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Chapter 200: In Antihum

“Is it over now?”

“Where are they?”

“How about you put this down first?”

It was then that Serica realized Karyl was holding her spear with his fingers, just inches from his throat.

“Oh...! So-Sorry...”

“What did you see that made you cause such a ruckus?”

“Just... some people I really wish I hadn’t seen,” Serica said, grimacing as if a bitter taste lingered in her mouth

“I see.”

Karyl could easily guess who had appeared in Serica’s trial of the Book of Challenges. He knew her well enough to understand the stories she often shared after drinking together when they used to be part of the Ten of the Oracle.

“Huff...” She wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Her father, a retired mercenary, had been murdered in a small village where they had moved to live peacefully. She had witnessed his brutal death at a very young age, the traumatic event scaring her deeply.

“I was torturing him to the point of just barely keeping him alive, but then... I suddenly woke up. Maybe the bastard died.”

“What?”

“I was impaling his limbs and breaking his ribs one by one, and then I was going to shove my spear through his neck to shut him up for good,” Serica muttered as though savoring a bitter memory.”

“...And then it just stopped.”

“...”

Karyl recalled how she had almost slashed his neck with her spear earlier.

“Given your personality, I was certain you’d pass the trial.”

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“Well, it is.”

Serica made a face as if she was still unconvinced.

“He seems to be struggling quite a bit.”

She pointed at Mikhail, who was still groaning on the floor.

“Should we stop his trial? Just enduring the trial of the Book of Challenges without breaking down is enough to prove one’s worth in Antihum.”

“How long has it been?”

"Half a day."

At Nain Darhon\'s words, Serica mumbled in a small voice, “Just half a day? I could have tortured them longer...”

Karyl chuckled at her disappointed expression.

“Let him be. No matter how talented, if he can’t even get past the Book of Challenges, his mind will never grow strong enough. One needs a certain degree of mental resilience in order to reach greater heights.”

Serica’s trial result revealed her true strength, having been an exceptional hero in her past life. Similarly, Great Sorcerers like Serga were also remarkable.

On the other hand, Israphil, known as the Spire, lacked a bit in terms of mental fortitude—much like Mikhail—despite being one of the Chosen Ten of the Oracle. He didn’t stand out as much as the other two.

Of course, after that incident, he eventually walked the path of a necromancer...

One must be strong enough to overcome horrific experiences and mental anguish. Knowing Serica’s strength, he hadn’t been overly concerned about her trial.

But Mikhail is different. Although talented, he wasted his potential in his past life. I haven’t yet confirmed his mental growth.

Karyl had brought Mikhail here not just because he was a sorcerer but also to ascertain whether his mental strength would grow.

Passing this trial will lay the foundation for his growth.

“Let him take as long as he needs to finish his trial.”

“It’s not my fault if he loses his mind,” Nain Darhon warned.

“Well, if he can’t overcome a simple trial, he can’t stay with me.”

Karyl then pointed to Serica and told Nain Darhon, “Even a fifteen-year-old girl passed this trial.”

“Hey, who are you talking to like that?” Serica scoffed.

“You’re being awfully harsh in this matter. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience, was it?”

“I don\'t think he’ll fail. Mikhail will pass eventually, and when he does, you should watch out. He might surpass your growth in one go.”

“Him?”

“He might look soft, but he’s capable. Remember, he saved you from the bombardment.”

Serica grimaced at the reminder.

“That was just once...”

“Still, you wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him. You wouldn’t have been able to block the fireballs with your spear,” Karyl argued.

“Well, I mean, I could, but still...”

Disdain was all over Serica’s face, but Karyl seemed to enjoy it. He knew that stirring up her competitive spirit was the best way to motivate her.

“Just wait and see. I’ll surpass both of you soon enough.”

And sure enough, her competitive spirit flared up.

“Well, fine. Let’s set him aside for now. So, what’s your plan?” Nain Darhon, growing impatient, awaited Karyl’s answer.

He’s acting like he owns the place. If he can’t really solve this problem... I’ll deal with him first.

For Nain Darhon, eliminating the Dust of the Void was the most pressing matter. Once that was resolved, he had no reason to tolerate them any longer.

“First, you need to show me. You need to prove yourself before I work for you.”

“What do you mean? Show you what?”

“Are you serious? If we’re going to make a deal, we need to do it properly. Show me the Duaat’s seal first.”

“...”

Karyl sneered at Nain Darhon, as though he already knew what he was thinking.

Nain Darhon lightly bit his lip as if he wanted to retort, but eventually sighed deeply and snapped his fingers.

Rumble...

A section of the library shifted, revealing a small box. Inside, there was just a small book.

“It’s called the Book of Nightmares,” Nain Darhon said in a low voice.

“Hmm...” Karyl murmured as he examined the book sealed with a blood-red sigil, quite different from the Book of Challenges.

