The Chronicles of Leafshade [Isekai/LitRPG]

"Darwyn! Muradin! Can you hear me?" I shouted, pounding on the wall where the entrance had once been.

No answer.

I'd been yelling and slamming my fists against the cold stone for over five minutes now. My hands were red and sore.

"Okay, breathe," I muttered, taking a deep breath to calm myself. I began inspecting every corner of the room. The walls, the floor, even the tiny torches flickering on the wall.

Nothing. No reaction. No clue. No way out.

"They're probably trying to find me right now," I murmured, clinging to optimism like a drowning man to driftwood.

But as more time passed, panic began to settle in like a cold fog. I summoned Gorgroth, not just for company, but to help me break out.

I called forth the carnivorous plant beside the wall and ordered it to smash through. Gorgroth gave it everything it had.

Not even a scratch.

I tried striking the same part of the wall, side by side with Gorgroth, but no matter how hard we hit it, nothing happened.

I had tried everything I could think of, but I was still hopelessly trapped.

Frustrated and mentally drained, I decided to meditate. If nothing else, I could at least recover some Mana and try to sense the energy of this place.

Unfortunately, there was… nothing. No flow of magic. Just a dead, heavy silence.

I checked my pocket watch for what felt like the hundredth time. "Almost three hours," I muttered, anxious.

I could already picture my teammates panicking out there, desperately trying to reach me. I yelled again, pounding on the wall like a fool, even though deep down, I knew it was useless.

Was I really going to spend the rest of my time in the Tower, stuck in this stupid room?

The thought of having to eat, sleep, and do everything else in this one chamber for days made my stomach turn.

Trying not to think about it, I lay down and closed my eyes.

I was just drifting off when I heard a low growl from Gorgroth.

I sat up instantly.

There, floating in the air as if it had been waiting all along, was a massive purple book. It hovered perfectly upright, closed, and easily sixty centimeters tall. A blood-red ribbon marked its center, dangling ominously like a tongue.

Slowly, I approached, squinting to get a better look.

"Is it some kind of hidden treasure?" I muttered, reaching out to grab it.

"What the fuck?!"

I jumped back as a pair of large, glowing blue eyes suddenly opened. One on the front cover, one on the back.

I stumbled and drew my staff, heart pounding.

The book tilted midair, shifting from upright to a 45-degree angle, its cover now facing downward.

Then, the book opened halfway. Flames erupted from within, blue, blindingly bright, and hot enough to singe the air around it. The ribbon whipped around wildly, as if it had a mind of its own.

Gorgroth reacted instantly, spitting Viscous Goo at the creature, but it only made the fire roar even louder.

I fired a bolt of Mana from my staff, but it was like throwing water at a volcano.

Then came the real kicker.

Two long legs shot out from the book, like an ostrich's, only they were wrapped in tattered, ancient paper like a mummy.

Without warning, the book monster turned toward me, and unleashed a torrent of blue fire.

The flames clung to my body, burning fiercely no matter how hard I tried to smother them with my hands.

[Aqua Bomb used]

I quickly pulled out the item Orin had restocked earlier and activated it. A splash of magic water doused the flames, saving me just in time.

Meanwhile, Gorgroth retaliated without hesitation, launching three bursts of liquid flame at the creature and forcing it back for a moment.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. "Its attack burns through Mana too…"

Which meant I couldn't afford to drag this fight out.

"Fine. Let's finish this quick."

I activated Galestride and Inner Beast, surging forward in a blur of wind and fury. Gripping my staff like a baseball bat, I swung hard and sent the book monster flying into the wall with a brutal impact.

A flurry of pages burst from its insides, fluttering through the air like a paper explosion.

But they weren't ordinary pages.

They folded midair and formed into small mantis-like paper monsters with jagged claws. They charged at me with terrifying speed.

Unlike regular paper, these things were sharp and sturdy. They slashed at me, cutting through my robes and drawing blood with every swipe.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

I immediately used Tempest Shield, deflecting their attacks.

Then, I swung my staff like a madman, batting the little monsters across the room. Gorgroth joined in, chomping down and shredding any paper creature that came too close.

Then I heard it: a loud fluttering, a violent rustling from the book monster.

Before I could react, Gorgroth vanished, unsummoned in an instant.

"What the hell was that?!" I gasped. Some kind of banishment spell?

I had no time to dwell on it. I charged forward and slammed my staff into the book again. More pages flew out, and this time they folded into a wolf-like creature that lunged at me, fangs bared.

While I wrestled with the paper wolf, another wave of blue fire surged toward me from the book's body, scorching my side. I cried out and shoved the wolf off, scrambling back.

I dashed forward again, dodging another claw swipe, and tossed an Aqua Bomb into the air. It burst right above me, drenching the room.

The flames engulfing my body died instantly, and the paper wolf collapsed into a soggy pile on the floor.

Just as I thought, water's its weakness.

The book flapped its pages violently, clearly panicked by the water. It tried to flee, awkwardly hopping back to keep its fire alive.

But I was faster.

I lunged and grabbed one of its long, mummy-wrapped legs, yanking it down. It kicked at me with its other leg, flailing wildly, but I held on tight.

