Talax's eyes fluttered open to a mesmerizing sight, a galaxy of planets seemingly dancing before him, bathed in soft, illuminating light. He couldn't help but smile at the grandeur of the spectacle.

"You are awake! Finally, puppy! You got me scared for a moment there!" Abruptly, he was snapped back to reality. After a few lethargic blinks, he realized that the floating planets were nothing more than motes of dust.

Memories rushed back, and his eyes widened in amazement at the fact that he had survived the deadly encounter. When he had been hit by the wave of death magic, he had thought he was a goner. As he shifted into a sitting position, the cloud of dust made him cough uncontrollably for a moment.

Vesperine patted his back and offered him a flask. After a cautious sniff to check its contents, he drank deeply, relieving his thirst and clearing his throat of the dust. Then, he turned his attention to the masked woman.

"Did we kill it?" Vesperine placed her hand on her waist and tsked mockingly. "Did you ever doubt it, puppy? You're with me! Of course, we killed it! It was a piece of cake, really. The creature was especially susceptible to my abilities."

Talax mumbled something incoherent and then spoke up, "Yeah, it didn't look like a piece of cake from where I was standing." Vesperine shrugged and pulled out a folded piece of aged leather, containing multiple small vials, each with a different color.

"It's not my fault you're clumsy and lack the bare essentials for survival." She unfolded the piece of leather on the ground and seated herself. Suddenly, she began producing knives from various concealed spots, small knives, long knives, thin, serrated, plain, and even a small cleaver seemingly materialized out of thin air.

Talax was left with his mouth hanging open, marveling at Vesperine's astonishing arsenal on full display. The woman seemed to be practically brimming with blades, and he couldn't fathom where she stored all those weapons. She glanced up and, seeing his astonished expression, exclaimed, "What?"

Talax was left momentarily speechless, and she returned to her task. Pouring the contents of various vials onto her blades, she began to explain the properties of each poison. "This one deals earth damage, while its twin inflicts air magic. This white liquid is particularly intriguing; its base damage is negligible, but its true use lies in obstructing pathways, making it impossible to activate abilities."

Talax stood there, engrossed in Vesperine's explanations of the myriad ways she could incapacitate and kill an opponent. At some point, she tossed him a piece of stale bread and some dried meat, and he realized with surprise just how ravenous he was.

"After sustaining so much damage, your body needs nourishment. Even with that little trinket you used, necrotic damage was still gnawing at your flesh. I tried mouth-to-mouth, but I ended up giving you a health potion."

Talax nodded his thanks choosing not to comment on the mouth-to-mouth thing and began munching while Vesperine carried on with her work. After a while, he noticed that the cave was unusually bright and looked around to find the source.

Wiping his hands on his already dirty pants, he stood up and navigated through the debris until he reached the center of the arena. There, the symbol of death magic pulsed with an otherworldly light. A little distance away lay the undead shambling horror, finally dead.

"It's been increasing in intensity ever since we killed the creature," Talax heard a sudden voice, and he jumped in surprise. Vesperine chuckled, clearly pleased with herself for catching him off guard.

Carefully, she made her way around the pulsing symbol and prodded the dead monster with the tip of her boot, only to have her leg nearly engulfed by the sludgy consistency of its flesh.

"Death creatures are icky," Vesperine exclaimed, shaking her boot to rid it of the runny substance. Talax shook his head and laughed, but his attention soon returned to the pulsating symbol. He could feel the ambient mana transforming under the influence of the death energy emanating from the symbol. It seemed somewhat akin to an amplifier, much like his water totem.

Yet, he had a hunch that something more significant was behind this peculiar reaction. However, the unrestrained death energy was taking a toll on him. His void magic had awakened and now hungered for the pure death energy, like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum, demanding to feast upon it. It took every ounce of his strength to maintain control over his void magic, a skill he was slowly but steadily improving.

Kneeling on the floor, Talax removed his glove, prompting Vesperine to inquire, "What are you doing?" He responded absentmindedly, "I'm testing something." When his curiosity was piqued, everything else faded into the background.

He gently placed his hand on the outlined symbol, and in an instant, it blazed to life. A blinding light filled the room, and the cold sensation of death resonated with his core. Vesperine inhaled sharply at the chilling feeling, but she made no attempt to intervene.

