Book Eater

Chapter 318: The One who Inherits, the One who Maneuvers Behind the Scenes (1)

The underground was a subterranean world that caused instinctive fear among living creatures on the earth… It didn’t allow for a single strand of light. This was a space that was cut off from the blue sky and the grace of the sun. If the place beyond the sky was revered as a sacred and beautiful place, then the area under the earth was considered as a place of death and flames.

Most cultures buried a person when they died, making the underground the world of the dead. There was a reason for this stereotype. There was no need to go back to the Age of Mythology. In this era, there were many forces that made the underground their home.

One of those forces was the underground auction house in Kargas Kingdom. Those hiding in the underground were always afraid of the sun, and held secrets that couldn’t be revealed to others. Those with wicked eyes crawled into the darkness beneath the earth to openly sate their wicked desires. And after staying in the abyss for so long, the rats were finally eaten by the abyss.

“... Hrmmm.”

Bodies, bodies, and more bodies... A man in a black robe spoke from on top of a hill of hundreds, maybe thousands, of bodies. His voice was so distorted that anyone who heard him would shiver in fear.

As he crushed one of the skulls rolling near his feet, he muttered, “Kuhuhu, I would suppose this situation is called boiling the hound once it caught the rabbit? It is my favorite expression.”

The mountain of dead were formerly his subordinates. The head of the Orcus Company, Isaac, had died in a gruesome puddle of blood. When Jerem had been resurrected, the Four Horsemen had turned the organization they had created into a meal for Jerem, just like putting a hound that had lost its value into a boiling pot.

“Their deaths will help the king. Isn’t this a rewarding experience for such trash?” Red Knight Elohim chuckled as he looked down at the mummified bodies. They hadn’t just drained the bodies of vitality. They had also absorbed their souls, the backbone of their life. Those who died here would have no room for salvation. They would constantly suffer pain as they served Jerem.

“Well, this will keep me alive for another month or two.” Jerem nodded at Elohim and pulled out his hand that had been hidden in his robes, revealing rotting skin.

The body of the Pale Rider was not stopping the collapse of his soul. He didn’t have a suitable vessel anymore, and the injury Mitra had dealt him was fatal. Absorbing the vitality and souls of the living was just a desperate bandage, not a fundamental solution.

In order to fix this wound, he had to pay an equivalent price to a great being, Nídh?ggur.

“If possible, I wanted to be better prepared, but... I guess it can’t be helped. There isn’t a lot of time remaining in this body.” Words with an unknown meaning behind them flowed from Jerem’s mouth. Just what the hell was he starting?

Building a mountain of bodies and a river of blood... An excellent magician and a famous swordsman had fallen at his feet. One man had slaughtered all the famous people in the organization like they were chickens and completed a single magic circle.

“I don’t need to call a complete form from the beginning. An avatar would be enough, and I have more than enough materials between the souls from Lairon and Baldur’s body.”

The altar of sacrifices was surrounded by an ominously colored magic circle. The left hemisphere held a soul gem made of the ten million souls stolen by the great magic circle in Lairon. It was so valuable that he could call several high-ranking demons and still have enough souls left over.

However, there was an even more valuable offering on the right. Baldur’s body glowed brilliantly, as his remains didn’t allow the human eye to look at it. Jerem could only confirm the outline, and the Four Horsemen didn’t even dare face it. Baldur was a god who represented light, the antithesis of warlocks.

Therefore, the presence of darkness couldn’t help being attracted to this prey.

“「 Eater of the world tree, king of Nastrond. 」”

The magic circle, which had been drawn with the blood of thousands, flashed red. As soon as the chanting began, the darkness started to wriggle like it was alive. It was proof that the wall separating the material world and Nastrond was thinning.

“「 You are the one who scoffs at all deaths, who sits down on the field of those killed at the end of the world. 」”

The taboo history from the end of the Age of Mythology was repeating itself, and the magic circle emitted red light like it was responding. The eye of Nídh?ggur, Nastrond’s king, opened to gaze through the wall between dimensions and reached Jerem.

- Did you call this body, Follower?

Terror flooded Jerem’s body as the dispassionate gaze landed on him. He might be a transcendent, but Nídh?ggur was a king of monsters who could kill him with one finger. Jerem had contracted with Nídh?ggur to obtain power; however, there was still a massive gulf between them.

Jerem barely controlled the shaking of his voice as he said, “Your strength is required. Receive the offering I brought, and let me borrow your power.”

- Hoh??Nídh?ggur seemed disinterested in the soul gem, but Baldur’s body evinced a flicker of intrigue. Baldur might be dead, but he was still a god from the Age of Mythology whose name had spread far and wide. Needless to say, Nídh?ggur accepted it.

- Okay, tell me your desire. In the name of this Nídh?ggur, I will grant you strength corresponding to the sacrifices offered.

