Knowledge Is Power: The Last Reader

The book had been sitting in the pile for three days before either of them bothered to actually read it.

Aria had been too busy learning spells—Greater Heal, Light Shield, something called "Radiant Burst" that she was pretty sure would be useful in a fight. Kelme had been too busy burning breakfast and complaining about his human senses.

But now, sitting in the blue glow of the cave, they finally cracked open the history of the Dead Man’s Wonderland.

"Listen to this," Aria said, reading aloud. "The ancient tombs beneath the Crimson Peaks are said to contain artifacts of immense power. However, no expedition has ever returned from the depths. The tombs are protected by ancient wards, undead guardians, and—" She paused, squinting at the text. "—a very aggressive mimic colony."

"A mimic colony?" Kelme asked, his brow furrowing. "Like, treasure chests that eat people?"

"Like treasure chests that eat people. And chairs that eat people. And probably doors that eat people."

"Who builds a door that eats people?"

"The same people who build a goose that attacks intruders. The archmages of the Crimson Peaks had a very particular sense of humor."

Aria flipped through the pages, her eyes widening as she read about the treasures, the dangers, and the stories of those who’d tried and failed to conquer the tombs.

"This is exactly what we need," she said. "We need to go here. We need to explore these tombs."

"Are you insane? Nobody gets out of those tombs. The book just said that. Nobody gets out."

"Nobody gets out because nobody’s prepared. But we’re prepared. We have light magic, healing magic, and—" She gestured at him. "You."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means you have a thousand years of experience. You’ve seen things. You’ve survived things. You know how to spot a trap before it springs."

Kelme was quiet for a moment, turning her words over in his mind. "That’s true," he said slowly. "I have survived a lot. I’ve also died a lot, metaphorically speaking. But that’s not the point."

"The point is, we need to explore those tombs. But we can’t do it alone. We need an explorer. Someone who knows the terrain, who can navigate the tunnels, who can—"

"Wait." Kelme held up a hand. "Explorers aren’t just wandering around waiting to be hired. You have to go through the Adventurer’s Guild."

"The Adventurer’s Guild?"

"It’s the only way to hire someone legitimate. You register, you get a rank, you take quests. It’s all very bureaucratic."

Aria sighed. "Bureaucracy. My favorite."

---

The Adventurer’s Guild was a massive building in the heart of the capital, its walls lined with quest boards, its halls filled with adventurers of all shapes and sizes. Aria and Kelme stood at the entrance, their masks firmly in place, trying to look like they belonged.

"Okay," Aria said, her voice low. "We walk in, we register, we get our ranks, we find an explorer. Simple."

"Nothing is ever simple."

"Stop being pessimistic."

"I’m not being pessimistic. I’m being realistic. There’s a difference."

They walked through the doors, and Aria felt the weight of dozens of eyes on her. Adventurers were a suspicious lot, always sizing up new arrivals, always looking for weaknesses.

She kept her head high, her shoulders back, and tried to look like she knew what she was doing.

The registration desk was manned by a bored-looking woman with glasses and a permanent scowl.

"Names?" she asked, not looking up from her paperwork.

"Aria," Aria said. "And this is Kelme."

The woman scribbled something on a form. "Ranks?"

"Novice," Kelme said smoothly. "We’re new."

"New." The woman finally looked up, her eyes narrowing. "You don’t look new."

"We’re very experienced new people," Aria said. "We’ve been training for years."

"Training for years to be novices?"

"It’s a very specific kind of training."

The woman stared at them for a long moment, then shrugged. "Fine. Fill out these forms, take the entrance exam, and we’ll assign you a rank."

She pushed two forms across the desk, and Aria and Kelme took them, exchanging a look.

"Entrance exam?" Aria whispered.

"Don’t worry," Kelme whispered back. "I’ve taken dozens of these. They’re always the same."

"They’re always the same?"

"Combat test, written test, and a puzzle. Adventurers hate puzzles."

---

Aria was halfway through her form when she noticed the wanted posters on the wall behind the registration desk.

Her blood ran cold.

