The One Who Gazed Into the Abyss (3)

I stared blankly at the absurd window that had suddenly appeared before me. Strengthen the spirits? What the hell did that even mean? How was I supposed to do it? Why was there a time limit? And what was this promotion nonsense? Ah. Promotion. This game did have a class promotion system, like first and second job advancements. The kind where a mage kept raising their circles until they finally became a 9-Circle Archmage. If Chosen One (Communion) had a similar promotion tree, it wasn’t completely ridiculous… but why the hell did it have to trigger now?

“Haa~ Fuck…”

I couldn’t hold back the curse. Three days was roughly the time I’d have left after finishing my spar with Panzy Vlad. And there was no mention of any penalty for failing to complete the quest within the limit. That only left me even more confused. This game usually had clear rewards and punishments, so failing a quest normally came with a steep price. Failing a promotion might lock you out of quests for days, prevent you from advancing to the next school year, or even strip away your abilities. In the worst cases, it could lead to game over or force you to restart your character entirely. But those scenarios usually had a clear path back, so players prepared in advance for the classic “return of the king” comeback. The problem was I had no idea what this one required.

Our Kasa was sick, and the sparring match was the day after tomorrow. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should’ve just followed Dorothy when she left. I had sensed Kasa’s low energy, but I never imagined a spirit could actually fall ill. In the end, I was just making excuses to myself, so I could only stand there with a dark expression, desperately trying to think of a solution.

The options I could take right now… Think, Cain! Come up with something!

“Ah.”

Suddenly, my contract with Urd Destin came to mind. Free tuition at the academy. Access to every section of the library. Permission to skip lectures and practicals using the headmaster’s emergency authority. Every section of the library. In the game, there were places that were nearly impossible to enter, or completely off-limits. Places where a hooded figure would block the entrance and say, “This is a restricted area. Please leave.”

There were generally two types of restricted zones inside the academy: dangerous research sectors or the sections of the library that housed forbidden texts. Research areas were strictly controlled because they might contain hazardous magical beasts, dangerous spells, or experimental equipment. A regular student couldn’t even set foot inside without permission. Of course, by the late game Alex’s status became so high that he could snoop around everywhere, but those places remained dangerous all the same.

The forbidden book sections, however, were different. Even in the game, you couldn’t enter them. There were occasional events where you could borrow forbidden books from the restricted area, but I had never gone inside to browse myself. As you wandered every corner of the library, powerful-looking gatekeepers stood watch over each forbidden section.

When I did data mining back then, it was obvious there was internal data for those areas, which led to backlash from players who demanded, “Why won’t you open the forbidden book sections?” The developers never gave a single word of response. The fact that the headmaster had specifically contracted for “all areas of the library” instead of just the unrestricted ones meant there had to be some kind of deliberate arrangement.

I hurried toward the library, convinced there would be clues regarding this quest. I stroked Kasa inside my coat once more, praying desperately.

The library was a four-story domed building enchanted with constant preservation magic to keep the books in perfect condition. Thanks to that magic, even the oldest grimoires felt like nothing more than slightly aged volumes. The academy’s management of information and knowledge was that thorough. The place I now stood was no exception.

Victor, one of the managers overseeing the forbidden book sections, found himself completely dumbfounded by the black-haired, red-eyed boy standing boldly before him. The kid had marched up and demanded access because he apparently had the headmaster’s permission. If it were that simple, why would laws and regulations even exist?

Deciding this was nothing more than childish stubbornness, Victor put on a stern expression and prepared ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to send the boy away.

“Listen. If the headmaster truly gave permission, you’d need proof, wouldn’t you? If everything could be handled with just words, why would laws, rules, or regulations exist in this world? Student, while I’m still being nice…”

“Would showing you the contract be enough?”

“Hmm?”

He hadn’t heard anything about a contract. Victor knew better than anyone that no student had ever been granted access to the forbidden book sections. Managing entry here had been his family’s hereditary duty for generations. He was aware the current headmaster was an eccentric individual, but he didn’t seem like the type to hand out such privileges to a mere student. A forgery, perhaps?

“Yes. The contract. That works. If it bears a signature or seal proving it’s from the headmaster, I’ll verify it through the proper procedures and grant you passage.”

“Ah, I really don’t have time for this… Just a second.”

