The Cataloguer’s eyes flared the instant it detected Kael.
Without the slightest hesitation, the towering monstrosity charged.
Its body was an absurd fusion of shelves, books, and splintered wood, yet it moved with terrifying speed. One moment it was dozens of meters away. The next, it was already in front of him.
A massive fist descended.
Kael’s eyes widened.
So fast!
His instinct screamed as he forcefully halted his charge, stopping mere inches outside the strike’s path. The colossal fist slammed into the ground with enough force to shake the entire library.
BOOM!
The floor cracked apart.
Rows of bookshelves toppled over like dominoes as a violent shockwave exploded outward. Even after avoiding the direct hit, Kael was still caught by the impact and sent stumbling backward.
Before he could recover, danger surged through his senses again.
Too late.
Kael immediately crossed both arms in front of himself.
The next instant, an entire bookshelf came hurtling through the air.
BANG!
The projectile crashed into him like a speeding truck.
His body was launched backward, smashing through multiple shelves before finally coming to a stop beneath a rain of books and splintered wood.
For several seconds, Kael remained where he was.
Every muscle in his body screamed.
His arms felt numb.
His back felt as though it had been struck by a sledgehammer.
The impact had taken a sizeable chunk of his health, though nowhere near enough to seriously threaten him. Between his naturally absurd physical attributes and the protection offered by the Spectre X armor, he had endured the attack far better than most Hunters ever could.
Without wasting time, Kael reached into his inventory and pulled out a health potion.
The black nano armor immediately shifted.
A small opening formed around his mouth, allowing him to quickly drink the potion before sealing itself again.
Warmth spread through his body.
The pain gradually eased.
Watching his wounds begin to recover, Kael couldn’t help appreciating the armor once more.
The Spectre X wasn’t just convenient.
Its defensive properties were equally impressive.
A conventional F-Rank armor would have absorbed part of the impact, but the concentrated force would still leave dents, cracks, and structural damage. The nano armor worked differently. Every nanobot functioned as part of a massive interconnected network. When struck, the force dispersed throughout countless surrounding units rather than being focused on a single point.
The result was a durability that far exceeded most conventional equipment of the same tier.
And even when damaged, the nanobots could slowly repair themselves over time.
Of course, severe damage would still require repairs from the Spectre Guild, but the advantages easily justified the higher price.
After a few moments, Kael stood back up.
His body still ached, but his combat capability remained largely unaffected.
Just as he prepared for another round, he suddenly frowned.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Neither the Page Wraiths nor the Cataloguer had pursued him.
That alone was strange.
Then he heard it.
Crashing.
Shrieking.
Explosions of splintering wood.
The unmistakable sounds of battle.
Curiosity replacing caution, Kael moved toward the source.
As he rounded a collapsed bookshelf, he came to an abrupt stop.
"...What?"
A bizarre scene unfolded before him.
The Page Wraiths and the Cataloguer were fighting each other.
And not merely skirmishing.
They were engaged in a full-blown battle.
For a moment, Kael simply stared.
He had assumed every creature inside the instance belonged to the same hostile faction. After all, the Slothbound Knights and Sloth Hounds had fought alongside one another without issue.
Apparently, the library operated under different rules.
Not that he was complaining.
This development benefited him tremendously.
In fact, a small part of him felt tempted to sit down somewhere, pull out a bag of popcorn, and enjoy the show.
Unfortunately, reality quickly crushed that idea.
First, he had no guarantee the fight would continue indefinitely.
The Cataloguer might retreat.
The Page Wraiths might lose interest.
Or both sides could simply decide Kael looked easier to kill.
Second, he didn’t have unlimited time.
The second contact of the Torpor of the Eternal Rest curse was approaching rapidly.
And even with the ridiculous immortality of the Page Wraiths, it would likely take them forever to wear down a Level 50 monster.
If he wanted this situation resolved anytime soon, he would need to get involved.
Just then, the Page Wraiths launched another coordinated attack.
Sections of paper detached from their bodies and floated into the air under some invisible force.
Dozens of pages shot forward.
The Cataloguer immediately sensed danger and attempted to evade.
The pages adjusted mid-flight.
They curved through the air and attached themselves directly onto its body.
The effect was immediate.
The enormous creature visibly slowed.
Its movements became sluggish, as though several tons of weight had suddenly been added to its frame.
Kael’s eyes lit up.
That looked promising.
Then the Cataloguer did something that nearly made him choke.
It casually reached toward the affected sections of its body.
The shelves burdened by the cursed pages were ripped free and discarded.
Along with them went every damaged section attached to those shelves.
Then, without missing a beat, the monster grabbed nearby bookshelves from the battlefield and began attaching them to itself.
Click. Click. Click.
The replacement pieces fitted perfectly.
Like some giant, cursed Lego set.
Kael’s jaw dropped.
"What even is this place?"
The Grey Shamblers, the Sloth Hounds, the Slothbound Knights, the Page Wraiths and now this thing.
Ever since entering the instance, every new enemy seemed determined to outdo the previous one in sheer absurdity.
Thankfully, after quickly checking with Absolute Verdict, Kael discovered one important detail.
The Cataloguer’s health hadn’t increased.
Not even by a single point.
The replacement shelves repaired its appearance, but they didn’t restore lost HP.
Kael immediately relaxed.
That would have been a nightmare otherwise.
A monster capable of replacing damaged body parts with the countless bookshelves scattered throughout the library while also restoring health?
With the amount of furniture lying around, it would have practically been immortal.
Fortunately, reality wasn’t quite that cruel.