The wind, tinged with the acrid smell of ozone and decaying flesh, whipped around Sparrow as he surveyed the remains.
The headless corpse and its spectral steed were already dissolving, experiencing the unstoppable force of time. They used to be creatures from ancient time after all.
Flesh rotted and turned to bones. Bones crumbled, turned to ash, and vanished, leaving behind only a peculiar residue: four iron horseshoes, a wickedly curved scythe, and a scattering of red, marble-sized stones. More than twenty of them, glinting in the fading sunlight.
Sparrow took out another fake magic card and activated his [Greater Appraisal]. The world swam for a moment as his enhanced perception sifted through the residual energies clinging to the objects.
He grimaced. "Cursed," he stated, his voice a low rumble. "The horseshoes and the scythe, all of them. Can't touch them until they're cleansed."
A beat of silence followed. Sunwitch, surprisingly subdued now that the adrenaline had faded, was busy reapplying her lipstick. Canary, never one for gore, hovered near her brother.
"What else?" Autumn asked, her voice sharp and professional.
Sparrow focused again, pushing past the initial wave of negative energy. "The horseshoes... after purification, they'll grant either a significant luck boost or a unique survival ability. Each one is different. The scythe… that's the interesting one. Potentially a unique weapon artifact, if the purification goes well. Special ability included."
He intentionally omitted the details. Sharing too much information wasn't his way.
Autumn, ever the pragmatist, clapped her hands together. "Alright, loot distribution. By team, not individual. Monster Squad, what's your claim?"
A murmur rippled through the gathered agents. After a swift discussion with his team members, Grim Reaper, stepped forward, his expression even more melancholic than usual. "We want the scythe. We're willing to forgo any other loot to secure it."
Sparrow was not surprised. Monster Squad definitely specialized in direct combat. Having weapon artifact would help their team a lot. It was reasonable that they sensed the potential in that cursed weapon.
Autumn turned to Sparrow. "Midnight Siblings, your preference?"
Sparrow kept his answer short, revealing nothing. "Anything is acceptable."
The Three Witches huddled together, a silent conversation passing between them. Finally, Autumn turned back to the group. "Three Witches will take three of the horseshoes. The red stones aren't necessary for us."
Sparrow watched as the others negotiated, his mind already calculating. The scythe to Monster Squad, three horseshoes to the Witches… which left…
"That leaves the Midnight Siblings," Autumn announced, a hint of amusement in her voice, "with the remaining horseshoe and… all the red surreal stones."
Canary gasped, her eyes widening. "All of them?"
Sparrow met her gaze, a silent confirmation passing between them. Twenty-odd surreal stones. Enough to potentially jump several levels. He hadn't expected this windfall.
He turned his attention back to the others, his face carefully neutral. "Alright."
As the teams began to gather their respective shares, Canary tugged at his sleeve. "Bro Cyclops, this is… a lot."
"Indeed, Pixie," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "Much more than anticipated."
He glanced down at the pile of stones, pulsating with a faint crimson light. "These stones alone should significantly increase our capabilities. Let's use them when we're back home."
She nodded, then pointed to the remaining horseshoe, lying innocently amidst the stones. "And the last horseshoe? Luck or survival, huh? That's also good."
"Essential," Sparrow corrected, his gaze hardening. "Whether it grants luck or an edge in survival, we'll need it. We will need both."
He knew, with a certainty that resonated deep within his soul, that this was just the beginning. The Headless Horsewoman was gone, but the ripples of Mr. Decree's actions had only just begun to spread.
---ooo---ooo---ooo---
The ethereal silence of the Secret Library hummed around them, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy of their recent encounter with the Headless Horsewoman.
The blurred figures of Sparrow, Canary, Autumn, and Raven sat around the long conference table, the polished surface reflecting the indistinct light.
It was late Monday night, four days since the dust had settled from their mission, and the air crackled with a quiet anticipation.
