Chapter 89: Deep Inside the Library

"I want to borrow a book."

"If you want to borrow a book, check the catalog and the descriptions. Why are you looking at me? You think you’ll see a ghost or something?"

Well, this young man had a temper just like that old librarian.

"I’m looking for books about soul fragments. Do you know where I should look?"

"Then go in and search through the bookshelves, one row at a time," the young man said, curling his lips into a smirk.

"But books on souls are usually in the deeper sections. I’m afraid I might get lost in there."

"If you’re scared, then don’t go," the young man scoffed, crossing his arms and looking down at Saul. "A first-level apprentice researching souls? What a joke."

Saul wasn’t going to give up that easily.

Seeing that the young man wasn’t going to help, Saul moved to the side of the library.

"If you don’t know, then I’ll just wait for the other librarian. I imagine he’d be more knowledgeable."

The young man’s smirk disappeared. He suddenly swung his arms down, and in the blink of an eye, he slid right in front of Saul without moving his legs.

His face turned ashen, his lips turned purple, and his eyeballs bulged as if they were about to pop out.

Saul was startled. He instinctively took half a step back, raising his hands to his chest while staring at the young man in alarm.

"Ridiculous! Whatever he knows, I know! That coward spends all day trembling in fear—what good is his experience?"

The more the young man spoke, the more terrifying his face became.

Saul swallowed hard but held his ground. "But you just said you didn’t kno—"

"I don’t know my ass!" the young man roared, his mouth stretching open unnaturally wide. Inside, there was nothing but a bloody void—no teeth, no tongue.

Only then did Saul realize that the young man’s voice wasn’t coming from his mouth.

But where exactly it was coming from, he couldn’t tell.

"Soul fragments, soul studies, spirit-related books—fourth row, fourteenth shelf!"

"If you like malevolent spirits, look below! If you prefer vengeful ghosts, look above! If you’re into souls, look behind you!"

The young man tilted his chin up. "If it’s in this library, there’s nothing I don’t know."

"Impressive!" Saul gave him a thumbs-up and turned to walk deeper into the library.

Rows upon rows of bookshelves stood like silent sentinels, shrouded in thick white mist.

After taking just a few steps, the entrance behind him disappeared from sight.

To keep track of where he was, Saul counted as he walked.

"One, two… thirteen, fourteen! This is it." He continued to the right until he reached the fourth row.

Turning to his left, he saw books of all sizes and conditions—some old, some new.

Unlike the neatly arranged books in the earlier sections, this area was messy, as if no one had organized it for a long time.

Probably not many people came here.

"Malevolent spirits below, vengeful ghosts above. What about ordinary souls?"

Saul first checked the middle shelves. Many book spines bore titles in Noah script or other unknown languages. Only a handful were in the common tongue.

The ones in common tongue were all storybooks. The ones in Noah script were mostly definitions, observation notes, or academic records.

Saul carefully scanned the middle row, then lowered his gaze to check the next row down

—

Something was there.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something at his feet.

The bottom shelf didn’t seem to be holding books.

A person was lying there.

Half an arm and the edge of a shoe protruded from under the shelf.

Saul hadn’t felt his hands and feet go cold like this in a long time.

It was as if every hair on his body had stood on end, lifting his clothes off his skin.

"Don’t think. Don’t look." He silently warned himself, forcing his eyes to scan only the middle rows, never lowering his head even a fraction.

At the same time, he continuously chanted a necromantic banishing spell under his breath, ready to activate it at a moment’s notice.

With stiff, trembling legs, he inched toward the edge of the bookshelf.

The "person" lying at the bottom shelf remained motionless.

Reaching the back of the shelf, Saul quickly glanced around. Thankfully, this section contained only books.

But he didn’t dare stay long.

The thought that something might be hiding behind the books was enough to keep him from crouching down.

Finally, in the soul studies section, he found a book that seemed relevant.

"A Madman’s Guide to Raising a Soul Servant."

Saul pulled it from the shelf, flipped through the first few pages, and immediately decided to borrow it.

He rushed out.

But halfway through, he suddenly turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

After several dozen meters, he finally broke through the white mist and saw the library entrance. A few first-level apprentices lingered near the front shelves.

"…Phew."

Saul, pale as a sheet, leaned against the first bookshelf for support.

Just now, as he was leaving the fourteenth shelf, for some reason, he had felt like the way deeper into the library was actually the way out.

If he hadn’t noticed the bookshelves becoming increasingly chaotic, he might have kept walking in the wrong direction without realizing it.

His diary didn’t warn him, meaning he hadn’t been in immediate danger.

But if he had gone deeper, who knew if that would still be the case?

His near-collapse caught the attention of the apprentices near the door.

They exchanged glances before walking toward him.

"Saul… Are you okay?" One of them asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"I’m fine. Thanks." Saul studied their vaguely familiar faces before saying, "The deeper sections of the library are dangerous. I don’t recommend going past the tenth row unless you’re at least a second-level apprentice."

"…Huh?"

The two apprentices hadn’t expected a warning in return for their concern.

They glanced at the white mist in the distance, fear flashing in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Saul took the opportunity to walk toward the exit.

The arrogant young man was gone, replaced by the fear-stricken middle-aged librarian, who sat curled up on the bench with his head buried in his knees.

Saul, familiar with the borrowing process, stopped about two meters away.

"Excuse me, I’d like to borrow this book."

The middle-aged man slowly lifted his head, revealing a deathly pale face.

"Fifty magic crystals and two academic credits. Ten-day loan."

That expensive? And it even costs credits?

Saul looked at the book he had risked his life to grab and asked cautiously, "Can I borrow it for five days?"

The middle-aged man hesitated, then shook his head extremely slowly.

Even the minimum borrowing period was fixed.

Saul gritted his teeth and paid.

After completing the paperwork, he carefully placed the book in his backpack—then hugged the backpack to his chest.

The librarian glanced around anxiously before burying his head in his knees again.

Saul took one last look at the library’s interior. The thick white mist obscured everything beyond the first row. The two new apprentices still hovered near the entrance, hesitating.

He turned to leave.

But after taking just two steps, he had to stop.

Two people stood at the entrance.

Luo Kai had his hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his face as he observed Saul with curiosity.

Behind him, Doze stood expressionless, his head slightly lowered.

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