After her talk with the princess, and Yukna, Zee decided to take the long way home, strolling through the dark streets of Verdant.
The light of the grey moon, Helena shown down from above, its bright light dispelling most of the shadows with an eerie glow.
The sky lacked any clouds, revealing the celestial object in all of its glory. The second moon, Tescuna was a crescent moon, peeking over the horizon, its bluish glow mixing with Helena's.
The combination of both moons lit up the streets almost as well as the star on a cloudy afternoon. It made for a pleasant stroll, though Zee didn't actually need the light to see.
As an early E-grade cultivator, her night vision was pretty good, able to penetrate most darkness with relative ease. A small rock clattered along the cobbles, bouncing down the street.
Hands tucked in her pockets, Zee walked along, kicking the rock again. It bounced down the street, taking a bad kick and flying into the canal with a soft splash.
Zee hardly even noticed, trudging along at a sedate pace. She had no real direction in mind but found herself in front of the grand library nonetheless.
Zee wasn't sure why she came here but decided to go in. The building was dark, not a single light on at this time of night, but still, she walked up the stairs and pushed her way through the double doors.
From past experience, she knew that the library was open at all hours, though there wasn't any staff to greet her in the foyer.
You might think that a library without anyone to protect its many books would be subject to vandals or thieves. That was far from the truth. The library had a guardian who lived in its labyrinthine depths. If Petrie was any example he did not appreciate people hurting his books and was harsh in his punishments.
A book darted passed overhead, settling high on a shelf. Another flew off, disappearing down one of the many corridors. Zee had no idea where they were going, but it was probably to one of the many alcoves in the library.
Hmming softly she walked over to the center of the foyer, where a small stone pedestal lay. It had an open book on the top, with an etched quill.
Having studied rituals for the last couple of months, she was starting to realize just how complex this library actually was. This simple stone pedestal was far more complex than it first appeared.
Taking the bone quill, and scrawled the name of a book onto the first page of the open book. The Taka Knights was a fanciful novel about space knights and magical suits of armor, one of her favorites from back home.
Nothing happened for a few seconds until there was a soft thump, as a book settled onto the pedestal in front of her. She smiled, taking the book and stuffing it inside her spatial storage.
As it turns out, there was no need to actually go looking for a book. All she had to do was write which book she was looking for onto the pedestal, and the book would come to her.
Having an idea, Zee scrawled something she had been curious about for a while. An ancient-looking book with yellowed pages, and a cracked cover settled onto the pedestal.
Its title was written in an unfamiliar script, though the artifact she had was easily able to translate it. The title read The Heaven Fall Empire.
Her fingers traced the tomb, but she didn't open it. It felt like a breach of trust to open this book, and pry into the life of Tarnival.
He was a very secretive man and wanted to stay hidden, so delving into his secrets would likely make him unhappy. Zee glanced up, towards where all the thin strands of energy gathered above.
It was better to get the information first hand, from the source instead of some unreliable book. Zee placed the book onto the opposite side of the pedestal, on the return pad. The book flew away the moment she placed it down, disappearing back down a dark hallway.
Since she was here, might as well go say hi to the old man. Since her grandpa was here, she might not get the opportunity to see the old man again.
With that in mind, she strode deeper into the library, following thick strands of energy overhead. The strands weren't visible to the naked eye, though they did appear in the radius of Zee's spatial ripple skill.
It was quite bizarre. She couldn't actually see them with her eyes, but the strands of energy did shine brightly in her sensory skill.
It took her about twenty minutes to navigate the library, where she descended three separate sets of stairs until she found a solid metal door. It hadn't been all that long since her battle with Petrie, and yet there wasn't a trace of the damage their fight had caused.
Zee wasn't sure how that was possible, but she was long past questioning this place.
By now, she was in the bowels of the library, the winding stairs leading downward, covered in a thick film of dust. Zee wasn't sure how long the old man had been living down here, but it must have been ages.
Taking a deep breath, Zee entered the old man's room, not by opening the door, but by phasing through it. The complete darkness of the narrow corridor was replaced by the glow of a soft lamp that shone with the light of something that moved inside.
The old man graced her with a half scowl, which for Tarnival was a warm smile.
"Hey, how's it going old man," Zee said, with a friendly wave.
"It was going well until some little brat decided to disturb my reading," Tar replied evenly his harsh words muted by the curious glimmer in his eyes.
She walked over and plopped down on the edge of his bed, the frame creaking under her weight.
"My grandpa showed up to get me, we are leaving within the week," Zee said.
