Resting against a sea of bound knowledge... Adrian grapples with the daunting task of beginning his quest. His contemplation spirals into labyrinths of uncertainty, planting seeds of doubt deep within his psyche. There must exist a clearer, more efficient path— CREEK!
Adrian "AH! What was that?! Is anyone there?!"
The sound of paper on oak resonates through the grand library, its magnitude overwhelming for a fleeting moment.
A gentle zephyr graces his brow, bestowing upon him a surge of renewed vigor. The gargantuan trial looming ahead appears surmountable. Thus, Adrian forges ahead, venturing from the start.
Adrian "The air is getting warmer. Maybe it is like a hot and cold game. It's worth a shot!"
Navigating through labyrinthine corridors, Adrian encounters incessant dead ends. Unyielding, he soldiers on until... another dead en— Wait, it is a vast pit. With cautious intrigue, he gazes into the not-quite abyss, its residual light strewn like a celestial tapestry, revealing the depths beneath. The scene is at once hypnotic and ominous.
Adrian "Please don't tell me I have to go down there! Okay, calm down, Adrian. Just... stick with your original plan. Forget about the scary hole."
Resisting the pit's pull, Adrian pivots towards the heart of the heat. His search culminates at an otherwise common bookshelf, its uniqueness betrayed only by the uncanny heat it emanates. His eyes dance across rows of tomes, landing on a metallic-bound cover. Uncertainty flickers into inspiration.
Adrian "Wait! Hold on what if I-
|Info Extraction successful: Trial Book 1: (It has an amethyst-infused silver covering)|
Adrian reaches out and secures the metallic tome in his grasp.
Adrian "Amethyst and silver, huh... What a strange combination! Hold on, this carving looks like the head of a lavender... Holy moly! The candles! Of course! Lavender, Rose, Jasmine, and Lily. I just have to find those!"
Adrian said as he jostles the metal book. Finding a seat against the warmly inviting bookshelf, an inner serenity wash over him.
With a spark of expectation in his eyes, Adrian unfolds the story ensnared within.
Adrian "Wait... there's only one page with texts? That's odd but I'm curious..."
The title reads "The Tale of The Pacifist Hero Volume 1" and the text is written in Book Antiqua font.
Once upon a time, there were three brothers, offsprings of a legendary hero. Each one possessed a trait from their father. The first was Alexander and he held his father's strength, will, and determination. Alexander desired that through action that the world could finally be at peace. The second was Marcus he held his father’s brilliance and rational thinking believing that saving the world requires strategies and plans. The last was Alfros, the black sheep of the family and he possessed his father’s sympathy for both humans and monsters. It was a trait that his father didn’t show to the world and so people believed that Alfros was defective. As a result, he spent his childhood oppressed by his other siblings.
Around 12 years of age, Alfros had to take arms and partake in the coming-of-age ceremony. He had to fight his older brother, Alexander. However, he didn’t carry a weapon into the ring. The crowd yelled and booed him for the coward he was. His father and brothers looked at him with disappointment. But Alfros felt happy. For once in his life, he could finally demonstrate to everyone that there is another way to save the world. Alfros, himself, would frequently call it the “perfect way“. He smiled on stage as his brother swung at him. Alfros didn’t hesitate as he saw a spark of light shining from his brother's wrist. He reached out and tapped it lightly causing the sword to fall out from Alexander’s hand. Alfros followed with a tight hug. Embarrassed, Alexander punched and kicked, trying his best to get out of the grip but it was pointless. The match ended in Alfros’s favor and the world was shocked forever.
Stories of this event scattered across the land reaching the ears of lowborn and highborn alike. From Merchants to Kings to Princesses to Bandits to Mercenaries and so on. They all had an unwilling sense of curiosity and all want to know what shall the third son do next.
Adrian "That was... amazing! This story! Alfros! He is just like me! Maybe in a way, he is my mentor for this trial!"
As Adrian rapidly skims through the countless blank pages, an interesting phenomenon unfolds. The swift flicker of pages gives life to an arrangement of letters, "F. O. L. L. O. W. M. E."
