Bobby strained against the pile of fallen books, desperate to escape. With a surge of adrenaline, he yanked his pistol free and fired three shots into the Archivist's chest.
She let out an unearthly howl, stumbling back into a bookcase which toppled over with a thunderous crash. Bobby scrambled to his feet, half-buried books now sliding off him with ease, as if no longer so heavy. The Archivist writhed amidst the wreckage, black ichor oozing from her wounds.
Not waiting to see if she would recover, Bobby turned and sprinted deeper into the maze of bookshelves. The labyrinth seemed to warp around him, rows shifting to block any path of escape.
Behind him came an enraged shriek that shook the aisles. The Archivist was giving chase! Bobby ran faster, pistol clenched in one hand, forgotten glowing tome in the other.
Adrenaline pumping, he didn’t question the command, as he darted left. A resounding blast went off next to him as a shelf exploded into splinters.
If it wasn't for the voice's command to turn left, Bobby knew he would have been hit by the Archivist's blast. The timely warning had saved his life.
He kept running through the warped maze of shelves as more enraged shrieks echoed behind him. The Archivist was unleashing a barrage of attacks in pursuit.
Trusting it once more, Bobby immediately dropped into a slide. A scorching bolt of energy sizzled over him, obliterating the shelf where his head had just been. Without the voice, he'd already be dead.
Getting up, Bobby dashed down the narrow passage ahead. The labyrinth pressed in oppressively, shadows writhing between the stacks.
But he knew one misstep would still finish him. At his low level, a single hit from the Archivist's attacks would liquefy his insides. His only chance was following the voice's instructions without hesitation or question.
Bobby rushed to the table, hands full with pistol and glowing tome. He tucked the ancient book under his armpit, clamping it to his side with his gun arm. This freed his other hand to swipe the vial, but the awkward manoeuvre nearly caused him to fumble it.
Securing his grip on the vial, Bobby whirled around to face back the way he had come. There stood the Archivist, her face twisted in malevolent rage. Black ichor still oozed from the bullet wounds in her chest. He focused on her stats.
Archivist Crone - enraged.
Level ???
That’s not good. He thought, looking at the stats. Her level was still unknown, which meant she was way too powerful for him to fight, and now her status showed her enraged, which couldn’t be good. His attack with the 9mm hadn’t even registered on her life, as it still wasn’t showing.
For a moment, her eyes smouldered with murderous intent, causing Bobby to raise his pistol. But then the Archivist caught sight of the vial clutched in his hand. Her fury shifted to shock and... was that fear?
"The Varuvian Heart!" she rasped, staggering back a step. "How could you know…"
She trailed off, glaring at the glowing tome tucked under Bobby's arm, realisation dawning. The Archivist hissed. "You will pay for this trespass, boy!"
Trusting the directive, Bobby hurled the crystal vial down with all his strength. It shattered on impact, releasing a tremendous rush of energy.
A blinding shockwave blasted outward, obliterating the towering bookcases surrounding the clearing. Splintered wood rained down as the oppressive darkness receded.
The wave also crashed over the Archivist, who let out an unearthly wail. When the blast cleared, Bobby checked her stats again:
Archivist Crone
Level 15
HP: 450/500
The Archivist had been weakened! Her level and health were now visible. The vial's release had somehow stripped away her power.
She hissed at Bobby with impotent fury, no longer able to unleash her deadly magic. "You will suffer for this, both of you will!"
Sensing his chance, Bobby raised his pistol and fired off two more shots, hitting her in the chest. The Archivist stumbled back, ichor leaking from fresh wounds. Her health bar dropped by a chunk. Bobby took aim, ready to fire more shots at the weakened Archivist.
Bobby adjusted his aim and unloaded five rapid shots at the Archivist's face. His pistol bucked wildly as bullets tore through her head, the bullet casings burning hot as they bounced off the skin of his forearm.
On the fifth shot, he scored a critical hit. The Archivist's head exploded in a shower of gore, black ichor and viscera erupting outward like a grotesque firework.
"Holy shit!" Bobby yelped, as the Archivist's obliterated head rained down in chunky bits around him. He frantically tried to dodge the deluge of skull fragments and brain matter. Dancing around like a crazy man.
The remnants of the Archivist’s mangled body collapsed to its knees, then toppled over with a heavy thud. The health bar that had floated above her drained away entirely.
+150 XP Gained
≪ Level Up! ≫
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1 Skill Point Gained
Bobby panted hard, pistol still aimed at the headless corpse as the energy of the level up filled him. That had been beyond overkill, but clearly effective. He grimaced at the pooling ichor and obliterated cranial bits surrounding him. That was the most graphic headshot he'd ever witnessed.
