Chapter 177: The Gift of Knowledge

Complaining to these corpses was pointless.

Saul hadn't broken any taboos, so the corpses couldn't harm him. But if he did, they wouldn’t hesitate to tear him apart.

After working on the corpses until midnight, Saul made sure to report to Katz the next morning.

He briefly mentioned his private transaction, only saying that after he accidentally pushed open two doors, the senior beside him was grabbed by noodle-like arms and dragged inside. That person had yet to reappear.

As expected, Mentor Katz didn’t ask for details. He simply said, “Got it,” in a flat tone.

Two days later, Saul arrived at the tenth floor of the East Tower’s library, carrying two borrowed books on malevolent spirits.

Of the two books, only the first one recorded a story related to the Nightmare Butterfly. However, the information was vague. All Saul learned was that the Nightmare Butterfly was terrifying, could distort people's perception, and could be captured—nothing more.

Additionally, the identity of the third person who documented the story was highly questionable.

Was this third person just a passive observer of the tragedy?

Or… was it actually the Nightmare Butterfly itself?

With no other clues, Saul could only reinforce the seal on the Nightmare Butterfly’s cocoon, unwilling to continue his research.

He feared that one day, the cocoon might crawl back into his eye.

He decided to deal with his body’s problem first, then invite the Diary to study the cocoon together.

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Saul stepped into the library.

Today, the place was unusually lively. Many apprentices were gathered near the front shelves.

The arrogant young administrator was still in charge of the registration desk.

Saul walked straight up.

"Hello, Administrator, I’m here to return these two books."

The young man turned with a sneer but stiffened slightly upon seeing Saul. He seemed a bit nervous.

"Oh, just hand them over to me."

Saul was surprised. Usually, when returning books, apprentices had to log them in, then return them to their original place themselves.

If someone failed to do so, the administrator would hike up their borrowing fees next time—a painful lesson for any apprentice.

But today… why was the process different?

Saul didn’t understand why the administrator was acting strange, but with so many people around, he obediently handed over the books.

When it came to rules, he was always well-behaved.

"Do you need to borrow more books today?"

The young man hesitated briefly after taking the books, then suddenly asked as Saul was about to leave.

Saul hadn’t planned on borrowing anything, but since the administrator was being unusually polite, he cautiously responded,

"I don’t have many magic crystals left…"

Although he had just earned 500 crystals—since the candle ultimately did reach Ferguson, meaning the transaction was technically successful—money was never enough.

Prices rose along with power.

It was said that formal wizards frequently required astronomically expensive materials for their experiments. That was why they usually made their own materials rather than buying them.

"Ahem. We recently sorted some damaged soul-related books that need to be discarded. I remember you’re interested in that subject. Want to take a look?"

"You can actually buy books from the library?" Saul’s interest was immediately piqued.

The wizarding world was riddled with danger, and libraries were no exception.

If all books were openly accessible, nine out of ten apprentices would likely go insane.

But if he could buy books at a low price, Saul was willing to take the risk.

After all, he could tell whether a book was dangerous before even opening it.

"Yes. Since they’re damaged or contaminated, we sell them at a low price to suitable apprentices after confirming they are safe."

Saul still felt something was off.

"But I’ve been here for two years and never heard of this…"

"You think organizing a library is easy? Sorting books once every two years is already an achievement!" The administrator glared, looking ready to snap.

Seeing the administrator return to his usual irritable self, Saul felt a little more at ease.

"Then please show me the books."

The administrator raised his chin.

"Go to the first row, eighth shelf. The books marked for disposal are there."

Saul glanced around. Nothing seemed unusual.

He stole a look at the Diary on his shoulder—no reaction.

Only then did he head toward the first row of shelves.

"This should be the eighth shelf."

He reached the location and found no one else around.

"So, only ‘suitable’ people are told about this. That means not many know about it," Saul muttered as he stepped closer.

The shelf contained only a few scattered books, messily stacked.

Most were low-tier books, with no seals or protective enchantments. Saul could see all the covers at a glance.

One of them was a book he had borrowed back when he was Rank 1.

He looked at the others—two were about souls.

Just as Saul was about to examine them closely, a figure appeared beside him.

It was the elderly administrator.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked past the two books Saul had been eyeing.

"The Ethereal Tome and Hiding in the Cracks," he announced.

"One is missing its second half, and the other’s middle section is too damaged to restore. Although parts are unreadable, they still offer useful fragments of knowledge."

The old administrator slowly turned to face Saul, smiling.

"300 magic crystals or 29 merit points per book. If you buy both, it’s 560 crystals or 54 points."

A bulk discount?

Saul stepped forward.

"Can I examine the contents first?"

The library usually allowed apprentices to skim the first few pages before borrowing.

But the old man shook his head.

"No. Clearance books can’t be inspected. You either buy them outright or leave them."

That was… unreasonable.

Whether in crystals or merit points, the price was steep.

Saul hesitated.

But the titles alone were incredibly tempting.

Especially the second one—Hiding in the Cracks.

It reminded him of the dark shadows that darted into the stone crevices whenever the Tower Master appeared.

"I’ll take both. Merit points."

Saul gritted his teeth and made his decision.

His magic crystals were low, but he still had some points.

Wright had paid off his debt the moment he returned to the Wizard Tower, so Saul had over 100 points a few days ago.

But with experiments, book rentals, and expenses, he was already below 100.

After buying these two books, he’d drop to just 30.

Still, in the wizarding world, knowledge was everything.

Even though it hurt, Saul refused to miss out.

For others, an incomplete book might lead to wrong conclusions and dangerous mistakes.

But Saul had the Death Wizard’s Diary.

At worst, he’d fail to find the right path—but he wouldn’t die from a misunderstanding.

Hearing his choice, the old administrator’s smile widened.

"Good. Take the books to the counter."

The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished.

His voice lingered in the air—

"Did he really show up just to sell me books? Do they get a commission…?"

Saul was baffled, but he grabbed the books.

Suddenly—

A bandaged hand wrapped in pink fabric snatched The Ethereal Tome from him.

Saul looked up—

It was the Tower Master, completely concealed beneath a dark red cloak.

"Tower Master?"

Gorsa held the book up, glanced at it, and gave a meaningless hum.

Then, he casually tossed it back onto the shelf.

The thin book—barely a centimeter thick—landed with a loud bang, making the shelf tremble as if a person had fallen onto it.

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