“Don’t open it. Not that you could, anyway,” Nain Darhon added.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s sealed with a top-tier 7th Class sealing spell. Plus, this entire room absorbs mana. Not even a Great Sorcerer would manage to open the book,” Nain Darhon explained, propping his chin on his hand.

“And if by some miracle the seal is broken, it would unleash chaos. The entire area would be engulfed in darkness,” he continued.

“Oh, is the great leader of the Immortal Council afraid of the dark?” Karyl scoffed.

“Hmph... You don’t get it. It’s not just darkness.” Nain Darhon’s voice quivered with fear.

Karyl merely chuckled, amused to hear such words from someone who had barely tasted true darkness, while he himself had experienced it endlessly.

“Now, it’s time to discuss how to hunt the Dust of the Void. Isn’t that right? You seemed confident, so you should be able to handle it right away,” Nain Darhon said, looking at Karyl with anticipation.

“Of course. It’s not a difficult task, but I won’t be the one handling it. These two will take care of it,” Karyl explained as he pointed at Serica and Mikhail.

“What kind of nonsense is that?” Nain Darhon exclaimed, looking at Karyl in disbelief. “How can you expect two novices who have barely even become sorcerers to handle this?”

Serica looked at Nain Darhon with an incredulous expression as he pointed his finger at her.

“One of them is still struggling with the challenge. If the Dust of the Void were something those novices could handle, I would have taken care of it long ago.”

“No, you wouldn’t have,” Karyl retorted, causing Nain Darhon’s face to twist in anger. “You’re just like them. Without my help, none of you could manage it,” he added.

At that moment, Karyl reached for the seal on the Book of Nightmares.

“What are you doing?!” Nain Darhon cried out, watching Karyl with a mix of disbelief and indignation.

Click—

Karyl slowly unfastened the bracelet from his wrist.

“...!!”

The arrogance quickly vanished from Nain Darhon’s face, replaced by a look of shock. He lowered his head, overwhelmed by the oppressive mana released into the library.

Whoosh!

[I forgot that you possess Dragon mana.]

As Karyl took off the Bracelet of Greed, red flames spiraled up his arm. They gradually took form, shaping into Ramine’s figure.

[Instead of breaking the sealing sigils in the building, you brute-forced through the sealing spell with sheer mana volume. How reckless. If anything had gone wrong, you could’ve died from the mana backlash.]

“I know, but it was a calculated move. I haven’t fully awakened my bloodline, so I can’t use high-level magic yet. However, I can use my brain,” Karyl responded with a smirk.

The vast knowledge of the Assembly of Seven Elders that Allen Javius had bestowed on him was incomparable to the magic books in the Grand Library of Antihum. Of course, only Karyl knew that.

However, Allen Javius wasn’t a necromancer, so he lacked knowledge of black magic, and he could only teach Karyl so much by himself. That was why Karyl sought the power of the magic council here.

“With that being said, I’ll need your help to break this seal, Ramine. It’s beyond my ability.”

[Hmm... Hearing you admit to your limitations is quite satisfying.]

“...”

Seeing the Blazing King with his own eyes, Nain Darhon was now bewildered, looking back and forth between Karyl and Ramine.

“They say Duaat is sealed here. Although you placed the seal on the sigil and can break it yourself, I’ll need your help to destroy the true darkness inside the book.”

[Understood. It must be taxing for you to maintain your Dragon mana. Summon me when you need me.]

“Glad we understand each other.”

Ramine flew around the room as if tasting the fresh air before disappearing back into Karyl’s Ein Trigger.

“Haah...”

As soon as Ramine vanished, Karyl reattached the Bracelet of Greed to his wrist.

“The Dust of the Void is no big deal. We have more important things to handle,” Karyl said to Nain Darhon as he picked up the Book of Nightmares.

"Are you really going to break that seal?”

“Would you rather do it yourself?”

“...”

Nain Darhon realized how foolish his question was. The young man in front of him possessed Dragon mana, an overwhelming power that not even the Great Sorcerers could match. If Karyl couldn’t break the seal, no one else on the continent could.

“Since when do leaders handle small fry themselves? It might seem unreliable, but those two can handle it with a bit of nurturing."

“Nurturing them...?”

Karyl smiled as he looked at Nain Darhon.

“With mana, of course. I reckon they could even do it now. It’s just that they lack the technical skills, especially this one. Despite being a rare wind sorcerer, he can’t even perform a basic 1st Class heating spell.”

Karyl pointed at Mikhail, who was still groaning in pain. Nain Darhon looked at him, bewildered.

“I have extensive knowledge, but when it comes to magic, I’m not the best teacher. However, there are many excellent teachers here who have produced hundreds of sorcerers.”

“Ha... You...”

Nain Darhon chuckled as he understood what Karyl meant.

“What good is hoarding those magic books on the shelves? They’ll just collect dust.”

Karyl smirked, licking his lips as if savoring a delicious meal.

“So let these two use it.”

He pointed downstairs with a smile.

“The knowledge of the Grand Library.”