Following Vexian's unsettling encounter, Lumi and Xylos became more cautious. Their meetings by the Whispering Spring were less frequent, replaced by hushed conversations in the relative privacy of Lumi's herb shop or the dusty corners of Oakhaven's small library.
The library, a quiet sanctuary filled with the scent of aged parchment, became a crucial resource. Lumi, with her established reputation for scholarly pursuits, could access ancient texts that might hold clues about the Abyssal Blight or the Serpent's Tooth Mountains. Xylos, under the guise of assisting her, could pore over maps and historical accounts, his fragmented memories sometimes triggered by a familiar name or symbol.
One afternoon, while Lumi researched local legends of dark entities, Xylos found himself drawn to a section on celestial events and ancient cosmologies. A faded tapestry depicting constellations caught his eye. Though the names were different, the patterns resonated with his ancient knowledge of the cosmos. A pang of longing for his lost home, the familiar celestial tapestry of his own universe, struck him.
As he traced a familiar star pattern, a "System" notification appeared:
[Observation of Celestial Cartography]
[Potential Recall: Ancient Cosmic Lore (Minor)]
[Emotional State: Nostalgia]
"Anything of interest, Pipkin?" Lumi asked, approaching with a stack of brittle scrolls.
Xylos quickly masked his reaction. "Just… the stars are different here."
Lumi followed his gaze. "Indeed. Our lore speaks of different gods shaping these constellations. Powerful beings, though not quite the same as the nature spirits we usually revere."
Her words sparked a thought in Xylos. Were there other deities in this world? Could they sense his presence, however diminished?
Days turned into nights as they delved deeper into the library's collection. Lumi discovered fragmented accounts of a creeping darkness in the north, referred to in hushed whispers as the "Shadow Rot," said to corrupt the land and twist living creatures into monstrous forms. The descriptions, though vague, sent a chill down Xylos's spine. They echoed the early stages of the Abyssal Blight's advance in his own world.
One particularly old tome, bound in cracked leather, contained a crude map of the Serpent's Tooth Mountains. A specific location was marked with a symbol that resonated disturbingly with a recurring motif in Xylos's fragmented memories of the Blight – a spiral of encroaching darkness.
[Analysis of Ancient Cartography]
[Potential Identification: Nexus Point of Abyssal Blight (Hypothetical)]
[Memory Resonance Triggered: Abyssal Spiral Symbol]
"This place…" Xylos murmured, tracing the symbol on the map. "It feels… important. Dangerous."
Lumi leaned closer, her brow furrowed. "The locals avoid that region. They say it's cursed, haunted by malevolent spirits."
"It's not spirits," Xylos said, a cold certainty in his voice. "It's something far older, far more insidious."
Their research also revealed mentions of ancient artifacts, relics imbued with powerful magic, scattered throughout Aethel. Lumi speculated that some of these artifacts might hold the key to understanding or even combating the Shadow Rot.
As they pieced together the fragments of lore and Xylos's returning memories, a grim picture began to emerge. The Abyssal Blight was not just a distant threat; it was already taking root in Aethel, its influence radiating from the Serpent's Tooth Mountains. And Xylos, the useless god in a weakling's body, was one of the few who knew the true extent of the danger.
Their clandestine research, however, continued to attract attention. The village librarian, a stern woman named Veridian Eldrune, had noticed Lumi's frequent visits and her unusual interest in obscure texts. She had also observed Pipkin's quiet intensity as he studied the ancient maps. Veridian, a staunch believer in tradition and wary of anything that disrupted the village's peaceful existence, began to harbor her own suspicions about the herbalist and her strange young assistant. The whispers in the library were not just those of ancient knowledge; they were also the quiet rustlings of growing suspicion from Veridian Eldrune.