Finally Completed

The tenth floor was the academy's vault, where all of their experimental items were stacked. Purposefully built under the ninth floor, as to prevent those without access from stealing.

The Magi never really used their stairs, with their access on the main Warp Circle, they can go anywhere they wanted in a flash. Including the tenth floor.

Sadly, that Spell used to activate the warp circles were lost. Told orally, none of the tomes held it. Though Crid lacked a Spell caster class, it would still come in handy on his next visit.

The tenth floor was dim. With each corridor having a handful of rooms used to stack unimportant items. Not all were intact, some had all of it's items destroyed. With broken shards of glass littering them, and books torn of their pages.

Warm blood trickled down his arm, biting his lip as he endured the pressure he applied on it. But it didn't stop it, only giving a few more minutes before he collapses. Just a little more, he told himself. His victory is now set in stone, the only thing he needs to do now is to get his hands on that scroll.

Crid poured his last ounce of strength with every step he took. His heavy gasps sounding like he exhausted more air than he inhaled. With his face bone-pale. If he didn't know better, he was actually dying.

With pure willpower forcing his heart to beat. With only the thought occupying his mind is to complete his mission.

"I.... scroll... mission..." Crid blurted out. His vision was already getting blurry, with the distant glowing scroll acting like a beacon.

The light tap of wind pushed him off balance. But instead of falling down, he leaned against a wall. He stayed still for a moment, giving him a chance to think of his current situation.

The idea of dying didn't bothered him much, but the thought of the things he left undone did. He needed to live, not because he wanted, but because he can't leave without first fulfilling his promises.

He got back to his feet, the scroll was just too close, he can't stop now. The room where the scroll was found had it's door reduced to splinters on the floor.

But before he could extend his hand, his legs finally collapsed. This might as well be his last moments, but he still forced himself to crawl. With the shards of broken vials and other objects tearing through his skin. He didn't felt the pain, as he stared at the glowing scroll on the desk.

Crid forced himself to crawl up the desk, but his efforts were for naught as he fell face first on the floor. Instead he extended his hand, feeling through the desk.

The faint warmth the scroll gave was like a torch that lighted the way for his hand. Finally touching the scroll, Crid didn't want to let go. His blurry vision slowly turned dimmer and dimmer, until there was nothing but darkness.

"I think this should be enough." A voice echoed inside the room.

...

His eyelids slowly opened, as he felt a familiar softness he often took for granted. Crid spent a few minutes staring at the wooden ceiling. As his body sank deeper on the bed's mattress. It took a while to fully remember everything he went through.

"I survived!" Crid rejoiced, he couldn't contain the amount of joy and relief he felt. Tears almost flowing out of his eyes. With his triumphant laughter angering a familiar voice.

"Would you keep it down! Or else I'll throw you back inside the academy." Klaus said.

Crid still didn't stop, he almost wanted to jump on the bed out of pure joy. Deaf to what his saviour just said.

But Klaus decided to let him rejoice, this kid truly had impressed him. Crid kept on surprising him. First his carefree nature, and now the amount of willpower this kid possessed. Though one thing bothered him, a burning question he just had to ask.

After the few more minutes of laughing, Crid finally stopped. Seeing his chance, Klaus started interrogating him.

"I saw the whole thing. Just who are you. How did you know the secret passages of the academy?" Klaus asked with a stern look. Fully intending to find out Crid's identity.

Just like in the game, Klaus would spy on the person he gave the quest. Only interacting with them after they touch the scroll. That was the reason he was confident that it will all be done after he gets the scroll. But one mistake he didn't realize was how to answer Klaus' question.

"Because I red a lot, I've also know more places, their secret passages, history, etc." Crid confidently said. He didn't want to look suspicious, he risked saying the first thing that came into mind.

Though it wasn't completely a lie. Being an Assassin, he had searched every single place in Primordial Crown. Often reading their lore when he gets bored.

"You read a lot, huh." Klaus raised an eyebrow, seeing through Crid's lie. He pondered for a moment, before standing. "Fine, we'll be testing that reader's body of yours when we start our training. But now, recover." Klaus left, not waiting to hear Crid's reply.

Crid noticed a change, Klaus' clothes fitted him perfectly. Unlike the first time they met. But he merely brushed it off.

Crid decided he'll spend the entire day enjoying the soft mattress. With the memory of a stiff back from sleeping on the hard and cold ground a thing off the past.

After spending a few minutes fiddling with his fingers, Crid got bored. Looking at his left arm, it was no longer fractured. No longer being black and battered, his silky soft skin glowed once more.

Not just that broken arm, his entire body felt brand new. Klaus must have used one of his treasures on him, Crid thought.

An hour barely lasted when Crid finally got bored of enjoying the comfort of the bed. Even when he was now eager to train, he still had enough judgment to know he needed rest. Sadly he didn't have enough patience to use it.

While, on the living room. Klaus was in deep thought as he recalled his memories of the past.

"Just who is this kid you wanted me to train." Klaus said to himself.