Lloyd recoiled in surprise, terrified and confused about what had just happened. Had another entity, beside the system, just accessed his mind?!
"Oho, don't look so flustered. This is called 'Telepathy', and it's a type of communication magic. Its only purpose is to discuss, nothing more, nothing less."
A profound sense of relief washed over him, his nerves quickly settling down as he realized that his plans hadn't been exposed. In fact, this appeared to have been what he had also used with Alexander, further lessening his worries. But then, who was this, and why had he called him 'interesting'?
"Who are you?"
"I'm the Overseer of The Vault, otherwise known as Cyr. As Dolores should have already explained, I'm the judge, jury and executioner of this domain."
Lloyd couldn't help but violently shiver. The entity guarding this place was this advanced?! This new variable caused him to rethink his earlier decision. Should he still proceed as planned? As doubt began to cloud his judgment, he then took in a deep breath before squashing it entirely. If the system hadn't been able to detect the true nature of his abilities, he refused to believe that this Overseer, however advanced it may be, could do it. But there was one last thing he couldn't ignore.
"Why did you say I was interesting?"
"Your strength and demeanor. There seems to be a veil over you that I cannot break through."
The engineer stiffened once more. This was what the system had warned him about: the existence of people endowed with abilities that could pry into one's skills. What it had conveniently omitted, however, was that other entities — like Cyr — could also possess this very same, unsettling capability. Fortuitously, he hadn't allowed the System to access them, which was probably why he was veiled in the first place. Right now, his skills were simply non-existent within the parameters of Arcadia's vast database.
"Well, a merchant like me doesn't represent much, I'm sure. I'll be under your care whilst here, so I believe there shouldn't be any issues."
"That's quite true. Nobody's ever escaped my vigilance after all…"
A spasm ran through his back, his muscles twitching involuntarily. Nothing, NOTHING, ever went according to plan in this godforsaken world!
After another long and deep breath, he sank back into his seat, his weary eyes scanning the space for the reappearance of Dolores. The reason for her long absence was simple: not even she could use magic in this space, a safeguard implemented, he suspected, to prevent any leaks, even from the librarian itself. He found it sound, since the human element was often the weakest link in security systems.
After a few more minutes, she finally returned while carrying a rather small tome. It was dusty and frankly decrepit, but its beautiful leather cover reflected the care that had been put into conceiving it. While setting it in front of him, she reiterated the rules before leaving on this note.
"To leave, simply walk through that door. I'll return to my duties, so take all the time you need."
And with that, she receded into the depths of the room, disappearing from sight.
"So, it's just you and me now, uh? Have a great read."
The Overseer's words were heavy, which was followed by a sudden and oppressive feeling that seemed to descend upon him, an ick that made him raise his head in apprehension. Sadly, this proved to be a mistake, as what he saw made him stand back up and nearly screech in terror.
Eyes… Thousands and thousands of eyes. All fixated on one, and only one, thing: him. Lloyd wasn't one to be easily frightened, but this spectacle was far beyond the realm of reality. Their eerie and silent watch was simply chilling to the bone, with the oppressive atmosphere being nothing short of otherworldly.
"What's wrong, human? This shouldn't agitate you… Unless you have something to hide, that is…"
Cyr was becoming increasingly arrogant and provocative, to the point where the scientist once again doubted his plan. This was just beyond his most fevered imaginations. Yet, amidst the chaos, there was this quiet voice persisting in his head, the one that kept chanting the mantra he had always lived by: high risk, high reward. This approach and constant push to the brink had always been his modus operandi. Without it, he would have never been able to harness the power of the Sun, let alone control it. It was time to show who he truly was.
"Something to hide? Why would I in a place so wonderful?"
His almost derisive response hung in the air and chilled the Overseer, which could only let out a disgruntled groan. After all, its sole purpose was to protect the wealth of knowledge stored here, not engage in petty disputes with visitors.
With their interaction finally ending, the engineer then allowed fresh air to fill his lungs before once again calmly sitting down. It was time to begin.
"To those who seek the true potential of magic crystals."
The title of the book stood stark against the cover, and Lloyd couldn't help but find it a touch too flamboyant. However, he was fully aware that those who sought the secrets of the unknown had quite the ego, himself included. He quickly flipped past it and landed on the prologue, which was filled with the usual rhetoric about the author's life and how he had dedicated everything to what was written inside, prompting him to quickly skim through it in order to finally arrive at the first chapter.
And then, it happened, the pulsating thrill he had been waiting for, the precipice of discovery and the moment where his gamble would either bear fruit or spectacularly implode. Despite the high stakes, Lloyd could not deny a sense of conviction. There was simply no way that Cyr's abilities surpassed the System's. But this was it, the limits of his certainty, and as he felt his mind become lighter and his self leave his body, the prompt appeared.
[The
But before the final selection could even occur, he saw the countless eyes widen in shock, their pupils dilating as they began exerting monstrous pressure. Cyr's voice, now shrill and enraged, began to boom around him.
"Playing games under my watch?!"
A shockwave then rippled through the air, nearly thrusting Lloyd's ethereal form across the room. But despite its incredible momentum, he managed to resist it, having anticipated some backlash. Still, his heart had sunk; this was the worst-case scenario, as it meant that his skill wasn't completely stealthy. He now had to get out of there at all costs.