Level 1 Fallen

Loam led the four of us through the streets, where several other Aarakel watched us suspiciously. Parents urged their children indoors, while guards instinctively brought their hands towards their weapons. Everywhere we went, it was clear that players had earned themselves a horrible reputation in this city.

Thankfully, it didn’t take too long to reach the city’s library, a grand building that towered more than a dozen stories high. If not for the information purchased from the system, I would never know where to go to find a single book in all of this. However, since I had purchased the information, there was a small marker visible in my vision, highlighting the location of the book as we entered the library.

The moment we entered, we were greeted by a female Aarakel that ran over with a flustered expression. Well, to say we were greeted might have been a bit off. “Get them out of here!” she shouted, pointing an old tome at us as if it were a blade. “I’ll not have any more of our history tainted by these savages!”

Loam simply let out a sigh, holding his hand up. “Easy, Prana. I’m here to escort them, and to make sure that they don’t touch anything that they shouldn’t. Apparently, there is a wandering dungeon hidden in the library, and they have no intention of tampering with any other books here.”

“I don’t care if they said that there was a dragon hiding here, I don’t want their grubby little hands touching a single page!” Prana hissed, her eyes narrowing. “These players think that everything is theirs to do with as they please, and I’ve had enough!”

Eilwen cleared her throat awkwardly. “Ms. Prana, we truly do not have any intentions of taking anything from here, nor are we related to the players that have troubled you in the past. Though, if I may, this library is truly remarkable. Given its grand scale, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that this is a core library for the entire Aarakel race. As such, I can understand your hesitance to allow us in.”

Prana let out a self-satisfied humph, her feathers ruffling slightly at Eilwen’s words. “Of course. Every book in the realm passes through these halls. That’s why I can’t abide by thieves who would steal this precious knowledge for selfish gain!”

Eilwen nodded her head in understanding. “I know what you mean. However, we are attempting to show the utmost respect here and approach this amicably. I don’t mean to antagonize, but with our abilities, it would be entirely possible for us to enter and leave without ever being seen. We’re appearing as we are simply because we do not wish to cause any undo harm to the relations between our two peoples.”

Prana narrowed her eyes, staring at Eilwen. “You think that you’d be able to escape my eyes?”

Eilwen sighed, looking at Loam. “Sir, would it be alright if we do a brief demonstration? I assure you, we will not move a single step while our skills are active, only show the capability to avoid detection. In fact, we can even include you within the effect, so you will be able to keep an eye on us the entire time.”

Loam was clearly in a difficult position with this, but ultimately agreed. Afterwards, Eilwen gave me a meaningful look. As such, I activated my Wraith Zone again, making sure to include Loam in the effect. Immediately, a shrill screech emerged from Prana, who panicked and began looking around while clutching her book tight to her chest.

A moment later, I ended the effect, and Prana’s eyes instantly locked onto us. “Y-you, where did you go?!”

“They truly didn’t move,” Loam assured her, though surprise was etched on his own face. “It must be one of those skills that players have mentioned. The world seemed to become hazy briefly, but that was all that happened.”

Prana’s wings flicked a few times, still holding her book tight. She glared at the four of us for a long moment, before seeming to realize that we would proceed with or without her consent. “What book are you looking for?”

“The title of the book is ‘Truth in Plain Sight’,” Eilwen explained with a warm smile, glad that the conversation was moving in a positive direction.

However, Prana simply scoffed again. “There is no such book in this library. I have read every single tome here, and not one has that name.”

Diane stepped forward, raising one hand. “It’s possible that the book only appears with the wandering dungeon, so it would be natural that you wouldn’t know it.”

Prana’s eyes narrowed again at that. “Then how do you plan to find it? Don’t tell me that you plan to scour every aisle of every floor looking for your target?”

“It’s on the third floor, along the back wall,” I answered, having already used my True Sight and the system’s marker to find the book. “In between… Flights of Fancy and Fowl Tidings.”

This surprised Prana, whose gaze turned thoughtful. “Well, that makes this easier. And it is true that those two titles are found on the same shelf. Very well, though I insist on accompanying you to ensure that you do not pilfer any of our texts.”

“That’s perfectly acceptable,” Eilwen said with a relieved sigh. “Though, once the dungeon opens, we would ask that you don’t enter. This dungeon moves seemingly at random. There’s the chance that it will depart while we are still inside, and we don’t wish to remove you from your home, with no guarantee that you will have a safe way back.”

Prana briefly narrowed her eyes, but agreed. Afterwards, she guided us towards a central area, where the ceiling opened up all the way to the top floor. I had seen from my scan of the place that there were no stairs in the building, so it seemed that those wishing to travel between floors were expected to fly.

This didn’t pose a problem for us, as I created a projected platform beneath our feet, lifting us off the ground. The two Aarakel, and even the girls with me were briefly startled, before steadying themselves as the platform ascended to the third floor.

