Chapter 190: Soul Library
"Humm... hummm... hummm... hummm..."
The soft sound of humming echoed around the highest peak of the ancient castle, nestled at the very top of the World Tree.
It came from the study room or rather, the Queen’s office—where all important documents were handled.
Serena was sitting at the large desk placed near the enormous window, one that offered a sweeping view of almost the entire continent below.
Although she was supposed to be focusing on important administrative work, especially since she had recently taken over most of the continent’s affairs, her attention was repeatedly getting stolen by that ever-present humming.
She was doing her best to stay concentrated, trying not to make any mistakes that could lead to serious financial consequences. But the humming noise in the background was gradually eroding her patience.
Furiously slamming her pen down on the table, Serena sharply turned to glare in the direction of the sound.
Over on the side sofa, Elysia sat casually with her legs crossed. She wore a black-and-white long skirt that extended below her knees, her silver hair tied into a neat ponytail with a few strands artfully falling across her flawless face.
Her expression was serene, almost dreamy, as her eyes remained locked on the necklace in her hands.
It was a chain that shimmered softly with a pure white glow, attached to a heart-shaped pendant that sparkled with a faint rainbow hue.
Ash. Ash. Ash. Ash. Ash... prepared a present just for me...
"Humm... hummm... hummm..."
Yes, it was the same necklace that Solareth had once given to Ash. Just last night, Ash had given it to her, and since then, Elysia hadn’t stopped smiling.
She was practically glowing.
But the interesting part?
She had only started humming the moment she entered Serena’s office.
"Can you stop your pointless humming already? It’s seriously distracting me from my work," Serena’s voice rang out, her irritation evident.
Elysia did stop for a second, but her mood was simply too cheerful to argue back.
"What can I do?" Elysia tilted her head slightly, still smiling as she spoke. "If you had a boyfriend as cute and caring as mine, who gave you a present this sweet, wouldn’t you be happy too?"
As she said that, she subtly lifted the necklace, clearly showing it off in front of Serena without even trying to be discreet.
Serena’s expression darkened. Her body trembled slightly, but she controlled herself with extreme willpower.
After all, one of the blessings granted to her by the World Tree allowed her to stay composed and calm, especially during political matters.
But even that blessing had its limits. It wasn’t invincible.
"I don’t care. Just stop humming. If you want to keep doing that, then leave my office."
Serena’s voice was cold and firm. She had already been irritated by Elysia’s presence, and now that she was also flaunting that necklace, it only made things worse.
But Elysia didn’t move. She simply smiled.
"No can do. You know Ash is going to come here as soon as he finishes whatever he’s doing in the ’Core’. I want to be here waiting for him."
Saying that, she turned her eyes back to the necklace and resumed her soft humming, completely ignoring Serena’s cold glare.
Although Elysia hadn’t worn the necklace even once, she couldn’t stop admiring it.
Serena stared at the necklace for a long time, then slowly shifted her gaze toward Elysia again.
She didn’t say a word, but in her heart, she felt utterly helpless. Trying to let it go, she looked back down at her papers, only to realize something worse.
The pen she had slammed earlier had started leaking ink.
It had bled all over her paperwork, ruining the entire page she had been working on.
Serena clenched her jaw. She almost cursed out loud but managed to stop herself at the last second. Still, in her mind, she was cursing Elysia without a single pause.
If Elysia’s rank was higher than her, Elysia would’ve easily sensed the storm of insults being hurled at her through Serena’s thoughts.
But sadly, she couldn’t.
While Serena picked up a cloth and quietly started cleaning the ink-stained desk, a portal shimmered into existence in the middle of the room.
***
From the portal, Ash came out, followed by the World Tree. Seeing Elysia rushing toward him with light steps and then hugging him tightly with a bright smile on her face, made his sour mood feel a little lighter.
"So, how did it go?" Serena asked, her voice calm but clearly curious. She already knew what Ash had gone to do, unlike Elysia, who, even though she was clearly curious as well, did not ask him anything.
