ushernet Chapter 212: The Demon Realm (2)
Chapter 212: The Demon Realm (2)
Chapter 212: The Demon Realm (2)
The Demon Realm...? Are you saying this seed is from demons?
[Exactly. To be precise, it’s a fruit that grows in the Demon Realm. Whether it grows naturally or is cultivated, it belongs to another dimension. You can only acquire it from the Demon Realm. Now, how this seed got here is a mystery. The Demon Realm and the human world were cut off before the Magical Era...]
Karyl received the spore from Allen and turned to Nain Darhon.
“Hey, did you use something like this when you made that creature?”
Looking at the Black Spore resting on Karyl’s palm, Nain shook his head.
“...You always speak so casually. And what’s with this weird thing? Are you sure it belongs to this world?”
Despite Karyl being much younger, he exuded an inexplicable sense of authority that Nain couldn’t resist.
“It’s a fruit that grows in the Demon Realm."
“...!!”
“...!!”
Everyone present was shocked by Karyl’s words.
“The Demon Realm? What are you talking about? The human world is the only realm with open dimensional gates.”
“Exactly. Allen also mentioned that the connection was severed before the Magical Era. But it seems it wasn’t completely cut off.”
“...What do you mean?”
The spore on his palm seemed to be searching for nutrients, with protrusions sprouting and continuously pricking his skin.
“Because a dungeon is a gateway directly connected to the Demon Realm. Not all of them, but among the higher-tier Dungeons, there are monsters that possess intelligence.”
Nain Darhon nodded.
“And among the boss monsters that emerge from S-rank dungeons with more than three precursors, there are demons as well.”
“But isn’t it common knowledge that dungeons are isolated dimensions, unrelated to the Demon Realm? Once the boss monster is defeated, the dungeon shuts down.”
“Why?”
Karyl’s question seemed to challenge the established belief.
“Why...? What do you mean, why?”
“Why does the death of the boss monster cause the newly created space to disappear? Can you really be certain that the space truly vanishes just because it’s an isolated dimension? Or, does the space really disappear at all?”
Nain Darhon’s face showed confusion. The long-established theory had never been questioned.
“Stop stalling and explain already,” Allen urged. “The theory of dungeons was also established by the Assembly of Seven Elders. Are you implying there’s something I don’t know?”
“If someone transported the spore into our world, whether human or demon, then it’s possible.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because dungeons themselves are passageways to the Demon Realm. Demons can come to the human world through dungeons without needing a dimensional gate.”
“That’s absurd. Once a dungeon is conquered, even the entrance disappears. How could demons cross over?” Nain Darhon shouted at Karyl’s assertion.
“Not all of them. For instance, the Stinging Nettle Rolling Hill, home to the Sand Serpent known as the Lord of the Rolling Hill, was originally a dungeon but has since become a distinct geographical feature.”
“Are you saying that dungeons that become part of the landscape can be passageways to the Demon Realm...?” Allen asked with an incredulous expression. “But the hill isn’t home to an intelligent boss monster, which is why it remains.”
“Correct. Monsters like the Twin-Headed Eagle and the Sand Serpent are left alone because their materials are valuable.” Karyl nodded at Allen’s comment.
“And like in the Magical Era, don’t you guys always eradicate dungeons with humanoid bosses? Even now, there shouldn’t be any dungeons with demons or similar entities.”
“There aren’t.”
“What are you trying to say...” Allen furrowed his brow slightly at Karyl’s ambiguous answer, but then he fell silent at his next remark.
“I’m talking about the active dungeons.”
“You don’t mean...”
“That’s right. The dormant dungeons.” Karyl nodded. “People think they’re just empty spaces because the activity has ceased. But why do they remain even after the monsters have disappeared?”
“That’s because...”
“Yes, it could be because they’ve more or less blended with the terrain.”
Nain Darhon, who was about to say something, fell silent at Karyl’s response.
“In that case, we need to rephrase the question. Can you be sure that all terrain-like dungeons only house giant beast-type monsters like the Sand Serpent?”
Allen nodded in agreement.
“He’s right. Even though I recognize the black spore as a demonic fruit, I can’t say how it’ll behave in the human realm. As I said, the Demon Realm was isolated even during the Magical Era.”
“What if there is someone who knows?” Karyl asked confidently, looking at Nain Darhon and Allen.
“What are you talking about? It can’t be someone from Antihum, right? Are you saying there’s someone in the Immortal Council with more magical knowledge than me? That’s impossible,” Nain scoffed, then quickly corrected himself with a startled glance at Allen. “Well, except for you, Master.”
“Who could possibly know more about the Demon Realm than us?” Allen asked, visibly irritated by the thought.
“There is someone,” Karyl said with a mysterious smile. “A peculiar bookworm that I know.”
***
“What is... this?”
“I thought you might recognize it, sir. Doesn’t it look familiar?”
Nain Darhon’s lips twitched at Karyl’s words.
Why does he speak formally here?
The fact that Karyl was always speaking informally to him, the head of the Immortal Council, while showing respect to the slender man in front of them, irked Nain Darhon. But his annoyance was short-lived as his curiosity about this place grew.
“Was there such a place in the Grand Library? I haven’t paid attention since leaving the librarians in charge.”
The room was damp, located deep underground, with an impressive height that belied its subterranean nature. The small rectangular room was packed with books on all four sides, leaving just enough space to open the door.
“Wh-What brings you here, sir?”
The man, noticing Nain Darhon behind Karyl, hurriedly stood up.
Swoosh—
The man’s height became apparent as he stood, though his thin frame did not give the impression of a warrior.
“Are you the caretaker here?”
“My apologies. I am unable to properly manage the books. I’m merely... reading the discarded ones.”
“Discarded books?”
At Nain’s question, the man hesitated before answering cautiously, “We call this place the Book Tomb.”
“Why is that?”
“Didn’t you order all books related to magic to be brought to the library, sir? However, books that aren’t strictly grimoires lack popularity... With limited space, we started storing other books here.”
From historical texts to novels, every book on magic that wasn’t a practical grimoire found its way here, abandoned. The name “Book Tomb” was fitting yet gloomy.
Shff...
Karyl pulled a book from the shelf and examined it.
The Light of the World.
Reading the title, he smiled.
“This was a book I read in Einheri. It’s nice to see it here again.”
“Is that so? Even the members of the Immortal Council rarely read this one... If you enjoyed that, you might also like The Underground of Dungeons and The Darkness of the Afterlife.”
The man, delighted by Karyl’s interest, promptly located the suggested books without hesitation.
“You... Have you read all these books?” Nain Darhon asked, impressed.
“My apologies. I lack talent in magic, so I find more joy in reading these books.”
“Huh...”
The underground library seemed to hold an endless number of volumes. Reading all of them was impressive enough, but remembering their exact locations was outright incredible.
“We don’t need magical knowledge. No one can rival you or Allen in that regard.”
Karyl handed the Black Spore to the man after glancing at Nain Darhon.
“But what we need to uncover the mystery behind this is wisdom, not knowledge.”
He looked at the man with a hopeful expression.
“I believe you can find the answers we seek, Israphil.”
One of the Ten of the Oracle, Karyl’s old comrade, Israphil, met his gaze with a faint smile.