Grandov squinted at the shabby wooden building ahead. Its old windows were so caked in grime that nothing inside could be seen. This was their designated meeting spot.

Luca and Grandov had a way of communicating through the System, but it was limited and often unreliable due to the various errors that occurred. The System appeared slightly corrupted as if the toll of changing the Game layout had chipped away at its integrity.

It's a good thing that lunatic hasn't caught wind of the errors. He'd have a field day at the Agency of Order and Game Development.

Grandov shifted in place, feeling the ground crunch beneath his boots. The area felt familiar, though he was certain he hadn't visited it in any of the past seventy Rounds.

Perhaps a memory of the original?

Possession usually came with access to the host's memories—but not always. Every Game handled it differently. In some, no memories were granted at all, which made seamless possession nearly impossible. The standard tactic in such cases was to feign amnesia and act disoriented or ill, buying time to piece together enough information to inhabit the role convincingly.

In other scenarios, the possession was so seamless that the Player could get consumed by the persona, convinced that their soul had transmigrated, that they were the character, and that their Player memories were simply remnants of a past life.

This was, of course, not the case for seasoned Players, but it did happen quite frequently with newbies.

More often than not, the memories were given in a curated fashion, with the original not wishing the possessor to view certain aspects but providing insight into what they deemed essential or allowable. This was a welcome arrangement, as Players typically did not care to know every mundane and intimate detail of the original. However, this proved troublesome at times, particularly when a key memory was hidden, leaving the Player to improvise on the spot when an unexpected turn in the Game occurred.

Thankfully, Grandov's merge had struck the ideal balance. The mix of accessible and restricted memories was stable enough that moments of déjà vu—typically a sign of a missing memory—were few and far between.

Grandov smiled.

What memory did the original want to hide about this place?

He'd seen five hooligans nearby. They appeared half-crazed and likely on drugs, given their incoherent ramblings about a demon, but other than them, this place was deserted. Looking at the surrounding buildings, they appeared quiet and uninhabited—or perhaps that was their intention. Drug dens often wore that disguise in East Genise. Grandov had shut down more than a few during his time with The Order.

I doubt the original Grandov ever dabbled in anything like that... but I've been wrong before.

He walked over to the building and pushed open the old wooden door of the bookshop.

Inside, the scent of old books and firmly steeped tea greeted him. The space was unexpectedly cozy. Sunlight filtered weakly through the filthy windows, softened by the amber glow of enchanted lightstones arranged in delicate glass lamps that were scattered throughout the room.

Several well-worn but dignified armchairs and sofas surrounded low tables cluttered with books, but they were empty of any people.

A modest wooden counter stood ahead that looked awfully like one you'd find in a bar, and perhaps at some point was. Luca sat behind it, but instead of a stiff drink in hand, like how Grandov first approached him as a Player, he was hunched over a book. And further behind the counter, instead of liquor bottles, were towering shelves packed tight with books of every size and age. They stretched far into the back, seemingly eternally, with the end lacking in light and shrouded in darkness.

Gradov's eyes widened.

It was rare to see a collection so vast in East Genise. The majority of the population in this part of the capital were illiterate, having received no formal education, and thus, books served little more than door stoppers. Yet, in this unassuming corner of East Genise, the sheer amount of books was easily on par with some of the most impressive libraries in West Genise.

His gaze slid past Luca, who sat immersed in his book, unaware of Grandov's arrival, and landed on the shop's proprietor.

That must be Lisa.

She sat behind the counter, a porcelain green teacup in one hand, a leather-bound book in the other. Her sleek black bob framed a pale face, with bangs so long they shadowed her eyes entirely.

Grandov clicked his tongue, and the Character Checker flickered into view before him.

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[ Character Checker (Level 15) in progress for Elizabeth North, also known as Lisa. ]

[ Age: 41

Occupation: Bookshop Owner

Level: 22 ]

[ Abilities:

– Speedreader (Level 20)

– Living Library (Level 12)

– Leaf Alchemist (Level 18)

– Chronoglass Veil (Level 14) ]

[ Attributes:

Strength: 29

Dexterity: 36

Perception: 76

Intelligence: 189

Charisma: 55

Mana: 225

Sanity: 0 (Stable) ]

A mage in Adovoria… and one this powerful? How have I never heard of her?

It was rare enough to encounter mages in this realm, let alone one of such competence. And in the fight against the Kobar Empire, mages were indispensable. Grandov had spent years scouring the continent, recruiting any capable caster into The Order's ranks.

None of Lisa's abilities were the offensive type, perhaps with the exception of the Chronoglass Veil, but it didn't matter. A mage was a mage.

And to think someone like this was hidden away in East Genise, of all places. I need to find a way to recruit her.

His eyes flicked toward Luca, who was hunched over a book, still utterly absorbed.

Or perhaps he's already on it.

