Chapter 202: Book of Nightmares (1)

“Are you asking me to teach those two now?” Nain Darhon asked incredulously. “And you’ll just be sitting back doing nothing?”

“I won’t be doing nothing. I’ll be dissecting the Book of Nightmares. It’s more difficult than anything, so be grateful,” Karyl replied.

“How am I supposed to teach someone who hasn’t even woken up yet?” Nain Darhon asked while pointing to the still-unconscious Mikhail.

“He’ll wake up soon enough. Just wait a bit.”

“Easier said than done.”

“And even if you capture the Dust of the Void, if you can’t control the Book of Nightmares, another rupture will occur. You claim it’s sealed with 7th Class magic, but Duaat is something the gods themselves sealed. You think mere human magic can hold a Spirit King?"

Nain Darhon bit his lip at Karyl’s words.

“Leaving the Dust of the Void unchecked and maintaining the seal on the Book of Nightmares was the right call. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have survived this long.”

It was a bitter truth. Each word pricked like a thorn, but Nain Darhon couldn’t deny them. To hear such criticism from a mere child, despite being a seasoned Great Sorcerer, was infuriating.

“To be honest, I wondered if the vampire blood in the Darhon family might mean you were one of Kaye Aesir’s companions...”

“Kaye Aesir? You mean that arrogant dragon hunter?” Nain Darhon laughed.

“You speak as if you’ve seen him in person. Are you really one of his remaining companions?” Karyl asked wide-eyed.

“Of course not,” Nain Darhon scoffed at Karyl’s suggestion.

“Or are you going to claim you’ve lived since the Magical Era?”

“Think what you will. But I have an idea who you’re looking for. One of those two was a necromancer.”

“You know their identity? Do you also know about the other?”

Karyl stared at him with an expectant look.

“Yes. The three of them visited Antihum once.”

“Why?”

With a smug look, Nain Darhon replied as if waiting for this question, “You’ve said it yourself. If you want to make a deal, you need to pay the price. If you’re so curious, deal with the Dust of the Void first.”

Karyl laughed at his audacity.

“You should gauge your partner before making deals. If you don’t want to talk, fine. We don’t need you.”

“...”

“By the way, those fragments will keep multiplying. If you attack them carelessly, boom!”

Nain Darhon flinched at Karyl’s warning.

“The explosion will devastate the area. Think carefully. The whole village could be reduced to ashes.”

Nain Darhon swallowed hard and sighed deeply.

“Alright, alright. You win. I know you’ve realized I can’t handle this alone.”

Karyl grinned.

“Are you really a king? There’s no dignity in what you do. You act more like a thief,” Nain Darhon rebuked.

“Well, I don’t know much about kingly dignity yet, but I’ve seen plenty of kings, and even the emperor himself lacks dignity. If anything, he’s the thief of thieves.”

“You don’t sound like you’re sixteen. Are you sure you’re not a dragon or something underneath that skin? With that dragon mana...”

“Think what you will,” Karyl repeated Nain Darhon’s earlier words, making him frown slightly.

“Alright, we’ll discuss Kaye Aesir later. For now, let’s handle the matter here. Start by telling me where you got this.”

Karyl asked the question that had puzzled him ever since stepping foot in Antihum. Unlike Ramine, the Blazing King, he hadn’t discovered Duaat’s Darkness in his previous life.

While Ramine’s essence was known to be in the Flame Dragon Riseria’s lair, the Powers of Darkness and Light were completely unknown. Even in this life, if he hadn’t met Allen Javius at the Gray Training Ground, Karyl wouldn’t have learned about those powers.

Given that Antihum had already been in ruins by the time Karyl was fulfilling the Oracle in his past life, the Book of Nightmares containing Duaat had to have already been in Nain Darhon’s possession. However, he had failed to use it properly and ended up consumed by the darkness.

He likely came to this realization after the Oracle had been prophesied and the Pharel Tower had emerged—that the fragment he had created was akin to the Tarak that destroyed the world. After this terrible revelation, Nain Darhon likely sealed the Book of Nightmares in Antihum’s depths, believing its power to be similar to those monstrosities.

As a result, Karyl hadn’t been able to harness Duaat’s power—a tragic loss. However, if such a powerful artifact had fallen into his hands, he likely would have done the same as Nain Darhon—sealed it away.

If I hadn’t met Allen Javius...

Light and Darkness, creation and destruction—the same divine powers, but entirely different entities.

If that power hadn’t been sealed but unleashed instead, the outcome of the Oracle War might have been different.

Even so, Karyl did not blame Nain Darhon. After all, he had acted to protect the world.

“I got it in Heim.”

“...?!”

For a moment, Karyl doubted his ears.

“What did you just say?”

“It may seem strange that a dark sorcerer like me has connections with the Church, but that’s how it is.”

Nain Darhon nodded nonchalantly.

“Don’t assume the Church is exclusively aligned with the Dawn Council. Both the Church and the magic societies regard mana as a blessing.”

“But the Immortal Council doesn’t. You tried to create beings of the rift with dark power. That’s literally challenging the gods.”

“Like two sides of a coin, one isn’t wrong just because the other is right. We are approaching the divine in our way.”

“So the Church supported your research. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

Nain Darhon nodded. However, Karyl, still looking dissatisfied, retorted, “Let’s get the facts straight.”

