Isaac stared at the Seven Sins, each word burning itself into his memory. Somewhere deep down he knew accepting this would come with a price too high to pay. And it wasn't like he could back out now even if he wanted to. The book had already bonded with him. There was no way out of it. He might as well go along with everything it had to offer. His heart thudded as he turned to the next page, ready to see what darkness the book would show him next.
He expected more of the same black parchment the book had been going with from the start. But what greeted him instead was a vibrant, unsettling violet page that seemed to shimmer with its own light. He had no idea what material this book was made from or how a page could produce light like this on its own. He ran his eyes over what was written on it.
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PAGE THE THIRD — PRIDE (Violet)
Charge: Exalt thy self above others. Dominate with thy will, and let weaker mindes bow before thy greatnesse.
What Pride Seeketh Sovereigntie, renown, and the bending of other wills unto thine.
Deeds that be Counted as Pride
• To reverse publick shame and set thy name above thy betters.
• To win openly where thou wast scorn'd.
• To exact apology or homage from them that mock'd thee.
• To take the higher seat before witnesses, proving worth by contest or cunning.
The Way of Pride Thou shalt assert thy superioritie by word, by deed, or by presence. Humiliate thy rivals, proclaim thy worth, and suffer none to stand above thee. Each act of Pride, being here inscrib'd in blood, shall harden thy soule and bend the world to thy command.
Recording the Sin Write thy deed of Sins with the crimson quill. The Book shall judge the worth thereof if pride: E (paltrie), D, C, B, A (masterful); and deeds beyond A are reckon'd S or EX. Greater acts, and those witness'd of many, do yield the greater reward. Record within foure and twenty houres, else thy due is halved.
Rewards & Exchange
• Stat Gain After level up with sin: Pride most oft enricheth Charisma and Intelligence, for the proud command respect and practise craft.
• Pride-Experience to Sin-Point Reckoning: For ten measures of Pride-Experience, the Book granteth one Sin Point (10:1; called the PSP).
Risks Over-much Pride blindeth: friends turn adversarie, and prudence is despised. The Book warneth: balance thy sins, lest thou fall to hubris and be judged Unworthy.
Thus Speaketh the Book Let thy Pride shine yet beware its shadow.
At Present (Isaac Wilson)
• Abilities: None (thou hast not yet mark'd thy Pride).
• Pride-Experience Point: 0 (reckon'd ten to one for the PSP).
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Isaac's eyes were fixed on the violet page. The words written on it were in some kind of dark ink. So not every page had that crimson glow to it.
Pride. The word felt foreign in his mouth as he read the archaic commands. "Exalt myself, dominate others…"
He could barely imagine what that would look like. His Charisma sitting at 4 wasn't exactly built for commanding respect. The idea of forcing others under him seemed as realistic as sprouting wings. Yet the promise of boosting Intelligence and Charisma made him pause.
Maybe there was something here. Even if Pride itself felt impossible it didn't mean he couldn't achieve it. But out of everything the real question that gnawed at him the most was something else entirely. "What happens if I'm Unworthy?" he breathed into the quiet room. "Does this thing kill me?" It did say he'd be judged Unworthy but in what way? It was best he knew the flaws of everything he was getting into so he didn't make any mistake that could lead to his death. Sure he didn't really care if he died but he didn't want to go out without even knowing it was coming. That had to be the most pointless way to die.
He pushed that thought aside and figured he should check out the rest of the pages.Turning to the next one was like stumbling onto buried treasure. The page was shining in gold. He wondered if the page itself was actually made from gold. He'd touched gold before so he knew the texture and how it felt but this page was undeniably smooth and it didn't weigh nearly enough to be in the same category. Whatever this material was it wasn't anything he'd seen before. He looked down at what was written on it.
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PAGE THE FOURTH — GREED (Gold)
Charge: Seize what is not thine wealth, power, or hearts. Take without remorse; for all belongeth to the bold.
What Greed Seeketh Acquest and claim of treasure, secrets, gifts, and bonds.
Deeds that be Counted as Greed
•To steal what another holdeth dear coin, office, invention, or affection.
•To bind a debt; to wrest a title; to harvest secrets by craft and subtlety.
•To trade upward, turning lesser spoils into greater gain.
The Way of Greed Thou shalt take what others possess be it coin, knowledge, or love. Steal by cunning or by force, and suffer none to deny thy claim. Each act of Greed, here inscrib'd in blood, shall fill thy coffers with power.
Recording the Sin Write thy deed of Sins with the crimson quill. The Book shall judge the worth thereof if Greed: E (paltrie), D, C, B, A (masterful); deeds beyond A are S or EX. Grand thefts kingdoms' coffers usurp'd, dynasties' bonds undone, legacies overturn'd yield the greatest bountie. Record within foure and twenty houres, else thy due is halved.
