Chapter 5: Double Rewards

The six grimoires hovered in a slow, silent circle before Klaus, each one radiating its own eerie aura.

The night air around them seemed chilly.

Klaus’s eyes locked onto the first one. It was a thick blood red leather cover with blackened iron clasps that twisted like thorns.

The cover pulsed faintly, as if something inside was breathing.

’Looks pretty cool actually,’ he thought as he leaned closer to it.

Jen shook her head instantly, her tiny flames flickering in alarm. “Master, this book… no good.”

“No good?” Klaus blinked, surprised. “It looks fucking badass.”

“It feels evil.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, her body shuddered once. “Like it wants to drink something.”

Klaus frowned. ’Hm.’ Then he turned to the second one.

It was pitch black, truly black, as if it were devouring the moonlight that touched it. Small hairline cracks of deep violet spiderwebbed across the surface, glowing faintly like veins of a starless night.

“How about this one?” He pointed.

Jen shrugged, her flames steady but wary. No words from her this time.

“This is the one that looks evil to me,” Klaus muttered, giving the pitch black book one last glance before shifting to the third.

It was pale blue white, almost translucent, etched with delicate snowflake patterns that seemed to shift when he wasn’t looking directly at them.

“I’m assuming ice magic…?” He glanced at Jen.

She didn’t nod or shake her head. Instead, she floated closer, her voice soft this time around.

“Master Klaus, the cover doesn’t necessarily reveal a book’s true intention. Never judge a—”

“—book by its cover, yeah.” Klaus sighed, finishing the saying with a wry smile. “Got it.”

The fourth one seemed full of energy. The cover was deep indigo threaded with silver lightning patterns that crackled faintly.

The moment he stared, a jolt of static lifted the hairs on his neck and arms.

’Interesting.’

The fifth was the dullest he saw, plain gray and etched with faint white scribbles that twisted in ways that hurt for him to follow.

“Jen, can you read those scribbles?”

“They’re runes, Master,” she said innocently while shaking her head. “But far too complex for me.”

’Runes, huh.’ Klaus rubbed his temple. But complex usually meant powerful.

The sixth was midnight blue, dusted with scattered star like specks that seemed to move slowly across the cover, like a living night sky.

Klaus exhaled while rubbing his cheek. The cold night air bit at his bare skin, reminding him he was still shirtless, exiled, and standing in the dirt with six potentially world breaking grimoires floating in front of him.

“We need to pick two,” he said quietly.

Jen hovered closer, her flames brightening with excitement. “Yes, Master! But choose carefully. Some grimoires… can make you evil…”

Klaus felt a chill on his body that had nothing to do with the wind.

The system hadn’t lied, he could only pick two and the rest would vanish. They might appear later, but he couldn’t be sure.

He circled slowly, his eyes flicking from one to the next.

His heart raced, but not from fear. From excitement.

’Alright,’ he thought. ’Let’s see what kind of monster I can become.’

The grimoires seemed to lean in, as if waiting for his picks.

“Let me go with… uh,” he scratched his head, then with a blazing smile tapped on the fourth and fifth books.

Jen nodded, seeming satisfied with his picks. Then all six books disappeared and red panels appeared before him.

[Grimoire of Stormweave]

[Lvl: 1]

[Starting abilities unlocked:]

[- Thunder Lash]

[- Wind Burst]

[Grimoire of Soulforge]

[Lvl: 1]

[Starting abilities unlocked:]

[- Soul Spark]

[- Wraith Bind]

“Whoa!” Klaus shouted in pure excitement after seeing the abilities.

Jen circled him in excitement. “These skills are so good!” She smiled wholeheartedly as she kept spinning.

’But what do these abilities actually do…’ he scratched his head while trying to analyze his new abilities.

“We should try them out… somewhere safe,” he looked around, seeing the houses of the village around them.

Even though he didn’t know anyone, he still didn’t want to accidentally destroy the homes of innocent people.

Jen nodded in understanding as they both looked at each other.

“Let’s head North then,” Klaus said, remembering his mother’s words.

Jen pointed in the direction; however, it was just the forest again.

“Let’s just go then…?” Klaus asked as he was about to take cautious steps. However, before that, he looked at his storage ring.

“How does this thing work?” He tapped on it and a shirt popped out with a robe way too ginormous for Klaus.

’Better than nothing,’ he sighed and put the clothes on, finally not feeling the cold of the night.

“Hah—ahhaa,” Jen was trying to hold herself back from chuckling at the sight of Klaus in the huge robe.

“Funny huh?” It was fluttering around his arms as he took steps in the direction given by Jen.

Hours passed by, however they seemed like days as the endless forest stretched in front of them.

As they looked back, the village wasn’t even visible anymore at all.

He looked at Jen with a wry smile then rubbed his hands together.

“Let’s test out the new spells,” he chuckled like an evil super villain and summoned both of his new grimoires.

’Soulforge, Stormweave,’ The indigo book and gray book both floated in front of him. For the first time since reincarnating he truly felt like a mage.

’Just like back then eh?’ He cracked his knuckles as both of the books opened on the first page.

“Now let’s try some stuff out,” he looked at Stormweave, focused his mind, and called out inside his head.

’Thunder Lash!’

As soon as he said inside his head a quick arc of lightning struck from his palms directly at a tree that exploded into pieces.

Klaus nearly got stuck by a branch but he managed to duck just barely.

A faint burning scent lingered in the air as some smoke erupted from the tree remains.

“WOAHH” both Jen and Klaus exclaimed at the same time smiling as they looked at each other.

“I’m getting strong, and this is just level one,” Klaus jumped in joy as Jen clapped at his performance.

“As for the rest of the abilities, we’ll see—”

“Damn you aren’t that bad,” a voice spoke up from above them, a presence they couldn’t even feel watching them. Not even Jen felt it.

“You piqued my interest boy,” the voice chuckled like it was a comedy show.

’Attack!’

As soon as she heard Klaus’s voice she instantly conjured a flaming spear and launched it in the direction, but it dissolved instantly.

’Thunder Lash,’ As soon as the lightning arc got conjured it got destroyed within that same second, quicker than Jen and Klaus could blink.

“Who are you?” Klaus asked, still on guard.

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