Second Task (8)
Second Task (8)
I looked down at the book in my hand.
『How to Destroy a Castle』
Whoosh—!
As I stared at the cover, the pages began flipping on their own.
"Hmm..."
At some point, the rapidly moving pages came to a stop.
My brow furrowed as I scanned the aged paper. The printed characters squirmed across the page like a swarm of insects—a grotesque sight. The letters cautiously scattered as if gauging my reaction before interlocking like gears to form an intricate black-and-white illustration.
[The King had gone mad.]
[It was the ominous prelude announcing the end of what seemed like an eternal, glorious kingdom.]
The drawings on the paper came alive.
Fertile lands, winding castle walls, and a majestic royal palace that seemed to pierce the heavens. Before a bustling street, a monochrome old man stared piercingly at me from beyond the book and moved his lips.
[The King's loyal knights remained by his side until the end.]
[The arrogant mages, steeped in hubris, stayed in the palace solely for intellectual amusement.]
With a single gesture from the old man, black ink rippled and transformed the scene.
Knights in dignified plate armor flashed by like a panorama, contrasted against mages in tattered robes, their eyes gleaming with madness.
[Though they were arrogant fools who couldn't abandon their pride, their wisdom was undeniable. Their forbidden research briefly became the lantern that restored the King's reason.]
Ssshhhk—
The letters receded like a tide, sketching a tall man seated upon a throne. Despite the resplendent crown upon his head, his unfocused pupils betrayed that he had already lost his mind.
[Watching the King gradually recover, I felt relieved. I dreamed of a future where the crumbling kingdom would be gloriously rebuilt.]
At that moment, the peaceful backdrop vanished in an instant, leaving only the despairing old man on the page.
[But the curse arrived abruptly.]
With another wave of the old man's hand, letters from the adjacent page flailed wildly, carving out a new scene.
The completed illustration was starkly different from before. Crumbling walls, collapsed towers. Where citizens had once laughed in the streets, a monstrous entity now reveled, crushing people alive.
[Every human in the castle lost their sense of self. The loyal knights became empty suits of armor, still moving. The erudite mages lost their minds and transformed into magic tomes. Only the King and I remained.]
The old man, who had watched the citizens being devoured with detached indifference, changed the scene again. A familiar place—a palace corridor adorned with lavish decorations and red carpets.
[The once-proud knights, now soulless, roamed the castle, slaughtering any intruders who sought the King's treasures.]
Next, a space resembling the study I had just entered appeared on the page.
[The most fatal issue was the mages who had become magic tomes. They rejected all living beings, spewing corrupted mysteries and plunging the castle into chaos. Eventually, I declared them forbidden texts and sealed them deep within the study.]
[But when the tomes were disposed of, an unstoppable catastrophe arrived. The one being they had been suppressing—my maddened King.]
Bzzzz—
A faint tremor traveled through the book into my palm, as if the terror beyond the paper had manifested as vibrations.
[With the tomes gone, the King raged uncontrollably, destroying everything he had built. In the end, he rendered the already crumbling kingdom beyond salvation. Having witnessed firsthand how devoted he had been to his nation, his downfall struck me with heartrending devastation.]
"The prologue is too long."
I wasn't particularly interested in this place's past. I wished it would just get to the point. But the old man's lips kept moving, continuing with a story I didn't care about.
Bzzz—
Perhaps sensing my impatience, the pages began flipping again.
Whoosh—!
The rapidly moving pages halted abruptly at a certain point.
[...The method to destroy a castle is simple. Kill the King.]
Thud!
With those words, the book slammed shut on its own.
"...So where is this King supposed to be?"
A sensible skip, but it left out the crucial part.
"...Won't open."
I tried prying it open again, but it wouldn't budge. As I pondered how to reopen it, 『How to Destroy a Castle』 began melting away.
...Well, there were plenty of other books. Maybe if I kept reading, I'd find the information I needed.
