag about, o' knight?"
I ignored their usual bickering and turned my attention to Khaled, who was trying to guess which of the three cups contained the ball Libby had hidden.
It was easy for him to follow the ball with his eyes, but knowing Libby's ability made it more difficult.
"The middle one," said Nier, lifting the middle cup — but it was empty.
Libby lightly hit Nier on the head with the hilt of her sword. "Wrong."
"Left," answered Khaled. Libby lifted the empty cup. "Wrong again." And just like Nier, she hit him with the sword hilt.
I knew she cheated and hid the ball in her sleeve, but I didn't want to interfere. Instead, I turned my gaze to Noah, who looked exhausted from the long drive. His eyes were half-closed, and fatigue was written all over his face.
"Let me drive. You go and rest."
"Ah… thanks." Normally, I would have had a hard time convincing him, but he was too tired to argue. He went to the back of the carriage and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
I kept my eyes on the natural scenery while steering the horse. On the horizon, I spotted a village about six hours away.
The road was long and boring. All I heard was Khaled and Nier constantly losing, and the usual arguing between Mary and Lucy, which drowned out all other sounds. So, I focused on the green scenery before me — from the open plains we traveled through to the snowy mountains on our right.
I hadn't noticed until we were close to the village that something was strange… the atmosphere had gone silent. The voices of my companions disappeared.
I looked behind me and the first thing I saw was Libby's back and her right wing, which was open. The moment I turned around, the wing folded, revealing Nier, who threw a snowball directly into my face.
Everyone burst into laughter as the snow hit me… but I didn't get angry. I calmly wiped the snow off and smiled lightly.
"You're lucky I'm forgiving."
"Really? Then here's another snowball!" said Nier, quickly forming another and throwing it at me — but I tilted my head slightly, dodging it.
"Won't work twice. Now wake up Noah — we've arrived."
Everyone got off the carriage. As we entered the village, I tied the horse to a designated post.
I turned to the group. "We'll rest here tonight, then continue. How about some of us get food while others look for an inn?"
"I'll get the food."
Mary replied, "And I'll go with Noah."
Then Khaled said, "Then I'll look for the inn."
"Lucy will go with you."
"I don't need company."
"We'll discuss that later. For now, follow orders."
Khaled frowned but obeyed. "What about you three?"
I answered, "Don't worry. We'll take a walk. Maybe we'll find something useful."
"Don't waste money on useless things."
"You know I wouldn't."
I watched the group split up, then took another path with Nier and Libby.
We hadn't walked long before we found ourselves in front of an accessory shop we hadn't paid attention to before — until an old man sitting by the door called out to us. His beard was thick and white, and his eyes were completely white — a sign of blindness. His face was wrinkled and old, with only a few strands of hair on the sides of his bald head.
"You youngsters, would you like to visit this old man's shop? You might find something you like."
How did he see me? I didn't think much of it and replied, "Sorry, we're not interested in accessories."
Libby stepped forward, ignoring my words. "What kind of accessories do you sell, sir?"
"All kinds. I even use one that lets me see without eyes."
Libby looked at me. "Maybe we'll find something useful if we look…"
Before she finished, I stepped in. "Sir, do you have anything that provides mental defense?"
"Mental defense? Yes, perhaps. Let me check inside."
He stood up slowly and opened the door, releasing a musty scent. "Come in."
As I stepped inside, I noticed the shop's worn, but clean surfaces, and lamps that looked like 19th-century gas lamps — but instead of gas, they contained glowing fireflies. Something I hadn't seen before.
"Why are you looking for mental defense accessories? You already have some," asked Libby.
"But the others don't."
"… You're right. We're the only ones who have them. By the way, what is Nier doing?"
She turned toward Nier, who was trying on every accessory he could find.
"Hey, Nier, be careful! Don't break them!"
The old man, who was searching the shelves, replied, "Don't worry. My accessories are unbreakable. Oh — found it! You're lucky. It's the last one."
"But we need five."
"Sorry, kid. That's the only one I have."
I held the piece in my hand and examined it — a necklace with shiny white chains and a crescent-shaped gem. "It's fine. Thank you… what else do you have?"
Libby said, "Won't this be expensive?"
"I can't buy something for just one person. The others might see it as favoritism." I paused, then continued, "You pick one too."
"No, no, I'm fine with what I have."
"Don't worry, it won't—"
"What does this one do?" Nier interrupted, wearing five accessories and holding a sixth.
"The abilities are written on the shelf," said the old man.
