The Eye That Saw The End (4)
Atlas exhaled heavily.The aerial shark hovered nearby, its fins trembling slightly with fatigue.
Silence.
Only scattered books and traces of the battle.But then…
One of the books suddenly slowly floated into the air.And it opened on its own.
[System Notification]: You have received the "Lost Secrets Folio".
[Description: An ancient text containing knowledge accessible only to those who have defeated the guardian of the library.]
Atlas frowned.
"Well... it looks like it wasn't an ordinary monster."
He picked up the book, feeling its pages pulsate slightly.
[Would you like to open the Folio of Lost Secrets?]
He carefully unwrapped the "Folio of Lost Secrets."
[System Notification]: You have opened the "Folio of Lost Secrets".
[Attention! Access to the content is limited by the level of understanding of the artifacts.]
[Your current level: Beginner.]
[Decrypted: 30%.]
"Of course... not all at once."
The pages were filled with strange, wavering symbols, but some of the words showed up quite clearly.
"...The Eye of Silence has sealed the last witness... Darkness and memory are one… Whoever sees the truth will no longer be able to turn away..."
Atlas frowned.
"The Eye of Silence… The last witness… It has something to do with that artifact I found."
He scrolled further.
"... The key is hidden under a stone, where the dead find no rest... The ghostly path is illuminated only by those who remember the song of the shadow..."
What does this mean?
Atlas put the book back in his inventory and thought about it.
If you link this to the "Eye that Saw the End" quest, it turns out that the Eye of Silence is not just an artifact. It's connected to something ancient. With something that would be better not to wake up.
But what is the "key"?Where is this place "where the dead find no rest"?
And most importantly, is it worth continuing to dig deeper?
Atlas closed the folio, deep in thought.
"What if this is exactly the book the librarian was looking for?"
He didn't jump to conclusions, but since he's in a fight anyway'In the world, why not check it out?
An aerial shark hovered quietly nearby, its shiny fins swaying in the air as if reacting to his thoughts.
The head
librarian, Levius, didn't even look up when Atlas entered the main hall. There was a thick smell of old books in the room, and the air was filled with light candle smoke.
Atlas came closer and laid the folio on the counter.
– Is this by any chance the book you were looking for?
Levius froze, adjusting his glasses, which had slipped slightly onto the tip of his nose.
He slowly raised his eyes to Atlas, then to the book.
–...Did you find this? – His voice was hoarse, almost a whisper.
Atlas nodded.
The librarian ran his hand over the binding, as if checking its authenticity.
[System Notification]: You have handed over the "Lost Secrets Folio" to the Head Librarian.
[The task "Guardian's Test: Library of the Dra'Myr" has been completed.
Received 1500 EXP.]
Atlas felt a slight vibration in his body–he became a little stronger again.
–Where did you find this? – The librarian finally looked at him intently.
– In the library… More precisely, in its closed part. I had to fight with a certain Reader.
Levius pursed his lips: –The Reader... so he's been awakened after all.
Atlas tensed.
– So you knew that there was something dangerous there?
The librarian nodded slowly.
–I knew it, and I was afraid. But I couldn't check. The key to that hall was lost decades ago.
A heavy pause.Then the librarian looked at Atlas with renewed interest.
–You were able to not only enter... but also defeat him.
He thought for a moment, then opened the folio and quickly flipped through a few pages.
–So you've also found the Eye of Silence.
Atlas wasn't surprised that the librarian knew about this, as he had said so himself earlier.
"Why did the librarian suddenly start talking as if he didn't remember me coming?
Levius closed his eyes for a second.
– The Eye of Silence is an ancient artifact associated with the last pages of the history of this world.
"And this looks like a plot!" – thought Atlas in surprise.
The librarian looked at Atlas, appraising him.
–If you really own it... then maybe you should find out the truth about it.
[System Notification]: A new task has been received!
"The Eye that saw the End – Part II."
[Description: Librarian of Dra'Myr can help you understand what the Eye of Silence is. Listen to him.]
Atlas exhaled.
He could feel a slight warmth filling his body as the experience gained from completing the quest brought him closer to the next level.
But that wasn't the main point.
[System Notification]: Congratulations! You have completed the unique task "Shadow among the Pages".
[You have gained access to the "Forbidden Archive" of the Library of Dra'mira.]
Atlas looked up at the librarian.
–So I can come in now?
The Head Librarian nodded, but his eyes remained wary.
– Access is not only a privilege, but also a responsibility. The Forbidden Archive holds knowledge that can be... dangerous.
Atlas chuckled.
– Is there anything dangerous in this place at all?
The librarian slowly but still did not understand what he said.
–You're right, there's danger in this world.
He fumbled in the pockets of his robes and took out a small key covered with symbols.
[You have received the "Forbidden Archive Key"!]
[This key allows you to open the door to the most mysterious part of the library of the Dra'Myr .]
The librarian leaned forward.
– And one more thing.
Atlas was wary: – What else?
The old man sighed: –They tried to clear this archive of dangerous knowledge once before. But... not all the books were destroyed.
He stared at Atlas.
– If you find something there… What shouldn't exist, you'd better tell me right away.
Atlas clutched the key in his hand.
"Got it."
The door to the archive was at the farthest end of the library.It was huge, made of black stone, covered with old seals.
Atlas inserted the key.
[System Notification]: The key of the Forbidden Archive has been used.
[Access is open.]
The door slowly began to open…
Atlas took a deep breath, smelling the ancient pages, and stepped inside. The door closed automatically behind him, leaving a faint echo in the hallway. The Forbidden Archive was different, unlike the main part of the library.
There were no ordinary bookshelves here–instead, tall shelves lined up around it, sealed with magical seals. The soft glow of the arcane symbols trembled in the air, as if the space itself was saturated with energy.
In the far corner, there was a table on which a magical catalog was spread out, flickering with a faint blue light. There was a transparent plaque above the table:
[Available Research]
The Story of the Disappeared Seekers
Cursed artifacts of the past
The Eye of Silence: theory and practice
Atlas hesitated. Opening the third book immediately seemed tempting, but the system's warning made him think. It is better to deal with other materials first, and then return to the "Eye of Silence".
He chose "The Story of the Disappeared Seekers." A new book flashed in front of him, a dusty volume with a worn leather cover covered with scratches. It looked very old, but the magical symbols on its surface flickered with a soft light.
[System Notification]
You have started studying: "The Story of the Disappeared Seekers".
Turning over the first page, the Atlas began to read.
"The first Seekers appeared in the world of Flanard Ford even before empires and kingdoms were created. They traveled in search of lost knowledge and magical artifacts. However, over time, many of them disappeared.… Their fate remains unknown."
Some of the notes were smeared, and some of the pages were marred by spots of a strange ink color.
To be continued, please like and save…