Chapter 58: Adventurers and Their Suspicions

[Give me a chance. I’ll behave.]

[Don’t lock me in a room with Sable. Please!]

Amid the pleas of the tawny leatherbound codex, or the Sacred Codex, as Demonkind called it, a specially modified detonation Puffcap swallowed the book into its body.

The Puffcap ran to the rock wall at the deepest end of the mushroom forest and began using [Stone Eater] to form stone armor.

Eventually, it would turn into an inconspicuous stone block. Sustained by the mycelial mat connected beneath it, the Puffcap would temporarily seal the book away.

The codex was evil, but its abilities were undeniably powerful.

After Evan, Dylan, and Sable interrogated it together, they had gained a general understanding of its functions.

It absorbed the souls of the dead to improve its holder’s base Stats, just as Dylan had experienced.

Naturally, the power had limitations. Excessive use would contaminate the holder’s soul with too many conflicting fragments, eventually driving them insane.

In addition to that core function, it possessed exceptionally strong scouting abilities. Otherwise, it could never have guided Dylan to the cave where the bear lived.

It could also provoke certain emotions. For example, it might suddenly fill a target’s heart with rage. The power worked well on monsters driven by instinct, though it was less effective against intelligent creatures.

And, of course, it could Charm people through its writing.

Honestly, that kind of “Charm” was very different from what Evan had imagined.

Why was it called the Sacred Codex, and why did it not want to fall into Demonkind hands?

According to the book, it did not know why Demonkind addressed it so reverently. Despite the respectful name, they would take it home and lock it in a room with Sable.

Evan saw nothing wrong with their approach. A dangerous book like this would give even Demonkind a headache.

Ultimately, sealing it away was his only reasonable choice.

The codex possessed self-awareness, but it was still a magic artifact, so Evan could not see a Status Panel for it. He had no way to verify much of what it claimed. Worse, whenever he asked about its origins or purpose, it insisted that it did not know and had simply been born with a fondness for souls.