Chapter 411: Hidden in plain sight, from the beginning

Chapter 411: Hidden in plain sight, from the beginning

The noise stopped, and a circle of mana formed in front of Sofia. The mana collapsed into a single point before extending into a circle again, forming a strange hole in reality, with a brightly lit corridor on the other side.

Thats the same space magic they used to open the room of artifacts in the second trial.

Sofia stepped in, and the hole closed right behind her. Leaving her stranded in a small corridor that was unlike anything she had seen before. If anything, it reminded her of Richards undersea base a bit.

[Entering private zone, you are now in Scribe Only mode]

Not a dungeon. No ambient mana here either.

Private zone? Im not imagining things, this must really be a place left by the admins!

Before she could observe her surroundings much, the strange long tube of glass on the ceiling which was producing the bright white light illuminating the room started flickering.

Is something wrong?

Sofia took a step closer, and the flickering sped up, she could also feel that the tube was heating up. She hurriedly stepped back, and the flickering slowed back down.

Wait The flickering Like in the sun temple? Is this light using electricity?!

Sofia sent some of her mana in the direction of the tube of light, and it instantly started freaking out like when she approached.

Thats really it. Time to use an unlife rune to cut the mana emissions, then, I dont want to break the place. Not so useless for the trial after all.

The glass tube light broke while Sofia was applying her rune, sending glass shards flying in the narrow corridor.

Yeah I think the rune is a good call. Im scared to even probe beyond the door with my mana senses if things around here are going to be so sensitive to mana.

While Sofia channeled her rune, sitting in a corner of the room, she had ample time to look around. The corridor was about three meters long and one meter large, the walls and ceiling were unadorned flat surfaces painted in all white while the floor was made of black ceramic-looking tiles.

There was a large framed metallic panel on the opposite wall which looked like it was probably a door, behind Sofia was a small handprint lock like the one she had used to get in, and on the side were two wooden panels stuck together on the wall, also painted white.

Is it some kind of art piece?

Sofia tried to identify the wooden panels, but she got absolutely no result.

No data on these things, Mr Scribe? In Suns temple you still tried, at least Or are you not allowed to do that here? Or is it because I dropped the skill?

Well

While Sofia channeled her rune, she tried to understand what the wooden panels were about.

It feels a bit too weird to be just decoration.

Overcome by her curiosity, she extended her mana senses toward the wooden panels, taking the risk to potentially break something.

Its A shoe closet? I think these shapes are shoes, right? How does it open though?

After playing around with the wooden panels for a bit, she finally figured out that the panels opened by lightly pushing on them and letting go. What a convoluted way to open a door.

Or its a man with long hair who likes to use makeup That could also be it, to be fair. Plenty of Exidian guys had long hair and used makeup.

Sofia left the makeup behind, though she stored the hair after rolling it around a small bone, and she next went to open the foodlocker. A wave of fresh air washed over her as she opened the large metallic things door.

It really is a foodlocker. But this one glass bottle is all theres left inside

Sofia grabbed the bottle and uncorked it, giving it a good old smell test.

Doesnt smell like much, and it looks pretty clear. Probably just water.

She stored the bottle and closed the foodlocker.

This place is decidedly not as exciting as I thought it would be.

Maybe the books will be more interesting?

Sofia started looking through the few books spread around the room. To her dismay, they were all just fictions, mostly romance, it seemed. She even stopped in shock, mouth agape, when she read one of the titles.

Are you kidding me?

The Dainty Vampire and her Seven Rich Wolvesmen

Astelia has the same one in her room. Literally the same, even the appearance is similar! How long has this one book been around?

Sofia grabbed the book and skimmed through the pages, quickly reading through with [DODGE - ME]s fast reading boost. The book was very sexually charged, to say the least. It would have made Sofia blush under her helmet if she could still do that. And the book was made using the systems very elusive bright and smooth white paper, which Sofia found surprising. It comforted her in the idea of this place definitely being an admins house.

Astys been reading stuff like this?

I wont judge but Hoooly.

Sofia closed the book and grabbed another one. The style was very similar. Before she knew it, Sofia had read every book in the room.

I have to say, this author They know their stuff

Man

Thinking this, she realized that she hadn't even checked the authors name, though it was clear from the writing style that all these books were likely from the same person. She brought one of the books back out of her storage, and checked for the authors name. It was nowhere to be found in the usual spots, but upon closer inspection, Sofia found something weird with the books preface.

Is this a ritual circle?!

Hidden in plain sight, a ritual circle was drawn by the negative spaces between the words on the books very first page.

Whoever did this was seriously deranged.

She took out the other books, and, checking the first page, despite boasting a relevant and different text every time, they all incorporated the same small hidden ritual circle.

Sofia sent a tiny bit of mana into the ritual circle, and under her eyes, most of the preface disappeared, leaving behind only a few letters which slid around on the page to form a single line.

With Love, By Anna <>