The steps down were made-up of [Cobblerite], the same went for the seating and stage. A large hole in the dome provided an unobstructed view up into the ocean of blue light from [Starmoss]—speaking of, Quintin found that by putting them in his [Storage], they retained their use as a source of instant illumination. Easy as it was to find around here, he now had a healthy collection of the glow-bright stuff.

He leapt onto the stage and saw ancient mounds of scattered heirlooms from a long-forgotten past. Rusty music stands and old instruments in various states of disrepair mixed with the commonly-found rubble-dust of everywhere else. As he scanned past them, one place in particular stuck out like bleeding, fret-worked fingers. It was near the back of the shell-stage on the floor; a spotless, square outline with an embedded ring pull-handle.

A trapdoor! he exclaimed in moderate surprise. Oddly suspicious, but there are no signs of foot-traffic in the dust. [Identify].

[Self-Cleansing Trapdoor]

-Common

-Enchantment: Basic

A regular door outfitted with a basic enchantment.

*Enchantment: Self-Cleansing

Quintin stepped forward and pulled up on the pull-handle. With a groan and shrill squeak, it only rose up by a fourth before it broke off its hinges, plummeting down and against the equally decayed stair-system. A poof of dust blasted outward from the impact at the bottom. He could jump down with no problems, but it would be difficult to get back up, so he piled up some loose [Cobblerite] stones, tying a length of rope around and in-between them for when he was finished. He dropped the rope and several [Starmoss] clusters into the doorless shaft and took a peak.

It appeared to be a simple storeroom that held more rusty and decayed objects, much like up top. However, at the edge of his vision, another door was vaguely present. Since it seemed safe enough, he dropped down the eight or nine feet to the bottom and tossed more moss closer to the door-shape. It was pristine and faintly pulsed with what could only be described as [Magic]. He went straight over to the door; considering the state of everything else he found, nothing else was worth his time.

He passed his hand over its surface, and it came away without dust or grime of any kind. A keyhole in the door brought to mind the two keys from the journal, so he brought them out to try.

The first one did nothing, but the second went in. With a click-clack, the door silently swung open and revealed a small office space in neat and speckless conditions. Inside was a desk, bookshelf, and a few chairs with papers scattered about on the seat-cushion. A book of some design stood out on top of the desk.

Quintin walked around to the other side to get a closer look at it. Incomprehensible symbols flashed by as he flipped through the pages. I guess that settles the idea that only things related or outlined by titles and quests are decipherable, he thought.

He still leafed through it all the way in case there were hidden items and put it in his storage. Maybe Vissitri will read it to me if and when we meet up again.

The desk itself had a few drawers, but the one that drew his attention was locked with another keyhole. Unlike the last time, he put the right key in first. A gentle click accompanied the drawer opening up, and with it, a dark-purple glimmer and outline filled his immediate vision. After the initial overload of purple, it shrank back to a more manageable vibrancy and he saw three items inside; a small book, a syringe filled with a strange black fluid, and another key. All of which he [Identified].

[Experimentation Logbook]

-Quest-related

This is a logbook written by one Carlenno T. Whitmer.

The results of various experiments are recorded within. [Liquid of Transformations]

-Corruptor

-Transmogrifier

-Enchantment: Ultra Rare

The syringe is magical in design, made to bypass various skill

and item defenses. A liquid with no clearly defined, replicable effect.

Those injected by it will become something altogether different.

*{Penetration} enchantment on the syringe.

*[Warning]: Transformations are permanent. [Back Passage Key]

-Quest-related

-Type: Key

A Key to the back passage.

This is really starting to creep me out. This is not a play anymore; is this the smiley concert organizer boss with an evil scientist backstage laboratory thing going on after hours?

He leafed through the [Experimentation Logbook] with a deepening shock at every turn of the page.

--

Experimentation Log

Ashgold 10 - 17

...

A need for test subjects at a higher level is required to fully grasp the potential of the Liquid. Every day the undeniable urge to transform myself or another is getting harder and harder to suppress.

...

Ashgold 18

All testing on low-level test subjects has garnered tenuous results at best.

Observation: Sickness and disease seem to alter the process, and transformations are more closely related to the undead.

...

Ashgold 20

Observation: It appears a low-level subject begets a low-level transformation that's concerned with their disposition, health, and ability.

...

Minta 27

Prediction: A higher level test subject will transform into a higher-level monster, beast, or object.

Test: Myself. The pull requires a stronger vessel, me, Carlenno T Whitmer. Future generations will see my work to completion using my transformation as the base data.

--

Many of the pages contained complex diagrams and formulaic shorthand indicative of a fast-thinking mind. Some pages went on and on with names and transformation results, and most-times unreadable chicken scratch the further on in the book he got. Quintin was nauseous, but couldn't look away as he imagined the horrific scenes that some of the notes described.

What a sicko. I don't need a prediction to prove positive what a deranged whack-job this guy was... Hmm, that [Blood Ghast] from earlier seems to be this man named Yorrick? Or are they able to turn others into [Ghasts]? I know a bit about Zombies from my world, does that even apply here? Maybe the whole of [Sozzelrift] is filled with stationary undead just waiting for unsuspecting prey.

Shivering at the prospect of that doomsday scenario, however, that thought was soon interrupted by an update-ping.

[Quests]:

[Active]:

○[Mystery of the Amphitheater]

-Rank: Ancient

-Exploratory

-Unfulfilled

1. Investigate the presence spoken of in the nameless [Dwarf's] journal.

2. Optional: Found a use for the two keys from the nameless [Dwarf's] journal

—○Discovery: Evidence of experiments both foul, and grim in design.

3. ???

[Rewards]: EXP. & [????] item.

Quintin tried to take his mind off what he had read in the logbook by distracting himself with his surroundings. There was nothing else of interest, except for a few more books, none of which he could read. Which was good, because he had had just about enough with reading at this point. Just in case, he still decided to take them along, but his [Storage] was getting pretty full so he took out a regular backpack and put them inside. He slung a strap over his shoulder as he left, backtracking up the rope and out onto the stage again.

He wasn't some great detective, but he felt that he was making pretty good progress. A smile crept onto his face as he went over to the back area of the Amphitheater where, supposedly, there was a passageway. Up above, the dome had sizable cracks here and there. overall though, it held firm.

He saw the dungeonesque door and put the [Back Passage Key] into its lock. It swung open with a creak and a blast of stale air went straight into his face. Coughing, he thought, I'm going to need some sort of mask, this air is simply filthy and uncomfortable.

He had some spare clothing items which he quickly fashioned into a make-shift bandana. With at least to a reasonable degree of filtration, he carried on. The passage went down stone steps that twisted around a pillar in a circular fashion. Quintin tossed out [Starmoss] to guide his way further and deeper down as he went.

I hope everything Carlenno did is long gone and turned to dust.

His nervous chuckle echoed the sentiment.