Chapter 12 – The Strange Notebook
Lucan was in a peculiar state of discomfort and contentment. He felt rejuvenated after resting and was happy with his new armor. However, the hunger and thirst were reaching their peak. He estimated that it had been about 2 or 3 days since he had a proper meal. The last time he ate was with Clyde, who made him eat sparingly, and the water was barely enough to wet his tongue.
I wonder how strong or weak Clyde really was? He boasted about having many cards, but I didn’t see him using much. He had that sword… well, with one swing, I saw him cut off heads like they were made of paper. I know how difficult that is because I couldn't cut anything. I only managed to stab with the blade. That armor of his seemed powerful. Even though it was just light armor, I saw him get hit by that monster that jumped on him, and he wasn't hurt... how strong is the creature in the asylum lair? I should have asked that girl more questions, but she wasn't the talkative type. I couldn't deceive her either… she basically saw that I killed three wolves, so she’s on high alert. How strong is that monster? Clyde didn't have a chance to fight it directly. I made sure he suffered a fatal wound so the monster would finish him off... but the monster didn't fight Clyde directly either. Clyde and his partner were thrown into a place full of creatures, the lair boss heard them and attacked. They divided their attention between fighting the smaller creatures and the boss, with Clyde's partner getting caught and Clyde fleeing... if that’s the truth, Clyde could have easily abandoned his friend just like he did to me. Honestly, I don’t doubt it.
Lucan continued walking through the forest, ignoring his thirst after passing by the lagoon.
If that girl had killed me, I would have died in my sleep. I need a safe place… truly safe, and the asylum can provide that. Only I can pass through that door with my intangibility, and then I need to clear that place out.
Lucan tested the extent of the mantle's abilities. He could hear sounds a bit farther than before. He could also see better in the dark, as if his field of vision had expanded; he could now discern the outlines of the darkness better and understand what they were. He could also smell himself… and it wasn’t pleasant. He wasn’t sure if the increased perception of his senses would influence his reflexes, but one thing he knew was that this mantle armor was more resistant than it appeared.
Resistance to physical damage…
This meant that even though it was a mantle, it could be equivalent to leather armor.
Man, this is amazing.
For Lucan, this could be an opportunity.
If I manage to get back to Earth, I could make some good money with this. This card could be sold. Actually… I could make a small fortune collecting some cards… I could get enough money to help that person…
Remembering that person made him feel complicated emotions. Lucan still didn’t know how to deal with his feelings; he wasn’t someone who was raised normally.
Lucan was never attached to money or emotions, but that person somehow made him feel less… empty.
Walking in the small forest at night, he kept his eyes on his surroundings, with the hammer in hand, he was somewhat prepared for the unexpected. As a precaution, he didn’t dare use his intangibility to pass through certain paths; after all, he didn’t want to reveal his ability to that girl. Lucan wasn’t foolish; he even prepared himself to face his own limitations with the goal of understanding the limits of his ability. He thought of ways to kill himself in a fight and concluded…
An open field… is a place where I wouldn’t be able to escape since there’s no wall to pass through. I also don’t know if I can avoid an arrow in motion, much less a sword being thrust at me. I gradually understood the limit of my intangibility; it only allows me to pass through inanimate objects. A corpse should be inanimate, right? I should be able to pass through it, but I couldn’t. I think it prevents me from passing through organic things, which is why I couldn’t pass through the wolf. It's a two-way street. I can extend my intangibility to what I'm holding, making my sword intangible. My intangibility follows this law, but what would happen if I faced someone? I can't pass through a person, but does the organic barrier extend to the sword I'm wielding? Initially, I'd think not, but after confirming that the intangible sword in my hand touched the wolf without passing through it as I wanted… it means my restrictions apply to the material I'm holding.
Does this mean the restrictions on not passing through a person also apply to the material they hold? They can hit me if they're holding a weapon? I assume so since they could hit me with a punch. My intangibility doesn't pass through organic things… and maybe not what that organic thing holds; I… I urgently need answers.
Lucan had reached the front of the asylum. He purposefully climbed the wall and studied the garden a bit, always walking with his guard up and stopping in front of the statue of that angel.
'Tsk.'
He clicked his tongue and continued exploring further than he had gone before.
In the middle of the garden was also a fountain, but the water wasn't flowing, and what was there was so dirty it was pitch black.
I have the worst luck with water…
Mentally listing his urgent needs, he required three things: a pot, a container to store water, and preferably a weapon with a blade.
If he had these things, he could travel long distances. With the pot, he could purify water; with the container, he could store it for city trips to explore better; with a blade, he could cut meat from the wolf carcasses. As for food on the road, he could hunt solitary creatures as long as they weren't too strong.
If I prepare well, I can manage for a few days here. If I find someone, I can offer shelter in that cave. With the water source and food, the person will be grateful. The more people from the expedition I find, the better. Now that that girl has seen me… I can't act like a lone wolf… haha, what an irony of fate. Gather the idiots from the expedition until we find a captain, and that’s if that girl isn’t a captain… if I find lost people and gather them, I’ll get a ride home. Not that the kingdom’s soldiers would dare leave a mere civilian behind; not everyone is like Clyde. But if what he said is true, their hope is to find a captain and use the compass that points to their base and then walk through the Oblique World. So I need to make myself useful and gain their trust. If I show myself as an idiotic civilian, I’ll be treated as a burden. But I can't stand out too much and draw attention. They’re clearly worried about meeting an unknown person… and well, they run into an apparent civilian without identification. No wonder their guard is up.
After finishing his walk and checking the entire garden, he found another part of the building, but it was locked. Entering with his intangibility, he saw it was some sort of chapel. Grabbing the torch, he looked inside and found a notebook on the floor. Lucan ignored it along with other scattered items. The place was a bit empty but had chairs and other junk strewn about.
The reason he ignored the notebook and practically ran from that place was that the notebook was in the middle of a blood pentagram on the floor, illuminated by white candles that must have been burning for hundreds of years. Lucan didn’t dare spend another second looking at that old notebook.
Feeling a chill after leaving the chapel, he didn’t dare look at the stone angel again.
Lucan faced the entrance of the asylum.
“It's time to eliminate a boss.”