"Alright," Sparrow began, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the dreamscape. "I propose we invite Glaive Arksmith as a permanent member of the Library."
Autumn, who was leaning back in her chair with an air of casual confidence, raised an eyebrow. "Glaive Arksmith? Who is he? I don't think I've heard of him around the Agency. Is he reliable, Row?"
"It's Ogre from the Monster Squad, Li'l Aunt." Sparrow answered quickly.
"Oh, that white haired guy? The new member of Monster Squad?" Autumn quickly realized who Sparrow meant. "Well... I don't know much about him."
Raven, ever the pragmatist, folded her arms. "I'm not familiar with him either. What do you know of him, Canary?"
Canary, perched on the edge of her seat, her hazy braided hair swaying slightly, jumped in. "He's… well, he's a crazy grandpa addicted to martial arts and extreme sports! But he's quite dependable as far as I know. He can be trusted."
Autumn chuckled. "A crazy grandpa, huh?"
Canary gave out a blurred grin. "Birdbro always called him Gramp. And he can spar with Birdbro for hours. He is... crazy."
"Your rival, Row?"
"He's one of my best friends actually," answered Sparrow simply. "But I don't know that he's an awakened... until that Headless Horsewoman co-op mission. I can vouch for him. I know he's very trustworthy and capable."
Raven considered this, her expression thoughtful. "If you both vouch for him, I don't mind it. But, I'd prefer if our… connection remained unmentioned. I like my quiet life as a retired agent, thank you very much."
"That's actually a good idea," Autumn commented quickly. "If possible, I'd also like you not to reveal my identity."
A beat of silence hung in the air before Canary clapped her hands together. "I have an idea! Since we're all blurry here, and we'll probably have more members later, why don't we use the animal on our library card to call each other? It'll be easier to keep track."
The suggestion was met with nods of approval. It was a simple solution to a potential problem, a way to navigate the dreamscape's inherent ambiguity.
"Alright, sounds good," Autumn agreed. "So, what are our code names?"
"I suppose I'll be... Mr. Owl," Sparrow said, a hint of amusement in his voice. The library card suspended by the silvery lanyards around his neck did have a picture of an owl.
Canary giggled, showing off the picture on her identity card. "And I'm Ms. Dove, of course!"
Autumn grinned, affected by her niece's childish excitement. "Ms. Dolphin, reporting for duty!" She said as she showed her identity card.
Raven smiled faintly. "I shall be Ms. Swan, then." The identity card with the swan picture on her seemed to glow slightly as she said that.
With the formalities settled, Sparrow focused his mind, reaching out to Glaive. The translucent screen in golden light once more appeared in the library. This time, a portrait image of a young man with white hair could be seen in the screen, along with some of his information... name: Glaive Keenheart Arksmith, age: 18, etc.
Wordlessly, Sparrow's obscured hand touched the screen, sending out a mental call to Glaive, yearning for a response. For a few seconds nothing happened, but then... the golden light of the screen glowed stronger until a blinding light covered the whole space.
A moment later, the tall, muscular form of Glaive Arksmith materialized beside the conference table, his white hair stark against the blurred background. He blinked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Gramp! It's me." Sparrow greeted him.
"Birdboy? Where am I?"
Sparrow gave a brief explanation of the Secret Library and how he acquired it. He also explained its rules and its potential. He emphasized the knowledge-sharing aspect, knowing that would pique Glaive's interest.
"So, interested to join as a permanent member?" Sparrow asked.
"Wait! If I don't join as a member, I won't remember this place?"
"Yep."
Glaive looked around and finally focused his gaze on the blurred Canary. "This must be Little Birdgirl, right? Who are the others?"
"Yo, Crazy Grandpa!" Canary greeted him in cheerful tone, didn't seem to be angry to be called Little Birdgirl.
Sparrow sighed. "We don't use our normal nickname here. What's the point of our blurry forms if we do so."
