Chapter 157: Royal Library
The life magic is lost? What the hell is happening here...
Ash unknowingly clenched his fists, his mind racing with the weight of what he was hearing, but he didn’t move and continued listening quietly, hoping to piece together the full picture.
"But what exactly did I say that was wrong?" Elowen spoke again, her tone laced more with confusion than defiance. "All I did was state the truth that everyone here is already thinking in their hearts but are too afraid to speak aloud."
"I believe we should end this debate here," one of the elves said, his voice calmer but more grounded in concern.
"Instead of arguing, tell me this—does anyone have any concrete idea on what we should do next? The demons have been growing bolder, spreading further, and now it’s not just the Unicorn King, even humans have begun approaching us, asking for treatment through life magic."
"If things continue down this path, we won’t just be isolated—we will find ourselves surrounded by enemies on all sides."
The one who spoke sat at the center of the gathering. He had long, flowing white hair, and his presence demanded respect. Among the nine members present, he was the only one who could be considered the true voice of leadership within the Elven Council.
As soon as he finished speaking, silence fell upon the room. No one offered a response.
Letting out a heavy breath, the Council Head spoke again, this time more firmly. "It’s clear we won’t find a solution if we continue like this. None of us here have the affinity to comprehend or use life magic, which is why we need to depend on the Queen."
"Each of you should visit her. Share your insights, offer support. Even if your words do not provide immediate answers, they might help her feel less alone. And more importantly, I want each one of you to investigate why our Mother remains unresponsive."
A/N: ’Mother’ refers to the World Tree.
"Am I clear?"
"Yes, Council Head," the others replied together, their voices respectful and unified.
"Elowen, since you hold the highest mastery over nature magic among us, you should go first. See how the Queen is doing, and ask her to rest for a while. I have a feeling she’s been pushing herself beyond her limits for far too long."
"Yes, Council Head. I will go immediately," Elowen replied with a calm and sincere expression.
"Alright then. The discussion is over. Disperse."
What? They are going now? I hardly heard anything useful...
What should I do now? Everything is becoming too complicated.
Even though frustration quietly bubbled in his chest, Ash kept his mind steady and calm.
As the council members began to leave, one by one, only Elowen moved in the opposite direction from the others. Her steps were firm and unhurried.
She’s probably heading to the library, right? And they did mention something about decoding the ancient language... If my guess is right, then everything is still within control.
He stood in silence, waiting patiently for everyone to leave. But, his attention remained focused solely on Elowen.
Even the breathtaking appearance of the elves, the kind of beauty that could shake nations, failed to distract him.
Though he did notice it, he chose to ignore it completely, directing all his focus to the task at hand.
But the moment everyone was about to leave, something unexpected happened.
The wide-open ceiling, shaped like the petals of a giant flower, slowly started to close, moving inwards like the dome of a stadium folding in on itself.
Shit!!
His position was directly above the surface that had started to shift. The movement caused him to lose balance, and for a moment, he almost became visible.
"Hmm..."
The Council Head, along with two other members who had not yet exited completely, turned their attention toward Ash’s direction.
...But...
There was no one there.
"I felt someone there just now," the Council Head said in a low voice, his eyes scanning the area with narrowed focus. He expanded his perception throughout the entire space, probing carefully for any disturbance.
But even after several moments of careful observation, there was no presence detected.
Eventually, without saying another word, the Council Head and the others turned around and left.
That was too close... Who would’ve thought the roof would start to close so suddenly?
At the very last second, Ash had quickly teleported himself just out of range, avoiding exposure by a hair’s breadth. His instincts had saved him once again.
Only when he was completely sure that everyone had left did Ash make his next move. He silently began to follow Elowen trail from a distance, careful not to make even the slightest sound.
Wait... Would I be able to see the spirits if I used Elemental Sight?
He had tested Elemental Sight before arriving here, and based on his experimentation, he had reached two main conclusions.
The first was that Omni Thought and Elemental Sight could not be activated at the same time. He had searched for the reason behind it but found none.
Eventually, he speculated that perhaps it was because both runes affected the mind directly. Since both placed a heavy burden on his mental faculties, it made sense that they clashed.
Though it was just a theory, it was the most reasonable explanation he could come up with.
The second conclusion he reached was that Elemental Sight required an intense level of concentration and significantly drained his mental energy. Using it carelessly would only put him at a disadvantage.
Still... Let’s try Elemental Sight.
As his concentration peaked, the symbol of a third eye lit up on his forehead, and his vision changed instantly.
The world around him shimmered with new layers of detail, and the flow of mana became visible in ways that were both beautiful and overwhelming.
The mana flowing through the World Tree was exceptionally pure. Just by observing it, Ash could feel the same gentle life energy that had healed him countless times before.
He stood still, unable to move, almost humbled by the sight before him.
He felt the enormous, indescribable energy resting within the tree, not violent or chaotic, but vast and watchful.
It feels like I’m standing in the palm of a Giant God.
That was the only way Ash could describe the sensation washing over him at that moment.
But as he began walking down the stairs, Ash noticed that the path was leading deep into the World Tree itself. He paused for a moment, unsure of what might be hidden inside, but still chose to keep going. Elemental Sight remained active.
The World Tree is supposed to be asleep, so I don’t think it can detect me right now. But still... it’s strange that I can’t see any spirits at all.
Still, there was no way to confirm whether his Elemental Sight was even working properly when it came to detecting spirits.
But then, halfway down the stairs, a strange feeling washed over him. A cold, heavy sensation made his skin crawl and sent goosebumps down his arms.
Demonic energy...
Even his normally calm, dead-looking eyes widened a little. Because of the Primordial Core inside him, Ash was extremely sensitive to different types of energy.
This time, he could feel it clearly. Something dark and twisted was coming from below. It was thick, and heavy, and it made the air feel suffocating.
Don’t tell me the World Tree went quiet because of the demons...
That thought made his expression tighten. If what he was sensing was true, then the truth behind the Elven Continent was far more dangerous than what the novel had ever described. Nothing about this was written. He was walking into unknown territory now.
Still, he kept going.
Eventually, they reached the base of the World Tree. But getting here wasn’t easy. Along the way, there were several guarded doors, magical barriers, and checkpoints with strong security. At every corner, guards stood alert.
Ash had to carefully hide himself, teleporting only at the very last second before the doors shut behind Elva. It took effort, but he managed to stay hidden and follow her this far.
And now, finally, in front of him stood another massive library. While it wasn’t as huge as the one in the Dragon Continent, it was still large—about twice the size of the one at Starlight Academy.
Lately, it feels like I keep ending up in libraries. Once I heal Elysia, I’ll come back and read every book in all three of them.
Because even if someone had power, knowledge was still the most reliable weapon.
He activated Elemental Sight again after reaching the bottom level. Instantly, that ominous energy he felt earlier grew even stronger, thick enough to almost make his body freeze.
The source of the energy wasn’t coming from the books or the walls. No—it was coming from deeper below, far beneath the ground.
Something’s hidden under the roots of the World Tree. I’ll have to check that out later. For now, I need to stay focused on following the elf.
One thing he was thankful for was that the library wasn’t crowded. Except for a few quiet servants, likely there to serve the Queen, there was barely anyone around.
After walking quietly for a while longer, Ash finally saw her.
The Queen of the Elves.
***