BXBX NOVEL Chapter 192: Bookstaver Awaken
Blackflame swiftly ascended Enzo\'s arm, hissing at Norma, who stood beside him.
Norma chuckled, "Blackflame, I wasn\'t referring to you."
Enzo reassured, "Calm down, Blackflame. What Norma means is that she wants to find you some companions. And I understand you wish to venture outside. However, your lineage is exceedingly unique, and your strength is lacking; should you step out, you would easily attract unwanted attention.
If captured, you could likely suffer various torments."
Possessing extraordinary intelligence, Blackflame, though still in its juvenile form, comprehended the words.
It settled quietly on Enzo\'s arm, ceasing its hissing. Meanwhile, Norma found an empty space and sat down, gathering and condensing power in the palm of her hand to form a twisted pattern.
After several days of effort, she finally grasped the fundamentals of the spatial element pattern.
Enzo, meanwhile, retrieved the soul seed.
Then, he produced an ancient tome—the stone tablet of the barren mountain, which they had brought along.
As the soul seed made contact with the stone tablet of the barren mountain, a dazzling beam of light erupted, engulfing the soul seed. The continuous infusion of the soul seed amplified the essence of the stone tablet of the barren mountain.
However, this time, Enzo\'s consciousness did not transcend into any peculiar realm.
Naturally, there remained no inheritance from the Barren Mountain Tribe.
In merely a fleeting moment, the soul seed was consumed entirely by the stone tablet of the barren mountain, and the dazzling light vanished without a trace. Once the radiance faded, everything returned to normal, and nothing transpired.
This was an experience Enzo had never encountered before.
He couldn\'t help but ponder, "Could there be something amiss with that soul seed?"
At that moment, an all-too-familiar voice echoed.
"Great Master, your most devoted servant Bookstaver has heeded your call. I shall exert every effort to assist you in establishing your tribe as the most formidable deity realm in existence!"
"And you shall reign as the king of the world!"
"As for the equally illustrious Bookstaver, I shall become—"
Mid-sentence, the awakened Bookstaver abruptly froze.
It maneuvered its essence—the stone tablet of the barren mountain—soaring through the air, keenly observing its surroundings, attuned to the peculiar aura of this world. It emitted a sharp cry, exclaiming, "Great Master, where are we?"
"This, this..."
"This is a world that has only just come into being! Good heavens, Master, your fortune is astounding! Great Master, if you commune with this world through your consciousness, you shall seize control of it!"
Bookstaver urged eagerly.
Noticing Enzo\'s indifference, Bookstaver grew increasingly anxious, disregarding the strange expression on Enzo\'s face. It began to flip through its pages, casting forth beams of light, seemingly attempting to establish a connection with the nascent world\'s rudimentary consciousness.
It succeeded.
Yet, what Bookstaver beheld was not the naive consciousness of this realm, but rather a small tree. This tree appeared utterly commonplace, yet it filled Bookstaver with profound trepidation.
Moreover, he sensed Enzo\'s presence emanating from that small tree.
His intuition whispered to him that the tree itself was Enzo.
Bookstaver, filled with confusion, suddenly felt as though he were being grasped by another.
Enzo disdainfully closed the stone tablet of the barren mountain and remarked, "Bookstaver, can\'t you be a bit more composed?"
It was only then that Bookstaver realized and earnestly replied, "I knew that upon discovering such an embryonic world, with your character, you would have claimed it for yourself long ago."
"Speak properly! This world was created by me; what do you mean by claiming it for yourself?!"
Enzo said with resignation.
He had come to the realization that awakening Bookstaver was an exceedingly grave error.
Yet, based on the previous soul seeds, it seemed necessary to gather two or three more for his awakening.
Now, however, Bookstaver had awakened prematurely.
Could it be that the mysterious figure left the soul seeds for this very reason?
Enzo felt a disconcerting sensation of being watched.
This feeling unsettled him, while Bookstaver remained blissfully unaware, unable to settle down, especially after a period of slumber, which only intensified its eagerness to express itself.
"Great Master, your power has increased tremendously!"
"The bloodline of this little serpent... Great Master, where did you acquire this creature? I\'ve heard that the offspring of beings with supernatural bloodlines are quite delectable!"
"Woman! There\'s a woman here too!"
Bookstaver exclaimed in various loud outbursts.
At last, Enzo could no longer endure it and bellowed, "Bookstaver, be quiet this instant!"
