In the void, a whisper was heard for the last time and disappeared as quickly as it came. Without further ado, I walked through the halls, surrounded by books and ancient scrolls scattered everywhere. Some of them shone faintly, emitting silver sparkles. I crouched down, and reached out for one of the books, but before I could even reach it, an invisible force repelled me. I tried again, but no matter how hard I tried, none of the books moved, as if time had frozen in that place.
After wandering for a few minutes, I found what appeared to be a small altar. It was made of wood painted in blue tones, carved with strange symbols that shone weakly in the light of the lamps lit above it. The flames of the lamps remained unchanged even by the slight drafts of air, as if an invisible force impeded them, unable to be altered. In the center of the altar rested a crystal sphere on a skillfully placed shelf, its silhouette, almost hypnotic, reflecting the light in a subtle way
To one side, a statue stood with an imposing presence that seemed to dominate the space itself, showing a man sitting on a stone throne, his majestic figure crowned with thorns that jutted towards the sky. In his hands he held a sword that rested against the floor, the tip firmly embedded in the ground, as if challenging any attempt to get closer, his fixed and penetrating gaze that seems to follow me, observing me with intensity, which made me feel uncomfortable and so small, like a vulnerable puppy before the master that cannot challenge.
The environment filled with the aroma of incense and a strange feeling of reverence shown towards a transcendental being. Behind them, shelves lined with golden tomes lined up perfectly.
As I approached, a series of words in an unfamiliar language began to flood my mind. They weren't whispers, but clear phrases, as if the altar was trying to communicate something to me, the words flowing with a strange serenity almost as if I had heard them before, although I clearly didn't recognize their origin. Suddenly, one of them stood out strongly in my mind:
κληρονομιά των βασιλιάδων.
"Inheritance of Kings."
I was slightly mesmerized by the sensation. It wasn't the system or my ability that had translated those words, but this place. It seemed as if the very essence of the room had deciphered the message for me...
Without thinking too much, I continued walking. After all, I knew I wouldn't understand, at least not at this moment.
I soon reached the center of the altar, and it was then that the pressure in the air became even denser. A wave of unknown information invaded my mind; like hundreds of voices whispering instructions in a language I didn't fully understand. Their meaning was incomprehensible to me, but there was something in those words, something in the way they connected, that inexplicably made me feel like this whole place, this moment, was waiting for me.
Without hesitation, I let the mana flow through my fingertips, following the directions that resonated loudly in my head. It was then that the crystalline sphere in the center began to shine with a blinding intensity, rising from the ground and floating in the air as if it had come to life. As it did, the energy in the place grew exponentially, and an almost inaudible sound filled the room.
At that instant, the books began to move.
At first, there were just a few, but soon hundreds, perhaps thousands of volumes began to float around me. Some darkened by time and covered in dust, others emitted flashes of bright light that were almost impossible to look at. The books slowly spun in circles as if they were sizing me up, as if they were waiting for me to pick one in particular. The atmosphere filled with an invisible wind, a subtle but growing murmur, as if the books were talking to each other, looking for their owner.
The air became charged with tension, and a feeling of anxiety tried to take hold of me, but my skill protected my mind. I felt as if an invisible force was pushing me to make a decision, to choose one among all the books suspended around me. They lined up, floating with a defiant presence, and the feeling that the power of the entire place was concentrated in that instant was almost overwhelming. Without knowing how, I understood that I had to choose. Which one should I choose? I muttered to myself. Then, almost without thinking, I tried to grab the nearest book, but at that moment, the same voice, deep and clear that I had heard when I came, stopped me.
「Each of these books represents a unique talent. Once you choose, that talent will be etched into your soul forever.」
The words echoed through my mind, leaving me momentarily blank. When I realized what I was about to do, sweat began to build up on my forehead... dammit! I was about to let out a curse, but I stopped myself just in time. It was then that, out of the corner of my eye, one of the books caught my eye. It wasn't the most extravagant or the most prominent. It was bound in black leather, with no flashy adornments, and didn't look particularly interesting. Yet something about its presence drew me to it, as if an inexplicable connection kept me from looking away from it.
Guided by something more than my will, my hand reached out for the book. In response, it began to slowly descend towards me, as if it had been drawn by an invisible force. When my fingers touched the cover, an electric current ran through my body so intense that it made me shudder. Suddenly a blinding light emerged from the book, enveloping me completely. The great library disappeared, the air became heavy and creaky, distorting everything, as if space itself were altering.
I closed my eyes for a moment, unable to bear the intensity of the light, and when I opened them again, I suddenly found myself in a completely different place. The sound of the wind, the earth beneath my feet, and the familiar atmosphere of the training camp surrounded me. Everything had changed in the blink of an eye. The room, the books, the altar… had completely disappeared. But as proof that it had not been a dream, in my arms rested a black book, covered in leather and slightly worn.
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