A five-meter-tall shadow emerged behind the trees, towering over them like a deity.
The shadow then rose to six meters in height, covering the sky like a tower. A thin light creased into it like a crack. Suddenly, the crack changed and opened like an eye as the tower charged toward them.
"It's a huge snake!" someone shouted, unsheathing his sword.
"It is not just any snake; that is a mutated Black Mamba." This time, the voice was much deeper.
As the tower came closer, the shadow disappeared like a cloth, revealing the white scales shining under the sun and a thin, tight line for the mouth. Its dragon-like eyes swept across its prey.
As someone had shouted before, despite having a white-scaled body, the snake had "Black" in its name. In spite of its shiny appearance, its interior was completely opposite. The inside of the snake was pitch black.
As the snake lifted its head, everyone received a message presented to them, hovering in front of them like their death.
+
[ Miscellaneous script is activated ]
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[ Miscellaneous script — General Snake Slayer ]
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Category: Miscellaneous
Difficulty: A
Pass condition: Kill the Black Mamba 'General'.
Time limit: 30 minutes
Reward: 4000 points
Consequences: Death
+
"Fuck!... Is it not enough that the difficulty is A?" the deep voice from before cursed in a low tone.
"What is with this time limit?" another voice resounded from the back of the formation, growing deeper with desperation. "Thirty minutes is too little."
Mumbling sounds began to resound as people started to discuss among themselves, and the group became anxious. The time limit of the 'Script' was too short for its difficulty.
"It doesn't matter now. Since the Miscellaneous scene has a difficulty above C, those employees will be here soon." A cold voice silenced the crowd as it descended over them.
Sara—third in command—quickly realized what the owner of the cold voice, Crystal, her close friend, was trying to say.
"Yeah," Sara laughed as she activated a skill, something conjuring in her hand, and continued, "We should finish this quickly; otherwise, one of them will be here. They will definitely tweak things to make it more 'entertaining' for the 'watchers.'"
"Listen up, Legion! Ready for battle stance!!" Peter shouted from Crystal's right side, looking back over his shoulder.
Some unsheathed their swords, some opened boxes of elixirs, all according to their own skill compatibility, and got ready to fight. Crystal made an ice sword, Sara started floating in the sky with her wind manipulation, and Peter took out his long dagger.
The General Snake swept across them, noticing the presence of the people nearby. The giant animal, like a python from mythology, hissed at them and charged forward. People tightened their hold on their weapons as blood and adrenaline became obvious on their faces. Suddenly, the giant serpent stopped moving.
Blood trails began to appear on its body as if someone had made multiple red circles with a thin brush. The giant head with an open mouth suddenly moved downward in an impossible manner and then hit the ground. The giant snake's body started falling as if it had been cut like butter.
Everyone became confused as to how the situation had come to an end. A possible impending death had been just in front of them, and then it was not. Confusion was etched onto the soldiers' faces as their hands lowered, and then everyone received a notification, like a comforter.
+
[ The Grade 5 monster has been killed. ]
[ The General of the Jungle has been slain. ]
[ The Miscellaneous Scene has been cleared. ]
+
Despite the relief they felt, everyone was stunned. A Grade 5 monster had been killed in a second, and no one had done anything—at least not anyone present among them.
"How?—"
"What happened?"
Questions arose as everyone was confused. Then, from among the army, a person from the legion pointed somewhere and shouted.
"Look! Something is shining in the sky."
"Those are wires. I advise you not to go close."
As the person shouted, a masculine voice—not threatening but a little playful in a mature way—answered his question.
The voice came from the forest. Everyone turned toward the voice, and a tall, handsome man, who seemed to be about 25 years old, with red hair flowing in the wind generated from the rubble before, appeared. He wore a military uniform of a white shirt and black coat and emerged from behind one of the trees.
"Who are you?" Again, a cold voice cleared the army's senses as everyone's expressions turned sharp, and they pointed their attacks at him.