Adrian "Follow, me? What am I supposed to do? Should I put it down?"
Lowering the book to the floor, a transformation ensues.
The book sprouts roots and a lavender head from its cover. It detaches and embarks on a path. Adrian trails the floral guide, negotiating rapid twists and turns. As the sprout accelerates, Adrian's legs falter, causing the lavender guide to halt, sensing his distress. He takes a seat on the plush library carpet.
Adrian "Such a beautiful tapestry. It's like sand art but someone printed it onto this carpet. What do you think?"
The lavender jerks its head... he receives no answer. The taxing chase infiltrates his senses, gently luring him into a realm of dreams.
His mind crafts an enchanted forest, with color-changing trees and a patchwork quilt of a ground, densely packed with hay.
Adrian "Okay, this must be a dream but... why does it feel so real?"
Traversing an apparently endless road, Adrian scales a tree for a better view. As far as the eye can see, there's a ceaseless expanse of tree crowns.
He gazes upwards.
Adrian "Wait a minute... Is that a unicorn?! Is someone riding it?!"
The magnificent creature, startled by his presence, darts toward him.
Panicked, Adrian tumbles from the tree, landing awkwardly, his head making contact with the ground.
Adrian "OW! What was that about?! Wait, a book? Did you just drop a book on me?!"
Ignoring Adrian's plight, the lavender sprints off. Regaining his footing, Adrian recommences the pursuit, discovering an unusual bookshelf. The tomes housed here are pristine, devoid of dust. Removing one, he observes the grime on his hands vanish. This pleasant yet unnerving event sets Adrian's mind abuzz...
Adrian "There must be a trap. There has to be! Where did that little lavender fella go? I swore it was right here-
A gentle brush against his foot draws Adrian's attention– it's the lavender. Its petals direct him to a high section of the shelf, concealed from human sight, save for a sinister crimson gleam.
Adrian "No... please don't tell me I have to climb this thing! You're joking right?!"
Ignoring Adrian's protests, the lavender starts to climb up the towering bookshelf.
Adrian observes his trembling hands. He's never attempted a climb before and the thought of toppling books from above due to his weight instills fear. Regardless, Adrian suppresses his lingering worry and commences the ascent.
With each new grip, he dislodges several books, but miraculously, the bookshelf retains its support. Over time, the fallen books accumulate into a massive mound beneath him, yet he remains oblivious.
Glancing up, he notes the lavender has halted, fixated on an object – another metallic book, this one bearing a shade of red.
Adrian "That must be the rose book."
Silent, Adrian continues his upward journey, sweeping aside an array of books to create a snug resting spot for his humungous frame.
Nestled against the bookshelf's back, albeit with mild discomfort, he secures the crimson tome. Flicking through the pages, he finds its layout identical to the former book, with just one non-blank page. To his relief, this lonely page is densely populated with words.
The title reads "The Tale of The Pacifist Hero Volume 2: Signs of a Great Danger".
The sun slowly dipped in front of Alfros as he took a peaceful walk along a road behind his father's mansion. The songs of countless birds, the chilling breeze, and the tongue-beckoning scent of freshly cooked pie from a nearby carnival. All of them did little to calm his nerves. The truth to his honest heart was that he never thought he would get this far and in the end... he felt stuck despite his accomplishment. Alfros didn't see it as an accomplishment however but instead as a lucky coin toss into the well of fate. He jumped over a fence and took a seat on the shore, watching the waves crash for hours. It was routine for him as it provided him with the escape he needed from his pressure-filled life as it did countless times in the past. Though on that fateful day, he met someone. The rose to his barren and troubled heart. Her name was Emily. She was a fantastic writer. Her hair was a mysterious silver and her skin was like silk. Her clothes on the other hand resemble that of peasants. Despite her flaws, Alfros didn't reject her offer of a company in his time of grief. The two shared and discussed their problems. Their thoughts and feelings were intertwined. They both knew that they were soulmates. For days, Emily and Alfros met up. Alfros went as far as to ignore his father's requests
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Until one day, she wasn't there. He grew worried and started scouring the land for any info about Emily. A fool he was for not asking her for more details about her life. Eventually, his eyes caught a poster around the town's square north of his home. Emily's face was plastered on the front page and his soul left him upon laying his sight on the word "Missing;" in bold red ink. There was a demon invasion and countless lives were vanquished. Alfros locked himself in his room with his heart chained by sadness and fear. His mind desperately chased what hope remains within the dark stage of his soul. Until he remembered what Emily said, "You don't think you're a hero? Why?! A hero doesn't have to be brave or strong! Hell, a hero doesn't even need to fight. The perfect hero in my eyes is the one who can keep everyone happy. No matter who or what they are!". These words lighted the flames within him and Alfros set out toward Emily's village.