Talax infused the symbol with some of his mana, and a sudden transformation occurred. As his mana left his body, it was converted into death mana. The intricate lines of the death symbol pulsated rhythmically, accompanied by a grinding noise that filled the room. The rigid lines began to flow and move, shaping a new symbol.

In fact, it wasn't just one new symbol but four. The symbols of all four elements began taking form, and Talax rose to his feet, entranced by the spectacle. Vesperine stood beside him, both of them reveling in the spectacle. The solid lines of earth flowed and moved, resembling slithering serpents, until four fresh symbols adorned the previously destroyed arena.

Each symbol pulsed one last time and then became inert, devoid of mana or light. Only the symbol of death magic remained active, casting its beautiful otherworldly glow. Talax approached the symbol and infused more mana into it. The lines slithered once more with an eerie grace, revealing a small hollow at the center of the formation.

Hidden within was a skeletal key. It was a small, intricately designed key with a bone-like appearance. Without hesitation, Talax picked up the white key and turned it over, examining its details closely.

Impressed, Vesperine whistled and commented, "Ferdinand was right. You certainly know your way around a dungeon." Her tone took on a more serious note, tinged with suspicion as she added, "But why is that, puppy? Are you hiding something from me?"

Talax chose to ignore her for the moment and focused on the key. It had the appearance of a broken bone, weathered in places by age, but one edge bore a serrated tip that clearly resembled a key. He cast his gaze around the arena, carefully studying the crude, rocky walls that surrounded them. And then, something caught his attention.

A small, blue light flickered into existence within his field of vision, and as he concentrated on it, the light grew brighter and brighter.

He felt a burst of mana and when he looked into his core, his suspicions were proved.

Mystic Insight skill, level 4

4% to detection of hidden paths, 4% perception of mystical constructs

Talax's skill had guided him to discover the secret loot, and he couldn't contain his excitement. Impatiently, he motioned for Vesperine to follow him and approached the wall. He began to scrape away the place from where the mysterious blue light emanated, causing small rocks to cascade down until a small hole was revealed.

“How?” Vesperine exclaimed astonished, "How did you know it was there, Talax? Do you have some kind of special ability?" He chose to ignore her, unwilling to reveal that he had the Mystic Insight skill. He feared that Vesperine would quickly realize that he had been able to detect the magical traps that had killed Walter and ask questions he didn’t want to answer.

Talax inserted the skeletal key into the hole and heard a distinct click. "Talax, I'm talking to you! Tell me, what abilities do you have?" Vesperine was growing impatient, but he responded with a raised eyebrow, "Really? You were the one who warned me not to reveal my secrets, after all. They could be used against me."

Fuming, the masked woman tapped her foot impatiently as the wall began to crack, with small fissures appearing. Then, with a sudden sound, the door swung open, revealing its hidden contents. Vesperine was about to reprimand him, but her words died in her throat as her gaze fell on the small chest inside the hollow.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Talax was about to reach for the chest when new lights appeared in his field of vision, this time glowing red, indicating danger. He noticed four red spots of light at each corner of the cabinet. Vesperine also detected the traps and promptly pushed him aside.

She retrieved two small metal tools with pointed ends and began working on disarming the traps. It appeared she had opted for the silent treatment, not uttering a word while she worked. Talax couldn't help but peek over her shoulder, curious to see what she was doing.

Vesperine had successfully uncovered a small metal cylinder embedded in the rock. She had inserted her tools and was manipulating them skillfully, applying pressure until a click was heard and the red light vanished. Vesperine let out a satisfied sigh and moved on to the next trap. However, Talax interrupted her.

"Can you teach me how to disarm traps?" he pleaded, using his best puppy-dog eyes, knowing it was a weakness of hers. "It would be really useful!"

Vesperine remained silent for a while, but eventually, she gave in when she saw his sad expression. She handed over her lockpicks and began giving him instructions. At first, Talax fumbled, struggling to even find the openings where he could insert his tools.

Once he finally located the correct spots for the lockpicks, he felt a sudden tension that threatened to snap his tools. Vesperine advised him to wiggle the lockpicks to feel where the tension lessened. After several failed attempts, he managed to find the correct positions for both lockpicks. With a satisfying click, the red light disappeared.