"I can't read… Can we take them all?"
"No. Choose one only."
Nier removed most and kept a single ring. The old man explained, "It strengthens and amplifies consecutive strikes. If the first hit is 100%, the second will be 100.01%, and it doubles each time. But it doesn't prevent exhaustion."
"What's the criteria for consecutive hits?"
"A strike every five seconds without taking damage."
I thought for a moment. 0.01% isn't much, but it multiplies…
The old man added, "But the limit is the 15th strike — a 274% increase."
"That's excellent. Can I take it?"
I patted Nier's head. "Of course you can. I actually think it suits you well."
"If you'd like, I can help choose accessories for the rest of your companions."
"Thanks, but I'm looking for ones that suit their fighting styles."
Suddenly, I spotted golden earrings with floral patterns — they granted temporary invisibility. "This suits Lucy. Don't you think so, Libby?"
"Yeah, I think so too."
I picked it up while searching for other suitable pieces.
"Libby, when you create illusions, what do you do?" Nier asked, surprising me — I wanted to hear her answer too.
"Well, there are two types. The first is a trap illusion in a set area — that's the easy one. The second is individual illusions during combat for each enemy."
"What about this one — it forms illusions automatically based on your intent."
The old man handed me a pair of purple earrings that looked like gemstones.
"Thanks… I'll also take this ring for Noah."
"Oh, the one that lets you become intangible — it's a good fit."
"Wouldn't this necklace that gives him more defense be better?" asked Libby, holding the necklace.
"He can take hits… but wouldn't avoiding them be better? This will help more."
"… What about you, Khaled, and Mary?"
"I'll give Khaled the mental defense accessory. Still looking for something for Mary."
The old man asked, "May I know Mary's ability?"
"Red flames."
"Oh — Flames of Glory. Wait, I have something made just for that."
Flames of Glory? What did he mean?
"Here it is — the only one I have."
I picked up the ring with red gems. "What does it do?"
"It strengthens her flames and gives her healing abilities."
Libby's eyes sparkled. "That's excellent! We really need a healer."
"Alright, we'll take these. How much?"
"Four gold coins… but what about you? Aren't you taking one for yourself?"
I pulled out a small red box — the gift from the two princes. I quickly opened it, revealing the necklace they gave me… one I hadn't worn because I didn't feel worthy. "Does this have a power?"
The old man touched it with his finger, and instantly revealed its full abilities. "Yes. It boosts the power of other accessories by 50%."
He returned it to me. I gave him the four gold coins. It was expensive, but worth it.
"Wait, kids. If you ever wake up in a strange place — head to tree number 3."
What does he mean?
While returning to the meeting point, I noticed a group of kids surrounding a single girl, bullying her.
Libby asked, "Should we help her?"
"They're just kids. What's the worst they can do? We're already late — let's go."
"It's real!" the girl's scream echoed through the empty alley, grabbing my attention. I saw her tearful face as she showed drawings of an imaginary friend to the other kids.
"Let's go," I said, and we walked away, eyes closed to what we left behind.
But moments later, in the quiet alley with only the kids, a purple glow began to shine from the drawings. Then two long, colorful arms emerged… and then the whole being came out.
"W-what is that?" said one of the boys, terror on his face.
The being was a 3-meter-tall clown, brightly colored, with long arms that nearly touched the ground, and a smiling, innocent face. "Don't hurt my friend," it said in a calm, gentle tone — enough to send every kid running… except one.
"You're real! I knew it," said the girl, hugging the clown's leg — if we could even call it a clown.
But around its limbs and head were fine invisible threads — only visible to users of the Outer — and those threads stretched far… ending in my left hand.
I'll let her play with her friend a little. Then I'll cancel the summon… should I give her tips on making friends?
Normally, I'd make the doll smart enough to act on its own and learn through experience. It wouldn't be time-limited. But inside the realms, I can only access 1% of the Outer — that's why most End-Writers never learn it. As for me, I learned it because I knew the great writer used it. That's why we're the only ones who truly master it.
But how could a power that turns imagination into reality and vice versa — capable of miracles — be restricted and reduced to only 1% access?
My thoughts were interrupted when I saw Khaled and the others not far ahead.
Lucy immediately said, "You're late."
"Sorry, but we bought something worth it."
Mary asked, "This town is weird. Did anyone tell you about tree number 3?"
Khaled replied, "Yeah, almost everyone mentioned it."
Noah jumped in, "Forget that — I'm hungry."
