"Indeed, Wardanaz is truly remarkable."
Even the students of the Blue Dragon, who had grown accustomed to Yi-Han's exceptional feats, were surprised and murmured among themselves.
How did he unlock the mechanism so quickly and effortlessly?
"Princess? Princess?"
It was only when Nebren of the Kirak family called out again that Adenart snapped back to reality.
The Princess apologized, looking regretful.
"No, it's fine. You were pondering how it was solved. I'll ask about it later."
While Nebren spoke, Gainando shook the locking mechanism.
There was a clattering sound from inside, as if something had broken.
"Huh? Is this broken?"
"Gainando. High-difficulty magic locks make that sound."
"Really? It sounds just like the toys I used to break..."
Puzzled, Gainando walked away, his head tilted in thought.
Yonaire, observing this, asked,
"Did you solve it?"
"No. I broke it. But let's keep that between us."
“...”
Had he really broken it?!
The students cautiously descended the stairs to the underground.
It was a long and dark descent, adding to the tension.
"Let there be light."
Yi-Han conjured a sphere of light at the front.
He would have preferred to use dark vision magic, but creating light was unavoidable.
Being able to see ahead also meant being visible to others.
It was a gamble, given they didn't know what awaited them at the bottom of the stairs.
'But it's more dangerous for this many people to walk in the dark...'
Thankfully, no Rock Drakes were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
Instead, they were greeted by the familiar sight of a library's shelves and corridors.
It was a sight they had seen around the entrance of the library before.
"Phew!"
"Ah...!"
Relieved, the students exhaled deeply.
"Over here! There's a chair next to the shelves! And a table!!"
"There are lanterns on the walls!! Can you see?!"
'One would think the students had gone mad.'
Their excitement over such ordinary findings was somewhat touching.
The library was, in fact, supposed to be like this.
Walls filled with shelves, passageways, tables and chairs placed here and there, and cozy, warm lighting...
The wilderness with Rock Drakes was not usually called a library.
"Wardanaz?"
From afar, a familiar voice was heard.
Nillia, accompanied by the priests of the Immortal Phoenix, stood on the opposite end of the corridor. The Dark Elf, formerly of the Shadow Patrol, called out to Yi-Han with a friendly face.
"Why are you so late? We've been waiting for you. Did you see the mark I left?"
"?"
Yi-Han felt a sense of unease.
Neither Nillia nor the priests looked as tired as they should have been.
'What's going on?'
"Nillia. How did you get past the Rock Drakes?"
"Rock Drakes? What Rock Drakes?"
“...”
Yi-Han felt a surge of fear.
The other students behind him seemed to feel the same.
Could it be...?
"Did you... come straight here as soon as you entered?"
"Yes. Why? Did you guys end up somewhere else?"
“...”
The faces of the students from the Blue Dragon and the White Tiger twisted simultaneously.
Such an unjust situation…
When the students of the Blue Dragon and the White Tiger had fallen into the wilderness filled with Rock Drakes, the students of the Black Tortoise and the Immortal Phoenix had directly landed in the library's labyrinth section.
The library labyrinth was a densely packed place, filled with all kinds of books.
Thanks to this, the students from the two towers were able to find the books relatively quickly.
"That was a close call."
The other students from the Black Tortoise, who appeared belatedly, joined the conversation.
"Do you know what appears in this library labyrinth section?"
"What appears?"
A student from the White Tiger asked with a cold voice, clearly not out of curiosity.
Shadow Specters.
Shadow Specters, a type of monster in the Specter category, strongly possessed negative attributes and were known to possess people who carelessly came into contact with them.
Although the library labyrinth was not without lighting, its complicated structure with various shelves and books and many dark corners made it a challenge to deal with such monsters like Shadow Specters.
If unlucky, one could be possessed without even a chance to evade.
"Good. We had to deal with Rock Drakes."
The students from the White Tiger scoffed, thinking the Black Tortoise students were boasting, but stopped and looked at Yi-Han when he nodded.
"Rock Drakes appeared."
"Then we've both had our share of troubles!"
"Troubles? Hardly comparable!"
The White Tiger students were indignant, but the Black Tortoise students ignored them. It wasn't their fault that the others had chosen a more difficult path!
Nillia looked at Yi-Han with a hint of sympathy.
"That's unfortunate. What did you do?"
"It's over and done with. Could you share any records of the book locations?"
"I can do that, but maybe we should prepare to camp out first?"
"Camp? We're tired, but everyone can still move for a few more hours."
Nillia pointed to the ceiling.
The lights hanging from the ceiling and walls were gradually dimming.
"It's been getting darker. The number of Shadow Specters is increasing. We could be in trouble if we wander..."
"Gainando has been possessed by a Shadow Specter!"
"Stop it from possessing him!"
"It's too late! He's possessed!"
"Slap him! Until the possession breaks!"
"Priest! Let the priest do it!"
"That can happen."
Yi-Han nodded, watching Gainando, who was held by his friends and slapped in an attempt to break the possession.
Although they looked weak after encountering Rock Drakes, Shadow Specters were indeed a troublesome monster.
Especially in this terrain, their strength increased with the number of people.
A friend suddenly possessed, causing chaos, the formation disrupted, another friend possessed, just as the first was freed, other Shadow Specters drawn by the commotion...