Talax couldn't contain his triumphant shout, and he felt a burst of mana. He momentarily forgot about his core and embraced an astonished Vesperine to celebrate his success. "That wasn't so bad for your first time. I'm sure you'll do even better next time," she murmured into his ear, and he felt her melt into his embrace.

Talax coughed uncomfortably and gently pulled her aside. Filled with excitement, he moved on to the next trap, while Vesperine chuckled to herself. “Maybe your next try will have a better time too. You know, at some things you have to take your time...” she commented with a chuckle, but Talax remained entirely focused on the tension in his hand.

One by one, the traps were disarmed, their lights blinking away to nothingness. Reluctantly, he went to return Vesperine her lockpicks, but she insisted that he keep them. Before grabbing the chest, he took a moment to check his core.

Traps skill, level 3

3% to detection, 3% to trap creation

Traps skill, level 4

4% to detection, 4% to trap creation

Traps skill, level 5

5% to detection, 5% to trap creation

Just by disarming three traps he jumped to level 5! And not only that, but he also noticed an ability already unlocked.

Disarm: You can effectively neutralize common traps.

Passive

Talax checked his core and noticed a few new abilities still locked on the skill tree, but he was too excited about the prospect of loot to delve into them further. With a wide grin, he eagerly grabbed the small chest and placed it on a nearby rock.

Talax and Vesperine crowded around the chest, anticipation and excitement building as they opened the lid. His eyes widened in awe at the sight of the contents.

"Are those...?" he whispered with reverence.

"Yup," Vesperine replied, equally astonished.

"Can I...?" he asked eagerly, reaching out with impatient hands.

"Nope," Vesperine's response was abrupt.

"Why?" he whined.

"It's the lord's," Talax rolled his eyes.

"He isn't here."

"I know."

"So..."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"NO!"

For the first time, Talax looked away from the spell tomes and glared at the woman beside him.

"I don't get it," he said angrily, crossing his arms. "He isn't here, and he doesn't know. So, what's the problem?" Vesperine mirrored his posture, folding her arms as well.

"When my contract was signed, one of the stipulations was that Lord De Luval gets to keep the loot, and if he wishes, he may grant 9% of the available valuables. I cannot break my contract. AGAIN!" She emphasized the word, making Talax realize that her simple nod earlier had been a breach of contract. That was the reason the Smiling Lady had appeared, because she had defied her Goddess for him. For the first time, he felt genuine gratitude for Vesperine.

Understanding the sacrifice she had made for him, he offered a heartfelt "Thank you" with all the gravity and sincerity it deserved. Vesperine nodded back with equal formality, appreciating his acknowledgment.

"So..." Talax began again.

"No!" Vesperine exclaimed, clearly frustrated.

"But..." he attempted once more, only to be interrupted.

"No!" She yelled in his face.

"Listen to me! I'm the one who found the key! I discovered the secret cabinet, and I disarmed most of the traps," Talax insisted. Vesperine began to respond, but he plowed ahead.

"Most of them, anyway. Let's say your trap accounts to the 9% of your agreed terms, so no harm, no foul," he argued. Vesperine glared through her dangling gems and spoke with a degree of seriousness.

"You want me to break my contract over a technicality?" Talax rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"But I'm the one who did all the work! I found the loot, not you! You just stood there, impressed and awed by my impressively dazzling skills!" Vesperine scoffed but seemed somewhat receptive to his bullshit.

“You just have to do nothing. I don’t have a contract to abide with.” With a teasing smile he added. “And if I find something interesting that I can’t you use. Maybe... Maybe I will gift it to someone...” Vesperine looked at him sharply with narrow eyes and Talax gave her a bright smile.

"Fine," she exclaimed, clearly exasperated. "Do as you wish!"

Talax grinned brightly and eagerly lunged at the chest. Before Vesperine had even finished her sentence, he was clutching the spell tome of death magic with delight. After spending a few moments becoming acquainted with the book, he turned it over to study the cover.

However, his happy expression turned into a grimace when he realized that the cover of the tome appeared to be made from a grayish skin, which he hoped wasn't human. Elegant writing was emblazoned at the center of the book, and black lines resembling blood vessels traced every part of its cover.

