The Grand Hall of the Lorenzio Palace was a masterclass in atmospheric dread disguised as Victorian opulence.
Crystal chandeliers, infused with high-density mana stones, cast a shimmering, golden light over the assembled elite of Arunheim.
To a casual observer, it was a night of celebration—the Transnational Peace Conference Banquet. To a person with [Sage's Eye] or heightened spiritual perception, it was a cage waiting for a lock.
Nobles in high-collared velvet coats and ladies in silk gowns whispered behind ivory fans, their gossip fueled by the "Stagnation" of the outside world.
"Have you heard?" a Baroness from the North whispered, her voice carrying over the soft violin music. "The Leon family... they say they weren't exorcists at all. They were the ones planting the seeds of the Devil all along. The Prince was right to purge them."
Nearby, Han Sooyoung leaned against a marble pillar, her arms crossed, wearing a tuxedo that looked far too sharp for a 'Bandit King.'
She let out a sharp, derisive snort.
Beside her, Fors Wall adjusted her spectacles, her fingers trembling slightly.'
"Traitors, my ass," Sooyoung muttered. "Baal just removed the only people who knew how to kill him. Classic narrative pruning."
"Sooyoung-ssi, please," Fors whispered, looking around nervously. "We're supposed to be part of Yoo Yeonha's envoy. Don't blow our cover before the main event."
Yoo Yeonha stood a few feet ahead of them, the undisputed 'Merchant Queen' of the Republic.
She was currently navigating a thicket of Northern ambassadors with the grace of a shark in a coral reef.
Her status as a shadow financier allowed her access to the highest echelons, and she used it to position her 'bodyguards' exactly where they needed to be.
As they moved through the crowd, a tall, striking figure caught their attention.
Standing near the buffet was a person with long, flowing hair and a presence that seemed to challenge the very air of the room.
"Jang Hayong?" Han Sooyoung blinked.
He was dressed in the silver-and-white uniform of a high-ranking guard for the Northern kingdoms. He caught their eyes and gave a subtle, weary nod. He looked like he was one step away from punch-teleporting his employer into the monster's mouth.
[Constellation who likes to change genders is happy to comeback!]
"The roles in this world are truly messed up," Sooyoung chuckled.
Then, they saw them.
In the center of the hall, the legendary Hero Kim Suho stood in a formal military uniform, his Mistelstein replaced by a ceremonial rapier that nonetheless hummed with the power of the Sword Saint.
Beside him, holding his arm, was Yun Seung-Ah.
In the Star Stream, their relationship was one of mutual respect and lingering tension(at least that was on the surface ;3).
Here, the System had seen fit to weave a different story. They were the premier power couple of the Arunheim military—officially married for three years(they weren't really against ;3).
Yoo Yeonha glided over to them, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Commander Kim, Lady Yun. You both look... exceptionally coordinated tonight."
She leaned in, her voice dropping to a theatrical stage-whisper.
"I must say, Suho-ssi, the marriage life seems to agree with you. Though, on Earth, I believe they call this a 'significant gap' in seniority, don't they?"
Kim Suho turned a bright shade of red, coughing into his hand.
"Yeonha-ssi, the laws of this world are... different."
Yun Seung-Ah simply smiled, though her grip on Suho's arm tightened.
"Age is just a number when you're busy saving the world, Yeonha-ssi. I'm sure Kim Hajin would agree, wherever he is."
The mention of Hajin cast a brief shadow over the group, but it was interrupted by the blare of trumpets.
At the top of the grand staircase, Prince Terhun—the man the world knew as Bell—manifested.
He was dressed in royal gold, his hair shimmering like spun sunlight.
Behind him, the aura of Baal flickered like a glitch in a video game.
"Leaders, nobles, survivors," Bell began, his voice amplified by the World Will. "We gather at the threshold of a new era. Today, we put aside the petty squabbles of our kingdoms and dance to the rhythm of the stars."
Bell raised his hand.
[The Main Scenario – 'Final Banquet of the Damned' has begun!]
The orchestra didn't wait for a signal.
They began to play a haunting, fast-paced waltz.
Suddenly, the guests gasped.
Their legs moved without their consent. High-ranking nobles, warriors, and even Fors Wall were pulled into the center of the room.
"What's happening?!" Yoo Yeonha demanded, her own feet sliding across the floor in a perfect box-step.
Han Sooyoung hissed, resisting the urge to twirl. "The Scenario is forcing us to 'Act' out the banquet."
While the hall below became a sea of forced movement, Bell stepped out onto the cold stone balcony.
Jin Sahyuk was already there, leaning against the railing, her eyes fixed on the violet horizon.
"Your puppet show is getting boring, Bell," she said without turning.
"It's not my show anymore, Sahyuk," Bell replied, his smile fading into something brittle. "Baal got into my memories. Deep. He saw things he shouldn't have. He saw something I witnessed through my skill. He's... shocked. And angry."
Jin Sahyuk turned her head, her sharp gaze cutting through the mist. "Angry that you plotted against him?"
Bell laughed, a dry, rasping sound.
"No. Angry at the sheer insignificance of his existence. Sahyuk, would you believe me if I told you that this entire world—your Plerion, my Arunheim, even the Earth—is nothing more than a poorly written, average novel? That we are just symbols on a page for some bored creator?"
