---Third POV---
Garble frowned. "Does this mean we need a special method to read the words on it?"
"Should we try fire?" Lux suggested.
NeverShowOff quickly pulled back the book cover that was almost burned and shook his head. "No, that won't work."
"What about soaking it in water?" Child asked.
Hedgehog looked at the drenched parchment. "Clearly, that didn't help either."
"That doesn't make any sense!"
Lux furrowed her brows into a straight line.
When she found the skill book earlier, it wasn't this troublesome. Surely, such a hidden room couldn't exist just to store a few notebooks?
Child stared at a dark stain on the floor that seemed to have dried long ago, pondering. "Could it be that there's another secret chamber in this room?"
He thought so too. A room crafted with magical tools shouldn't serve the same function as an ordinary study or bedroom.
NeverShowOff agreed with the guess. "Let's look elsewhere, then."
The walls, the floor, the fixed bookshelves…
They left almost no spot unchecked, but their efforts yielded nothing. All that remained was the dark, pitch-black fireplace against the wall.
Child looked at the floor. "There are a lot of strange liquid marks here. Judging by their pattern, they seem to have come from the fireplace."
Garble pulled out a machete. "Then let's clear it out and take a look!"
"Alright!"
The group enthusiastically got back to work, spending most of the day digging, yet found nothing once again. Defeated, they gave up on the fireplace and moved on to investigate other areas.
Time passed. By now, the entire room had almost been cleaned to a spotless shine.
Lux's magical energy had even half-recovered. Using a random stick she had picked up as a crutch, she muttered breathlessly. "I still think there's something wrong with that fireplace."
NeverShowOff hesitated and stopped. "Maybe the method was wrong. Perhaps we shouldn't have searched directly?"
"What else could, wait!" Hedgehog stared at Lux, suddenly struck by a thought. "Judging from the temple statues, this town worships the God of Light. Could it be that we've been using the wrong method to unlock it?"
Lux was caught off guard. "You mean… me?"
Among the five players in the group, she was the only one who knew light-based magic.
There was no time to waste. The five formed a human ladder, and Garble used a level-two wind spell to hoist Lux back up to the doorway.
A white glow emerged.
The room began to quake again, more violently than before, nearly making everyone inside lose their footing.
"Hold on tight!"
"Holy, I'm flying!"
---
Clang.
Viktor's hoe fell to the ground. The sound wasn't loud, but no one dared to overlook the legendary archmage, who claimed he was just there to teach them farming techniques.
Everyone kept their heads down, holding their breath.
He rubbed his temples in frustration.
He had planned to reveal the hidden library only after they defeated the Blackrock Toads. Yet, somehow, they had stumbled upon it ahead of schedule.
Forget it. They've always been like this, he thought, convincing himself within seconds.
He looked down at the captives below, diligently tilling the soil with farm tools.
"In any case, remember the techniques I just taught you. Don't let me catch you slacking off, because I'll be back later."
The group nodded furiously. Who would dare to mess with a dark mage? Not only did they work without a hint of laziness, but they also redoubled their efforts, fearing they'd be the least productive when Viktor returned to inspect.
Satisfied, he nodded. His robes turned into black smoke as he dashed toward the town center.
---
"Cough, cough! Ugh!" Hedgehog barely coughed twice before covering his nose and mouth.
"Mm-mmm-mmm!"
What's that stench!?
This was far worse than the stale dust they had dealt with earlier.
Beside him, Child lagged for a moment, his face quickly turning a purplish-blue.
"Mm, ugh!"
He puffed out his cheeks, trying to vomit but holding himself back. After the dust finally cleared, everyone's pupils dilated in unison.
!!!
Bones. Lots and lots of bones.
That was their first impression.
And they weren't the clean, bare skeletons one might imagine, aged for decades. These were partially decomposed, releasing various gases during decay and attracting maggots that left organic residue behind. They couldn't bear to look for more than a moment. Scrambling up the now-steeper walls, they climbed out as fast as they could.
Lux, still resting above after exhausting her magic, was puzzled by their reaction. "Aren't you supposed to stay down there and watch the changes in the room? Why the sudden rush? Is the smell a sign something worked?"
"Ugh!"
"Blegh!"
Her answer came in the form of synchronized retching.
Curiosity piqued, Lux decided to check it out herself.
