Few things have the strength to propagate themselves through the entirety of Reality. This is due to the number of parasites, already present information, and predators that thrive off consuming whatever drifts within Reality’s boundary.
Many would agree that whatever survives outside Worlds yet within Reality are lower forms of Void entities, the same concept in a different, more harmless environment.
If something manages to propagate itself in the entirety of Reality, it is either an incredibly powerful statement or Law, capable of fending off what should be its predators, or incredibly lucky. Lucky enough to somehow avoid an infinity of obstacles through the conceptual infinite and ever-expanding radius of Reality.
This is the reason one can find similarities throughout Worlds in their legends. One can dream of an archer shooting down nine suns or of an eternal battle between Heaven and Hell, these achievements reverberate and are transmitted to any who can, being engraved in legends, prophecies and overall culture, sometimes even creating their own version of it when a similar act is performed.
One such legend is often transmitted to those seeking Knowledge, forbidden or simply forgotten, a legend of an endless library with every tome imaginable.
Such a library appears in dreams of every World, sometimes empty, one can rarely see the shadows of other scholars due to its size.
Even rarer is the sight of a librarian, recognizable by their long robes and their unrecognizable features. They are the only beings that seem real and present in the place of legend while guests are mere projections of themselves, intangible, black as a Void colored night, and often unbothered by most.
The time one can spend in the Library varies as its presence often overwhelms its guests and forces rejection when one teeters madness.
Some more supernaturally inclined Worlds recognized the Myth as accurate and collected information to increase their researcher’s time through rituals and preparations.
Results… were mostly mixed as forcing their presence within the Halls rendered those that came back mad, if they even managed to come back.
Whether they managed to anger its inhabitants by playing with the rules and got captured or they just decided to spend everything they had in the Library to never come back couldn’t be established.
___________________________________________
“Motherfucker” a loud voice reverberated in the forest of paper, awakening more than a few guests from their stupor while perusing the works available to them.
In a corner of the Library, a man stood, his top half naked and revealing muscles that would bring a glint of amazement to any bodybuilder. He wore a simple pair of black training pants and an air of ferocity on his face accentuated by his crossed arms in front of his chest. Quite a few scars could be seen from what skin was visible, though they disappeared with each passing second, proof of the individual’s vitality.
A robed man appeared from behind the desk the fighter was standing in front of.
“Sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting you to come so soon so the defenses were still activated. Still, while you’re not the best planner, I honestly thought you would send me a heads up before rushing here” An awkward expression could be read in the robe’s hidden eyes.
This didn’t seem to appease the muscled man as a scowl found its way on his face, though it slowly vanished as they looked at each other.
A small sigh escaped him.
“I guess I should have. I didn’t expect to hear from you and dropped what I was doing to rush here. Heard you were wanted and everything… Though considering where you’re at, I guess you’re safe here, for now, Probatio.”
The God of Experiments smiled a bit at his friend and his brutish ways.
“Sorry about the radio silence, I’m on a little thing that takes up a majority of my focus. Hell, I’d call it my Magnum Opus. It’s just that to prepare for it, I had to weaken myself quite a bit and offend quite a few people… Still worth it though.” A childish expression could be seen on the God as if his own life or death was a mere game.
In his case, an Experiment would be the right term though.
“But…” A pair of cups appeared as different liquids were poured from thin air into the containers. “You’re right about my current protection, I’m quite safe here. The fact I had to turn off the defenses to let you in proves it, Mike”.
No one was around to hear their small chat but the warrior’s appearance coupled with this name and enough influence to survive a few seconds under heavy fire would ring a few bells.
“How the hell are you even here as a Librarian, Prob? I’m pretty sure half of what attacked me was banned and destroyed eons before our Era, which says a lot considering we’re slowly making our time as old men”
Michael, God of Strength and Invincibility wasn’t a scholarly man. He could be considered a polar opposite in fact as he dedicated his entire life to the pursuit of Strength, even after his ascension to Godhood. He remained an old friend to Probatio as they belonged to the same adventuring group for a few centuries. They couldn’t even agree on where they first met, only that they were fighting each other.
Even he, who was known as a Berserker and a meathead, knew of the Legends surrounding the Library they were in. It preceded all of them.
“Huh, I never told you?” A small eyebrow appeared raised beyond the darkness before vanishing once more. “It’s part of my Guild’s Bases”
A small silence stretched at the revelation as the teacup Michael was drinking from froze in the air.
“You joined a Guild?”
A gloved hand took one of the biscuits on the table and started munching on it.
“Well, it isn’t a Guild per se. Some of us aren’t sure of the qualification so it’s an Organization, a Secret Society and also a Book Club” The last one brought a twitch to the Invincible Legend’s face. He tried to focus on the important part.
“You always told me you didn’t want to be tied down? And who the hell even is part of this Guild of yours to possess the bloody Eternal Library?!”
