Chapter 647: Library
Charles ascended from the comfortable sofa and walked toward the second floor, guided by the bifurcated staircase. The steps beneath his feet echoed through the empty corridor as he approached the entrance of the vast hall that housed the library.
An awe-inspiring sight greeted him as he pushed open the heavy wooden doors. The large hall stretched before him, adorned with row upon row of towering shelves, each meticulously lined with books. The shelves seemed to reach towards the tall ceiling, their contents beckoning with whispers of knowledge and adventure.
The room was illuminated by a soft, warm light that filtered through the tall windows, glowing gently on the library's treasure trove. The air carried a faint scent of aged paper and ink, creating an ambiance that only a library can provide—a sanctuary where the past intertwines with the present.
Casting a glance around the library, Charles directed his steps toward the third shelf. Determined to find the book that Azoth had mentioned, he meticulously scanned the rows of books that lined the shelf.
Minutes ticked by as Charles methodically searched for the specific book he sought. Finally, his eyes alighted upon a weathered volume, its cover fashioned from sturdy leather. With anticipation, he retrieved the book from its resting place, cradling it in his hands.
"The Secrets Scribe - The Whispers of a Glutton," Charles read aloud, his voice resonating with curiosity and intrigue. Intrigued by the title's enigmatic suggestion, he carefully opened the aged pages of the book, eager to study.
However, his initial enthusiasm quickly gave way to a somber demeanor as he delved deeper into the text. The contents revealed a profound truth: not even the fallen God Phobe, with all his wisdom and power, had fully comprehended the origins of the true nature of the artifact. The elusive source of its power remained shrouded in mystery, leaving Charles stunned.
"Although this artifact has no consciousness or soul, I strangely felt a sense of creepiness whenever I used it at the beginning. It was as if I was being watched by something terrifying. That's when I thought of learning about its origin and trying to decipher its secrets..."
"I got this artifact near the Eternal River of Life while exploring the cosmos and thought this might be formed due to some coincidence while absorbing the remnant power of the strange purple flame. But as I further analyzed this artifact, I soon discovered that each bead of this nature artifact might contain a brand new world. With such a possibility, I first tried to send one of my avatars to the purple bead and thought of exploring it. Unfortunately, I lost contact with the avatar when it entered this strange bead. I did the same thing to the other two beads, but the results were the same. So, each bead must be a new world controlled by some powerful will than my avatars. Although I'm not sure about this theory, I'm damn sure that there is something more to this mysterious bracelet." He also detailed its abilities and warned future generations not to enter inside recklessly.
'But the question is where to find its current location?' Charles thought momentarily and decided to spend his time in the library for the next few days.
'Unfortunately, I don't have any skill like 'Eidetic Memory to copy the images and recall everything instantly.' He shook his head and searched for books about the Dream God Phoebe's divine kingdom's geography, important places, artifact locations, etc.
By the end of the fifth day, he had read most of the books that had information about the First Layer and felt quite a bit of understanding of the First Layer.
'I also got a map of the Fallen Dream God's divine kingdom.' Charles quickly took the map from the nearby shelf and spread it on the floor. After that, he first checked his current location and nodded in satisfaction.
'All the places appear the same as before. But instead of people, the whole dimension became infested with magical beasts and nightmare creatures.' Nodding, he took out a quill pen and started thinking of possible locations of the hidden bracelet.
After analyzing through information, Charles made some guesses and marked three places.
"First is the 'Dark Garden.' It's located in the farthest south and is guarded by countless Nightmare Beings called 'Dream Goblins.' Those who entered this domain have their memories gone missing and their mind going crazy. So, there is a possibility that this place has this mysterious bracelet hidden.
The second location is called 'Dream Palace.' It's the place where one would experience memory loss over a due time and is considered both a safe and dangerous place. If anyone stays within this Palace for over two days, they will be forcefully teleported out of it and even robbed of their memories.