Without wasting any time, he infused the tome with mana, establishing a connection with the magical item. Instantly, the spell tome came to life. The book opened and emitted the otherworldly light of death. Talax was overcome by the chilling cold of death, feeling as if he were buried alive, dirt in his mouth. The pages fluttered violently as if stirred by an invisible wind, and knowledge flooded into his mind.

Death magic, level 1

1% resistance to death magic

Touch of Death: The caster's touch becomes imbued with the power of death, causing a target to wither and age temporarily, reducing their strength and agility.

Summon time: 1 second, spell duration: n/a, cooldown: 10 seconds

Talax took a deep breath as if he had just surfaced from icy waters, feeling the spell tome disintegrate in his hands. Vesperine looked at him with curiosity and asked, "Well? Were you able to learn the spell?"

Talax responded by raising his hand, which started to glow with the unmistakable energy of death. Vesperine took a step back, casting an accusing glare at him. Talax chuckled. "Don't worry; I'd have to touch you for it to have any effect." Vesperine didn't seem entirely reassured and maintained her distance.

He stopped pouring mana into the spell, and his hand returned to its normal state. The mana expenditure hadn't been too significant, but it was still substantial. He realized he would need to use the spell sparingly, much like his bow's zoom ability.

Vesperine seemed about to ask more questions, but Talax couldn't contain his excitement and swiftly grabbed the next spell tome. He couldn't wait to see what the next tome had in store for him. The spell tome appeared similar to the previous one but somehow seemed more luxurious. The writing was more elegant, with flowing lines that shimmered in the light, and the unintelligible title was emblazoned with gold ink.

Talax repeated the process, and a fresh wave of knowledge surged into his mind, as though he had rediscovered long-lost knowledge.

Spectral Guardian: summons the spirit of a fallen warrior for a short duration. The spectral guardian's primary role is to defend the caster and engage in combat. It is able to inflict damage for a maximum of 200 health points or receive damage of equal amount.

Summon time: 8 seconds, spell duration: 8 minutes, cooldown: 20 minutes

Talax was left speechless with his mouth hanging open. A summoning spell! He couldn't believe his luck. From now on, he would have assistance at any moment, and based on the description, he assumed the spell was quite powerful. He wasn't sure about the significance of 200 health points, but he knew it had to be substantial.

Vesperine noticed his expression and said, "From your expression, I can guess you got something good." Talax smiled mischievously and raised his hands, preparing to cast the spell. It had the longest casting time of all his spells, but he believed it would be worth the effort.

Incantations spilled from his mouth, and the words sounded foul and unnatural. A bone-deep chill settled into his body, and his hands struggled to follow the required movements. His mind became sluggish, barely able to keep up with the demanding spell, and he teetered on the brink of losing consciousness.

Finally, the eight seconds passed, and he sagged in relief as warmth slowly returned to his body, revitalizing his chilled hands. He eagerly looked around, but to his surprise, there was nothing. Vesperine appeared equally baffled.

"What..." he began, but then he felt an overwhelming chill. The cold seeped into his body and permeated every cell. The temperature dropped significantly, and he could see his breath forming clouds of steam. Vesperine, however, seemed unaffected by the sudden shift in temperature, and she looked at him with worried eyes.

In an instant, the already cold atmosphere turned deadly, as if he had plunged into the icy waters of death. His body shivered uncontrollably, and he heard his teeth chattering. It felt as if he was frozen solid. A faint, otherworldly outline began to encompass his body, growing more pronounced with each shiver.

Then, his body trembled one last time, and the intense cold vanished. A spirit leaped out of his body, and it took him a moment to realize what had just occurred. He muttered, "Well, that was unpleasant..."

Talax closely examined the summoned spirit. It was clad in heavy armor that concealed any distinctive features. Sharp spikes jutted out from the ghost’s helmet and pauldrons and an ancient looking sword was clutched in its hand.

The guardian had an ethereal quality, like a ghost, but its armor possessed an odd solidity, as if it were more than mere ghostly matter. One feature, however, drew Talax's attention: a black stain running down from the guardian's neck, confirming that the creature was indeed deceased.

Talax turned his gaze to Vesperine, his eyes gleaming with triumph.

"I guess I'm a death mage now!" he declared with excitement.