“Hmm?”
He raised his hand, and saw golden light radiating outwards from horrifying cracks.
Xia De, surprised, turned his head back to the shrine, only to find that the shrine on the pile of books was gone.
In its place was an old gentleman, dressed in a gray robe, with long white hair flowing over his shoulders, almost completely merged with the white beard on his chin.
He wore a tall, wide-brimmed gray pointed hat, and even though he was sitting on a not-so-tall pile of books, the top of his head was still higher than Xia De’s.
His left hand rested on a long staff, and his right hand held a smoking pipe to his mouth.
Because Xia De had been leaning in to look at the shrine just now, when he turned his head back, he was almost face to face with the old man.
Before Xia De could react, the old man suddenly widened his eyes and shouted:
“Ah!”
It was so sudden that Xia De was startled and took two steps back.
If Miss Olanorde hadn't come over in time to steady him, he would have almost fallen into the bonfire.
“Hahaha~”
Holding his pipe, the old man in the gray robe burst out laughing:
“How interesting, the person who summoned me this time is truly interesting.”
He put down his pipe and looked at the four with his long staff.
Although he was just sitting on a pile of old books, he seemed to be sitting on a throne in the clouds.
He chuckled, then took another puff from his pipe:
“Since this shrine has finally been touched, it means that this Library, which should not have existed in the first place, is finally about to be completely destroyed.
So, mortals, before its destruction, are you willing to help me collect a few books?”
He looked at the four in turn, speaking in a tone like an old farmer sitting on a country path, asking a neighbor for help with harvesting crops:
“The Gaddis Library, a forbidden Library, contains Knowledge and history from the first epoch that mortals after that time are not permitted to know.
The destruction of this Library was precisely because they tried to learn the secrets of the first epoch.
And now, it is time to reclaim the forbidden books buried here.
Three books, yes, three books are needed.
Bring them, and I can grant you three wishes.”
“Any wish?”
Xia De immediately asked.
“Oh, no, of course not.
I cannot grant you power for combat, but as the Guardian of the Library, I have much Knowledge that might interest you.
Of course, I can only give you Knowledge that is not forbidden.”
Xia De swallowed:
“For example, Knowledge to enhance Time Perception, to perceive the most authentic time?”
“Of course.”
Xia De nodded and turned to look at the Witches.
They were clearly not prepared to face a god here, but they had also heard the conversation between the god and Xia De.
Miss Olanorde and the Witch from Zaras Society both nodded to Xia De, so Xia De asked again:
“God, if I may ask, what books do you wish to find?”
“The forbidden book of nameless sacrifices, which records the power of the Sun Emblem; the forbidden yeger scroll, which records the mysteries of death; and the forbidden Spiral Text, which records the history of the first epoch.”
The god replied, exhaling white smoke that did not dissipate, but instead formed the covers of three large books in the cold air.
The first book had a large Sun Emblem on its surface, the second was wrapped in chains, and the third appeared to be made of stone, with traces resembling fossilized conch shells on its surface.
Even unwilling to face the god directly, the Witches still looked up with Xia De, observing carefully in the firelight.
And the styles of those book covers, just one glance, were immediately deeply imprinted in their minds.
“Mortals, each of these three books holds infinite power for mortals.
I will not forbid you from opening them to look in advance, but you must bear the consequences yourselves.”
“God, will you always be here? How do we give you the books?”
Xia De actually wanted to ask if this god would leave after he left.
If he didn't leave, then the safety of the three Witches would not be a concern.
“Do you think sacrificing three books can complete a full summoning ritual for a god? No, no, what you see now is only a partial projection of me, summoned using the power I left in the shrine—”
Xia De’s eyelids twitched.
“—Otherwise, why would I have you look for those forbidden books instead of retrieving them myself? Oh, child, including this time, I can appear three times to answer some questions about those forbidden books.
As for when you plan to give me the books, that is for you to decide.
If there’s nothing else this time, then—”
“God, please wait!”
The Witch from Zaras Society suddenly spoke, and the god’s gaze fell upon her, making even a High-Tier Witch uncomfortable:
“It’s like this, we have already obtained the forbidden book recording the history of the first epoch, the Spiral Text.”
She reached into the pocket of her long dress, then pulled out a stone tablet.
That pocket certainly couldn't hold such a large book; it must have been some kind of Time-Space power.
And the style of that stone tablet, although exactly the same as the book cover the god had just displayed, didn't look like a book at all.
But when he truly saw the spiral traces on its surface, Xia De actually felt as if his consciousness was about to be sucked into it.
Ancient and heavy, this was Xia De’s first impression of this book.
He was quite interested in the Knowledge recorded within, but he also knew that with his current power, he was not yet strong enough to read about the Knowledge of that earliest epoch.
“Indeed, this is it.
Look, it’s still sealed.
Don’t you intend to study the contents of this book?”
The god asked with a smile, and Miss Peggy Samuel shook her head slightly.
Seeing that her companions did not object, she handed the book to Xia De.
Xia De, realizing he would soon be leaving, quickly handed the book to the god before him.
The bonfire crackled behind him, and his entire shadow was cast upon the stone tablet in front of him.
The stone tablet was unusually cold and unusually heavy.
It was a difficult feeling to describe; holding it truly felt like holding a piece of history, a lost history.