Tar nodded slowly. "I guess that bobble I altered worked after all. That's good to hear, once you are gone I will finally get some peace and quiet," Tar said.
She smiled. "I wanted to thank you for the help. Whatever you did brought my grandpa right to me," Zee said, genuinely grateful.
Tar snorted, though his lips did quirk upward ever so slightly into a half smile.
"You are welcome," Tar said. The conversation lapsed into silence, for a while.
Tar must have got uncomfortable as he asked," So how have your rituals been going?" Tar asked.
"Pretty good, I brought back Dern, and have been working on that fifth-tier ritual you recommended. That thing is pretty tough, I was actually hoping you could give me a few pointers." Zee said.
Tar rose from his comfy chair, his voluminous black robes clinging loosely to his thin frame.
"Which one are you working on?" Tar asked.
Zee pulled out the book in question, and flipped about halfway through, to a ritual named unholy containment. She turned the book towards him, pointing at the page.
"Ahh, that one is a bit complex. It's powerful enough that a brat like you might need a medium to contain the ritual." Tar replied thoughtfully.
"Medium?" Zee asked, curiously.
"Yes, a medium. For a ritual of the fifth tier, you might need to crush a few Ether crystals, and form the containment diagram on a ritual plate made of Mithril, or Adamantine," Tar said.
"That sounds an awful lot like etching to me," Zee pointed out.
Tar nodded. "It does. The two fields often intertwine, relying on each other in the higher tiers. You will need to find a blacksmith to mold the mithril, as well as someone proficient in etching to help create the framework." Tar replied.
Zee grimaced, "Is it not possible to perform the ritual without all of that?" Zee asked.
"Of course it is, though the demands on power and energy control are much more intense. If you don't want to rely on others to form your rituals, then get better at forming your ritual diagrams with raw energy." Tar replied.
"Huh, so using all those components you mentioned earlier is like a cheat?" Zee asked.
Tar snorted. "A cheat? No, it's simply an alternative." Tar replied.
"What are the downsides to each method?" Zee asked.
"Using your own energy for the ritual is the best method as far as I am concerned. With your own energy, you don't have to rely on other people. Using a medium has its merits, simplifying the ritual, and even extending how long the ritual can exist before it decays," Tar said.
"So, I don't have to spend a cartload of Ether crystals on a medium made of mithril?" Zee asked.
"That depends on how good your energy control is. Come on, show me what you have got," Tar said.
Zee was a bit tuckered out from a long day of creating rituals, but she had more than enough mental energy for a ritual or two. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Zee let strands of pure energy leak through small gaps in her aura.
The streamers of energy twisted in the air, linking together in strange patterns, forming a complex ritual diagram in the air around her. Minutes passed, as the complex energy constructs settled into place.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, some of the constructs shaking as she formed the fourth layer. Tar stood just outside the radius of the ritual, watching on.
"You have come a long way, though your energy control is still atrocious. You will need to keep working on that if you want to learn higher-tier rituals," Tar said, eying the shaky ritual diagram.
"I am doing my best, these rituals are not easy," Zee replied, doing her best to not lose her focus. Forming the last layer of the ritual diagram was still a bit beyond her, but at least she finished the fourth layer.
"I guess your progress is not too bad. If you keep it up, after a few years you will no longer be an embarrassment," Tar said.
With a sharp exhale, she let each layer of the ritual collapse in a burst of light, the thin streamers of energy dissipating into the world river. Zee glared over at the old man, who looked amused.
"You know, you are kind of an ass sometimes," Zee said wiping her brow with her sleeve.
Tar snorted, " Only sometimes?" Tar asked,
Zee rolled her eyes. "Fine, you are an ass all the time," Zee replied.
Tar smiled, "That's better."
Zee gave the smiling old man a sidelong glance. " Hey old man, since I probably won't see you for a long time, I was wondering if you had any more books I could use to advance my skills in rituals," Zee asked.
Tar's expression turned thoughtful. "Hmm. That's a hard ask, I don't want to give you some of my books if you aren't going to bring them back," Tar said.
"Oh come on, you could view it as a going away present, please," Zee asked.
It looked like he was going to say no, but then his expression turned calculating.
"I will not give you any more of my books on rituals, however, I do have a certain book that you can take instead," Tarnival said.
A small lockbox slid from under his bed and flew over landing in his hands. The mat grey metal box was covered in hundreds of small etchings, its surface mirror smooth.
What was more bizarre was the fact that a thumb-wide chain wrapped around the box several dozen times with a fist-sized lock securing the chains.
