Episode: "The Library of Evergreen"
The dungeon had grown quiet again.
Dust drifted slowly through the narrow tunnel as Sam and the cloaked wizard stood catching their breath after escaping the Dungeon Warden.
Far behind them, the monster's distant roars still echoed through the maze of ruins.
But it was getting farther away.
Finally, the wizard straightened their cloak and tapped their crooked staff against the stone floor.
"Well then," they said with dramatic dignity. "Our temporary alliance concludes here."
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"Already?"
The wizard sniffed.
"I have more important matters to attend to than wandering endless tunnels with a lightning barbarian."
Sam crossed his arms.
"You keep saying that like it's an insult."
"It is an insult."
Sam shrugged.
The wizard adjusted their hood, clearly regaining their usual confidence now that they weren't being chased by a six-meter monster.
"I shall return to my fellow scholars," the wizard continued, voice carrying a hint of excitement. "They will be most interested to hear about the strange lightning mage wandering the ancient ruins."
Sam squinted slightly.
"…You're gonna tell people about me?"
The wizard smiled beneath the hood.
"Oh yes."
They pointed their staff at him.
"A man who throws exploding magic spheres while wielding a ghost-slaying blade?"
The wizard chuckled.
"That story will spread quickly."
Sam sighed.
"Great."
The wizard began walking down a side corridor.
Before disappearing into the shadows they stopped and glanced back.
"Until we meet again… Lightning Wizard."
Sam waved casually.
"Try not to summon any ancient nightmare gods."
"No promises."
And with that, the wizard vanished into the maze of tunnels.
Somewhere Else in the Dungeon
Sam stood alone again.
He stretched his arms.
"Well… that guy was weird."
He looked down the long corridor he originally came from.
"Alright. Time to head back."
He had explored enough for one day.
The dungeon clearly had much deeper layers, and something like the Dungeon Warden suggested there were even stronger creatures further below.
Sam turned and started jogging back through the maze.
The tunnels twisted endlessly.
Left.
Right.
Up a staircase.
Across a broken bridge over a glowing underground river.
Eventually he found the corridor he remembered.
"Yep. This looks familiar."
He stepped forward—
CLICK.
Sam stopped.
"…Oh."
The floor beneath him opened instantly.
"OH—"
The trap door dropped out from under his feet.
Sam fell straight down.
"WOOAA—!"
CRASH.
He landed in a pile of old books.
Dust exploded into the air.
For a moment everything was silent.
Sam groaned and slowly sat up.
"…Okay."
He brushed parchment fragments off his clothes.
"That was rude."
Then he looked around.
And froze.
The chamber around him was enormous.
Towering stone shelves stretched toward the ceiling, stacked with thousands of ancient books and scrolls.
Floating blue lanterns drifted slowly through the air, still glowing despite the centuries that must have passed.
Massive stone statues of strange robed figures stood between the shelves.
The entire room smelled like ancient paper and old magic.
Sam blinked.
"…Whoa."
He stood up slowly.
Every step echoed across the polished stone floor.
The books looked incredibly old.
Some were bound in strange leather.
Others were sealed with glowing magical runes.
Then
The system chimed.
---
SYSTEM ALERT
Legendary Discovery
Location Identified:
The Lost Magical Library of Evergreen
---
Sam stared at the notification.
"…Evergreen?"
More system windows appeared.
---
HISTORICAL DATA
Evergreen was one of the most powerful ancient ice wizards in the early magical era of Ooo.
This hidden archive contains lost magical knowledge from the Pre-Mushroom War civilization.
Possible Rewards:
• Advanced spell knowledge
• Ancient magical techniques
• Rare magical artifacts
---
Sam slowly turned in a circle, staring at the endless shelves of magical books.
"…You're telling me I just fell into a wizard library?"
The system chimed again.
---
NEW MISSION
Explore the Library of Evergreen
Objectives:
• Discover lost magical knowledge
• Recover spell techniques
• Locate magical artifacts hidden within the archive
Reward:
Unknown
---
Sam grinned.
"Oh man."
He walked toward the nearest shelf and pulled out a glowing blue book.
The cover read:
"Principles of Storm Manipulation – Volume II."
Sam laughed.
"Well."
He flipped the book open.
"This is gonna be fun."
Far above the hidden library…
The ancient dungeon continued shifting.
