HPDBC Chapter 82 Library
Chapter 82 Library
The streets returned to their daytime stillness; the frenzied blood moon and shadow tide of last night seemed like a nightmare.
Only some new scratches and stains on the building surfaces prove that everything that happened last night actually did happen.
They cautiously moved westward from the town, avoiding the occasional stray shadows.
The mayor’s residence is a relatively grand two-story stone building with walls and a small courtyard.
The courtyard gate was locked.
Lin Yu climbed over the wall and entered, with Red Falcon following closely behind.
The interior of the mansion was much nicer than that of ordinary houses, but it was also covered in dust.
They found the mayor's diary and some documents in the study.
The last page of the diary reads:
"...The clock tower's heartbeat is getting more and more erratic; time is spiraling out of control..."
I hid the pocket watch where I could hear the last song... When the waterwheel in the mill stopped turning, the song would be forever silenced... The key was inside the watch case...
I hope someone can end this nightmare...
Mill waterwheel!
The two exchanged a glance and immediately headed to the old mill by the river in the west of the town.
The mill has long been abandoned, and the huge wooden waterwheel is half-submerged in the river, rusted and damaged, and unable to turn.
Lin Yu found an exquisite brass pocket watch in a hidden compartment in the axle of the waterwheel.
The pocket watch had stopped; the hands pointed to 4:44.
Lin Yu opened the watch cover, and sure enough, there was a small, uniquely shaped copper key embedded inside.
"Let's go back to the clock tower."
The two quickly returned to the clock tower square.
The key in the pocket watch easily opened a small iron door at the bottom of the clock tower leading to the basement.
The basement was cluttered with miscellaneous items, but they found spare bearings and basic repair tools in a corner.
Carrying bearings and a toolbox, Lin Yu and Hong Jun arrived at the bottom of the broken ladder.
With the specific parts and tools, the repair work is not complicated.
Lin Yu was in charge of replacing the broken bearing, while Hong Jun stood guard below.
About half an hour later, the broken spiral staircase was repaired. Although it was still rusty, it was strong enough to support the weight.
The two climbed the stairs one after the other and arrived at the clock room at the top of the clock tower.
The clock room was empty, with only four broken clock faces.
When Lin Yu placed the stopped pocket watch on a small stone pedestal in the center of the clock room—
"Click...click..."
The hands of the pocket watch suddenly started spinning on their own, faster and faster!
At the same time, the ghostly hands on the four clock faces began to spin wildly!
The entire clock tower trembled slightly, emitting a low hum.
When the hands of the pocket watch finally stopped and pointed to exactly twelve o'clock—
"clang--!!!"
A loud, resonant bell tolled, as if it had been suppressed for countless years, suddenly bursting out from the bell tower and sweeping across the entire Silent Town!
The moment the bell rang, Lin Yu and Red Falcon both felt a sense of lightness throughout their bodies.
Those subtle, forgotten whispers that had been lingering in my ears have vanished completely.
The absolute "stillness" has been broken.
Although the environment remained quiet, it was no longer the oppressive, depriving silence.
They could hear the wind, their own breathing, and even the faint sound of flowing water in the distance.
There was even the sound of children's laughter...
The tolling of the bell still echoed.
On one of the walls of the clock room, the mark of a second door slowly appeared.
At the same time, a small ball of silvery-white light, like solidified moonlight, rose from the pocket watch and fell into Lin Yu's hand.
【Sands of Time】: A unique crystal produced in the regular space of "Silent Town", containing a sparse amount of time and the law of silence.
It can be used to enhance eerie objects related to time perception and silent domains, or to directly trigger a one-time local time slowing effect (lasting one minute).
Lin Yu put away the Sands of Time and looked at the Red Falcon.
The Red Falcon also received her reward, a similar crystal of the Sands of Time.
"Congratulations," said the falcon, a rare, faint smile appearing on its face.
"each other."
On the other side of the clock tower, the exit leading to the next door slowly took shape in the mist.
"See you at the next door?" Red Falcon asked.
"It depends," Lin Yu smiled. "If the rules allow it."
Without saying much, the two stepped into the exit mist one after the other.
After leaving the second door, "Silent Town," Lin Yu reappeared in the transit fog zone.
The door mark in his hand has become two, probably the fastest to pass through both doors.
The kestrel completed the first door.
After a short rest, Lin Yu walked toward the third door.
According to Red Falcon's intelligence, the third door may be related to knowledge, writing, and books, codenamed "Forbidden Library".
The world behind the door is a boundless labyrinth made of towering bookshelves.
The bookshelf is made of an unknown black wood and is filled with books of various materials, sizes and colors.
The air was filled with the smell of old paper, ink, and mildew.
There's also an unsettling sense of whispering, as if the books are talking to each other.
The light was dim, with the only source of illumination coming from the fluorescent crystals suspended atop the bookshelf.
The rules quickly appeared in written form on the stone tablet at the entrance:
[Library Rules:]
1. The books here contain knowledge, but also madness. Read with caution.
Second, find the three "Books of Truth" and place them back on the central altar to open the exit.
3. The title of "The Book of Truth" will flash silver, but be aware that some books may be faked.
Fourth, do not stare at the title of any book cover for too long, otherwise you may be "sucked" into the world of the book.
Fifth, there are empty spaces on the bookshelf, traces left by "hungry" books. They may be wandering around nearby, yearning to be "filled".
6. Running, making loud noises, damaging books, and sitting on tables are prohibited in the library! Violators will be summoned by the librarian.
Lin Yu quickly memorized the rules.
It seems this level involves finding and solving puzzles while avoiding being attacked by the book or triggering penalties.
He cautiously entered the bookshelf maze.
The bookshelves are so high you can't see the top, and the passageways are so intricate that it's easy to get lost.
Lin Yu walked for a while and soon found the first book that shimmered with silver light.
The book is titled "Letters to Handsome Readers".
Lin Yu carefully avoided looking directly at the cover, instead using his peripheral vision to observe and confirm that the silver light was stable before reaching out to take it.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the spine of the book, a pair of bloodshot eyes suddenly "opened" in an empty spot on the bookshelf next to him!
Immediately afterwards, a heavy book with a cover of rotting human skin and the words "Diary of Selling Gou in the Diary of the Divine River" written in blood crawled out of the empty space as if it were alive.
The pages flipped rapidly, revealing countless sharp, tooth-like spikes that lunged at Lin Yu's arm!
Lin Yu reacted extremely quickly, withdrawing his hand and stepping back.
The Diary of Selling Hooks in the Divine River missed its target and fell to the ground. The pages wriggled, like a deformed centipede, and quickly crawled toward Lin Yu, trying to bind him into the pages.
Lin Yu didn't want to waste his time and energy here, nor did he want to trigger the "destroy books" rule and attract the administrator's attention.
He immediately activated the [Mirror Crystal] he had obtained earlier.
A mirror image of him appeared instantly beside him, actively approaching "The Diary of Selling Gou in the Divine River".
The clone attracted the full attention of the hungry book, was enveloped and torn by the pages, and quickly became illusory and dissipated.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Yu stepped forward, grabbed the book "Letter to the Handsome Reader," and rushed towards the next passage without looking back.
He vaguely heard more rustling sounds of pages moving behind him; more than one hungry book had been disturbed.
We must find three true books as soon as possible.