The elevator door on the first floor of the Explorer Library slowly opened.
The insufficient lighting outlines two figures, one in front and one behind.
The man walking in front was wearing a gray windbreaker and a fedora hat of the same color. The mist was gently swirling on his face, and where the eyes should be, a star with constant light shone.
A new Queen-class custom mask has appeared recently. Many people call it "Mr. Mist", but few people know that the real name of the mask is "Sea of Shimmer".
After seeing the custom-made Queen-level masks, the "first enforcers" wearing red masks and responsible for guarding the library were obviously more respectful than before.
They tapped their leather shoes in front of the elite explorer and made the sound of standing upright to show their respect for this senior person.
Following the "Glimmer Sea" was a woman wearing a "Silver Shadow Fox" mask.
The Silver Shadow Fox is not a very rare mask. It symbolizes that the holder has ghostly agility. His official occupation may be an "acrobatic" or the "lead dancer" of a dance troupe.
It is a mask that is not very eye-catching among the Queen class.
The woman had a graceful figure and a pair of eyes with a hint of expectant charm under the mask, causing one of the executors to look at her slightly.
"I didn't expect you were also a explorer." After passing the guard, Sean joked behind him.
Alicia Pompeo sighed: "As I said - this is just a false identity given to me by Merlin."
If Alicia is really a explorer, her mask will never be a "silver fox" with an agile figure and a ghostly temperament.
The one that belongs to the function of "chess player" is a dark copper-colored, rather solemn mask.
"Don't you think about getting a part-time job?" After the test in Ocean City, the two of them are already quite familiar with each other, and they also joke around from time to time.
"Come on - I'm busy enough with the company."
Alicia does not hate the career of an explorer, but now that she is the manager of Daedalus in Ocean City, she is unlikely to embark on this path.
The two of them quietly walked into the old book cemetery when no one was paying attention.
Unlike previous encounters with explorers, this time the old book cemetery seemed quite quiet.
The broken flag on the former site of the Municipal Library hung weakly in the light cast by the patio.
Looking at the ruins of a cemetery of old books, Alicia frowned: "He lives here?"
"Yeah." Sean nodded and led the female chess player into the ruins.
—Not that he and Arthur Merlin were unwilling to move Edvard Pompey elsewhere.
Just because his identity is very sensitive to the Divine Court, any exposure may lead to inevitable disasters.
Hidden under the old book cemetery that no one knows about, it is safer.
Like a dangerous but stable disease, leaving it untouched will not cause danger.
While leading Alicia down, Sean noticed that this old library was slightly different from before.
"It's become more...empty." Shawn frowned and felt as he walked forward with two flashlights in his ectoplasm.
It shouldn't be so empty and lonely.
Sean clearly remembered that there were several monsters here that once frightened him.
For example, the crying students and the enlightened scholars...
"Where did they go?"
Reminiscent of Arthur Merlin's warning, Sean also had an ominous premonition in his heart.
In the darkness, he turned his head, and the light outlined his profile: "Alicia, remember Merlin reminded me that he had a bad premonition...?"
The female chess player replied in the affirmative.
"Something might really happen down here, we have to be careful."
Alicia's hands tightened slightly - she began to worry about her grandfather's safety.
Anxiety spreads like darkness.
She finally got news from her grandfather, but in the end she still couldn't see him... This possibility made her feel a little scared.
Knowing that the female chess player was anxious, Sean quickened his pace.
Fortunately, the terrain in the old book cemetery has not changed much. Sean kept walking through it with ease, and soon reached the second underground floor of the old site.
Walking towards the familiar hidden space, Sean's heart suddenly felt lighter——
He saw a peaceful light emitting from the room in front of him.
It is the "Lamp of Truth" of Old Man Pompeii.
Sean and Alicia quickly walked into the brightly lit room.
They saw an old figure, lying on the old wooden table, reading something by the light.
"grandfather!"
Hearing the voice that appeared countless times in his dreams, Edvar put down the glasses with a broken lens in his hand, turned his face in shock, and opened his cloudy eyes.
Alicia had taken off her silver fox mask, and the light illuminated her face with wrinkled nose, and her tears were like broken pearls.