*******
After distributing the accessories and having dinner, we went up to our modest hotel room with its plain white walls to get ready for bed.
"You sleep first. I'll join you after I finish my tea,"
I said, sitting at the balcony table overlooking the village.
Mary replied, "That's your last cup, okay?"
As soon as they closed the balcony door, blocking out their voices, Libby asked,
"The hero has insomnia, doesn't he?"
Khaled replied, "Yeah, but he doesn't want us to know."
What they thought was insomnia, huh… Maybe it wasn't that at all.
My eyes were growing heavy, and fatigue was taking over.
Don't sleep… don't… sleep… you can't sleep…
In the end, I couldn't resist any longer… and I slept.
[Leave the rest to me.]
And with those words, the lights shifted.
"What is this place?"
As soon as I fell asleep, I was transported elsewhere—not to a place, exactly, but maybe a dream.
The sky was a bright blue, and the grass thick and green, covering every inch of soil.
The trees had smooth, unblemished surfaces, as if they were handmade.
I remembered the old man's words… and Tree No. 3.
How do I even know which one is Tree No. 3? The place is full of trees.
Suddenly, I spotted a small creature moving among the trees out of the corner of my eye.
I stayed still, waiting for my chance.
As it crept behind me, I spun around, kicking its leg and knocking it over.
In the same motion, I grabbed it by the neck and pinned it to the ground.
"Who are you? Or rather… what are you?"
The creature was about a meter tall—fox-like, but more like a cartoon version.
"Easy, man! I'm not an enemy."
I replied coldly, threateningly, "Answer me. Quickly."
"I'm a villager! I've come to guide you to Tree No. 3. Your friends are already there."
I was suspicious… but there was no better option. Even if it was a trap, they couldn't hurt me.
"Lead the way. Now."
"Okay, it's nearby."
As we walked, the fox asked,
"How are you still human?"
"What?"
"Everyone who enters the dream takes on an animal form… but you've kept yours."
"That's none of your concern."
"…We've arrived. This is Tree No. 3."
The scene was surprising—a vast circular clearing, with a massive tree in the center.
Around it were hundreds of cartoonish animals in all sorts of shapes and colors.
"Hero!"
A group came running toward me, and despite their new appearances, I instantly recognized them.
Mary was a gazelle, Khaled a lion, Nier a weasel, Noah a bear, Lucy a snake, and Libby a bird.
What they all had in common was their radiant white color.
"You all look different. Did you cut your hair or something?" I joked.
Mary replied, "You look small—did you cut your legs off?"
She was referring to my appearance… I looked like a child again.
"What's going on here, anyway?"
"We don't know either. They said to wait for you, and then we're to meet the Old Turtle."
Not far away, the old turtle sat among the crowd, leaning back in his chair against the big tree.
"Welcome, little ones… I hope you liked my accessories,"
said the old man we'd met earlier that day.
"Hero, I don't know what you are, but I need you to hide."
"Why?"
"Your form—it mustn't be seen."
"By who? I won't cooperate unless you explain."
The old turtle sighed.
"…A hundred years ago, a miracle child was born among us.
A being with a power we couldn't describe—energy that prolonged our lives.
We were desperate… terrified of death, so we decided…"
"You decided to delay it."
"Yes. We built this dream world and locked him inside,
giving him a perfect, carefree, sorrowless childhood.
Please… don't interfere. Just follow the script.
We told him this world is the only one that exists."
"Script?"
"Every day, we perform a new adventure scenario to entertain the child."
"Where is the child now?"
"He's asleep… right above us."
< Prepare for the scenario to begin >
"He's coming—hide!"
Mary shouted in anger,
"You lied to a helpless child and trapped him in a fantasy for a hundred years.
Do you really expect forgiveness?"
Lucy added,
"You think we'll play along with this?"
"Guys, stop."
"But Hero…"
"Even if we free him… he'll die. They've already drained him.
There's no point in what we're doing."
"So what? Do we just surrender and let them do what they want?"
"No. Calm down, Mary… I'll write the scenario,
and I will decide how this ends."
I turned to the villagers.
"Let me teach you something…
Whatever choice I make, you'll spend the rest of your lives in fear."
< Mark has awakened >
From the sky—or from nothing—an egg-like structure fell,
carrying Mark inside.
When it landed, it exploded, absorbing the impact and shielding the boy.
The ten-year-old stretched and yawned as if he'd just woken up.
"Good morning, everyone," he said innocently.
Then, upon seeing me, his eyes widened and he ran over joyfully.
