Eternal Rest

"Congratulations! It's quite evident you've passed the test. You know, you didn't have to clear the whole floor? Just reaching the steps would have been enough," the instructor remarked, a smile playing on his lips.

Bones chuckled, "Oh? I might have lost myself a bit during the fight."

"I could tell! You can handle yourself quite well. Want to try facing monsters over level ten on the second floor?" the instructor proposed.

"Tempting, but I'll pass," Bones replied, noting the instructor's lack of comments about his class or race. It seemed no one could identify him, or perhaps they just didn't care.

"Suit yourself. Your contract will be waiting for you at the reception desk. For any other information, ask at the reception. Oh, and no need to hide a storage item. They're a great help with gathering quests. Don't forget to check the board notices for contracts," the instructor advised.

"Will do. Thank you," Bones acknowledged, realizing the instructor had indeed noticed more than he let on.

"You're welcome. You can leave by climbing the stairs and taking a door on your left, again. Good luck!" the instructor bid farewell, watching Bones exit.

Heading straight to the reception desk, Bones collected his security contract and an ID card, officially recognizing him as a contractor with the guild. The card bore the Adventurer's Guild logo – a sword and shield – stamped in the top corner, accompanied by his name and a blank rank, signifying his current lack of one.

The first rank, a bronze rank, required reaching level twenty. Unique to Bones and infused with his mana, the card served as proof of identification and offered minor perks, including limited access to the guild's library on the first floor. Unlike the adventurer's badge, Bones appreciated the card's lack of tracking properties.

In a corner of the building, an expansive hall unfolded, its shelves filled with countless books. As Bones entered, he noticed an enormous collection of knowledge waiting to be explored. On the left side of the hall, a desk was occupied by an old man with silvery-white hair, glasses perched on his nose, and a tag proudly proclaiming him as the librarian. Bones approached the desk and greeted the elderly figure.

"Greetings, quite a collection of books you have here," Bones remarked.

The old librarian looked up from his paperwork. "Yes, quite so. Haven't seen you before, new addition to the guild?"

"Yes, I just joined as a contractor," Bones replied, handing over his ID card.

"Welcome. What can I help you with, Mr. Bones?" the librarian inquired, glancing at the ID card.

"I'd like to find books on the system and its creator, and any available information on classes, beasts, etc. Standard adventurer information, I presume," Bones explained.

The librarian nodded, his gaze shifting to the rows of books behind Bones, ready to assist in his quest for knowledge.

"History books can be found in the section on your far left. They contain all the public information you can find on the system, its creator, and the pre-system era. As for the standard adventurer information, as you put it - they can be found right over there," the old man pointed to a collection of books on a stand in the middle of the hall.

"May I suggest a yellow book with black bold letters written on the cover? You can't miss it; it really stands out!" the librarian added.

Bones nodded his appreciation and thanked the librarian. As he turned toward the stand, the librarian couldn't resist a sly remark, "Quite the giveaway - your name is…"

Ignoring the comment, Bones continued towards the stand where he spotted the unmistakable yellow book. Sly old fox!

True to the librarian's words, the yellow book, titled "Adventuring for Dummies," stood out conspicuously among the darker hardcovers. Bones chuckled, grabbed the recommended book, and added two more to his stack – a local bestiary and a book on skills and classes. Moving to the left section, he picked up two history books—one detailing the pre-system era and another offering insights into the system's creator.

With a stack of books towering by his chin, Bones found a quiet corner in the library and settled in. Selecting one of the books, he opened the first page, ready to delve into the wealth of knowledge spread before him.

The book on the pre-system era offered a glimpse into a time Bones was familiar with. The sparse ambient mana made progress painstakingly difficult, with the ability to sense mana being a rare gift. Those who possessed this ability often exploited their strength to dominate others. The era was marked by trial and error, with unfortunate common folk serving as frequent test subjects. It was a chaotic period filled with death and suffering, now relegated to the past.

Turning to the records in the second book, Bones discovered that The Creator had been present among humanity for centuries. His activities leading up to the creation of the system remained shrouded in mystery. Some believed he was preparing a formation, while others thought he observed humanity, deciding whether they were worthy of the system.

