Chapter 51: Chapter 51: System's Exploration

Elio opened his book again, his eyes scanning the information about the salamander over and over. There had to be something he could use, some way to...

As he closed the book, Elio noticed how similar it was to a door opening.

"Hey," he whispered, catching the creature's attention. "See this? It's important. Very important."

The salamander observed the book with renewed interest.

"I need this to happen," Elio continued, pointing at the book and then towards the door. "Outside. Understand? Open. Important."

The salamander blinked, its gaze alternating between Elio and the book.

Elio repeated the process several times, pointing at the book, opening the cover, then pointing at the door, murmuring "important" over and over. He didn't know if he was achieving anything or if he was just wasting time, but he had to try.

After what seemed like an eternity, the salamander moved. It approached the bars, studying them with an intensity Elio hadn't seen before.

Elio's heart was pounding as he watched. Had it understood? Was it really going to...?

With a fluid movement, the salamander slipped between the bars, its flexible body passing through without difficulty.

Elio held his breath, waiting to hear the guard's alarm. But nothing happened. The salamander had disappeared undetected.

Now all that was left was to wait. Elio leaned back against the wall, his mind racing. Had the salamander really understood? Would it return with the key? Or had it simply escaped, leaving him alone in this prison?

♢♢♢♢

While waiting, Elio cautiously approached the tray. It contained a bowl of what appeared to be some kind of grayish soup and a glass of water. It wasn't a feast, but at least they wouldn't let him starve.

As he ate, Elio couldn't help but think about the irony of the situation. Here he was, a prisoner in the heart of the privileged families' complex, eating a meal that was no different from what common soldiers ate on the wall.

The salamander slipped inside, its nose moving frantically at the new smells. It jumped onto the counter, skillfully dodging the hands of busy cooks.

A plate with something round and golden caught its attention. "Book?" it thought, approaching. But upon biting it, it discovered it was soft and delicious. The salamander had never tasted bread before, and it loved it.

With its mouth full of bread, the salamander almost forgot its mission. But a surprised shout from one of the cooks brought it back to reality. Swallowing quickly, it jumped off the counter and slipped under the door, leaving behind a chaos of confused cooks and a mysterious bite in the freshly baked bread.

In its escape, the salamander found itself in a hallway full of doors. It slipped underneath one and found itself in a luxurious room. A woman was sitting in front of a mirror, brushing her long hair.

The salamander, curious, approached stealthily. The rhythmic movement of the brush hypnotized it.

Dazed, it closed its eyes. "Not book," it thought, shaking its head. Quickly, it scurried out of the room before the woman could find it.

It found itself in a new hallway. This one was full of enormous paintings covering the walls. Serious faces looked down at it from their golden frames.

Intrigued, the salamander stopped in front of a particularly large portrait. A man with an impressive presence looked at it with severe eyes. The salamander tilted its head, imitating the serious expression of the portrait.

After a moment, it couldn't contain its laughter anymore (or what would be laughter for a salamander). It stuck out its tongue at the portrait and continued on its way.

At one point, the salamander found itself in a room full of bright and shiny objects. Piles of mana crystals caught its attention for a moment, but it quickly remembered its mission.

Leaving the crystal room, the salamander found itself in a new corridor. At the end of it, it saw a large, ornate door.

The salamander advanced towards the door. 'Find book. Help Elio,' it repeated to itself, preparing for whatever it might find on the other side.

Its eyes scanned the room until they landed on a shelf full of books behind the large desk. Excitement grew in its small chest. Surely one of these would be the right one for Elio!

However, just as it was about to approach the shelf, a movement caught its attention. The salamander froze in place, its body flattening against the floor in an attempt to go unnoticed (It didn't work either).

Sitting behind the desk, previously hidden by the large leather chair, was Mordred. The old man was bent over some documents, muttering to himself as he wrote. He hadn't noticed the presence of the small intruder.