"You look like me!"
He circled around me, amazed.
"What's your name? Where are you from? Why do we look the same?
Are those white animals your friends?"
"Calm down, Mark."
"Sorry! I just got excited. I've never seen anyone like me."
He turned to the turtle.
"Grandpa, where did they come from?"
The old man grew anxious, but I stepped in.
"We're from another world."
"Another world?"
"Yes. A big, vast world,"
I paused and looked at him,
"…but you don't always get what you want there."
"I get it… Sometimes my teacher won't let me eat sweets."
I let out a quiet chuckle, and Mark continued,
"Can I see your world?"
"I could show it to you…
But you wouldn't be able to come back."
"What? Why not?"
"Not only that—everyone here would die."
His eyes filled with confusion and fear,
as did the villagers'.
"Mark… are you happy here?"
After a long silence, the boy finally whispered,
"…Everyone lies here.
They're… keeping me trapped."
The villagers began shouting,
but I ignored them and pressed on.
"Do you want to leave?"
He trembled, overwhelmed.
Then nodded.
Without warning, the dream realm began to distort—
everything around us crumbled and dissolved.
"You fool! What have you done—"
All sounds vanished.
Everyone in the city awoke.
We heard footsteps at the apartment door.
We all rose at once, weapons drawn.
Then some villagers broke through,
ready to make us drink the same cup of death.
Lucy tossed a poison grenade, wiping out those at the door.
"Guys, the old turtle was the village leader in the dream.
Mark must be with him,"
Nier reasoned,
and began forming an icy path leading us to our goal.
Below, hordes had gathered.
On the other side, we heard cries of farewell—
parents saying goodbye to children, friends parting with friends.
When we reached the store's door,
waves of rage surged toward us—
but time was not on their side.
Their bodies began to rot and decay before our eyes.
The sight was beyond words—
so horrifying it paralyzed us.
"No… I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
Those were the only words heard,
and within seconds… silence fell.
Only the sound of footsteps creaking on old wood remained,
and the turning of the doorknob.
"Is this… the real world?"
There stood Mark.
Not the innocent child—
but a drained, aged man.
"Hehehe… the sky is beautiful."
Everyone looked up,
and what a coincidence—it was sunrise.
"…Was that view worth it, Mark?"
"…Yes… it was."
His dry, frail voice wavered.
"Hero… thank y—"
@#@$@&$%##-*%$#%#$#%%@$$#$@■@$#$###$@$@#&$@!■
Sorry, friends. That's not what happened.
Apologies—my memory is weak.
Let me tell you what really happened.
"Mark… are you happy here?"
"What's happy?"
Of course…
Without sorrow, there is no happiness.
Without happiness, no sorrow.
I rephrased the question.
"Do you like this place?"
"Yes. I love it a lot."
A smile formed on my face.
"I'm happy for you."
I glanced at my companions.
They had nothing more to say.
No one had the courage to destroy a child's life.
I leaned toward the old man and whispered,
"You've survived—for now.
But for how long?"
"Well then, Mark… we're leaving. Goodbye."
"What? Where to?"
"To our world."
He looked at us angrily.
"Fine, go. I don't care."
What a spoiled brat.
*******
The next morning, as we made our way to the capital of Altherion—
[It's been a long time since we last spoke.]
"Sir!"
[How are you?]
"I'm fine… but I feel something strange."
[Strange? Like what?]
"I feel them… watching me.
I feel like I'm a shadow… and so is the world."
[Ignore them.]
"What?"
[Some beings are so desperate and afraid of being forgotten,
they spread their story.
It's natural.]
"But… I thought the Book of Endings was above all creation.
Can someone really alter our essence?"
Suddenly, the connection broke.
"Great Author?"
Elsewhere, a pale-skinned man with pitch-black eyes
and a long leather coat stood.
No other features were visible.
[Hello, Great Author…
how many centuries has it been since we last spoke?]
[It's you. I see you've grown strong enough to cut my link to the boy.]
The man replied,
[Are you so desperate now you'd send a child to destroy this world?]
[Not desperation. Trust.
Besides… all the other Greater Authors have been killed.]
The man scoffed,
[Trust, huh?
Fine. Then I'll trust Kyle…
and turn your little author into one of us.]
The Great Author answered coolly,
[If that's what he chooses… so be it.]
[You won't be angry if your men betray you?]
[Protecting the worlds is a noble goal.]
[Then why destroy them to begin with?]
[Because I'm the only one with complete knowledge.]