Crystal was the only one who didn't lose focus. She was the one who asked the question. Her ice sword held straight forward, was aimed at the red-haired man, ready to be thrust.
A simple smile lingered on the man's face as he eyed the army in front of him. All wore military uniforms with a yellowish-toned green, now dirty, unlike himself, who was clean. He spoke, "Leonard."
"Leonard? Do you mean the one leading Asia right now?"
This time, Peter was the one who asked the question, confused, as the dark green aura around his dagger dimmed down.
"It seems you are well-informed about me," Leonard spoke with a haughty voice and continued while pointing at them, "I figured as much. You must be Peter, the one people call 'Elf.' The one floating must be Sara, and the one with the ice sword must be Crystal, 'The Ice Princess,' leading America at the moment."
The name of the handsome red-haired man was Leonard, who was known as the "Mastermind" throughout the world at that moment.
"You also seem to know about us. The infamous 'Mastermind,'" Sara spoke to ease the tension, contrasting with Peter's uncertainty and Crystal's still-threatening stance.
"Well, I am known for my intellect," Leonard's eyes met Sara's, and the mysterious lingering threat left everyone as he spoke, placing a hand on his chest and bowing slightly.
His main attribute was 'Intellect.' His level of skill was so high that some assumed he could calculate the future with his skill.
The whole army stood beside the six-foot dead serpent's body as the tension seemed to lie between a man in a military suit and the three leaders of the army in front of him.
That was the first meeting of two leaders, from two opposite sides of the world...
My consciousness returned, and my focus went back to the crystal blue screen. I focused on the sensation on my fingertips as I touched the sharp edges of the word 'Dream' and the number that felt like it was carved onto the tablet.
That was one of my favorites—the first meeting of two leaders who reached the pinnacle of this planet. A wave of nostalgia fell over me as I realized that the dreams I had seen for almost my entire lifetime, I would not be seeing them again.
At some point, they were my present. I was spending time seeing them, I was spending time writing them, and I spent time reading them again and again. But now, all that is nothing but history.
Strengthening my mind with the thought that I can still read them, I moved my hand. 'Let me check a couple more.'
Dream_121
Yong Hyungjung was persisting with the 'Script,' even with his high stats and various skills. The 'Scene' had become too unpredictable for him.
"It wasn't like this before."
Yong Hyungjung gritted his teeth as his eyes swept across his surroundings. People were dying left and right. Huge monstrous shadows swayed over them before leaping and tearing people limb from limb.
"Hyungjung! What should we do? Noona will die at this rate." A desperate boyish voice shouted. A boy in his twenties—judging by his body structure—was staring at the other side of the crumbled town.
Dozens of people—some with rusted swords, some with glittering weapons—were marching toward a woman with closed eyes, unconscious and hanging by her hands. The people had killing intent in their eyes and desperation for survival.
"Shut up! Big brother Yong will save big sis!" A girl near the boy shouted at him, her voice even more desperate.
Yong Hyungjung looked at the girl and the boy, their eyes meeting in a silent plea for a solution. They were his two companions. Then he looked at the woman in front of him. She was unconscious and hanging by her hands. He had to save her, but how?
Suddenly, a voice of laughter resounded, completely overshadowing the screams from all over the place.
[Hahaha... the passing condition is whether you kill the Grade 3 monster or you kill the strongest woman present here.]
"I'm gonna kill this mother-f***er employer."
The girl spoke with so much anger that the ground around her shattered.
Yong Hyungjung was also furious. He unconsciously clenched his empty hand into a fist, trying to control his frustration and anger.
His head tilted back as his eyes again looked toward the hanged woman. Frustration won despite his control, and he put all his strength into his legs as he kicked the ground in frustration. The ground split and a fissure was created.
He was frustrated. He wanted to save everyone, but he could not. Everyone was moving toward the unconscious hanged woman to kill her.
