" This is huge! " Shyam murmured as he stood in line for the entry. There were many people ahead of him, some empty-handed hoping to start a new life, some adventurers, and some merchants waiting with their carriages.
Two guards in pure iron armor stood at both sides. One inspected the items and the other took entry fees.
After an hour of waiting, they finally got to go in. They had a D rank adventurer card now, so fortunately they didn't need to pay anything. Though even in Taralaya he saw no guard at the gates, so that shows Vyomsetu really is an advanced city.
The buildings here looked way taller and fancier than on Taralaya. He saw countless E rank and D rank adventurers walk across the city centre just casually as if they were nothing!
There were quite a few C rankers as well.
Ravina and Shyam walked around the city a bit before landing in a cheap inn. Even still, it had good stuff. Better than Dhatuvan at least!
This city had an automatic drainage system, better water system, and big canals that gave water to every house there were. All in all, this was better than anything Shyam had ever witnessed upon landing on this land of Niścaya.
After booking two separate rooms, both Shyam and Ravina locked themselves up in the rooms because from tomorrow it's adventure time!
" Alright, let's see, " Shyam whispered as he closed his eyes in his room and was sitting above the bed. " Ways of Hydra! " he said, and suddenly a book appeared from nowhere and floated in front of him. Old, blue cover and glowing like magic.
Suddenly, a faint music started playing from all directions, as if it played in his ear.
" Who dares summon me while I take my NAP!? " a female voice echoed around the inn-room as the book started looking for an exit to escape the inn-room, but fortunately for Shyam it found none.
The music that spread when the book came to life was a sitar. It sounded peaceful, yet! It sounded like someone had stepped into the battleground even knowing their defeat is guaranteed.
" Who... are you? " Shyam muttered by surprise. He tried using it multiple times during the quest hunt with Ravina before, but never did it work. Then, how is it working now?
A little bit surprised but still on guard, he slung his sword at the air and readied himself for a battle. With a BOOK?
" Hey hey! Wait mortal! I do mean no harm to your soul! Release me at once and shall I leave you. " it said again as it ducked to the wall trying to survive Shyam's feared form!
" Hey you book! Call him peasant master! " Raitha shouted as she stared at it like she would just kill it, even though it might not even have a life yet. Or maybe it does.
" Peasant you say? " the book murmured as though a thought crossed her pretty mind. " Well then- " the book started. " Hey no! I am not to be called peasant! Call me Shyam, now enough talk. Who are you? " Shyam stopped her midway before she made up her mind to call him a peasant just as Raitha did. One was hurtful enough as is. Two might actually make him wanna throw hands with two weird creatures.
At least Raitha made sense, she was a fairy. What about the book? How could one book even speak?
" I see you are the kind who does not waste much of their time, " the book whispered. " Well then, as you can see I am a grimoire of Hydra spells. Believe it or not I am a Tier 4 book. GOOD level! " it said, like a king. Or... queen?
" T.. tier four? " Shyam muttered. If what she said is true, then maybe she can even destroy this entire city by just using her true power.
" Yes! And GOOD level! " the book added. " Uh.. master Shyam, " Raitha whispered to Shyam's ear. " A book of Tier 4 has less power than a Tier 2 sub-tier wavecaller and so shall you not worry as you are a mistblade fighter! " Raitha said.
" Huh? So... I have nothing to worry about? " Shyam asked.
" Not exactly. As she is a book. And books have knowledge which is more powerful than actual strength, " Raitha replied.
" And what's this GOOD level she speaks about? " Shyam asked once again as the book consistently said that she is a GOOD level book. It made him curious is all.
" It's actually another tiering system. There are many levels for a book and Good level falls under the 3rd level. Above it is Excellent and Perfect. Below it is Readable, Bad. " she explained.
Damn, how many tier systems more? That's exactly what was going on in Shyam's head right now. Like there were city grades, country grades, profession grades, weapons and monsters and even human power grades. But it was thrilling too.
This is exactly what makes humans chase for more power! Higher the rank higher the power!
" Are you two finished talking? " the book muttered as it lay on the ground like a tired aunty on a sunny Sunday watching CID on the TV. " Yes, we are. So... are you like going to go now? " Shyam asked as he pointed his thumbs towards the door. Sarcastically.
The book turned in that direction, then to his. " Do you know how Titiksha became like that? " asked the book. " That was a sudden question, " Shyam said. " I am curious though, " he added.
" Years after Titiksha had been found, there lay a dragon raging with power. But it still did nothing to the livings of that village. But the villagers were too scared to let it stay like that, they were afraid it would someday attack them.
They asked the guild for help, not telling them it was a dragon so that they had to pay less. But doing so angered the dragon for which he not only killed those adventurers but most the villagers as well. Words didn't spread far as the dragon killed anyone who spoke of the incident.
No one could stop it until someone who was very skilled in mana control stepped in. Held a book in his hand and threw it at the dragon after which it was trapped, weakened inside that book the person had thrown at it. "
The book finished its story, in a room with dim lights and open windows whose curtain blew to the outside heatwaves.
Shyam listened, focused on what the book said. A person with mana control? Could it be! Golakar?
But the question that really drove through his mind was that " Then... what happened to the book? " he asked. " The person who sealed the dragon in that book set up a challenge for whoever wants to retrieve it. The person must surpass their own imaginations and self-doubts to gain such power.
And now that dragon is trapped in a room, and then a book laying down telling a story. Funny? " it said as it laughed. To its own JOKE!
" Huh? " Shyam almost wanted to yell out loud but stopped. " So, you mean to tell me. YOU ARE NOT JUST A BOOK BUT A COMEDIAN AS WELL?"
Shyam said as he stood.
The book ducked behind. " NO I AM NOT! " the book replied. " I have just lost all my powers for now. But if I become as strong as I used to, I can break free from this curse and be your servant after which you will have no one to fear- peasant! " it said.
" I have no desire to rule the world. I only seek to explore and learn about this world, " Shyam whispered as he sat back onto the bed. " And not like I have power myself, " he sighed.
" I understand how you feel. I wanted to do the same at one point. If that is all you seek, then may you use me and my spells as you feel so. Peasant, "
the book said as it slowly floated above Shyam. For some reason it no longer spread such violent music. The music it made now was just peaceful.
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Ch-42