Then I lifted it up, and slammed it down. Once. Twice. Again and again.

More paper monsters appeared. They circled around me, folding themselves into various forms. But I was ready.

I pulled out another Aqua Bomb, prepared to throw…

And then the book let out a scream.

It pierced the air, shaking the walls and slicing into my skull like a blade. The whole room spun. My vision blurred. My legs wobbled beneath me.

I staggered, trying to stay upright.

Without thinking, I tossed the Aqua Bomb into the air just before I collapsed.

Once again, the paper creatures melted into a soggy heap on the floor. The book monster staggered backward, soaked and sputtering, its once-fierce blue flames reduced to a dim flicker.

But then, I could feel a surge of intense energy radiating from it. Wisps of black smoke began seeping from the pages of its open body.

My instincts flared. Whatever it was about to do, I had to stop it now.

I scrambled after it, dragging myself forward as it tried to retreat. I grabbed one of its long, spindly legs and yanked it back toward me.

It thrashed violently, but I held on tight, locking my arms around its damp body. I didn't care about the searing blue fire licking at my sleeves.

With everything I had, I slammed the book shut, trying to trap the black smoke inside.

Still clutching it, I cast Ethereal Form, the spell locked its position, preventing it from opening its pages. While it was still frozen in place, I pulled out my last Aqua Bomb.

"Time for a bath," I muttered, lobbing it straight at the monster.

Water splashed everywhere. Its flames sputtered and nearly vanished. The ominous black smoke ceased completely, and the threatening energy I had felt earlier began to fade.

As soon as Ethereal Form ended, the book creature collapsed limply to the floor. I didn't waste a second. I dove forward, grabbed its leg again, and tried to rip one of the pages out.

"Seriously? What kind of paper is this?" I muttered through gritted teeth, failing to tear it.

Frustrated but not defeated, I hoisted the thing into the air and slammed it against the floor again and again, not giving it the chance to recover.

Suddenly, the book began to shake violently. Its extended limbs snapped back inside its covers, and the remnants of the blue flames surged, flaring up one last time in a desperate blaze that engulfed the entire book.

I had a bad feeling about it. Somehow, it felt familiar to me.

Without hesitation, I hurled the book toward the far corner of the room and sprinted in the opposite direction as fast as I could.

I was halfway to the wall when a deafening explosion of fire erupted behind me. A wave of hot air slammed into my back, hurling me across the room like a ragdoll.

My right arm instinctively shielded my head just before I crashed into the wall. My left arm, however, hit at a terrible angle. I heard a sickening crack and was immediately overwhelmed by blinding pain as I crumpled to the ground.

"AAAGH!" I screamed.

My left arm was bent at a horrifying 90-degree angle. My back felt like it was on fire. My robe had been incinerated, cold floor pressed against my scorched skin.

Across the room, the monster still floated, suspended in midair.

Panicking, I clenched my jaw and forced myself to straighten my broken arm.

A scream tore through my teeth as I poured a health potion down my throat. A cool, soothing wave washed through my body, dulling the pain in my back and arm. It wasn't gone, but it was manageable.

I poured another potion over my hand, using half of it there and trying to splash the rest onto my back.

"Shit... it's not over yet," I growled, staring at the purple book still hovering in midair, now glowing with radiant energy.

I cast Rejuvenation, my mind racing as I tried to imagine every worst-case scenario, and how to overcome each one.

Without warning, streams of glowing blue and purple light burst from the open book and streaked toward me.

I tried to dodge, but the energy twisted midair, homing in and slamming straight into my chest.

I raised my right arm to block it, but it passed right through. Oddly, there was no pain. Instead, I felt... stronger. Empowered.

At the far end of the room, the book began to fade, slowly disintegrating as the energy surged into me.

I could feel my magic power increasing.

[Grimoire Genesis acquired. +10 Wisdom]

[Insufficient Wisdom. All Grimoire Spells locked]

Did I just gain a new power?

I couldn't be sure, there was no way for me to check my full status right now.

I really need a priest on our team, I thought grimly. Or at least enough stones to pay the Druid Shaman.

I closed my eyes and tried to sense any deeper changes, but nothing surfaced. I still had no idea what had just happened, just like with Horrogoth's ability. I hadn't figured that out either.

Defeated, I glanced toward the entrance. The path out had reopened.

But first, there was something else I needed to check.

Instead of heading for the exit, I dragged myself toward the spot where the enemy had fallen. I was pretty sure I'd heard something drop...

Sure enough, an object glinted faintly on the floor.

"Wait... this looks familiar," I muttered, narrowing my eyes. I couldn't quite place it, but I was certain I'd seen it before. A long time ago, maybe. Somewhere.

It was a long, elegant quill made from a bluish-purple feather. The shaft was gold, adorned with intricate etchings near the base.

I picked it up. Oddly enough, the quill felt heavy in my hand, despite being made of something as light as a feather.

I examined it closely, inspecting every detail. The craftsmanship was... exquisite.

Now I remembered. At last, I could complete the missing piece I had long forgotten.

"Looks like I've got two things to check now," I said with a faint grin, storing the quill into my inventory.