Liam steadied himself, his breaths still ragged, his body barely recovered from the grueling trials he'd just endured. His mind swirled with questions, a mixture of curiosity and frustration building within him. He turned toward Melvis, hoping to get some clarity on what he had just faced.
"How many trials were there?" he asked, half-expecting an answer that would prepare him for even more.
But Melvis's response wasn't what he anticipated. "There was supposed to be only one trial, one that I would administer," she said, her expression unreadable, her voice laced with something between regret and solemnity. "However, the Book of Everything—an artifact with its own will—refused to acknowledge you as worthy. It demanded an additional trial to prove your resolve."
Liam felt a cold weight settle in his stomach. "The Book of Everything…?" he repeated, caught off guard by the name. Artifacts that could make their own judgments were rare and dangerous.
Melvis nodded, her gaze piercing. "Yes. It saw something in you that needed further testing, a spirit that needed to be broken or tempered before it could be deemed worthy."
He swallowed, feeling a mixture of unease and awe. "And what… exactly was that trial?"
Her gaze turned sharp and unyielding. "The trial was a curse—one of the most insidious ever devised. It's called Sleeping Wish."
A chill ran down his spine, and without thinking, Liam summoned his Mark's interface, searching through the list of curses he'd glanced at previously. Flicking through his options, he soon found the entry he was looking for and expanded it.
[ Sleeping Wish]
Renders the target into an enchanted sleep, sending their consciousness into a dream realm crafted by the caster's deepest desires. The realm entices the target to remain, offering them an idyllic life that could last for eternity.
If the target accepts this dream as reality, they fall into an eternal sleep, only to be freed if another willingly takes on the curse.
Sleep Type: Resistance to diseases and ageing, granting the target immunity to most external forces. Inability to wakeup.
Escape : If the target actively rejects the dream and chooses to leave, they will awaken after a set period, albeit weakened.
Curse Tier: 7 (Warning: Due to the high tier, this curse may exceed the host's ability to control)
Host Defect: Requires application through either a Blood Mark or Soul Mark.
Liam's eyes widened, a hint of apprehension flashing across his face. A Tier 7 curse… he hadn't expected something so powerful to exist within his reach. He knew that his ability to cast curses through Mark was extensive, but Sleeping Wish—an enchantment that could manipulate a person's very perception of reality—was beyond anything he'd imagined.
He took a deep breath, casting a glance at Melvis. "I didn't know… it was this high-tier. Even Decay, which I can use through my Divine Shield or Mark and is a Tier 5 curse, is far less complex than this."
Melvis observed him with a faint smile, as though reading his surprise and caution. "The Book saw your potential, Liam. Sleeping Wish was meant to challenge the very essence of your spirit."
Liam let out a long sigh, closing the Mark interface. The experience had left him with more questions than answers. But he couldn't deny the knowledge he'd gained from it—an understanding of his own limitations and the need to respect the power he wielded.
"So, the trial is complete?" he asked, his voice steady.
"Yes, the Book of Everything has judged you as worthy now," Melvis replied with a nod. "But as a reward, you may choose to learn one thing about this world."
Liam took a moment, thinking carefully. The choices were endless, and each piece of knowledge could be life-changing. After a brief pause, he decided. "I'd like to understand this world's skill and magic system."
Melvis nodded approvingly, her eyes glinting with quiet respect. "A wise choice. This world's magic is more complex than you might expect." She gestured with a delicate hand, and suddenly, an ancient tome materialized before him—a book larger than any he'd seen, with a gilded cover that seemed to shimmer in the dim light.
"This is the Book of Everything," she said, her voice reverent. "It will be the one to answer your request."
The tome floated open, its pages filled with intricate symbols and densely written words that shifted and rearranged themselves, as though alive. Liam felt a strange pull, an instinctive need to understand the knowledge within.
As he leaned forward, the pages began to tear themselves free, one by one, each page floating around him in a circle. He watched in stunned silence as the pages whirled faster, creating a vortex of text and symbols that enveloped him. Then, without warning, the pages converged, merging into his body, filling his mind with a surge of knowledge.
For a few seconds, he stood there, dazed as information flooded his consciousness. It was like watching thousands of threads of understanding intertwine and form a cohesive picture of the world's skill and magic system. Concepts of elemental affinity, skill progression, mana manipulation, and rare abilities shaped by one's soul flooded his mind, each new detail reshaping his understanding of what he could achieve.
As the torrent of knowledge finally subsided, he took a step back, his breathing unsteady. His gaze drifted back to the empty spot where the book had been, only to see it float away, disappearing into the countless rows of bookshelves.
Melvis observed him with a look of satisfaction. She hadn't spoken a word during the entire process, but now she seemed more intrigued than ever. "You've taken a great deal of knowledge into yourself," she said softly, almost as if to herself. "Not many would have chosen such a path."
Liam nodded, his thoughts already whirling with ideas of how to apply this new knowledge. But amidst the flood of information, a troubling thought surfaced, one that demanded immediate clarification.
"May I ask you one more question?" he asked, his tone cautious.
Melvis raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What is it?"
"It's about… my system. I haven't received it yet, even though it's been almost two days." He spoke carefully, wondering if something was wrong.
A flicker of realization crossed Melvis's face, followed by a gentle nod. "Ah, I see. There must be an issue. Systems typically bond with their host quickly, but given your unique abilities…" She raised her hand, chanting a series of ancient words that resonated through the library.
Liam watched, entranced, as a soft light gathered in her palm. After a few moments, she lowered her hand, her gaze thoughtful. "It appears that one of your skills—Empowerment—is interfering. Specifically, its sub-skill, Time Disruption."
He blinked, taken aback. "Time Disruption? But I didn't even know I had that…"
Melvis chuckled softly. "Not all abilities are immediately visible, Liam. Some lie dormant until you're ready. Time Disruption shouldn't have delayed your system's integration, but it seems to have triggered an anomaly."
She gestured once more, her power weaving around him. "I'll correct it. Your system should integrate in a few hours or may be a day more."
A strange energy washed over him, clearing the interference. But before he could fully process the sensation, Melvis fixed him with a meaningful look, her voice turning firm yet gentle. "For now, you've gained valuable knowledge and insight into your path. With that, your time here has ended."
"Wait!" Liam tried to protest, a dozen more questions lingering on his tongue. "What do you mean by 'for now'? I still have—"
But before he could finish, an invisible force pulled him backward, the library fading away in a swirl of shadows and light. The last thing he saw was Melvis, standing silently, her gaze unwavering as the doors to her domain closed with a final, resounding thud.
Darkness surrounded him, pressing in with a strange, comforting weight. His senses dulled, his mind slipping into unconsciousness, yet a lingering sense of fulfillment settled within him. He could feel the knowledge he'd gained sinking into his soul, becoming part of him.
The trials had left their mark, but he felt… prepared—Empowered.
As sleep overtook him, a final thought lingered at the edge of his consciousness—a reminder that his journey had only just begun, that the world he sought to understand held far more secrets than he could imagine. And within the depths of his mind, a quiet determination bloomed, hoping to explore this world.