The Chronicles of Leafshade [Isekai/LitRPG]

A massive, temple-like structure loomed before us.

It looked ancient, with its tall, conical roof stretching toward the sky, and intricate carvings adorning every inch of its warm, amber-hued stone walls. It felt less like a building and more like a masterpiece carved by time itself.

"I didn't expect something this beautiful to be hidden away like this," Muradin said, awestruck.

"Do you think we're the first to find it?" Orin asked, her eyes scanning the grandeur.

"I hope so," Darwyn said with a grin. "Would be nice to have this treasure-filled place to ourselves."

We had reached this place only after a long and elaborate process.

First, we followed a quiet river branching out from the edge of Whisperwillow Weald, which eventually led us to a colossal oak tree, its roots wide and gnarled like old fingers gripping the earth. The oak had a hollow near its center, and when we placed a handful of Mana Stones inside, the hollow began to glow with a soft, ethereal light.

Then we waited.

By morning, the moss and vines around the area had subtly rearranged themselves, forming a path we hadn't seen before. The path led us to a secluded altar deep in the grove, where we needed to fill a stone bowl with water from the river until it brimmed.

As the last drop spilled over the edge, something shimmered within.

A golden acorn rose from the bottom, floating gently to the surface like it had been waiting for us all along.

We repeated the ritual three more times, and each time, another acorn emerged, until we held all four in our hands, glowing with quiet power.

We returned to the ancient oak. One by one, we placed the golden acorns into the hollow at its heart.

With each acorn that entered the hole, the tree responded. A swirling portal erupted into life, flooding the area with radiant light.

Without hesitation, we stepped through, each of us into a different portal.

And the moment we did, they vanished behind us.

Those portals had brought us here

To the Fabled Sanctuary, the hidden temple now standing before us, awe-striking grandeur.

***

"Even the inside is beautiful," Orin whispered in awe, her gaze trailing up the towering pillars that filled the chamber, each one carved with intricate, captivating patterns.

The first room we entered was massive, its ceiling stretching high above our heads. The floor was tiled with elegant, patterned ceramics, adding to the sense of grandeur. Everywhere we looked, luxurious artifacts adorned the space: framed paintings lined the walls, giant ornate mirrors reflected the soft ambient light, and rows of golden plaques and intricate wall displays gleamed from every corner. On either side of the hall stood marble pedestals, each holding what looked like priceless treasures.

"Urgh, it's stuck," Muradin grumbled, trying to lift a golden goblet off one of the pedestals.

Darwyn, just as curious, reached for a miniature ship sculpture, astonishingly detailed, as though it could set sail at any moment. "This one won't budge either," he muttered in defeat.

"Looks like nothing in here is meant to be taken," I said. "Come on, let's check the next room."

We moved on, our steps echoing as we approached a massive set of double doors, as beautifully carved as the rest of the temple. The design on each door featured a monstrous figure sealed within a translucent box.

I recognized them immediately. They were the floor bosses from the first and second floor.

As we drew near, the doors creaked open on their own, revealing the next chamber.

This room shared the same architectural grandeur, with tall ceilings and a long rectangular layout, but it served a very different purpose. Instead of artifacts, the space was lined with massive glass cases of varying sizes. Inside each one, preserved monster specimens stood like silent statues.

It was a trophy room.

"Tell me these things aren't alive," Darwyn said warily.

"Let me test it for you," Muradin laughed, walking up to the glass case holding the body of a Jotunn, a bull-like creature with ice crystals jutting from its back. He tapped the glass. "Rise and shine, breakfast time," he joked. Nothing happened.

At the base of each case was a nameplate, elegantly engraved with the monster's name. The whole setup reminded me of a natural history museum. Unfortunately, just like in the Dreadspire, there were no detailed entries, only names.

The monsters on display ranged widely. Some were low-tier like Gnoll Archers, while others were fearsome bosses, which could be encountered throughout the first and second floors.

"Hey, this one's empty," Darwyn called out, standing in front of a vacant case. Its empty nameplate was there, but the space behind the glass held nothing.

"There's another one over here too," Orin added from across the hall.

"Does that mean there are monsters that haven't been defeated yet?" Muradin asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Possibly," I replied.

To my surprise, there were still many monsters left undefeated, more than I had expected.

"Feels like the same concept as the Hall of the Unconquered Suns," Orin chimed in. "Except here, it's not just the boss. There are regular monsters too, and no record of who took them down first."

"Let's find Horrogoth!" Muradin cheered, already dashing through the aisles like a kid on a scavenger hunt.

Orin looked equally excited, bouncing from one display to the next.

"Hey, don't forget why we came here," Darwyn called out, attempting to rein them in.

"Let's cap this at an hour of exploration," I suggested.

"Got it. You heard him, one hour, then we regroup and move on!" Darwyn yelled.

Orin and Muradin called back in agreement from opposite ends of the room.

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We each began exploring on our own.

While the others wandered randomly, I chose a more systematic approach, moving row by row, checking each glass case briefly. I made a list of every monster on display, checking for any I didn't recognize.

"Ugh, even that bastard toad is here!" Muradin shouted from the left wing. I glanced over and saw him standing in front of a massive case, no doubt the one containing Orugg.

"Mister Bromir, I found Horrogoth!" Orin shouted from the far side.

Muradin immediately ran over to join her.

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the chamber.

Thick smoke billowed around where Darwyn was standing.

"My bad!" Darwyn called out. "Don't worry, everything's fine. I was just… experimenting."

Apparently, he had tried to break one of the glass cases.

A pointless effort. I had already tried the same thing back in Dreadspire, even with a character capable of exploring the upper floors.

These cases were indestructible.

I sighed and got back to work, cataloging the monsters one by one.