He lowered his smoking pistol, breathing hard as he stared at the Archivist's remains. Glancing down, he ejected the magazine from his 9mm and counted the remaining rounds. By his count, he had fired ten shots.
That left seven bullets still in the magazine. Bobby slapped it back into the pistol grip and pulled the slide to chamber the next round. Seven wasn't much, but better than nothing if more threats emerged. He'd have to be precise and find more ammo soon.
With the immediate danger passed, Bobby finally had a moment to reflect. The voice had saved him multiple times during the chase and knew how to defeat the Archivist.
"Hey uh... thanks. Also, thanks for the assist back there," Bobby said. "You really had my back. Wish I knew who or what you were."
The voice in Bobby's head remained silent for a moment before responding.
Bobby's eyes widened as he stared at the glowing tome tucked under his arm.
"So you're saying you're some kind of captured soul fragment that was stuck in this book I grabbed?"
Bobby shook his head in disbelief. "That's... horrifying. I'm sorry that was done to you." He hesitated before asking, "Do you at least remember your name?"
The voice was silent for a moment.
Bobby thought for a second. "How about I give you a new name, then? Let's see..." He considered some options that felt fitting. "Wait, are you male or female?"
the voice replied.
"Got it. Actually, I don’t really know any good dwarf names. How about I call you Rem for now? It’s short for remnant."
"Rem it is!" Bobby grinned, pleased to give his mysterious companion a fitting moniker. "I'm Bobby, by the way. Nice to officially meet you, Rem."
A new quest notification flashed before Bobby's eyes:
Quest - The Sundered Soul: Seek out and restore all fragments of Rem’s essence across the realms. Exp variable. Do you accept? Y/N?
"Whoa, looks like we've got a new quest to restore all your fragments!" Bobby said excitedly. "Don't worry, I'll help you get them all back and make you whole again." The quest line flared gold and disappeared into his quest tab.
"Maybe not, but we gotta try. You helped me, so it’s the least I can do to return the favour. Talking of which, how were you able to guide me so much?"
Rem explained.
Bobby nodded as he took in Rem's explanation. "Well, luck happens to be my forte right now," he replied.
He explained to Rem about the seven-day luck perk boost he had received from the system at the start of all this. "It's the only reason I survived that first attack and made it this far. It also seems to keep things interesting for me, to say the least."
Bobby nodded, mulling over Rem's words. This uncanny luck boost was a rare gift he aimed to make the most of. Glancing around at the wreckage of the battle, Bobby's eyes fell upon the Archivist's crumpled body. He hesitated, reluctant to search the gory remains, but resources would be scarce.
"Before we move on, let me check if she has anything useful," Bobby said. He stepped towards the corpse. "Rem, is there a way to loot without rummaging through her pockets?"
Bobby sighed but steeled himself. Carefully avoiding the ichor, he knelt and rifled through the Archivist's robes. He found a pair of ornate librarian glasses in the Archivist's robes and a sturdy dagger.
Slipping on the glasses, his vision remained unchanged at first glance. But upon closer inspection, Bobby noticed faint sigils and runes becoming visible on some of the books surrounding him.
Archivist's Glasses - Fragile - Allows the wearer to see hidden magical symbols and wards.
"Whoa, these let me see hidden details," Bobby murmured. The glasses would prove useful for unveiling concealed information during their journey.
"Oh right, I did level up!" Bobby said. In the heat of the moment, he'd forgotten.
He pulled up his character screen.
Status Screen Name Robert "Bobby" Jones Race Human Age 29 Level 4 Class Undefined Title None Exp 901/1251 Skill points left 2 Effects Lucky Seven - open for more details. Poisoned - Total Health Reduced
A toxic poison is corroding your health. Total health is steadily declining. Antidotes or healing skills are needed to counteract the poison. Health 125/130 Health Regen Moderate Stamina 115/115 Stamina Regen Moderate Mana 21/21 Mana Regen Slow Attributes Strength 8 Perception 5 Constitution 7 Intelligence 6 Agility 8 Willpower 9 Charisma 4 Luck 6*
"Shit!" He exclaimed, "I’m poisoned."
"That diseased rat must have infected me when it bit my leg earlier. I didn't even realise!" Bobby said, wincing as he recalled the filthy teeth sinking into his calf.
Bobby shook his head in frustration. "God, there's so much I don't know about this world. About how this system even works."
Rem was silent for a moment before responding.
Bobby perked up. "You reckon?"
"Sounds like a plan." Bobby said. "Hopefully, I can complete this quest while I’m at it as well."
Bobby felt a spark of motivation. If they could find some kind of guidebook, it could help him understand this new place he found himself in, and choose the best skills and stats to survive in this strange world.