Chapter 553: The Strange Book
"So many interesting things to learn in this place." Angelica closed her five-thousandth book as she got up and went to get another. She had been at it for a week now and was already thoroughly enthralled by the information she was learning. She was learning about things most would never know about as these books had been gathered here since the creation of the realm of the dead. Each book contained many different insights and spells that no one would ever know about until they had died and come here.
Angelica walked down the long set of bookcases, looking for her next target. She had been going in order since she arrived, reading every book from every shelf from the bottom up. Her reading speed was also quite insane as she was able to read a single book in a matter of minutes unless it was something she had to study, which would take her a little extra time. But she read around the clock without stopping unless she was getting a new book.
After returning the book, she just read, she turned the corner to go to a new bookcase when suddenly a book slipped off the shelf. It was a strange-looking book that looked to be made out of souls of the dead as ghostly faces kept popping up on its cover. While all the other books were made of the soul plants that grew in the realm, this book was much different. Angelica picked the book up, completely unfazed by the ghostly faces pus.h.i.+ng against her hand as they tried to surface and read the t.i.tle. "Book Of The Dead"
"Hmm? A little too literal, is it not?" Angelica chuckled to herself as she took the book and walked back to her table. All the while, she had no idea she was being watched.
The human girl with gla.s.ses was watch Angelica"s reactions with great interest to see what such a person would do after finding that book. A book that not even she could touch. But to her surprise, not only did she pick the book up, but she even started reading it! "It seems she is the one..." A voice came from behind the girl with gla.s.ses.
"Is it time?" The girl with gla.s.ses asked.
"Give her time to read through the book. See if it consumes her. If it doesn"t, we can finally appear in our true form. A successor may soon be born." The voice said as it faded away. The voice"s words caused the girl with gla.s.ses eyes to widen in excitement. The eyes she began looking at Angelica with were now ones of reverence as if she was looking at her messiah. With each page that Angelica read, the more excited the girl with gla.s.ses got. After so many, many years, the time had finally come to have someone truly worthy of taking on the trial of the Ghost Empress.
One would never know that the first true test of the Ghost Empress started off at the town that took in new arrivals. A place where the knowledge of all that has been written down by souls of the past was stored in rows and rows of books. The first and only Ghost Empress was someone who ruled with knowledge and not with power. So it did not matter how strong the soul was. If they did not have the knowledge needed to gain access to the third trial that lay beyond the river of reincarnation, then there was no point in the crossing. While some may have used crude methods to gain access and luckily pa.s.sed the third trial. The trials after that only had questions whose answers were only found within the book of the dead, and the book of the dead was a book that would not be found unless you proved yourself to the keepers of the trial.
So all those who had come before failed as soon as they left the town and made their way to the river of reincarnation. This was the order the keepers of the trial were given before the first Ghost Empress disappeared. She was someone who rose up from nowhere, and with her knowledge over souls, she was able to contain even the most powerful of souls with a single word. The power of her voice resonated with souls causing them to bend to her will. She never once abused her power either. She was a kind ruler who only dished out justice when it was needed. A ruler who is wise will rule fairly and just, while a ruler who only seeks power is not different from the G.o.d of war.
The book of the dead in the hands of Angelica was like a treasure greater than anything she had ever received. She read through it in less than thirty minutes before starting it over. As the days pa.s.sed, she continued to read the same book over and over again. Each time she gained new insights into the text and words that were imprinted on the pages. The girl with gla.s.ses was becoming concerned. She thought that maybe, just maybe, the new Ghost Empress was about to be born, but it seemed that the knowledge in the book was too much for her. While she could read it, it seemed she did not understand it. "What should we do?"
"It"s fine. I do not think she is being consumed by the book or that she does not understand it. Look, with each read-through, she pauses from time to time as if she is taking in everything and learning something new each time she rereads the page." The voice replied. These words caused the girl with gla.s.ses to show a bit of hope on her face.
"I see… Then… I should be able to do this then..." Angelica closed the book finally and held it in front of her. "Install..."
A single word, a word that would change the history of the realm of the dead, was spoken for the first time. The book of the dead suddenly began to glow with a bright blue light before shrinking down and shooting into the spot between Angelica"s brow. "Hmmm… I can now access it whenever I see fit. Much easier than memorizing it."
With that, Angelica stood up from her seat with a smile on her face. She turned to the bookshelves and opened her arms out to her side as she repeated the same word: "Install..."
The girl with gla.s.ses eyes went wide in shock watching all the books turn into streams of light, shooting into Angelica"s head. Never in her life did she think such a thing would happen. It took her a moment to snap out of it as she shouted: "Ahh! The books!"