Given the aura of those etchings and the sturdiness of those chains, the box looked sturdy enough to survive a meteor impact.
With so much security, whatever was inside must be insanely valuable. Tar pulled a key from his sleeve, sliding it into the heavy lock. The key turned, the lock clicking softly and clattering to the ground.
The thought of treasure made her bounce in excitement, which quickly faded as the box clicked and the lid opened.
The only thing inside was a small leather-wrapped book, with a delicate clasp binding it shut. Zee stared at the book, then the old man, then the book again.
"It's just a small book," Zee said, her tone rife with disappointment.
"No, it's not just a book, this little pest is an experiment of mine that didn't go according to plan," Tar said, poking the cover with a bony finger.
Zee gave the old man a doubtful look. "But why the heavy security, it's just a simple book?" Zee said.
The old man's brows furrowed.
"It's not a simple book... This little book is the bain of my existence. Before I locked it up, it ate half of my library," Tar muttered.
Zee blinked several times, unsure if she misheard him.
"Uhhhh, have gone senile old man? That is clearly just a mundane book," Zee said.
"It just wants you to think that. When you turn your back on it, it will disappear," Tar replied.
"So, you are saying the book is alive?" Zee asked dubiously.
"Yes, it's alive and malicious. What's worse, the damned thing likes to eat my books," Tar muttered.
"If you don't like it, why don't you just destroy it?" Zee asked.
The book twitched at her words, which didn't go unnoticed. She eyed it curiously waiting for it to do, something.
Tar glared at the book, before replying," I would destroy this book, but it ate some of my priceless works. This little jerk is the only one with a copy of those priceless books," Tar said.
"If it's such a menace, why would I want it?" Zee asked, curiously.
"Because this book is quite unique. It's like a mobile library. All you have to do is feed it a book, and it can recall all the information inside flawlessly," Tar replied.
"If it's so useful, why don't you use it?" Zee asked, certain there must be a catch.
"I have no need for it. Do you want the book or not?" Tar asked evasively.
Zee walked over and peered down at the plain book, which was still sitting inconspicuously inside the box. Curious, she reached down and poked the smooth leather cover.
When nothing happened she picked up the thin hardback book and opened it.
"Why are the pages empty?" Zee asked, flipping through the empty book, noting not even a single ink splotch.
"That's because you need to feed it some of your blood," Tar said.
Curious, Zee nicked her finger on the edge of her sword, and a splotch of blood dripped onto one of the white pages.
Contrary to her expectation, the blood didn't stain the page, completely absorbed by the parchment, not leaving so much as a stain.
"What now?" Zee asked.
Tar grinned and shrugged. "I have no idea, but the book is your problem now," Tar said.
"Wait, what do you mean my problem now?" Zee asked, startled.
"You just formed a blood contract with the book. It will follow you around until you die. Good riddance," Tar said happily.
Zee worked her jaw as she glared at the old man.
"This was all a scheme to dump this thing on me, wasn't it?" Zee accussed.
Tarnival gave her a helpless shrug. "The damned thing has been pestering me for a few dozen millennia. I have finally found a brat ignorant enough to form a contract with it," Tar said happily.
Zee took a deep calming breath, before throwing the book at the old geezer's smiling face. It would have been satisfying to see the book hit the man across his smug face. Sadly the book had other plans.
It opened its cover and flapped at the air, halting its forward momentum. Tar reached up to grab it, but the book darted away surprisingly quickly, back behind Zee, using her as a shield.
"What the hell old man? How am I going to explain this? I already have enough problems without a stupid living book," Zee said.
The book bumped into the back of her head, clearly unhappy at her calling it stupid.
"I don't know, I am not much of a people person, figure it out," Tar replied with a laugh.
"You know, I hate you sometimes," Zee said.
"Oh, don't be like that. That book will be extremely useful to you." Tar said.
She pointed a finger at him," This is not cool. You owe me for this," Zee said.
"Owe you? I just gave you a priceless treasure most clans would go to war over," Tar said.
"No, you tricked me into taking it. You owe me a favor or else I am going to shout your name to anyone who will listen," Zee threatened.
The old man scowled but his expression quickly calmed.
"Alright, what do you want?" Tar asked, still in a good mood, as he had finally rid himself of that pest.
Zee didn't need to think long, before she said, "I want you to protect the planet Iztara from the undead invasion," Zee said.
"No, that's too much, name something else," Tar replied.
Zee folded her arms, glaring at him.