Finally, the last location is the 'Graveyard of Stealers,' located in the northeast region. That's also the place where Corpse Devourers are located. I must check this area first because of Corpse Devourers' ability to mimic the dead peoples' memories and abilities."
He also received information about Order Church's current whereabouts from Head Deacon Colt.
'Three days ago, the three groups defeated the Fallen Priest Pathmaker at the Dream Temple little to the north of the Dream Palace and discovered many ancient treasures, artifacts, and even a powerful intellectual artifact. Surprisingly, Archbishop managed to sneak out without anyone noticing and never returned. So, they are still debating whether to chase after him or leave for the Second Layer.'
But Charles wasn't bothered much about them anymore.
'I should focus on finding the bracelet first and move to the next layer.' He picked up the map, stored it in his space ring, and left the library. Before long, he left the Palace and started his journey to the Graveyard of Stealers.'
Unlike before, Charles didn't hide his presence and started marching in the northeast direction at full speed.
At the same time, he killed all the Rank-5 and even a few Legendary Magical Beasts and reached the 'Graveyard of Stealers' territory at the end of the third day.
At that moment, Charles stood at the summit of a lone hill and gazed at the eerie forest full of withered trees and plants.
"From now on, I must be cautious of any creature up ahead.' He muttered solemnly and gazed towards the blue interface before his eyes.
'After killing 35 Rank-5 Beasts and 6 Legend Rank beasts, I earned 76 Wisdom points. Adding to the points I obtained by killing Azoth's dream clones, I now have 120 Wisdom Points!' He didn't hesitate and ordered Genesis to pour all the 'wisdom power' into his Inner World.
A second later, another intense change occurred within his Inner World, expanding his overall senses and power.
'580 wisdom points!' He couldn't help but take a deep look at his status screen.
But he vaguely perceived that he still needed more than 500 wisdom points to reach the peak stage of the Legendary Realm.
'At that time, I might even be powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with Demi-God realm powerhouses!' He wasn't talking about the Popes of different Churches but the true Demi-Gods like Rafael, Emerson, and Miguel.
He soon shook his head and stepped down from the summit of the lone hill.
After a few minutes of walking on the rocky mountain, he reached the base and gazed at the land devoid of life. After a slight pause, he released his wisdom power and scanned the surroundings.
'I only sense some unique worms and snails hiding in the rotten woods and withered trees.' After confirming no dangers nearby, he slowly stepped onto the land and started walking ahead.
But as he walked past over three hundred meters, he suddenly halted his footsteps and turned towards the left side woods.
At that crucial moment, Charles's gaze fell upon a man of approximately 40 years old who was rapidly approaching him. The man's countenance betrayed a deep panic etched onto his rugged face. Wavy strands of blonde hair cascaded down, framing his features, while a pair of piercing amber eyes flickered with a mix of fear and determination. Thick, bushy eyebrows furrowed with concern, emphasizing the intensity of his emotions. On his calloused hands, evidence of numerous battles could be seen as scars and testaments to his trials. The man was dressed in a flowing priest robe, colored in a vibrant shade of red, which billowed with his hurried movements. Notably, he tightly grasped a long sword, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
"Archbishop Victor Hawthorne?" The name escaped Charles's lips with immediate recognition, despite having never met face to face. Intrigued, he shifted his gaze to the area behind the Archbishop, eager to unravel the unfolding scene.
To his astonishment, Charles beheld a remarkable sight. More than a hundred dogs, towering at an impressive height of approximately 2 meters, raced relentlessly in pursuit of the Archbishop. However, it was their size that caught his attention. These dogs possessed a distinct and unsettling appearance: their skins were pitch black, their bodies robust and muscular like that of bulls. A peculiar horn protruded from their foreheads, adding to their formidable presence. Perhaps most disturbing, each dog sported a third eye beneath the horn, glowing with a reddish hue.
As they closed in on the Archbishop, the dogs exuded an overwhelming power comparable to average Rank-5 Magical Beasts. Their collective aura resonated with menace, imposing a palpable threat to all who encountered them.