In an area with other monsters, a complete party wipeout wouldn't have been surprising.
'If the number of Shadow Specters increases periodically, there must be a moment when their number decreases. Is this why the duration is set for more than a day?'
"Nillia, I'd like some advice on preparing the camp."
"Of course!"
Nillia answered with the brightest expression Yi-Han had seen today, while Dolgyu beside her seemed slightly intimidated by her enthusiasm.
"There's nothing particularly difficult about the library labyrinth. The basics are important. Remember what I told you last time?"
Yi-Han nodded, wondering if Nillia's enthusiasm might be a bit too much.
"First, find a clearing large enough for several people. The narrower the passage leading to it, the better. That way, monsters won't come. You know Shadow Specters are drawn to light, right?"
"That makes sense..."
'Did he really understand all that?'
Dolgyu was once again astonished.
Frankly, he had found it difficult to comprehend what the student from the Black Tortoise was saying.
Was it because of his intelligence?
"Is everything set up?"
"Roughly."
Following Nillia's advice, the students from the Blue Dragon found a suitable spot for camping.
They unpacked their gear in a wide clearing and draped a cloth over the narrow passageway to prevent light from escaping.
Flickering lights could be seen in the distant corridor.
"Where is that?"
"Must be those Black Tortoise guys. Looks like they're preparing well too."
Although a bit distant, students from all four towers were scattered nearby, setting up their camps.
The further one ventured from the center of the labyrinthine library, the easier it was to get lost, given its complexity.
Moreover, there were several advantages to being near the center, from a fountain with running water to various conveniences.
"Alright, everyone draw straws. As agreed, we'll take turns standing guard in pairs."
Gainando reached out and drew a straw. He got a middle turn.
"Middle, huh? Is that good?"
"If you think it's good, then it's good."
Yi-Han evasively answered.
In reality, being either first or last was better in such a camping scenario; being in the middle meant waking up awkwardly and being more tired.
"I should fetch some water."
"No need. Water, spring forth."
The student who was about to fetch water for washing from the fountain looked at Yi-Han with admiration.
Unlike the wilderness where Rock Drakes appeared, water creation magic was possible here, but no student wanted to waste their limited mana on it.
But Yi-Han was different.
His mana was at a level where waste didn't matter!
"Wardanaz... If I ever hear adventurers asking for a recommendation for an outstanding mage for their party, I'll definitely recommend you."
'What an appalling thing to say.'
Yi-Han was appalled at his friend's backhanded compliment for just creating water.
"Wardanaz. The lights are getting much weaker."
"It's about time we turn off our lights too."
The lights in the library had noticeably dimmed since earlier.
The more it darkened, the more likely the Shadow Specters would be drawn to the students' lights.
The students from the Blue Dragon quickly finished their meal of bread, ham, a few candies, and water, then lay down in their respective places.
Essentially, they were lying on the hard library floor with just blankets, but no one complained.
"Yi-Han, are you asleep?"
"No."
"Fancy a game of cards?"
"No."
"The Shadow Specters won't come here, right? It'd be better if they went to the White Tiger guys."
"..."
"What if the guards fall asleep? What if a Shadow Specter enters while we're sleeping?"
Someone threw an empty candy box from the other side. Gainando got hit.
"Who's that?!"
"Just sleep. Be quiet."
"Yeah, shut up and sleep, Gainando."
Scoldings came from various directions. Gainando grumbled but closed his mouth.
'It should be okay.'
To prevent any monsters from possibly entering, pairs were standing guard outside the passage leading to the clearing.
Of course, Yi-Han didn't solely rely on his friends. He had also summoned Sharakan to stand by his side.
It was a waste of mana, but for such a situation, it was acceptable…
Yi-Han wondered if he should have just let Sharakan stand guard and told his friends to rest. But then he thought better of it. It was more thorough this way, and he didn't need to do everything himself.
Had his friends heard his thoughts, they surely would have exclaimed in protest.
In truth, with Sharakan there, they didn't really need to keep watch.
Yi-Han suddenly awoke, not knowing why. The dim light on the ceiling revealed it was dawn as he checked his pocket watch.
Growl!
Sharakan was tugging at his sleeve with its mouth. Yi-Han instantly sensed that something was wrong.
'What's...'
"Guys!! Wake up!! Wake up!!!"
The friends who were on guard outside the passage were rushing in, breathless.
"Specters are swarming everywhere!"
"Did you wake us up just for that?"
A student from the Blue Dragon, barely awake, rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked.
"They can swarm, can't they? Why..."
"It's not just that! Look!"
Several students staggered towards the passage.
Then, their drowsiness vanished instantly as they stepped back in shock.
"...!!!!"
"What, what's with the Shadow Specters...?"
The passage outside was so overrun with Specters that it was barely visible.
The number had increased to such an extent that it could be called a sea of Specters.
"They're coming this way!"
At the end of the narrow passage, the Specters began to surge through, like a fierce wave.
Yi-Han gripped his staff and prepared his magic.
"Blaze..."
"Yi-Han!"
"What?"
"Is it okay to use fire magic in the library?!"
"...If there's a problem, let's blame the principal. Blaze forth!"
"!?"