Nothing remained except for torned houses, fences, and fallen trees. Alfros decided to observe from afar and saw something unbelievable. There is a giant cage being dragged by four red-skinned Ogres. He took a closer look and saw that the villagers were alive and well. Except, Emily was nowhere in sight. Alfros felt saddened by the discovery but he pushed on and kept watching. He noticed something strange, the villagers were hitting the Ogres from within the cage with stones yet... The giant monsters didn't respond. Curious, Alfros went too close and one of the Ogres noticed him.
The Ogre raised its club and pointed at Alfros, demanding why he was there. Alfros answered honestly and plead with the Ogre to release the villagers. The Orges were surprised, they were expecting him to fight them but he chose peace. The Ogre sat down and told him Alfros no. Alfros, unsatisfied with the answer, deployed a question. He asked why the Ogres didn't fight back when the villagers threw rocks at them. They sighed and told him that they were sick of fighting. One of them introduced himself as Milford. He said, "For thousands of years humans and monsters fought each other to no end. Losing families and loved ones on each end. It's pointless. We attacked this village to save them because there is a bigger threat ahead of us. It is a complete doom for both humans and monsters. So what do you say? Will help us?"
The tale abruptly ends, leaving Noah pounding his fists on the bookshelf's wooden spine in frustration.
Adrian "Oh come on! You can't just end it there for god sake! I hate cliffhangers!"
He shakes the book, hoping the rose to emerge as the lavender did before, but to no avail. Jumping down, he rides a cascade of books to the floor, laying the book flat once more. Still... nothing transpires.
Adrian "Dammit. There must be a different condition to activate this one. But what?"
Wandering without direction, Adrian looks for anything unusual amidst the library's vast expanses. Though his search yields only dead ends, however, he sees an increased prevalence of pits. Standing at the edge of one such chasm, Adrian ponders, the crimson tome resting in his hand.
Adrian "Do I really have to do this? Wait... what if this isn't the answer?! Would I fail or what?! Please, if there is a god! Let this be the answer!"
He casts the book into the pit and waits, silence echoing back. As worry morphs into panic, he frantically hurls books from nearby shelves into the pit, hoping to retrieve the los— A blur whizzes by him.
Adrian "What was that?! Oh, it's you!"
Before him hovers a peculiar creature, a rose head forming its torso, encircled by whirling vines. These tendrils extend, whirling above the torso, a makeshift rotor propelling it.
The creature performs joyous aerial pirouettes around Adrian before darting skywards.
Adrian "Oh... you got to be kidding me?! I have to climb again!"
Met with no response, Adrian succumbs to dejection. However, he resumes climbing, reaching dizzying heights. The thrill of ascent becomes infectious, and the days slip away, filled with restful interludes and countless reads. Gradually, the climb becomes a choice... he likes it and the purpose of his climb slowly slips from memory.
The airborne rose, irritated by Adrian's neglect, veers into the side of his head with a sharp nudge.
Adrian "Ow! Hey! What was that for?! I was enjoying myself!"
Ignoring Adrian, the rose ascends until it rests on the leftmost peak of the shelf. Adrian navigates cautiously, edging diagonally toward the rose's location.
The entity disintegrates into a pile of ash, a sudden gust whipping it into Adrian's face, nearly tipping him over.
Adrian "Woah! Oh, come on! That wasn't necessary!... No use. It's gone. Now... let's see what this part has in store."