And somewhere in the distant magical world…
Whispers of a new lightning wizard had begun spreading.
After going through some books Sam decided to leave, a few minutes later he reaches the entrance,
Sam carefully climbed out of the dungeon entrance beneath the valley.
The late afternoon sun hit his face as he stepped back onto the surface world of ruined highways and broken hills.
For a moment he simply stood there, breathing in the fresh air.
"Man… I was down there longer than I thought."
The sewer entrance behind him gurgled softly as water flowed through the cracked pipes.
Sam reached into his bag and pulled out the ancient book he had taken.
"Principles of Storm Manipulation – Volume II."
The cover shimmered faintly with old magic.
Sam ran his hand over it with a satisfied grin.
"So that library is real…"
He looked back toward the sewer entrance.
"I'll definitely come back tomorrow."
A whole magical library hidden underground…
That kind of discovery could change everything.
Sam tucked the book safely into his pack.
Then he stretched his arms.
"Well. Time to head home."
Lightning flickered lightly around his legs.
And Sam sprinted.
15 Minutes Later
The ruined city blurred past him as he ran across broken streets and collapsed buildings.
The familiar grocery store finally appeared ahead.
Sam slowed down.
He had a relaxed smile on his face.
"Wonder what Elena cooked today…"
He pushed open the cracked glass door.
The bell above it jingled faintly.
But—
No voices greeted him.
No children laughing.
No fire crackling.
Just silence.
Sam stopped walking.
"…Elena?"
His voice echoed through the empty aisles.
No response.
The store felt cold.
Wrong.
Sam's heart rate immediately increased.
He walked faster toward the back room where they had been staying.
"Elena?"
Nothing.
The fire pit was cold.
The blankets were gone.
The pillow nest they had built together had been torn apart.
Sam's chest tightened.
"Guys…?"
Still nothing.
Then he saw it.
Scratches on the floor.
Overturned crates.
A broken shelf.
Signs of a struggle.
Sam slowly crouched down.
His eyes narrowed.
There were footprints.
Small ones.
Running.
And beside them
Large paw prints.
Wolf tracks.
Many of them.
Sam froze.
"…Wolves."
His hands slowly clenched.
The tracks showed something else too.
The humans had been running.
Fast.
Escaping.
The wolves had chased them out of the store.
Sam stood up slowly.
His breathing had become heavier.
"No…"
He walked outside and followed the tracks for a short distance.
The trail quickly scattered across the road.
Too many directions.
Too many broken paths.
It was impossible to tell where they had gone.
Sam stood there silently in the middle of the ruined street.
Wind moved through the empty buildings.
For a long moment…
He said nothing.
His mind replayed the memory of the previous night.
Elena smiling softly near the fire.
The children laughing.
The warmth of bodies under blankets.
Her whisper in the dark.
Her arms around him.
For the first time since the world changed…
Sam had started to feel like he wasn't alone.
Now
The grocery store behind him was empty again.
Sam rubbed his face with both hands.
"…Damn it."
His voice was quieter now.
"They were supposed to be safe here…"
He walked back into the store slowly.
The silence felt heavier now.
Sam sat down on one of the overturned crates.
For a moment his head lowered.
He was used to fighting monsters.
Killing oozers.
Facing vampires.
But this…
This was worse.
The not knowing.
Were they alive?
Did they escape?
Or had the wolves…
Sam shook his head violently.
"No."
He refused to finish that thought.
His jaw tightened.
"They're tough."
He remembered Elena.
The strength in her voice.
The way she protected her children.
"…She wouldn't give up that easily."
Sam stood up again.
His eyes had hardened.
The world outside was becoming more dangerous every day.
People were scattering.
Cities were collapsing.
Survivors were moving constantly.
Finding someone again in a world like this…
Would be nearly impossible.
But Sam still looked at the horizon.
"…If they're alive…"
Lightning flickered quietly around his fingers.
"…I'll find them someday."
He turned back toward the store.
There was nothing left here now.
Just echoes.
And memories.
Sam picked up his pack again.
Tomorrow he would return to the dungeon.
Train.
Grow stronger.
Learn the storm magic from the ancient library.
Because the world was only getting worse.
And if he wanted to protect anyone in the future…
He would need power.
A lot more power.
Sam walked out of the empty grocery store.
The evening sun was beginning to set.
And somewhere far away…
Elena and the children were still running through the broken world of Ooo.