Chapter 18: The Key of Silence and the Flesh Golem (Part 2)
Location: Umbra House, The Crypts (Infirmary).
Time: 11:30 PM.
The infirmary of Umbra House was not a clean, white room. It was a stone chamber filled with jars of formaldehyde and the smell of bitter herbs.
Bastion laid Tom gently onto a stone slab. The boy was shivering violently, his skin a translucent grey. Green veins pulsed under his flesh—residue from the mana-draining tank.
"He is fading," Bastion rumbled. "His core has been siphoned dry. His heart doesn't have the energy to beat."
Vex, the Necromancer girl, walked over. She was wiping her hands on a rag stained with embalming fluid.
"Alive?" Vex asked, sounding disappointed. "I'm better with dead things. Dead things don't complain."
"Fix him, Vex," Ren said, peeling off his gloves. "He's one of mine."
Vex rolled her eyes. She placed her cold hands on Tom's chest.
"His mana circuits are collapsed," Vex diagnosed. "I can't fill them; they'll burst. I need to... stitch them."
She pulled out a needle made of bone and a thread that glowed with a faint, purple necrotic light.
"Hold him down," Vex ordered. "This is going to hurt."
As Vex began the delicate, gruesome work of stitching Tom's spiritual veins, Ren stepped back. He couldn't help here. He was a destroyer, not a healer.
He walked to his room and locked the door.
"Level 20," Ren whispered.
He sat on his bed and closed his eyes.
Location: The Bibliotheca of Infinity (Mental Space).
Time: Midnight in the Mind.
The Library had changed.
It was larger. The ceiling had risen, revealing upper galleries lost in the shadows. The air felt charged with potential.
Grim hovered in front of Ren, wearing a tiny party hat made of paper. He threw a handful of confetti at Ren.
[ Congratulations! Tier 2 Reached. ]
[ Class Evolution: Keeper of Secrets -> ?? ]
A golden interface appeared.
[ Choose your Tier 2 Specialization: ]
Option A: The Silencer
Focus: Assassin / Anti-Mage.
Ability:[Mana Void] - Create a zone where no magic can be cast.
Philosophy: "Knowledge is dangerous. Silence it."
Option B: The Weaver of Tales
Focus: Illusion / Manipulation.
Ability:[Rewrite] - Temporarily alter the properties of an object or low-level spell.
Philosophy: "History is written by the victor. Write it."
Option C: The Grand Archivist
Focus: Summoning / Territory.
Ability:[Materialize] - Bring objects from the Archive into reality permanently (Cost: High XP).
Philosophy: "The world is my library."
Ren studied the options.
The Silencer was powerful against Mages like Malthus.
The Grand Archivist was resource-heavy.
But The Weaver... to rewrite reality? Even temporarily?
"I am fighting an enemy that controls the narrative," Ren mused. "The Church controls the truth. To beat them, I need to change the story."
"I choose Option B: The Weaver of Tales."
[ Evolution Confirmed. ]
[ New Skill Unlocked: Rewrite (Rank F). ]
[ Feature Unlocked: The Mental Workshop. ]
A rumble shook the library.
A new door appeared between the stacks of Row 1 and Row 2. It was made of brass and gears.
Ren walked over and opened it.
Inside was a workshop straight out of a steampunk dream. Tables covered in blueprints, floating quills scribbling on parchment, and a massive Printing Press in the corner that hummed with magical energy.
[ The Mental Workshop ]
[ Function: You can now combine 'Borrowed Skills' or 'Items' to create new, temporary Skills. ]
Ren's eyes widened. "Custom spellcrafting?"
He walked to the drafting table. He placed two mental concepts on the table:
[Shadow Veil] (Stealth)
[Sweat of the Sloth] (Fatigue Toxin)
"Combine," Ren ordered.
The quills flew across the parchment. The Printing Press clanked.
A new card popped out.
[ Combo Skill: Choking Shadows ]
[ Effect: Creates a cloud of darkness that drains stamina from anyone inside it. ]
[ Duration: 1 Minute. ]
[ Cost: 50 Mana. ]
Ren smiled. "I can weaponize the library."
He looked at the Homunculus Core he had looted from the factory boss. It was a jagged, green crystal sitting on the workbench.
"Grim," Ren said. "Analyze the Core. What can we make with this?"
Grim scanned it. He held up a blueprint.
