Chương 26: More Scrolls?

/——————————————\ Initiating visualization system…. Loading presets…. Purgatory Mini Map initiated. \——————————————/"Why didn't you show this earlier?" Eric marveled at the small representation of the realm on the desk in front of him.

"I can't show you all the cool tricks from the beginning. This way I'll keep your attention for longer," Grim said. He's not lying. The small map reminded Eric of strategy games back on Earth. It had little figurines for the different parts of Purgatory. Grim moved a wooden model of Gateway into the center of the desk. A white chest sat beside the map, packed with more pieces. Inside were dozens of miniature landmarks Eric didn't recognize. Grim opened the chest and pulled out a small fire pit.

He placed it on top of the tower figure. Leaning back on his throne, he smiled at his own creation.

"As you can see, this is a lore-accurate visualization of the realm. I made it this way so we can talk more easily. Seeing where you're going might help," Grim said. The models looked carved from solid stone. Spectral energy flowed through the desk and created a map of the realm. Most locations were marked with question marks, but when Grim placed the figure of the tower, the mark underneath it resolved into a black dot.

Eric tried to touch the display pieces on the desk, but they flickered when his hand approached.

"Done playing around?" Grim's dry tone made it clear he was losing patience.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. What's the idea for this thing?"

"We will be working all over the realm. When you ascend to the top of the tower, you'll see this piece right here," Grim pointed at the furnace on top. It let out a faint cloud of smoke and bounced up and down.

"Is it burning something?" Eric asked.

"Correct. The third floor was the original archive floor. I had a way of categorizing all the information about the incoming souls. That way everyone would know exactly what happened and when. I can't let information go to waste."

"The furnace is destroying information about souls in Purgatory. Why would the Shattered do that?" Grim pinched the air and zoomed in on the third floor. The figurine of the tower expanded and offered a clear view into the inside.

"See for yourself. By burning the archives, the Shattered lock the souls in this realm. Heaven and Hell might be bastards, but they won't carry out any sentences without previous records. Don't judge a book by its cover, right?" Trap souls forever so they can build an army. Whoever leads the Shattered must be a real asshole. Inside the third floor was a clockwork mechanism. It was embedded in the main column carrying the roof. Eric had a lot of questions, but he felt time was running out.

"How do I even get to the archives? When I acquired the belt, it showed me a notification I can tread new paths." Grim snapped his fingers, and the realm visualization went out in a puff of smoke. Small fireflies scattered through the air, and the safe house returned to normal. Another window popped up. /————————————\ Purgatory Mini Map destroyed. \————————————/"That belt you hate so much is your one-way ticket. You'll be able to ascend to the third floor. Get back into the concert hall and walk to the light.

I hope you're not afraid of heights." The air in the Elegy Vault was cold and damp. Taking a break and explaining what's next to Eric didn't give Grim the much-needed rest he needed. Earth's problems called him once again, but he didn't want to leave without giving some courage to his apprentice. Walking over to the pile of scrolls, Death stirred it with his scythe.

"I'll say your first performance review exceeded my expectations. Maybe I should give you something in return, don't you think?" Eric blinked. That wasn't the response he expected. His mentor's mood swings proved difficult to decipher. Is he serious right now?" I don't want any of those expired chocolates, thank you," Eric said.

"Yeah, I thought so." Grim pulled out another scroll from the pile.

"You might like this one. Last time I used it was when Vex got chased by a bunch of angels because he tried to take their shields." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Eric took the scroll and tried to open it. He stopped just before unrolling it, fearing that it would trigger the spell.

"Should I open it?" he asked.

"You can. This one requires a power source to function properly." Pulling the knobs apart revealed a rather long description. /————————————\ New item discovered! Scroll of Pestilence Description: Classical spell from the Reaper's arsenal. Unleash upon enemies to weaken their stats and defenses. Requires a power source above B-grade. Cannot be used directly by its caster. Using a power source below B-grade will significantly reduce the effectiveness of the spell. Deals bonus damage to Shattered species.

Requires a Reaper-adjacent class to cast. Power: No power source supplied. Warning: Using living beings as a power source may lead to their demise! \————————————/ Whoa. This sounds powerful. What's with the power source requirement?. I've never seen things like that before. This place continues to scare and surprise me. Reading all that information made Eric question the power of his mentor. Even if he had this scroll before Eric's arrival, how could he know about the Shattered and the Reaper adjacent class?

He probably created the spell himself, but when? Eric thought Grim was present in the Elegy Vault only at the same time as him. Something wasn't adding up. The Reaper's scythe flashed green and the jewel in it sparkled. I knew you'd go back. Someday I'll discover what exactly you're doing.

