Faiser stopped at the entrance of the tunnel. His steps were steady this time, different from the steps with which he had entered the first time. He no longer carried the confusion of someone walking into the unknown, but the calm of someone who had come out of something… and was no longer the same as before.
The darkness before him was no longer frightening, the silence was no longer heavy, and even the air inside that passage seemed to have lost its ability to pressure the nerves.
He raised his hand slightly, looked at the ring resting on his finger, then said in a dry tone:
"So… let's finish this."
And before he stepped forward—
"Stop."
The book's voice suddenly came inside his mind, carrying a strange seriousness… followed by a familiar theatrical touch.
"Ooooh… I think I forgot something very important."
Faiser closed his eyes for a moment, then said without turning:
"What… again?"
The book let out an exaggerated sigh, as if it were the victim of chronic misunderstanding.
"First, I appreciate your lack of enthusiasm. Second… I cannot leave with you yet."
Faiser slowly stopped.
"What do you mean you cannot?"
"I mean exactly what I said." the book replied in an innocently irritating tone. "I spent a very long time inside the inverted world. So long that, despite it being my world, I lost complete control over it."
A short silence fell.
Then the book continued in a lighter voice, but deeper:
"And to restore my connection to it… I need to borrow something from you."
Faiser narrowed his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Your soul."
Silence. One second. Two seconds.
Then Faiser said with an expressionless face:
"Hah?"
The book laughed shortly.
"I love that reaction of yours. Short and honest."
Then it added immediately:
"Don't worry, I don't want all of it. I'm not that greedy. Just a partial bond… a fate link. A part of your soul binds to me, and a part of my existence settles with you."
Then it paused for a moment before adding with deliberate coldness:
"Or… you leave me here, and walk out alone with no benefit after everything you suffered."
Faiser kept his gaze forward, but his mind was moving quickly.
The soul was not Qi that could be replenished, nor a bodily wound. Something like that… was not accepted easily.
But—
Since he entered this world, nothing had followed logic in the first place.
He breathed slowly.
Then said:
"Fine."
The book paused for a moment, as if it had not expected the answer so quickly.
"…Fine?"
Faiser replied:
"What do I need to do now?"
A short silence followed.
Then the book burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! You are a troubling person. You agree to dangerous things too quickly for someone sane."
"Speak." Faiser said coldly.
"Put your hand on me."
Faiser closed his eyes once more.
"Again…"
Then he looked at the ring.
"I always have to place my hand on you to begin your rituals, you foolish book."
"First, that is called cooperation." the book said with fake protest. "Second, don't worry… Dark Qi will not devour you this time."
It paused for a moment, then added laughing:
"Most likely."
"You enjoy annoying me."
"In an unhealthy way."
Faiser placed his hand over the ring.
In the next moment—
The atmosphere changed.
Black chains emerged from the ring, thin at first, then thickening like solid smoke, wrapping around his wrist slowly, climbing his arm, heading toward his chest… toward the heart.
His muscles tensed instinctively.
But—
He did not move, did not pull his hand away, did not resist. He only watched.
The pain was light, but strange… not the pain of injury, but the sensation of something invading a place that should not be touched.
Minutes passed that felt longer than they truly were.
Then—
The chains vanished, and silence returned.
"Hooof…" the book said in a relieved tone. "And thus, we are done. Beautiful, elegant, no screaming. I am proud of you."
Faiser lowered his hand slightly, looking at the ring.
"Is it over?"
"Yes."
It paused.
Then added:
"Unless you die later. Then we will review the details."
"Annoying."
"Mutual."
Faiser began walking through the tunnel.
His footsteps echoed against the silent walls until he reached the end, where he stood before a smooth stone wall.
He looked at it.
Then said:
"Fine."
Silence.
"What now?"
The book's voice came immediately:
"Put your hand on the wall."
A long silence followed.
Then Faiser slightly turned his head, as though wanting to look at the ring despite it being impossible.
"Tell me…"
He paused.
"What is your relationship with putting hands on things?"
The book laughed violently.
"Hahahahaha! Excellent question!"
"Ever since I met you…" Faiser continued coldly, "you have no solution except: put your hand here, put your hand there, touch this, press that…"
"Because your hands are the only useful thing about you right now." the book replied immediately.
"I will throw you into a well."
"And you will need to put your hand first in order to do it, hahahaha."