“What?”

“It wasn't the Church that gave you the Book of Nightmares, it was the Wooden Cloud, whom you met in Heim.”

Nain Darhon looked genuinely surprised.

“Well... you certainly know a lot. How did you even figure that out?”

“I’ve had my connections with them too.”

The person most closely connected with the Church was the emperor. However, the emperor and the Wooden Cloud were in a complicated relationship, not quite enemies, but uneasy allies because of the principality involved.

If the Church had handed such a crucial item to the Immortal Council, the court sorcerer from the Dawn Council wouldn’t have stayed silent.

The Church has some cunning of its own, secretly contacting the Wooden Cloud behind the emperor’s back. Or maybe the Wooden Cloud had already established roots within the Church.

Karyl was one of the few who knew that the Wooden Cloud and the Church were intertwined in the history of the principality’s ducal family.

“So, what exactly are those guys?” Karyl muttered, seemingly exasperated. “There’s nowhere on the continent they haven’t touched. They’re leading the principality’s war and now even the Church?”

Karyl knew that the Wooden Cloud was already linked to the Church and that after the fall of the principality, they would form a fanatical cult called the Blue Roar.

“I have nothing more to tell you. The Church’s bishop merely made me an offer.”

“Hmm...”

Those guys hid the Powers of Light and Darkness. The Immortal Council was the perfect place to seal Duaat, and Nain Darhon couldn’t resist such power. If anything went wrong, they could easily pin the blame on the Immortal Council.

Clever bastards.

So they might also know the whereabouts of Rasis of the Light.

Karyl realized he needed to decide whether to pressure the Church or investigate the Wooden Cloud further to find Rasis.

“This is a headache.”

It wasn’t about choosing where to investigate. He had felt that all his plans were falling into place since his return, except for one thing—he still had no solid lead on the Wooden Cloud.

Even though I’ve left it to Kamma, we might not gain much. The Church is deeply connected with the emperor, making the Wooden Cloud the only ones influencing both the principality and the empire. They’re more dangerous than I thought.

Though Karyl didn’t think Kamma would die, he worried that Kamma might get too deeply involved because of his greed.

Karl Mack is with him, so it should be fine.

Karyl knew there was no point worrying about those who weren't present, so he shook off his thoughts.

“I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with them, but I truly don’t know much. This is basically my first contact with the Wooden Cloud.”

“I’m not blaming you. I’m just curious. If you remember anything odd or significant, please let me know.”

The Wooden Cloud had deep roots across the continent. Even if Karyl and his crew gained something now, dealing with them was another matter entirely.

“If there’s anything notable... I guess there’s one thing.”

“What is it?”

“The child who brought me this book had unusual eyes. A young girl with heterochromia.”

Karyl sighed, disappointed.

“What’s so special about that? She might be mixed blood, imperial and immigrant. There are quite a few people like that in Tatur.”

“I’ve seen more mixed blood than you have. That’s not what caught my attention.”

“Then what?”

“One of her eyes was silver.”

“Silver... An elf?”

Karyl’s eyebrows twitched at Nain Darhon’s words, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Elves are said to be extinct, but it’s not confirmed. Their bloodline might still exist.”

Karyl didn’t mention the stories Narh Di Maug had told him about the Elf Kingdom in his past life. He had discussed it with Zarka Hochi but saw no need to share it with a human.

“And the other eye was golden.”

“...”

Karyl’s face hardened instantly. He swallowed nervously, unable to think of any other explanation.

“You know what that means, don’t you?”

“Golden eyes...It’s not the blood of any terrestrial race.”

“Nephilim.”

“Exactly. Two races blessed by the gods, the elves of the earth and the Nephilim of the sky. That child is a hybrid.”

Nain Darhon spoke with satisfaction, seeing Karyl’s shocked expression for the first time.

“Your reaction is understandable. After all, it means she isn’t human.”

“Do you know who she is?”

“Well, she did introduce herself when she gave me the book. Her name was Rael,” Nain Darhon revealed quietly

Squeak—!

At that moment, Karyl unintentionally tightened his grip on the Book of Nightmares.

“Rael... So I finally hear that name...” he muttered, a smirk forming on his lips. “A Nephilim. Someone who inherited the blood of those creatures I despise. No wonder they did such insane things.”

Rael—no one had ever seen her true form. She was the ultimate mastermind behind the Wooden Cloud, the leader of the Blue Roar cult, and the one Karyl had been desperately searching for.

“You talk as if you know her.”

“Nain Darhon, that’s a huge thing you’ve just told me.”

Learning that Rael was a young girl and a hybrid of different races was an immense breakthrough.

“Cough...! Cough!”

At that moment, Mikhail finally awoke, his complexion pale.

“Mikhail!”

Serica, who was nearby, quickly helped him to his feet.

“Seems you were right,” said Nain Darhon. “He’s endured the Book of Challenges for an entire day without losing his mind and passed the trial.”

“Of course.” Karyl nodded. “Alright, enough chatter. Nain Darhon, he’s proven himself. Now it’s your turn.”

Karyl then said with determination, “I shall finish my task as well.”

Rip!

At that moment, Karyl tore open the seal of the Book of Nightmares with all his might.