Chapter 975: The Archive of Darkness (2)

Nox Biblio.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Tillian’s complexion turned as pale as a corpse the moment that word was mentioned.

‘The Archive of Darkness, huh…’

Wasn’t it said to be an archive containing all forms of dark arts [邪術] not of this world?

If so, then it made sense why Olivera had brought Lennok to this dungeon.

A sub-dimension where all kinds of spellcraft, especially those operating with sinister will-thoughts from the Old World, were stored and recorded.

Olivera must believe she needs to find a way to the Outer Tribulation City there.

But the fact that Tillian, of all people, was guarding such an archive was unexpected.

The black wizard had participated in the summit of high-level ability users in the satellite city of Etanoc, but had withdrawn early after being struck by an Executioner immediately following Anathema’s manifestation.

However, seeing him alive and well in this dungeon now, it must mean that his previous appearance wasn’t his full power.

“You’re out of your mind, Maize, to crawl into my workshop barefoot.”

Tillian, the black wizard, glared at Olivera and roared with an ancient voice.

The chilling incongruity of an old man’s voice resonating from the body of a young baby.

“I haven’t interfered with the Cartel’s affairs for over a decade. How dare you invade and defile my domain…!!”

[There’s a contradiction in your words, Shandorei.]

Olivera, with her arms crossed over her splendid robe, retorted.

[If we’re to discuss who started it, we’d have to go back several decades.]

“Don’t make me laugh. What nonsense are you spewing, you coward who didn’t even attend the summit yourself!!”

Thud!!

As Tillian slammed his hand down, the black magic swirling around his body churned heavily and intensely.

A distinct and weighty will-thought, as if his very existence served as the heart of this colossal dungeon.

As with all spellcasters, Tillian’s power would exponentially increase within this dungeon.

Tillian seemed well aware of this fact, as he glared at Olivera, exuding a menacing killing intent.

“Even if you came alone, I’d hesitate to let you in. But you dare bring that young wizard along?”

[I brought Adamant Thunder because I heard about the summit. I hope you don’t misunderstand.]

Olivera’s voice held a mocking tone as she asked.

[Surely, you yourself once said that the insights of an Apostle-Slayer were needed for the summit?]

“…”

[Although the sequence of events was different, this man eventually became an Apostle-Slayer. I’ve brought the expert you so desired to this very spot, shouldn’t I receive your thanks?]

During the summit, Tillian had provoked Lennok by claiming that Cheonbeon, the Apostle-Slayer, should have come instead of Adamant Thunder.

Olivera, despite not attending the summit herself, was now mocking Tillian by bringing up that very fact.

Tillian, apparently not having forgotten the summit, trembled with rage.

“Kuk, are you trying to humiliate me…!!”

[Shandorei, you didn’t think I wouldn’t notice your trickery during this summit, did you?]

Olivera sharply cut off Tillian’s outburst, her mystic eye flashing beyond her veil.

[It’s absurd that a cunning spellcaster like you would be so easily defeated by a ruffian. You simply wished to avoid getting entangled in something unnecessary immediately after Anathema’s manifestation, so you escaped.]

“…”

[Above all, while the cult’s hounds crawled all the way to the satellite city, can you truly say you, who were hidden in this underground lair, knew nothing of it?]

As Olivera’s interrogation continued, Lennok understood why she was pressing Tillian.

Tillian had indeed withdrawn early from the summit after being struck by an Executioner, but Olivera believed that this very act had been Tillian’s intention from the start.

Furthermore, she was claiming that the cult’s forces entering the satellite city itself had occurred with Tillian’s tacit approval.

“That’s preposterous. Are you suggesting my dungeon should have acted as a beacon to protect Vulcan?”

However, Tillian, not entirely without retort, quickly calmed his expression and replied.

“Even if it were your request, it’s out of the question. Indeed, out of the question. I’d rather have destroyed the satellite city with my own hands.”

Tillian’s face, looking down at the two, twisted gloomily.

The colossal baby’s face strangely collapsed, casting shadows like a vicious demon.

Kugugugu…!!!

“Don’t provoke me too much, Maize.”

[…]

“It may not be like the days when we shared and researched spellcraft, but you should help me keep those decades-old memories as cherished ones.”

‘Mana…’

Lennok tilted his head with interest, watching Tillian’s will-thought swell.

During the summit, the situation had been too urgent for him to truly grasp it, but the completeness of his spellcraft was beyond imagination.

A black magic that differed from Myeong’s black magic, yet developed and perfected through its own unique methods.

This likely also related to why Tillian, the black wizard, existed in the form of a colossal baby.

More importantly, Tillian’s surname.

Didn’t it align with the name of the black wizard Lennok had once faced a long time ago, Craig Tillian?

It was certainly true that the colossal baby now sitting in the obsidian coffin was connected to Craig, who had rebelled against the City Council.

Olivera, hearing Tillian’s words, merely snorted.

[So much time has passed, yet you keep repeating the same thing… What you were learning was not true black magic.]

“…”

[You tried to teach me magic while concealing that fact, and I refused. It should have been over then.]

“But you, despite that, brazenly came to find me first.”