The two sacrifices on the altar were sucked into the dark abyss, becoming the possessions of Nídh?ggur, the ruler of Nastrond. At the same time, Jerem’s desire was conveyed to Nídh?ggur.

- Yggdrasil, how interesting. In the Age of Mythology, many wanted to take it. But in the end, it was burned without entering anyone’s hands.?

Desire filled the eyes of the wicked dragon.

- Indeed, this is good entertainment after a long time. Follower, I’ll match your trick. This time, I will take that seedling.

“Thank you, great dragon.”

- On the day this body swallows Yggdrasil, I will give you a piece of Niflheim’s territory.

Jerem grinned, and Nídh?ggur opened his mouth. Jerem had once thought magic couldn’t surpass the walls of the dimension. Even peak 9th Circle warlocks couldn’t cross the walls of the dimension.

However, this was just a mere nuisance to Nídh?ggur.

――――――――――――――!!!

An odor of death spread, and the dragon roared.

***

.

At around the same time, Theo’s group finished their first task after the conversation in the cabin. Titania had pointed out that they needed to settle Veronica properly, so they completed the ward as fast as they could so that her magic power could settle.

“... Tch.” Still, Veronica’s complaints couldn’t be stopped.

“Well done. There is no magic power coming from her.” Titania nodded as she looked at the ward Theo had made.

There was no problem if it couldn’t be felt with the senses of a high elf. At the very least, there was no fiery magic power leaking through the ward.

However, Veronica was unhappy about the situation and muttered to Titania, “You don’t have to act so arrogantly with Theo!”

“...?” Titania didn’t understand, so she turned away without responding. Of course, her indifferent attitude made Veronica even more infuriated.

“I’ll be right back. Please wait, even if it is boring.” Theo tried to calm Veronica before following Titania. He had visited Elvenheim once before, but most places were still unfamiliar to him.

Titania, who was walking ahead, looked back and said, “Let’s go higher. It is more efficient to explain each zone from a high altitude.”

“I will.”

The two of them flew into the air. Theo used flying magic, while Titania relied on the ancient elemental, Geros. As Theo rose slowly in the air, he listened to the voice coming from above him.

Titania’s voice was mixed with the wind as she said, “I want to ask you something.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking softly, “Is my tone that arrogant?”

“... Huh?”

She explained, “I didn’t speak with honorifics the first time we met because I don’t have any bad feelings towards you and don’t want to make you uncomfortable. If you have any complaints, tell me without worrying.”

Theo looked up at her strangely, but quickly realized that Titania was wearing a skirt and looked away. This was the disadvantage of flying magic.

However, Titania seemed to think his silence was an answer and sighed. She spoke in a tone that was still stiff but carried some of her own troubles. “I respect you even if I don’t use honorifics. You are Elvenheim’s benefactor. I’m not haughty or stupid enough to not admit them. If there is a problem... Yes, think of it as me lacking social interaction.”

“Okay, I understand your point.” He accepted her words but noted, “Then you should fix something first.”

Titania glanced at him. “What is it?”

Theo kept his face straight. “My name isn’t ‘you’.”

Titania looked down at him in surprise and smiled bitterly. It was only a slight smile, but it was the first time Theo had seen it. “... Indeed. Should I call you Theo?”

Theo allowed a smile to flit across his face. “Yes, I will also call you Titania.”

Titania mused, “This is a monumental day. Aside from the high elves and Master, you are the first one to call my name.”

The atmosphere improved as both of them continued to fly in the sky. It only took a few kilometers for them to breach the clouds and land on one of the branches of the world tree. They weren’t even halfway up the world tree. Of course, they could go further up, but it would be counterproductive to their goal of understanding the different areas in the Great Forest.

The scenery is spectacular. If this was opened as a tourist destination, many people would pay through the nose to see it.

However, it was unlikely that would ever happen.

Theo was smiling when Titania called out to him. “Theo.”

“Ah, did you want to explain something?”

“No, I remembered that I have to give you something.”

“Huh?”

The wind was strong enough to blow Titania’s hair back and ruffle the fur on her clothes as she pulled out a book from inside her robes. Theo’s eyes shook as he saw the book’s cover.

“Master asked me to give this to Theo.”

“Hah...” Theo laughed involuntarily as he took the book from Titania. The book’s cover was so worn down that it was impossible to know when it was written.

It makes me realize that he truly isn’t human.

Theo’s trembling fingers touched the characters on the title, [Deeper Theories about Elementals]. The Introduction to Elemental Magic II that Theo bought a few years ago at the auction house had increased his understanding of magic and elementals, but he hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Myrdal again. It was the original copy of the book Myrdal had written, but a fragment of his soul hadn’t remained in it.

However, what about this book that had been written before Theo was born?

“... Sigh.” Theo took a deep breath to calm his agitation and placed a hand on the sage’s book.

Appraisal.