The sensitivity of his soul allowed Xia De to perceive more information, and holding this lost history, he seemed to truly see an ancient scroll unfolding before his eyes.
Xia De did not intentionally try to explore what power this forbidden book, which recorded the history of the first epoch, possessed.
But when a stone tablet appeared in his hand, it was hard for him not to look down at it.
And truly, with just one glance, the mottled cracks on the tablet’s surface, the Ancient Runes within the twisted spirals, and even the very weight of the stone itself, all conveyed information to him, a very complex piece of information.
【Ancient Gods.】
This was a word from an unknown Ancient Voice; a meaning that in the sixth epoch could be expressed with just four sounds was so complex in that unknown language.
So much so that merely knowing this word, Xia De felt a pain greater than when “she” had initially given him an entire set of delarion.
“No, I can’t keep looking.”
He forced his eyes shut, and a gentle whisper sounded in his ear:
【That is an ancient story, that is the earliest story, that is a story about origins.
When you stand in the distant present and look at that scroll covered in yellow sand and dust, the brilliant and splendid ancient civilization is trying to tell you their secrets.
Outsider, this is your first contact with the story of the first epoch; this is the initial “inspiration.”】
【You have gained the Miracle, Ancient Voice.
When you touch items from the first epoch, you can safely obtain one piece of information related to it, one time per item.】
The light of inspiration flickered within Xia De’s soul; this was a Miracle related to the core Ling Rune 【Time-Space】.
And when the new power generated by the inspiration stabilized, the stone tablet from the first epoch in his hand immediately told Xia De information he did not know.
【The time of the first epoch was exceptionally long; when the earliest epoch ended, the Thirteen Ancient Gods did not depart.】
Before Xia De could ponder this information, the old man in front of him took the heavy stone tablet from Xia De’s hand.
Then, a phantom-like bookshelf appeared beside him, and the god inserted the stone tablet into a gap in the bookshelf, whereupon the bookshelf disappeared:
“Very good, with this, the record of the first book is complete.”
He conjured his pipe from the air again, ignoring the expression on Xia De’s face:
“One book, one wish.
Make your wish.
Knowledge, or power related to the Library.
This is only my projection, without much power, so don’t be too greedy.”
The bonfire crackled, and the snowstorm outside was still astonishing.
The old man exhaled another puff of smoke, and a huge shadow swayed on the wall behind him, but the shape of that shadow did not resemble a human figure in any way.
Recovering from the information about the Ancient Gods, the god’s statement “without much power” reminded Xia De of the young man wearing a clown hat in the toy store.
Twenty-five minutes had passed since Xia De arrived here, and he didn’t have much time left.
So he apologized to the god in front of him, suppressed the information about the Ancient Gods he had just gained, then turned to the side of the bonfire to discuss the wish with the three Witches.
“This wish is for you to make; that book was found by you, it has nothing to do with me.”
Although he very much wanted to know how to enhance Time Perception, Xia De still stated his position.
The young girl with Red Dragon blood, carefully observing the scars on Xia De’s body, said softly:
“Teacher, please don’t consider my opinion; I came out this time only to broaden my horizons with you.”
This was said to Miss Olanorde.
So the two High-Tier Witches looked at each other, and finally, the Witch from Zaras Society spoke first:
“This book itself was my purpose for coming to Dead Silence Valley.
Since I found it, for the first wish, why don’t I suggest something—have the god help you learn this gentleman’s Miracle—Silent Moonlight.
He is only a Three-Tier, yet he can already make our power slowly recover, and aren’t you a Thirteen-Tier?”
The last time Xia De saw Miss Olanorde in Thousand Tree Forest, she was a Twelve-Tier.
“Blainey, if you cast this Miracle, no matter how long the blizzard lasts, even if black snow arrives, we won’t be in such a predicament as we are now.
At least, this can help us escape.”
Miss Peggy Samuel’s suggestion was excellent; such a wish was not too excessive, and essentially, it would grant power to Miss Olanorde, which would also benefit others.
So the proposal was approved, and the Golden-haired Witch with round glasses gestured for Xia De to speak.
“Why me again?”
He asked quietly.
“Isn’t it obvious, sir?”
She again actively reached for Xia De’s wrist, and this time Miss Olanorde did not object.
The Witch from Zaras Society then smiled and pushed Xia De to turn and face the old man on the pile of old books.
After she released Xia De’s wrist, she observed her own palm behind Xia De, using the light of the bonfire:
“How interesting.”
Xia De heard this sentence from behind him.
He described the first wish of the three people to the god, who nodded in agreement, but after taking a puff from his pipe and exhaling the smoke, the blue eyes on his ancient face again scrutinized Xia De:
“This power is very unusual.
In my current state of appearance, I cannot directly teach that mortal over there, but I can transfer your power to her.”
Xia De raised an eyebrow, which meant that at the cost of losing his Miracle 【Silent Moonlight】, Miss Olanorde would learn this Miracle:
“May I ask, is this process reversible?”
Miss Olanorde actively walked to Xia De’s side, standing behind him and to his side.
The main entrance of the Gaddis Library ruins was actually very spacious; their shadows intertwined due to the bonfire, cast upon the wall where the murals had peeled away.
“If you make another wish, it is certainly reversible.”
The old man with the staff said with a smile, and urged:
“Decide quickly, young ones, I am about to leave.”
“God, please wait!”