One popular belief suggested that The Creator, as described in the records, was merely an avatar of a god from an unknown realm. What people were certain of was that He was a transcendent being beyond an Ascendant and was considered, from eyewitness accounts, a non-combatant class—a transcendent runesmith, mana engraver, and a master of formations.

On the day the system was initiated, countless runes formed a mesmerizing pattern in the sky, obscuring it completely. Glowing like stars, these runes illuminated the world, turning night into day. Intricate webs of blue mana strands, visible from the ground, connected each rune. Every living creature stood frozen in awe. The strands of mana pulsed, and as their frequency increased, the runes grew brighter. Simultaneously, a throbbing headache afflicted every being. In a blinding burst of brilliance, the runes reached their peak luminosity, causing everyone to collapse. When they awoke and opened their eyes, a blue screen greeted them.

One record, considered less believable, recounted that The Creator appeared in the capital of a major kingdom just moments before the system initiation. Dressed only in lower garments, he allegedly shouted like a raving lunatic, proclaiming, "They are coming!" The identity of "they" remained a mystery, but the same paragraph hinted at a potential connection with the invading Demon race that emerged a thousand and a half years later.

The Creator, it seemed, had a sense of humor.

Humerus - is the largest bone of the upper extremity and defines the human brachium (arm)

“Uh, what? Was that a typo?” Bones wore a puzzled expression, surprised by the unexpected notification.

The System changed everything and everyone. Mana density increased roughly tenfolds. Even those unable to sense and cultivate mana were tempered by it passively throughout their lives. It altered the terrain, influencing trees, plants, and minerals. Regions with higher density could produce mana stones and mana crystals, often turned into mines. Sometimes, areas with fluctuating mana transformed into what was now known as dungeons. Over thousands of years, new evolution paths formed, giving rise to numerous species, including the Undead race.

Classes and skills closely mirrored Nica's descriptions, may her knowledgeable and talkative soul be blessed. Newly acquired skills were initially labeled as basic, and like races and classes, they gained experience through use. At level twenty, they upgraded to advanced tier, then master tier, and so forth. Further information on advancement was "locked," requiring access to the second floor of the library.

The next book provided a brief history of the Wezar kingdom, a minor realm governed for generations by the ascendant Wezar figures. Situated at the border with two other kingdoms to the north and east and the Desolate Lands to the west and south, the kingdom was considered a "human kingdom," with over ninety percent of its population being humans.

Bones also discovered a map detailing the Westbrook area and its surroundings, featuring a town near a forest that extended across the west and southwest of the kingdom, reaching into the Desolate Lands. Beyond the forest were mountain chains separating the two lands. The mountains were marked off-limits, adorned with a skull icon and a warning that read, "monsters over level thirty!" As Bones scrutinized the map, he identified the small area clear of trees where he had emerged. The surrounding terrain seemed strangely familiar.

Isn't this where my tower stood? I didn't notice it back then due to it being night, but I should've known. It didn't even occur to me.

Realization dawned on Bones. His ritual had succeeded, but not as planned. The "vessel puppets" he intended to take over were likely destroyed in the process, and without a compatible body...

"No, it still doesn't explain what happened to me, to my soul."

His soul remained frozen in the same place but in a separate space. Over the ages, amid the advent of the system and the ensuing battles, his soul remained stationary, seemingly destined to stay frozen until its eventual destruction. It wasn't until the mass summoning took place that his soul was freed from its eternal prison by the system and drawn toward the nearest skeleton.

Bones took a metaphorical deep breath, feeling a tension he wasn't aware of dissipating.

No way I wouldn't notice if my tower was still standing there, maybe the basement was still...

Bones made a decision. He would undertake a few of the easier contracts from the board and return to where it all began. Perhaps something of his had survived the passage of time.

