The "Old Library" was less of a temple of knowledge and more of a graveyard for paper. Tucked away in the damp basement of the Academy, it was where the scrolls that were "too dangerous" or "too boring" went to rot.
Elara stopped in front of a massive iron-bound oak door. It didn't just look stuck; it looked like it had been welded shut by time itself.
"I've tried the Lesser Knock spell three times," Elara sighed, her brow furrowing in frustration. "But the lock mechanism feels... heavy. Almost like it's being held from the other side."
Kaelen squinted at the door. He didn't need a detection spell. In his past life, he had broken into the Vault of Heaven and the Tombs of the Abyss. To his eyes, the faint, shimmering purple lines of a Void-Seal were as obvious as a neon sign.
A Void-Seal? Here? Kaelen's mind raced. This isn't a 'stuck door.' This is a containment ward meant to keep a Lesser Shadow Horror from leaking out.
If he told her the truth, he'd have to explain how a "failure" of a student knew about high-level forbidden seals. If he opened it and the creature inside ate her, he'd be hit with the ten-billion-point "Grand Damnation" penalty.
[QUEST UPDATED: The Stuck Door] [Hidden Objective Detected: Prevent the Shadow Leak.] [Bonus Reward: 150 Karma Points.]
One hundred and fifty points? Kaelen's eyes widened. That was his interest payment nearly halfway done.
"Step back, Elara," Kaelen said, rolling up his sleeves. "I have a... specialized technique for this. My family used to be locksmiths."
"Really?" she asked, tilting her head. "I thought you came from a minor noble house in the South?"
"Very... very small noble house. We did our own locks," Kaelen lied smoothly.
He approached the door. He couldn't use his mana—the Tax would kill him. But the System hadn't said anything about Physical Pressure Points. He knew that a Void-Seal was anchored by a single physical pivot.
Kaelen pressed his thumb against a specific knot in the wood and leaned his entire body weight into it, while simultaneously kicking the bottom left corner.
Crack.
The purple light hissed and vanished. The door groaned open, exhaling a breath of cold, stale air that smelled of copper and ozone.
"You did it!" Elara beamed, stepping past him into the darkness. "You're actually quite strong, Kaelen."
"I have a lot of... pent-up energy," he muttered, following her.
The library inside was a labyrinth of towering shelves. But Kaelen's senses were screaming. At the very back of the room, a shadow was moving. Not a natural shadow—it was too thick, too oily. It was a Gloom-Crawler, a creature that fed on the mana of unsuspecting mages.
It was currently inching down the ceiling, positioned directly above Elara's head.
If I yell 'Watch out!', she might move. If I use a spell, I die. If I don't do anything, she dies and I die.
Kaelen looked at a heavy ladder leaning against a nearby shelf. He saw a stack of heavy, metal-bound ledgers on the top rail.
"Elara! Look, is that the book you wanted?" Kaelen pointed toward a random shelf.
As she turned her head, Kaelen didn't save her. He "tripped."
He lunged forward, slamming his shoulder into the ladder with everything he had. The ladder tipped. The heavy, five-pound metal ledgers slid off the top shelf like falling bricks.
CLANG!
The books didn't hit the floor. They hit the Gloom-Crawler mid-air just as it leaped for Elara. The creature let out a silent, screeching puff of smoke as it was crushed under the weight of "The History of Tax Law, Volume IV."
Elara spun around, her hand glowing with light magic, just in time to see the last wisps of the monster dissipate under the fallen books.
"A... a shadow creeper?" she gasped, her face pale. She looked at the fallen books, then at Kaelen, who was lying flat on his face on the floor. "Kaelen! You saved me! You saw it coming and pushed the ladder?"
Kaelen groaned, pushing himself up. His shoulder felt like it was on fire.
[SUCCESS!] [You have saved the 'Saintess' from a minor threat.] [Calculated Intent: 10% Heroic / 90% Self-Preservation.] [Karma Awarded: 150 KP.] [Bonus: 'Irony' — Killing a monster with a Law Book. +25 KP.]
[Current Karma: -999,999,999,807]
"I... I tripped," Kaelen wheezed, clutching his bruised shoulder. "I'm just... clumsy. So, so clumsy. And helpful."
Elara knelt beside him, her eyes shining with something that looked dangerously like admiration. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and a warm, golden light seeped into his skin, dulling the pain.
"Don't be modest," she whispered. "No one has ever looked out for me like that without wanting something in return. You're a good person, Kaelen."
Kaelen felt a cold shiver. A good person? He was the Void King! He had burnt her cathedral!
"Don't say such disgusting things," Kaelen grumbled, though it came out as a tired mumble.
[NOTIFICATION!] [First Bond Established: The Saintess (Affection: 5%).] [Warning: A rival has noticed your 'Heroism'.]
At the entrance of the library, a tall, dark-haired student with a sword at his waist stood watching them. It was Alaric, the top student of the first year—and Elara's childhood friend. His eyes weren't filled with gratitude. They were narrowed in suspicion.
Kaelen sighed. Great. Now the local Hero thinks I'm a romantic rival. My debt isn't even paid, and I'm already on a hit list.
Progress Report:
Current Karma: -999,999,999,807
Status: Bruised shoulder, Accidental Hero.
Monthly Interest Progress: 192 / 500 KP.