Just as I reached for the next book, the lantern at my waist trembled violently before floating into the air. Hovering before me, it swayed as if urging me to follow.
"You know where he is?"
Sway sway.
It nodded excitedly, as if confirming my guess.
I decided to trust it this once.
"Let's go."
I had a new weapon now. I wasn't about to lose to some mad king. And if things got dangerous, I had bait ready to die in my place.
"Stay put."
I approached the necromancer crouched in the corner and grabbed him by the throat.
Ghk— Ghk—
He thrashed in agony but couldn't break free.
"You're going to die! In all my years, I've never seen a single mage survive after walking toward the source of the magic tomes!"
"Shut up."
The talisman I'd stuck to his chest earlier was still there. I could detonate him whenever I pleased. Yet he kept hurling curses at me.
"Die die die die die—"
"Keep talking, and I'll kill you now."
He was useless—he didn't even know where the other mages were. I was keeping him alive for the mission, but it wouldn't matter much if I killed him here.
Would my reward decrease if I did?
Still, just in case, I decided to drag him along if possible.
Whether my warning got through or not, I hauled the crumpled necromancer toward the study's exit.
But then a problem arose.
The moment I reached for the door, a swarm of floating books gathered, blocking my path.
"What now?"
They weren't threatening. They weren't trying to trap me here—just rubbing their worn covers against me, coquettishly hindering my steps.
They didn't want me to leave.
But I needed to get out of this dangerous place as soon as possible.
"Don't get in my way."
I coldly shoved them aside.
At my harsh words, the dozens of books clinging to me quickly retreated. Trembling, they bowed their heads as if apologizing. The necromancer let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha... To think those arrogant, finicky forbidden texts would abandon their pride just to avoid your disdain... You really deserve to die die die die—"
"Shut up."
I smacked the back of his head—his eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me—and stepped out of the study.
But then something unexpected happened.
Flutter flutter.
As I dragged the necromancer down the hallway, the forbidden texts began cautiously following me.
Glance.
I turned and glared at them.
Noticing my gaze, the books flinched and hid behind a large pillar. But no matter how big the pillar was, there was no way that many books could conceal themselves properly.
"..."
I had no idea what to do.
Would they even listen if I told them to leave?
Ignoring them, I resumed walking.
Shhh— Shhh—
Out of the corner of my eye, I peeked behind me. The forbidden texts were flipping their pages open and shut like they were fanning themselves, thinking they hadn't been spotted.
What are they, elementary school kids? Did they enjoy sneaking around?
As I walked, I wondered how to shake them off. What if they suddenly turned on me?
Float float.
I alternated between watching the lantern guiding me ahead and the forbidden texts behind.
'...Am I overthinking this?'
No. Constant suspicion was necessary.
Complacency bred carelessness.
Squeeze.
I tightened my grip on the necromancer, ready to raise him as a shield if an attack came from behind. He thrashed again in pain, but I ignored him.
Clank clank.
Then, plate-armored figures appeared at the end of the hallway.
Spotting me, eerie lights flickered behind their visors.
"Come here."
I called the guiding lantern to my side. The moment they stepped within range, I planned to shred them with the maw of shadows.
Sching! Sching!
The armored figures drew their swords, dark energy coiling around the blades. Ready for battle, they charged at me like madmen.
"Swallow them—!"
Just as I was about to command the lantern—
Flap! Flap! Flap!
A chilling gust of wind swept through as thousands of pages fluttered behind me.
I quickly turned to look at the forbidden texts. One book, glowing gold, had spread its pages wide, swirling vast energy into its center like a vortex.
Had they finally revealed their true nature? But the radiant book wasn't aiming at me—it was targeting the charging knights.
Weeeeee—!
The air screamed as it trembled. Energy compressed to its limit shot out from the book's center like a beam of light.
KABOOOM—!!