These were the same people whom Yong Hyungjung wanted to save, but right now, they were moving to kill someone close to him.
This decision was tough for him. Multiple things were going through his head, and his eyes wandered toward random, useless objects, trying to come up with a solution.
Then Yong Hyungjung saw a sword in the fissure created by his kick. Clinging to his last hope, he leaped down and held the sword by its hilt.
The sword's hilt was warm, indicating its power in full glory. Yong Hyungjung took a deep breath while feeling the warmth coming from the sword. A silver screen with some runic designs at the corners appeared in front of him.
+
[ You have acquired 'Freyr's Sword' ]
+
Information
Name: Freyr's Sword
Rank: God Relic
Description: The sword was used by Freyr's Avatar, 'Mikhail Kuzmin.' The sword possesses Mikhail's strength stats. It can be used once per day at its full capacity. The item has the strength to kill a Grade 2 monster at its full strength.
+
'Then a white light covered the world around me.'
The words resounded in my head, in my own voice but much deeper, as if it were trying to sound like a demonic voice.
Mikhail Kuzmin was walking around in the Russian forest, with soldiers behind him.
"So, Mikhail, which country are you going to choose?" Mikhail turned to his friend, who asked the question.
It had been ten years since the world had changed, and it was this friend who had been beside him through all those hard times.
"I honestly don't know. Being in a new world, 'The Cloud Continent,' with its new rules sounds appealing, but the Modern Continent with its government makes me feel like I know what I can expect there."
"You can always go to Atlanta if you're not sure," his friend offered a suggestion.
"Let's scout the area. We can think about it later," Mikhail deflected the conversation. "Anyway, did you get your Blessing?" He inspected his friend in an up-and-down motion, then added, "You don't get to choose blessings that easily."
"It's hard to decide," Mikhail's friend folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head as he walked with him. "Those stars scare me, watching us from above like we're some interactive characters in a movie."
"At least you get more powerful. It's necessary to survive...."
Dream_223
[...the mansion, Celine was going through the events of the 56th Script. Seventy-two demon kings from demonology and archangels with their armies were fighting among themselves.
"What am I supposed to do?" Celine's voice was soft, uncertain, despairing of an answer.
Then an absolute pause descended as the air became unbreathable. The next instant, suddenly, the roof became covered with cracks, and the glass shattered around as the roof of the mansion blew up, revealing the sky in full view.
"When did the sky get red?!"
Debris from the collapsed roof flew everywhere, obscuring vision. Celine snapped back to herself as she shouted while covering her eyes with an arm.
The sky had turned red, as if someone had sprayed blood all over the clouds, hovering like death over the whole town, or even cities.
'What should I do?' Her jaw tensed. 'I have no choice.' Celine went toward a tower—the one still intact—and rested her body against it, waiting for the burden of her skill as she activated it.
+
[ The existence has used the Exclusive skill 'Premonition Lvl.2'. ]
[ The existence 'Celine' will be able to see possible future scenarios. ]
+
From the shadow in front of her, a bluish-white tablet-like screen, with some deeply shaped blue dots and rainbow-colored runic designs, appeared.
Celine used her skill, a mythical one at that. It allowed her to see some possible futures—merging into one by taking their own different routes.
The skill was too taxing on her mental strain, so she did not want to use it in the chaotic mess. A frown appeared on her face, her right hand—gloved with a silk elbow-length glove—tightening its hold around the pillar.
+
[ The existence's mental health is in danger. The Exclusive skill 'Premonition Lvl.2' has worn off. ]
+
After a few desperate struggles, the strain on her mind became dangerous, and the skill deactivated on its own.
"Damn! These higher existences are crazy. At this rate, the whole of Novas will be destroyed."
She cursed, holding her head. There were buzzing sounds all around her head, her back covered with sweat, making her royal gown wet from the inside, and her vision was poor. She was barely holding on.
