Upon opening the door, a musty smell of books greeted me first. Beyond the door was a spacious room. Compared to the maze I had just traversed, it was smaller, but it seemed to be around 100 square meters. This was the legendary magician Maje’s library. It was filled with old books.
Even my mom’s room, who was mostly a bookworm, didn’t have as many books as this. Despite hundreds of years passing, the condition was excellent, as if someone had just been there. There was no dust or cobwebs. Surrounding the room were tall, wide bookshelves, neatly arranged books, a clean wooden desk, and a chandelier still faintly shining from the ceiling in the center of the room.
“Dalbi.”
It seemed like Dalbi couldn’t follow.
The loneliness I felt since passing through the door, it was a place even Spirits didn’t allow entry.
“It’s stairs.”
Surprisingly, where I stood was the second floor. Past the library, I could see wooden stairs leading downwards. The old wooden stairs were still sturdy enough that they didn’t creak even as I stepped on them.
I looked around slowly as I descended the stairs. The first floor looked like a bedroom. I could see a bed covered in white sheets and a large mirror on a vanity. As I reached halfway down the stairs, flames suddenly sprang up from the fireplace on the first floor. The soft light illuminated the first floor, and I swallowed hard.
At first glance, it was an ordinary library, but I knew it was full of magic. The old lamps shining for hundreds of years and the books that, despite being worn out, held magic within them. Surely, the books in Maje’s library were valuable materials, things that would make my sister Melissa drool. But what I wanted didn’t seem to be there. As I explored the room, I realized that there was a ‘hidden’ door behind the wooden stairs I had descended.
“Damn. Hidden away so well.”
After navigating the maze and arriving at the library,
there were mechanisms even in the library to hide treasures.
Archmage Maje must have made constant efforts to hide his treasures, but unfortunately, my eyes were sharper. Without much effort, I easily opened the hidden door behind the stairs. All I had to do was grab the handle and turn it.
“Ah.”
Finding the relic of ‘Gain’ wasn’t difficult.
The hidden room held only one treasure.
In the center of the white room was a ‘gem’ stored in a glass case.
It looked just like the relic of the sphere from before. The only difference was the color.
The sphere was red, and the gain was white.
There were no other magical traps in the room.
I approached confidently and opened the glass case, taking the gain relic without hesitation.
And I promptly took it with me.
Melissa might not try to take it, but just in case.
“Eh.”
I was ready to spit it out as soon as it felt strange, but once again, just like the relic of the sphere, it slid down my throat easily. I waited expectantly for the change to come.
The power of gain, after obtaining this power, Archmage Maje became a legendary mage, or so he said. What kind of power was it? Did he gain powerful magic? Or maybe Will Smith would appear and grant wishes? (Reference to Aladdin movie)
“Hmm.”
I shrugged. There was no immediate change. When I opened Archmage Maje’s library, Dalbi was supposed to accompany me. Maybe Melissa didn’t know.
“Second one.”
Back in Earth, I understood the taste of collecting photocards. (Kpop reference)
I discovered a desire for collecting that I didn’t know I had, and I pledged to collect all the relics of the Azhibita religion. Just the power of the relics alone was powerful, but for some reason, I had a feeling that when I gathered them all, something else extraordinary would happen. Usually, that’s how it goes, right? 100% collection rate, special reward, or something like that.
“Ha, feels like I’m gonna die.”
I achieved my goal. I got the gain relic, now all I needed was an Aronia shake and a warm bath. After defeating a grand mage, and traversing a long and dark maze that seemed endless, exhaustion exceeded its limits.
I came out of the hidden room without thinking and looked towards the bed. Could I just close my eyes for a moment? Such a trivial thought.
Then I saw something I hadn’t noticed before.
Casually, I turned my head to climb the wooden stairs.
Swoosh!
In an instant, the lantern went out. I pretended not to notice whatever was rustling behind me and climbed the wooden stairs naturally. I didn’t know sweat could chill so quickly down my spine. It wasn’t the cold because the library had suddenly become as cold as a winter night.
Swoosh-
The sound of the cloth dragging on the floor.
The fact that I didn’t turn around even though the lantern went out was itself a wrong reaction.
Swoosh, swoosh-
The sound of dragging on the floor remained constant and approached me.
I quickened my pace, but the sound matched my footsteps and sped up too.
[I can see you.]
Aronia shake, Melissa’s nine-tailed fox, fools who deceive, and Ranista.
I tried to think of something else to shake off the feeling, but the voice kept echoing.
[Hehe.]
