Chapter 7: Golden Apples

*What the fuck... was that?* I muttered as I got up from the ground, feeling a little numb.

The cloak I threw at my side disappeared. The book in front of me looked different again, its cover was full of weird-looking red lilies.

Sigh.

'... I should've been more careful with this book.'

After throwing the book under the bed, I dizzily collapsed on top of it.

...

In a stinky, dark alley in the magical city, a man with glowing green eyes walked confidently at a moderate pace.

*Mors ignavis et benignis.* He muttered in front of a particularly dirty wall.

As the wall started glowing slightly from the magic circles engraved in it, a bar could be seen on the other side.

Hmm?

The man smiled faintly after noticing a few people were glaring at him as he walked into the bar.

"Hello, Steph. How have you been lately?" He smiled kindly at the bartender, who was sitting down on the stool.

"... Edward, you do know you're not welcome here, don't you?" Stephanie glanced at a particular table, where a revenant was sitting.

"Don't be silly, old friend. I didn't come looking for trouble this time." His eyes glowed a sickening shade of green as he glanced at a few people who cowered slightly.

"... So, the other times you wer-?"

"Let's cut to the chase." Her eyes twitched slightly as Edward interrupted her.

"Go ahead..."

"Well, I'm here to offer you a sweet deal in exchange for that nice neckless of yours." He cut her off as he put his hands in what seemed to be a rift in space and took out a robe with flowered patterns in it.

"..." Stephanie stared at the robe in Edward's hands and put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

"What do you say...?" He looked at her with puppy-dog eyes.

Hmm?

"This robe is great, but it stil-" As she started to fold the robe back to give it to Edward, she noticed that no one was in front of her.

"The fuck did I expect..." Stephanie nearly tore the robe to bits as her purple eyes seemed to gain a different hue.

Sigh.

On top of the bar were a golden apple and a note.

[I will pay you back later <3]< p>

As the other customers took a look at the golden apple, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

...

Urgh.

"Stay down." As I tried to get up, a soft hand pushed me into the bed again as something heavy got on top of me.

"What... happened?" As I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a pair of golden pupils staring at me.

"You were having a fever." Her usually emotionless abyssal eyes seemed concerned.

"... Why are you on top of me?"

Sniff, sniff.

"You seem fine now. I will get the maid to check on you." She said as she got up and left the tent.

Urghh.

As I sat down, the only things that came to mind were that voice... the book... and... flowers? As I looked at my body, everything seemed fine, just the weird smell of roses seemed to have gone away. Now a smell of some kind of unknown flower had taken its place.

*Fuck...* As I pulled the book that was under the bed, I felt dizzy again.

"I can open it now..." My eyebrows furrowed as every page was blank, but one.

//

"Table of Contents:

01 - Basics of Deviant Magic:

02 - Basics of Conjuration:

03 - Practical Shapeshifting:

04 - Advanced Mind Arts:

05 - Spellcreation Techniques:

06 - Mana Weaving:

07 - ..."

\\

A list full of surreal magic subjects was in front of me, but a few in particular stood out.

"Deviant Magic, Shapeshifting, and Conjuration... Was this book written by a Demi-god?" Although the pages were still blank, I kept the book open and tried a variety of different methods to analyze it.

Urghhh.

"What's the use of a book with mind blowing magic if I can't read the mind-blowing magic...?"

*If you can't read...? Permission...* After mumbling for a few seconds, I started analyzing myself instead of the book.

As I concentrated all my mana into my right hand, weird red flowers started sprouting from my skin and withered right after. A smile unexpectedly appeared on my face as my eyes locked onto the book in front of me.

A golden apple materialized in front of the book. I started salivating, lunged towards the apple as if dominated by sheer instinct, and devoured it like a hungry beast. My usually bright eyes were dull.

Munch, munch, munch.

'Well, done.'

On the open blank page of the book, a new phrase appeared in stylish handwriting.

As I looked at those words, my sense of reason instantly came back as I kicked the book away as far as I could.

"Mind-Control..." As my mind raced through all the possibilities about what just happened, I could only come to one conclusion.

Tsk.

I started casting the few diagnosis-related spells I'd known, one after another. After calming my breath and seeing that I wasn't being mind controlled at the moment, I slowly came to a decision.

"It at the very least can erase my short-term memory..."

Sigh.

"This is dangerous, but..."

Curiosity gnawed at me as I slowly walked towards the book and briskly picked it up.

"... Let's try again."