And then… She was met with the sight of several hollow-eyed skulls. The puking squad gained another member. It took them a long while to recover.
Hedgehog braced himself on the ground, his chest heaving. "I've… I've never felt this disgusted playing a game before…"
It wasn't the goriest or creepiest scene he'd ever encountered, but it had a disturbing sense of realism. It felt as though, decades ago, this place had truly been filled with people and other creatures, lying there, watching themselves rot and breed maggots.
Garble seemed the least affected, even taking the time to analyze the room's structure. "The space is at least six times larger than the previous room, probably around six or seven hundred square meters. And it's not just human bones, there are animals and even magical creatures mixed in. This room was likely some kind of shelter, meant to protect townsfolk after their defenses fell to the tide."
Perhaps the room had a mechanism to conceal its aura or could shrink to the size of a palm, making it easier to smuggle survivors out. Whatever the case, the end result was the same.
They failed.
NeverShowOff exhaled deeply. "Maybe this is the key to understanding the destruction of Honeyvale. If we find the answer, we might be able to end this exploration event."
The rewards for completing a major event like this would surely be substantial, even if the game didn't explicitly state them.
After a brief rest, the group, resigned to their fate, stood back up, preparing to descend once more.
"Let's go. We can't let others steal the event we've found," Hedgehog said
After all, it was just a game setting. The longer they looked, the more they'd adapt.
Crunch!
In the silent tension of their search, even the smallest noise became amplified, especially the unsettling crack of a bone breaking.
Four pairs of eyes snapped toward Hedgehog.
He awkwardly clasped his hands together and whispered an apology.
"Sorry. There's too many bones. I didn't notice."
The bones, naturally decaying in the air, were so brittle they broke with the slightest pressure. The others sighed in relief and went back to searching.
Whether it was their strong adaptability or the game's threshold protection mechanisms kicking in, they soon adjusted to the environment.
In a corner of the room, Garble discovered a piece of parchment clutched in a skeletal hand. "Hey, come take a look at this."
The parchment was severely damaged, possibly due to its proximity to a corpse. Still, there were some words that could be deciphered.
Hedgehog softly read them aloud. "…Town… Refuge… Inventory."
NeverShowOff's heart skipped a beat. "It's a list of supplies inside the room, but food and tools left for decades have probably already spoiled."
So, it was useless to them.
Child found a few more parchments under the skeleton holding the first one. "There are more here!"
The additional parchments included a supply list, a personnel roster, and a task distribution chart. Although most of them were incomplete and garbled, Garble managed to piece some clues together. "The supply list's date is February, but the personnel roster is dated November… That's nearly a nine-month gap!"
It was normal for a refuge to prepare food in advance. But preparing it so far ahead, and with such a wide variety, raised suspicions.
It was as if they had never planned to defend Honeyvale from the start. Instead, they seemed to have been preparing to escape with only a small group of people.
Lux suddenly realized, "The mission description mentioned that the town originally had strong defenses but was quickly defeated. Could this be the reason?"
Child crossed his arms and snorted. "What a cliché story of internal conflict. Is this really the backdrop for such a big exploration quest?"
He leaned back, accidentally bumping into some bones. Suddenly, a system notification rang out, audible to all five players.
---
[Congratulations to the player Child, I Want for discovering the remains of a Level 3 creature: Corpse Lich!]
[The first player to successfully collect a creature has unlocked the "Bestiary - Creature Discovery" feature!]
[This achievement will be announced server-wide. Would you like to remain anonymous?]
---
Child's eyes widened in disbelief.
Anonymous!
He had been active in the area recently, revealing his ID would just attract other players.
---
[Anonymous mode activated successfully!]
[Congratulations on receiving experience points, magicoins, and the permanent title (forum and game-wide): "Appreciation Expert"!]
[The creature Corpse Lich has been successfully added to the Bestiary!]
---
Players across the map stopped what they were doing simultaneously.
"What does this mean? Is the creature discovery feature like a mini radar tool?"
"Damn it! Someone beat me to it again!"
"When will I ever make it into the announcements?"
"I can't slack off anymore! No one's killed a Tier 1 creature yet, I'll be the first!"
"Good luck! If you die, let us know where your body is on the forum so I can grab the revival materials."
"…"
---
Meanwhile, in the Inverted Space, Child stared at the stream of notifications flooding his interface and swallowed hard.