Tillian muttered in a gloomy voice, his eyes flashing.

“I helped you gain access to Nox Biblio, but you abandoned me and sided with Kaiser.”

“…”

Tillian raised a trembling fingertip and pointed at Lennok and Olivera.

“Neither of you has the right. You, who are not dark sorcerers, have no right to access the Archive of Darkness…!!”

[No. You, the key-holder, have no choice.]

Olivera’s reply was cold.

[Enough. Bring the key. I will enter Nox Biblio.]

“This is not a request.”

Tillian said, reaching out with a twisted expression.

“This wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I…!”

“…”

Whoosh!!

At that moment, Tillian’s hand sank into the darkness, then pulled out a key dripping with black oil.

With trembling hands, he handed the key, which exuded an ominous will-thought as if it would rot away just from being held, to Olivera.

His body trembled, as if the action itself was against his will, showing unpleasantness.

From that forced restraint, Lennok understood what Olivera had done.

‘Tillian cannot refuse the act of requesting access to the archive itself.’

For some unknown reason, Tillian must hand over the key to anyone requesting access to the archive.

Perhaps the keyword was the mention of “Nox Biblio” and the request for access.

Olivera knew this fact, and she knew Tillian would be unable to refuse from the start.

[Adamant Thunder, catch.]

But Olivera, as soon as she received the black, dripping key, threw it to Lennok.

Olivera, turning away from Tillian without hesitation, immediately exited the cradle.

[There’s no time, so I’ll explain quickly. The key is a consumable artifact. It will vanish the moment the archive opens.]

Walking back along the dark corridor, Olivera spoke.

[Therefore, it should be you, not I, who enters the archive. Once inside Nox Biblio, there is only one thing you must do.]

Whoosh!

The sheer cliff face located at the entrance of the dungeon.

Olivera stopped directly in front of the wall of packed, skeletal remains that lined the cliff on all sides and turned her back.

[You must ‘borrow’ the Celestial Spellcraft that can arbitrarily change the orbital cycle of the Central Front’s veil.]

“No. I don’t understand.”

[…What?]

Olivera turned her gaze irritably, then stopped speaking, seeing Lennok’s chilling expression.

Lennok’s reaction was mixed with faint hostility, as if he were facing an enemy, not an ally.

Whiooooh!!

A cold wind swept over the sheer cliff, making the skeletal remains hanging on the wall sway.

Hundreds of worn and weathered skulls reeled and danced.

Below that cliff, Lennok and Olivera stood facing each other.

“Explain properly, Olivera. We can’t work together like this.”

Lennok’s eyes, staring at Olivera, were cold and sunken.

“Surely, you don’t intend to maintain this approach until we reach Kundara?”

[…]

A situation where their collaboration breaking down within hours of starting wouldn’t be surprising.

But Lennok believed that if Olivera intended to solve problems this way, it would be better to have no cooperation at all.

Being dragged along without properly understanding the situation was what Lennok most avoided.

It would be better to hear all the explanations now and abandon cooperation with Olivera.

“If you plan to stay silent using the excuse of ‘The Prohibition,’ then let’s end it here. The deal is off, and I’ll find a way alone.”

[…]

Olivera, hearing Lennok’s words, stood there in silence for a long time.

A peculiar reaction, as if it took her a moment to accept Lennok’s firm refusal.

It was a few minutes later that Olivera’s telepathic voice resonated again.

[…Very well.]

“…”

[I admit I was somewhat hasty regarding the Kundara matter.]

Olivera slowly began to speak, gently pulling back her veil.

Beyond the veil, her transparent cheek glowed softly.

[Nox Biblio is a sub-dimensional archive created by a mighty Transcendent of unknown origin.]

“…”

[They held the conviction that the dissemination and transmission of knowledge should be free and unrestricted, and so they openly revealed all the knowledge and spellcraft information they had gathered, without limitation.]

“Revealed spellcraft information to other spellcasters?”

[If someone who knows of the archive’s existence requests access, the librarians must hand over the key according to the archive owner’s will. That was the content of the deal I requested from Tillian…]

Olivera glanced at the cliff and said.

[This dungeon itself is structured to be a relatively suitable environment for accessing the archive. Shandorei Tillian himself created the dungeon to act as an external librarian and access Nox Biblio’s spellcraft information.]

“…”

[There’s a set number of times you can enter the archive. What information you can access and ‘borrow’ depends purely on your own capabilities.]

Beyond the calmly draped veil, Olivera gazed at Lennok.

[I have used up all those opportunities. So, I have no choice but to entrust the next one to you.]

“…I see.”

Lennok, belatedly, assented to Olivera’s words, which had poured out like a rapid stream of information.

Her silence before answering was probably to confirm that what she was about to explain wasn’t subject to The Prohibition.

But even considering that, the explanation Olivera gave about the existence of Nox Biblio was incredibly fascinating.

A dark arts archive created by a Transcendent who took the sharing of information and transmission of knowledge as their task.

It was surprising enough that such a Transcendent existed, but the fact that they chose Shandorei Tillian as their librarian was also extremely peculiar.

