Ludwig hesitated for a moment before pressing his hand against the shelves. The moment his fingers made contact, the illusion shattered, the shelves dissolving into nothingness. The room beyond was revealed in its entirety, and Ludwig’s breath caught in his throat.
The Umbral Hound was even more imposing up close. Its form was sleek and lupine, its body composed of shifting shadows that seemed to writhe and twist as though alive.
Van Dijk approached the book cautiously, his movements slow and deliberate. The Umbral Hound’s growls grew louder, a deep, rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate through the very air. But it didn’t attack. Instead, it watched Van Dijk with a mixture of wariness and… something else. Something that Ludwig couldn’t quite place.
Van Dijk reached out and picked up the book, his fingers brushing against its weathered cover. He flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing in confusion. “This book… it’s empty,” he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. He removed the mask, his vision momentarily blinded as the artifact’s curse took hold. When his sight returned, he inspected the book again, only to find the same result. “Do you really want this?” he asked, turning to Ludwig with a frown.
Ludwig’s eyes widened in shock. “But… that’s not the book, Master,” he said, his voice trembling. “You’re holding a piece of wood.”
Van Dijk’s confusion deepened. “What are you talking about? This is the book.”
“No,” Ludwig insisted, pointing to what appeared to be an empty space to Van Dijk. “The real book is right there.”
Van Dijk’s eyes narrowed as he realized what was happening. “There’s a spell here,” he said, his voice low and thoughtful.
“It’s altering perception based on the person. The mask reveals illusions, but this… this is different. The spell isn’t affecting the eyes—it’s affecting the mind. Even with the mask, my mind is unable to accept the truth. But you…” He turned to Ludwig, his expression one of dawning realization. “If you can see the ‘real’ book, that means your mind is spared from this spell. Perhaps the spell only works on the living.”
Ludwig’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But Master, aren’t Vampires also undead?”
Van Dijk shook his head. “Not all of us. I’m a true Vampire, remember? I can walk during the day. This spell… it must be designed to target the living.”
Ludwig nodded, though his mind was still reeling from the implications. “Then I’ll just grab the book,” he said, stepping forward.
The Umbral Hound’s growls intensified, its crimson eyes locking onto Ludwig with an intensity that made his blood run cold. “It seems it’s not a fan of you touching the book,” Van Dijk observed, his voice tinged with amusement.
Ludwig hesitated, his hand hovering inches from the book. He withdrew it slightly, and the creature’s growls lessened. He thought for a moment, then turned to the Umbral Hound, his voice soft and pleading. “Buddy, I’m not trying to harm you or your master’s possession. But I kinda need it. Don’t you want to leave this place? It looks like you’ve been trapped here for a while…”
The Umbral Hound snorted, its expression one of unmistakable disdain. Ludwig sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I think it’s making fun of me,” he muttered. “I really don’t want to use violence against something that’s clearly only trying to protect its master’s last possession…”
Van Dijk’s lips curled into a faint smile. “There’s a saying,” he began, his voice calm and measured, “that sometimes, violence doesn’t solve everything.”
Ludwig nodded, though his expression was one of frustration. “I know, but it looks like we have no other choice. I really don’t want to hurt this doggo…”
Van Dijk raised an eyebrow at the term “doggo,” but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, he stepped forward, his demeanor shifting in an instant. The air around him seemed to grow heavier, darker, as though the very light was being sucked out of the room. His eyes glowed a deep, blood-red, and an aura of malice erupted from him like a living flame. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the Umbral Hound took several steps back, its growls turning into whimpers of fear.
“When violence isn’t solving everything,” Van Dijk said, his voice low and menacing, “that just means you’re not using enough.”
The pressure in the room became unbearable, and Ludwig felt as though he was being crushed under the weight of his master’s aura. The Umbral Hound cowered, its form flickering as though it might dissipate entirely. Van Dijk’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Grab the book.”
Ludwig didn’t need to be told twice. He hurried to the dais and reached for the book, his fingers brushing against its leather cover. The moment he touched it, the room seemed to shift, the air growing colder, denser. The Umbral Hound let out a final, desperate growl and lunged at him, its form a blur of shadow and crimson light.
Ludwig’s hand instinctively went to his sword, but he hesitated. The notification of hostility had yet to appear, and something about the creature’s actions felt… off. Instead of striking, he held his ground, his eyes locking with the Umbral Hound’s. The creature seemed to recognize his hesitation, and instead of attacking, it leaped into the book, its form dissolving into shadow as it disappeared from sight.
The pressure in the room eased, leaving only Ludwig and Van Dijk standing amidst the now-silent chamber. In Ludwig’s hands was the book—a black, leather-bound tome with two leather bands that snapped shut with an audible click.
[You have successfully completed the Sudden Quest.]
[You can now Inspect the Book.]
Ludwig’s heart raced as he used his inspection skill, his eyes scanning the text that appeared before him. The first thing that caught his attention was the book’s name, written in elegant, gilded script:
[Obscura Malvolume Codex Necros.]
“That’s an ominous name for a book…” Ludwig muttered as his hands were feeling up the leather. What sort of mysteries could this thing hold? and why was it hidden so deep here?