Chapter 7: The Spirit King’s Inheritance
Smack!
The sound echoed softly through the ancient library as Niko closed the book in his hand. The thick, dusty tome thudded against the wooden desk, sending a small puff of dust into the misty air. He sat cross-legged on a carved chair, his fingers brushing over the strange spirit-like patterns etched into the dark wood.
The library around him was hauntingly quiet, but there was a weight to the silence, as though something unseen was watching. The space wasn’t large, but the curved dome ceiling and tall shelves gave it an odd sense of grandeur. It wasn’t a place that welcomed visitors; rather, it felt like a mausoleum for forgotten knowledge, where the mist that swirled around his feet clung to the air like an eternal fog.
Niko’s eyes swept the room, once again taking in the eerie atmosphere. The bookshelves lined the walls, made of dark brown wood that seemed almost black in the dim light, each one carved with the same unsettling patterns of spirits that adorned the chair he sat on. The mist drifted lazily around the floor, never thinning, even though Niko had opened the door several times during his stay. It was as if the mist were alive, clinging to the library, feeding off the ancient knowledge that filled the shelves.
Above him, a massive chandelier hung from the dome ceiling, its lights casting long, flickering shadows that danced across the stone walls. Everything here felt timeless, untouched by the world outside. The stone beneath his feet was cold, despite being muffled by the mist, and every step echoed softly, as though the library itself was listening.
Thirty minutes left, Niko thought, checking his status again. There wasn’t much time before he would be summoned into the new, dangerous world. His stomach tightened with a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
He let out a quiet sigh, a small frown pulling at his lips. For all the knowledge this library had granted him, he still hadn’t found what he truly needed—a skill that could aid him in combat.
What am I even thinking? Niko mused, shaking his head. Skill gems are rare… I’m lucky I found one already. He knew better than to be greedy, yet the thought lingered in his mind. He couldn’t waste his limited skill slots on just anything. He had to be strategic—seven skills were all he’d ever get. Every decision would shape his fate.
He stood from the chair, stretching his stiff limbs before walking over to one of the many bookshelves that lined the walls. As he moved, his boots tapped softly against the floor, the sound muted by the mist. He had spent hours reading in this library, scouring the shelves for information on monsters, items, and anything that might give him an edge in the world to come. But with each passing minute, the weight of time pressed harder on his shoulders.
His fingers trailed along the spines of the books, his eyes scanning titles as he searched for something that might hold the answers he sought. That’s when he saw it—a strange book, half-hidden among the others.
The cover stood out. Unlike the dusty, leather-bound volumes surrounding it, this one was a vibrant mix of black and green, with golden lettering across its spine. The words glimmered faintly in the low light: Spirit King’s Inheritance.
Niko’s heart skipped a beat.
Why didn’t I notice this before? he wondered, his fingers hovering over the spine as if hesitant to touch it. The book seemed almost… alive, as though it had been waiting for him.
Curiosity gnawed at him, and he reached for the book, but as he pulled, something strange happened. It didn’t budge.
“What the…?” Niko’s brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing in confusion. He tugged again, this time with both hands, but the book refused to move, as though it were rooted to the shelf.
His frustration built, and the faint green aura surrounding his body—the mark of his unique title—began to glow brighter. The book seemed to respond, the green light wrapping around it like tendrils of energy, almost as if they were communicating.
Niko’s breath quickened. Is it reacting to my aura?
With newfound determination, he pulled once more.
“RUMBLE!”
The entire library trembled. The chandelier above swayed ominously, its light casting wild shadows across the walls, and the shelves groaned under the weight of the sudden movement. The mist that blanketed the floor began to flow like water, rushing toward the center of the room, where the stone floor itself began to split open.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Niko stumbled back in shock as the ground beneath the center of the library gave way, revealing a hidden chamber below. From the gaping hole, a stone statue began to rise, pushing upward as though summoned by the very earth itself.
The statue towered above Niko, standing a head taller than him. It was a man, carved in perfect detail. His face was calm, serene, with eyes that seemed to gaze into the distance. In one hand, the statue held a staff, almost as tall as its bearer, while a dark green gem was embedded into the figure’s chest.
Niko’s eyes widened. “A skill gem.”
The gem gleamed, casting an eerie green glow across the room. Its surface was smooth and dark, but within the gem, Niko could make out the faint outline of a black skull, almost as if it were trapped inside the stone.
He stepped closer, his heart pounding in his chest. Where have I seen this before? The calm face of the statue stirred something in his memory, a flash of recognition.
Then it clicked.
“This is the man from the wall carvings… The one who summoned the spirits!” Niko whispered to himself, the realization sending a chill down his spine. This was the Spirit King—the very same figure he had seen leading the ghostly army against the goat-men in the tunnel.
His gaze snapped back to the skill gem embedded in the statue’s chest. It wasn’t just any skill gem—it was a seed skill gem. Niko’s pulse quickened. Seed skill gems were rare, incredibly so. They had the power to shape the abilities of their users, guiding the skills they would gain in the future.
“This… this could change everything,” Niko muttered. The potential was immense. The ability to summon spirits, to have an army of the dead at his command, was unlike anything he had dreamed of.
His hand hovered over the gem as he activated Celestial Probe.
----------------------------------------
[Skill: Spirit King's Order]
Level: None
Description: A skill used by the Spirit King. The skill allows the user to command the spirits of the dead to fight on their behalf. The spirits will serve the user as their master, obeying every command.
[Additional Information]
+1 Intelligence
+1 Mana
+1 Mana Power
If the user kills a creature and uses the skill on it, the spirit will be summoned at one rank lower than it was in life, but with the potential to grow stronger. If the spirit was not killed by the user, it will be rankless with unknown to no potential.
For a spirit to reach its full potential, it must fight and kill.
The longer the spirit has been dead, the higher the risk of failure.
[Requirements]
Unique Title "One Surrounded by Spirits" required to activate.
2 Mana required to activate.
Mana Power consumed depends on the strength of the spirit.
[Activate?]
Yes / No
----------------------------------------
Niko’s breath came in short gasps, his excitement barely contained. This was the skill. The one that could give him power, the ability to fight without ever lifting a weapon. It was exactly what he needed—a way to avoid physical combat while commanding others to fight for him.
But the seconds were slipping away.
“Thirty seconds until summoning,” the system warned.
Panic flared in Niko’s chest. There was no time to hesitate.
“Yes! Activate!” Niko said, his voice trembling with urgency.
The gem in the statue’s chest flared to life, its glow intensifying as it lifted from the stone figure. In an instant, the gem dissolved into particles of light, the energy flooding into Niko’s body, filling him with a new, raw power.
A grin spread across Niko’s face. Finally, real power.
Before the summoning could begin, Niko quickly checked his status.
----------------------------------------
[Name: Niko Lazar]
Level: 1
Exp: 0%
[Status]
Strength: 1
Constitution: 1 (+2)
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1 (+1)
Mana: 1 (+1)
Mana Power: 4/4
[Unique Titles]
* One Surrounded by Spirits (Passive)
[Skills]
* Celestial Probe I
* Spirit King's Order
----------------------------------------
The countdown reached zero.
“Summoning Beginning…”
Niko’s vision blurred, the library fading into a whirl of light and shadows as he was pulled from the room. His heart pounded with anticipation, his newfound power burning inside him like a flame ready to ignite.
Whatever came next, he would be ready.