《Underworld Library Of Tinia》


 Stellar Manuscript

    Stellar Manuscripts are the books left behind by the Sky People before their defeat by the hands of the Slave Queen, Titania. Before Titania, the Sky People ruled over the world in their tallest tower with an iron fist, enslaving the races in the world. They had magic powers beyond our understanding and technology. The races of the world could only dream of inventing.


    But with the military strength they possess, the Sky People grew arrogant. Their slaves failed every rebellion they start, and so the Sky People did not worry. Then she was born, Titania. The daughter of a human father and a genasi mother, she was blessed by the god that created the world with a sword called Frielassen. Titania rode to battle against the Sky People summoned the power of lighting through Frielassen and struck the Sky People''s army to sunder.


    The Sky People retreated from where they came, and to prevent the races of the world from getting conquered by another group of Sky People, Titania placed a spell that unified the languages into one.


    Thousands of years came to pass, and the tower where they once ruled on became the greatest academy in the world, the Garden Tower Academy. A young aspiring scholar stands at the very top of this tower. She was inside the hall of the Board of the High Councils. She waits for them to grant her the highest title possible in the academy, the title of Titan Scholar.


    A group of thirteen old men sat in front of her. The one sitting in the middle stood up. He was short, but his tall pointy hat makes up for the rest of the missing height. "Anna Cyrus! We, the Board of the High Councils wish to grant you the revered title of Titan Scholar." He pulls out a paper diploma from thin air. "With this prestigious diploma, you are now an official member of Titanic Scholars and a distinguished master that demands respect from all the kingdoms of our humble world."


    Anna walks toward the elder, bowed to him, and accepted the diploma. "I am grateful for this privilege. I will not let you, the High Chief Titan Scholar, and the council, and the academy disappointed, I will not let this title corrupt, and I will continue to work for the benefit for all people." She gets on one knee, bowing in front of the elders. "I am ready to receive my official duty as a Titan Scholar."


    The High Chief Titan Scholar placed his hand on his heart and then kneel on one knee. He and Anna looked at each other directly in the eye. "Anna Cyrus. You are hereby assigned the duty of record-keeper in the Underworld Library of Tinia. And by being its record-keeper, you must protect the library and its contents."


    Anna''s eyes widened. Her body was visibly shaken, but she did not hesitate to say, "I will fulfill this duty with the utmost diligence."


    Anna walked back and forth while riding the glass elevator. The Underworld Library is one the greatest library found in Tinia, but there were recent reports from the librarians working there that a powerful ghost now haunts there shelves. The former record-keeper attempted to fight the ghost, only to disappear into oblivion.


    Anna is by no means a weakling. She gained the title of Titan Scholar for her fantastic magic combat abilities by studying one of the disciples of the Red Wizard. The orc disciple, Gisele Thunder, was the strongest of the Red Wizard''s disciples. Anna was fascinated by her understanding of magic and its application in battle. Maybe because of her orcish lineage, she became the strongest? But Anna learned after leaving her human kingdom of Boritan, that orc stereotypes she heard of were mostly false, and that Gisele''s battle prowess was born from her own dedication to the craft. Anna respected and admired Gisele. Sadly, Gisele died many years before Anna''s birth.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    She entered the academy at age 16 after defeating the guards that kept her from entering. The High Chief Titan Scholar witnessed her abilities and admitted her to the academy. She quickly rose to prominence after defeating fifty-five challengers and hunting an array of monsters. At age 22, she became a Titan Scholar.


    She can take on nearly anything alive, and the high chief knows this. But the keyword is alive. She avoided any confrontation involving ghosts, spirits, and poltergeists. One may wonder why? The answer is simple. She is afraid of ghosts. If in the presence of one, Anna''s body freezes up, then her mind automatically chooses the most destructive spell, Bomb Splitter, to defeat them despite a simple exorcist spell that could beat them easily. Her body was covered in sweat, just thinking about the ghost that haunts the library floors.


