Book Eater

Chapter 4 - The Greedy Grimoire (4)

Theo gulped unknowingly. It was because the sound of Gluttony calling him, seemingly from the depths of an abyss, had caused him to stiffen. He tried to relax and say something, but his lips wouldn't open. Fortunately, the voice was there to remind him.

[The greedy grimoire, Gluttony, has filled its hunger. Gluttony's intelligence has been restored temporarily. It is willing to repay the owner who filled its stomach.]

[Gluttony's current state is incomplete. Please provide it plenty of food in the future to restore its performance. Gluttony will fall into a deep sleep except when asking for food. It will answer one question immediately after it feels full. The wisdom of the old grimoire, Gluttony, is truly vast.]

[Please ask your question before Gluttony goes to sleep.]

The explanation was verbose, but the conclusion was simple.

One question and answer... It meant he would receive one answer to one question. According to the strange voice, Gluttony was a very ancient grimoire. It must have spent years swallowing books, so the knowledge it had would be enormous. Even if it had only eaten one book a day, that would be over three hundred books in a year. If all the books were related to magic, then the value truly couldn't be measured.

For magicians who sought endless wisdom, the value of this conversation might be greater than the heart of a dragon.

What question should I ask?

He didn't have much time to consider. This little guy only opened its eyes for a moment because it was hungry, but it would soon fall into a deep sleep. Theo didn't know how long it would take, but he knew it wouldn't be long. What should be asked and what answers would be sought? Theo looked within himself.

I have to ask something that will help me now.

The knowledge of ancient magic was meaningless to Theo, who had just become a 2nd Circle master. After all, knowing the location of a hidden treasure didn't mean one could obtain it. There was an old tale which told how being overly greedy would invite disaster. Theo wasn't going to be an idiot like them. If so, he already knew what he wanted to ask.

"I will ask a question."

- What, I wonder? Gluttony responded briefly.

The voice was still creepy, but Theo was getting used to it. Although he couldn't stop the chill running down his spine, he managed to open his mouth.

"Gluttony, I want to ask for information about you. Let me know what type of grimoire you are."

There was silence for a moment. Was it an unexpected question? Theo didn't know. He just felt that the voice became clearer.

- Alright. Gluttony acknowledged Theo's question and continued.

- Understand me, your insight, narrow, poor. Words... can't... convey.

Theo frowned. The grimoire couldn't convey it in language? It was the same as saying it couldn't answer the question, and the reason was because Theo's insight was narrow and poor. Theo had never fallen behind when it came to his brain, yet he couldn't reach the ancient grimoire's standards.

- My, information, visualize. Human, master, like, method.

"Visualize?"

- This, the feeling.

Odd characters flowed from the palm of his left hand to Theo's head. There were numbers, letters, and concepts from different languages. He felt dizzy and understood why Gluttony couldn't communicate it through language. It was a huge behemoth which defied common sense.