There, in the center of the wall, was Kelme’s face. His vampire face. The one he’d worn for centuries, with its pale skin, sharp features, and those cold, predatory eyes.

The poster read: WANTED: THE CHARMING KILLER. REWARD: 10,000 GOLD. ALIVE ONLY.

"Alive only?" Aria whispered, her eyes wide. "Why alive only?"

Kelme glanced at the poster, his expression unreadable. "What can I say? I was a really horrible person as a vampire."

"Horrible? The reward is 10,000 gold. An entire kingdom could rise an army with that money."

"Yeah, a bunch of kingdoms actually rose that money. I messed with them so much that they want to kill me personally. But also, I charmed members of their families, which is probably why they want me alive."

Aria stared at him. "You charmed their families?"

"Vampire thing. It’s what I did. I was brilliant at it." He paused, looking almost proud of himself. "I was a brilliant, horrible person. It’s actually kind of impressive when you think about it."

"I’m thinking about selling you out right now."

"Don’t. I’m useful. And you’d miss me."

"Would I, though?"

"Yes. You absolutely would. I’m very charming."

They finished their forms and made their way to the testing area. The combat test was held in a massive arena, its walls lined with spectators and evaluators. The air was thick with anticipation, the scent of sweat and adrenaline.

Aria stepped into the arena, her heart pounding. She’d faced monsters. She’d faced vampires. She’d faced the Dead Man’s Wonderland itself. But somehow, this felt different.

This was a test. A judgment. A chance to prove herself.

"Begin," a voice boomed from above.

The training dummies activated—dozens of them, all at once. They moved with an unnatural speed, their wooden limbs swinging with deadly precision.

Aria moved.

She was a blur of light and motion, her body responding instinctively to the threats around her. She ducked under a swing, rolled to the side, and launched herself at the nearest dummy. Her fist connected with its chest, and it exploded into splinters.

The audience gasped.

Aria didn’t stop. She was already moving to the next dummy, her movements fluid and precise. Light gathered in her palms, and she released it in a burst that sent three dummies flying across the arena.

The evaluators were on their feet now, their eyes wide with disbelief. They’d never seen anything like this. Never seen a novice move with such grace, such power, such... presence.

Aria felt the light surging through her, not as a weapon but as an extension of herself. It flowed through her veins, pulsed in her heart, and exploded outward in a wave of pure, blinding radiance. The remaining dummies disintegrated, reduced to ash in an instant.

Silence.

Then, slowly, the arena erupted in applause. The evaluators were cheering, some of them even laughing. The woman from the registration desk was staring at her with an expression of pure amazement.

"Holy—" Kelme started, but he couldn’t finish. He was too stunned.

Aria stood in the center of the arena, breathing heavily, her body trembling with adrenaline. She looked at her hands, still glowing with residual light, and felt a strange sense of peace.

That, she thought, was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. And the most exhilarating.

She looked up at the evaluators, a wild grin spreading across her face.

"Is that enough to pass?"

The evaluators were still recovering when Kelme stepped into the arena.

"Your turn," one of them said, his voice hoarse. "Try to keep up with your partner."

Kelme smiled. It was a soft, unassuming smile, the kind that made you want to trust him. The kind that made you forget he’d been a monster for centuries.

"I’ll do my best," he said.

The dummies activated again, and Kelme didn’t move. He just stood there, his hands in his pockets, his expression serene.

The dummies rushed toward him, and Kelme spoke.

"You don’t want to fight me," he said, his voice smooth and hypnotic. "You want to fight each other."

The dummies stopped. They turned to face each other, their wooden limbs twitching. Then, in a burst of chaotic violence, they attacked each other.

The audience stared in disbelief.

"What’s he doing?" someone whispered.

"I don’t know," another voice answered. "It’s like he’s controlling them somehow."

Kelme watched the chaos unfold, his expression calm. He’d done this a thousand times before, in a thousand different ways. It was his gift. His curse. His nature.

When the last dummy was destroyed, he turned to the evaluators and smiled.

"May I have my result now?"

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