Faiser sighed.
Then placed his hand on the wall.
In the next instant—
The wall trembled.
Its stone surface cracked, then its layers began to transform, as if an illusion were peeling away, until it became a massive wooden shelf.
Then—
It opened from the middle.
The light of the library appeared.
A cold breeze rushed from outside and struck Faiser's face for the first time since entering that world.
He took one step, then another.
And the moment he fully exited—
The door closed behind him at once, returning to an ordinary shelf, still and silent as though nothing had happened.
Faiser stopped for a moment, then let out a long breath.
"Finally…"
He looked around at the shelves of the real library.
"…we got out of that strange world."
"You are celebrating leaving far too much." said the book. "It hurts my feelings a little."
"How much time passed?"
"Don't worry." the book answered immediately. "Time there is different. Roughly… a full day passed in the inverted world, while only three hours passed here."
It paused.
Then added proudly:
"I provide only excellent services."
Faiser began walking toward the library door.
He opened it and stepped outside—
Then—
"Ah!"
He collided with someone.
A light body recoiled backward and fell to the ground.
Faiser looked down.
Shirin.
She was holding her head, eyes shut from pain.
He extended his hand immediately without hesitation.
She took it and stood.
She looked up at him, then smiled lightly.
"I… thank you."
Then she looked at him with gentle curiosity.
"You came out of the library early today… how did it go?"
Before he could answer—
The book said loudly inside his mind:
"Ooooh, Faiser…"
"Who is this beauty, in the name of hell?!"
"I never thought you were involved with someone because of your cold and violent personality! This is astonishing progress!"
A muscle twitched in Faiser's face.
"Be quiet… there is no relationship between me and her. Just a weak pawn who does not interest me."
"Cruel…" the book said with theatrical emotion. "But you are lying a little, and I am an expert in lies."
Before he could respond—
A strong voice came from the corridor:
"Lady Shirin!"
She turned immediately.
"Sixth Elder!"
A man in the robes of the sect elders approached with confident steps, his back straight and his chin raised at the angle of one accustomed to looking down on others.
He stopped before her.
"Are you alright? I heard you returned from the recent incident."
"I am well, thanks to my brother Shin… and then thanks to this sir." she said, pointing toward Faiser.
"And how is Sir Shin? Has he regained stability after the attack?"
"He is better now."
Then—
The Sixth Elder slowly turned toward Faiser.
He looked him up and down.
Then said in a sharp arrogant tone:
"You."
"I have not seen you here before."
"Who are you?"
Inside Faiser—
A cold irritation appeared.
"What is this tone… I dislike his manner."
The book immediately said inside his mind:
"Hohohoho… he is only asking you. Do not kill him too quickly."
Faiser raised his eyes to him, then smiled a small smile devoid of warmth.
"My respects, Elder. I am merely a guest of Sir Shin."
Shirin stepped forward quickly and said:
"Elder, this is the person I told you about. He is the one who saved my life from the men of the Red Bear Sect."
The elder raised an eyebrow, then looked at Faiser again.
And began laughing.
"Hahahahaha!"
"I think you are joking, my lady."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"How could a mere cultivator still at the Pulsing Seed level face a group of promising cultivators from the Red Bear Sect? It seems the Red Bear Sect has become weaker than I expected."
He paused.
Then said with clear contempt:
"This is impossible."
Faiser's expression did not change, but the book exploded inside his mind:
"Oooi, Faiser!"
"He is provoking you! In fact, he is provoking me personally! And he says we are powerless!"
It paused for a moment, then shouted:
"Kill him! I do not like this fat one!"
"Be quiet." Faiser said inwardly with coldness.
"Kill him."
"Be quiet."
"Just hit him… one educational strike."
"Be quiet."
Outside, Shirin stepped forward quickly, trying to calm the atmosphere.
"Sixth Elder, perhaps there is a misunderstanding—"
But the elder raised his hand to stop her, then moved closer to Faiser, his eyes narrowing with open disdain.
"Boy… in this sect, even the servants are likely stronger than you."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then Faiser smiled.
A very small smile. A very calm smile.
Which was… worse than anger.
Shirin noticed it immediately, and her expression changed slightly.
As for the book, it shouted excitedly inside his mind:
"Hahahaha! That smile! I know that smile! Someone is about to be hurt psychologically in a moment!"