"Young man," Lisa called without looking up, her voice exuding tranquility. "Would you care for a cup of tea and a book?"

She turned a page, unfazed.

"Just so you know, I don't sell my books. You can read them in-house with a drink, or you can leave. Makes no difference to me."

At her voice, Luca stirred and turned toward Grandov, blinking as if emerging from a daze. "Oh! You're finally here. I didn't even notice you," he said with a grin, straightening in his seat.

"I don't need any books, but I'll accept a cup," Grandov said, feeling curious about what a Level 18 Leaf Alchemist was capable of.

He took a seat beside Luca on a stool. The sense of déjà vu becoming more pronounced from this vantage view.

"What is this place exactly?" Grandov asked Luca quietly.

"It's a pretty neat place. Lisa has just about any book you might be interested in reading," Luca explained simply. "Just tell her the topic, and she'll find a text on it. She knows the contents of every book in her shop."

"Any topic?" Grandov raised a brow.

Luca nodded. "Even our favorite information broker comes here."

Ah.

The déjà vu was beginning to make sense.

Grandov's gaze ran over the small book in Luca's hands, suddenly curious just what Luca had been so absorbed in reading, especially if Lisa could procure a book on any topic.

He leaned in slightly, brow arching as his eyes skimmed over one of the lines.

"Are you reading… a fantasy novel?" he inquired, incredulous.

He had never seen Luca so much as glance at a book unless strictly necessary. He might read a letter if ordered to, but fiction? For pleasure?

That is a new development. I should do a character check on him once the cool-down time finishes.

Luca laughed and let out a sigh as if caught in some illicit activity. "Lisa has a book on just about everything. But as for Illusion Magic," he said, tucking a ribbon in place as a placeholder and closing the novel shut, "I've had to get a little creative."

He tapped the cover with a trio of mage children on the cover. "Turns out no one's bothered to write about the expanded potential of Illusion Magic except fiction authors. So I'm combing through fantasy novels for ideas and seeing how it's been imagined, not just practiced."

Luca pointed to the stack of books beside him. "I planned to quickly skim all of these into the System's memory and practice the ideas later, but ended up absorbed in this one novel."

Looking at a nearby stack of books on the counter, Grandov was startled to see that the titles weren't merely in the languages of this realm. Two of the books were clearly from Magdalena's own home realm.

Discovering Lisa and the hidden library was peculiar enough, but the range of books was beyond any reasonable expectation.

Before Grandov could comment on this, a green porcelain saucer with a cup of steaming hot tea was placed on the counter with a gentle clink.

"Here's your tea. It's green tea imported from the Laupia region," Lisa explained. "Your friend here has already paid for you with a phoenix eye, of all things... So feel free to stop by anytime."

Grandov gave a nod of thanks, thoughts elsewhere.

"Do you happen to have any books on how to do a summon?" Magdalena decided to test her theory. "Specifically, one that calls upon an other-worlder to start a Game?"

Although Lisa's eyes were hidden from view, her lips curved upward ever so slightly.

In silence, she reached beneath the counter, directly opposite Grandov.

Her hands returned with a heavy tome, its cover a deep, blood-red fabric embroidered with golden thread in the shape of a snake coiled around a seven-pointed star. The corners were capped with polished brass. As she placed it down on the counter, it landed with a weighty thud.

"See?" Luca said brightly, clearly pleased. "I told you she has a book on just about any topic. But why did you want a book on this?"

He was oblivious to the gravity of the moment, but for Magdalena, the reason behind the déjà vu was understood.

Grandov—Magdalena—ran a hand slowly along the book's warped spine. The texture was somewhat familiar: uneven parchment, the faint scent of burnt sage clinging to the edges. Their fingers paused on the brass corner, the coolness sending a shiver through their body.

This was the book.

This was where the original Grandov had obtained the knowledge to summon a Player—her—into this realm, ultimately paying with his soul.

She had seen variations of it across other realms, in other Games. Summoning a Player was never simple, and it always required a sacrifice. The summoning was typically deemed a forbidden art, akin to summoning a devil, which was ultimately what Players were called. The warnings were well warranted for the price was steep. But Games happened across the realms nonetheless.

Grandov's eyes narrowed slightly.

Lisa had returned to her seat behind the counter and resumed reading, her heels propped up casually on a footstool. Her posture was relaxed, and she appeared nonchalant. But Magdalena was certain now.

She knows.

If this woman had even done a light skim through this large red tome, there was not a single shred of doubt that Lisa knew full well that a Player currently possessed the Grandov in her shop. There was no need for magical insight. The mere request for this particular book was enough to confirm possession.

Grandov's gaze flicked to Luca, who wore a curious expression but was completely unaware of what Magdalena had just discovered.

Does Lisa know about him too?

And if she did... why hadn't she said anything? Or done anything?

Just who was Lisa, or rather, Elizabeth North?

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