The sound of turning pages faded as Arthur finally closed the book before him. The last line on the glowing parchment finally dimmed, sinking into the book like water seeping into sand. For a long moment, he just stood there with his eyes unfocused.
His thoughts were a storm, the knowledge he gained from the book still swirled in his head, fragments of ancient runic matrices, Chi techniques, and the terrifying theories behind what happened in the history of Thyrandel.
He had learned a lot from the Book of Codice, that was the name of the ancient book given to him by the librarian, too much, perhaps.
It wasn't just a book of techniques; it was a manifestation of knowledge and Arthur believed the book contained the whole knowledge of the library inside it. And it was up to him, how much he could remember.
It contained the history of a forgotten age where mana and Chi existed in perfect equilibrium, where mortals could grasp godhood, through accumulation of power and understanding of their surroundings. And now, those forgotten knowledge churned inside his head.
Arthur exhaled slowly, then glanced toward the counter. The golden-haired librarian hadn't moved an inch. She still sat there,her posture poised, and her long hair cascading like sunlight down her back as she flipped through her book with the same deliberate calmness as before.
Arthur walked toward her, he was still a bit dazed. His steps were quiet so as to not disturb her. When he stopped in front of her desk, she looked up.
For the first time since he'd arrived, her lips curved into something close to a genuine smile, it was small, restrained, but warm enough to almost look like she was really amazed by Arthur.
"You're back on time," she said softly, closing her book with a muted thump. "That expression…I guess you gained a lot from the Book of Codice." Her eyes flicked over his face.
Arthur blinked, realizing he must be absentmindedly looking at her.
Arthur gave a half-hearted smile. "Yeah…you could say that." Then he bowed a little, "Thank you very much for this opportunity."
She studied him quietly, her heterochromatic eyes glinting in the ambient light of the library. Then, she nodded slightly, as if confirming something to herself. "You've done well, you don't need to thank me as it is what you earned yourself. I can already tell the Book of Codice responded to you more deeply than most. Only those with a flexible soul and adaptive mind can endure its knowledge without breaking."
He raised an eyebrow, faint amusement tugging at his lips. "Breaking, huh? You could've warned me earlier."
Her tone was teasingly dry. "Would it have stopped you?"
Arthur smirked. "No. Probably not."
"Exactly," she said, and with a graceful motion of her hand, she waved it through the air.
A ripple of golden light appeared beside them, twisting and expanding until it formed into a vertical oval portal. "This will take you out of the Vault of Oracle. Your time here is over."
Arthur looked at it, then back at her. There was something oddly final about her words. He looked at her one last time and asked "May I know your name?"
That earned him an amused glance. "You're not strong enough to know my name, Otherworlder. Our names hold weight no mortal mind could endure. Become strong and return here and I will tell you my name." She paused a bit and said, "But you are… interesting. The world will remember your kind again soon enough."
Arthur widened her eyes, from what she said she could possibly be a god, but he shook his head and asked her. "My kind?"
"Those who change the course of history simply by existing." Her voice carried no arrogance, only certainty.
He didn't reply to that. Instead, he nodded once, his usual calm returning. "Thanks. For the book… and for not vaporizing me when I walked in."
She chuckled lightly, a surprisingly soft sound. "You're welcome, Arthur Sully."
He blinked in mild surprise. "I didn't tell you my name."
Her golden eye gleamed faintly. "You didn't have to."
Arthur stared at her for a moment longer, then simply shrugged. "Of course." He stepped toward the portal, his figure bathed in its golden light.
As he disappeared into it, the librarian returned to her chair, her expression thoughtful. "He'll either save this world… or destroy it," she murmured. "Either way, it won't be dull."
Then she opened her book again and began to read.
…
When Arthur emerged from the portal, the air around him changed instantly. The scent of dust and blood returned, and he felt the familiar mana of the physical world once more. The place where the Vault of the Oracle was a separate dimension and the mana density there was multiple times than in the environment of the Ancient Realm.
He stood inside a massive stone hall filled with light from glowing crystals embedded in the ceiling. It was vast, big enough to fit a hundred people, and it was already crowded.
He scanned the area. Dozens of participants who had entered the Trial of the Oracle were standing in groups, some slumped against the walls in exhaustion, others talking in hushed voices. The atmosphere was heavy, a mix of awe and grief.
Arthur's gaze swept the room, and his sharp eyes immediately picked up the situation, there were far fewer people than before.
