It had been a few days since Lone and Sofia had arrived in the Farwinds. Right now, Lone was waking up inside of his soul since it was time for the Conclave of Seekers to meet once more.
"It looked much worse last week," Darkness commented, referring to the cracked state of the soul space.
Everything except for the dwelling of the Primals had some level of cracking to it, be it the golden chains, the mental locks, the massive Rubik's cubes, hell, even the floor and air itself had cracks.
"My internal channels healed a while ago, so whatever is fixing my soul, be it Void or whatever else, is slower by quite the margin than Basic Regeneration," Lone replied.
A yoga-ball sized skull that was split in two halves floated out of a large grey tomb of an ancient and unfamiliar design. This skull was shrouded in a deep grey mist but it was still perfectly visible to Lone.
"Why that skill is called basic it beyond me. It has prevented your passing a great number of times according to Darkness, yes?" Death asked.
Lone nodded. "That's right. It's a very unique skill."
Of course, he didn't bother to explain that the skill belonged to a godly being before it had gifted the power to him. A godly being likely behind figures such as Clicker who could so effortlessly erase its existence from an Arch Devil.
"This meeting of yours. I wish to observe it. May I?" Death requested.
Darkness sighed. "Death won't believe me when I say I have no control over your little midnight soirees."
"It just seems improbable since it is his soul and they started being hosted here. I do know a great deal on how souls work. His soul is still connected to his body, so this space must be connected to the room when he is summoned to it. Perhaps ask permission from the leader of the meetings if I may join? It sounds like a valuable learning experience," Death suggested.
Lone smiled wryly. "I'll see what I can do. I can feel it pulling me. Are you able to delay it at all, Darkness? I'd like to talk to you both, but it can wait until after the meeting if you can't."
The purple-galaxy-bodied being shrugged regretfully. "Not even remotely. Have a fun discussion, Loney-boy."
Lone nodded as he felt himself being summoned. The next moment, he was back in his usual spot.
Swamp was sat across from him and his green figure was once again covered in red blotches. That was a somewhat normal occurrence given the lizard-like person was constantly being hunted.
Devil was right next to Swamp just like their first meeting two weeks ago but instead of appearing confused and interested, her red figure was unreadable, though her eyes had a certain squint to them that Lone couldn't quite place.
"Let the 15th Conclave of Seekers begin," the multicoloured godly being of seemingly limitless knowledge announced.
"What happened to you, Swamp? Another hunting party found you?" Lone asked.
"No, I am ssshedding. It isss a processs all people of the Great Ssswamp mussst undergo repeatedly, though the duration between each ssshed differsss from perssson to perssson," Swamp answered.
Lone stroked his chin. "Sounds annoying if it injures you."
"It isss sssacred to a worssshipper of Lord Delwind and while painful, the ssshedding leavesss the weaker versssion of ourssself in the passst," Swamp explained.
"It makes you stronger? Or were you being metaphorical?" Lone asked.
"Ah, metaphorical! I remember the meaning of thisss word. No. I wasss not being metaphorical. The gainsss are sssmall, but I do grow in power with every sssheding," Swamp answered rather excitedly.
"Then congratulations. Monsieur Librarian, I'd like to read the second Tome of Omniscience, please," Lone said, addressing the table's head.
"Of course. Share your knowledge or answer a question of mine. The choice is yours," the rainbow coloured being replied.
"Please ask a question," Lone replied.
He'd rather not give up sensitive information only to be told it was insufficient, or to be told it was too valuable and thus earn him more as Swamp had done when acquiring his first Tome of Omniscience.
Monsieur Librarian tapped his seat's armrest thoughtfully before making his request. "It is clear you do not wish to tell me about the current possessor of the skill Basic Regeneration. I shall not push you there any more as I have previously. Yes, this will do. Tell me, Human, what is your favourite skill?"
"I don't have a favourite," he answered without much thought. "All skills have an equal potential to be world-shaking. Why would any one deserve more love than the other? I do prefer some skills over others, of course, but generally speaking, I think them all to be equal."
Monsieur Librarian nodded slowly. "Much like knowledge. Whose hands it is in and how they use it matters just as much if not more so than the knowledge itself. Very well. I am satisfied. The book is yours to peruse as you wish."
Lone smiled and willed the book to appear at his place at the table. Its title read as '1,000 Different Etiquettes and How to Master Them'.
'Dafuck? How in the hell is this what I most need to know right now? Is my life not in immediate danger so it gave me something I need in general, or will learning which fork to use for steak somehow save my life?' Lone questioned. 'Well, at least it lets me know Sofia and I should be safe for a little while at least.'
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"I would alssso like to get accesss to my sssecond book," the one with the annoying lisp and manner of speech said.
Devil was equal parts terrified and excited. She hadn't, in fact, died upon leaving this place last time as she had assumed she would. Instead, she had been returned to her eternal confinement.
There was a change, however. She had just the slightest of slivers of her own consciousness. Not enough to make a coherent thought, but enough to recognise a part of herself had been returned to her thanks to the previous meeting.
This was all real. The living law Monsieur Librarian, real. The naïve and simple Swamp, real. The intelligent and young Human, real. The Tomes of Omniscience were likely real too.
'I need to learn,' she decided. 'If too much of myself is restored, 'She' will notice and finish me off. I would have been happy with that before but... but hope is a dangerous drug.'
She stayed silent as the head of table addressed the green man beside her who was covered in red blotches - something she now knew signified injuries judging by his initial exchange with Human.
"Of course. Will you be exchanging information for access to the tome?" Monsieur Librarian asked.