"Uh... I don’t know," the World Tree replied.
After feeling that his memories were not budging, Ash had come out of his Soul Sea. He had told the World Tree that he had understood what he needed to do and thanked her before hurrying to return here.
So, she also didn’t know what exactly had happened.
All three of them looked at Ash with visible confusion in their expressions, but Ash just smiled softly and said to the world tree, "I got the hang of it. I don’t want to disturb you more than necessary. You also need to focus on recovering your previous strength. I might come back some other time to learn more from you."
Although his words were calm and polite, they carried a strange undertone. It felt a little unnatural, almost like he was trying to leave quickly, and none of them missed that.
"No, no. The pleasure is ours to be of some benefit to our savior," the World Tree said, giving a small, genuine smile.
Serena also smiled, though her smile trembled faintly for just a moment. Still, she politely thanked him again.
Ash also talked a little with Serena, before Ash teleported away with Elysia.
Silence returned to the room after they left.
The World Tree slowly walked toward Serena, who had not moved from her place, and gently pulled her into a deep embrace. With a quiet, soothing voice, she whispered, "Do not feel bad, my child. Some things are simply not in our control. Rather than pushing them forcefully, it is better to wait and let things flow on their own."
Whether Serena truly understood those words or not, the World Tree couldn’t say.
But she could feel Serena’s trembling slightly in her arms and sobbing softly, even though she tried to stay composed.
***
[In the hidden cave, where Ash had previously taken refuge.]
"Why are we here?" Elysia asked curiously, her silver eyes scanning the familiar surroundings of the cave. The soft echo of dripping water in the background accompanied the faint hum of mana lingering in the air.
"I need to do something. Don’t wander too far from here," Ash replied without turning back. He walked to the center of the cave, where the stone surface was smooth and undisturbed, and sat down in a lotus position.
As he closed his eyes, his thoughts began to swirl.
The liquid the World Tree gave me... it’s almost finished now. From what I observed during my last session, it seems to have a calming and suppressive effect. It helps me keep my thoughts clear and stops the mental strain...
Though he had no idea what the actual composition was or how it worked, he had felt the difference. That clarity... it wasn’t normal. It helped him keep his sense of self together when things inside the Soul Sea became too much to handle.
I guess... the only real option I have left is to use that function again.
Skill Creation.
The pitch-black screen appeared in front of him, as if pulled straight from the void. Stark white letters formed across the surface, crisp and alive with energy.
Create a skill using all the runes whose help might be needed, to remove the foreign memories from my subconscious or soul.
[Processing...]
---
Skill Name – Memory Deletion
Skill Creation Slots Available – 3
Probability of Creating Skill Successfully – 23%
---
[Processing...]
[Processing...]
[Failed!!!]
[Skill can’t be created.]
Ash’s expression darkened slightly, the corners of his eyes tightening. His mood grew heavy. This was the first time one of his skill creation attempts had completely failed.
Even though he had added all of his runes and allowed the system to use whichever ones were necessary, and had phrased his request in a way that left room for flexibility, the result was still rejection.
So, even if I give it full access, it’s not enough. I need something else... or maybe the concept itself isn’t stable enough to be made into a skill...
He didn’t let the failure get to him. Instead, he took a breath, letting the silence of the cave fill his mind.
Let’s try again. It’s fine... after all, my skill creation chances aren’t being consumed when it fails. That means I can experiment freely and try various ideas without wasting them.
Skill Creation.
Create a skill using all the runes whose help might be needed, that creates a library in my Soul Sea, one that gathers and stores all of my memories in the form of books. These books will organize themselves and reduce the mental load on my mind and subconsciousness. And I should be able to access any memory by simply focusing or thinking about it.
[Processing...]
---
Skill Name – Soul Library
Skill Creation Slots Available – 3
Probability of Creating Skill Successfully – 56%
---
[Processing...]