Rewards & Exchange
• Stat Gain After level up with sin: Greed oft bolstereth Intelligence and Agility; for the greedy are cunning and swift of hand.
• Greed-Experience to Sin-Point Reckoning: eight to one (8:1; called the GSP).
Risks Greed unbridled draweth wrath from them thou hast despoil'd. The Book cautioneth: guard thy gains, or they shall be taken from thee and thy portion with them.
Thus Speaketh the Book Take all yet know the cost.
At Present (Isaac Wilson)
• Abilities: None.
• Greed-Experience Point: 0 (reckon'd eight to one for the GSP).
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"Greed, huh?" he muttered, studying the golden page more carefully. "This sounds easy since it's more based on harvesting secrets through craft and subtlety." But it also came with a catch. He'd have to exploit people's vulnerabilities. On that note there was no one he knew that didn't have a secret to hide. He had a few himself. Like Victoria's hidden life behind his father's back. But he was too scared to ever bring that to light since he didn't really know what that guy she was with was truly capable of. The man looked like a thug boss. There was every possibility Isaac could have been killed that day and buried somewhere with no one ever finding out what happened to him.
He shook those thoughts out of his head. What really drew him to Greed the most was the promise tied to his Intelligence and Agility. If those went up it would let him move unseen and think three steps ahead. He could already picture it. Knowing everyone's weaknesses while they remained blind to his growing strength.
"But still, different colors for each sin," he said, glancing back at the violet Pride page. "I can already imagine how the other sins are going to look."
Since there was more to see he figured he'd check them all out. He turned to the next page.
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PAGE THE FIFTH — LUST (Crimson)
Charge: Bend others to thy desires. Through touch or gaze, claim their loyaltie and weave their fates to thine.
What Lust Seeketh Desire, binding, and oathes of heart and flesh.
Deeds that be Counted as Lust
• To win willing devotion; to seal a vow by kiss or caresse.
• To fold rivals into thy circle by sweet compulsion and promised ward.
• To keep covenant with the bound, raising them in station under thy protection.
The Way of Lust Thou shalt seduce and enthrall, binding others to thy will by charme or passion. Let their hearts or their bodies serve thy purpose. Each act of Lust, being here inscrib'd in blood, weaveth a web of power about thee.
Recording the Sin Write thy deed of Sins with the crimson quill. The Book shall judge the worth thereof if Lust: E (paltrie), D, C, B, A (masterful); deeds beyond A are counted S or EX. A true conquest, binding a soule unto thee by vow or seal, earneth the highest mark. Record within foure and twenty houres, else thy due is halved.
Rewards & Exchange
• Stat Gain After level up with sin: Lust most oft enhanceth Charisma and Stamina, for the lustful command devotion and obedience.
• Lust-Experience to Sin-Point Reckoning: five to one (5:1; called the LSP).
Risks Lust may breed betrayal; the enthralled, being mortal, can turn if slighted or left unwarded. The Book warneth: bind only those thou canst govern, and honour thy seal with station, boon, or protection.
Thus Speaketh the Book Weave thy web yet beware its tangles.
At Present (Isaac Wilson)
• Abilities: None.
• Lust-Experience Point: 0 (reckon'd five to one for the LSP).
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Isaac's breath hitched as he looked at the next page. It was crimson, pulsing like a raw nerve.
"Lust?" he whispered, his voice cracking slightly. "Why the fuck is it crimson? I thought lust was supposed to be purple or something." He squinted at the glowing page, its blood red hue casting a feverish glow across his scarred knuckles. The words written on it felt almost unreal. Charm. Passion. Binding. They swirled through his hazy mind, each one like a hook sinking deeper.
"Not gonna lie just looking at it is enough to convince me this particular sin is on some freaky freaky type of stuff," he muttered, shaking his head. "But seriously? Seduce people? Make them loyal to me? That sounds like a whole ass fantasy."
He pictured Victoria. That perfect smile. The ideal structure of beauty despite those cruel eyes. Always acting untouchable. What if he could make her want him? The thought struck like a spark, igniting a dark heat in his chest. But he knew how infatuated his father was with her. He knew she even had a secret lover on the side. The whole thing was messed up. But from the definition of lust it was possible this could grant him the power to make her follow him. To beg for him. Instead of siccing her thug boyfriend on him every time he stepped out of line. There were many routes this could go and if what this book was saying was true the possibilities were endless. The fantasy was electric. Then it crumbled just as fast.
"I guess that's just my imagination for now," he snorted, the sound bitter in the damp air. "With my Charisma sitting at 4 it doesn't exactly help my case."
With a shaky exhale he turned to the next page. The crimson deepened into a dark scarlet, almost like dried blood, casting a harsh flickering light that made the room feel like a furnace.