Jin Sahyuk's eyes widened, a flicker of something resembling existential horror crossing her face before she masked it with her usual arrogance.
In the corners of the hall, a server moved silently through the forced dancers.
He carried a tray of red wine, his face stoic and his movements perfectly efficient.
Yoo Joonghyuk.
[Acting Rate as 'Janitor/Server' has reached 100%!]
[The 'Rejective Force' has been neutralized.]
[Your Stats have returned to 100% output!]
[A new Giant Story is germinating within you.]
Joonghyuk set the tray down on an empty table.
He didn't look at the wine.
He looked at a small boy sitting in the 'Royal Box' overlooking the dance floor.
The boy was wearing silk finery, casually swinging his legs and eating a large bowl of strawberry ice cream.
Lee Gilyoung.
The Second Prince of Republic.
Joonghyuk didn't hesitate.
He moved.
To the dancing nobles, he was a blur of black shadow.
He reached the box, grabbed Gilyoung by the collar of his expensive tunic, and tucked him under his arm.
"Hey! My ice cream!" Gilyoung protested.
Joonghyuk didn't answer.
He vaulted over the balcony railing, landing in the courtyard outside the palace walls.
He opened the [Midday Tryst] and sent a single, blunt command.
Yoo Joonghyuk: [Get out here. I have the kid.]
A few minutes later, Han Sooyoung tumbled out of a side exit, Fors trailing behind her, gasping for breath.
"You couldn't have waited for the dessert course?" Sooyoung snapped, brushing soot off her tux. She looked at Gilyoung. "Oh, hey, kid. Nice dress."
"Hyung, why are we out here?" Gilyoung asked, looking at Joonghyuk. "My brother—the Prince—he's the host for the Big Bad, isn't he?"
Joonghyuk stared at him.
"Jin Sahyuk told me," Gilyoung shrugged, his eyes turning cold. "She said this world is a fake and my 'brother' is just a container."
"Kids shouldn't listen to that evil woman," Joonghyuk growled, his hand resting on the hilt of the Black Heavenly Demon Sword.
"At this point, I shouldn't listen to a guy who was just a janitor five minutes ago," Gilyoung retorted.
Han Sooyoung chuckled, stepping forward to mess up Gilyoung's hair.
"He's got you there, Joonghyuk."
"Anyway, kid, where's Shin Yoosung?"
Gilyoung's face fell.
"I don't know. The System split us up."
"Don't worry," Sooyoung said, pulling a shimmering gold band from her pocket. "Yoo Yeonha's intelligence network is terrifying. We found her. She transmigrated as the daughter of a circus owner in the East. Apparently, she freed all the lions and elephants on her first day and is currently being hunted as a revolutionary. But she sent this."
She handed the ring to Joonghyuk.
===
[Item Information]
Name: [Lv.14 Ring of the Monkey King]
Rank: Myth
Attributes: Four-colored Enchant of Spirit Power
Description: Infused with the Spirit Power of the descendant of Dwarfs. The pinnacle of jewelship. It amplifies chaos-attribute skills and allows for '72 Transformations' on a limited scale.
If broken, it unleashes the true power of the Monkey King for 60 seconds.
===
It was a ring that Kim Dokja received from his gift box.
"We need more than a ring," Sooyoung said, her expression turning deadly serious. She looked at Gilyoung. "Kid, we need to talk to your sponsor."
Lee Gilyoung hesitated.
His Story [Grasshopper Catcher] began to hum with a vibration that felt like a million insects crawling under his skin.
"'He'... 'He' doesn't like it," Gilyoung whispered.
Suddenly, the air in the courtyard turned heavy.
The smell of the banquet vanished, replaced by the scent of a bottomless, ancient pit.
[The Constellation 'Ruler of the Deepest Pit' is looking at his incarnation.]
The space behind Gilyoung distorted.
A shadow loomed—a mass of wings and mandibles that existed between the folds of the abyss. Abaddon, the Most Ancient Evil, the King of Locusts, began to descend.
"What do you want." the voice was a buzzing echo that vibrated in their marrow.
Han Sooyoung stepped forward, her eyes glowing purple. "We want to open the pit, Abaddon. Don't you think it's unfair to be left out?"
A dense status pressed on them.
"How dare you..." a million of screeching sounds shaped into one sentence.
However, Han Sooyoung wasn't fazed.
"It's time to show what you are really worth of."
Suddenly, the earth groaned.
A massive shockwave rippled from the palace.
A wall of absolute, pitch-black energy erupted from the palace foundation, shooting into the sky and forming a dome that pushed the courtyard group back.
The palace was being isolated from the world.
Han Sooyoung looked at the black barrier, a grin spreading across her face.
"Just in time. The banquet is over."
"Abaddon," Gilyoung's voice changed, his eyes turning into faceted, emerald lenses. "I want to help my friends."
===
< Main Scenario #?? – Final Banquet of the Damned >
Category: Main
Difficulty: ???
Summary: You have been invited to the birth-feast of the 1st Devil, Baal. To leave this place, you must either help Baal or destroy his castle.
Clear Conditions: Defeat or Help Baal
Time Limit: One day.
Reward: 1,000,000 coins and 'Fragment of a Censored World'.
Failure: Permanent transformation into an NPC of Arunheim. Death?
===