While Xelth’Ruun, the archive caretaker, was gone, the altar ant to dismiss Rey with low-tier scraps stood exposed.
What was supposed to be a quiet deception turned into sothing far more terrifying.
The Will of the Origin descended.
And in a single mont, Ruun’s carefully layered plan shattered without resistance.
Rey stood frozen before the altar, his breath unconsciously slowing.
Books filled the air.
Not dozens.Not hundreds.
Thousands upon thousands of ancient tos hovered around the altar, circling it like predatory vultures over a corpse abandoned in a sunless desert.
They moved with intent.
They watched him.
They waited.
Yet none of them dared approach.
There was no hesitation.It was fear.
These were not ordinary books pulled from a mundane archive.
They were remnants of the Grand Archive of the Darkness Origin Law, sealed away for an unfathomable number of eras. Each carried an ego, a will forged through countless ages.
And yet, sothing invisible prevented them from even showing Rey their covers.
A barrier.
A presence.
Sothing neither Rey nor the books fully understood.
When tiny gaps appeared in that unseen wall, the books seized the chance.
Their ancient egos stirred.
Whispers slithered into existence—promises of power, dominion, eternity. Concepts too vast for mortal minds tried to press themselves into Rey’s consciousness.
But nothing happened.
Rey didn’t react.
He didn’t even notice.
Because he couldn’t feel them at all.
Eight books revolved calmly around him.
Unlike the others, they did not rush or beg.
They radiated authority.
A pressure so absolute that it forced every other to to keep its distance.
As long as those eight existed, nothing else could approach Rey.
the Will spoke.
The vast eye hovered above, watching everything, missing nothing.
The eight books descended slightly, aligning above Rey’s head like a silent crown.
Rey swallowed.
“My lord… I don’t think I can accept such a gift,” he said carefully. “Soone like should be grateful simply for rcy. The books I already chose are more than enough.”
His tone was humble.
Too humble.
The image of Ruun being taken away still lingered in his mind.
Even soone as powerful as Veylen had frozen in place before that scene.
Rey had no intention of testing the limits of beings like this.
the Will replied calmly.
Her gaze shifted slightly.
Rey turned instinctively toward his spirits.
Aiden.Victor.Zero.
All three stared at the eight books as if they were witnessing the birth of a universe.
Their expressions were vacant. Reverent. Almost… desperate.
“No, Ms. Will,” Rey said quickly, stepping back toward them while still facing her. “They’re just… srised by your generosity.”
He leaned closer to Aiden.
“Guys, what’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like this over so books?”
No response.
Not even a blink.
the Will said.
Rey frowned, then grabbed Aiden’s shoulder.
Nothing.
He shook him.
Nothing.
He slapped him lightly across the face.
Still nothing.
Victor. Zero. Veylen.
All statues.
“So ti really stopped?” Rey muttered. “But isn’t everything supposed to turn black and white or sothing?”
The Will’s tone carried mild amusent.
Rey scratched his head.
“Then… why stop ti at all, Ms. Will? If you don’t mind.”
she replied.
Rey nodded slowly, then hesitated.
“…Then why wasn’t I affected like the others?”
she said lightly.
The word remained echoed strangely in Rey’s mind.
Before?
But he didn’t interrupt.
"So… was this a test?" he asked instead. “To see if I’m special or sothing?”
the Will murmured.
She drifted closer until the massive eye hovered directly before him.
“Yes, I am smart—”
Rey froze mid-sentence.
His lips stopped moving.
His thoughts stalled.
His body beca no different from the others.
the Will whispered,
Darkness gathered above Rey’s forehead.
A small orb ford, swirling with countless colours, black dominating the rest.
Rey felt no pain.
No discomfort.
The effect would only manifest once ti resud.
After several seconds, the orb detached itself from him and drifted into the Will’s eye.
It was absorbed silently.
Ti passed.
Or perhaps it didn’t.
Finally, she moved back.
she said softly.
A pause.
Ti resud.
Rey gasped mid-word, a sharp sting flaring across his forehead.
He staggered slightly, rubbing the spot in confusion.
Everyone around him moved normally.
Aiden blinked.Victor smacked his lips.Veylen exhaled slowly.
The Will’s eye was no longer near him.
Maybe I imagined it, Rey thought.
Trying to understand beings like her was pointless.
the Will said aloud, her tone unchanged,
She gestured toward the altar.
She smiled faintly.
The answer seed obvious.
Eight versus thousands?
Rey turned to his spirits.
“Guys… eight books or—”
“No,” Aiden said instantly. “Take the eight.”
“Yes,” Victor added. “Those are treasures even the greatest existences would kill for.”
His eyes glowed unnaturally.
“They’re calling to . Begging to be devoured.”
[Rey], Zero transmitted, [this may sound selfish… but my existence itself demands you take them.]
Veylen spoke last.
“Even in my diminished state, I know this. One of those books outweighs everything else here.”
A pause.
“But the choice remains yours.”
Rey stared at them.
“…You’re all serious.”
“Yes,” they answered together.
“Victor,” Rey said slowly, “weren’t you desperate for the Blood Mana Cultivation Technique?”
Victor stiffened, then shook his head.
“If destiny wills it, we’ll find it later,” he said calmly. “But these eight… even one eclipses hundreds of others.”
Rey sighed.
“If you want to take the eight, raise both hands. If not, one.”
All four spirits raised both hands.
The Will manifested two hands of darkness and raised them as well.
“You’re all ganging up on ,” Rey snapped. “Then why pretend I have a choice?”
“Fine,” he exhaled. “I’ll take the eight.”
He paused.
“But I need to know what they are first.”
His expectations were modest.
High-grade body techniques.Mana cultivation manuals.Maybe one or two singularity-level texts at best.
After all, why would the Will give Absolute-ranked treasures to soone like him?
The books floated forward.
One by one, their titles revealed themselves.
Rey’s breath stopped.
His vision blurred.
His mind went blank.
“What the hell…”
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