After that... successful gravity test, Oldred didn't hesitate. He stepped to the edge of the abyss and plunged into the darkness. The wind roared past his mask as he fell, but this was no uncontrolled descent. He twisted his body in mid-air with the precision of a predator. His steel arm shot out, its sharp metal fingers clawing at the wall of giant bookshelves beside him.
SKRRRRREEEEEKKK!
A deafening shriek of tearing wood and paper echoed as he slid down, using the shelves as an emergency brake. Countless books exploded from their places, becoming a maelstrom of leather, paper, and dust that swirled around him, significantly slowing his fall. Finally, with his remaining momentum, he released his grip and landed with a bone-jarring three-point landing. The wooden floor beneath him cracked in a spiderweb pattern.
He stood tall amidst the slowly descending shower of pages. Before him stood a magnificent mahogany door with a brass plaque inscribed: "9,772,099". That was fast, he thought flatly. Why didn't she just do that from the start? The piano music that had been haunting him was now loud and clear, as if its source was just behind this door.
Beside where he had landed, there was a strange hole in the marble floor. The hole was shaped like the perfect silhouette of a woman with her arms and legs splayed out, just like in the cartoons.
???: "Owww...."
A stream of muffled, furious curses was heard from inside the hole. "Mmph... sonuvabitch... dammitall...piece of..." before the candle-headed woman crawled out of her personal crater, her gown now covered in wood dust and her floating hair looking slightly disheveled.
???: "HEY! WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!" she snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at Oldred.
Oldred just stared at her in silence. His expressionless steel mask seemed to say it all: Weren't we just discussing how death is an irrelevant concept here?
The woman let out a low growl before forcing a smile onto her twitching lips.
???: "You're trying to make me mad on purpose, aren't you?... Ugh, fine, Mr. Stone-Face... I'll let it slide, just this once. Because I am such a gracious hostess here, you see~"
With a flick of her wrist, the damage to the shelves and floor magically repaired itself. This world truly was subject to her will...
With an exaggerated flourish, she opened the grand door and stepped aside, gesturing for Oldred to enter. Wary, Oldred stepped inside. The sight within made him pause. The room was archaic yet extraordinarily lavish. A giant, circular library, with shelves of dark wood towering up until they disappeared into the vaulted ceiling. A colossal crystal chandelier hung in the center, bathing the entire room in a warm, golden light. And in the middle of the room, at a black grand piano, sat a figure made entirely of dripping black ink, which constantly reformed itself as its fingers danced across the keys, producing that haunting melody.
???: "Hmm-hmm~... if you take something, please put it back where you found it!~ Oh, and try not to get the books dirty!" The woman followed him in and closed the door behind them.
Curiosity overcame Oldred's caution. He approached one of the shelves and pulled out a random book.
Oldred: "!?!"
As the book came free from the shelf, an impossible weight slammed down on him. His body buckled forward, his arm trembling violently from the shock. What in the world is this book?! The weight was absurd; it felt like it had to be hundreds of kilograms.
However, after staggering for a moment, his muscles tensed. With a low grunt, he managed to steady himself. With great effort, he opened the thick tome, titled "Beliard Adalbert." Inside, the life story of a man unfolded, from his first cry at birth to his last breath in battle, every detail, every thought, every love and loss, was recorded in its entirety. Deeming the book irrelevant to his mission, Oldred slammed it back onto the shelf. THUD!
???: "Ohoho~, it seems that 'superhuman' nickname isn't just a rumor, is it~" the woman teased from behind him.
Oldred: "What is this place?" he asked, his voice hoarse, finally breaking his silence.
The woman smiled.
???: "Welcome, Mr. Blind Dog. This is the World of Histories. A living archive that contains the information of every destiny and every possibility. A.K.A, this archive is constantly growing. FYI, every book here is boundless; it will continue to write itself until the end of its subject's life~"