"I gotta go. A whole queue of people is waiting for me on Earth. You know why," Grim said. He walked over to the entrance of the Elegy Vault and exited without saying a word. Eric hurried after him, but upon opening the door again, no trace of his mentor could be found. Standing alone, the reaper apprentice went back to his bed. His eyes closed the moment his head hit the pillow. He was drained from helping Grim, paying attention to his demonstrations, and the lack of sleep was killing him.

Honestly, I'm glad there's no hunger here. I'd be dead by now. Eric fell asleep seconds later. His companion raven resumed its stand on the wooden bed pillar and settled in.

"Ash!" The reaper apprentice jumped out of bed and summoned his dagger. The call from Ash made him get up as fast as possible, but there wasn't imminent danger.

"Thanks for the wake-up call," he said. How long had I been sleeping? Eric grabbed his shoulder plate from one pillar and put it on while walking to the entrance. Ash was already waiting for him at the door.

"You're feeling adventurous today. Let's hope we don't get into a lot of trouble." Both of them returned to the remnants of the metal hallway. The sight of the battlefield left Eric stunned. The sheer force of Grim's spell shaped a perfect fifty-foot-long circular route. It evaporated everything in its path. Damage also affected the ground, creating a curved cutout. Trying his best, Eric couldn't find a trace of the brute. He evaporated. Just like that. How strong was that spell?

Moving forward, the metal corridor was no more. It was mercilessly torn out. Only wood and dirt were left, as the path to the concert hall was now visible. The place where Eric found the chain was also obliterated. He crossed over the rubble and looked at the ceiling.

"Grim said we should go there. Any ideas?" Ash hopped onto his shoulder and motioned to the spot where the light from above touched the ruined interior. Eric remembered the broken instruments and the corpse of the eight-legged beast. It remained, but advanced decomposition had begun. Small red fireflies were circling over it. The smell was worse than before. It permeated Eric's clothes, and he nearly gagged. The light shining from above made the view sickening.

"Let's get out of here," Eric said. Just before moving away, he heard a single droplet fall into water. It was amplified a thousand times and reverberated through the concert hall. A small platform of blood materialized above the corpse. Eric's chain belt vibrated. No way. The fireflies were floating around the blood ledge, holding it together. Eric walked over and climbed upwards. Before his foot could reach the next step, another platform swirled beneath it. A spiral staircase of blood formed in the sky.

It wasn't complete, yet every step Eric climbed caused another to form ahead. Ash flew right beside him. A memory interrupted his climb. A flashback from earlier. The painting he destroyed depicted this exact scene: a man climbing red stairs. In its own twisted ways, the System tries to show me something. Whatever it meant, I know I'm nothing like Grim. I'm not becoming him, and I'll do everything in my power to beat this place. We are not the same. Contemplating, Eric looked at the ruined concert hall below.

He cleared the second level of the tower. That thought made him feel substantially better. No longer did he feel helpless and doomed. Hope crept into his otherwise scared heart. Maybe he could get out.

"We're going to the third floor. I hope you're familiar with it, at least a little," Eric said. Ash let out a series of soft clicks from its beak. It flew towards the light and disappeared in a flash. The young reaper climbed the blood steps and entered the third floor of the tower. /——————————————\ New area unlocked! \——————————————/ Eric emerged inside an old library. In contrast to the second floor, there wasn't a central point from which he entered. There was no way back.

"This doesn't seem so bad," he said. Before him stood towering circular bookshelves. Dust coated the rotten wood, and many of the shelves barely hold together. What interested Eric the most was that the books were leaking ink. A black liquid mixed with gold patterns dripped down onto the ground and formed puddles at each bookshelf. He glanced at the top and found that the ceiling was an endless void. Looking closer, he saw his reflection in the sky. Is that… a mirror?

Ash landed on top of the circular bookcases and scanned the area. After a brief delay, the raven spread its wings and swooped through the library's aisles. Eric quickly followed in its wake. The waves from the wind brushed over the pages and guided him." Hey, don't leave me hanging here." Running through the archive, he noticed the puddles were getting bigger and darker. Streams of ink slid across the floor, following Ash's flight. It knows. The library seemed endless.

Rows of circular shelves repeated endlessly, tricking Eric into thinking that he was moving in a circle. Each direction he looked at had exactly the same layout. Without Ash tracking the flowing ink, he wouldn't be able to know where to go. Soon, the sight in front of him brought him to a sudden stop. The raven screeched abruptly.

"Ash!"

"I see that. Let's approach with caution. I don't want an archive entry about myself." A giant golden tome was sitting open on a pedestal. Its ink was almost gone.