The boy fidgeted anxiously, shifting from foot to foot. Then he suddenly glanced at Victor cautiously and spoke in a careful tone.

“Um… I don’t have any mana, so… Could you help me summon the contract… please…?”

“...?”

“Hehe.”

Victor remained unaware that a hilarious family legend was being born in this moment. He simply blinked, utterly stupefied.

“Good grief. That would actually be cleaner. You don’t even have the mana to summon a contract? What kind of person are you?”

“Ahaha… It’s a bit of a story.”

“Well, if it’s a family secret or something, I won’t pry. It might actually be more objective if I summon and read your contract myself.”

With those words, Victor poured his mana into the summoning circle the student had drawn. The circle glowed brightly, and the contract materialized. The boy asked him to wait a moment because there were parts that needed to be covered, requested a brief delay, and then hid several sections of the document.

If he had known it would become this complicated, he should have just driven the kid away whether the contract was real or not. Victor clicked his tongue, accepted the contract the boy offered, and slowly began to read.

“Headmaster Urd Destin and Cain hereby enter into the following contract… Hmm… All areas of the library… Hmm… Confirmed. The covered sections must be the conditions the headmaster placed on you, I take it?”

“Ah, yes. They were quite unconventional terms. Hehe.”

“Well, I only need to verify the authenticity of the seal.”

Victor did his best to calm his racing heart as he examined the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mana embedded in the seal. Every gatekeeper possessed mana samples from individuals authorized to enter restricted areas. They used these to confirm the legitimacy of permitted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠visitors. This was the first time he had ever seen the headmaster’s mana.

“This is… The headmaster really granted permission… to a first-year brat…”

“I’m not a brat.”

I’m not a brat. I’m Cain. No matter what, back in Korea I had served in the military and held a proper job. I wasn’t some little kid, so hearing the word “brat” made my blood boil whether I wanted it to or not. Maybe it was because I suddenly remembered that this young body wasn’t truly mine.

“Well, to my eyes you’re still just a brat student. No matter what abilities you possess… Honestly, who would believe a student claiming to have no mana standing here saying such things?”

“...Ahem.”

“Anyway, the seal has been confirmed. I must admit I’m surprised. I don’t know what conditions you agreed to, but try not to sully them. There are quite a few extremely dangerous books in there.”

“Yes, yes.”

He wasn’t going to accompany me? Usually in these situations the books themselves had egos, so a librarian had to escort you… or so I thought. When I asked the gatekeeper exactly that, he tilted his head as if I had said something ridiculous and questioned me right back.

“Books… with egos? What are you talking about? Where would books have egos? Dangerous books simply means books containing dangerous knowledge, not living creatures.”

“Uh, but…”

“There can be books that erode the reader’s mind the moment they’re opened. But those are sealed with magic or kept separately by the headmaster. Books with egos? That’s the first I’ve heard of such a thing. Haha…”

“Hmm.”

“Oh, and do not reverse-summon this contract. Keep it with you. There are periodic patrols, after all.”

“Yessir…”

As expected, pretending to know things from secondhand knowledge only led to embarrassment. Swallowing my shame, I entered the forbidden book section and looked around. Whether because preservation magic was strictly applied here as well, there wasn’t the slightest hint of dampness. In fact, the air felt refreshingly clean. Books were packed tightly on shelves crafted from ancient timber. I scanned them one by one, searching for anything related to spirits.

A waste of time. I stubbornly clung to the belief that there was still hope and continued exploring the stacks. There were books about demons that looked like the Necronomicon… This place would have driven Shube absolutely insane if she saw it. I took mental notes of the interesting titles as I went. They would surely prove useful in the future.

But when I finally reached the end of the forbidden book section, I tasted despair for the briefest moment.

“So there really isn’t anything about spirits here? Well, if such knowledge existed, surely one of the professors would have noticed…”

Just as I was about to give up and consider my next move, the contract in my hand began to glow brightly. The sudden phenomenon made me forget how to think. I simply stared at the shining contract. Then, light began leaking from the floor a short distance ahead of where I stood. A loud grinding sound of stone echoed as the floor descended, revealing a staircase leading down into pitch-black darkness.

“Wow. That old man really thought this far ahead?”

Just what was that guy’s true identity? With that thought, I carefully tucked the contract back into my coat, checked to make sure no one was watching, and descended the stairs.