The walls shook a bit at this name’s mention, stopping a moment later as if nothing had occurred.
“It doesn’t like that name. Apparently, it was popularized after a major attack on this place. Please refrain from using it.”
The small nod from his peer was all he needed to continue.
“To answer the rest… Well, it isn’t a very restricted organization. Meetings aren’t mandatory and the resources they provide are worth my while. They approached me because they found my experiments interesting and didn’t mind the whole, you know, ‘Wanted thing’ ” Probatio took a sip of his cup, pleased by the liquid. It was a favorite of his, a rare type of brew made from Void flowers whose recipe came from an Outer God’s Revelation which blew up the head of its oracle.
Morbid origins aside, its taste, if one survived the toxins within, was unique. Something rare enough to note after one lives through Epochs of research.
A small sigh of satisfaction left his lips. Being on the run often deprived one of most luxuries, especially rare ones.
“The members… are complicated. Most disappeared from records or are presumed dead but a few revealed themselves to me due to our similarities. The Library’s owner is one of them.” The robes of the librarian billowed in a non-existent wind.
“He leaves the keys to members who need them so I took the opportunity. There’s nothing like a good read to pass the time.” A smirk could be felt from the God of Experiment, something that irked Michael quite a bit.
“Be serious, you know the Owner of the Library?”
“Oh yeah, nice guy, or well whatever form they use. It’s a bit difficult to explain but they’re not exactly what one might call Real.” Distant steps seemed to echo into infinity as they discussed.
Yet not one of the two heard them as they were focused on the other.
“They’re not Real? You can't seriously be saying that?” The Words seemed to reverberate as Reality came undone a bit before instantly closing its wounds.
“Oh but I am, old chap. Turns out the Owner of the fabled Library with Knowledge beyond Reality is none other than n̶̸̷̴̴̷̸̴̷̵̶̵̶̸̴̵̶̵̸̷̴̴̴̸̴̸̷̷̴̸̶̶̶̷̵̷̶̵̴̴̶̸̷̴̷̵̵̸̴̵̷̴̸̴̷̵̷̸̸̸̸̸̶̵̸̵̸̷̵̷̵̷̸̶̴̷̶̷̴̶̶̷̷̸̸̴̴̵̵̴̷̵̴̶̴̶̷̶̸̴̶̴̶̸̵̶̵̸̴̵̵̷̸̸̵̶̴̷̴̷͇̜̮͉͕͖̉̏̀͆̋̓̕͜͜i̵̴̴̴̸̸̴̸̷̷̶̷̶̷̶̴̶̷̸̵̷̷̷̸̵̵̶̸̵̴̸̵̶̴̴̸̴̸̸̶̴̴̷̶̷̸̵̸̶̴̵̶̴̵̴̶̶̷̶̶̶̵̴̴̸̶̸̴̴̶̴̸̶̸̸̶̵̷̵̷̴̴̵̴̴̴̷̵̷̸̸̶̵̶̶̷̶̵̵̴̷̶̴̶̶̵̸̷̸̶̸̴̵̵̷̴̷̵̴̷̴̴̸̵̸̷̷̥̞̗̪͚̊̈́̓̊͆̌͆̿͆͜ͅç̶̶̴̶̸̵̵̵̶̶̷̶̵̸̷̶̴̵̶̶̶̸̴̵̸̵̴̷̶̵̸̷̴̷̵̷̸̸̶̶̸̴̶̶̵̴̵̶̶̵̷̷̷̵̴̷̷̶̸̶̵̴̶̷̸̸̵̶̴̶̸̵̷̶̶̷̴̸̵̸̵̷̴̸̶̴̸̷̸̷̴̸̵̴̴̶̶̶̸̸̶̵̶̵̶̶̶̸̵̷̶̵̷̶̸̵̷̴̴̸̶̴̸̸̷̴̷͙̰͓͉̤͕̍̏̉̔̉̀́̕̕e̵̴̷̵̸̷̶̵̴̶̸̸̷̴̴̶̷̷̶̴̸̸̵̶̶̸̶̸̶̶̶̶̵̶̷̷̷̸̶̷̶̷̷̸̴̶̷̴̶̶̸̸̸̸̶̷̵̷̴̴̶̴̷̷̸̶̷̴̸̷̶̵̸̵̷̶̴̵̵̴̷̴̴̵̵̶̶̷̸̶̶̷̶̴̶̵̸̶̸̵̵̵̵̶̶̸̴̴̷̸̶̶̷̱̼͕͎̩͈͕̅͊̓̓́̑̚ ̵̷̷̴̴̷̴̷̸̶̴̶̵̷̴̶̴̷̷̶̴̸̶̴̴̴̶̷̵̵̷̴̵̸̷̸̶̵̴̸̸̶̴̸̶̴̶̷̷̷̷̵̴̸̸̷̸̹͈̪̋̈́͝t̷̴̷̴̵̵̶̴̴̸̵̷̸̷̴̵̸̶̶̵̵̵̸̵̷̶̵̷̵̴̶̷̵̵̶̷̩͑͂r̴̵̷̴̸̴̸̸̸̷̴̴̴̴̵̷̶̶̵̷̸̵̷̵̶̸̸̸̵̶̴̵̷̵̵̵̴̶̵̷̶̴̸̴̵̷̴̶̴̵̶̴̶̷̴̵̴̵̷̶̵̸̶̴̷̷̵̴̵̸̸̶̶̵̷̷̷̸̶̵̴̸̵̸̸̵̷̸̴̶̷̸̢̢̜̖̩̤̬͚̾͝ͅy̵̴̵̶̵̸̷̴̸̴̴̶̶̶̴̷̴̷̷̶̷̶̵̵̴̶̴̷̵̴̶̸̷̷̷̶̸̴̸̵̷̸̶̵̷̷̸̴̸̸̵̷̷̷̶̶̸̵̶̵̷̶̷̴̸̵̷̶̸̴̷̶̸̸̷̷̵̴̸̸̶̶̵̴̴̶̵̸̶̶̶̵̸̷̶̵̴̵̸̩͍͈̪̜̯̳̻̆̒̃͝, one with the Void. A nice person when you interest them, to be honest”
“A bit maniacal on the edges but their pursuit of Knowledge is real and their Storytelling is on point.”
A new worried expression appeared on the warrior before disappearing under astonishment “I’m sorry, their what? their bloody storytelling? A being from the Void in our Reality since time immemorial and you’re pointing out their passion for stories?!”
A small shrug was made under the robes. “I was surprised too, but they have a way of telling their stories. I had to do quite a bit of research each time to establish which ones were created and which ones were real, and each one brought me a few impressive discoveries. The Origins of everything can hide under several layers of reasons and interpretation”
