Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Chapter 145: Shattered Bottles and Secret Libraries

Glass shattered as he dropped the empty potion bottle on the ground.

Timothy had done it right before he looked up at the walls in the hallways and soon again found himself intrigued by the designs and patterns on themhe couldn't decipher it at all. But he shook his head as he gazed around the empty hallway and frowned to himself. 

The reason he was here. "I faced off the slime, the strange air from earlier and finally that snake." He stepped forward and began to walk towards his destination. "I was looking for Miss Ellynn but prior to that I was looking for a title."

That all made sense to him. It had all been very clear wasn't it? All he needed to do was move forward and then he'll be there in no time. But wouldn't it be better to study the walls for a moment? This wasn't in any other part of the hallway and it could probably give him clues on what he'd soon be facing.

He sighed when he gazed at the wall and realized that he couldn't understand it at allin a way it was pretty similar to him trying to read another language and its script. Which was probably the case and so it was a pity. He caught himself and then moved forward once again

That was until he heard a crunch and crack underneath his foot.

Timothy frownedhe had been travelling so why was he wait no. It all began to make sense, his muddled thoughts and musings. If his thoughts had been wrapped and clogged with smoke, it was finally clearing up and he focused his gaze on the floor. He had read a kind of trap like this that the hero encountered, some kind of monster that turned his companions to stoneand essentially this was almost the same thing.

He studied it as if the cracks and grooves on the floor were the most interesting to him and ignored the pull he was feeling in his mind to look up and inspectto see the inscriptions and glyphs once more. He gritted his teeth and bent down to the ground and picked up one of the broken shards of glass as he began to run down across the hall.

Whenever he felt the urge to lift his headhe stabbed the shard through his hand and winced in pain. It also had the effect of making him close his eyes which was what he wanted.

And so it kept him focused as he hurtled forward and kept moving, sometimes he wanted to raise his head to check if he had finally passed through the area with the inscriptions but stopped himself before he did it. The urge to look had been at first through simple curiosity of looking at them but now it was in order to not fall into the trapand that was a warped notion. He would descend into the madness if he dared check it once again.

If he had to crawl his way until he reached the exitthen so be it!

Not that he actually crawled but he kept his gaze on the floor until another thought struck him and his pace slowed. The dungeon might have utilized this trick to keep his guard downif he couldn't even look straight ahead then he'd be doomed either way through some monster or a trap that he wouldn't have seen coming. The young man held the prickly shard in his hand until he saw something in the reflectionand he quickly dropped it to the ground and stepped away from it.

He hadn't noticed it the first time, or he did, but the situation now was way worse than the first time he had peered through the bottle's reflection. Timothy could actually identify what they were and it was enough to make him move forward as fast as he could. It couldn't be possible could it? But the things on the walls were completely clear to him and he made his way forward and when he had thought that there was enough distance.

The young man panted and caught his breath.

This Academy was it wasn't just ancientif he understood correctly. It might have been here since the world had begun. It was a notion that made him place a hand on the wall for a moment as he kept his gaze on his feet. Somehow the wall's effects of making him confused and befuddled was mitigated by staring at the inscriptions through the bottle's glass. And yet the worst thing was that it also showed him the truth between those glyphs and inscriptions. It made his heart pound as he clutched his head for a moment

.. .

"B-boring!" The Moderator bit back the urge to yawn as she stared across the screen. A hand was propped underneath her chin as she observed the scene unfold before her. Unlike her fellow colleagues, only she had the energy or even notion to keep herself trained and also entertained in the other people besides the actual Players. Well, she eyed the young manTimothy was Han's companion, one way or another.

Still she had to give kudos to the boy for somehow figuring it all out although he couldn't actually read them for that matter. He thought he couldbut that wasn't the case. Instead she changed the perspective on the screen and saw Han the Human on the floor, he was knocked out unconscious.

Once again it was boring.

Peach tried not to roll her eyes as she soon eyed the Chambers of the Resident of Kraelonia Academy. At least it was a better scene for her. With the speed the two turtles were going at right now, the Wood Elf's daughter might just end up breaking free from the cell chambers on her own.

And she was personally invested in seeing the look on their faces if the Half Elf truly does get out first. If she had been there, well Peach knew it was unfair if she had been there. Passing through all the puzzles and traps would have been an ease and so it was much better to see them do it.

'ROEHJT027's synchronization still a failure, further testing shows no sign of adaptation'

'ROEDGANY6 statistics are continually growing, Olympian Realm is requesting access to RO Denied.'

The voices of her colleagues once again droned in the background. No matter their appearances, in the end all of them were almost hollow husks. She sighed and leaned back against her chair as she tapped a finger on her chair's armrest. The situation right now wasn't bleak at all for her, despite the injuries sustained and the pain that they had all gone through, she had her bets up that they'd leave this place soon enough.

It was only a matter of when.

And that was boring.

.. .

Although Timothy stayed in one spot for a couple of minutes. Or it could have even been an hour, it felt that muchsomehow his mind was still trying to recover. Time seemed so fluid to him as his mind wove in and wove out but he needed to stop. He took a deep breath. There was no time to waste any longer as he picked himself up and moved along the hallway.

His gaze was still on the floor.

If his [ Sharp Nose ] wouldn't pick up any strange scents or he doesn't notice any other creature with his other Skills then he might be doomed. But for now, the only way out was through going forward.

And in the moment when he thought that the corridor stretched on forever, Timothy collided at something. He winced and recoiled at the impact. And though he didn't look up, the young man reached forward to knowsoon enough he touched the door's handles.

The cool metal was refreshing to his skin.

Perhaps he should have waited before opening and tried to see if there was any trap. He didn't know what lay beyond the door but he opened it without hesitation. He really wanted to get this over with before he succumbed to sleep and tiredness. 

He was ready to leap and dodge if anything like a Metal Spike Ball or a Ball of Fire came hurtling down at him. But thankfully, none of those appeared as he stepped into the room with [ Firestarter ] in his hands, he was ready to attack if the situation called for it but he didn't find himself surrounded by a swarm of enemies.

He soon found something else.

When Timothy hesitantly looked uphe froze on the spot. Not by Ice Magic or a Stun Spell but by the sheer grandiosity of what lay before him. 

If he had thought that the first library with hundreds of shelves was a gift from the heavensthis library was far grander. The atmosphere was greater, richer and the essence of magic was thick in the air. They were especially apparent in the tomes, books and grimoire that floated in the air all around him and this library.

Even if he wasn't still a Mage, one had to admit that floating books contained much magical energy that even he could feel. And it was a marvelous thing! It made goosebumps run across his skin. He gulped and yet managed to grin as he tried not to laugh. He had done it! Did he need to choose one of them? 

Timothy walked forward and reached out to the closest ones.

The spellbooks, grimoires and tomes floated out of his grasp. There were books and tomes who did it in a flash. It flew backwards and upwards in a speed that would have him worry it would recoil and yet there were also those who gently floated away. It was as if it was a challenge. Beckoning him to reach out and grab ahold any of the items. 

Did he need to pick one or would the right book come for him?