Beyond the Eternity

Finally, I was hearing the information that I needed.

Lee Dokho was an apostle. He had just confirmed my suspicions with his own mouth. In other words, he was a reader of the novel Song of Nightmares just like me but there were still things that were not still clear.

I pretended to be confused and opened my mouth. "Apostles? Why do you call yourself that? You said something about a group. Does that mean there are more of you?"

"I'll get to that. Just listen to this story I'm about to tell," Lee Dokho responsed and continued speaking.

"We call ourselves the Apostles because we are the only ones that has read the Ancient texts."

"Ancient texts? You mean a grimoire?"

"It's something similar but different from a book of sorcery. We call such a book the '[Book of the End]."

Book of the End? I thought.

Wait, did the readers seriously create a secret cult and name that thing the Book of the End? That's so cringe. Even when the world was about to end, people were still cringe. In fact, human beings have always been cringe from the beginning.

A sigh almost escaped my lips, but I was currently acting like Soo Jinyoung, so I tried to keep a straight face.

"At first, we all thought it was stupid book. Someone just copied a bunch of nonsense from another book and changed a few as if no one would notice. But we realised we were wrong once the destruction began."

Lee Dokho paused. What he said was the truth. Someone really copied a bunch of nonsense from another book and changed a few things. But that was only in the 'beginning'.

I waited for Lee Dokho to continue sharing the story.

"That book is the 'Truth' and every word that was written inside that book comes to pass. It is a single revelation that contains all records of the past, present and the future. Your story is even recorded in the book, and you exist as a fable."

"Are you making fun of me? Do you expect me to believe such a thing exists?"

"People said the same thing about magic and superpowers but those strange things now exists in this world. So why are you so surprised that a book that contains all stories exists?"

I remained silent.

"You still have the expression that screams 'I don't believe you' so let me ask you a few things. How did you think I obtained information about you in the first place? I even know about Soo Jinyoung-nim's special ability. Isn't it amazing? There's someone that can live multiple lives without losing your previous memories. Only someone like you can receive such a blessing."

Lee Dokho smiled faintly as he studied my expression.

"I'm aware that you have already added the Demon Sword Jung Yunhee to your ranks. Perhaps you have also added the Giant Soldier Lee Jongho and Mad Demon Shin Jinhyuk as well. But since they didn't come with you, they will be at your base. Well, that's the case if I followed the words of the Ancient texts..."

My eyes widened. I heard a familiar name that I wasn't expecting.

Shin Jinhyuk. What this person didn't know was that the story has already changed since the Mad Demon Shin Jinhyuk has already left this world.

So I controlled my cheeks and formed a confused expression.

"Shin Jinhyuk?"

"Yes, Shin Jinhyuk, the Mad Demon. Haven't you met him already?"

"Who is that person?"

"Eh?"

"I have never heard of such a name before."

"Wait, that's not right. Did something happen..."

Led Dokho became confused and started biting his fingernails. Wasn't that a bad habit?

I asked. "So where is this supposed divine book of knowledge?"

"I'm sorry. I can't it give you."

"What? Why?"

"Well, I don't think you can handle it."

"Huh? When you will you stop making fun of me? Do you think I can't handle reading a simple book?"

I became irritated and Lee Dokho opened his mouth at the speed of sound.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean to underestimate you. I mean goodwill, really. It's just that someone apart from the Apostles tried reading the words of the Last testament and... Well, let's say that person is no longer in this world."

"What? Someone died just from reading a text? Such an absurd thing..."

I was shocked. It was a new piece of information that I didn't even believe myself. The notion that someone died from reading the words of a novel is completely ridiculous.

At moments like this, I really wished I had Lie Detection or Truth.

I studied Lee Dokho's expression. He was nervous but there was no visible crack in his expression or change in posture. Was he really telling the truth?

I needed to know more. I opened my mouth and asked.

"Can you please elaborate? How is that person die?"

"Well, it's a simple story. I made a journal and wrote the words of the prophecy on it then someone apart from me read it. Once he read it, he suddenly started bleeding from all over and collapsed. There was nothing nobody could do."

At this moment, Lee Dokho frowned. Perhaps it was a painful story to share. Thinking about it, there was supposed to be another character in this station. Could it be that person?

Even so, Lee Dokho continued narrating the story.

"After that incident, the apostles carried out some investigations and compared their results. Apparently, the same has happened with the other apostles. Nobody knows the reason for this but It seems only the apostles can read the sacred texts without suffering any consequence..."

"That remains to be seen. Give me the book."

Lee Dokho sighed.

"I can't give you what that I don't have."

"What?"

"All the original copies vanished from this world. We have fragments of the ancient texts from our memory. It may seem indifferent those little fragments are enough to sully the soul of any innocent person that carelessly reads them. The knowledge is too 'pure' for any human mind. Just reading a sentence from those fragments is enough to drive a normal person to insanity.