_____________________________________________
Time slowly passed as the two wrapped up their discussion.
“Fake news” “Bro, I’m serious, they had proof” “Please, as if, most aren’t sure they’re real or if the Origin made them up to excuse their actions” A final debate was going on.
“Whether you believe me or not, I’m telling you, Mike, they showed me. He’s real and he’s a part of the Guild I’m from.”
A small laugh escaped the God of Strength’s lips.
“I mean come on? We both searched the center of the universe and the Trinity is as tight-lipped as ever. You really want me to believe that the Creator, the one at the Origin of everything is part of your Guild? It could be anyone who signed their name as Creator, hell I could do it and I barely made anything in my years.”
Probatio stood up from his chair and dropped his hood to reveal his masked face.
“The paper was enchanted by so many laws, it couldn’t be falsified. I’m telling you the aura was the same as those old ruins we found once upon a time. Same Energy readings as well.”
Michael stood up as well and stared a bit at the red-eye before sighing. The sigh seemed to carry the weight of the many years behind the man. Regardless of their appearances, both were beyond ancient, they outlived Primary World at this point.
“Regardless of whether I believe your claims or not, please do be careful. These people seem to be as powerful if not more than us. As your anecdotes seem to highlight, they don’t seem to be the sanest as well.”
“The same could be said about either of us, old friend. Though I understand your point…”
A boisterous laugh, one beyond anything heard from the half-naked man resonated into the depths of the building.
“Don’t put me in the same bag as you, I didn’t create at least two Reality-wide Plagues that threatened most of us.” He settled a bit before turning his back to what would seem a random direction to the naked eye.
He still spoke a few words before leaving.
“It was nice catching up with you, I can only hope the next time it will be without this mask on your face.”
“Aw, come on, they never proved it was me… Anyway, same. Don’t worry about the mask, it’s just a precaution against most forms of recognition. I’m sure they’ll give up soon enough or I’ll find an easier alternative.”
“One can only hope…”
Michael’s steps echoed through the shelves of bound paper. They echoed until they vanished into nothingness, though whether it was due to distance or because he left remained to be seen.
Probatio dusted himself and snapped his fingers to vanish the utensils he created for this unexpected pause in his day, though he doubted the infinite expanse of Void they were in even had a day and night cycle.
He stepped into a wall and then a side room where a working bench could be found.
Probatio then threw the bag his friend brought him at his request, a few of his tools from one of his caches, quite a few rare ingredients to play around with, and a few World's worths of entertainment, both digital and otherwise.
Time passed at an irregular rate here and he knew from his experiences that merely working at all times would just erode his sanity.
He would never reveal to anyone that the reason one of those Reality plagues existed was that he attempted almost anything his mind thought of while in hiding simply because he once forgot to bring distractions to pass the time.
Now that would be embarrassing…
