Scroll

[Sealed Library].

The witches had also been invited to the Scholars’ Academy.

Half of the long conference table on the left had been left vacant.

The scholars were all seated on the right.

[Silence], Mortar Granny, and several high-ranking witches took their seats.

Mortar Granny glanced around the meeting room and was briefly stunned. In less than a second, she quickly composed herself.

It had been a very long time since the witches had entered the Scholars’ Academy, and it had likewise been many years since the academy’s administrators—especially the anti-witch faction—had visited the City Library.

The last time the two sides had sat together like this had probably been several decades ago.

Luo Lang spoke on behalf of the Grand Scholars. He skipped all pleasantries and went straight to the point.

“Everyone, this situation is far more serious than any previous [Reading Day]. We need to join forces and restore the books’ seals within a single day. Otherwise, we will lose at least half of the city’s space.”

“Heh-heh. That includes the Scholars’ Academy and the City Library,” Charter added with a malicious grin.

[Silence] was equally straightforward. “What do you need us to do?”

Luo Lang held out a hand, and an assistant beside him passed over an ancient scroll.

“We need all the records concerning Lady Chen Pi’s sealing of the entire city back then—the formation diagrams, personnel arrangements, relevant procedures, remedial measures for problems that might arise, and everything else related to it.

“This is the portion preserved by the Scholars’ Academy, but I don’t know why Lady Chen Pi recorded only part of it, leaving so many sections blank.”

[Silence] unrolled the scroll and glanced over it.

“The contents are almost exactly the same as what the witches have preserved. These are the complete procedures.”

“Then why are there all these blank sections? Lady Silence, our city’s survival is at stake. Please do not withhold anything. The Scholars’ Academy is willing to pay an exorbitant price in exchange.”

[Silence] shook her head.

“If we intended to keep anything secret, Lady Chen Pi would never have left the scroll with the Scholars’ Academy.

“These blank sections do not describe the steps for arranging the seals. They describe the price that must be paid to establish them.

“Each blank section requires the person presiding over that part of the main formation to pay a terrible price.

“I don’t know what those prices are. I asked Lady Chen Pi, but she never told me.

“Still, I can guess that the cost must be devastating.

“There is one more thing. If you see mirage-like hallucinations while reading in order to maintain the formation…”

President Yu, whose temper was quick, immediately cut in.

“We know about that. The Scholars’ Academy’s historical records mention it. If you see hallucinations on [Reading Day], simply identify yourself. It won’t affect anything; continue reading as normal. Time is short. Let’s begin setting up the formation.”

Those who would normally have argued with her did not object this time.

Everyone ignored the words “terrible price” and began assigning duties.

“According to the scroll, we need sixteen powerful individuals to stand at the various sealing points throughout the city, reciting books and continuously supplying power. Let’s each claim a position.”

President Yu was once again the first to speak. “The League of Associations will provide five people, including myself. I’ll go arrange them.”

Luo Lang said, “I’ll take responsibility for the point near my home.”

Xiumu said, “I can handle one.”

Carpenter said, “I happen to be planning to visit [Spring Rejuvenation Hall], so I’ll preside over the clinic.”

Mr. Kong said, “Leave the school to me.”

Cicada was unwilling to be outdone. “My shopping center will naturally be handled by me—”

Stone Speaker cut him off coldly. “Xia Chong, you’re only a [Mystery] 4. What do you think you can do as a powerhouse? Stand aside and handle logistics. I’ll take the shopping center.”

Cicada’s face flushed bright red. “Shi Buyi, you’re still under accusation. What right do you have to speak here?”

Stone Speaker ignored him and had already begun directing the security forces and arranging the work at each location.

Though the Sealed Library was powerful, [Mystery] 5 and [Mystery] 6 individuals were rare in any city. Humanity’s strongest forces had all been mobilized.

Mortar Granny smiled. “Since even Stone Speaker can take part, this old woman can certainly contribute what little strength I have left.”

