Cendikia's hands trembled as he opened the Forgotten Scholar's Grimoire, the dark leather of the cover cold beneath his fingertips. The book was far lighter than it looked, as though the knowledge inside was waiting to spill forth, untethered by the constraints of time. Ancient runes flickered faintly along the edges of the pages, glowing as they recognized the one who sought to read them.
His heart raced as he flipped through the first few pages. The language, though ancient, was one he now understood thanks to the system's enhancements. The script was tight and precise, each symbol imbued with power.
The first passage he deciphered made his breath catch.
"The Dark Rifts," he muttered under his breath, fingers tracing the intricate drawings etched into the parchment. His eyes widened as he took in the swirling vortexes depicted in the text, portals that could be opened between dimensions, used to summon forces beyond this world.
[Knowledge Enhancement:
Forbidden Rites Level 2 Unlocked.]
The system chimed in softly, but its warning still echoed in his mind from the previous night: "Great power, but also great danger." He couldn't afford to forget that. The more he unlocked, the more dangerous his position became, and the system had already punished him once for stepping too far too soon.
Still, the knowledge pulsing through the grimoire was undeniable. The Dark Rifts is a portals to realms beyond this world that held immense power, but their use came at a cost. The ancient scholar had written about them in great detail, describing how they could be used to tap into forbidden magic, summon powerful entities, or even manipulate time itself. But these portals weren't without risk.
Cendikia skimmed further, his mind racing with possibilities. This magic could change everything if he could learn to control it. But the cost… the warnings… every spell written here was bound by a dangerous curse. Using such power recklessly could destroy him. Or worse, unleash something he couldn't control.
Before he could delve deeper into the grimoire's secrets, the system interrupted him with a new message.
[New Mission:
Investigate the Ruins of Talvalis.
Reward:
Arcane Combat Skill.]
The Ruins of Talvalis. Cendikia's mind snapped to attention at the name. Talvalis was an ancient site long forgotten by most scholars. Even in the novel he had read, it had been mentioned only briefly—an abandoned fortress on the outskirts of the kingdom, rumored to be haunted by the lingering magic of a long-dead civilization. The ruins were far from the academy, deep in the wilderness, where few ventured willingly.
"Why there?" he wondered aloud, but the system offered no further explanation.
The mission was clear enough, there was something in Talvalis that the system wanted him to find. If the Forgotten Scholar had studied forbidden magic, then it made sense that places like Talvalis held answers. Perhaps something hidden there would help him unlock more of the grimoire's secrets.
But the mission carried risk. The arcane combat skill promised as a reward hinted that danger awaited him at the ruins. He was no warrior, and while the system had granted him some basic combat abilities, he knew he wasn't prepared for a full-on confrontation with whatever magic lay dormant in Talvalis.
Still, he had no choice. If he wanted to survive and grow stronger, he needed the system's rewards. His mana and stamina were still diminished from the punishment he'd received earlier, and the longer he waited, the greater his disadvantage would be. He had to act.
By the time Cendikia left the academy's gates, the sun was high, casting long shadows across the road that led into the wilderness beyond Esthara. The journey to Talvalis would take several days on foot, and he knew that the farther he traveled, the more dangerous the road would become. The path twisted through dense forests, rocky cliffs, and ancient, crumbling structures that dotted the landscape like scars from a forgotten war.
He traveled alone, his mind heavy with the weight of the grimoire's secrets. Every step took him farther from the safety of the academy and deeper into unknown territory.
For hours, the forest stretched endlessly before him, thick with towering trees and the scent of damp earth. The sounds of distant wildlife echoed through the woods, a constant reminder that he was far from civilization. He moved cautiously, always on guard, aware that the deeper he went, the less control he had over what might find him.
As dusk began to fall, Cendikia reached a clearing where he decided to rest for the night. He built a small fire and sat close to it, the warmth driving away the chill of the approaching night. He pulled out the grimoire once again, his fingers brushing the worn pages as he sought more answers.
The ancient text spoke of arcane forces that still lingered in forgotten places like Talvalis. It described how the magic of old could seep into the land, corrupting it, twisting it into something unnatural. It warned of creatures born from that corruption, entities that were neither living nor dead, bound to the ancient magic that had once ruled the land.
