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Derek placed the bottle back on the shelf and continued to walk around the room. He came across a large wooden table placed in the center of the room, which had several books and scrolls scattered across it. He walked closer to the table and examined the titles of the books. He picked up a thick leather-bound book titled "The compendium of medicinal herbs and their uses." He opened the book and began to flip through the pages, reading about the different herbs and their medicinal properties.

He heard footsteps.

Derek quickly looked around the room and saw a small cupboard by the corner. He stealthily made his way towards it and squeezed himself in, making sure not to make any noise. He held his breath as he heard the footsteps getting louder and closer.

The footsteps stopped, then continued away, fading in the distance.

Derek let out a sigh of relief and waited for a few more minutes before he emerged from the cupboard. He cautiously made his way back to the table and continued sear