It was an unpleasant laugh. A voice as high and splitting as breaking glass. Damn, even though Melissa hadn’t told me about the gender of Archmage Maje, I was sure it was a woman. And she had a very strong personality, harboring immense resentment and refusing to accept her death.
[I’ve been waiting for someone to wield the power of gain.]
I realized too late that the stairs had disappeared when I climbed all the way up.
[For hundreds of years.]
The advice not to respond to the call of ghosts was universal, whether in the East or the West, even if the worlds were different.
But not pretending didn’t work.
I wasn’t afraid of strong spirits.
“Damn it. Why explain kindly and bullshit?”
It was the reason why an exorcist curses at a demon.
I insulted the ghost with a strong attitude, suspecting it was Archmage Maje.
But the old lady didn’t care, smiled on her wrinkled face, and looked at me with eyes full of ecstasy (disgustingly) lovingly.
[Oh, you’re my light. Oh, young man, I wish I could kiss you if I were younger.]
It sent chills down my spine.
[How can you be so lovely.]
The old lady approached more and more.
[I want your body enough. Oh, living flesh, flowing blood, how I’ve missed them.]
“What? You bitch?”
[I’ll take your soul and give it to the reaper, and your flesh will be mine.]
I swung my Lamelstar at the ghost. I hoped this movement used by exorcist would have an effect. But the sword passed through the ghost. It couldn’t be stabbed because it had no substance.
Immediately, I used the power of the sphere. If it could make demons and magic disappear, it would work on the ghost too
Hehehehe-!
It was at that moment. As Archmage Maje let out an eerie laugh, the crimson curtain disappeared in an instant.
“Two points! Hehehe! I’m lucky, hehehe. As expected, fortune favors the bold.”
As he drew closer, I chose to turn and run. But it felt like ice water had been poured into my heart, and as I lowered my head, I saw the ghostly hand piercing through my chest.
“Suck!”
The hand swiftly plunged into my mouth. It was like the previous possession. A disgusting sensation as foreign matter entered my mouth and went down my throat. The ghost came into me through my mouth, seemingly to take over my body. I saw it vividly. Archmage Maje, the old ghost, had a face filled with joy until only the head remained, suddenly showing a shocked expression.
Fwip-!
The ghost devoured me without leaving a trace.
“Ugh.”
It was strange.
Archmage Maje had clearly chosen to enter through my mouth to take over my body. There must have been some way to extract my spirit and take control of my flesh. But it seemed to have failed. It was similar to the possession by the malevolent spirit, but this sensation was even more…
“Disgusting.”
Once.
I experienced the disgustingly dreadful sensation twice in my lifetime.
I sat down where I stood, seriously contemplating. By now, I realized something was wrong with my body. Was it the Ghost’s power in my throat? A human who eats ghosts? Wasn’t the Heavenly Sky Eye my only ability? It was complex and confusing.
“Ugh.”
This rare and bizarre experience made me ponder my identity and ego. But contemplation couldn’t last long. Suddenly, I felt like my intestines burst, causing me excruciating pain, and I collapsed to the ground screaming.
Damn it!
Struggling to regain my fading consciousness and simultaneously tearing my stomach apart in agony, I screamed like a whale. At that moment, a door appeared at the end of the library, and at the same time, Dalbi’s voice echoed. Dalbi rushed over in a panic. I didn’t know why, but I wanted to hug him tightly.
Huh?
“Thank you, you’re the best remedy.”
Then the abdominal pain gradually subsided.
Now I understand why the doctor is called a panacea.
Dalbi could be a charger and a digestive aid.
“It seems like something unexpected happened.”
Melissa appeared too.
Whether it was because she obtained the artifact of gain, or because the ghost of Hyunhyun Maze turned into my stomach’s waste, I don’t know.
Melissa said that the darkness blocking the library had disappeared.
She glanced at me briefly and focused her attention on the library.
“Amazing. Information on ancient magic, history, forgotten legends, and artifacts! It’s incredible. It won’t be boring for a while. Hoho.”
Melissa laughed gleefully.
But contrary to her words, she didn’t seem that happy.
Normally, her tail should be wagging vigorously, but it was drooping.
—
The barriers of Chamber of Deep Contemplation’s floor have disappeared. Before the wizards could rush in, Melissa took away all the books from Hyunhyun Maze’s library. No matter how you look at it, ‘Anywhere Door’ was a cheat. Just passing through one door led to Quilz Castle’s garden.
Since I couldn’t get up due to the abdominal pain, Melissa kindly took me to my room. Well, the method wasn’t exactly kind. The way she floated me like a balloon and sent me flying out the window was quite amusing. If I hadn’t grabbed the window frame, how far would I have flown? Damn woman.
