Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

The moment Atlas and Seraphiel entered the Guild, the atmosphere inside changed for a brief moment. Almost everyone’s eyes snapped toward Atlas at once, but they only looked at him once before immediately returning to whatever they had been doing. Some continued talking, some continued sorting documents and others pretended that they hadn’t noticed him at all, but Seraphiel could still see it clearly from their expressions.

Fear and shock.

She narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked around the Guild before thinking, ’Hmm...something must have happened here.’

Atlas, however, didn’t seem to care about any of it. He didn’t even slow down as he walked directly toward the Receptionist and placed the Ruin Cores on the counter one after another as he took them out of his spirit bag. The Receptionist immediately began checking them, and after finishing her analysis, she simply waved her hand. One by one, the Cores vanished from the counter and were apparently stored somewhere else.

Atlas raised an eyebrow at that movement, but he didn’t bother asking where they had gone. The Cores themselves weren’t what interested him right now. What he wanted to know was their actual purpose and how they were used by cultivators.

He had already experienced how difficult it was to cross from one rank to another. An A-rank could not simply cultivate for a few days and become an S-rank. There were requirements involved, and from what he had learned so far, the Cores of Ruins were related to the advancement of cultivators.

’If these Cores are used for advancement...then can they help an S-rank reach SS-rank as well?’ The thought immediately made him curious, so he didn’t waste any time before asking the Receptionist directly, ”Are these Cores used to help S-ranks advance to SS-rank?”

The Receptionist, who was just about to explain something about the Cores, stopped immediately after hearing his question. She stared at Atlas for a few seconds with a strange expression before finally speaking, ”How do you not know this, Sir Atlas? You are a Special S-rank, so you have the privilege to access almost all this information through the City Libraries across the different cities of each Continent.”

Atlas frowned slightly after hearing that.

”Library?”

The word itself wasn’t unfamiliar to him. He had heard about Libraries several times before, but he had never considered them important. From the Nobles and Explorers he had interacted with, he only understood them as places filled with books where Noble children studied and learned various things.

He had never needed one himself, so he had never bothered going to one.

But now, after hearing that even information regarding cultivation ranks and advancement was available there, Atlas realized that he had probably misunderstood their importance.

’So the Libraries contain information about cultivation as well?’

Before he could ask anything further, Seraphiel’s voice came from behind him.

”Yes, Library. I was actually about to tell you about this in the morning, but you were in a hurry and left before I could even begin.”

Atlas turned his head toward her and narrowed his eyes slightly, ’She followed me into the Guild, what is her purpose?’

He had expected her to either remain outside or go somewhere else after they entered, but apparently, she had followed him without saying anything. Atlas looked at her for a moment before his attention returned to what she had just told him, ”Is that so? Then where can I find this Library in this city?”

Seraphiel noticed his narrowed eyes and immediately understood that he was still slightly uncomfortable with how close she was getting to him. However, instead of backing away, a small smile appeared on her lips.

’He seems uncomfortable that I am getting closer to him huh? Unfortunately for you, I will be getting even closer.’

She kept that thought to herself before answering normally, ”It’s just opposite the Palace. It is always open, so if you want to go there, I can accompany you anytime.”

The moment she said that, both Atlas and the Receptionist looked at her.

The Receptionist had already recognized Seraphiel the moment she entered the Guild behind Atlas. She knew that she was the sole heir of the Rosaria Household, and because of her newly obtained position as the Guildmaster of the Eastern Branch, she was also considered a Distinguished Guest of the Guild.

What the Receptionist didn’t understand was the relationship between Seraphiel and Atlas.

But now, after hearing Seraphiel casually offer to accompany Atlas to the Library, she began putting the pieces together, ’Wait...these two are...’

Her eyes moved between them for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face, ’Are they a couple? Or at least Mrs. Seraphiel is interested in him? Hehe, what a lovely situation to see today.’