A massive ray of light swept straight down the hallway. As the blinding radiance faded, I stared, mouth agape. The terrifyingly charging knights had vanished without a trace—not even a scream or scrap of metal left behind.
Jingle jingle.
The lantern in my hand shook violently, as if telling me to snap out of it.
"...Just guide the way."
I set the lantern aside and approached the forbidden text that had fired the laser.
Weeeee—
The brilliant golden glow dimmed like cooling metal, and the book returned to its plain brown cover.
Tap.
I picked it up.
Flutter!
It didn't resist my sudden touch. Instead, the pleasant vibrations against my palm felt like a puppy wagging its tail for praise.
"Yeah, feels good, huh?"
I gently stroked its stiff cover like soothing a child.
Whoosh—!
It flipped its pages cheerfully wherever my fingers touched.
Looking at it like this, it was kinda cute.
Huuuu—
Behind me, the discarded lantern floated closer.
Then it started rubbing itself against my back.
It felt like it was asking why I was neglecting it all of a sudden.
Sigh.
My brow twitched at its behavior.
"You just focus on guiding."
Huuuuung!
"What? You think I'm playing favorites?"
I jerked my chin toward the devastated hallway ahead.
"Can you do that?"
Huuuuung—!
It shook itself vigorously as if saying, Of course! I wasn't convinced. The shadows crawling out of the lantern were strong, sure, but they didn't seem on par with that laser's destructive power.
"Just guide."
I dismissed its protest and sent it ahead. My new "tool" kept vibrating happily in my hand, as if thrilled to be held.
The book felt a little damp—must've been my imagination.
And so, with the necromancer in one hand and a laser cannon in the other, I followed the lantern's guidance.
We walked for a long while. Strangely, no more enemies appeared. It was almost disappointing—I wanted to fire that laser at least once.
Well, luckily, the opportunity came soon enough.
"So this is the throne room door."
I stared at the massive door ahead, adorned with intricate patterns and decorations. If I eliminated the mad king beyond it, I could escape this castle. But there was a problem.
"Kekekeke! A high-grade seal. No matter what you try, you won't break through."
The necromancer started explaining again. Ignoring him, I raised the book and aimed at the imposing door.
"Even with the forbidden text's holy magic, it's useless. The power you saw earlier won't be enough to break the seal, kikikiki."
The only way to know for sure was to try.
"Charge."
At my command, mana swirled and condensed before the book. The energy flowing through my veins was sucked in at a terrifying rate. The forbidden text turned a radiant gold, its brown cover no longer visible, until it reached critical mass, vibrating the very air.
"Fire."
KABOOOOOM—!!
A golden beam of light shot toward the massive door.
"...Incredible."
The beam was twice as massive as the one that had erased the knights. The sheer destructive force made the entire hallway flash white. The necromancer watching from behind froze, jaw slack.
"Impossible... An affinity for holy magic at this level? Are you some archbishop of the Church?"
The only difference from before was that my own mana had mixed into the charged energy. I wasn't sure, but that was the only distinction I could think of.
"Shall we go in?"
As the dust settled, the shattered door came into view.
A hole large enough for me to enter had been blasted through.
Flicker—
Relighting the lantern, I peered into the darkened throne room. The vast, chilly space held a familiar silhouette at its center.
"Ha-rin?"
The girl with purple hair stood with her eyes closed.
Her disheveled purple locks swayed as she trembled, eyes tightly shut. And right beside her stood a man with ghostly pale—almost bluish—skin and grotesquely elongated limbs.
A monster too far gone to be called human.
My gaze fixed on the ornate, gleaming crown tilted atop his head.
At that moment.
[!!!!!]
Our eyes met—mine and the unfocused, hollow pupils beneath the crown.
"Si-woo?! Close your eyes! You mustn't look at him!!"
Ha-rin, sensing my presence, shouted a warning.
But it was already too late.
[GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!]
With a scream that tore through my eardrums, the bloodshot-eyed monster lunged at me on all fours like a beast.