"Dad, why do people fight?"
A young girl, maybe 5 years old, asked her dad while sitting on his lap. She had two toys which she threw at each other.
Above the soft couch, her dad held her soft cheeks. He replied:
"There isn't a single answer to this, but me personally? I would fight for you and your mama anytime!"
He had a bright smile on his face. Of course he did—a beautiful wife and a great child. He felt like the most successful person on the planet.
His wife came to him and sat beside him with a smile. She had something that she hid behind her back. The man thought it was a present she might have prepared.
What came next wasn't something he would have ever been prepared for.
She stabbed him with a knife.
She had no emotion while doing so, as if she didn't care if the man died.
"Then why didn't you?" she said as she stared at the man's dead body.
Blood spread across the entire floor, and the cute little baby's eyes widened. She couldn't think of what to do.
Her hands shook, but her legs had given up. She couldn't move, nor could she scream.
"Want to join him?" the woman said as she laughed like something evil.
The girl looked at her, still unable to speak properly.
"Mo-mo-mom..."
Those were her last words.
The woman pierced through the girl's neck as blood painted the floor in deep, fresh red.
It was like a fountain, suddenly.
"IRA!"
Shyam jumped awake. It was yet again a dream. Two times—he had watched a terrifying dream involving his daughter and wife two times after coming here into this other world.
He breathed heavily as he looked around, heart beating at its maximum speed as if he still couldn't confirm if he was still in a dream.
Green vines and strange grass could be seen everywhere. A good, refreshing smell of the forest. And Raitha floating around the cave as if she looked for something.
"Oh! You are awake!" she said as soon as she noticed Shyam had opened his eyes and was breathing quite heavily.
"A nightmare?" Raitha asked as she touched the ground and walked toward him.
"Yea—"
He tried to say, but a strong sharp pain in his neck wouldn't let him.
His eyes widened with extreme shock as he looked down.
Raitha had sliced his head. Before he could finish turning, his head chopped off from his neck and fell to the ground.
His body did so too just after.
Everything turned black and suddenly—
"Wake up, Daddy!"
Ira yelled as she jumped above Shyam on a sunny morning.
"Ira, aram korte dao tomar baba ke, aso dudh kheye nao!"
(Ira, let your dad rest, come drink your milk!) Varnika shouted from the kitchen.
"Aaschhi!" (Coming!) Ira replied and ran off.
The door was left open. Faint footsteps... Devprakash walked in.
"Kemon acho ekhon?" (How are you now?) Devprakash asked as he sat down on a steel chair.
"Thik-i lagche akhon." (Feeling a bit better now.) Shyam replied.
He still couldn't understand what was happening. But right now, he seemed to have returned to his original world.
"Achha?" (Is that so?) Devprakash said as he took a deep breath and continued with a sigh.
"Jaihok. fire jete chao?" (Anyway, wanna go back?) Devprakash asked as the area changed from Shyam's bedroom to an infinite white space.
Shyam, still a bit confused but conscious, chose to not go.
No matter how much he dreamt of adventure, his wife and his only child mattered to him more!
He couldn't just leave them like this—as if nothing ever happened.
"Na," replied Shyam.
Devprakash looked at him, and then at the palm of his hand.
"Achha? Thik ache tahole. You pass." (Really? Oka—
Suddenly, everything glitched and Shyam found himself lying on a soft grass field just beside the ruins of Titiksha.
Above stood tall a big tree. It was sunset. His cloak woven to the wind, as Raitha lay down on his lap like a stubborn cat which just wouldn't let go of the comfort zone.
In front floated a book. It rotated slowly as a faint magical sound was released from it—the same sound that echoed from that house.
The sound of a sitar playing.
Shyam opened his eyes and looked around slowly. The scenery was very peaceful.
Gentle spring breeze hit his face like sleep powder. The gentle sound of the faint sitar noise...
Shyam almost fell asleep again.
But he somehow managed to stay awake. Reaching for the book, he raised his right hand and softly touched it.
[ Knowlagde aquired / way of hydra / by unknown auther ]
"Wait, that's it?" Shyam whispered.
The book had disappeared the moment Shyam touched it, and the end of the sitar music awoke Raitha.
"Hmm? Morning already? Wait... this is sunset!" she said as she looked around but calmed down after finding out Shyam was here.
If the test was just some fake scenes and quick decision moments, then how did the people who came before Shyam get so injured?
It didn't make much sense to him. Did they, like, reject death or something?
"It's because they chose the wrong way,"
An unknown voice echoed from nowhere.
As if the sound of that voice just spawned in Shyam's ears.
Shocked and surprised, Shyam looked around as he asked:
"Who are you? And where even?"
"I am sure you are wondering who am I, and where even."
It spoke again.
"That's exactly what I'm asking!" Shyam replied.
Raitha had fallen asleep again—at least pretended to.
"But you cannot find me as I am just a recording of the author who left this book for the strong.
I hope you, as the wielder of this grimoire, do not misuse its power.
Furthermore, to use all the spells listed here in this grimoire, you will need to exceed Tier 3 Sub-Stage 2 at least.
Before that... good luck using the only few spells, hehehe."
It laughed and then just stopped.
Though the voice still lingered in the air like it couldn't live without itself.
"The author, huh?" Shyam whispered and opened his book collection window.
This is where all the books that he touches appear—the storage of knowledge for Shyam.
But surprisingly, he didn't find that grimoire there.
Shyam looked through the many books he had collected so far, but he couldn't find the grimoire anywhere!
"I knew it was not worth it all this time!" Shyam said as he slammed his leg to the ground.
Raitha's eyes opened gently as she yawned.
"Tried calling it?" she asked as she opened up another window.
"Calling it?" Shyam asked.
He now needed to call books?
Did the system get an update overnight or something?
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
The system didn't get any updates at all.
"Actually, when you acquire a grimoire, it is stored in your accessible inventory.
Because a grimoire's spells cannot be used if it isn't beside you.
And that applies for people of this world as well—except they would either have to carry it around or store it in their storage rings.
But for you! You will only have to call its name and boom—it'll arrive.
After that, you can use the highlighted spells!"
Raitha explained as she opened the inventory window.
"Is that so?" Shyam replied as he prepared himself to speak the name of that grimoire he had just acquired after risking his life.
Well, technically he did, because many people had lost their lives trying to get this book.
"Way of Hydra!"
Shyam shouted, and suddenly a book appeared out of thin air and started turning pages—JUST LIKE GOLAKAR'S DID.
Excited, Shyam looked at the book, eager to use the spells listed there.
"Let's see!" Shyam said as he looked at them and—aww man.
"I mean, that echo did say you will need Tier 3 Sub-Stage 2 to use all its spells," Raitha comforted him.
"At least one of them should have been unlocked!"
Shyam yelled while sobbing.
Fake imaginary tears reached his mouth.
Hm. Salty!
Oh wait—
That's not the point here!
Even the most basic spell required Shyam to reach Tier 2 Sub-Stage 1 and choose Hydra as his chosen path.
Only then would he be able to use some of the listed spells.
"No point in crying," Shyam murmured as he still sobbed, kneeling down to the earth like a fallen soldier.
"Let's continue my journey," he whispered as he looked up dramatically.
"Enough acting. If I were the producer, I would cut fifty gold coins for this overacting," Raitha said as she floated beside him.
A good fairy who now learned to use her power for good!
---
Ch-30