The library was technically still a library, but what was made of wood, as in the shelves and what was hanging from the ceiling as in lamps and chandeliers were not. The wood looked like lumps of tumorous flesh, rotten and raw, pulsating every second. Vines and corroded blood streams coursed through them. The chandeliers themselves looked like hanging masses of bulging flesh.
Eyeballs moved and squirmed everywhere, from the shelves to the ceiling, everything was mortifying. Long gone were the organized archives, turned to a monstrous sight, worse than the stomach of an eldritch beast.
The Librarian that was next to Ludwig had its true form revealed. Tentacles of slime-covered in wax were surging out of its skull, swaying like hair.
Though blind in his eyes still, it had eyes all over its body, red irises and goat-like pupils. Looking all over the place as the librarian scrolled through the books.
Ludwig was feeling like his stomach was about to go on strike and let out all its content, though he had no stomach nor content in it.
It was revolting and repulsive, but he couldn’t let it show. He moved his head from the sight and looked at the only thing that made ‘sense’, the book in his hands.
[Tibarian Artisanship- The Art of Pottery]
The book had a simple index, and its content was all focused on crafting and creating pottery. Something Ludwig had no intention of learning. So he placed the book back where it was.
He raised his head up, and the mask revealed the name of the shelve for him. [Menial Work Section]
He looked around and found the other shelves all had their own category, from forging, foraging, herbalism, and many more.
The archives held an immense amount of information and knowledge. This was a vast sea of knowledge that any country would be willing to go to war for. It talked about almost everything and all things. A treasure trove that is more expensive and precious than any den of gold and riches. Knowledge is power, and Ludwig needed this power.
Ludwig moved away from the librarian and made sure that he was alone in a different section, he picked up one of the books, and the moment he tried to put it inside his ring, every single eye in the vicinity snapped to him. Focusing on him.
[You’re in a hostile environment]
A few librarians approached Ludwig from the side and just stood there watching him.
‘I guess I’ll need a membership card…’ Ludwig placed the book back and immediately the eyes eased off of him, scrying and surveying the library.
Displeased Ludwig sighed and moved away from that section, he couldn’t ‘borrow’ any of the books, but he was allowed to read them.
“Damn…” he cursed, “I gotta find Van Dijk then, he’ll probably have a better idea,” Ludwig muttered as he walked through the library, fascinated with what he could see.
Although Ludwig had an incredible memory, it would take him centuries to fully read through this library. By that time, he’ll probably become something like the librarian. Consumed with hunger, but not hunger for sustenance as the last encounter with the corrupted knight showed him. He’ll have an insatiable hunger for knowledge.
‘Seems like I understand the Gluttonous Death a bit more’ he thought.
He theorized that the ‘Idea’ of Gluttony wasn’t simply for food. But to be gluttonous to all matters of life. Including knowledge and learning. And these librarians, who seemed to have ‘lived’ if that was even the proper term, for centuries here had yet to be sated, not like they’ll ever be. The more you know, the more you understand that you know nothing.
A deep pit that’s endless, knowledge is far too great of an incentive than mere food.
Ludwig continued walking through the library, scanning the books and shelves, and after a while, he found something interesting.
“Magic Section!” he said as his eyes widened.
Books of all sizes and shapes talked about magic, old ancient magic that belonged to the Tibarian culture. But… there were simply too few books here. The magic section had about twenty or so books, unlike the thousands of books that the other sections had.
“Ludwig!” he heard.
Turning, there was a bat made of pure smoke behind him that fluttered in the air. “You’re safe! Good, I’ll come for you soon,” the bat said. And dove into the ground creating a small red magic circle.
Suddenly, Van Dijk’s body materialized from the circle, he shook his head, “I hate moving like this, regardless, nothing happened I presume?” Van Dijk asked.
“Euh… well, a lot of things actually, the Corrupted Knight came,” Ludwig said.
Van Dijk’s hands brightened up in black flames, making all the eyes snap to him.
“I wouldn’t recommend you use fire in a library,” Ludwig said.
Van Dijk frowned, “I doubt you should be worrying about books now, our lives might be at stake,”
“Oh no, the knight is dead,” Ludwig said.
“Dead?” Van Dijk asked. “How?”
“I killed it,” Ludwig said.
“I don’t like jokes,” Van Dijk said.
“I really did, was pretty easy too,” Ludwig grinned.
“Hmm, tell me, how?”
“I used the librarians,” Ludwig explained how the librarians were using wax on the loud knight and Ludwig went to get the final kill. He then explained how the librarians expected everything to be silent here.
“Ah, no wonder they kept shushing me,” Van Dijk said as he looked at Ludwig’s feet. “Where are your boots?”
“They made too much noise, had to get rid of them.”
“…”
Van Dijk muttered “Feline Grace”
It was the same spell from before, he applied it once again at Ludwig and himself. “This should keep our feet from making any noise.”
Ludwig knew that Van Dijk just didn’t want to walk bare feet. But he didn’t say anything.
“Regardless, you might wanna turn off your flames master, the eyes are getting a bit uneasy,” Ludwig said.
“The eyes?” he asked.
Ludwig removed his mask and gave it to his master, “It’ll make you blind for a second, also don’t be too surprised about what you see,” Ludwig said.
Van Dijk grabbed the mask and placed it on his face. Only for him to take a step back as he realized what they were facing. He then was about to remove the mask but his hands seemed to ‘refuse’ for a second. And a moment later he ripped it out of his face.
He heaved and took several deep breaths, “What a nasty sight…” He said.