Chapter 6. [Water]

The more rooms Hoshi looked at, the more it seemed like someone was living here, or used to live here. The room after the bedroom was a room with a bath, a cabinet with a bowl of water on top, an old mirror, and something resembling a toilet. The resemblance being a box with a hole on top. Hoshi didn't even want to look inside. The next room was locked, and then there were stairs leading back to the ground floor.

He went down the stairs, noticing a big door in the middle of the wall to his right. It opened with a creak, the wall, like door, reached the ceiling of the first floor, and what opened before Hoshi made him groan in frustration. Another huge library, bigger than the last one, filled to the brim with books. There were even mountains of books on the sides because they couldn't fit into the bookshelves.

Just as he was about to take a deep breath and walk inside, Hoshi felt a shiver go up his spine, like someone was watching him. To validate his suspicions, a window popped up.

[Your presence has been noticed by «unknown»! More information available using «The Book of The Paranormal»]

How convenient. Thought Hoshi, telling the system to show the information it has.

[«The Book of The Paranormal» has knowledge about «unknown»!] [...the feeling of being watched and feeling chills is one of the first signs of paranormal activity in the area... it could be a soul or a being that's not supposed to be in this realm...]

"Oh yeah, that's definitely useful. Thanks system." He said out loud in a sarcastic tone and decided to attack the other library another day... Or time, it's hard to tell the dates in the dungeon. Right now, his brain and body screamed for some rest. Real rest, and not just only bitter edible leaves. But before rest comes work, and the second floor seemed perfect for a base. He went back to the bedroom and took off his jacket, draping it over the chair and rolling up his sleeves.

After however much time passed the place looked much better, and actually livable, most importantly. Hoshi collapsed back onto the bed, his eyes already fluttering closed as he gazed at the ceiling. A bit of rest... And then I'll go tackle the big library... The thought passed his mind before he fell asleep. Surprisingly, Hoshi found himself in a dream. He was in a space that seemed... Weird. Otherworldly, to be exact, though it looked like a beach. The sky above was dark, filled with millions and millions of flickering stars. The water was calm and it reached his ankles. When Hoshi looked around, there seemed to be no land, just endless water.

He took a careful step forward, his movement causing small ripples in the water, but the deepness seemed the same. The water was dark, so he couldn't see the bottom or what he was standing on. Hoshi understood he was in a dream of sorts, but he didn't wake, and he didn't feel like he was completely dreaming. The place was silent, quiet... Too quiet. It was the kind of quiet right before something happened. Before chaos unleashed itself, but no matter how long Hoshi waited, the chaos never came. As if out of nowhere a deep, raspy voice sneaked into his mind, like it belonged to someone who hasn't talked in centuries, it didn't seem human, either...

Suddenly his brain started stinging with unbearable pain, like the voice was too powerful for his human mind to comprehend. Hoshi clutched his head, his eyes shutting tightly as he let out a hiss of pain. It rumbled in his brain, through his body, through his soul.

[«The Book of Ancient Languages» has activated! Translating «unknown»'s speech...]

["After all this time..."]

The pain seemed to lessen after the translation book activated, making it more bearable. Hoshi gritted his teeth as he tried to focus on what the voice was saying rather than the pain.

["Mortal... You've found me. You're weak... Pathetic... But you will do."]

[«unknown» would like to make a deal with you!]

"Deal..?" Hoshi muttered through his teeth, still feeling the pain quite well. It was wierd. The whole situation was weird. If he could feel pain, then this wasn't a dream... Not quite. It was like... A realm. The voices realm. "Who... Who are you?"

As if noticing Hoshis painful state, the voice stopped talking and the pain subsided. Finally he could take a breath. Hoshi staggered a little, making a few more ripples in the water, but he stayed standing. "Who are you? Where am I?" He questioned again, but the voice didn't answer, with made Hoshi relax a little but feel nervous at the same time. Then a game window popped up.

[«unknown» is annoyed at being questioned.]

Hoshi didn't know what to do. The voice was... Annoyed? "Uhm, sorry..?" He mumbled before another window popped up.

[«unknown» is irritated by the apology.]

Irritated? Hoshi was dumbfounded, but he tried his best not to show it. He was about to mutter another apology before stopping himself and clearing his throat.

"So, uhm, who are you?" ...No answer. "Are you human?" ... Again, no answer. No matter what Hoshi tried at ask the voice stayed quiet. Finally, he was out of questions, and only then did another window appeared.

[System provides you with additional translation: "Come back when you're stronger, when you're worthy."]

Right after Hoshi read the message the ground seemed to dissappear under him and he sunk into the water. No matter how hard he tried to swim back up for air, something seemed to keep pulling him down. His head started to get cloudy, and before his eyes closed all he saw was a glimmer of an eye.

Hoshi woke up back in the dungeon, in the bedroom on the second floor of the library. He was completely drenched.