[ Item Blueprint: The Ring of Envy ]
[ Effect: Allows the user to sense when someone is jealous of them. ]
Ren frowned. "Useless."
He looked at the Core again. It was an absorbent material. The Homunculus was a sponge.
"What if I combine it with the Prisoner's Shiv?"
He placed the mental image of his Black Iron Shiv on the table next to the Core.
[ Combination Preview: The Shiv of Gluttony ]
[ Effect: A dagger that drinks mana on contact and stores it. ]
"Do it."
The press slammed down.
In the real world, the Shiv in Ren's boot grew warm. The metal darkened, and a faint green vein appeared along the fuller of the blade.
[ Weapon Upgraded. ]
Ren exhaled. He was stronger. He had new tools.
He exited the Archive.
Location: The Headmaster's Office (The Pinnacle).
Time: 8:00 AM (The Next Morning).
Headmaster Solon stood by the window, looking down at the Academy grounds.
Behind him, Cardinal Malthus paced the room like a caged tiger.
"The output has dropped by 40%," Malthus hissed. "The Pillar is venting mana into the air. Someone tampered with the flow."
"A malfunction?" Solon asked, cleaning his spectacles.
"Sabotage," Malthus slammed his hand on the desk. "Someone entered the Basement. They killed the Homunculus. They stole a Subject."
Solon put his glasses back on. His magnified eyes showed no emotion.
"Impossible. Only you and I have the key. And Archivist Grey."
"Grey says her key never left her neck," Malthus said. "But she mentioned a student found a 'stain' on a book. A distraction."
"Which student?"
"The Null. Ren Arken."
Solon turned around.
"Arken again. The boy is a ghost. He leaves no mana trail. He has no motive."
"He is a stain," Malthus growled. "I want him expelled. I want him dissected."
"You cannot touch him without proof," Solon warned. "His master, Caelum Arken, is a High Noble. If we kill his Retainer without cause, the Noble Council will investigate. And if they investigate... they find the Basement."
Malthus stopped pacing.
"Then we create cause," Malthus said.
He walked to the window.
"The Grand Tournament is in two weeks. It is a live combat event. Accidents happen in the arena. Monsters break loose. Spells go astray."
Malthus smiled, a cruel, beatific expression.
"Put the Null in the Tournament. And I will ensure he does not walk out."
Solon hesitated. Then he nodded.
"Very well. I will announce it at the morning assembly."
Location: The Grand Assembly Hall.
Time: 9:00 AM.
The hall was packed. Students whispered rumors about the "Green Flash" seen near the library last night.
Headmaster Solon floated up to the podium.
"Silence."
The hall went dead.
"Due to recent... disturbances," Solon began, "The faculty has decided to accelerate the curriculum. The Grand Tournament will be held in two weeks."
The Solaris students cheered. This was their chance to shine.
"However," Solon raised a hand. "This year, there is a change. Participation is usually voluntary for Retainers."
He looked directly at the Umbra table. At Ren.
"This year, Retainers of High Nobles are mandatory participants. They will fight in the Exhibition Matches against Academy Beasts."
Caelum stood up at the Solaris table. "Objection! Retainers aren't trained for arena combat!"
"Then you should have trained him better, Lord Arken," Solon said coldly. "If he survives, he earns 100 House Points. If he dies... well, Retainers are replaceable."
Ren sat quietly. Kaelith grabbed his arm.
"They're trying to kill you," Kaelith whispered. "Publicly."
Ren looked up at the Headmaster. He saw Malthus standing in the shadows of the balcony, smiling.
Ren smiled back.
"They want a show?" Ren whispered.
He touched the upgraded Shiv in his boot.
"I'll give them a tragedy."
End of Chapter 18
Summary:
Recovery: Vex stabilizes Tom using necrotic stitching.
Evolution: Ren undergoes his Tier 2 Evolution in the Archive. He chooses [The Weaver of Tales] class, unlocking the [Mental Workshop] and the skill [Rewrite].
Crafting: Ren uses the Workshop to create a combo spell (Choking Shadows) and upgrades his weapon to the Shiv of Gluttony (Mana-Absorbing).
The Response: Malthus and Solon realize the Null is the saboteur. They cannot kill him openly due to politics.
The Trap: They force Ren to enter the upcoming Grand Tournament to arrange a "fatal accident."