Hours later, Arvin closed the last book. His head felt full, but fresh. He stretched his stiff muscles.
When he looked around, he was surprised. The library, which had been crowded, was now completely empty. The sky outside the stained-glass window had turned reddish-orange, signaling that the sun was about to set.
How long have I been reading here? Arvin slapped his forehead. Damn, I was too absorbed in grinding skills that I forgot my main purpose for coming here!
He immediately stood up, tidied his uniform, and with a snap of his fingers, used telekinesis (which he had just learned from the fifth book) to return all the books to their original shelves automatically. The books floated and slotted neatly into their respective places.
After making sure no one else was around—including the librarian who might be sleeping at the front desk—Arvin walked quickly toward an old bookshelf made of black mahogany at the very end of the library. The Ancient History section.
He remembered the clue from the game wiki. Third shelf from the left, fourth row from the bottom. The book titled 'The Fall of the Cloud Empire'.
His hand felt the row of books. Where is the button?
He didn't pull the book; instead, he pushed the group of books next to it inwards simultaneously.
Click!
A heavy mechanical sound was heard from behind the wall, like ancient gears starting to turn after sleeping for so long.
Grrkk!
The large bookshelf in front of him slowly slid to the side, revealing a dark passage gaping like a monster's mouth. The smell of stale air trapped for hundreds of years immediately rushed out.
Without thinking twice, Arvin stepped inside.
Pitch black. However, for the current Arvin, darkness was not a problem.
"Lux!" he muttered softly.
A ball of white light floated above his shoulder, illuminating the mossy and steep stone steps leading underground. He descended the stairs with sure steps. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the narrow passage.
His heart pounded, not from fear, but from enthusiasm. Allen, wait for me. With what is down there, you will definitely become stronger. You will no longer be the weak one who needs protection.
His steps stopped at the end of the stairs. A thick iron door with carved magic runes blocked his way.
Click!
Arvin tried to turn the handle. Locked.
Ah... I forgot about this! Arvin hissed in annoyance. The key is hidden inside a statue on the library roof. But I don't have time to go back up and climb the roof.
He looked at the door, then looked at his hand. In the game, players had to find the key through a troublesome side quest. But this was the real world. And in the real world, physics (and destruction magic) applied.
Arvin placed his palm on the surface of the iron door. He channeled a massive amount of earth element mana, searching for the weak point in the metal structure.
"Break," he commanded coldly.
CRASH!
The thick iron door was blasted inward as if hit by a giant, its hinges broken apart. Dust billowed thickly.
Arvin waved his hand to clear the dust and stepped into the secret room.
The room wasn't too big, looking more like the private study of a mad wizard. There were many ancient books scattered around, empty glass bottles, and a workbench covered in cobwebs.
Wow! The interior of this room is designed exactly like in the game. The detail is incredible.
He picked up one of the books lying on the table. The cover was rotten, but the contents were still readable. It was research notes on Forbidden Alchemy.
This knowledge is dangerous, but useful, Arvin thought. Since I don't know when I can come back here, I better take everything.
With his new space magic, he swept the room clean. All the books, all the notes, all the ancient glassware, vanished into his dimensional storage.
Then, his eyes fell on the main prize. A gold-carved wooden chest in the corner of the room, slightly covered in dust but still radiating a magical aura.
Arvin approached. His heart raced. Tap-tap! Tap-tap!
However, as he stepped closer to the chest...
Thud!
The wooden floor beneath his feet made a different sound. The sound sounded hollow, empty.
Arvin frowned. Did I hear that wrong?
He took a step back, then stepped on that part again. Thud! Thud!
Correct. The sound was different from the rest of the floor.
Is there another room beneath this floor?
Arvin was stunned. He had finished the game BL:The Sign of Destiny many times. He knew every secret, every glitch, every easter egg. But there was never any mention of a room beneath this secret room.
This is outside the game scenario.
He pushed aside his curiosity for a moment and turned to the chest. He opened the lid. The glitter of gold immediately greeted his eyes. Inside the chest was a pile of gold bars with ancient royal crests, and in the center lay a crystal bottle containing a deep purple liquid shimmering like a galaxy.
Elixir of Archmage.
"So beautiful," Arvin murmured. "And this gold... in the game, players couldn't take the gold because it was considered decorative property. But here..."
He grinned widely. "My lucky day. There's no way I'm wasting this future capital!"
In an instant, the chest and its contents had moved into his dimensional storage.
Now, back to the mysterious floor.
Arvin squatted, tapping the wooden floor with his finger. There is a quite large cavity down here.
Curiosity mixed with caution haunted his mind. Was this a trap? Or a greater treasure?
Screw it. Curiosity killed the cat, but I'm not a cat. I am Arvin Vedegra.
He stood up straight, aiming his palm at the floor.
Crash!
The wooden floor shattered into pieces, hit by his earth magic explosion. Wood splinters flew, revealing a gaping dark hole.
And for the second time that day, Arvin saw a set of stone stairs. But this time, the stairs didn't lead to an ordinary room. The stairs led deep into the bowels of the earth, and from there, Arvin could feel a cold breeze carrying the very stuffy smell.
I never knew there was another path here. Is this a hidden area deleted from the final version of the game? Or... is this a dark secret of the real world?
Arvin's eyes narrowed, staring into the darkness down there. He knew he should go home, give the potion to Allen, and sleep. But the urge to know the truth was too strong.
Arvin took a deep breath, brightened his magic light ball, and stepped down the stairs, heading toward the unknown waiting for him at the bottom.