Book Restoration System: Savior Of The Forsaken Legends [BL]

"...this intricately designed key once belonged to the previous Savior..."

Those words stuck to him like a glue. Not the description of the key's design, but the words 'previous Savior'. He could only come up with two conclusions. First, the key was entrusted to his ancestors for safekeeping. Second, his great-grandfather was the previous Savior.

Whichever the case, learning more about the key was the first step to understand why he was sent to this place, and how he could return to where he came from.

Auri adjusted the cloak on his neck as he readied himself to leave. He tapped the pouch attached to his belt, tracing the outline of the precision knife and scissors that he took out from his repository. He didn't have any actual weapon, unfortunately, but the tools could still come in handy.

With one last glance at the ruined temple, Auri spun around and took a step forward. In one hand, he clutched a weathered branch he had picked up earlier. It was long and sturdy enough to use as a makeshift staff that could assist him on uneven grounds or fend off wild beast that he may encounter on the way.

The descent proved to be tricky and treacherous. As he got further away from the temple, the trail twisting downward continued to thin, until no more path stretched out before him, leaving him uncertain of the safest route to take.

It was clear no one had been to the temple for years. Time had wiped out any traces of its inhabitants or any past travelers that once walked the land. He had to carve his own path, but he can't just charge in blindly. The wild shrubs could be poisonous. The thick layers of vegetation could be housing venomous animals. One wrong step could cost him his life. He can't just rush this.

"Will I even be able to reach the foot of the mountain alive?" Auri groaned in frustration, reaching for the booklet he tucket under his belt. "Is there any skill I can use? Damn it! Why is this damn thing so hard to read? It's like I'm reading a riddle."

The booklet had indicated two active skills he could use: Restoration Arts and Archivist's Trace. The first one was obviously a skill for repairing books, but he didn't know what the Archivist's Trace could do.

Auri opened the booklet and flipped through the page that detailed the skill.

[Core Skill: Archivist's Trace]

[Skill Type: Active]

The world is a grand library. Every existence in it is a story—its creatures, its dwellers, its places. Though the ink in their manuscripts may fade in time, their voices are never lost, for their tales are woven in the pages of history, waiting for you to uncover.

Close your eyes and listen. Touch and you may turn their hidden pages.

With patience, you may hear their passages. With wisdom, you may decipher their inscriptions. With mastery, you may wield their knowledge.

But keep in mind, Knowledge Seeker: not all stories want to be read.

[Sub-skill: ???] – [Level ???]

[Sub-skill: ???] – [Level ???]

[Sub-skill: ???] – [Level ???]

Auri gripped the booklet tightly, a vein popping on his forehead. "Don't you have any more direct and simple explanation than this? This manual gives me headache every time I look at it! A straightforward answer would be much more of help."

The booklet only creased between his fingers, but offered no further details.

Auri started pacing around. "Okay, Auri, think. You're not that dumb. You've played puzzle games before. This system obviously doesn't want you to rely too much on them. You need to use your brain."

Crouching down, Auri put down the makeshift staff he was holding and took a deep breath, the cogs in his brain churning.

If the world was a library and all its inhabits were stories, even places, then it meant he can treat everything around him as books. Books could offer information. And if places were books, they they could offer him information, like a geography book, or a simple tourist travel guide.

"Close your eyes and listen. Touch and you may turn their hidden pages," Auri recited, placing his palm on the ground. He closed his eyes and started to concentrate.

The crisp mountain breeze ruffled his hair, carrying the scent of the grassy earth and the whisper of rustling leaves from the tree branches. It was a moment of peace until broken images started flashing behind his lids.

Fire. People. Screams. Arrows. Death.

Auri jerked his hand away from the ground and tumbled on the grass, surprise growing his eyes wide. He just saw memories. They were too fragmented for him to fully grasped everything, but it was enough for him to know one thing. He just saw a glimpse of the past—a fragmented memory of this place.

[Congratulations! You just activated the Archivist's Trace Sub-Skill: Memory Tracing. Uploading updates to your Beginner's Manual. Please refer to the manual for more details about the Sub-Skill: Memory Tracing.]

"Can't you just say it to me directly?" Auri growled, but the system ignored him and flashed another message.

[You just used the Sub-Skill: Memory Tracing to gain insights into the land's history. Sub-Skill Branch: Realm Chronicles is added to your active skills. Uploading updates to your Beginner's Manual. Please refer to the manual for more details about the Sub-Skill Branch: Realm Chronicles.]

Auri gaped at the floating parchment and shook his head.

Getting use to this parchment-like interface would take him a while. The system wasn't treating him like an RPG player. It was treating him like he's some kind of scholar.

Auri pushed himself from the grass and stood, grabbing his makeshift staff from the ground. What he saw was a fragmented memory of the past, but that was enough to take another step forward without fearing the unknown.

With this skill, he could find traces of the once existing path and avoid dangerous places that could lead to accident.

"I may be able to reach the foot of the mountain alive, after all," Auri said, grinning.