The two sides started approaching each other step by step; the team separating from the crowd must not have expected this behavior as they were surprised, but especially Nora was quite tense.
"Good morning!"
While five steps had remained between them, a voice echoed in the open area; right after, a person dressed in red from head to toe came and sat on the chair in front of the crowd.
"The library will open shortly, get in line and prepare your tokens!"
Nora's entire attention turned to this man; the man looking in his thirties was like an ordinary person inside his loose robe, but the Blood God felt her right hand trembling involuntarily.
"Who is this?"
Those breaking off from the crowd and walking towards them had long returned to their former places; the moment they heard the word good morning, they had shot back at top speed.
When they came to the end of the line in a semi-conscious state, someone standing right in front of them heard Nora murmuring to herself.
"Don't you know the Library Official Anticuado?"
When an answer didn't come from the beautiful girl across him, this person watched her for a while, then continued swallowing.
"This man doesn't resemble anyone you will meet inside the sect. I can tell you only one thing, if you don't follow the rules you have no chance at all!"
Not understanding much, Nora approved the young man nodding her head; she couldn't take her eyes off the person sitting on the chair. The man in red hadn't made a move, he was waiting fixing his eyes on the sun; after a while, he suddenly started speaking.
"The time is up, the library is opening. Those who have the courage to break free from their chains will be blessed with power!"
He swung his hand sideways from where he sat; some sparkles started forming on the space his white skin touched. Not much, in seconds a transparent door was laid bare before eyes.
"Next!"
The person standing at the very front proceeded rapidly and extended the blood stone in his hand to Anticuado; the man was scanning the blood stone with hawk-like looks settled in his black eyes.
"Outer Circle Library, one hour. Pass!"
In one move the young man jumped inside through the transparent door; he looked like he didn't have a second to lose.
"Next!"
"Third-class technique room, ten minutes, one technique stone!"
"Next!"
Anticuado was like a robot; he was checking the blood stones and giving his instruction. He didn't even utter a single extra word.
Then the turn came to the group that walked onto Nora a moment ago; the man in the red robe stood up from where he sat for the first time.
"You, you, you, you, and you, your entry to the library is forbidden for a month. Leave the area immediately!"
His voice was like ice; when his words ended, he sat in his place as if nothing happened, but the youths he pointed at panicked.
"Sir, don't do it!"
"If we can't use this permission our right will be forfeited!"
"I spent all my Fighting Arena points, it can't be!"
When the youths started speaking, Anticuado's eyebrows frowned, his tone of voice changed quite a bit too.
"You know the punishment for causing a scene in the region where the library entrance is located; because you resisted despite this, the ban has increased to two months!"
When he opened his mouth once more, the Library Guard Anticuado doubled the punishment; thereupon the four people started running away, only one of them hadn't given up.
"Do you know me? My father is the Second Elder of the Bloody Star Clan, the Sect's Third Elder is his cousin too!"
The young man stood up with arrogance. A very short time ago, the Third Elder he claimed to know had practically become the Sheikh of the sect, and he didn't hold back from using this.
Anticuado stood up from where he sat once more; this time his looks were freezing the place they touched.
"My name is Anticuado and my duty is the Guardianship of the Holy Blood Sect Library. Are you, in your own mind, threatening me?"
When the voice reached the line, the crowd involuntarily collapsed on their knees; among them were the top three of this year's participation exam too.
As for the arrogant boy, he was standing upright; judging by the blood flowing from his ears and eyes, his body tensed so much that it was impossible for him to kneel.
"The punishment has been extended to one anniversary, now get out of my sight!"
Anticuado waved his hand in an ordinary way; the young man standing like a stake was thrown forward as if caught in a storm.
"Next!"
Thanks to the tensed environment, the line proceeded rapidly; Nora and the two people behind her were the ones remaining to the end. Seeing them, Anticuado stood up; this movement of his was worrying the Blood God.
"Jashua, Nora, and Alis, since it is your first day meeting the Library, I will tell you about some rules.
One, an attempt to fight cannot be made in the hundred-meter diameter area centered on the library entrance. Today's incident will be passed off with only a warning because you didn't learn the rules, but in its repetition, no matter what happens, you will receive a one-month punishment!"
The trio heaved a deep sigh of relief; this man had no joke at all.
"Two, although it is not possible for you to go anywhere other than the specified place, in case you exceed the recognized time, you will receive a one-month punishment.
Three, sharing borrowed technique stones with others is forbidden. In case of its violation, the place you will go is the Garbage House.
Four, the acquired information cannot be shared with disciples in a lower status. In case of its violation, the punishment is the Garbage House."
Anticuado listed a few more rules similar to this; their common point was on preventing information leaks and being treated according to status.
"All three of you have the right to choose one secret technique, your time is one hour and it has started!"
Nora and Count Jashua dived inside through the transparent door without making him say it twice, but Alis didn't move from his place. The white-haired boy was looking softly at the man sitting in his place; as for Anticuado, he was looking ahead as if he wasn't there.
Meanwhile, Nora opened her eyes in a giant hall; its ceiling was so high that the supporting columns of this place were thick enough for almost ten men holding hands to encircle.
"What an interesting place, even the air inside it makes one feel different!"
When she looked around, Nora couldn't see anyone other than herself; Count Jashua and Alis were supposed to come too but she couldn't find a trace.
"I guess they can send us to separate dimensions, even entering the library was already strange anyway!"
Whether it was because the time limit came to her mind is unknown, Nora started proceeding rapidly; she approached the walls encircling the square-shaped area.
On the altars coming out of the stone wall, blood stones two hands wide were standing; their surroundings were wrapped with a shield of the same color again. There were a few lines of writing in front of the altar; Nora felt she shouldn't do anything without reading these.
"Send your blood energy to the altar and access the explanation of the technique!"
She thought it was a quite logical way of explanation, but when she read the writing following it, the shape of her face changed.
"Holy Blood Sect disciples can learn only one secret technique from the sect, the moment you extend your hand and take the stone, the decision is considered given!"
What an interesting place, Nora thought; normally power centers wouldn't put such restrictions while offering their possibilities to their promising members. It seemed whoever you are, the Holy Blood Sect only shows you the way, leaving the rest to its flow.
The condition of creating one's own technique to become the Sheikh of the sect didn't seem to be in vain; instead of the continuation of the legacy, they aimed to go forward at every moment.
"I hope one of the things bequeathed from Mora is a secret technique, this puts me one step ahead of the others!"