56 – Axtos (2)
Is this an illusion?
Lian, unable to conceal his surprised expression, observed the sentences emerging before him.
Lian wasn’t well-versed in magic, but he could definitely tell that the sentences appearing before him far surpassed the realm of ordinary ‘magic.’
‘…What is this.’
It didn’t seem like this was supposed to happen. If the situation occurred with each page turn, there should have been some warning before handing it over.
Maybe this is a special case.
Lian, who had been silent, slowly spoke up.
“……Who are you?”
Swoosh.
The sound of ink moving. Soon, elegant calligraphy appeared before Lian’s eyes.
⌜There is no need to answer the question of someone who is not a believer.⌟
“……Yes?”
Shwoosh!
Before Lian could finish speaking, thick ink began to flow from between the pages of a thick book. The ink, which had been coloring the floor tiles, soon formed another sentence.
⌜If you hadn’t awakened the consciousness over here, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. In that sense, you are lucky.⌟
Goooo…!!
The ink, defying gravity, began to rise into the air once again.
As Lian watched the ink rise, it felt like rain was shooting up into the sky. He started to be cautious of his surroundings.
From Noble mtl dot com
Incredible power. Lian bit his lip and stared at the surveillance camera hanging from the ceiling. The screen was clearly facing this way, but instead of sounding an alarm, it remained silent.
As if it couldn’t see this side.
‘…Did they isolate the space?’
It was absurd, but Lian couldn’t think of any other possibility. To break through the security of the preservation library designed by the high-ranking mages of the Academy, one would need to be able to use magic of a higher level than that.
‘It’s a monster.’
Lian didn’t question why he was considered lucky. The moment that immense power was directed towards him, it was clear that he would be killed without even being able to resist.
⌜You’ve become quiet. Not like a 5th tier. You must be quite intoxicated with your own abilities.⌟
“……”
As the sentences merged, they soon transformed into the delicate form of a small butterfly. The butterfly slowly circled around Lian before spitting out words.
⌜A physical adept, huh? Judging by the color of your hair… seems to be from the Eastern Continent.⌟
“……”
⌜Considerable magical power as well. At first glance, one might mistake you for a sorcerer.⌟
Is it observing directly with its eyes? Lian stared at the black butterfly fluttering around him, swallowing dry saliva. Every time the butterfly flapped its wings, black ink scattered in all directions.
After circling for a while, the butterfly landed on Lian’s shoulder.
⌜Interesting. The ghasts of the Demon Tower would be astonished if they knew of your existence.⌟
Lian remained silent. Then the words moved again.
⌜I’m pleased. You may ask questions now.⌟
Lian hesitated for a moment. Although the other allowed questioning, it wasn’t wise to blurt out just any question.
Who are you, and what does ‘A’thux’ mean to your beliefs?
He couldn’t commit the mistake of asking a question the other had already refused to answer.
Then, a change in perspective was necessary.
How can I escape safely from this monster?
Ultimately, Lian’s question was predetermined from the beginning.
“What do you wish me to do?”
A moment of silence ensued. The next moment, words burst out like an explosion.
hahahahaha…!!
Even though what was clearly visible in front of him were just words, it felt as if a faint laughter was echoing in his mind.
⌜The physical adept thinks faster than I expected. The story will progress swiftly.⌟
“……”
Shuhaaa!
In the next moment, the inks that had been soaring in reverse gravity began to be sucked back into the thick book. However, the butterfly remained in place, still scattering ink gracefully.
⌜Handle today’s work quietly. The teachings of our school should not be revealed to unbelievers.⌟
Then why leave this book alone? Although such thoughts rose to the tip of the tongue, there was no choice but to swallow curiosity inwardly.
Swoosh!
Terrifyingly soon after the words ended, a thick book emerged in the air, melting down.
Not everything was melting. Only the pages containing information about the Axtus Holy Knights were liquefying.
Rian watched this spectacle, internally swallowing curses. No luck, no foresight. In the preserved archive, believed to be safe, he never dreamed of encountering such a monster.
⌜If you’re curious about our doctrines, come to Triana. The priests will meet you in person.⌟
I’ll definitely go there.
However, Rian did not show such feelings outwardly. At the moment, aligning with the monster’s preferences was more important.
Spit-!
In the next moment, the butterfly-shaped figure floating in the air disappeared as if it had never existed.
“……Ha.”
Rian involuntarily let out a hollow laugh. Mana in the area disappeared momentarily, just how much of a monster must one be to exert influence from Turras outside.
‘Surely not all books are like this.’