    The lights in the elevator turned on, and doors opened. Anna arrived at the library''s floor. Librarians were outside waiting for her. They greeted her with hugs and kisses and wasted no time in directing her to the source of the problem. "Your greatness, please come this way," One of the librarians said while pulling her arms. "The ghost is over at the tables. It keeps yelling at us and using its powers from time to time to prevent us from entering the aisles we need to go to. It yells out how weak we are and that it wants a worthy challenger. Just the other day, our former record-keeper fought it, and he was sucked into this purple wormhole ¡ª possibly a Suction spell variant. Also, we need, oh, I almost forgot. I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Feng Tingxiao. I am one of the curators of the library. My job is to examine new books coming into the library as well as choosing which books the public can access. Now I need to know if you have any plans involving our current collection of lightning spell applications because the ghost is barring access to them the most. If you can defeat that thing, it would be greatly appreciated. If not, then make sure you don''t die. So are you ready?"


    Anna finally got a chance to speak. "Um, right. I am, and I''ll do my best." Finally, they got to the center of the library. The area was open, with no columns, shelves, or railings to distract readers from their books. Only tables and chairs fill the room. And in the center was a ghost sitting on a chair with its arms crossed. "All of you stand back." She tells the librarians.


    Anna did not wish to step one foot closer to the ghost, but one must be at least 2 meters close to a ghost to perform an exorcism spell. She searched her inner self the bravery she needs to face her foe. This self-reflection led her to remember an old story about Gisele Thunder.


    Gisele faced a dragon coming from the sky. Its scales were hard as diamonds, and its breath could poison all who touch it. But worse of all, its eyes can pierce your ego and superego to reveal your deepest fear. Before the battle started, Gisele stared at the dragon in the eye, and her consciousness was overrun by an unimaginable horror. But she preserved. She snapped out of the trance, showing the dragon she was not afraid. Anna must face her fear and overcome them.


    She walks up to the ghost. Her body was shaken, and her teeth were chattering. Her hand was unconsciously making a bomb to use for the splitting spell. The ghost had its head down, unaware of Anna''s presence. Then Anna stepped on a pencil, breaking it. Her body froze as the ghost raised its head after hearing the sound of the pencil.


    Anna saw the ghost face as clear as day. The ghost had a pair of small tusks. Its ears were pointy like an elve''s but shorter, and it had braided hair. The ghost was an orc. But Anna recognized the face and knew it was not any random orc, it was none other than Gisele Thunder herself. Gisele saw within Anna the strength and spirit of a capable fighter and wished to challenge her. "Finally, a worthy opponent. Come, battle,"


    "AAHHHH!" Anna screamed in a high pitched voice, surprising Gisele. She teleported right in front of the ghost and used her magic to hugged her as if Gisele had a physical body. "Oh my god. I''m your biggest fan. I''ve studied all your battles and," Gisele''s ghostly body froze in place as Anna talks about her exploits. The librarians that were watching at the sidelines were speechless. Everyone but Anna had a perplexed look on their face.

 Mana Focused

    Gisele managed to push Anna off of her, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" She yelled, "Why did you just hug, and what do you mean by your biggest fan?"


    Anna released Gisele and explained herself while hyperventilating. "I am so sorry. Where are my manners? I haven''t introduced myself. My name is Anna," She placed her hand on her chest, "Anna Cyrus, and I am a newly appointed Titan Scholar and Record Keeper of the Underworld Library. And it is such an honor to meet you finally, Gisele Thunder." She extended her hand to Gisele.


    "Enough with the formalities and trickery. Do you think I would fall for the old handshake then get electrocuted trick?" She screamed, "First of no one woman worships me and my works! You are either a man or a foe who relies on underhanded tactics."


    Anna was shocked, "I would never do such a thing. I genuinely see you as my idol. I did not become who I am today if it was not for the battles and books you have fought in and written. How you perfected the concept of magical combat and how you,"


    "Ok, I get it!" Gisele interrupted.


    "Um, excuse what is going on here?" One of the librarians with the black silky hair and cat ears. "And who is that?"


    "What? What do you mean, who is that? This is none other than Gisele Thunder, the legendary orc monk that became one the disciples of the Red Wizard. How come you not know this?" She screamed.


    "And who are you, dear?" Gisele asked the librarian.


    "Oh, well, my name is Feng Tingxiao. I am one of the curators of the library."


    "Well, Ms. Feng, Anna is correct. I am Gisele Thunder, a former disciple of the Red Wizard. But now I am but a ghost."


    Anna turned to Gisele and raised her hand. Gisele pointed at her and said with a perplexed tone, "Do you have something to say? Why are you raising your hand?"


    Anna opened her mouth, "Well, you see, I was just wondering how did you turn into a ghost? I''ve never studied ghosts because I am terrified of them. But if that ghost is my childhood hero, then my fear is essentially nonexistent. Because of this, I was wondering if you can help me understand things about ghosts."


