#002_The Forbidden Study (2)
The basement and its entrance that had appeared out of nowhere.
I knew for certain that this was not a facility that had originally been here.
I distinctly remember that when I was young, they had completely torn up the floor to replace the flooring, and there had definitely been nothing there at the time.
In other words, this had just appeared.
It was bewildering, but I couldn't say I had no idea what it might be.
"…A Unique Tool?"
Though extremely rare, some hunters obtained special tools or equipment called 'Unique Tools' upon awakening, depending on their unique ability.
However, this basement hadn't appeared immediately upon awakening, and it seemed too large to be called a typical Unique Tool, but since it was a basement that appeared along with a system message… for now, it seemed I could consider it that sort of thing.
"Kaschelien…."
-Confirming Kaschelien's legacy.
When I considered how the message that had appeared just before and the [Kaschelien Deciphering Method] I had awakened today shared that word perfectly despite it being completely meaningless otherwise, it was almost certain.
"It wasn't… trash…?"
Hope surged in an instant.
Unique Tools usually elevated a hunter's abilities even further, and some completely unraveled the mechanism of an ambiguous unique ability into an entirely different method, becoming an unexpected path forward.
If this basement was similar to another hunter's Unique Tool, there might be hope even for me, who had been judged useless.
"No… let's not get hopeful."
But I forcibly suppressed my rising spirits.
Letting myself get carried away on vain feelings from hasty expectations was a mistake I had already made three years ago, and once was enough.
Rising up only to fall and get stuck in an even deeper quagmire.
I never wanted to feel such filthy emotions again.
"Let's just take a look first."
It wasn't too late to cheer after confirming everything—that was an iron rule I had learned from the past three years and today's experiences.
"It shouldn't be dangerous."
The system sent warning messages with great fuss even if an F-rank dungeon appeared nearby.
The fact that not a single warning came even though an underground door had appeared meant that there wouldn't be any particularly threatening elements inside.
So, I moved inside without hesitation.
Thud— Thud—
The descending stairs were quite deep, but not dangerous.
A passage of moderate width and height.
Lanterns hung on the walls at regular intervals cast light appropriately, making it easy to descend.
The place I reached at the end of the long stairs was a rather bizarre space.
"…Why is it so big?"
First of all, the size of the space was like that.
It was unbelievably wide and high for a basement existing beneath a narrow, old house.
A width that looked to easily exceed two hundred pyeong, and a ceiling that seemed to be at least ten meters from the floor.
Moreover, the interior was not normal at all.
"Are they all… books?"
Except for the ornamental plants and lanterns placed here and there, the walls on all sides, and even the ceiling, were covered with bookshelves and books of unique design.
Among them were unusual books—some as small as fingernails, or so ridiculously huge that they occupied an entire bookshelf by themselves—and some were split in half, flapping wings like birds as they flew through the air.
"It is… a study."
It was a bit awkward compared to the image of an ordinary study that was merely neat and tidy, but for a place that had been named the 'Forbidden Study' from the moment it appeared, it rather seemed to fit quite well.
It was like a set from a foreign fantasy movie's magic library or something.
As if entranced by this strange space with its somehow familiar imagery, I naturally began to walk deeper in, when a new message appeared before my eyes.
[Beginning use of the Forbidden Study.]
[Usable range is restricted according to inheritance conditions and system constraints.]
[Current Rank: F.]
[Only bookshelves of F-difficulty worlds can be used.]
At the same time, the lanterns illuminating the surroundings went out with a poof— as if hit by a strong wind.
Thousands of bookshelves filling the space instantly disappeared from sight as if buried in darkness, and only a single bookshelf standing nearby received a faint lantern light so that I could see it.
A signal whose meaning was obvious without needing a detailed explanation.
Without bothering to set foot into the darkness, I approached the one bookshelf uniquely permitted to me.
It was then.
When I had left about five or six steps of distance to the bookshelf, the surrounding air began to shake slightly like a heat haze, and a new message came up.
[This area is under the influence of a very powerful curse, [Depletion]!]
[Removes life force and special resources within the area!]
Unlike the previous ones that had risen calmly, this one vibrated quite urgently.
It was a warning signaling danger.
At that, I hesitated for a moment, but soon continued walking.
It wasn't the guts of some tough guy who doesn't flinch in a crisis.
[Curse Immunity.]
It was another unique ability I had besides the [Deciphering Method], the key that opened this study.
"…Even this is being used here."
An exquisite coincidence.
Thanks to that, I lightly ignored the warnings that continued as if blocking my path and reached right in front of the bookshelf.
[This area is a strong influence zone of the very powerful curse, [Depletion]!]
[Removes life force and special resources within the area!]
In the meantime, the warning had grown even stronger.
Perhaps because the curse originated from this bookshelf, the shaking of the messages up close had worsened as well.
Of course, it was no use to me.
[Curse Immunity.]
Every time a message appeared vibrating busily to announce danger, a clean sentence indifferently cut it off, rendering all that fuss meaningless.
I pushed aside the messages that still kept up their relentless back-and-forth, and examined the bookshelf.
