The dimensions of the room had changed with the Archivist’s death, reverting to something more aligned with the actual size and shape of the small town library. The area was now a mess, with books and broken bookcases strewn across the floor.
"Rem, I don’t even know where to begin searching through all this," Bobby said, gesturing at the chaotic scene.
"Right, but how do I do that?" Bobby asked with uncertainty. "I don’t understand how any of this works. I’ve been stumbling through as best I can."
"Why?"
Bobby nodded and grabbed random books off the floor and from the damaged shelves. However, as he flipped through them, he realised that none of the bizarre tomes were written in English. The words and symbols were foreign to him.
After gathering an armful of indecipherable texts, Bobby sighed in frustration. "I can't make heads or tails of any of these!"
He made his way back to where the confrontation with the Archivist had started. Ironically, his random selection of books had led him right back to where she had first tried to force him to read.
There on the floor lay the strange book the Archivist had originally presented him. Bobby picked it up, feeling drawn to it. But just like before, the writing within was unintelligible, the words blurring before his eyes.
Bobby squinted, thinking maybe he just needed glasses to read the odd script. Then he remembered - the Archivist's Glasses! He retrieved them from his backpack and put them on.
The glasses didn't improve his normal vision at all. But staring at the book's pages, arcane symbols and patterns now emerged from the blurry text.
"Well, that’s something!" Bobby exclaimed.
"I’m not sure. I still can’t read it." Bobby said, letting out a laugh. "But the glasses are showing me strange symbols, as if they are important."
"Looks like a triangle with a swirly thing and jagged lines. Ring any bells?"
Bobby nodded and stuff the book in his nearly overflowing backpack.
Quest - Learn more about the strange symbols in the Archivists book. Exp variable.
The quest to decipher the book's symbols glowed yellow before fading away. Bobby noted it gave little details about how to complete it. Looks like a slow burn one. He thought.
"It's given me a quest to uncover more about these markings," Bobby said.
"Good to know," said Bobby. "But it seemed weird I couldn't see her levels at first. Only after smashing that vial could I damage and defeat her. Why was that?"
Bobby shook his head at the deviousness of it. "So unless you destroy all the artifacts, they can keep reviving?"
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Bobby stepped over fallen books and debris as he made his way back to the far side of the room to where Rem’s book lay amidst the ravaged books and bookcases. Bobby picked it up and examined the descriptor that appeared:
Rem's Soul-bound Book - This contains a shard of Rem. 1/7.
"Rem, are you bound to this book the same way an Archivist is bound to their soul artifact?" Bobby asked.
"Do I have to keep it with me for you to travel along?"
Bobby nodded as he placed the glowing tome into his now full backpack. As he rifled through his bag, Bobby pulled out the sturdy dagger taken from the Archivist. Using some leather torn from a damaged book cover, he fashioned a makeshift sheath. Bobby attached it to the tactical meshing of his ballistic vest for easy access.
Improvisation increased by 1
Nice one. He thought, after seeing the notification pop up. Zipping his pack back up, he swung it over his armoured vest.
"Oof, this backpack's getting heavy," he grunted, as he adjusted the straps.
"Whoa, inventory storage is a thing?" asked Bobby in surprise. "That would make life a lot easier. How do I go about getting that?"
Bobby's eyes lit up at the idea. "Good to know! We'll have to keep an eye out for someone offering stuff like that."
"Factions?" Bobby said, "What do you mean?"
"So, what you’re saying is not only do we need to learn about this system and fight system generated mobs. Aliens are going to show up as well?"
Bobby winced, realising he'd categorised Rem as one of the "aliens" in his phrasing. "I didn't mean it negatively like that," he apologised, trying to dig himself out of a hole.
Bobby finished gearing up and felt ready to move on. But glancing at his quest log, he realised the quest to explore the library hadn't completed yet.
"Huh, looks like we still have more to uncover here," Bobby mentioned to Rem. "We haven’t finished the quest to discover some history in this place."
"Credits are the system’s currency, right?" Bobby asked.
Bobby nodded. "Then let's finish this quest and hope for something half decent to sell at the end."
Bobby nodded, and they set off to explore further. As they explored deeper into the library, Bobby noticed some of the arcane symbols he had seen in the Archivist’s book.
I’m still wearing her glasses. He didn’t normally wear glasses, but he had forgotten to take them off. I’m better off leaving them on in this case. I’m sure it will help my perception.
"Hey, I can see those weird markings here too," Bobby mentioned to Rem. "Looks like they make a path going up. Let's follow and see where it leads."
Rem agreed, and they began ascending, tracing the arcane symbols as the symbols guided them higher through the levels of the building. The trail led to a spiral staircase winding up inside the library's clock tower.
"I don’t remember this building having a clock tower when I walked in." Bobby said.
"Makes sense, I suppose. The lobby area was spotless when I walked in."
At the top, Bobby and Rem emerged to find a large strange door barring their way. It appeared to be made of interlocking cog-like metal plates, covered in engraved markings. Books, hourglasses, gears and other scholarly motifs adorned its shiny silver surface.
In the centre was a large clock face with spinning metal rings around the edges. As Bobby approached, it whirred to life and a raspy voice echoed out.
"Those who seek passage, heed this decree:
I measure the flow from past to future, tracing events bit by bit. What am I?"
Bobby's brow furrowed as he pondered the riddle. After some thought, he ventured, "You must be Time itself. You chronicle history moment by moment."
The clock face spun and clicked. "Correct. To glimpse beyond, perceive time as a tapestry to study, not a river to follow."
The door slowly swung open with a grinding of gears, revealing a dark chamber beyond.
"That seemed too easy. Way too easy." Bobby said warily.
"I’m going to get attacked when I step through that door, aren’t I?"
"Great," Bobby sighed, drawing his pistol in one hand and the dagger in the other. "Well, let's get this over with."
Squaring his shoulders, he strode towards the open doorway. A cold draft wafted out, carrying a faint metallic scent. The chamber beyond was pitch black.
Bobby paused at the threshold, every sense on high alert. Gripping his weapons tightly, he steeled himself and stepped forward into the unknown darkness.