    Gisele rubbed between her eyes, "You want to learn about ghosts, fine. Do you know how mana works?"


    "Of course," Anna said with pride, "Mana is a mysterious element originating from another plane of existence simply known as the Infinite Sea. The souls of the living have the innate ability to take mana from the Infinite Sea and store them inside their spirit or will, which acts like containers. The most common way to use these manas is to release and use it to strengthen one''s body."Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Exactly!" Gisele said with a smile, "The spirit the soul carries is like a pouch filled with water. This water comes from the Infinite Sea, and when the body drinks some, it can become stronger or can use the water to cast spells. And now, what happens when someone''s body dies? Their soul travels to another plane of existence by rising upward. But if the bags the soul carries are too big and heavy, then how could the soul rise or fly to the next world."


    "They can''t," Anna answered.


    "And because of this, they stay in the living as a ghost. That is why I seek to battle, so I can empty my bag. So I can move on."


    "But maybe you can stay," Anna said.


    "What? I am dead. My very existence is a cause for concern for the world and for death. I must die before I tip the balance of the world."


    Anna gets on her knees and hugs Gisele''s legs. "Please! I have always wanted to meet and talk to you. This is a dream come true. Just stay until I die, then we can both go to the afterlife!"


    "No means no. I can not continue violating the laws of nature! I must go." Gisele tries to shaking off Anna by flying around the room. "Let go already!"


    "Then what if I find that you staying here in living as a ghost is ok!"


    "What?" She stops flying, "I doubt you can find a text or something that says otherwise."


    Anna lets go of Gisele''s legs and land on the floor. "Of course, I will. In fact, if I don''t find anything that says you can''t stay here in a week, then I will fight and kill you myself. Well, you''re already dead, so I guess I can''t really kill you."


    "Be my guess," Gisele said as she looks at Anna with curiosity.


    Anna ran up to the librarian crowd that was watching the fight unfold. "Fen, you''re one of the curators, right?" She grabs Feng by the hand, "Come, I''m going to need your help."


    "What?" Feng cried out as Anna pulls her out of the crowd. They ran upstairs and entered a glass room designated for research and study. Inside the room sits a large filing cabinet and a long table. Anna opened the filing cabinet and began to skim through the categories.


    After an hour of searching, she took out three books and displayed them on the table. The first book was a collection of stories about the Dragon of the East. The second book was about the Sky People''s medical and magical practices. Finally, the third book was about Karl Sagen''s philosophy of death, rebirth, and intelligence. For Feng, three books seem to be randomly chosen by Anna.


    But for Anna, they all share one important aspect. None of these books talk about death as a natural, consequential element of nature. Feng did not know this and asked Anna, "Why did you pick these books? I could have found more books about death and its role in our world."


    "Exactly!" Anna said with a grin, "Those books talk about death as an essential part of existence. But these books don''t." As she waves her hand over the collection of books, she took out.


    "I''m sorry, what? I know Karl Sagen viewed death as an enemy, but what do the Sky People''s medicine and stories about dragons have in comparison to Karl Sagen."


    "The Sky People viewed death not as an enemy, but as a disease that must be culled from their blood. It''s the reason why the elves could live over a hundred years. They experimented with live longevity on them during the occupation of our world. They were willing to cure some people of Tinia of death if it means unlocking the vaccine to cure themselves of it. Then there are the dragons. More specifically the Dragon of the East.

 Tina B?kh Fight

    Anna dropped the heavy book on the table. Dust clouds flew off from the impact. The front cover of the book still covered with some dust, so Anna had to blow them off, revealing the title. "The Dragon''s Calling And Other Tales From The Eastern Heavens." Fen read out loud.


    Anna flipped through the pages of the book until she found the tale she was looking for, The Titan Wrestles. Anna told Fen to retrieve some notebooks and a chalkboard. Fen returned, pushing a cart with a pile of notebooks and a long folded chalkboard. She gave Anna the pile of notebooks and took the foldable chalkboard to the wall. She unfolded and hanged it on the wall facing Anna.


    "Alright, Fen, I need you to write this down," Anna handed Fen chalk, "Death is unnatural."


    Fen wrote ''death is unnatural'' and circled it. "Are we making some sort of thought bubbles?"