Closing her eyes, her head fell down as she shook it intently. "God knows where Yong Hyungjung is, that bastard. Cassandra and Gis are in Atlanta, and Sebastian and Luc—"
BANG!!! ARhhhhARhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
A loud bang occurred from one point in the sky, where a Demon King—tall as a pillar and hideous gray in color, with long onyx horns on his head, a ripped body covered with an open cloak—and an Archangel—shiny white pigeon-like wings and an innocent face with a gold nimbus on top of his head, lying horizontal, also wearing a white open cloak—were fighting.
Air rushed outward in a gust, like ripples formed on the surface of a pond, covering the whole sky.
[Oh my! Looks like this scene will be ending with a huge climax... Hehe...]
A sweet voice came from near the exploded roof. A beautiful woman wearing a professional suit—a white shirt with a black coat, pants, and shoes—and many flickering lights could be seen on her head, moving in a fluid motion like fireflies forming a tiara.
"Don't you have had enough? Lower the difficulty!" Celine looked toward the woman and shouted.
[Huh?... Why would I do that? I'm making a profit here. Hehehe... Stellars are having too much fun. Hehehe... I'm being recommended on MK Stream.] Employer Indira tried to control her giggling laugh.
Again, a sudden blast occurred from where the Demon King and Archangel were fighting, but this time, a dot was heading from that direction, increasing in size and forming into a meteor, like a Grim Reaper.
"Shit..."
Dream_300
[... Both Lucian and Celine are now going through a tomb. Lucian, in his casual dress, looked like a mercenary, and Celine, in her light-fabric royal gown—making it much lighter—held a rolled paper in her hand.
The tomb was located in a sandy region in the Ipritusm Kingdom. The region was once part of the Sahara Desert.
A large cave, neatly dug in a square fashion, had carvings of stories between gods and their worshippers etched all around the walls. It was all lit—in a strange yellow hue—by some weird magic or artifact that they didn't recognize.
"Celine, will we really find what we're looking for here?" Lucian asked curiously while looking toward a statue of several people lying—worshipping—before a tall, three-eyed giant.
"Yes, do you doubt me?" Celine shot back an intense stare at Lucian while opening the rolled paper, revealing a map.
"No, but how will we find a piece of a book in here?" Lucian raised his left hand in defense, trying to make a logical argument.
He didn't doubt her, but he wasn't that confident either. The place was too deserted. Forget finding a book—which they were here to find—it would be like a miracle if they found anything besides sand.
"Trust me, I know where to find it," Celine reassured him while reading the strange letter written on the paper in her hand.
"Okay."
It would be hard, but Celine was determined to find the only hope she had to pass the unavoidable event that would come in the late future.
The book she was looking for was Paradise Lost, a powerful relic associated with John Milton, which was once possessed by Christopher. He was famous when dark matter struck and the world changed.
"I need to find it...."
My consciousness returned—having had enough of what I had read—and this time, the smoky fog around my peripheral view cleared out, and the screen panel disappeared like an illusion.
"Sigh..." I took a deep breath and sighed audibly.
My whole life, these dreams were the only thing that kept me going. I dreamt, I wrote, and I read. It was amazing, but I won't be seeing them anymore.
I closed my eyes and tilted my head toward the sky. My shoulders went limp, falling backward as if a huge weight had been let go. I stayed like that for a few minutes, feeling the cold breeze coming from the sea.
Feeling as if the memoirs of my dreams were leaving me, I said, "I need to move on."
Persephone looked at me. My eyes were closed, so I couldn't see her, but I felt her gaze bore a hole into me. Her charming voice followed.
"Where will you be going?"
I was talking about moving on with my life, moving on from being bound by my old world. I was speaking metaphorically, but it seemed like she took my words too literally.
I opened my eyes, hands still in my pockets, back straight, and confidence beaming on my face. I looked into her eyes.
"I cannot just stay on this island. There is a whole new world."