When opening a book related to immortals, an immortal wouldn’t appear… probably. However, the possibility of a subordinate-level being appearing couldn’t be ruled out?
Of course, it was impossible, but as someone who had already experienced it once, Rian couldn’t help but consider such a possibility.
‘But Michela didn’t say anything.’
Lian exhaled lightly and opened his mouth towards the empty air.
“Do you have any books related to the 9th realm?”
[There are a total of three volumes. However, access is possible only after returning the previously accessed books.]
A voice that seemed indifferent. It genuinely seemed unaware of what had just happened moments ago.
Lian nodded, exhaling a sigh of relief after a brief contemplation.
“Can I leave them here?”
[Confirmed. Damage analysis completed. ‘Untitled-3’ will be borrowed.]
“….”
It seemed like they easily took care of whatever was melted and erased from the pages. Fortunately, it seemed unlikely that there would be a need to overturn the suspicion of damaging ancient texts.
-Tap.
Lian stared at the ancient text in front of him. He waited for a while, flipping through the pages just in case, but the characters didn’t flow out like they did just now.
Finally relieved, Lian could now proceed to read the books.
[It has been half a year since the cradle appeared in the middle of the sea… Those who came into contact with the polluted seawater began to wander the land like corpses. Why has the revered sage not returned? I fear. Could I also change like that?]
“….”
Starting from the cover, it seemed eerie, perhaps like a book from the continent to the east.
Lian read the sentences as if scrutinizing.
Whether tired of fear or not, traces of trembling seemed to remain in the writing here and there.
‘…What on earth is this cradle?’
It probably didn’t literally mean a cradle. If not, it wouldn’t be described in such a creepy way.
“Is it related to immortals?”
The contents of the journal continued. The writing, initially neat enough to evoke images of a scholar, began to tremble at some point, now contorted completely like that of a young child.
[The long-awaited master has returned. From the body of the master who returned after so long, the same stench as them emanated. Am I the only one who noticed the oddity?]
[The stench intensifies. The master has completely lost sanity. The jaw dropped, pupils colored white, and joints melted like water. However, not a single person raises a question….]
[Couldn’t escape. The executioners began knocking on the door. The stench seeped in through the cracks. Everyone is insane.]
[Suddenly, an impulse to open the door arose.]
[A fragrance lingers.]
“….”
The next page did not exist. The pages were scattered haphazardly, marked with signs of being crumpled and torn.
“What is this?”
It wasn’t a thriller novel.
With narrowed brows, Lian glanced through other books, but the subjects differed, while the content was eerily similar.
Not only was there no description of who the immortals were, but there was no portrayal of what they looked like.
If an AI librarian handed out any book randomly, one could deduce that these bizarre occurrences stemmed from the immortals… but that was it.
Closing the ancient book, Lian narrowed his eyes.
“….”
Even though he had ascended to the 5th tier, the path ahead was still too distant.
There were too many monsters in this world.
*****
A month passed by in the blink of an eye.
Nothing much happened. Lian spent his free time reading through the preserved books in the library, and Mirella’s research was also nearing its end.
“The paper should be ready for publication next month. It might take some time to refine the paper, regardless of the quality of the data.”
It was unnecessary information to share. While Lian was involved in the research, there was no need to worry about when the paper would be completed.
“Well, you just need to inform Bertha.”
“Isn’t it a shame?”
“What do you mean?”
“According to Bertha, you only took on inconspicuous requests.”
It wasn’t something he had intentionally planned, but it wasn’t entirely wrong either.
From the Pochalos extermination request to the “Project” carried out by the government, and now this request.
Each one was a significant request, but they were all requests where the full story was not disclosed to the outside world.
“It’s good to hide yourself, but it’s not good to hide too much. If you plan to continue working as a mercenary in the future, that is.”
“Are you talking about the reputation?”
“You know well.”
“….”
It wasn’t a false statement. Until now, he had hidden his talent because of his age, but if he planned to continue working as a mercenary, he couldn’t keep hiding forever.
Whether he liked it or not, he had to reveal himself to some extent.
“Do you have any personal reasons?”
“Not particularly.”
“Good. Then take it.”
Mikella extended a small piece of paper.
“What is this?”
“It’s the contact information of a junior colleague who used to belong to the same sorcery department. Now, they’re running a small business outside.”
Lian immediately grasped what ‘outside’ implied.
Certainly, it must be beyond the outskirts of Turras.
“If you’re interested, investigate separately and contact them. Associating with entrepreneurs is as beneficial for quickly building a reputation as anything else.”