He frowned slightly, his mind doing the quick math. 'Barely thirty percent made it back.' That meant seven out of ten were gone, either still trapped in the trial or dead within it.
A familiar voice broke his thoughts. "Hey…Arthur!"
He turned and saw Finn pushing through a small crowd, waving at him with a tired grin. The young mage looked roughed up, a few tears on his sleeves and a bandage wrapped around his right forearm, but alive.
Arthur's lips curved faintly. "You made it back in one piece."
Finn stopped in front of him, breathing a little heavily. "Yeah… barely. I thought I'd run into something I couldn't handle for a second there." He laughed, though it didn't reach his eyes. There was relief there, but also guilt.
Arthur noticed. His gaze shifted briefly toward the empty space where Finn's teammates should have been. "…You're the only one?"
Finn's shoulders dropped slightly. "No…but." His voice was quiet, and sounded heavy. "Most didn't make it through the last trial."
Arthur's expression softened. He placed a hand on Finn's shoulder. "You did what you could."
Finn let out a weak laugh. "You're starting to sound like an old man."
"Maybe I'm just good at comforting others."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, the kind that only comes after shared experiences.
Then Arthur asked, "How was your trial?"
Finn glanced around nervously before leaning in and whispering, "Let's just say… I got a huge upgrade." His grin returned, a mix of pride and disbelief. "But I'll tell you the details later. Too many people here might want to 'accidentally' overhear."
Arthur nodded approvingly as he looked around. "Yeah…keep it to yourself for now." Both of them then went towards the remaining member of their group.
Around them, murmurs filled the hall as more people realized the portals had stopped glowing. The last of the golden gateways fizzled out, leaving only silence behind.
One elf sighed, shaking his head. "That's it. No one else is coming."
Another human warrior muttered darkly, "Damn… over half of us gone. The Oracle's trial really was as deadly as the legends say."
The atmosphere thickened with unspoken grief and tension. Some looked angry, others were a bit shaken.
Finn exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "So they really died in the final trial…"
Arthur didn't say anything, he didn't need to. He simply patted Finn's shoulder once again, a simple gesture that said enough.
Finn gave him a small nod of gratitude. His eyes hardened slightly, determination settling back in. "I guess that's the cost of strength, huh?" Arthur silently noted the growth of Finn both in strength and mental fortitude, what was once a timid kid who trembled at the sight of a crimson dire wolf had become a hardened warrior.
Arthur's gaze drifted over the survivors, dwarves, elves, dragons, humans, demons, all looking equally wary of each other. "Strength always demands payment. The question is whether you can afford the price."
Finn managed a faint chuckle. "You really are starting to sound like an old man."
Arthur smirked, "Well…I learned from the best."
They stood together as the crowd began dispersing. Some groups clung tightly to each other; others eyed their neighbors suspiciously. It wasn't hard to guess what was on everyone's mind, those who had passed the trials had gained something powerful, and in a world like this, that meant danger.
Finn glanced around uneasily. "You think someone's gonna try something stupid?"
Arthur's eyes scanned the edges of the room, his perception covering the hall subtly. "It's likely. Desperation makes people stupid. Stay close to your allies until we're out of this place."
Finn nodded, gripping his sword tighter. "Got it."
The massive stone doors at the end of the hall creaked open, flooding the chamber with sunlight. Beyond them lay the outside world again, an open field under a blue sky.
Arthur started walking first, his stride calm and deliberate. Finn and his group members fell into step behind him. As they stepped through the gates of the Oracle's temple, the world seemed eerily quiet.
Finn looked up at the sky and exhaled. "Feels weird… like we've been gone for days."
Arthur nodded faintly, his gaze distant. "Time flows differently in places like that."
Finn gave a small laugh. "You say that like it's normal."
Arthur's lips curved slightly. "For me, it kind of is."
They both chuckled softly, the tension easing for the first time since the trial began. The survivors started moving toward the distant mountains, the light of the setting sun painting the ruins of the Oracle's temple in gold and red.
As they walked away, Arthur's expression hardened again. He could still feel the weight of the knowledge from the Book of Codice pulsing in his mind, reshaping the way he saw mana, Chi, and even life itself. It was like carrying an ancient voice inside his thoughts, whispering forgotten truths.
But one thing was certain, whatever came next, this world would never be the same again.
He started to transmit that knowledge to the Guardian AI of Spear of Heaven to analyze. His gears would get a much needed upgrade this time.
***
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