He paused for a while and continued. "That one is Ms. Dove. The other two are Ms. Dolphin and Ms. Swan. Their identities are... confidential for now. Anyway, I am called Mr. Owl here. You will also gained your own designated code name when you join."
"That's kind of... cringey, you know?"
"Should I call you Mr. Ogre then? Or Lord Mighty Blade? Or the Dojo Breaker? Or White-haired Hero? Or..." Sparrow started listing the nicknames Glaive had somehow acquired.
Glaive quickly raised his hands. "Okay, okay. Point taken."
"So, are you joining or not?"
"Alright. I'm in." Glaive agreed. "But that was just because you and Little... Ms. Dove are here."
Sparrow scoffed at that and made a simple gesture. A new identity card immediately appeared, tied to a silvery lanyard around Glaive's neck. The crispy clear card shimmered with the symbol of a raging badger, the word 'Courage' engraved in archaic fonts above the symbol.
"Now, you are Mr. Badger."
Glaive examined the card briefly, his expression slowly shifting from confusion to intrigued understanding. "So, what should I do here?"
Sparrow grabbed some empty books from the air and gave them to Glaive. "Try to share your knowledge first. Think of turning your knowledge about anything into a book while holding any of those books."
"Anything? I can put all my martial arts knowledge in this place?"
"Exactly," Sparrow confirmed. "Think of it as a repository of shared knowledge, a place where we can all learn and grow."
Glaive's eyes gleamed. Without another word, he closed his eyes, focusing his mind. The others watched, their blurred forms leaning forward with anticipation.
After a few moments, two new books appeared on the table: Fundamental Martial Arts and Extreme Martial Arts. A triumphant grin spread across Glaive's face.
"There you go! Everything I know about fighting."
He wasn't done, though. With another surge of mental effort, a series of additional books materialized... Skydiving Basic Knowledge, Rock Climbing Mastery, Parkour Acrobatics, Rafting: Tools and Techniques, and The Art of Cave Diving.
Looking at those titles, Canary squealed with delight. "Wow, Mr. Badger! I don't expect you to know much about these things. I thought you were just a crazy thug in botched old man disguise."
"Wait! That's what you think about me?"
"Thought, thought. I changed my mind just now." Canary stuck her tongue out, very strange in her hazy form. "Now, to know this much, you are definitely an old guy with strange hobbies. Did you regress into your youth or what?"
"You little..."
Autumn, always eager to expand her skill set, had picked up Rock Climbing Mastery. "This could come in handy on future missions."
Raven, ever the practical one, reached for Skydiving Basic Knowledge. "A good skill to have, just in case."
Sparrow simply nodded, pleased with Glaive's contribution. The Secret Library was growing, becoming richer with each new addition.
For the next few hours, the five members of the Secret Library immersed themselves in learning. Sparrow delved into Glaive's martial art compilations, seeking to refine his own skills with the knowledge... although most of the things written there were what he had already known.
Canary, with her boundless energy, flitted between books on parkour and gymnastics, eager to learn new acrobatic maneuvers. She made playful mocking jokes at her brother and Glaive once in a while though.
Autumn, with her characteristic focus, methodically studied the intricacies of rock climbing, visualizing herself scaling impossible heights.
Raven, while intrigued by skydiving, also spent time reviewing the information shared by the invited guests who were not permanent members, sifting through the accumulated knowledge for any clues or patterns.
Glaive himself scoured the books already documented in the library. He was especially interested in the MIST Union Secret Information Series and the Encyclopedia of Surreal Realmgates.
Mr. Owl, Ms. Dove, Ms. Dolphin, Ms. Swan, and Mr. Badger. They were an unlikely team, bound together by circumstance, a shared purpose, and the surreal reality of the Secret Library.
As the dreamscape shifted and swirled around them, they continued to learn, to grow, and to prepare for the challenges that lay ahead, united in their vigilance against the unseen threats that lurked beneath the surface of Mearth.