After a while, frustration wore me down, and I finally asked for help. Orin and Darwyn jumped at the chance, eager to assist. Muradin, on the other hand, grumbled the entire time, but he still helped.

***

"You said we'd only spend one hour in here," Muradin groaned as he slumped against one of the massive glass displays. "It's been nearly two. We've wasted ages writing down monster names."

"It's important, you know," Orin said, stepping in to defend me. "We could use this info for all sorts of things. Sell it as premium knowledge, for one."

"Well… except that part," I added. "This information is for Ironwood only. Not for the public."

"Hey, I was trying to help, you know," Orin muttered, clearly a little annoyed.

"Alright, alright," Darwyn interjected before it escalated. "We're done anyway, right? Let's move on to the next room."

At the far end of the hall stood another massive set of double doors. But this time, the carved design featured an open book facing upwards, with radiant beams of light pouring from its pages.

The third room. The real reason we'd come to the Fabled Sanctuary.

Just like before, the doors opened on their own as we approached.

What lay beyond was equally breathtaking: walls lined with bookshelves stretched to either side, each shelf crafted in a different shape, size, and color. Some towered toward the ceiling, with sliding ladders attached to reach the top. Others were small, yet looked incredibly elegant, filled with books bound in velvet, gold-leafed covers, or shimmering runes.

"Wow… this must be heaven for you, Erynd," Muradin teased, shooting me a grin. "Let's cap this at an hour of exploration," he added in a mock imitation of my voice.

"We don't need that much time," I replied, ignoring the jab. "There's only one shelf we're here for."

"You sure about that? There are a lot of books here," Orin said as she pulled one from the nearest shelf. "Wait… this one's blank." She flipped through the thick red tome in disbelief.

"This one's empty too," Darwyn said from across the room, frowning as he opened a different book.

"This one won't even open," Muradin grunted, struggling with a tome bearing the image of a roaring lion on its cover. "Great. It won't go into my pouch either."

Even Orin, whose pouch was enchanted with Soulbound properties, focused and tried storing it, but no luck.

None of the books could be taken. Even if someone did manage to carry one out of here, it would vanish the moment they left the temple.

On top of that, most books here had hidden requirements, some kind of trigger to unlock or even read them. And even then, most weren't helpful, just folklore and tales from various races.

I'd spent way too much time here back in Dreadspire, hoping to find something game-changing, only to be repeatedly disappointed.

But that didn't mean all the books were useless.

"Follow me," I said, already counting shelves as I passed them.

After twelve, I turned left. I kept counting again, my memory guiding me toward a small, plain-looking brown shelf, unadorned and unassuming, but far more valuable than it looked.

"Here it is," I said, pointing at the shelf. "This is the one we need."

There were only four tomes on the small shelf, each one a work of art. Every cover was adorned with intricate gold detailing, and each tome was bound in a different, striking hue.

Darwyn eagerly pulled one of the books free, but it wouldn't open.

"Okay, remind me again," Muradin said, rubbing his temples. "The yellow one's the Tome of Vitality, right?"

"Exactly," I nodded. "Green is Agility, red is Strength—"

"And blue's mine, right?" Orin asked, eyes twinkling.

"Yep. Tome of Wisdom."

We each grabbed the tome we'd agreed on ahead of time. Orin took the blue one, of course. Darwyn got the green. Muradin reached for the yellow.

And for me… "Strength," I said quietly, picking up the red one.

We then moved to the far left corner of the room. Unlike the previous chambers that were wide and open, this third room had a narrow passage tucked into the rear left side, leading somewhere deeper.

"So, who's going first?" Darwyn asked.

"Let me," Muradin said confidently and stepped into the narrow corridor. The moment he crossed the threshold, a shimmering wall of light sealed the entrance behind him.

Two minutes passed. Then three. Finally, the barrier shimmered and faded, and Muradin stepped back out, grinning from ear to ear. His tome was gone.

"That was insane," he said, practically bouncing on his heels. "I could feel my Vitality spike."

These tomes weren't just fancy books. Each one granted a permanent +8 boost to the corresponding stat.

"Can we come back next cycle and grab more?" he asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately, no," I replied. "As far as I know, this place can only be accessed once every few cycles."

Muradin's face dropped in disappointment.

"My turn!" Orin chimed in, clearly excited. She dashed into the corridor before anyone could argue.

Like Muradin, she returned not long after with a glowing smile, and an empty hand.

Then Darwyn went. And finally, it was my turn.

I stepped into the passageway.

A moment later, the glowing wall returned behind me, sealing me in. Thankfully, the inside was well-lit.

Just a few steps ahead was a small chamber, empty except for a smooth, glowing floor and a faint humming in the air.

"Alright. Let's finish this," I muttered and walked in.

The tome responded immediately. The red-covered Tome of Strength floated up from my hands on its own. Pages that had been sealed tight before now opened wide, glowing with radiant energy.

Streams of red light burst upward from the book and flowed directly into my chest. The book gradually faded, its power transferred into me.

[Tome of Strength has been consumed. Strength +8]

A wave of power surged through my body. My muscles felt tighter, stronger, and more responsive.

[Eryndor Leafshade (Marked)]
[Soul Level: 2
Vitality: 54
Strength: 78 → 86
Agility: 19
Wisdom: 37
Willpower: 184]
[Spells: Rejuvenation, Galestride, Inner Beast, Tempest Shield, Gorgroth's Call
Skills: Fiery Wrath, Hellfire
Passives: Ooborosk's Mantle, Blazing Cinderstorm]

Satisfied with the stat boost, I turned around to rejoin the others.

But something was wrong.

The entrance to this small chamber was sealed.

[High Willpower detected. A special event has been unlocked. Preparing...]

My heart skipped a beat.

"...What the hell?" I whispered.