"You just tricked me... If you don't do this little favor for me, I won't even feel bad about revealing your presence here," Zee said.
The old man scowled, stroking the wispy stubble on his chin in frustration.
"That's extortion brat,"
"So what? You just forced me into a blood contract, I think extortion is fair," Zee replied.
"Alright fine.. I will protect the planet Iztara, even if it will be a pain in the ass," Tarnival muttered.
Zee smiled.
"Thank you, I will feel a lot better knowing my friends are safe," Zee said.
Tarnival sat back in his chair, eying her thoughtfully. Noting the expression Zee wondered if she just got scammed again.
Maybe she should have asked for more. Saving a planet seemed like a lot to ask, but it would probably be a piece of cake for this old geezer.
Maybe she could get some sort of monetary benefit? He had to be filthy rich, right? On second thought, that might be pushing her luck. Zee took a deep breath, calming her racing heart.
"Today might be the last time I see you for a while, so I wanted to say thank you for all your help. Even if you are a cranky old geezer, your books, and lessons on rituals have been immensely helpful." Zee said.
The old man smiled.
"Tell your friends to go back to Iztara within a month," Tarnival said, acknowledging her gratitude with a simple nod.
"I will let them know, thanks again old man, i hope to see you again in the future," Zee said.
Having said all she needed to Zee walked towards the door pausing as she remembered something. The book followed her, hovering around eye level, though it no longer bothered flapping its pages.
She snatched it from the air, tucking it under her sword belt. The book squirmed, seeming offended, but she didn't pay it any mind as she activated her movement skill.
She turned to mist, passing through the thick steel door, before blurring up the stairs and into the dark hallway. Pushing forwards, she flashed down the hallway, moving like an intangible wraith, the bookshelves a blur.
When she first got her movement skill, her mist form only lasted a few seconds. Now we'll into Early E grade she could use it liberally. She could maintain her mist form as long as she wanted, though the energy cost grew with each passing second.
Having opened four of her inner gates, it wasn't much of a problem to keep the skill going for a solid minute. It was actually a lot cheaper than using the teleportation functions.
Just using her mist form wasn't as fast, but the lower energy cost made it more efficient to travel the maze-like library. Zee couldn't wait for higher ranks.
Just how much stronger would she be when she reached middle or late E grade? Reaching D grade and getting the ability to fly was also an exciting thought, though that was still a long way off.
Once she reached the foyer, Zee slowed, her form snapping back to physical reality. She gave a curious arachnid a casual wave as she headed towards the door.
The spider-like creature looked a bit startled at her sudden appearance, but she didn't stick around to chat. Zee was halfway down the front stairs when she realized something was amiss. The little book that should have been tucked under her belt was gone.
Shit! Turning she rushed back inside the library, only to be greeted with utter mayhem. Books flew everywhere, flying for their lives, as a small familiar book chased after them.
Like a savage animal, the little book pursued the other books at a brake neck pace, gobbling up books one after another, seeming to swallow them whole.
Her new pet book ruthlessly hunted the other books down, gobbling up ten books in as many seconds. Zee stared, mouth agape, as the little monster gleefully gobbled up one book after another.
It would have been comical if she didn't know about the librarian's foul temper. But then again, he was the one who forced this little glutton on Zee so it was his own fault.
She might have waited longer than was strictly necessary, before using her movement skill to teleport over and snatch the little book from mid-air.
It struggled in her grip, almost escaping. She grabbed it with both hands, gripping the little book tightly. Its pages snapped together, as it, glared up at her, unhappy that she was interfering in its feast.
Zee didn't have time to wonder how she could understand a book's body language. She noticed a commotion as several dozen other books hovered above her seeming to glare at the book in her hands.
Zee let out a nervous laugh.
"Sorry about that. I will be going now," Zee said, leaving the library with a struggling book in her hands.
Dern's laughter filled her head, "That was hilarious, it was eating the other books," Dern said.
"You are not helping Dern. Stop struggling, you stupid book," Zee snapped, glaring down that book.
After a few seconds of futile struggling, the book stopped its attempts to escape her grasp, pretending to be just a regular book again.
Zee let out a sigh of relief, before tucking the book back under her belt.
"No wonder the old geezer wanted to get rid of it, this thing is a menace," Zee said.
Dern didn't seem to think so, laughing even harder.
"I like it, it will fit right in," Dern said.
Zee sighed, glancing repeatedly at the book as she descended the stairs to make sure it didn't sneak off.
"This is just my rotten luck. Why can't I just get something nice that doesn't cause me problems?" Zee asked.