The Broken Halo

While Ormon and Sonya were speaking about Simon and the beginning of a new training session for Sonya, Simon was making his way to the library to rent some books on chaos runes.

On his way out of Ormon’s training ground, he had contemplated between purchasing some books on chaos runes or selling the sovereign ranked sword.

He also thought about his classes, but he decided not to attend any for the day.

If any instructor asked, he could just tell me that he had just woken up.

’My battle with Blackblade is another sign that I need to learn how to draw chaos runes. Chaos runes can allow me to use elemental attacks.’

Simon decided that after purchasing the books on chaos runes, he would go to Market Square, sell the sovereign ranked sword, then go back to his room to learn how to draw chaos runes.

After reaching the library, he met Ari as usual, and as always, she made attempts on him.

The fact that he was shirtless and that his upper body was exposed made her to make even more attempts on him.

He shrugged off her attempts and searched for books on chaos runes.

He first chose the introductory books on chaos runes, then he took the slightly more advanced books on chaos runes.

Unlike the last time where he stumbled the precious techniques of the Mad Lord, he was not so lucky in this regard.

There was no powerful, dangerous, and hidden in plain sight book on chaos runes.

He had to stick with the regular books, and he had no problem with that.

Fortunately for him, the books did not cost him so much money.

In total, he spent around six hundred merits to rent the books.

Previously, he would have been worried that he was getting broke, but with the sovereign ranked sword in his hand, he knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before he got rich.

After leaving the library, much to the disappointment of Ari who still desired him, he went to market square.

On his way to market square, he would feel the gazes of those he passed by whether they were Initiates, instructors, or mere guards.

He would also hear some talk about him, and some of the things they said were filled with awe while some were filled with jealousy, disdain, or anger.

He felt like a superstar.

No

He was a superstar in the academy, and every movement of his was being watched and observed.

The three factions had no need to use their people to observe Simon because as long as Simon does not make the conscious decision to hide, his location would always be known.

Simon obviously ignored all of these, and he walked to Market Square with a calm expression and the top half of his shirt still tied to his waist.

However, because the distance was a little bit far, his mind could not help but wander.

’The three factions,Thorgan’s unknown brothers and sisters, the Soul Mirror Demon, the Soul Eating Centipede, the Grave Lords, the unknown Night Sovereign, Merath and Jorra, and The First Blade.’

’These are all the threats that are bearing down on me. I can literally feel their gazes and dripping hunger, wanting to tear me down to pieces and offer my soul to death.’

’Right now, I’m dealing with the factions to obtain information about the corpse of the Herald, but I’m having this feeling that my time is running out.’

’The Grave Lords and the Night Sovereign have been silent and too passive despite everything I’ve done in the academy. Maybe to them I haven’t done much, but they should be suspicious of the things I’ve been able to accomplish despite them knowing that I’ve only awakened a Supreme Common Bloodline.’

’The worst case scenario- but still most plausible scenario- where I’m called by the Grave Lords has not happened yet, and I don’t know why.’

’There’s no way they would let go of their desire to become one of the six great kingdoms, and Zaglur told me that the Devourers blood essence was crucial for the plans of the clan to work.’

As Simon walked, he looked up with a slight furrow of his brows.

’The Grave Lords should be suspicious of how I obtained my strength, how I obtained my shadow affinity, and how my control over my demonic energy is so broken. But they’ve still not summoned me to find out my secrets.’

’Are they actually waiting for the Soul Mirror Demon to arrive? Or are they all preoccupied?’

Simon’s brows furrowed deeply the moment he had this thought.

’Preoccupied? Maybe with the corpse of the Herald?… Hmmm.’

’Merath and Jorra… Because I’ve been busy with the factions, I’ve not encountered those two little children for some time now. I wonder how they are looking for the Herald’s corpse.’

Simon’s eyes suddenly widened and he came to a stop.

’The corpse of a Herald? Devourer’s blood essence?’

’Don’t tell me…’

He could not help but facepalm his mask.

’How did I not think of it before? Does the clan want the Devourer’s blood essence so that the Night Sovereign can have the bloodline of a Devourer and devour the Herald?’

’Could that actually be it? And the Night Sovereign… I’ve tried looking for books on the current Night Sovereign in the library but there’s no book about his appearance or his deeds in the first floor… Maybe the lower floors has some information on him.’

Simon shook his head then he continued walking.

’I should put aside my concerns about the Night Sovereign for now because no amount of trickery or deception is going to be enough to defeat him with my current strength.’

He looked down at his heart with slightly narrowed eyes.

’I should be able to deal with the Soul Eating Centipede but it would definitely draw the attention of the Grave Lords and maybe even the Night Sovereign. So, I should only do that when I’m ready to escape the clan.’

’As for Thorgan’s unknown brothers and sisters, I can only deal with that problem when it arrives.’

’And for the First Blade, I guess I’ll have to depend on Ormon to protect me to a certain extent.’

’For now, I just have to get stronger and increase my repertoire of skills and abilities… and make a lot of money in the process too.’