The door vanished instantly without a trace, upon completing its sole purpose, leaving behind only a damp wall covered in dark moss and the faint scent of decay lingering in the air.
Mary only stared at that wall with a blank expression. It was like she was waiting for something to appear out of that wall. That was probably the case, but sadly, nothing appeared.
What appeared instead was a cruel system message.
[You have failed to pass the Fifth Fable.]
[You will be trapped in the timeline of the past as punishment.]
[You have lost your qualifications as a player.]
The message cut through any remaining hope of returning to the present world. That was enough to make anyone fall into despair.
However,
...So I was really left behind, huh?
Realizing the truth of the situation, she let out a weary sigh.
Perhaps she should have taken things more seriously earlier, but now it was clear—she'd truly been left behind, and her spirits sank even lower upon coming face-to-face with that harsh reality.
What should she do now? Where could she go? More importantly, where was she even supposed to begin?
There were no smartphones, no technology, and no companions.
For a matter of fact, she was entirely alone, and the room filled with an eerie silence like stepping into a foreign land for the first time. But unlike the modern world, where navigating a foreign country was possible, here she had nothing to guide her. The isolation felt like drowning in shallow waters, close enough to the surface yet unable to breathe. She had greatly underestimated the horrors known as the Fables and paid a terrible price that she couldn't hope to escape.
Was she really going to die? In such a gloomy place? Alone?
When those depressing thoughts crossed her mind.
Thump! Thump!
The grimoire, the Book of Da'at Abyss, began to tremble, seizing Mary's attention as if an unseen hand had reached out to her.
Thump! Thump!
The book trembled as if it was alive. Like It was trying to speak directly to her. Truly, It was a strange phenomenon that anyone would call unreal.
It was a mystery beyond the territory of man and understanding.
That was the Occult.
Thump! Thump!
Despite standing before that unsettling presence, Mary felt no fear. Instead, a strange connection stirred within her—a resonance with the occult in her grips, as if she held within her the mysteries of Another World.
The book seemed to recognize her despair, her isolation, and was offering her... something. Knowledge or even power beyond the world's order.
But the cost was unclear.
She had no idea what awaited her if she accepted this path. It was likely that she might never have a happy life or find true happiness. But if she stayed here alone, she knew what awaited her then—nothing but silence and despair.
Maybe... maybe this was the answer. Is that why he gave this book to me?
She thought, and an image of a man in red drifted into her mind like a distant yet deeply cherished memory, lingering like a soft echo from the past.
Jakga Kim.
The man who had spared her life instead of killing her, gave her this grimorie and told her to find her own path in this era regardless of good or evil.
If she was truly trapped, left behind with no path forward, then, at least, she had to understand this prison of a timeline she was bound to. For that, she needed strength as well as knowledge.
The grimoire resting in her hands was the means to acquire both.
She vowed to live this life to the fullest, honoring the one who spared her and opened a new path for her story.
At that moment, Mary Aldridge slowly opened the book that contained forbidden secrets.
* * *
[You have returned.]
My vision became clear as the blinding light slowly faded, and I recognised the surrounding space right away.
It was the warehouse where the survivors had taken refuge.
I had returned to the present.
[The constellations are pleased with your performance.]
[The constellation, Architect of Destruction, recognises the story pattern.]
[The constellation, Master of Theatregoing and Performance, is pleased with your acting.]
[You have received 5,000 coins from donations.]
The expected constellation messages appeared just on schedule. As I reflected on it, I couldn't help but wonder how many coins I had earned in total.
However, before that, there was something I needed to check first.
Click! Click!
I manipulated the system interface and summoned the information about the list of fragments I had collected.
[ List of Fragments ]
•Servant of ■■ ■■ (???) (Incomplete)
When comparing the two skills, the Black Box clearly stands out as the superior option by a wide margin. In fact, many of its functions remain unexplored and shrouded in mystery.
What purpose does a lesser mental skill serve when I already possess a superior one?
"Ughh..."
I could only spit out a sigh.
It was disappointing, really. It would have been better if she have gave me [Aegis] or [Goddess Sword], but I don't want to be too greedy.
[Conditions has been met.]
Eh?
[Personal Skill, Black Box has activated.]
[The Skill 'Unbreakable Spirit' has been absorbed.]
I stared at the system message with a blank expression.
Subconsciously, my head tilted to the side.
Did the Black Box just consume the skill of the Goddess?
Thinking about It, a similar phenomenon occurred at the First Fable when 'It' consumed Shin Jinhyuk's broken fragments.
With each passing moment, the truth about the Black Box drifts further out of reach.
By now, I suppose nothing should surprise me. Honestly, a girl could pop out of it, and I wouldn't even blink.
"... Jakga?"
My line of thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice. Angelica was standing besides me.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing. By the way, where are the twins? I don't see them anywhere."
"They're over there."
Angelica pointed towards the green-haired twins who were speaking with their mother.
I see. So that person managed to survive.
In the original novel, that woman didn't survive, yet here she was, still alive. Perhaps this time, things would turn out differently, and the twins would be spared from another tragedy.
It looks like I was worried for nothing.
Sighing, I pulled out my smartphone and checked the time.
8:40 P.M.
It was latter than I thought.
How long were we gone?
Was it time difference? Or some strange law about Time Travel?
I looked at Angelica and asked. "Should we camp for the night?"
Angelica glanced around, assessing the state of the group. Everyone looked worn, and the exhaustion in their eyes was apparent. She nodded, "That might be best. We could all use the rest, and it's safer to settle here until morning."
"Alright. Let's set up over there."
We walked deeper into the warehouse and begun to set up for the night. At some point, Yoo Rin approached us with something in her hands.
It was a blanket.
"Here, take this. Sorry, we only have one extra."
"Are you sure? Don't you need it more than we do?"
"Don't worry about it. We're not going to use it anyway, and I don't want my mother staring at it any longer."
Her hands trembled slightly as she passed me the blanket. It likely belonged to her missing father, but she offered it to us anyway, worried that we might be cold.
Angelica took the blanket. "Thank you. If there's anything we can do to help, let us know."
However, Yoo Rin only forced a smile. "You've already done enough by keeping us safe."
She turned and walked back toward her mother and Yoo Jinsung who was looking this way. For some reason, her back seemed to be weighed down by an invisible burden. Yet she was still standing.
She seemed like she would be able to defeat the Demon King with that courage.
It was only when we rolled up the blanket that I noticed something odd.
"Angell."
"...Yes?"
"We only have one blanket."
"..."
We only had one blanket, which was a recent gift from Yoo Rin. Fortunately, it was large enough to comfortably fit two people. But that would mean we would have to sleep together.
"!"
Upon noticing the situation, Angelica brushed and the atmosphere instantly became awkward.