"Hm..?"
But the bookshelf was rather peculiar in form.
Or rather, its contents were.
"Why is there only one book here?"
The bookshelf was quite large, big enough for two adult men to enter with room to spare, yet the only thing occupying it was a single book lying there roughly.
A single ominous dark purple book was all there was.
"For now… let's see."
There was no room for choice.
Its appearance was quite sinister, but there was nothing else I could do.
A life that had already gone to hell.
I, who had only this to try, could not hesitate.
I immediately picked up the book.
At the same time, messages burst through what I had shoved into the corner, pouring out more violently than before.
[This book is a Forbidden Tome (禁書)!]
[A very powerful curse will harm you upon reading!]
Which meant nothing would happen.
So, I opened the book as is.
[[Depletion], a very powerful curse designates you as its target!]
[[Depletion], a very powerful curse harms you!]
[Curse Immunity.]
[[Depletion], the very powerful curse has failed to achieve its objective.]
Naturally, nothing happened to me.
However, unlike before, there was a slight difference—
[[Depletion], the very powerful curse wanders around the designated target.]
This time, the curse didn't end with simply being blocked.
A faintly flickering shape began to circle around me like wind—
[[Depletion], a very powerful curse harms you!]
[Removing your life force and special resources!]
[Curse Immunity.]
[[Depletion], the very powerful curse has failed to achieve its objective.]
…….
Even the same messages kept coming up endlessly.
"What is this?"
I didn't know the details, but it seemed to be saying that the curse that had failed to deal with me kept targeting and attacking me.
"It's a bit annoying."
As I had [Curse Immunity], I wasn't threatened by it, but the constant flickering subtly caught my eye.
But there was nothing special I could do about it other than simply blocking it.
"But if it's like this, then to other people too… Ah, whatever. Let's focus on this first."
I ignored the curse that kept lunging at me and ringing alarms, and examined the opened book.
But once again, something bewildering happened.
[#$@%#$@^%….]
I couldn't read the contents at all.
"Why is this like this too?"
Any hunter who accessed the system with a core transcended language barriers.
I could say so with certainty because I had confirmed it at the time of my awakening.
…Then why couldn't I read it?
"They are definitely characters, though…"
Though it was a form I had never seen before, lines drawn with consistent thickness and moderate regularity were certainly the shape of characters.
Their alignment in a row at regular intervals was further proof that this was some kind of record.
"…What?"
It was then.
Just as my brow was furrowing deeply at the bewildering situation, Ah—! A thought suddenly flashed through my head.
The moment it came to mind, I muttered the activation words softly.
"Kaschelien Deciphering Method."
[Deciphering Method].
A unique ability to decipher characters.
I had thought until now that it was an inferior ability that couldn't even match the system's basic benefits, but if characters appeared that couldn't be read even with the system's benefits, the story changed.
This must be the unique ability meant to be used at times like this.
Above all, since this study opened linked to this unique ability, the chances were high that breaking through what was blocked in this study was also this unique ability's role.
As expected.
Along with the activation words, a bit of ether escaped from near my heart, and before long, a calm message rose.
[Deciphering via Kaschelien's Method.]
[A book converted by the system.]
[Applying conversion to deciphering.]
Then, fwoosh— bright white light shot up from the book instantly, and soon the opened book closed automatically.
On the cover that appeared thus, the title that had been completely unreadable changed into a readable form… into the most familiar Korean script.
-Tehimata's Shamanic Talisman
And the message that followed.
[Upon use, you can acquire [Tehimata-style Shamanic Talisman].]
It was a name I was hearing for the first time, but I immediately understood its meaning.
What this short sentence was saying was a new ability.
"Additional Awakening…"
I had heard of it once.
That a very small number of hunters awakened again after their initial awakening.
It didn't add a unique ability to the status window, but in reality, it sometimes granted them another power comparable to one.
[The current number of available uses for permitted books is 1.]
Through this study, it had come to me as well.
In other words, if I accepted, I would gain a new ability and become a real hunter.
"……."
It was a strange thing.
Today, the day I had officially become a hunter.
I had been ruthlessly discarded like trash and pushed back to a house I was not at all happy to return to.
Yet, the two abilities that had made me that way had instead made me a real hunter again.
"Ha…."
It was somehow absurd.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
How should I put it… like a friend who pushed me off a cliff grabbing my hand like in a comic… that kind of feeling?
The process fit together so exquisitely that it even felt somewhat suspicious.
But I couldn't not take that hand.
Because I had to climb up first before I could slap that cheek, push him back, or hear his story.
Well, in my case, it wasn't a friend, so I couldn't exactly do that—
[Will you use it?]
That's not what was important.
The core of it all was that in this situation that had been nothing but despairing, there was a path forward given to me.
If I didn't want to fall off the cliff or sink into a deep abyss after falling into a quagmire.
Whether it was a suspicious stranger or an enemy, I had to take the hand extended to me.
"I will use it."
[Using [Tehimata's Shamanic Talisman].]
[Forbidden Tome (禁書). Accessing forbidden records.]