Once there, Prana continued guiding us towards the back, having clearly memorized the location of every single book in the library. I had to admit, that took a lot of dedication, and I could see why she would be protective of these books.

I watched as the marker came closer and closer, until the shelf was in sight. Prana’s eyes locked onto it, before flickering with interest. “So there truly is a new book here.”

Eilwen’s smile grew wider as she stepped forward. “If it’s possible, feel free to read the book after we go. I don’t know if the book itself will become a portal, or if it will remain behind when the door opens, but there is no harm in letting someone read it if it does remain.”

Prana simply nodded her head faintly, while Diane hurried forward. I knew what she was worried about, as she had likely only a few minutes left before her time ran out for the day, and she no doubt wanted to see the interior of the dungeon for herself.

Under the watchful eyes of Prana and Loam, she carefully pulled out the Truth in Plain Sight book. The shelf rumbled slightly, causing Prana to let out a brief screech of alarm. However, the books were unharmed, and the shelf swung forward slowly, scraping against the wooden ground. Behind it was a swirling green and black portal.

Seeing the dungeon portal appear, I walked forward together with Bella and Eilwen. Diane had already jumped into the portal in a hurry, and so we met her on the other side, prepared for battle.

However, our expectations for conflict were dashed when we saw that the interior of the dungeon was a library even larger than the one in the Aarakel city. Beams of light illuminated the aisles, and there was not a single hostile creature in sight.

In fact, the only creatures at all seemed to be robed figures reading books at various desks. One of these creatures regarded us with a nod, showing no intention of attacking before returning to his book.

“What sort of dungeon is this?” Bella asked in surprise, running a finger along a nearby shelf. “I mean… is it really just a big library? Weren’t we supposed to fight some big boss monster to get the skill we’re after?”

“I don’t think we’re going to be fighting anything for a while,” Diane said in a hesitant tone, turning to look at me. She had noticed that I had a grim expression as soon as we stepped inside. “They’re all off, aren’t they?”

I answered with a nod, confusing Bella and Eilwen. “What’s off?” Eilwen asked, looking between us.

“Skills,” Diane replied simply. “Skills can’t be used here. At least, not before we meet whatever conditions the library has to unlock them.”

That was right. As soon as we entered, I felt all of my constantly active skills suddenly deactivating. I tried to use my True Sight, Beyond the Veil, or King of All Trades, but nothing would work. I was now just as weak as I was when I first started my adventure.

If there was any saving grace, it was that the effects of equipment were also nullified. Specifically, their weight. Otherwise, the weight of my armor would have likely been enough to send me falling to the ground without any strength enhancements.

“How are we supposed to explore the dungeon like this?” Bella asked in alarm.

“Why not ask?” Eilwen responded, walking towards one of the reading areas to speak with the robed figure that had reacted to our presence. She spoke in a soft tone, not wanting to bother the other readers. “Excuse me, sir. Can you explain the rules of this area to us?”

The figure looked up at Eilwen, slowly closing his book and setting it down on the table before speaking. “The rules are simple. If you are here, then you are a seeker of knowledge. This library is your classroom, and these books are your test. You may approach any of us here for a trial, and we will ask you a question regarding a book in these halls. Answer the question, and pass our trial.”

“As you have no doubt noticed by now, your abilities are all sealed within the library. Violence is prohibited, and will result in immediate expulsion. The one exception is when you battle the Seeker, which you may do so at any time.”

Eilwen listened to the explanation, glad that the dungeon NPC was so cooperative. “I see. However, with our skills sealed like this, won’t we stand no chance against a boss fight?”

“That is where the trials come into play,” the man answered, lifting a finger. “The more trials you complete, the more of your powers will be unlocked. This is why you may challenge the Seeker at any time. Once you feel you are ready, you may speak with any of us to guide you to the challenge area. Until then, we have lodging and meals for any who wish to learn.”

Diane scowled as she listened to this. “In other words, we have to read a ton of books, answer trivia, and slowly get our abilities back. And from the sounds of things, they don’t only ask questions from a set book, so we won’t know what we need to study ahead of time.”

“Already regretting not letting Prana come in… with her passion for reading, she would have been able to help us clear this place in no time,” Bella sighed. “Though, given how much she hates players, I doubt she’d actually help. Probably just get absorbed in her own reading.”

“Well, there’s nothing to do now but get started,” I said, moving over towards a nearby shelf and grabbing a book at random. “Let’s all try to read different books to split the workload, and we can consult each other when it is time for the tests. That’s allowed, right?” I asked towards the robed figure.

“A wise man must know when to seek the advice of others,” the figure responded, which at least eased our worries somewhat. Though, there were still a lot of books here. If we wanted to read everything, it could take months. Thankfully, we only needed to read enough to have a high enough chance that the questions would cover the information that one of us had gone through.