With that, Enzo sealed Bookstaver, rendering it mute.
Instantaneously, the world fell silent.
The commotion here caught Norma\'s attention, prompting her to approach and curiously inquire about the object that Enzo had cast to the ground: "What is this?"
"A book that can speak." Enzo replied.
"I see." Norma replied nonchalantly, regarding such a thing with indifference through her discerning gaze.
However, Bookstaver seemed to bristle at the slight.
It attempted to manipulate the stone tablet of the barren mountain in a bid to lift off the ground once more, but all it could manage was a series of futile hops, akin to a frog.
To its further indignation, Blackflame had also dropped from Enzo\'s arm, flicking its tail and swatting Bookstaver back and forth.
Though this did not inflict any actual harm upon Bookstaver, the insult was palpable.
Enzo, however, paid it no mind.
It was always best to let Bookstaver remain quiet.
Yet, as Bookstaver fell silent, someone else was determined not to allow Enzo a moment\'s peace.
"Someone has entered the house!" Enzo suddenly exclaimed.
Norma\'s expression shifted slightly as she turned to him.
With a swift motion, Enzo conjured a few strands of shimmering light in his palm, which then coalesced into a screen displaying the interior of the stone house he and Norma had rented.
Within this miniature world, he could observe the outside realm.
Yet, the scope was confined to the vicinity of the spatial passage. Even so, it provided considerable convenience.
"It\'s Grace."
Norma, too, recognized one of the figures cloaked in layers, unable to discern their features but easily identifying them by their physique and gait.
In addition to Grace, several others had also entered the dwelling.
...
Crimson Lake, near the stone house.
"Grace, didn\'t you say that only Enzo and Norma were inside? Where are they?"
One tall figure inquired.
He was enveloped entirely, making it difficult to discern his appearance; however, his bare hands, covered in a layer of scales, were clearly not human.
Grace responded, "They were here just before."
At that moment, another individual seemed to sense something and remarked, "There are spatial fluctuations. They must have departed through a dimensional portal."
This news made the tall figure very angry.
He cursed, "Truly two cunning little rodents, ever adept at evasion."
Having vented his frustration, he turned to Grace and instructed, "In the time to come, keep a vigilant watch over them. Report to me immediately if anything arises."
Grace hesitated before inquiring, "What is the reward?"
Without hesitation, the tall figure threw over a bag of gold Kafen directly.
Grace weighed it in her hands, noting its considerable heft, and her face lit up with delight. "Rest assured, the moment they appear, I will inform you without delay."
With that, the group departed in anger.
Believing the matter concluded, Grace abruptly returned, entering the stone hut to leave a sheet of papyrus on the table, inscribed with the words: Someone is looking for you.
In the miniature world, Enzo and Norma exchanged puzzled glances at this scene.
"What on earth is Grace up to..."
Enzo murmured.
It was evident that those individuals arrived only after Grace had clandestinely shared information, yet she subsequently alerted him and Norma, a rather peculiar behavior.
Norma suggested, "Should we directly inquire of Grace?"
This indeed seemed a plausible course of action.
From Grace\'s peculiar invitation to the auction to the unfolding events before them, it was evident that she had concealed certain truths. In the absence of any leads, directly questioning the individuals involved proved to be the most effective approach.
Thus, Enzo and Norma departed from the miniature world.
They retrieved the papyrus scroll and subsequently discovered Grace, along with her husband, Occam, in another stone chamber.
"Enzo, Norma, is that you?"
Mrs. Grace greeted them with warmth, inviting them to take a seat, while her husband, Occam, regarded Enzo with curiosity before inquiring, "Are you the Enzo, the priest of the Crimson Star Tribe from the barren mountain region of the Barren Peninsula?"
Enzo maintained a composed demeanor.
Despite being identified in such detail, he felt no surprise; rather, it sparked a hint of speculation within him.
He countered, "Are you affiliated with the Deer Hunters Organization?"
A flicker of astonishment crossed Occam\'s eyes as he nodded, stating, "You are far more astute than I had anticipated . It is no wonder that Harvey holds you in such high regard."
With that, Occam presented several sheets of papyrus.
This type of paper, commonly found in the Dark Night Forest, was quite fragile and not particularly valuable. However, it was favored by many for temporary note-taking due to its convenience.
The papyrus were densely inscribed with writing.