With a sweep of his arms, he dislodges the books from their wooden cradle, leaving behind one lone volume. Its cover, leathery and adorned with a crudely painted jasmine symbol in a dark green hue, catches his attention. Turning to the first page, Adrian delves in.
The title reads "The Tale of The Pacifist Hero Volume 3: The Heiress's Ultimatum"
Alfros accompanied the four Ogres and befriended them. The largest one bored the name "Midgard", he was the eldest brother of four. Milford was the leader and the other two were "Mosan" and "Mosen". These two were strong and assisted with pulling the cage. While on his way toward an unknown destination, the villagers cried out in anger calling the young hero a traitor. However, he was used to ridicule so the insults barely scratched him. By dusk, Alfros could see a massive dark blue castle over a hill. Immediately, his heart sank with fear. It was the demon lord's castle. Milford noticed his discomfort and assured him to things will be fine with them. The gate rose and the crew entered straight into a ginormous throne room.
Alfros sees the silhouette seated on the throne. Brimstone flames lit the torches on the wall revealing millions of cages stacked on top of each other. The light shined on the mysterious figure and Alfros fell to his knees. No... his heart couldn't accept the reality before him. It was Emily, still dressed in the same attire he first met her except for a pair of crimson horns attached to her scalp. She noticed Alfros and became sad. Alfros asked why she was doing this. Her lips moved and the truth was released to the world. She hated her father... a sadistic and twisted demon who cared for nothing but the suffering of humans even if he had to sacrifice his own people. A tyrant through and through and like all tyrants... their downfalls were evitable. Emily killed him in cold blood and took the throne for she had a different goal. Deep inside ancient demon ruins, there was a prophecy yet to happen. The annihilation of both humans and monsters could only be prevented by gathering every human and monster in one place. Thus began her quest in capturing the humans for the sake of both kinds.
Alfros was at a loss. He couldn't think of what to do or say for the longest time. Her actions were wrong but her goal was righteous. In the end, Alfros took the ultimate solution. In life, one would always make hard decisions and some decisions require great sacrifices. He made a deal with Emily to leave all the convincing to him in return she would stop capturing humans. Alfros said his goodbyes and left.
He traveled throughout the land, spreading the word of the apocalypse convincing everyone through pictures of demon ruins. Many believed him but at a great cost. Each time he was sentenced to death for heresy by the monarchs and churches. Each time he was revived by Emily though his life span was reduced. Each time he came back, more and more people believed him, thinking he was some kind of god.
Adrian "Wait. That's it! I need to know the ending right away!"
With the book in hand, Adrian embarks on his descent, suddenly aware of a beeping sound emanating from the tome. With a smile on his face, he ascends and descends the shelf, noting that the beeping grows more persistent the further down he goes.
beep
BEEP
BEEP!
BEEP!!!
Adrian "Quiet! You're driving me nuts you know! Okay... maybe I'm already crazy. Talking to a damn book of all things. Wait a second... is that..."
As Adrian holds the book to his right, the beeping becomes desperate. Noticing an empty spot on the shelf, he tucks the book into it. An effervescent yellow light radiates from the book. As he retrieves it, he finds himself in free fall, his grip on the book lost... He manages to clutch onto the amassed mound of books.
Adrian "Dammit... What was that?!"
Sliding to the ground, Adrian spots the book lying there. He tries to pry it open, but it seems fused shut. Fortunately, the first page is visible to him. Settling down, Adrian delves into the reading once more.
The title reads "The Tale of The Pacifist Hero Volume 4: Heroic ending"
With each passing day, Emily's heart grew in pain, watching as her beloved slowly meet his demise. His time was almost done and she was worried. Milford and his crew entered the throne room carrying Alfros's corpse. She laid her hands on him and despair entered her mind. Alfros came back to life and once again tried to take his leave. However, Emily grabbed his hand and pleaded that he shouldn't go. He asked why and she revealed the awful news. His lifespan was only one day left. Alfros cried and collapsed to the ground. Emily hugged him, trying everything she could to comfort him. The two began to talk their hearts out, sharing their emotions and troubles one last time. As the hand of the clock passed midnight, Alfros became lifeless and his journey came to an end. Emily wept and wept. The millions of people in the cages around her witnessed everything. Her emotions and desires were so human that they came to believe her actions and words were genuine. They all shouted from their cages "ALL HAIL THE PACIFIST HERO! ALL HAIL THE PACIFIST HERO!! ALL HAIL THE PACIFIST HERO!!!"