    "Yes, we are." Anna responded, "Now we have three ideas or philosophies that branch out from this core idea. The first is the Sky People''s thoughts on death. Write down that death is a disease we must eliminate."


    "Can''t I just write death is a disease?"


    "Of course." Anna turned her attention ''The Dragon''s Calling And Other Tales From The Eastern Heavens'' book. She read the title aloud to Fen, and then she paused. Anna was hesitant. The Titan Wrestles is one controversial story in Titania''s Epic. This is due to the dragons and what they represent.


    Dragons are alien to their world similarly alien to it as the Sky People. One of their alien features were the number of limbs they possess. While invertebrates native to their world possess four limbs, the dragons to the east possess six. Four of their limbs are legs while the remaining two were ginormous wings, strong enough to lift a dragon''s body in the air.


    No one knows how dragons could achieve flight because there are no more dragons alive to investigate. Most dragons left after the war and returned to the Infinite Sea, and the Sky People imprisoned the rest before leaving. The whereabouts of these imprisoned dragons are unknown. Not even the Red Wizard could find them.


    Gisele''s opinion of dragons could align with many xenophobes found throughout the world. Implying that the dragon''s outlook on death is more credible than her, and the world''s concept of death may anger her. The only reason the Sky People is more acceptable is because of the technology they left behind. Understanding more about the Sky People presided the hate many have towards them.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Regardless, she had no other option but to include the dragon''s philosophy of death. "Write down death as the creation of the devil."


    "Ok," Fen wrote ''death invented by devil.''


    Tina B?kh Fight was an important traditional match. The Queen of Slaves created it in order to get the dragons to her side. The dragons did not like the Sky People, but they also don''t hate them. That''s because the Sky People actively fought death.


    Luckily, Titania convinced the dragons they are the culprit to the thousands of deaths. But this was not enough. War against the Sky People would cause millions of lives, and participating in this war would undermine their philosophical tenets. But Titania did not give up.


    To show that she represented life while the Sky People represented death, she challenged the dragons to match. If she beat their greatest champion, then they must join her. This was a ridiculous idea. The only way a mortal could defeat a dragon is by killing it, and the act of killing is precisely what the dragons detest.


    The dragons refused at first, but Titania called them a race of cowards, which angered the dragons enough to accept the match. The rules were simple. Titania will relinquish her life, and in return, the dragons will relinquish their army. If she wins, they must join her cause. But if they win, they can have her life. And she added one more rule. Only her life can be taken.


    Titania''s opponent was the ''Heavenly General'' Li Jing. Li Jing entered the giant ring adorned in heavy armor. The tip of his tail was fitted with a spear called the Pagoda. Titania entered bare naked. Her nakedness shocked the dragons and her retainers. The only thing she wielded was the long sword given to her by the ocean gods.


    The two fought for three nights and two days with the upper hand constantly shifting from side to side. However, on the third night, Titania struck through Li Jing''s metal plate armor and stabbed his crystal heart. The match ended in her victory.


    The dragons accepted the loss but did not accept Titania''s claim of representing life, especially since she killed their beloved general. Not only that, but she also went against the rules she had made. "You have yet to see everything!" She yelled at the dragons. Titania walked to Li Jing''s corpse. Coming out from her hand was mana glowing like the stars in the night sky. She touched Li Jing''s body. The light blanketed the corpse. After a few seconds, Li Jing''s wound healed. After a few minutes, his heart began to beat. After half an hour, Li Jing woke up alive and well.


    "Witness the miracle! Despite your age and your wisdom, only I can tell you that I have beaten devil''s greatest weapon!" She yelled at the masses. The dragons went into an uproar. They could not believe it. In fact, they refused to believe it. But they could not unsee what they saw before them.


    The Dragons eventually settled down. They bowed to Titania and swore their allegiance to her cause. She now has the final piece she needed to fight the Sky People. She fainted and fell to the flower, exhausted from her journey.


    Ever since then, Tina B?kh Fight has become the staple of duels. Two sides must relinquish their most valued possession. That can include their life.

 Death Is Evil

    Feng scratched her head while staring at the board. "I don''t understand. How is making death the work of the devil be of any help?"


    "You clearly don''t understand who Gisele is?" Anna raised her finger and puffed out her chest, "She is a proud warrior orc. But in orc society, especially where Gisele was born in, fighting was looked down upon. But worse, the act of killing is taboo among her people."


    "Isn''t that like, all cultures?"


