Chapter 300

A freezing wind swept over the spire.

Whoosh...

"Ugh..."

Tap—!

Jamad's hand struck the book, knocking it out of Seol's hand.

"What the..."

- Seol, are you okay?

Seol rubbed his aching hand.

"Ah, I'm fine. I was just surprised."

Seol massaged his hand and then picked up the white book that had fallen to the floor.

Swoosh...

He looked at the cover of the book. He could feel the book's heft and its cover's rough, bumpy texture.

'I can't feel any more cold coming out of it.'

Seol tried to suppress his pounding heart and tried to open the book.

"Ah..."

However, the book reacted strangely each time he tried to open it.

Crack—!

It immediately froze over, and he couldn't even open a single page.

Step...

Step...

Seol suddenly heard footsteps coming from a distance.

"You've made quite a spectacle while opening the door. You're more savage than a troll. To think I came here to bring the key."

"..."

It was Bron.

Bron raised an eyebrow as he looked at Seol, who was struggling while bending over.

"It looks like you got what you wanted."

Seol hesitated before answering.

Should he say he got the book or play dumb? He was still unsure of Bron’s true nature.

However, he didn't hesitate for long.

"Yes. It was thanks to you."

He still wasn't sure what Bron wanted, but there was no need to turn away someone who had shown kindness. After all, Bron had even helped him obtain this book.

"Oh, to think you would admit it so easily. As expected, it’s good to do a few good deeds now and then. Well, I guess with this, I've paid a bit of my debt to you."

"Your debt to me?"

"Well, it was your party who defeated the Head of the Library and crushed Branka's plan."

"But you didn't stop him despite being able to."

"How could I have stood in his way? I had to keep my mouth shut even if I disagreed. Honestly, I was grateful you showed up at the right time. And besides..."

Bron turned around and began walking.

"The Head of the Library wasn't something a fake like me could handle. You must have seen it, too. I would have immediately turned into letters if it had touched me."

Seol imagined that scene unfolding before him—the sight of Branka's leg turning into letters and scattering into the air.

"Anyway, will you leave now that you got what you wanted?"

Swoosh...

Seol glanced down at the book and said, "I guess so..."

* * *

After returning to the lodging, Seol marveled at how pristine the surroundings had become.

It was so nice that he even thought that if this weren't a trapped world, the world inside a book might be worth living in.

But more importantly.

- The Head of the Library wasn't something a fake like me could handle. You must have seen it, too. I would have immediately turned into letters if it had touched me.

He was thinking about how Bron called himself a fake.

It seemed that Bron thought of himself as fake.

'Well, it isn't unreasonable. After all, the real Bron is already dead. That's why he might consider himself a clone carrying his memories...'

Seol was honestly surprised by how friendly Bron and the Frostmaw Tribe had been with him.

He even felt bitter about how fiercely he had fought against them before.

He wondered what would have happened had Branka come to his senses a bit earlier. Then, Seol remembered his words.

- Huff... Huff... Jamad. If I, Branka, had lived in the same era as you... Would our fates have been different?

It felt like that could have really been the case.

No. Even if he had changed his mind before awakening the Head of the Library, the situation might have been slightly better.

'Well, it's all meaningless to think about that now. The Frostmaw Tribe is going to survive well on their own...'

Whether they considered themselves fakes didn't matter.

Seol could do nothing for their future.

"Hmm..."

That's why, for now, Seol decided to focus on the task at hand.

The book that the Grand Duke of Frost had left.

After returning to his room, he tried opening it again, but it was useless.

Which meant...

"Was it all for nothing?"

The seal was so strong he couldn't even open a single page.

Seol briefly thought about the two Magicians in his party and then slowly shook his head.

Bornuil suspected they might also be after the Grand Duke of Frost’s book, so provoking them unnecessarily was a risky move.

Seol knew well enough that Magicians could become a bit eccentric when it came to matters of power, and he didn't want to make any mistakes here.

And if it was absolutely necessary, he could always ask Frannan.

'No. Come to think of it, there's one more person.'

Seol had an Archmage by his side—someone who had lived in this era and was also a member of the Zodiac, just like the Grand Duke of Frost.

'Bornuil, are you there?'

- ...

'Bornuil?'

- The old man is asleep.

"..."

It was Ur who answered in Bornuil’s stead.

'Ur, I found the book.'

- Ah, so you've found that book. So, what's written in it?

Seol explained the problem he was currently facing to Ur.

- It isn't uncommon. Books that are restricted to certain readers often come with seals. But it's usually some kind of magical trickery. I should be able to break through it quite easily.