Perhaps it was a Transcendent who wasn’t merely unconstrained by secrets and hidden arts, but who had reached a level where even the distinction between good and evil was meaningless.

“So, you studied spellcraft with Shandorei Tillian to gain access to Nox Biblio.”

Lennok asked.

“Did you use Tillian to adjust your hierarchy to match your Mystic Eye?”

[I have no intention of offering excuses for past events for your curiosity.]

At that moment, Olivera’s telepathic voice dropped to a low tone.

[The very act of bringing up something buried decades ago is solely because I am accommodating your demand to go to Kundara.]

“…”

[The important thing is to find a way to the Outer Tribulation City. And among those, it is the act itself of twisting the veil to reveal Kundara.]

Olivera said that, and slowly pulled down her veil, completely covering her face.

[If you understand, then insert the key into the cliff. If the time and place are right, the archive will always welcome its reader.]

“…Alright.”

Olivera had long ago said that she had wandered the continent and Magic Towers, learning and researching various forms of magic.

It wouldn’t be strange then that she had once learned black magic from Tillian and tried to use it for her own pursuits.

If, in that process, she became aware of Nox Biblio’s existence and entered the archive, it made sense why she was trying to find a way there now.

But most importantly, Lennok had confirmed that Olivera, at the very least, had the will to cooperate with him on this matter.

Unlike Lennok, who had been considering breaking off their cooperation here, at least she wasn’t reluctantly participating in this.

At least until they reached the Outer Tribulation City, it would be safe to consider her an ally.

Thinking so, Lennok slowly pushed the dripping key into the cliff.

Click!!

He embedded the key into a solid rock crevice, and a metallic sound, as if a lock was being undone, echoed.

The black oil flowing from the key explosively expanded, instantly covering the entire cliff in black.

Swaaaaak!!

The colossal cliff, now stained in dark blackness.

Innumerable skeletons hanging on the cliff swayed and danced against the shimmering darkness.

A chilling sense of solitude, as if facing the entrance of a colossal, dark cradle alone.

Lennok turned around.

“What will you do?”

[I have more to discuss with him.]

Olivera, with her arms crossed, glanced over.

[I’ll need to handle it before you return from the archive.]

“He seems to have a lot of lingering feelings for you.”

Even while talking to Olivera, Tillian seemed to linger on the time when he taught her magic.

Lennok, observing from the side, even sensed it, so Olivera couldn’t possibly be unaware.

But Olivera merely snorted the moment she heard Lennok’s words.

[Being bound by such trivial emotions is utter foolishness.]

“…”

[Enough. It’s not for you to worry about. I’ll handle it, just go.]

Her mystic eye, gazing at Lennok beyond the veil, gleamed sharply.

[If, by any chance, you fail to ‘borrow’ the Celestial Spellcraft from the archive, then be prepared.]

Whoosh!!

With Olivera vanishing like the wind behind him, Lennok turned his head.

Darkness shimmered all around. The countless skeletons surged on the cliff face.

Lennok exhaled softly, and the moment he took a step, the world twisted as if turning upside down, and a void unfolded before his eyes.

Paaaat!!!

The surrounding terrain or scenery hadn’t changed.

Everything visible was simply dyed black and slowly sinking.

The blackened cliff stood towering before Lennok, and the skeletons hanging on it were clearly visible.

The only difference was that tens of thousands of books were now densely packed onto the cliff face.

Dudududu!!!

As if the sheer cliff itself served as a colossal bookshelf, an immeasurably vast archive stretched before Lennok’s eyes.

All sorts of sinister-looking grimoires and parchments were tucked into various spots, asserting their presence.

Clack, clack!!

The skeletons hanging on the cliff moved, organizing and transporting books within the archive.

A bizarre sight, as if these countless skeletons functioned as librarians for this archive.

Only then did Lennok understand what it meant for this dungeon to be structured as an environment for accessing Nox Biblio.

The strangely deep and wide cliff, and the cruelly displayed piles of skeletons on it.

All were part of the environment for accessing and managing this Archive of Darkness.

Kiiiiiik…!!

The immeasurably high bookshelves stretching above Lennok’s head warped and bent with every step he took.

Width and height lost their meaning and distorted, and new bookshelves sprouted from within the existing ones.

Three-dimensional perception lost its way and wavered in this space, drawing different axes across time.

Countless grimoires and parchments slowly brushed past Lennok, who stood in the middle of the archive.

“…”

Lennok stood at the archive’s entrance for a long time, then just as he was about to move.

[Welcome.]

Someone spoke to him from behind.

One of the skeleton librarians who had been busy carrying books between the shelves.

The skeleton, its jaw clattering up and down, its dim eye-sockets gleaming, spoke.

[It has been a long time since your last visit.]

“…A long time?”

Lennok tilted his head and asked.

“This is my first time in this archive.”

[No.]

The skeleton let out a broken laugh.

[Surely, you have been here before.]

“…”

Was this skeleton librarian speaking to someone other than Lennok, referring to the past?

Ignoring Lennok’s chilling gaze, the skeleton librarian laughed and slowly turned its back.

[Let’s go. I will guide you to the spellcraft archive section you always used to see…]