A Sudden Gift
Adam strolled through the grand corridors of the mansion, his footsteps echoing softly against the wooden floors. The dim glow of the evening lanterns cast flickering shadows along the walls as he passed the kitchen and entered the living room.
His destination? The front door. Minerva was waiting for him at their usual training spot in the courtyard, and he had no intention of keeping her waiting.
However, just as he reached for the door handle and pulled it open, he was met with an unexpected sight. Standing on the front porch, bathed in the cool evening air, was a familiar figure.
"Good evening, young master."
Adam's blue eyes locked onto the bowing figure before him, it was none other than Roland, the family butler. At the sight of him, he began to arch a brow, tilting his head slightly.
"A pleasant evening to you as well, Roland."
His voice was casual yet was filled with evident curiosity behind his subtle tone.
After all, Roland wasn't the type to loiter without reason. Folding his arms, Adam leaned against the doorframe and said to him.
"I take it this isn't just a coincidence? The way you're standing here, waiting, tells me you have been waiting here for me, I take it?"
Roland straightened, his expression calm yet respectful as he nodded.
"As perceptive as always, young master. That is indeed the case. I did not come here of my own volition this time. I am merely a messenger at the moment. My Lady was adamant that I deliver this to you before your training session with Lady Minerva."
When these words were said, Adam's brow twitched upward, a glimmer of curiosity flashing in his eyes as he responded back, stating as such.
"You'll have to be more specific, Roland. This house is full of ladies, and unless I suddenly became one myself, I'd say I'm the only exception."
Adam said jokingly.
"Fufufu."
Roland chuckled softly, his amusement evident at Adam's joke.
"Forgive me, young master. Allow me to clarify... this is from my lord, creator, and my master, Lady Echidna."
The moment that name left Roland's lips, Adam's smirk faltered slightly, as this was unexpected on so many levels.
Echidna.
In the five years since he transmigrated into this world, she had remained a complete enigma. Unlike the others in the household, who either trained or interacted with him, Echidna was nothing more than a ghost... never seen, never heard.
Whenever he asked about her, answers were vague at best. Priscilla would sneer and dismiss her outright, while Minerva often joked about dragging her out of her self-imposed exile by force.
And yet, here he was, receiving something directly from the elusive woman herself.
Roland reached into his stomach... yes, his stomach. His sleek black suit liquefied slightly as his body, composed of a metallic, mercury-like substance, shifted and parted. From within, he pulled out an object.
A box to be more precise.
It was sleek, obsidian black with glowing neon blue outlines, resembling a futuristic Rubik's Cube. Though the size of an encyclopedia, it felt oddly weighty in Roland's hands.
Adam's eyes narrowed slightly as he took the box, his fingers running over the smooth surface.
"You sure this is for me? Because this screams suspicious all over it... more than Priscilla calling me 'not a total disappointment,' during intense training."
Roland chuckled at Adam's words, clearly amused by his sense of humor, and then he began to reply back to Adam saying as such.
"My master rarely acts without reason, young master. She is not one for public company, as you may have noticed. However, despite how Lady Priscilla describes her, she is a just individual. She prefers to remain in solitude, where she is safest and, more importantly, where she cannot be disturbed."
Said Roland, as Adam looked him dead in the eyes.
He then began to tap a finger against the box thoughtfully, as he if preparing to say his next words.
"So she is a hermit with a purpose. Great... those types are always the most op in any game or books you read, or play... that aside though... it still doesn't explain what's in this thing."
Said Adam.
"I am afraid I do not know the specifics."
Roland admitted.
Adam's expression darkened slightly at those words. A warning like that wasn't to be taken lightly.
Whatever was inside this thing… it had to be important.
Dangerous, even.
Still, curiosity gnawed at him. He let out a sigh, shaking his head.
"Alright, I'll take it. Can't sense or see a damn thing from it, but something about this just rubs me the wrong way."
At these words, Roland gave a knowing nod.
"Understandable, young master. If I may offer a final piece of advice; Lady Echidna does not bestow gifts lightly, nor does she act without purpose. While I do not know what lies within that box, I can tell you this."
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.
"That object was taken from her personal treasure space. A place that holds only three of her most precious belongings. I have never seen them, nor do I know what they are, but the mere fact that she retrieved this from there… means it is one of her three treasures, and she considers each of those things invaluable. So, whatever you do, treat it with care."
After Roland confirmed this, Adam let out a low whistle, staring at the black box with renewed interest.
"Now that's one hell of a sales pitch. Alright, consider it noted and received. Oh, and let Echidna know that I appreciate the gesture."
Roland bowed gracefully.
"Of course, young master. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other evening duties to attend to. Please enjoy the rest of your day."
With that, the butler turned and disappeared deeper into the mansion, as he walked ahead to the back, leaving Adam alone with the enigmatic box in hand. He glanced down at it, a nagging feeling settling in his chest.
As a result, he had to ask the System.
"Hey system, any information in the Archive about this thing?"
He asked the System, which then began to reply.
『Notice! Now checking Archives... Searching... Searching... Searching... Information found』
『Would the host like me to read the entire 500-page history or a quick explanation in the form of a short synopsis, given this is fan-fiction original, and not of the current games you know of』
Of course, Adam chooses the latter.
"I will take the synopsis thank you."
『Very well』
In that instant, the system began to explain, as the voice went off in his head.
『Pandoras Box』
- Before the world, as we know it came to be, and before spirits roamed and Yggdrasil took root, there was only Losdeus. The Source, the First Instance... Some even called it The Narrator, the origin of all things. From it, the first Divine Spirit, Chaos, was born. And from Chaos, only two forces emerged, good and evil. Everything in existence, predation, past, present, and future, was shaped by these two opposing forces.
But Chaos wasn't just a battlefield of light and dark, it was everything and nothing at once, both sides of the coin and something beyond even that.
Eventually, two rulers rose from Chaos, embodying the extremes of this eternal struggle: Yang: The Divine Spirit of Benevolence, and Yin: the Divine Spirit of Malevolence, and together they make up the Quintessence. Through them, all that was righteous and all that was wicked took form.
Among them, one of the first instances of evil to be born from Yin's essence in this Astrum field was Typhon, a primordial monster so powerful that his mere existence shattered the timeline of the human world into 3 different worlds, splitting it into past, present, and future.
Of course, no villain gets to reign forever.
During the Great Age of Mankind, humanity's first true Overlord rose up and slaughtered Typhon, changing history forever. Humans, once nothing more than prey for monsters, had finally turned the tables. But Typhon wasn't one to go down without a fight.
Even in death, he left behind a parting gift... or maybe a curse depending on how one sees this power.
Typhon's final trick was a lore ability of the highest rank, a power only a certain few knew he had, and this power was called "Archive of the Fallen." This ability allowed him to seal all of his powers, abilities, and knowledge inside a mysterious object made from his Body, Mind, and Soul... a living codex called "Pandora's Box," although Typhon is gone, all these powers can be acquired and re-used as spells... the activation price however is attributless Astrum, and the more one uses this power, the closer to Typhon they become.
However, this vast and ancient power is currently sealed behind nine great doors, each door signifying his weakest abilities, to his strongest abilities. So far, the current Codex comes with two keys, to open the first two doors of the Codex. Door 1, and Door 2, however the other seven keys, have been lost. If the user wants to use the full power of Typhon, he needs to track down the other seven keys to Pandora's box.
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The moment, Adam heard this, he was baffled in every sense of the word baffle, as the only thing he could mutter in his mind, his expression that of shock was...
"Haa?!"