"Ellie...Ellie!" Sean couldn't even tell whether Edvar was in a sane or crazy state. He stood up with some difficulty, staggered a few steps, and hugged his granddaughter.
"Grandpa..." This is the first time Sean has seen a proud female chess player cry like this, crying like a wronged little girl, "We have been looking for you for a long time...
"Why are you here?"
Edvar became obviously thinner, and his cloudy eyes kept scanning Alicia's face - such a real presence made the old man know that he was not dreaming.
The surprised look also let Sean know that Edvard Pompey was awake at this time.
"Grandpa can only hide here, it is the safest place..."
The old man looked at Sean behind Alicia, pursed his lips, and showed endless gratitude in his eyes——
Sean, you really brought my little Ellie to life.
“Grandpa, it’s not very safe here.” Alicia wiped the tears from her face and took Pompeii’s hand, “Let’s talk somewhere else.
"I brought something with me that can take you out of this underground without being discovered by anything..."
Pompeii waved his hand and sat down.
Alicia, whose tears were still wet, glanced at Sean, who also had a surprised expression on his face.
Pompeii doesn’t want to leave here?
With a relieved and indifferent smile on his face, Edvar waved and called the two young men to come closer.
He slowly opened his rag robe, exposing his left collarbone.
One glance made Sean and Alicia take a step back in shock.
Sean saw a parasitic, pulsating, deformed thing emitting green fluorescence living on Pompeii's collarbone.
It beats slightly, like a heart outside the body, and every time it beats, the green light becomes stronger for a moment.
And that kind of green was very familiar to Sean.
"S-Enlightenment scholar?" Sean's eyes widened in surprise, and his eyes were filled with auroral green.
Edvar nodded slowly: "That monster with a big brain suddenly went crazy a while ago...
"I had a premonition that little Ellie might be coming... In order to protect the books sealed here and to see her, I had no other choice but to use an ancient spell to confine it in my body. …
Sean's heart was filled with bitterness.
What he never expected was that when he returned to the New Testament on the Silver Star cruise ship with peace of mind, in the underground of the old book cemetery thousands of kilometers away, the epiphany scholar would be promoted because of Kluwetan's completion.
Sean could almost see the scene at that time - the enlightenment scholar, after its god ascended to another dimension, its strength soared, swallowing up other existences in the old book cemetery, and approaching Edvar.
In order to survive for a while longer, the lonely old man had no choice but to use his body as a container to seal the terrifying monster.
He endured torture every day just to see her one last time.
"This..." Alicia opened her eyes wide, her green eyes full of disbelief, "There must be a way to solve it. I have the Midas Touch, I can reverse it..."
Edvar's face was very calm and he shook his head: "This is... a human fetus from the old master."
“After maturity, a spokesperson for the gods will appear.
"Now, it's me, I am it... Even if Keane is here, it's impossible to take it away from me.
"No, Grandpa, this won't work!" Alicia held the old man's arm.
Although he was very weak, his fingers were still strong and he held his granddaughter's hand. Edvar said firmly: "Take it, Ellie!
"No matter what your destiny is, accept it!"
Then, the old man's eyes softened: "What's more, God is merciful... He also allowed us, grandfather and grandson, to meet each other."
Edvard caressed Alicia's face gently, like a dry branch cutting through the pattering spring rain.
"You have grown up and become more beautiful." The old man smiled, "And you are still so sensible..."
Alicia was speechless for a moment, and Sean frowned tightly, also falling into sadness.
The old man turned to Sean, his eyes with cloudy edges seemed to be able to see through everything: "It seems that you not only awakened the candle bearer, but also obtained that person's inheritance...
"Sure enough, our meeting was arranged by God."
Seizing what might be his last chance, Sean asked: "Mr. Pompeo, the truth about the book club and history..."
Pompeii gently raised a hand and said: "The answer to history lies in history——
He raised his head with calm eyes: "If one day you can purify the library in the maze...
"You will know the truth of the matter."
Sean already got the answer he wanted and nodded heavily.
"It's almost time..." Edvar tried to stand up, but his strength was obviously not enough. Sean and Alicia quickly helped him up, "There is no need to continue to hold on."
"It's time to do what needs to be done." Effortlessly shaking off the support of the two young men, Edvar picked up the oil lamp and slowly walked forward...