Cendikia's heart pounded as he read further, and he closed the grimoire with a snap. He was walking into something far darker than he had imagined, but the system had chosen this path for him. There was no going back now.
Suddenly, the firelight flickered, and a chill swept through the clearing. Cendikia's head snapped up, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger he had brought for protection. His eyes scanned the tree line, searching for any sign of movement.
At first, he saw nothing. Just the shadows shifting in the flickering firelight. But then, a shape appeared, something moving just beyond the edge of the trees.
He stood, his heart racing. Am I being followed?
The shape grew closer, and Cendikia's grip on his dagger tightened. But just as he prepared for a confrontation, a voice called out from the darkness.
"Cendikia."
He froze.
A figure stepped into the clearing, and his breath caught as he recognized her.
Elena Taris.
The rogue mercenary who had once crossed paths with him in the academy's lower corridors now stood before him, her leather armor dark against the dim light, her twin blades gleaming at her side. She was a dangerous ally, one who played by her own rules and always had her own agenda.
"What are you doing out here, Cendikia?" she asked, her voice low and edged with amusement. "This is a long way from your precious library."
Cendikia's mind raced as he tried to decide how to respond. Elena wasn't someone he could trust fully, but she had been useful to him before. If she had followed him this far, she must have her reasons.
"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, keeping his tone even. "What brings you to the middle of nowhere?"
Elena smirked, stepping closer. "Business. I heard someone was heading to the Ruins of Talvalis, and I figured it might be worth my while to follow."
Cendikia's heart sank. How had she known about Talvalis? The system's mission had been given to him alone. Had someone else caught wind of his plans?
"You're heading into dangerous territory, scholar," Elena continued, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Talvalis isn't exactly a place for people like you. But I could be persuaded to help... if the price is right."
Cendikia knew what that meant. Elena never did anything for free. She was a mercenary through and through, and if she saw a way to profit from his journey, she would take it. But the thought of facing Talvalis alone, without her expertise, seemed even more dangerous.
"What's your price?" he asked cautiously.
Elena's smile widened. "Simple. Whatever you find in Talvalis, I get a share of it. Knowledge, treasure, whatever it is, I want a piece."
Cendikia hesitated. The Forgotten Scholar's knowledge wasn't something he could share lightly, especially with someone like Elena. But he needed her help, and if he refused, she might turn on him or worse, alert others to his mission.
"Fine," he said finally. "But we do this my way."
Elena's eyes glittered with amusement, but she nodded. "As long as we both get what we want, I don't care how we do it."
Cendikia didn't trust her, but for now, they had a common goal. With Elena by his side, he might just survive whatever waited for them in Talvalis.
The next morning, the two of them set out toward the Ruins of Talvalis, the path growing more treacherous as they moved deeper into the wilderness. The air grew colder, and the trees twisted into unnatural shapes, their branches clawing at the sky like skeletal hands.
By midday, they reached the outskirts of Talvalis. The ruins loomed before them, half-buried in the earth, their stone walls crumbling and overgrown with dark vines. The ground beneath their feet felt charged with ancient magic, the remnants of a civilization long dead but not forgotten.
Cendikia could feel the pulse of power beneath the surface, like a heartbeat echoing through the stones. This was where the Forgotten Scholar's knowledge had led him. And somewhere within these ruins lay the next piece of the puzzle.
But as they approached the entrance, the air around them grew heavy, and a low, rumbling sound echoed from deep within the ruins. Cendikia's heart pounded in his chest, and he instinctively reached for the grimoire tucked into his bag.
"Looks like we've got company," Elena muttered, drawing her blades as the sound grew louder.
Out of the shadows, creatures began to emerge in twisted, misshapen forms that looked barely human, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. They moved toward Cendikia and Elena, their movements jerky and unnatural, like puppets controlled by invisible strings.
Cendikia's breath caught in his throat. The Forgotten Scholar's grimoire had mentioned this beings, corrupted by ancient magic, bound to the ruins by the dark forces that still lingered there.
The system chimed in:
[Mission Update:
Survive the first test of Talvalis.]
Cendikia drew his dagger, his heart racing. He had no choice now. He would have to fight and survive if he wanted to unlock the secrets of Talvalis.