He perused the monster compendium before eventually inquiring with the librarian about the possibility of purchasing a copy of the book. While it was indeed available, the cost exceeded his current accumulated wealth. With the sun already setting behind the horizon, Bones stood up, gathered the books, and left them at the librarian's desk. Expressing his gratitude to the old man, he couldn't help but notice the mischievous grin on the librarian's face.

"Goodbye, and I wish you good luck, young mage," said the librarian, his use of "young" carrying a subtle undertone.

Bones turned to look at the old man, nodded in acknowledgment, and left.

The old man definitely knew what he was.

Night had fallen as Bones exited the Adventurer's Guild. Much like the previous evening, it was a delightful night, with people bustling about and enjoying themselves. For Bones, this was the signal to vanish.

In the Western District, a mysterious figure—posing as a naive tourist—was once again thwarting the would-be robbers. Though there were fewer attempted robberies that night, it might well have been his final naive-tourist routine. Over these two nights, Bones had amassed enough loot for enchanted clothing and the monster compendium from the library. However, he wasn't eager to encounter the old man again so soon.

The early morning, much like the day before, unfolded in the coffee shop. Bones sat, sipping his coffee, and observed people bustling about their daily affairs. There was a serene quality in watching the world rush by while he remained in a state of relaxation, free from concerns about mundane matters like food and shelter.

Recalling his last night's endeavor, Bones realized that the thugs were prepared for him, with word spreading swiftly among their ranks. Reflecting on the peculiar nature of the Identify skill, he found amusement in the fact that when used on thugs, they were merely labeled as such, accompanied by a level. No names or additional information surfaced—almost as if they weren't significant enough, at least in his eyes. Reflecting on the adaptive nature of the system, Bones initially assumed it adapted to the world as a whole, not the individual "users" of the system. Yet, upon further consideration, it made sense why he didn't see details about every person he met. The system, it seemed, determined importance based on his knowledge and interactions.

Bones' serene and peaceful morning came to an end with the arrival of the working class, turning the square into a bustling hub of activity. Deciding to move on, he made his way to the shopping district, specifically to a store named "Enchant me for enchanted you." Upon entering, he was greeted by the same pompous clerk from the previous day.

To assert his presence, Bones rolled a gold coin on his knuckles, and miraculously, the clerk's attitude did a complete turnaround. With newfound politeness, the clerk guided Bones through a variety of enchanted clothing. Soon enough, Bones had a new set of clothes that actually fit his slim skeletal frame, appreciating the convenience of not needing to take measurements.

“They fit perfectly, thank you!” Bones expressed his satisfaction with the purchase, letting bygones be bygones and excusing the clerk's previous behavior.

“Thank you, sir, for buying at our fine establishment!”

Before leaving the shop, Bones recalled something and inquired about where he could find masks that adventurers occasionally wore. Despite the hood covering most of his head, he grew bothered by the numerous glances thrown his way.

“Certainly, sir. The jewelry shop down the street is selling all sorts of attachments, masks included.”

“Ah, I think I know the place! Thank you.”

In the blink of an eye, Bones found himself standing once more before the glass window showcasing spatial accessories. Upon entering the shop, he narrowly avoided colliding with a hurried clerk, scrambling to meet the demands of a bustling crowd of customers. The place was teeming with activity!

Bones had a look around and spotted what he was looking for on the distant wall of the shop. All sorts of masks were displayed on the rack in front of him, from plain oval designs to animal-shaped masks. Decorative masks, he mused, were likely for nightly festivities.

“Hi, sorry sir, how may I help you?” said a panting clerk, trying to catch a break.

“Hi, take your time lad; there will always be more customers.“

The clerk smiled and nodded, then took a few deep breaths to calm down.

“I am in need of a mask. As you can see from the muffler covering my face, I have a condition I'd rather not show to others. Wraps did help, but I'm in need of something more permanent,” Bones explained after the clerk caught his breath.

The clerk took a moment to think about Bones' inquiry, then nodded and asked.

“Would you like to see the enchanted masks we have?”

Bones pinched the bridge of his nose, momentarily forgetting that was an option. Why would he even consider a normal mask over an enchanted one?

“Sir?”

“Ah yes, please show me what you have.”