There were times when Seol found Ur to be incredibly reassuring. And this was one of them.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Ur's knowledge in mana or magic unparalleled. After all, he solved the mystery of the Void and conquered it.

'Then, what should I do?'

- Send that book to the Void. You know how to do that, right?

'Of course.'

Seol focused on the Strength of the Mind, which he had extensively mastered in the Ruins of Watala. He closed his eyes and envisioned it—a giant door.

Swoosh...

BOOM...

Seol was now standing before a giant door.

He had mastered this power quite a bit.

"Then... Hmm?"

However, the book in his hand disappeared.

Seol tilted his head and returned to reality. He was definitely holding the book.

"..."

- What are you doing?

"Wait a moment."

Swoosh...

"Then, the reason why it remains..."

Joneh stammered.

"This... This might sound crazy—no, it is crazy. But I'm not crazy."

"Please, go on."

He spoke in a nervous tone.

"Someone on the other side is holding onto the door handle and refusing to let go... They’re keeping the door from disappearing..."

"..."

"Who do you think it could be?"

At that moment, everyone hesitated and took a step back.

Santio said while stepping back.

"This... This... There's no way..."

"If that thing is still alive, what could it possibly want...?"

At that moment...

Whoosh...

Light began seeping from the Scorpion Door.

Flash—!

Bron quickly moved and blocked the door.

"What's going on?!"

The ominous vibrations weren't just coming from the Scorpion Door.

WHOOM...

The Grand Duke of Frost’s book Seol had also begun to tremble.

An abnormal mana phenomenon was detected.

'This is bad!'

CRACK—!

Seol transformed into the Night Crow while Joneh conjured an emergency transfer gate for escape. Meanwhile, Santio heightened his mana resistance to shield everyone.

Their response was swift and flawless.

WHOOM...

"Hey... I got it."

"What?"

Bron said while blocking the door, "The thing on the other side... It’s not trying to come through."

His words stunned everyone.

"It's trying to take us there.

"What...?"

At that moment...

WHOOSH—!

There wasn't even a sensation of the door opening.

The surroundings instantly shifted. The snowy mountain and the castle had vanished without a trace.

If the ice castle looked like a crude form of art, this place felt as if something alive had been perfectly frozen in time—a world intricately crafted in ice.

"The library..."

"The bookshelves... They're all frozen."

"Oh my god..."

Seol couldn't believe his eyes.

"The Head of the Library..."

The Head of the Library and Branka were frozen in the middle of the 4th floor. It was also exactly how Seol had seen them.

"The 4th floor..."

"We must escape!"

"Everyone, grab onto me!"

At Joneh's shout, everyone quickly clung to him

Swoosh...

A white mist crept across the floor.

CRACK—!

Their bodies began to freeze, but there was no sensation of cold. It was as if their senses had completely shut down.

How did one breathe?

"I-I'm the Scorpion Master! Let's talk..."

"I'm the Aries Master! Please, let's talk...!"

Joneh and Santio hurriedly shouted, but...

CRACK—!

Their entire bodies froze.

"Ugh..."

Bron's temples throbbed as his veins popped out.

It seemed he was trying to use a Forbidden Shamanic Spell, but...

Crack...

He also ended up frozen.

"Oof... Oof..."

Seol panted.

Step...

Step...

Someone was approaching him from behind.

Whoosh—!

Suddenly, Jamad emerged from Seol's body.

- Seol, run!

Jamad, who had dismissed the Night Crow form, tried to swing his arm at the approaching figure.

Crack...

But he froze.

Everything did.

Even Seol's face was being overtaken by the frost.

The figure who had approached them now stood before him and pulled the book from his grasp.

"Why..."

Crack...

Did he still remain?

He couldn't finish the question.

It was the Grand Duke of Frost, Azran.

Azran looked down at the book in his hand for a moment and then said, "This book..."

As if he had made a decision, he placed his index finger on Seol's forehead.

Swoosh...

In an instant, he invaded Seol's mind, bypassing the Void's door.

Everything around him froze.

However, just then...

Shweek—!

For the first time, Azran stopped moving.

FWOOSH—!

A fiery line appeared on the ground. And a knight holding a sword stood before him.

"..."

Although the knight had caught his interest, Azran's gaze was fixed elsewhere—on the figure sitting in a chair, watching him.

"Don't cross the line."

A voice came from the figure staring at Azran through a pair of glasses.

"How dare a mere Magician..."

It was Ur.