Chapter 214: A Date With The Abyss
"Going somewhere, Noah?" Princess Ines asked, smiling faintly.
"Not particularly." Noah answered, leaning back in his chair.
She folded her hands neatly on the table, her golden eyes studying Noah with that same calm curiosity she always seemed to have.
"So," she began lightly, "where will you be spending the holidays?"
Noah held her gaze, wondering why she was asking.
"Here," he replied. "In the academy."
Ines tilted her head, a small smile appearing on her face at his answer. "You’re not going home?"
"I don’t have a home here," he said simply, pushing his empty plate aside.
Her smile flickered for the briefest moment, then returned, more polite and composed, but softer somehow.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. I just wanted to remind you of your promise."
Noah glanced up, one brow raised. "Oh?"
"The Winter Ball," she said. "It’ll be held at the palace before the holiday ends."
"The date isn’t set yet, but it will be soon. I’ll make sure an invitation finds its way to you," she said. "You promised to come with me."
He stared at her, chuckling. "I don’t exactly remember promising."
"You promised. And if you’re hesitant because it’s a party, then consider it a diplomatic gathering," she replied, her tone playful.
"Heroes should at least look the part every once in a while."
That earned her a faint smirk from Noah. "Alright. I’ll think about it."
"Do," she said, rising gracefully from her seat. "And try not to isolate yourself too much, Noah. Even dragons need to stretch their wings."
He watched her adjust the folds of her uniform, that faint scent of lavender trailing as she turned to leave.
"Enjoy your holidays, Princess," he said after her, his voice quiet but clear.
She glanced back once, smiling. "You too, Noah."
And then she was gone, becoming just another shadow among many leaving the hall, leaving Noah staring at the empty space she’d left behind before finally standing and heading for the door.
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He didn’t think it would one day be possible, but somehow, the library was quieter than usual.
Most students had already gone home for the holidays, leaving the aisles of books in true, serene silence.
Dust motes drifted lazily in the sunlight spilling through the tall windows, giving the air a golden haze.
Noah walked between the shelves, his fingers trailing lightly across the spines of old tomes until he found the section he wanted.
The Abyss, and Beasts of the Deep Realms.
He pulled out a thick, black-bound volume titled ’On the Nature of the Abyss,’ setting it down on the nearest table.
He flipped through the yellowed pages, his eyes scanning the inked text quickly.
Then he found what he was looking for. The exact energy that had allowed him to level up without a ritual.
"Abyssal essence is a condensed form of energy derived from being a true creation of the Abyss."
"It grants its bearer power beyond natural limits, but corrodes both body and mind in the process."
"Creatures born of the Abyss, dragons, demons, and corrupted beasts, are the purest vessels of this energy."
Noah leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly.
So that was it. The synchronization percentage in his status wasn’t just for show.
It meant he was attuning himself to that same corrosive energy.
The deeper his bond with it, the closer he came to becoming one of them.
He flipped another page, the ink diagrams catching his eye.
Drawings of dragons, their wings unfurled, and abyssal fire swirling in their maws.
Another page depicted demons, their forms twisted and regal, their eyes pools of black flame.
Then, something else caught his attention.
A bestiary entry halfway through the book, labeled Minotaurs of the Deep Maze.
He skimmed it, his brows rising.
"Minotaurs are ancient abyssal creatures, half-mortal and half-beast, whose essence rivals that of lesser demons."
"They are known for their brute strength and their unique ability to channel the abyssal flow into their physical bodies, achieving impossible endurance and regeneration."
That was interesting.
Minotaurs weren’t demons, but they held a comparable essence.
Absorbing one might accelerate his synchronization, and his growth.
He knew his next step.
He turned to another stack of books, searching until he found the one he was looking for.
Pulling it open, he began scanning the lists of monoliths and their classifications.
Most monoliths were already cleared or inaccessible to other mages.
He flipped through the pages, muttering under his breath as he scanned the descriptions.
Slime Caverns [C-Rank.]
Wraith Hollow [B-Rank.]
Ebon Ridge [B-Rank.]
Heaven’s Gate [A-Rank.]
He paused at that one.
The page was illustrated with a rough sketch of a rocky gorge, the entry scrawled beneath it in faded ink.
[Crimson Gate (A-Rank): Located in the Krimeal valley, north of the capital.]
[Estimated depth: eight floors.]
[Documented abyssal creatures: Ash Wolves, Hollow Harpies, and rarely, Abyssal Minotaurs.]
[Warning: extremely unstable terrain and presence of mana storms.]
Noah smirked faintly. That would do nicely.
He tore out a blank sheet from the back of his notebook and began sketching the coordinates and map details, tracing the rough route from the capital to his destination.
The monolith lay in one of the restricted territories, accessible only to officially registered parties or through... other means.
When he finished, he closed the books and stacked them neatly.
He returned them to the shelf, then stopped for a moment, gazing up at the endless aisles of knowledge around him.
"Dragons, demons, minotaurs..." he murmured under his breath. "And I’m somewhere in between."
He folded the copied map, tucking it into his jacket.
As he walked toward the exit, the sound of his footsteps echoed softly through the empty hall.
He passed a group of other students huddled near the front desks, whispering about the palace ball and the nobles attending.
None of them looked up as he moved past.
When he reached the great doors, he paused for a moment, glancing back at the endless shelves of books and ancient secrets.
He had his next destination now.