    "Yes, but what''s important is the context behind their belief. You see orcs have the same ancestors as the elves. But while the elves lived longer, the orcs did not. They were the pack of mules of the Sky People. Despite the Sky People''s fear of death, they don''t care about lives of the other races. Remember elves were just their guinea pigs or lab rats. Orcs were killed once they reached a certain age past their prime. Because of this, living past what the Sky People''s believed to be an orc''s final year is an act of rebellion. And eventually, the act of living is seen as a rebellion against the gods, which were the Sky people." Anna stood up and picked up the books, "And with these three books, I now have a compelling argument, a perfect counter, a reverse card!"


    "I still don''t understand."


    "Killing her is the same as following the orders of the Sky People. And her dying is undermining her people''s efforts."


    "I''m not sure these are actually good points to use as an argument though."


    Anna pulled her hair, "But there is nothing else I can do. She is my role model. The very person I aspire to be. I can''t let her die, let alone kill her. This is my only chance, and maybe she will even teach me the things she knows about magic and mana. These are our only hope!"


    "You mean ''your'' only hope." Feng corrected her.


    Anna and Feng left the room and walked back to the main lobby. Gisele was floating up in the air with her arms crossed. "You''re back!" She said with enthusiasm after waiting for hours.


    Feng pulled out a whiteboard and wrote down the books the two women research. Anna gave her presentation as if she was standing in front of an auditorium filled with old veterans. Her body moved in a regal matter, her voice commanded the attention of the entire room, and her words were as clear as day. The only difference between her current presentation from the past was the childish expression she could not contain.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Everyone in the library could see her through her formal exterior due to her gleaming eyes and a happy smile. Gisele could not help but stare at Anna''s dichotomy. She found Anna''s mannerisms, both her professional body language and girlish smile, to be entertaining. The presentation continued citing all sources, history, and philosophy in the hopes of convincing Gisele to avoid seeking death. The audience was at awe for every point she presented and applauded at the end of the presentation. B Gisele found her arguments faulty at best.


    "So, Ms. Gisele. What do you think? Would you reconsider?"


    "Before I give you my answer, there are some things you forgot during your research." Anna''s smiled disappeared because she knew that it did not mean good news. "First, dragons believe that death is the creation of the devil, but death is the devil. But dragons also believe the devil as one of the universe''s core, and its destruction would the end of our universe. They believed entropy was part of life and should not be reversed. Sure, the devil is bad, but the dragons do not care for it. The reason why the dragons joined Tinia is because of the B?kh Fight, but the dragons'' indifference in the conflict was because they believed the Sky People will fail even without the dragons'' interference."


    "But that means our books, the library''s books are wrong! And they can''t be wrong!" Feng rioted. "Our books were gathered and vented by the most highly reputable sources and scholars. Anna''s researches are not mistaken. Right, Anna?" Anna lowered her head, "Anna?"


    "And the Sky People feared death because they were stuck, surrounded by death space for what seemed to be an eternity. Death is a disease surely, but for them, death was a phobia they tried to conquer. The only one you got right was Sagen''s view of death, but I felt like you purposely exaggerated his view and made superficial connections to my situation. But I do admit; I was surprised when you mentioned my race''s history. I thought our story was lost in the midst of time like the goblins. Otherwise, your presentation was, eh."


    After a minute, a silence, Anna asked, "So, um. I guess I have to fight you then."


    "No."


    Anna raised her head and looked at Gisele in surprise, "But, I had wrong, or I guess contentious sources. Hell, I only used three, I should have searched for more to support my thesis. I have wasted your time and,"


    "Those are all true but the part of wasting my time. Your passion was enough for me." Gisele lowered herself down on the ground. "All the so-called scholars I met while bunkering down here were lifeless, to say the least. I felt like they were forced to become scholars rather than aspire to become one. But you were so youthful or lively."


    "Lively?"


    "Did you not notice? You were smiling like a child that just got a puppy." Anna slapped her face and covered her red cheeks with her hands, "And I found your energy and passion refreshing. I''ll stay here, and I will assist you with your research. If you want, of course."


    "Really!" Anna yelped.


    "Yes, but I must warn you. I''m not as good of a teacher as my master, the Red Wizard, but I will do my best as long as you still want to learn."


    "Yes!" Anna gave Gisele''s ghostly body a hug, which was to be expected by the librarians. Gisele, on the other hand, finds this kinship to be awkward.