'That was a different question than when Human asked. Why? If it's a living law, it shouldn't treat them differently. They have been in far more meetings though so it is possible there are arrangements I'm unaware of. Can you bank payments? That could be useful,' Devil thought.
Swamp shook his head. "No. I would like to ussse the free book I gained in exchange for letting you know I am the final follower of Lord Delwind."
'Lord Delwind? I've never heard of such a being. Then again, how long has it been since I was put into my current state? Eons, likely,' Devil thought with an internal chuckle of self-deprecation.
"Is that wise?" Human asked, mirroring Devil's thoughts. "This room is huge. There are a lot of empty bookshelves. It's almost guaranteed different books with different types of information will become available. I would just pay the cost and save the possibly incredible opportunity you stumbled on."
'So that's what happened? Swamp somehow earned a free book by over-answering a question?' Devil assumed mentally.
Swamp smiled and replied, "I underssstand but I do not think like that. If I wait for the perfect moment, that moment will never come. I have no problemsss anssswering any of Monsssieur Librarian'sss quessstionsss, but debt can be burdensssome, both being in debt to another and another being indebted to you."
Devil watched as Human put a thoughtful hand on his chin before he replied, "I've had similar thoughts lately with a skill I have. If you've thought it through, then never mind my warning."
Monsieur Librarian nodded lightly. "The tome is yours, Swamp."
'So it doesn't mind others butting into its discussion? What a relaxed living law. If it only cares about knowledge, then ideas and questions being asked among members is likely to be encouraged. It shouldn't have any pride since it isn't a person so this makes sense. Then again, neither am I but I certainly have pride. Had pride,' Devil thought soberly.
She smiled and said, "I would also like access to a tome, please."
Swamp gave her a pleasantly curious look while Human seemed surprised at her politeness. That was to be expected. She was far too flippant during the last meeting on account of her assuming it wasn't real. If this place was restoring her being, albeit slowly, then enjoying the good graces of the living law that ruled over these meetings seemed wise.
"Of course. Share your knowledge or answer a question of mine. The choice is yours," the multicoloured existence posited. "As this is your first time, know that if you choose to share something that I already know, you will not be awarded with a Tome of Omniscience."
"Ask a question, please," Devil responded.
Monsieur Librarian nodded slowly and tapped his seat's armrest. "How powerful were you at your peak?"
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Lone listened with interest as Monsieur Librarian asked Devil, "How powerful were you at your peak?"
"An oddly simple question," Devil responded. "I was a #### at my peak."
"That got censored? Why?" Lone asked aloud.
"The tome is yours, Devil," Monsieur Librarian said before he addressed Lone. "Your being is too low to comprehend Devil's answer. It was censored for your safety."
"What does censored mean in this context?" Devil asked.
Swamp smiled and said, "It wasss censssored for me too. It isss like thisss. I am #### of the Great Ssswamp."
"I see. How interesting," was all Devil had to say on the matter.
"What do you mean by my being is too low, Monsieur Librarian?" Lone asked. 'I can comprehend Divines, Arch Devils, Emperor Devils, Omni Devils, demigods, and Primals. Is she much stronger than them? Or is this a matter of weirdness like the eldritch? Is she actually some sort of incredibly powerful horror strong enough to sustain a personality who just chose to name herself something so relevant to me currently? Wait... When I was summoned to Altros. What did that message say?'
Lone still had access to his Puzzle Locked Mind even here, so recalling what he was after took less than a moment.
'The very first thing the system ever said to me. It was 'Greetings, Cosmos-level being, Sofia Vladimirovich. Greetings, Mortal-level being, Lone Immortus.' So Sofia has a higher level of being than me? Is it not related to strength?' he wondered.
"I will tell you in exchange for you letting me know your age," Monsieur Librarian offered.
"Before I answer, would Swamp and I have understood her were we Cosmos-level beings?" Lone asked.
Monsieur Librarian's body shifted and gave off a pleasantly surprised vibe while Devil appeared to be curiously shocked, as if it shouldn't have been possible for someone like him to know of a term like 'Cosmos-level being'.
'As if she knows anything about me,' Lone remarked internally.
"No, you would not have. You need not answer my question given you just told me something far more interesting. I would love to learn how it is that you, a Mortal-level being, are aware of Cosmos-level beings, but that can be saved for another time. I have a question to answer," Monsieur Librarian chuckled. "There are some things that cannot be understood by beings of a certain order. On the continent of Teresta that you call home, you have many such things, though the most well-known is likely the eldritch, yes?"
Lone nodded slowly. "That's right. They corrupt all that they touch, infecting it with the mutterings of madmen."
"It is not that they are infecting your mind and turn you mad, it is that your being is too low to sustain the order of information getting gifted to you. You forcefully adapt one way or another if your being is lacking and the knowledge does not outright kill you, usually in a negative manner," Monsieur Librarian explained.
'Oh. That makes a lot of sense. Is that why the horror didn't intend to kill me? What, are the eldritch beings of the Deepwinds harbingers of higher knowledge and just wish to spread it, unaware or uncaring of our ability to possess it? Would Sofia be able to possess such knowledge as a Cosmos-level being? Is Eldritch Resistance a positive form of adaptation to the knowledge of a higher order?' Lone thought, his interest sky-high in this subject.
"I filtered the knowledge Devil provided to protect both you and Swamp as it could have left permanent damage to your beings had I not. It is my wish to allow you both to share in the knowledge Devil afforded the conclave, but knowledge passed in this hall should never injure its members. I hope you understand," Monsieur Librarian explained. "Her answer will forever remain available to you two should you gain the means to hear it."
"I do understand but... I have questions. A lot of questions," Lone said.
"And I, Human, may have answers and questions of my own should yours merit such as a response," Monsieur Librarian happily replied.