Age of Beast Tamers and Exorcists

In a lone corner of the library, Zmey was reading a book with a sub-heading "How to Re-Enter Your Soul Land."

He had read some subheadings in this bulky book. It had weighed him down when he fetched it from the bookshelf, metres away.

The book's title hinted at learning everything... about being an awakened individual (either a tamer or an exorcist). But he couldn't tell a lie to himself. He wasn't very interested in how they created the cultivation spaces.

Nor did he care about the hierarchy in the Magic Sanctuary, from a newbie to a special disciple, then to Magi Lords. The Magi Lords were just a rank lower than the direct descendants from somewhere... he didn't recall because he spent no more than ten seconds reading the whole page.

His main target was learning about the internal issues of an awakened individual. Maybe they grow bigger muscles, have a magical inner realm for practice... or become immune to some harm.

Most subheadings outlined the core of the Magic Sanctuary. So, delight overwhelmed Zmey in finding one that differed.

'Exactly what I'm looking for. The Soul Land.'

The library had an astonishing width. It stole almost ten minutes from Zmey's time when he first entered, amazed by the structure. He was on the first floor. With the external view of the building, he believed there were at least two more upper floors.

The ground floor was in a circular style, exactly like the awakening mirror room. Documentaries and guidance books occupied the glass shelves. Each shelf marked out sections from the other.

For instance, the shelf that owned the book Zmey had, had the title "Introduction Section". Many more shelves ran down the hall, not fewer than eighty. Given the shelves and the docs, everyone could get a copy if all newbies went in at once.

Zmey had read with clarity through the night. This was all thanks to the candlelight from above that had illuminated the room. It was hard to even realise that outside was dark already when the interior was so well lit.

He turned the page. After a couple more seconds, he moved on to the next one. All of a sudden, his hand froze in motion, with his finger pressing down on the edge of a page. His brows creased, his body somewhat drawing downwards.

The thick brown paper rubbed against his fingertips.

'So... I was right with my assumption. One can still re-enter the Soul Land after awakening,' Zmey thought.

His eyes never left the inked words on the page. The earlier pages had been the introduction section, which Zmey had chosen to ignore. It was about the same thing everyone who faced the awakening trial already knew.

The Soul Land was an ethereal space. It was where candidates, each with the Starless Mage Body, appeared in... after getting injected with the Sable Mark serum. For those with painful and dark pasts, life would present these hard moments to them.

Whether they watched their beloved being killed without taking action, getting bullied because of being weak, or living a life of pain and hunger... all would show to their bare faces.

Those who had lived happy lives would see the future. It would show them tough challenges. Being a Beast tamer or an exorcist would certainly lead one into danger. Thus, the foresight would gauge their fears. Though they might become powerful and fearless before then.

If you fear the future or disregard the past, you'll be trapped in the Soul Land forever. The best way was to acknowledge everything. You're scared of the deadly beasts waiting beyond the timeline for you? Very well; then that fear would push you to get stronger when you return to life.

Earlier, Zmey recalled what he was presented with in the Soul Land, while glimpsing through the page. His framed father, Robert Stonewood, captured with the rest of their prestigious family. They were tied to their chairs in bloodied white dresses. Everyone was captured, except him. Why?

Before his damned eyes, his bones seeming to melt into his feet, his father was beheaded by the same sword he had made for the royal family. Something had asked him, in the Soul Land. That why didn't he make an attempt to save any of them.

Was he cowardly? Or so... he enjoyed the sight of blood oozing through the neck bones of his own father? And also, the cryptic words of the old lady in Frosthaven came to play as well. It told him; a guilty cat trying to escape punishment when it caused everything.

Was there a connection between anything here? A ray of light suddenly cast on one side of the book. He looked backwards, now seeing through the multiple holes bored into the wall behind him.

"It's morning already..." he mumbled, almost rising from the chair instantaneously. He glimpsed one last time at the page, locking on the page number, and then closed the book.

As he was about to take the third step, his eyes locked on Nero. Nero was about to pass through the library's entrance door. When Nero saw him, he halted inches from the door. Nero swallowed down.

Zmey thought back to himself seeing two people engaged in something in the distance. That was at the mouth of a corner close to the library's fence. One was on the floor guarding against another who was making repeated attempts to grab him.

Walking closer, it was Nero and a guy he didn't recognize.

Back in the present, he sighed, 'Nero Norman...'

He rubbed the back of his head while walking towards the table of the library keeper. Nero assumed he was gesturing at him, and he rubbed the back of his head as well. at that moment, he winced as a sharp pain tingled there.

"Yish..." he winced again. And glanced back at Zmey, who was discussing something with the keeper.

The librarian, a woman likely in her 40s, rested her arms on the long table that separated her and Zmey. She smiled as she motioned for him to hand over the book, "I noticed you've been up till yesternight. Grabbed some things in there?"

"Yes, for sure," Zmey replied without a flicker of anything significant. But he held on for a few seconds, unnerving the woman that she reverted her hand. He then asked, "I have some things to attend to, so I will be unable to stay longer here. Can I borrow the book for a day?"

The woman smiled back, prepared. "Yes, that's for sure! Should I bring you a ledger to confirm your payment of two thousand five hundred gold coins then?"

She reverted her gaze downwards, searching for something in the locker. Zmey blinked.

A whole two thousand five hundred gold coins!? That was five hundred coins less than how much they paid to lodge in the tavern!

'I'm not buying the whole library, woman,' he thought with a sense of frustration.

Before he could speak, the woman had pulled out a medium-sized ledger, two fingers long. She opened it to the empty list, whereas others had already filled the initial ones. Zmey didn't want to chuckle at how dumb people were. Or how severe their economic situation was.

Next, she handed him a dip pen with an ink reservoir placed beside the ledger.

Zmey scoffed, "Am I paying to the library? Or your pocket, ma'am?"

The woman shut her eyes. Zmey noticed her breaths were slow and labored. That statement must have pissed her off.

"Nice timing," Zmey said with a calm demeanor, then turned his back.

When the woman reopened her eyes, she was only met with the sight of the pen and reservoir. Both the book and the guy in question were out of her sight. She glanced left, only to see him walking towards the exit door.

Zmey didn't give her any attention. But... suddenly, a shadow loomed over him.