Chapter 165: The Grand Library

In less than four seconds, Lysander’s squad of seven had been reduced to just two, himself and the middle-aged veteran guard.

The veteran guard let out a fierce roar, unleashing the full power of his Astral Soul. Heavy brown stone armor encased his entire body as he lunged forward, throwing a desperate, mountain-shattering strike toward Val’s chest.

Val didn’t dodge this time. She stepped into the strike, twirling her scythe, and slammed the blunt end of the haft straight into the center of his chest plate.

BOOM-!!

The thick stone armor shattered like cheap glass. Val reversed her grip in mid-air, driving the curved blade of her scythe straight through his shoulder barrier.

FLASH!

The veteran guard dissolved into golden light, disappearing from the stone floor.

[SIX COMBATANTS ELIMINATED.]

Silence descended over the entire stadium.

Tens of thousands of students sitting in the stands watched the broadcast screens with wide eyes and open mouths. The entire fight had been an unmitigated slaughter.

Only Lysander remained standing on the eastern side of the battlefield.

His golden rapier clattered against the stone floor, slipping from his trembling fingers. He backed away slowly, his knees shaking so violently that he could barely hold himself upright.

Val walked toward him at an unhurried, steady pace, the massive shadow scythe dragging along the stone floor behind her, leaving a trail of dark, lingering mist.

She stopped two feet in front of the trembling elf, towering over him as her violet eyes locked onto his face with a chilling, murderous intensity.

"If you ever disrespect Seth again..." Val spoke, her voice dropping into a low, terrifying register that sent a shiver straight down my spine, "..I will ensure the next encounter does not take place inside an arena that saves your life."

Lysander swallowed dryly, his breathing erratic. He was genuinely terrified of her. Every instinct in his high-elf blood was screaming at him to drop to his knees and beg for mercy.

Yet, despite the overwhelming terror, a stubborn, desperate flare of noble pride flickered in his eyes.

"I... I will not yield to a human..." Lysander stammered, his voice shaking as he forced himself to look up into her icy gaze. "If I am to be defeated... I will go down with my dignity."

Val didn’t give a speech. She didn’t pause, hesitate, or show a single drop of sympathy.

SWISH-!

With a cold, effortless flick of her wrist, her shadow scythe swept through his neck.

FLASH!

A blinding column of golden light erupted, enveloping Lysander’s body and sweeping him off the battlefield entirely.

[SOVEREIGN LYSANDER VAELEN ELIMINATED!]

[MATCH CONCLUDED - VICTORY: SOVEREIGN SETH FERNANDO!]

The Overseer’s amplified voice boomed across the entire stadium.

The massive spatial barrier enclosing the center arena gradually dissolved into fading motes of light. The next second, the thousands of students sitting in the stands erupted into a deafening roar of cheers, applause, and frantic shouts.

"HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS A ONE-SIDED MASSACRE!"

"SHE WIPED HIS ENTIRE DECK ALONE?!"

"THAT’S THE QUEEN OF SPADES FOR YOU!" "SETH FERNANDO DIDN’T EVEN MOVE HIS FEET!"

I uncrossed my arms, walking smoothly across the stone floor to meet Val as her massive shadow scythe dissolved back into darkness.

"Great job, Val," I chuckled, offering her a warm, genuine smile. "That was pretty fun to watch."

Val’s terrifying, icy demeanor vanished in an instant. Her posture straightened, a subtle, sweet flush touching her cheeks as she offered a polite bow. "I am glad I provided an acceptable demonstration, Seth."

Together, the two of us walked out of the central arena floor through the main exit archway.

Standing in the designated participant recovery zone just outside the field were Lysander and his six retainers. Thanks to the arena’s high-tier arrays, every single one of them had been fully healed, though their armor was still scuffed and their pride was completely shattered.

Lysander stood near the wall, staring at me with a strange, complicated look, a mix of shock, lingering fear, and reluctant respect.

As I walked past him, Lysander took a quiet breath and spoke up, his voice tight but clear. "A bet is a bet, Fernando. I keep my word. I will arrange a formal meeting between you and my sister."

I paused, looking back at him with a dry, unbothered smirk. "Appreciate it, Lysander. Take care of your squad."

Without waiting for his reply, I turned back toward the exit corridor with Val right beside me.