That's why the apostles decided to keep those fragments to ourselves."

"So there is no way."

I closed my eyes and tried to process everything. Let's summarise everything from the beginning..

There is a secret cult of readers who called themselves the 'Apostles'. Apparently, all the original copies and files of the novel has been erased so the readers use what they know and combine it to survive.

The situation with the readers was basically the same as what I pictured in my mind. But I didn't think that someone can die by just reading a single paragraph from the novel.

Was that really possible? Can people die by just reading a sentence from a sheet?

My mind suddenly recalled when Jung Yunhee tried to peak at the screen of my smartphone. Would she have died if she saw what I was writing? Would she have died without knowing what had happened?

My body shivered. Such a possibility completely terrified my soul. It was a good thing I came here, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to prevent a tragic story.

I pushed everything to the back of my head. Let's proceed with my next course of action.

"Hey, you said your name was Lee Dokho?"

"Yes."

"Why did you tell me this story?"

"I want to form an alliance with you."

"Are you sure that's what you want? Or is it something else?"

"T-That..."

Lee Dokho seemed shocked then tried to regain his composure.

"As expected, you would see through my plan. I want to form an alliance with the Soo Jinyoung's Company. But it's an alliance in name only while we'll serve under you."

"So you want my protection, is that right?"

"Y-Yes."

Look at this fellow. This person wanted a parent that would babysit him and this group members in exchange of giving out information. It was a great offer that I couldn't resist but I have to be calm.

"Does the rest of group know they'll be under me?"

"Don't worry about unnecessary things. I'll handle everything."

"It's a good deal. I'll take you all under me but I have a condition."

"A condition? In that case, I'll do anything."

It was a good mindset. Having the strength of Soo Jinyoung will surely lead him to victory. However, I was not Soo Jinyoung but Kim Jakga so I couldn't let it slide.

I raised my legs and crossed them on the table. I truly looked like an arrogant king.

"Swear an oath."

"What? An oath?"

"Yes. You said you would do anything, right? So swear an oath. I can't take your group under me if you can't do this much."

"T-That..."

Lee Dokho bit his lips and fell into deep thought.

Asking him to swear an oath was basically telling him to give him rights as a human being. If I asked him to sacrifice himself, he will be forced to kill himself. Not by his own will but forced by the will of the system.

It was unreasonable but Soo Jinyoung would do something like this. She was a reincarnator so she was forced to be careful whether she liked it or not.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Finally, Lee Dokho opened his mouth.

"I swear on the king's oath to follow Soo Jinyoung-nim's commands without question."

[The general of the Sindaebang station, Lee Dokho has taken the King's Oath.]

[You can command Lee Dokho to do as you say.]

Lee Dokho wore a complicated expression. He just basically gave up his rights as a human being so it was natural that he would be anxious.

Did I forget to say this was my goal from the beginning?

"What is your attribute?"

"T-That..."

Lee Dokho hesitated. Exposing your attributes was basically asking for death. But could Lee Dokho resist that command?

Crack—

"Argh!"

Sparks flew around his body and Lee Dokho screamed. He was trying to resist my command so he was facing the penalty.

"It's Streamer. My attribute is Streamer."

"Strange. I don't think I've heard of such an attribute."

"It would be strange if you heard of it. It's an attribute that didn't exist until the rise of the apostles."

"You used to be a streamer?"

"Yes. I believe I was rather trending on the news."

"I've never heard of you."

"Of course you haven't. I'll be scared if you did."

Lee Dokho laughed.

Perhaps he was a popular person from the 'Outside World' but Soo Jinyoung was from the 'Inside'. It was a wall preventing those from the 'Inside' from interacting with those on the 'Outside'. Wouldn't such a great wall be called the Fourth Wall?

"Hmm?"

Thinking about it, was this guy really popular in the real world? I know alot of Streamers but I have never heard of a streamer called Lee Dokho. More importantly

"I see. But is that all?"

He stopped laughing.

"How many more attributes do you have? I know you have more."

"... There's one more."

"So you have two. What is the other one?"

"T-That... Damnit! Arrrrghhhh!"

Lee Dokho struggled and the penalty intensified. The more he resisted, the more the penalty will increase. What was he trying to hide so badly?

"Stop wasting my time and tell me quickly."

"It's 73rd..."

"73rd? 73rd what?"

"My second attribute is the 73rd Apostle!"

Lee Dokho crumbled to the floor as he was released by the penalty.

This person, so he was the 73rd Apostle.

Why was his class the 73rd Apostle instead of the 73rd Reader?

More importantly, if this guy was the 73rd apostle, than how many of them are there?