The library had many books, though the text recorded within them came in several different scripts. Mo Yu found a few he could read, mostly personal chronicles and secret accounts of nobles from the middle ages.
Among these, he found quite a few records concerning demon hunters.
Just as Mo Yu was reading with great interest, a voice sounded from behind him.
"You shouldn't be here."
It was Elise.
She held a thick leather-bound book in her arms, a pair of gold thread glasses perched on her small nose, and wore a thin, plain-colored long dress. Even in the dim light, one could faintly make out the slender, delicate curves of her body.
Mo Yu turned and bowed in greeting. "Greetings, Young Miss. I merely wanted to find some information on demon hunters. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll win every battle. Only by understanding demon hunters can I deal with them better."
At Mo Yu's flimsy excuse, Elise nodded slightly in approval, then extended a pale arm, pointing toward a row of books on a high shelf. "They're all over there, the ones with red covers marked with a triple ring. Go look for yourself."
Mo Yu smiled and thanked her. He knew he'd just gained partial access to the library.
At the very least, he could now come in and read openly.
Elise walked over to the table and chair at the center of the room and sat down, opened her leather-bound book, took out a quill pen, and began to write.
Mo Yu didn't disturb her. Instead, he made his way to the section holding books on demon hunters and began browsing through them.
More than half the text was unrecognizable to him.
He picked out a random book whose script he could read.
《The Guardian Who Drove Back the Night》
The title sounded like a novel. Flipping through it, he found it was a story recorded from the personal perspective of a large farm owner, mainly about how, with the help of demon hunters, he drove off evil things that had invaded his farm.
Mo Yu closed the book, his gaze sweeping along the bookshelf.
He found that most of the books had titles like this—more like recorded stories, with too little useful information.
He returned the book to its place and kept searching.
Finally, at the very bottom of the shelf, he found a book that looked useful.
《Research Records on the Origins of Demon Hunters' Magic Power》
The author of this book wasn't human—he had specifically noted this on the cover, referring to himself as one of the Eight Sages. What exact race he belonged to, or what kind of Monster he was, wasn't specified.
Mo Yu sat down on the steps and began flipping through it right there.
The author was clearly very powerful—he had captured many demon hunters and subjected them to thorough dissection and various research tests, trying to unravel the secret of how their bodies stored Magic Power. The records were dense, involving a great deal of theory and research, and were quite difficult to follow, but Mo Yu read on with great interest. With his Scientific Research Theory skill boosting him, he could quickly understand and memorize all of it.
Faint footsteps sounded from the doorway.
Mo Yu looked up and saw the maid. She carried an exquisite tray, with a teacup and teapot on it.
A Vampire wouldn't drink tea.
It was type O blood.
Upon spotting Mo Yu, a flicker of surprise crossed the maid's face, but she quickly hid it. She said nothing, simply carrying the tray over to Elise, setting it down, and standing quietly behind her.
The library was very quiet.
No telling how much time had passed. Just as Mo Yu's interest was at its peak, Elise's voice sounded right by his ear, so close he could feel a cold current of air brush against it. "You want to be a demon hunter?"
Mo Yu turned around.
Elise crouched beside him, tilting her head to look at the book in his hands.
They were so close, almost pressed together.
Mo Yu answered, "I'm just interested in their Cultivation Method."
"You're an Awakener. You should focus on developing your own abilities. Human, your lifespan and energy are limited—you need to specialize in developing your power." Elise offered the warning.
Mo Yu smiled. "Just curious, that's all. Are there any books here about the Magic Cultivation Method?"
Elise shook her head. "There aren't. The Magic Cultivation Method belongs to humans—non-humans can't cultivate it. It's not the kind of thing that spreads freely. Many demon hunter families have already died out, and the Magic Cultivation Method was lost along with them."
No wonder the lineage had broken off.
Mo Yu flipped through the book in his hands and pointed at one of the pages. "What about Spirit Tools?"
The page depicted various weapons—swords, spears, blades, halberds, all sorts. When a demon hunter began cultivating, they would channel their own Magic Power into a weapon, converting it into their Bound Spirit Tool, which would then grow alongside the demon hunter.
Elise said, "I recall there are quite a few in the warehouse." She stood up. "Follow me."
Mo Yu closed the book, put it back in its place, and quickly followed after Elise.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but ever since yesterday, Elise's attitude toward him had shifted subtly, growing much softer and warmer.
Was it because of the Ritual?
Mo Yu unconsciously reached up and touched the pendant.
The maid followed silently behind the two of them.
They headed downward, winding through several turns, until they arrived before a locked iron door. The maid stepped forward first, produced a key from somewhere, and unlocked the door.
The hinges turned, letting out a harsh grating screech.
Elise said, "This place hasn't been opened in a long time."
The maid lowered her head. "Yes, Young Miss. The last battle with a demon hunter was nineteen years ago." She then explained to Mo Yu, "This is the warehouse where Spoils of War are kept."
Mo Yu pressed further, "What happened nineteen years ago?"
The maid answered, "Nothing happened. The Young Miss grew stronger and more careful. Since then, no demon hunter has been able to track us down."
The maid entered the warehouse first and lit the candles. Flames flared up on all sides, illuminating the darkened space.
Inside were rows of iron shelves, each one lined with items—mostly weapons and various suits of Armor, along with some books, pendants, and other odds and ends.
Elise stepped inside, glancing around as if lost in memory. At last, she turned to Mo Yu and said,
"Take whatever you like. The Blood Race can't use these weapons anyway. Just remember to scrub off the family crest so it doesn't cause trouble."
"My thanks for the Young Miss's generosity."
Mo Yu bowed his head, one hand pressed to his chest, as he replied. Then he noticed a small pale hand held out before him, back facing upward. Puzzled, he looked up, met Elise's eyes, and instantly understood what she meant.
A hand kiss.
Wasn't she wary of him?
Why was she offering herself up like this?
Mo Yu took hold of the small pale hand and gave it a rather bold squeeze.
It was ice cold, lacking the warmth a human body should have, yet soft and springy.
Elise showed no reaction to his impudent behavior.
The perverted little test had failed to provoke anything.
Mo Yu sensed this wasn't a good sign—it could invite some unnecessary trouble—so he gently pressed his hand against the back of hers and let go. Setting aside her identity as a Vampire, the young girl was, in truth, an exceptionally beautiful girl.
Elise nodded slightly and turned to leave.
The maid followed after her.
Only Mo Yu remained in the warehouse, now free to examine the Spoils of War at his leisure.
None of these were ordinary objects. The moment his fingertips brushed against a Long Sword, he felt a strange sensation the instant they made contact.
Something seemed to flow toward him along the Sword Body.
This was the Magic Power described in the book.
He picked up the Long Sword and swung it.
Though he had no Magic Power and couldn't unleash the full power of these weapons, relying on sheer Brute Force to cut down enemies, these weapons could still perform quite well. A weapon with Magic Power attached dealt bonus damage against Monsters—much like Repentance, though not nearly as absurdly powerful.
He needed to find a way to get his hands on the Magic Cultivation Method.
Sitting on a mountain of treasure he couldn't use was a rather uncomfortable feeling. Besides, he needed to find a way to raise his Life Level—Attribute points alone had a cap.
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