I recall the time when my friends and I fought the skeleton, Ludwig, and his dragon. Me and him using our mightiest spell as we face off against each other. But I remember how odd it was. The spell he used, nothing came out of it.
{Transcendental Law of the Abyss, Bless Soul}
*Pant *Pant
My eyes open to see the room lit up brightly. The light comes from a spectral orb, its color is golden and it's shining.
As I try to catch my breath, I ponder heavily at the sight of an ominous book in my hand. Its hardcover design is colorfully dark like I see a snippet of the galaxy and it kept me wondering, just what have I got myself into?
! {Item Obtained}
~ {Book of the Unknown / Transcendental / ---}
My eyes peeled like never before.
"A transcendental rank? What the hell is this?"
It’s not a grimoire that contains a spell nor it is a skill book. It’s just a book. Like the simplest definition of it. But for it to be a Transcendental Rank, for me, it’s unheard of. I wonder, just what is it contained within. So, I flipped the cover and take a look at its content.
{Luosa}
Replica calling out to me, but my curiosity is uncontrollable, but upon opening the book. I see words and symbols unfamiliar to me. I’ve never seen any of them either. Something totally new in front of my eyes, it has totally caught my interest. This would require me to learn about what these characters mean before I can study the symbols, which means, there should be a Quest.
‘I’ll have to get back and go through a normal portal first and see if my profile is fixed by doing that because I think, supposedly, I should be getting a Quest here. No, even all the way back where I was tasked by Replica or even when I got taken in.’
Glancing up at the bright orb above, I calm myself down as I tilt the edge of my lips and raise my brows, “Oh, right.” Turning around and taking the dark orb with me, “Ma’am! I have obtained the book!”
{…}
{You have obtained it?}
{...}
{Well done}
‘What's with the awkward pause?’
{Sit tight, I shall make preparation to teleport you back here}
“Oh okay.”
‘That's convenient.’
“…”
All those whispers have disappeared when that ball of light appears, “I don't want to experience that again.” And for some reason, my tongue has healed. I mean I expected it, but there's no blood whatsoever.
‘I wouldn't dare to try that in real life with my current body as that tongue is not replaceable, haha.’
The light from the ball briefly flashes in my eyes. I wonder if I can take that sphere so I try to reach it but even at my highest jump, it's short a few inches away from it.
*Pomf*
My cheeks puffed to a balloon.
*Fume *Fume
“Oh well, it’s probably just a torch anyway.”
If it is something that can be acquired, it would naturally float to the player. Regardless, now that it produces light to shine on my surrounding, I can inspect the place while I wait for the portal to appear. But there really is nothing here except for the center part of the room where I obtained the book. On the ground, there is a symbol, one that I’m actually familiar with.
[Judgement]
‘Why is this here?’
Glancing at the shining orb, ‘Replica said this place used to be a place of worship to the Spirit King but why there’s a remnant of the End Kings?’
From the chants of those unknown groups to this symbol.
‘It’s—”
*BWOOSH*
Interrupting my thoughts, the dark orb in my hand shoots out a magical energy that turns into a portal with the other end not visible from this side. I stood with the book held in my hand, and mumbled to myself cheerily, “Heheh, time to get those praises!”
With my heart fluttering, the edges of my lips tilted. I jump into the portal and present Replica with the book she wanted. I hold it up high as I phase through, shouting, “TADA!”
“…”
“Hm? No response? Ma’am, I got the…” my eyes widened after seeing that I stood not just before Replica but also the skeleton, Ludwig, and the draugr, Ludtleth. I realize I was not brought to the colosseum as I expected I would be.
Dumbstruck, but I remember how Avarice greets them. However, I’m nowhere near her status which means, what I should be doing right now, is kneeling on my knees and bowing my head.
Replica then commanded, “Lift your head, Luosa.”
Upon her mentioning that name, chills ran down my spine as my throat dried up in an instant. My body responded to the sudden outburst of cold magical energy going rampant in front of me. Glancing up, I see a terrorizing dark green flame radiating out of Ludtleth’s decayed body. His eyes turn the same color as his aura but they shine brightly as he glares at Replica.
“You dare to utter that name in front of our lord? Know your place, mage.”
Shudder. I knew there was something problematic with that name but she kept insisting on calling me that. But then again, I also refuse to give up my real name.
“Do pardon my insolence, my lord. It was Alpha who calls the Wanderer by that name while she was conversing with her.”
“You could’ve called her a Wanderer just now, but you didn’t.”
“It is not to my liking to call one as such.”
This heated exchange between them makes my head spin, but then suddenly, the skeleton who sits on the throne speaks, “Silence.”
And so the two stop before things escalate any further. Ludtleth also withdraws his aura. But now their attention is no longer on that name, but rather, me. The sharp gaze that Ludwig has, opens my eyes. This scene where three Transcendental beings stood before the powerless me. I’m being judged for something.
“Why is that thing in your hand?” asked Ludwig in his disturbingly eerie voice.
“M-Madam Replica told me to retrieve it, um, my lord.”
“And why are we here, Replica?”
She steps forward as she looks down at me with narrowed eyes, “I want her removed.”
My eyes peeled.
“Alpha told me that she is a Wanderer, and yet, not only that she possesses similar power to that of an experienced Traveler, she constantly dominates her fight against those that are stronger than her which makes me ponder, who is she exactly?”
Puzzled, many things run through my thoughts, “W-Wait, Ma’am, I… I—”
“She refused to tell me her identity. Again, it begs the question, just how a Wanderer can accomplish the retrieval of that book.”
“W-What? But you told me to get it?”
“That’s right, I told you to. You were not the first that I ask to retrieve it. I myself have also entered that place, only to find myself waking up hundreds of years later. Parched, starved. That book is there floating brightly inside an orb. I can feel it burning my hand at the slightest touch, but I can never bring it with me. No kind of Telekinesis can be used, but you, it's in your hand!"
Puzzled, I don't know how to respond.
“Luosa.”
I lift my head to see her looking at me with narrowed eyes.
“How did you survive?”
“I,” how I survived what exactly?
“I don’t…” know.
“She could be a spy from the Divine Order, or the champion of the fairies, maybe even a worshipper of one of the kings themselves.”
“No, I—” my eyes widened after seeing the sharp glare of both Ludtleth and Ludwig. I thought to myself, ‘N-No way, they’re gonna kick me out. Just like that? But I got the book so,’ gritting my teeth my mind turns chaotic as my attention flare everywhere.
But unexpectedly, things went quiet. My mind calms itself down when the only thing occupying it is the woman standing before me. The woman who resembles my mother. Replica. Their face overlaps.
‘You want me to leave again?’ I lift my legs to stand, ‘Then you better do your best.’