She quietly continued watching them while Atlas finally answered.

”Hmm, opposite the Palace, huh? Alright then. I think it would be good if you accompany me the day after tomorrow, as I have some work tomorrow. Lady Seraph—”

”Not ’Lady’. I said.” Seraphiel immediately interrupted him.

Atlas stopped speaking and turned toward her. He looked at her for several seconds without saying anything, ’What in the hell is her problem?’

He didn’t understand why she cared so much about a simple title. But after thinking about it for another moment, he decided there was no reason to argue over something this small, ’Well, it’s just a name. It doesn’t matter.’

”Seraphiel, that is it, right?”

The moment Atlas called her by her name without the honorific, Seraphiel’s expression softened into a small smile.

’The first step is done.’

She felt a small sense of satisfaction from that simple change. It wasn’t anything major, but at least Atlas had started calling her by her actual name instead of keeping the formal distance between them.

’Now...what should I do next?’

Her mind immediately began arranging several ideas one after another, though she didn’t act on any of them yet. She had already decided that she would get closer to Atlas, but she also understood that forcing everything at once would only make him more cautious.

While Seraphiel was thinking about that, Atlas had already moved on from the matter. He reached into the side-pocket of the spirit bag and took out the Relic he had obtained from the Cataclysm-rank Ruin.

Unlike the previous Relic he had brought to the Guild, this one looked completely different. The previous Relic had contained such dense Spirit energy that its quality could be noticed almost immediately, even without knowing its exact rank.

This one was the complete opposite. Atlas placed what looked like a broken chunk of a metal sword onto the counter.

”This is what I found in the Ruin. I think this one is low-grade unlike the last time.”

The Receptionist didn’t answer immediately. She picked up the broken sword with both hands and began examining it carefully.

It was a rusty, damaged sword that had lost almost the entire blade. Only the hilt remained in relatively good condition, and even that didn’t look particularly impressive at first glance. There was no obvious Spirit Density around it, no visible glow and nothing else that would make someone immediately think it was a high-grade Relic.

Atlas had already reached almost the same conclusion himself.

’It should be junk, maybe Uncommon grade at best.’

But another thought appeared in his mind, ’Then what about my luck with getting high-grade Relics?’

He remembered what Seraphiel had told him before. According to her, his chances of obtaining high-grade Relics were unusually high because he had already obtained the Whirlstone.

’Maybe not every Relic I find is high-grade.’

That conclusion actually made more sense when he thought about it.

He had explored twelve Abyss-rank Ruins in Lumivale, and the Relics he had obtained from those Ruins had mostly been Uncommon to Rare grade. If every Ruin automatically gave him high-grade Relics, then those previous findings wouldn’t make sense.

’Those were all Uncommon to Rare grade, so this one being low-grade isn’t strange either.’ Atlas accepted the conclusion without thinking about it any further.

He looked at the Receptionist and spoke in his usual nonchalant tone, ”I would like to sell this Relic to the Guild. Take all the rewards the Guild owes me as well, how much time would the entire process take?”

The Receptionist continued examining the broken sword for another moment before answering, ”It should take about five minutes, Sir Atlas. I would like you to wait until then. Thank you.”

Atlas simply nodded.

The Receptionist turned back toward the counter and began dealing with the necessary procedures, while Atlas turned away from her. His gaze immediately moved across the Guild Hall until it stopped at one particular person standing toward the far-right side.

Himalton.

Atlas had been waiting to get the information from him ever since he returned from the Ruin. He had several things he wanted to know regarding the Divine-rank Ruin in Himalton and the Asfalon team’s possession.

’Now...’

Atlas didn’t waste any more time standing around. He stepped forward and began walking toward Himalton.

Seraphiel watched him leave but didn’t immediately follow.

She understood that Atlas was going to discuss something important and private just from the shift in the atmosphere, and this was not something she should butt in.

For now, she remained near the counter and quietly waited.