"Now then," I stretched my arms over my head as we stepped out under the bright morning sun. "Let’s finally head to that library."

...

The Grand Library was an architectural marvel in its own right.

Situated at the northern edge of the central academic plaza, the towering structure looked like a classic Victorian British university brought to life, but heavily reinforced with high-grade modern technology and ancient runic sorcery. Dark granite arches, vaulted slate roofs, and grand stained-glass windows blended seamlessly with glowing blue light channels, glass sky-bridges, and automated security drones hovering near the stone pillars.

As Val and I walked through the massive double oak doors of the main entrance, I noticed the library was split into two distinct sectors.

To the right lay the Traditional Wing, a vast, quiet labyrinth of dark oak bookshelves, ancient parchment scrolls, handwritten grimoires, and heavily guarded underground vaults. That was where the academy kept its most secretive, restricted, and high-tier ancestral knowledge.

To the left was the Futuristic Wing, which looked like a set pulled straight out of a multi-million-dollar sci-fi movie. Hundreds of soundproof glass cubicles, sleek holographic study terminals, and high-speed data terminals lined multi-tiered balconies, all connected directly to a central Mega Al database.

While the information stored on the Mega Al was considered "standard" academic knowledge compared to the forbidden scrolls in the Traditional Wing, accessing its higher-tier files still required high security clearance and significant credit fees.

I had zero urgency to dig into dark, forbidden secrets today. Right now, I just needed to understand the basics.

I walked over to the digital booking terminal at the entrance of the Futuristic Wing, pulled out my dark metallic Identity Card, and swiped it across the scanner.

DING.

[STUDENT: SETH FERNANDO - CLEARANCE: S-CLASS / 50,000,000 CREDITS]

[PRIVATE STUDY CUBICLE 402 RESERVED]

I turned back to Val, who was standing half a step behind my shoulder in her dark suit. "I’m going to lock myself in a study cubicle for a few hours to read up on some theory. You want to hang out in the lounge?"

Val gave a crisp, professional nod. "I will remain stationed in the private waiting area near your floor, Seth. Take all the time you need."

"Sounds good," I said with a smile.

I took the glass escalator up to the fourth floor and walked down the quiet, carpeted hallway until I found Cubicle 402. Tapping my card against the sensor, the heavy door slid open with a smooth hiss and sealed shut the second I stepped inside, blocking out every sound from the outside corridor.

The cubicle was surprisingly spacious. A sleek black glass desk sat in the center of the room, paired with an ergonomic leather chair and an overhead holographic projection system. The room was illuminated by soft white light panels built directly into the walls, creating a pristine, futuristic environment.

I sat down in the leather chair, leaning back as the broad holographic display above the desk booted up, waiting for my command.

I stared at the main search menu for a moment, feeling a subtle wave of mental fatigue hit me before I even started typing. In my old life as an overworked kitchen hand, my attention span had been thoroughly ruined by years of late-night doom scrolling on cheap smartphones. Staring at dense academic texts always made my eyes glaze over after two pages.

I leaned my head back, addressing my system mentally.

’Hey, Paige. I need a favor before I start reading. Can you buff my memory so I retain everything after reading it just once? And while you’re at it, fix my attention span. It’s completely fried from doom scrolling.’

[Oho?] Paige’s voice instantly rang out inside my consciousness, dripping with playful amusement. [Look at you, boss! Finally admitting your brain got rotted from staring at short videos and pixelated models at two in the morning.]

[Just fix it, Paige,’ I replied dryly.

[Fufufu~ Fine, fine! Boosting your cognitive retention and mental focus!] Paige giggled, her tone taking on a cheeky, scandalous lilt. [Though, if you wanted to practice staying attentive and holding out longer, you could have just asked Val or Yerin to help you train your... stamina.]

I nearly choked on my breath, shaking my head. ’You have a dirty joke for literally everything, don’t you?’

[It’s my primary charm, Host! Upgrade applied!]

A cool, refreshing sensation washed over my neural pathways. The faint haze behind my eyes cleared instantly, and my mind snapped into hyper-focused clarity. I felt like I could read a ten-volume encyclopedia in ten minutes and recall every single punctuation mark without breaking a sweat.

I smiled. ’You damn horny system.’

[It’s my pleasure. It’s definitely all my pleasure, heheheh~]