Chapter 69: The Challenge
Regarding the other four. They were still in the library, turning the place upside down.
Takeshi was lying on the floor, before the door, his body exhausted. His eyes were heavy from sleepiness.
Currently, a month had passed at the castle. But naturally, since there was nothing here to control time, they did not know how long had passed.
Airi walked to where Takeshi was lying, her face annoyed; she put her hands on her hips, her voice reproachful:
"Do you want to be lazy again?"
Takeshi had just closed his eyes and hadn't yet fallen asleep when he was startled by Airi's loud voice. He opened his eyes and glanced at Airi standing beside him looking down.
His voice clearly showed exhaustion.
"Let me sleep a bit, I'm too tired."
Airi spoke with an irritated voice:
"You are the slowest one; Ayaka and Elyssia have almost finished a row of bookshelves. Yet you've only done half."
Takeshi spoke with a bored voice:
"Don't know how long we've been searching, and Kazuka and Aoto still haven't woken up."
Airi seemed to know Takeshi's distraction tactic:
"We can't help those two either; all we can do is wait."
Airi pressed close to Takeshi's ear and spoke loudly:
"Now get up."
Having spoken, Airi immediately turned away and continued searching for the stone.
Takeshi sat up in frustration, watching Airi walk away.
Lilith was in the kitchen, busy preparing food. Pu, in human form, was sitting on the table swinging small feet in black-and-white shoes leisurely.
Pu: "Maybe we should tell old Vilkel to help them find the stone."
Lilith was dropping pieces of meat and sliced vegetables into a pot; it seemed to be a stew.
While working, she spoke:
"Just let them search."
Pu: "But where did you hide the stone? They've been searching forever and can't find it."
Lilith turned and walked to a cupboard and opened it. Her hand took out two bowls.
"I put it right in the middle of the library, but they've been searching from the beginning so it's like that."
"Maybe we should tell old Vilkel to give them a challenge? For example: complete the challenge and he will give them the stone."
Pu: "They look so tired yet you still want to give them a challenge. If you're not cruel, who is?"
Lilith walked to an oven; inside was a metal tray, on top were hot loaves of bread. Both hands still holding bowls, she peeked into the oven then turned away.
"Following your wish to let them out early, isn't it? Those two guys still haven't woken up. So at this point, giving them some challenge is very reasonable."
After finishing the meal, Airi and the others went back to their rooms to rest after their continuous searching.
Lilith was walking to the library with quiet footsteps almost impossible to hear; on her head was Pu in animal form.
Lilith entered the library; she went to a row of books, standing quietly at the end of the row. She lifted a book; right behind it, a blue stone was flashing a bit of light.
Pu was a bit surprised.
"So you hid it here; if they searched from the start they'd probably not be done by old age."
Lilith smiled; she turned and walked downward, passing through many rows of books.
Lilith walked to the end of the room. She lifted an old book with no name. It was only black with a few swirling patterns.
Lilith spoke softly:
"Appear, Vilkel."
Lilith dropped the book onto the floor; a thin purple smoke appeared around the book.
A transparent soul form with a bit of light purple. It was the soul of a fairly large man with rippling muscles. The purple smoke covered parts that needed covering, exposing the muscles.
That was Vilkel; he floated in the air with the smoke beneath him. As if the smoke was serving as a stand for Vilkel. Both his hands were crossed before his chest, his face peeking down close to Lilith.
His voice rose, carrying a deepness:
"Lilith? Why call me out here?"
Pu spoke quickly:
"Create a challenge for those people, Vilkel."
Vilkel was a bit surprised; a transparent hand reached out and touched Pu's head on top of Lilith's.
Lilith presented the stone held between two fingers and said:
"Help me create a challenge, and then give them this stone as a reward."
Vilkel bowed down and took the stone from Lilith's hand. Then he stood straight and observed the stone.
"I know what you are doing, as for the challenge, what do you want?"
Lilith calmly looked up straight.
"That is up to you, just don't kill them."
Vilkel burst out laughing.
"Fine, I'm bored anyway. Finally someone calls me out, I must take the chance to play."
Pu immediately jumped to the ground and transformed into human form. The little girl walked into the mist and picked up the book Vilkel had flown out of.
"I'll leave it on the shelf closest to them."
Lilith nodded.
"Yes, do that."
Pu walked away, Vilkel flying behind. Pu went down the end of a book row. It seemed to be the row Elyssia was searching. Then Pu placed it on the shelf.
Vilkel then entered the book; the trails of smoke also gradually disappeared.
Before leaving, Pu spoke back to Vilkel:
"I think that solution challenge will be quite interesting."
After a period of rest, the whole group walked back to the library.
Elyssia: "Miss Lilith said: there is a book that took the stone."
"In this pile of books, it's truly like finding a needle in a haystack."
Takeshi let out a long yawn.
"Are you feeling discouraged too?"
Ayaka: "Let's keep hoping."
Airi: "That's right, there is no other way."
The group split up again, each to their own place and continued searching. Elyssia was continuously flipping through books and then looking at the spot they were placed. Still nothing.
Elyssia picked up the nameless book that Pu had placed earlier. She opened it; when the pages had just separated a bit.
A purple smoke poured out from the book. A large energy source also poured out.
Elyssia immediately threw the book to the ground in confusion; she watched the smoke gradually spread more from the book.
"What is it? A challenge the book gave me?"
Sensing the strange energy, from the Demon race. Airi, Ayaka, and Takeshi immediately ran over.
The three stood behind in confusion from the smoke, eyes looking toward Elyssia.
Airi: "What happened?"
Takeshi: "What is this?"
Ayaka: "..."
Elyssia shook her head.
"I don't know, I opened it and the smoke poured out."
The smoke now shaped into a transparent human body with a bit of purple. Vilkel floated in the air and observed below.
"Hello, did you call me out?"
The group was confused, looking up at the phantom flying above their heads.
Airi: "It's the Phantom race."
Airi spoke:
"Who are you?"
Vilkel stopped flying and lowered himself level with the group, glancing around at the confused eyes looking at him. He smiled.
"I have no ill intent, don't be tense."
"You can call me Vilkel; I will give you a challenge."
The group lowered their guard slightly.
Ayaka spoke with a worried and small voice right next to Takeshi:
"So we have to participate in a challenge?"
Takeshi glanced at Ayaka. His expression serious, his voice hardened:
"Don't worry."
Elyssia stood observing, her heart very worried:
"So I will receive a challenge like Kazuka and Aoto."
Airi frowned, her face grave.
"So what is the challenge?"
Vilkel lifted his hand and snapped his fingers—click.
The surrounding space immediately changed; the library vanished. The whole group was standing in a stark white space.
Vilkel smiled.
"I know your situation. Therefore, if you win the challenge, I will give you the stone."
The group froze, eyes wide at Vilkel's declaration.
Takeshi spoke loudly:
"Are you serious?"
Vilkel nodded.
"Of course."
Airi stood observing, her face very grave.
"Snapping his fingers and he can change the surrounding space; this phantom is not ordinary. He might even be stronger than Kuralak."
Vilkel snapped his fingers; a sharp sound rang out—click—as if cutting through space itself.