"I take back what I said earlier, this event is amazing!"
It even tied into a Bestiary feature! No wonder it was worthy of a server-wide announcement.
Suddenly, the previously cliché story of internal conflict felt grand and significant. This could only mean one thing: There were likely other hidden features in the game that they hadn't discovered yet.
Just as he was about to share his thoughts and ask the others for their opinions, four figures darted past him like the wind.
Whoosh! Whoosh, whoosh!
Caught off guard by the sudden gust of wind, Child was utterly confused.
"What are you doing?!"
"Don't you get it yet?" Lux called back mid-action. "The core of this event isn't about uncovering the truth behind Honeyvale's downfall!"
Instead, it was about the preserved monster remains left behind by selfish, greedy decisions.
More notifications echoed in players' ears:
---
[Discovered the leg bone of an undocumented creature! Achievement reward earned: …]
[Found corrupted fur suspected to belong to a Level 2 creature! Achievement reward earned: …]
[Discovered an unknown creature…]
---
Previously, players had avoided the monster remains in the rooms, as they didn't decompose into mere bones like human corpses. But now, the situation was completely different.
These weren't corpses, they were point generators! Though the achievement rewards held more symbolic than practical value, the accumulation was undeniable.
The four players, now like mice in a granary, had abandoned their earlier disdain. Eyes glowing with excitement, they searched every corner for remains.
Child paused for a moment, then understood.
He sprinted to join the frenzy of Bestiary farming.
"Hey, leave some for me, will you?!"
Different monster remains yielded varying information. Some bore scars or unique characteristics, revealing strengths and weaknesses.
Others resembled ordinary human skeletons and served only as visual references. Overall, however, the discoveries significantly enriched players' understanding of the creatures.
The filtered piles of bones were stacked together, forming a small mountain.
"Hey, get out of the way!" Hedgehog threw yet another skeleton aside. The five of them, filthy and reeking, with grins stretched to their ears, looked like they belonged in a horror movie.
He began tossing aside the useless bones from the corner.
"Why are there so many bones in this corner? And none of them trigger the Bestiary… huh?"
His eyes focused beneath the pile.
Underneath the bones lay another stack of books, much like in the last Inverted Space.
"There are books here!"
The others didn't even look up.
"Oh."
"Got it."
"Not interested."
Before the Bestiary feature was unlocked, they might have been curious.
But now? Don't interrupt a completionist collecting every entry in the Bestiary!
Hedgehog picked up a thick booklet and flipped it open. "Wait, there are words in here!"
His eyes scanned the translated text. "It seems to be some kind of skill book!"
!!!
A gust of wind swept past. The other four practically arrived at the same time. Garble activated the translator on his interface. "Where?"
"Hold on, the text is dense, it'll take time to translate."
"It must be Light Magic!" Lux exclaimed with anticipation.
Child sighed with half-closed eyes. "Ugh, Holy Light players getting another buff? Does this game even have balance?"
Lux stuck out his tongue. "Well, the beginner village's main faction is the God of Light, so…"
Able to heal and fight, how could Light Magic not be the meta?
Though the translation wasn't finished yet, everyone could already guess the outcome.
NeverShowOff shrugged. "If we could leave the forest, we might get a broader selection of skill books. But for now…"
They could only watch as Light players grew stronger and stronger.
Child glanced at the pile of books and suddenly focused on one spot. "There's a pattern underneath!"
He removed the remaining books, exposing the floor's surface.
Lux winced. "Be careful! These are ancient books, fragile from years of decay!"
Garble frowned. "Is that a magic circle?"
Intricate runes intertwined like a spider's web, forming what looked like a finely-crafted piece of art. For Hedgehog, who was still recovering from the trauma of studying geometry, the sight was overwhelming.
Don't ask for more information, just know that geometry was evil for him!
"Is this why all the bones were piled up here?"
NeverShowOff looked up. "Do you know what it does?"
"Just guessing," Hedgehog replied. "Maybe it's the core of this whole Inverted Space?"
The more he thought about it, the more he felt he was onto something.
"These bones were gathered here to keep the monsters away, protecting the core. Unfortunately, they failed, leading to the collapse of the Inverted Space!"
He was a genius!
---
If you're interested in a new story:
DC: Policeman in Gotham
---
60 advance chapters!
[email protected]/Malphegor