Surprised by the change, she decided to free them all and hoped that they could at least be with their families before the end times. But, none of them exited the throne and instead kneeled before her. They were willing to carry out Alfros's will and this touched her heart with hope. And so her prisoners turned worshipper marched throughout the land. They made the voice of the apocalypse higher and higher. So high that the rulers and churches couldn't stop them. Eventually, most humans stayed in the new city of "Alfros" where they could live peacefully with monsters. Days went by and the end was near. Emily was worried because not all humans were in one place. The stubborn royals, nobles, and church members remained in place, refusing and ignoring her preaches. At last, the day of the end was here. Families hug each other. Both humans and monsters partied and sang one last time. At least, that is what everyone thought. Beams of holy light descended from the heavens and struck somewhere far from "Alfros". Then many more came but none struck Alfros. Curious, she sent scouts to check what happened. It was revealed that all the monarchies, nobles, and churches were destroyed. That was when she realized that the end symbolized Karma. Emily told everyone the revelation and they cheered in celebration. Thus began the ten thousand years of prosperity of The Alfros Empire. The End.
Adrian "That was a mouthful. What a magnificent ending-
From the book, a slender green pillar sprouts. Upon closer inspection, it reveals itself as a cartoon-like worm with a grinning face. It pivots its head a full 360, finally fixing its gaze on Adrian.
Adrian "No. NONONONONOO! I don't want to fight! Dammit! I knew there was more to this trial."
Its face warps, replacing the smile with a set of razor-sharp teeth. It sprouts an additional ten eyes and a multitude of rainbow-hued legs all over its body. Adrian bolts into a run...
Adrian "Dammit! What does it want?! Do I have to fight it?"
Then... A feminine voice resonates within his mind. Hello. You hear me little wielder. Good. Follow the solutions and please take care.
Adrian "WHAT?! What solution?! Wait, do you mean the solutions in the books?-
The thunderous crash of toppling bookshelves echoes behind him. Adrian's complexion pales as he tries to focus on the task at hand.
Adrian "Ok-Okay. What did he do first? In the duel, he followed... The light!"
Adrian's gaze is drawn to the flicker of candles, several of which remain alight. Their illuminating path leads him toward one of the lurking pits.
Adrian "Really! Wait... am I supposed to make it drop down there. How am I supposed to do that?! Okay... calm down. Think! What did Alfros do next? He... figured out the true purpose of the Ogres. Maybe if I do this."
Using a deluge of books as cover, Adrian conceals himself. The creature's confusion gives him the ideal window to extract its info.
Adrian "Wait... it wants the candles? Oh on... it wasn't chasing me! It was chasing the candles!"
Seizing a candle close at hand, Adrian hurls it into the pit. The creature plunges in after it without a moment's hesitation.
Adrian "Okay. Now what? What did he do next? Self-sacrificing! I can't do that! Wait do I have to take the worm's position like how Alfros took up Emily's goal? Then, I should put out the candles."
Adrian embarks on a task around the room, effectively extinguishing each candle. With each extinguished flame, deafening roars echo from the pit, until silence finally reclaims the air. He then purposefully strides back to the foreboding abyss.
Adrian "Now, for the final act. Alfros died but his death... lead people to take up his will. The people that were in cages are just like... The books on the shelves!"
With a decisive fling, Adrian hurls the books into the pit. A torrent of brown light engulfs him, obscuring his vision, before it catapults him into an empty, brown space.
Hovering above him are twelve fairly large transparent books, the color of rich caramel. They gracefully orbit a solitary battery before embedding themselves into him.
|Vortex Battery (Wings Parry)|
A door appears from thin air. Adrian, without hesitation, reaches out to open it.