Chapter 58: Scepter Liberation 【Logos Erosion】

“Rustle rustle rustle—”

The rustling of flipping pages tore a rift in the dead silence, countless sheets of paper like piano keys plucked by invisible fingers, tracing a bizarre rhythm in the air.

The scent of ink in the air suddenly became thick, almost suffocating.

The fragrance was mixed with a kind of decaying smell, like opening a long-dusty ancient book.

Mel could hear the sound of her own swallowing explode in her eardrums, viscous ink seeping from between the yellowed pages, snaking down the oak bookshelves like dark brown tear stains.

The smell of decay grew stronger, as if countless rotting tongues were licking their skin.

Seventeen rows of wrought iron bookshelves cast thorn-like shadows in the moonlight, the standing readers' throats trembled, their chanting mixed with the crisp sound of tearing paper.

Mel suddenly noticed their pupils—

Tiny black words floated on every iris, like movable type poured into a living human shell.

The readers slowly stood up, their movements uniform, as if controlled by some invisible force.

Their lips began to move, emitting a low and strange chanting sound, as if summoning some being not of this world.

“Watch out!”

She pulled Veronica towards the pillar on the right, and a hardcover edition of "The Gutenberg Chronicle" grazed past their temples.

The leather cover exploded in mid-air, the splashing fragments of parchment suddenly twisting into barbed chains.

Sparks from the edge of 【The New Moon】's blade burst into a string of crimson before their eyes, the severed paper chains still twitching as they hit the floor, the ink bleeding into spiderweb-like cracks on the floor tiles.

“Let's go, Veronica, we have to get out of here quickly!”

Mel's voice was filled with urgency, she gripped Veronica's hand tightly, trying to pull her towards the exit.

However, just then, the library's main doors were suddenly slammed shut with a dull thud.

“Bang—!”

The sound was like a signal, and the entire library instantly fell into a strange silence.

All the readers turned to Mel and Veronica at the same time, their eyes glittering with a light not of this world.

Their gazes were filled with greed and desire, as if they wanted to devour them alive.

“Mel.... what is happening?”

Veronica's voice trembled, she had only now finally realized the seriousness of the situation.

Her palms began to sweat, and her body trembled slightly involuntarily.

“Don't be afraid... stay by my side, Veronica.”

Mel looked around vigilantly, 【The New Moon】 rising in her hand, emitting a restless hum.

Just then, the crowd suddenly parted to the sides like a dividing tide, and a figure that had appeared in Mel's mind several times walked out from the middle.

When she saw that face, Mel's pupils contracted suddenly, her heart feeling as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.

Allen.

The man who had conspired with Jason under the moonlight was now strolling towards them.

Mr. Allen's footsteps had a strange rhythm, and gilded words appeared on the floor tiles he stepped on.

His steps were light and unhurried, as if performing some sacred ritual, and he wore a silver ring inlaid with a ruby on his hand.

He looked extremely elegant.

But in Mel's eyes, his soul was entwined with dense words.

Those words were also foul, and at this moment they were crawling all over his soul like a long, black centipede.

It was nauseating.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Mel Rossetti —no, this shouldn't be our first meeting.”

Allen's voice was as smooth as silk, yet carried a chilling coldness.

“I haven't seen you...”

Mel said with a frown.

“No, you have seen me, of course you have.”

Allen said with a smile.

“Not to mention you should have already seen me in Jason's memories... I also taught your class for a few days. It's just that... I wasn't using”

His gaze shifted between Mel and Veronica, finally settling on Veronica, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

“Such touching sisterly affection, isn't it?”

“What do you want to do to Veronica?”

Mel lowered her voice and raised her weapon, looking like a wild beast ready to go berserk at any moment.

“Look at you in this state of a Red Moon Shepherd, how ugly.”

Allen shook his head in disdain, “What interest could I have in her? Everything I've done has been for you, Mel Rossetti. You stole a full thirty portions of Quintessence from us, you didn't think it would be let go so easily, did you?”

He said, then took a step forward.

“However much you took, you will pay back—this library is what I have meticulously prepared for this purpose. Everything is ready, only waiting for the sacrifice to arrive, I really have to thank the Red Moon for choosing you. Only those like you, ruled by instinct and desire, would rush headlong into a trap. Did you ever even think, for such an important God's descent ritual, why was Jason the only one guarding it?”

Mel's pupils shrank, Allen's words stabbing into her heart like a sharp blade.

The hand she gripped 【The New Moon】 with began to tremble involuntarily, and cold sweat slid slowly down her forehead.

“What... what on earth are you talking about....”

Veronica looked around in horror, the gazes of the "readers" becoming increasingly bizarre, as if they would pounce and tear them to shreds at any moment.

She subconsciously moved closer to Mel, seeking protection.

Allen spread his hands elegantly, a victorious smile on his face.

“Everything in that basement was just a counterfeit—no, that's not quite right either. I still have to thank those guys from the Truth Poetry Society for providing the materials, otherwise your people wouldn't have been fooled so easily. But all in all, where the God's descent ritual is held still depends on you. Wherever you die, that is the site of the ritual. Be honored, Mel Rossetti—it is clearly a performance dedicated to the great 【Knowledge】, yet it must be moved for an apostle of a debauchee like you.”

Allen said, then slowly walked forward.

With every step he took, the scent of ink in the air grew stronger, the smell mixed with a nauseating sense of decay, as if it were corroding the real world.

“Stop pretending... you're just of the Silver stage, even if the God's descent ritual is activated, you won't be able to withstand Its gaze!”

Mel said through gritted teeth.

Hearing this, Allen's steps paused slightly, then he burst out laughing as if he had heard something utterly ridiculous.

“Silver? Who told you that?”

Allen held his stomach, laughing exaggeratedly, even wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.

“Oh—I know, you read it in that guy Jason's memories, didn't you? Oh dear... speaking of which, I do seem to recall mentioning to him that I wasn't one of the junior seats of.”

After a pause, he looked at Mel, a malicious smile on his face.

“Because I am one of the senior seats, little girl.”

Allen sneered, then no longer concealed his aura.

Following a strong fluctuation of Quintessence that shook the library, the bookshelves suddenly began to tremble violently, and countless books fell from the shelves.

The pages opened in mid-air, the ink seeming to come alive, transforming into countless twisted runes dancing in the air.

Allen abruptly raised his hand, and an invisible force instantly separated Mel and Veronica.

Veronica was thrown to the side, while Mel was held firmly in place by that force.

“Mel!”

Veronica cried out, wanting to rush forward, but was blocked by several members of the Flock.

They were bloated and shone with a strange light, their movements mechanical and stiff.

Mel struggled with all her might, but the force was like an invisible chain, binding her limbs tightly.

【The New Moon】 hummed restlessly in her hand, but it could not break free from the control of that force.

“I'll let you have a little taste—of what kind of existence the so-called Red Staff truly is.”

As soon as Allen's voice fell, the air in the entire library seemed to freeze.

The dancing runes suddenly stopped in mid-air, like a movie scene that had been paused.

Mel felt an unprecedented sense of pressure wash over her.

Her breathing became difficult, as if an invisible giant hand was squeezing her chest.

—Scepter Liberation 【Logos Erosion】!