Chapter 36: The Library's Hidden Section. (Part 2)

The library was the third building out of the three buildings within the manor. From the outside, its size was less impressive compared to the other two. However, the interior told a different story. Inside, book-lined corridors created a labyrinthine world with an eerie atmosphere. The darkness, compounded by layers of dust, made it easy to get lost.

As Dawn ventured deeper into the library in search of the mirror, the surrounding tomes and scrolls frequently caught his attention. His eyes, sparkling with excitement, flitted from one scroll to another, eager to dive into their contents. 

Despite his growing desire to abandon the search for the mirror in favor of gathering more information, he restrained himself. 

"Priorities, Dawn… stick to your priorities," he muttered dejectedly.

Continuing his search, Dawn noted the library's dim lighting, provided by old chandeliers filled with luminescent crystals. These fixtures somewhat resembled the electric-powered chandeliers from Dawn's old world, yet they felt distinctly different. 

As he examined them, he couldn't help but ponder the existence of electricity in this world.

'Based on what I've read, civilization is more advanced in some parts of this world than in others, but my knowledge on this is limited,' he thought.

Once again, Dawn's gaze landed on the tomes and scrolls surrounding him, but he quickly shook his head, resisting the temptation. Turning left at the end of one book-lined corridor, he faced even more corridors filled with books. Staring at them, Dawn couldn't help but sigh.

"Am I even searching in the right place? The other two buildings held nothing resembling a mirror, so this is my last hope. If I don't find anything here, I'll be forced to use a puddle of water, which is less than ideal..." With this disheartening thought, Dawn's head dropped as he continued his search for the mirror.

As time slowly ticked away, Dawn found himself alone, navigating through the vast array of bookshelves. Initially, his search seemed fruitless; he found no trace of any mirrors and spent the first half-hour aimlessly wandering. 

Just as he was about to surrender to defeat, something caught his eye by a bookshelf in one corner of the room.

Puzzled, Dawn halted and turned to inspect the bookshelf. The placement of one of the tomes, too close to the wall, appeared odd. Moreover, the entire bookshelf seemed out of place, though Dawn couldn't precisely identify why. 

"Hm… is this what I think it is?" he pondered aloud as he approached the bookshelf, examining the tomes and scrolls on display.

To verify his suspicions, he began tinkering with the bookshelf, running his hand across the scrolls and tomes, searching for something. 

"I promise I'm not doing this just because I want to read... I think this might be—Ah." His voice trailed off, replaced by a surprised gasp, as he heard a click. 

He had grabbed and pulled on one of the tomes, which, although stuck to the shelf, seemed to function as a lever as he pulled it back.

Merely a second after the click, the surroundings began to shake momentarily, only for the bookshelf and the wall behind it to slide aside, revealing a hidden path. This path was a staircase descending into darkness, its bottom invisible from where Dawn stood.

[New Quest Unlocked.]

[Quest: Explore The Hidden Library's Hidden Section.]

[Objective: The concealed section of the library has been revealed to you. Embark on an exploration to uncover the mysteries that await.]

"Yeah, I was right. Looks like secret rooms exist in this world too... I even got a question from it. Now, as excited as I am to head down there, I can't help but feel a bit scared," Dawn thought to himself as he inspected the quest screen.

Every time he had gotten a quest, his life had been put in some form of danger. On top of that, one's life within labyrinths was always at risk. This was something Dawn knew well, not only from the tomes and scrolls he read but also from firsthand experience during his training.

"But I'm really curious, so screw it. I'll be on guard so I don't die," Dawn decided, stepping onto the path and beginning his descent down the staircase.

As soon as his figure had vanished from sight, the path that had opened behind him closed, reverting to its original state as if nothing had ever moved. Despite the growing fear in his heart, Dawn continued to descend, his curiosity propelling him forward.

-

Standing in a large room, Xylon was intently observing something outside the window when his concentration was abruptly interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. 

"Enter," he commanded.

At his beckoning, the person who had knocked stepped into the room. When Xylon turned to see who it was, an unamused expression grew on his face. 

"So it was you, Rek. I hope you bring good news?"

Rek stood upright, his back straight and arms behind him, as he reported directly to Xylon.

"I'll get straight to the report. Out of the 60 awakened, 32 survived and are now recuperating in preparation for tomorrow's training session."

Xylon's eyebrows rose in surprise upon hearing this. "Over half survived? That's unprecedented... Was this batch of awakened particularly exceptional?" he mused, narrowing his eyes.

"Not exactly. There was one awakened individual who stood out, placing himself in the most hazardous situations, thereby enabling more awakened to survive," Rek explained.

This information prompted a moment of realization in Xylon. "Ah, you must be referring to the 'Child of the Abyss.' Her presence alone could significantly alter our predictions."

However, Rek quickly corrected Xylon. "No, it was someone else. Awakened number 350."

"Number 350..." Xylon recalled, his expression turning thoughtful. "Ah, that's the individual who managed to sneak up on me. I hadn't expected much from him when we abducted him, he was one among many we abducted without any notable background... to think he would continue to surprise me."

After a brief pause, Xylon smiled, seemingly arriving at a decision. "Continue with the training as planned and monitor him closely, just as you have been doing with 'the Child of the Abyss.' You may go now."

Obediently, Rek vanished from the room in an instant, the door closing behind him.

Meanwhile, Xylon redirected his attention back to the scene outside the window. From his vantage point, he observed several other awakened individuals seated with their legs crossed, seemingly in meditation. 

"The third generation has shown promising results so far. I wonder how they would fare against the second generation..." he mused, a grin spreading across his face.

Among these awakened, several individual stood out due to the distinctive marks around their shoulders. They were numbers, etched into their skins like scars, clearly visible. The numbers ranged from the early 200s all the way up to the late 200s, the highest being 284.