[Silence] was the last to speak. “We’ll handle the remaining five positions.”

And so, amid the rampaging books that filled the entire city, the sixteen strongest members of the Sealed Library each took a book in hand and stepped onto the grand formation spanning the city.

They arrived at their designated positions, completed the preliminary preparations, and, after confirming that everything was in order, stood silently and began to read.

The entire Sealed Library—and everyone in the city—was reading.

[Grand Library].

Juzi handed the completed seal design to the witches and the human scholars on both sides.

“Everyone, once the formation begins to be set up, it cannot be stopped. Otherwise, all our efforts will be wasted. This formation is being used for the first time, and we cannot guarantee that the sixteen people maintaining it will be safe. If anyone wants to withdraw, speak now.”

Aside from her, none of the other fifteen spoke.

Among those fifteen were six high-ranking scholars and nine high-ranking witches.

“Since no one is withdrawing, take your positions. Good luck to you all.”

Once everything was ready, Juzi climbed onto the rooftop of the building crowned by the giant eyeball.

“[Orange Veins: Citywide Network]!”

At her cry, white, vein-like patterns appeared along the roads throughout the city, resembling the pale fibers inside an orange.

“[Orange Garment: Peeling]!”

The ground of the city seemed to become a gigantic orange peel laid flat. Combined with the orange-colored threads from before, it formed a dense network of interwoven lines running both vertically and horizontally.

“[Orange Segments: Divide]!”

Beneath the sixteen sealing points, spaces shaped like opened orange segments appeared underground, and the embryonic forms of the seals gradually emerged.

This was the power of the Great Sage Orange, who could overturn the entire city with a single person’s strength and transform everything at will.

But even a Great Sage could reach the limits of human ability. Constructing the framework of the citywide formation by herself was already an astonishing feat. She was operating far beyond her normal capacity and had no strength left for anything else.

At each branch point, the powerhouses began channeling their strength into the sealing points under their care.

Standing perfectly still with books cradled in their hands, they output their power by reading, filling in the details of the seals at each location.

Chen Miemie watched from the side for quite some time. Everyone was busy with serious work, so he did not interrupt them and simply observed.

After looking over several locations and realizing that they were all more or less the same, he lost interest and returned to where Juzi was.

The rooftop.

Only two people were there.

Juzi and Persimmon.

Persimmon was also a powerhouse, and a remarkably strong one at that. However, because of her physical condition, she could only erupt with power occasionally and was unable to continuously channel her strength outward. She remained by Juzi’s side, responsible for relaying orders and coordinating operations whenever Juzi was unable to act.

Others could not see it, but Persimmon knew very clearly.

All the orange-colored veins throughout the city were actually connected to Juzi’s hair.

Because she was channeling power beyond her limits, Juzi’s vivid orange-red hair had already faded badly, and some of it had even turned white.

“Juzi, at the current rate of progress, even if you and the other fifteen burn yourselves out completely, you still won’t be able to construct the sealing formation.”

Persimmon did not tell Juzi to stop and preserve her life. She merely analyzed the facts.

The truth was that even if [Juzi] gave it everything she had, it still wouldn’t be enough—far from enough.

As she read a book, [Juzi] asked, “How much are we short?”

“By my calculations, even if all sixteen of you were completely drained, you’d only be able to complete about one-tenth.”

Nine-tenths remained! It was a despair-inducing figure.

“Need some help?” Chen Miemie suddenly appeared, startling Persimmon.

Persimmon’s eyes lit up. At this point, she didn’t care why Chen Miemie had suddenly appeared:

“Shopkeeper! Can you pour an endless stream of power into [Juzi], like you did at the shop before?”

Chen Miemie shook her head. “[Time] and [Story] are closely related, almost like kindred spirits. That’s why I can lend you my power. But my power is completely different from [Juzi]’s. I can’t give it to her.”

“Then what kind of help did you mean?”

“I can call in reinforcements for you. How about finding people who can lend you their power?”