LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 218: I Found It
Ren and Lilith hurried through the church building, their boots echoing through the hallways.
Most of the fighting personnel were outside, trying to stop the masses from burning down the church, so they didn't need to worry about making noise.
At least, until they almost ran into an archivist. The man dove to the side, an instinctive response to avoid being run over by anybody wearing a white cloak, but he didn't even get a chance to land.
Ren's hand blurred in mid air, knocking him out and catching him. Then, he stuffed the man inside one of the closets nearby. He won't be found for a few hours.
After exchanging a glance, they continued on their way with the same urgency, but this time, they made an effort to soften their footsteps.
Even if they end up meeting someone else, at least they'll be able to take them by surprise.
And so, they moved like shadows, slipping down spiraling staircases and through unused antechambers until the air turned cold and damp.
They finally arrived at the basement.
Here, the walls were older, darker. Torches sputtered in brackets spaced far apart, casting long shadows across uneven stone.
The hallway leading to the Room of Records was silent save for the muffled beat of their boots.
When they reached the final corridor, they stopped.
A Chosen guard, wearing a complete set of armor and holding a halberd, stood at attention outside the thick iron door of the room of records.
They stepped forward into the room and the man was immediately alert, holding out a hand. "You can't be in here, Chosen. The Bishop has changed regulations."
"It's an emergency!" Ren said with urgency as Lilith stepped forward. The man opened his mouth, blinking in alarm at Lilith's sudden movement, but it was too late.
Her eyes shined faintly as a soul thread flicked outward from her fingers like a whip. It wrapped around the guard's neck and seeped inside him through the pores of his skin. He froze, his body stiffening as Lilith tilted her head.
Ren watched calmly. He hadn't lied. Emergencies required urgent action.
"Open the door." She said.
The guard complied, stepping forward with jerky movements, placing a hand on the thick iron door and releasing his resonance. The door hummed faintly before opening with a click. The guard reached out and pulled the door open, the hinges creaking with a low groan.
Lilith smirked as she spoke again, her voice colder now. "Your soul has served its purpose."
With a yank, she ripped out his soul with her soul thread, absorbing it. The guard's eyes went blank, his body becoming a sack of meat without something to steer it. He just stood there, staring into nothingness.
"That's honestly scary." Ren chuckled, staring at the man. "Well done."
"Heh." Lilith shrugged, unable to hide the pride in her eyes. "He'll stand there and keep up the charade as a guard while we're gone."
"I think the open door of the room kinda makes that suggestion moot." Ren said, leading the way into the room.
Inside, the Room of Records stretched before them.
This one managed to look more like a library than an archive. It was an immense, circular hall with shelves that reached toward the vaulted ceiling, packed with scrolls, tomes, and sealed boxes.
The room smelled of old paper, dust, and of course, mold. The room was lit only by the same crystals embedded into the ceiling that shined faintly, giving enough light to see by. Anyone trying to read in here would have to work hard. Fortunately, they both had excellent vision.
"Split up." Ren murmured. "We need to find the personnel files. It should be near the center."
Lilith nodded and drifted away like smoke.
Ren moved quickly, eyes flicking between shelf labels and the spine of the tomes, searching for what he was looking for. He'd had a mission in the game once to find information in the room of record in one of the church branches.
He'd confirmed in Rainhold that the layout was the same, no matter the branch, so he was reasonably confident that he could find what he was looking for.
His perception of time slowed down, and his eyes moved rapidly, helping to filter useful documents from the useless clutter.
He passed shelves labeled with names of Elnoria's nobility, past sections on Chosen pairings, until he reached what he wanted.
"Personnel Deployment Records – Chronological."
He began digging.
Scroll after scroll.
Chart after chart.
His eyes narrowed.
For the last decade, there had been a consistent, almost ritualistic assignment pattern. Elite Chosens were always deployed in cycles to three primary prisons.
But one stood out.
The names of the guards deployed to Lake Nihilum, the underwater prison, showed a clear trend. Every guard had a resonance type known to offer natural resistance or immunity to Blood-based effects.
Especially Chosens with Stone, Flow, and Defense-based Resonances.
Ren's heart beat faster.
He flipped through supply logs, noting their water filtration shipments, resonance sealed and resistant armor, and special permission grants signed by High Synod officials.
He turned quickly, meeting Lilith in one of the central aisles.
"I found it," he whispered. "The Blood Chosen is in Lake Nihilum. That's the underwater prison."
Lilith arched a brow. "You're certain?"
He showed her the deployment patterns. Names, resonance types, and shipping logs.
Before she could respond, the torches in the hall blazed to life.
Brilliant white flames roared to full power, throwing everything into light.
Ren and Lilith both spun, blinking rapidly to adjust to the increased brightness.
The iron door to the Room of Records slammed shut behind them with a loud boom.
Standing before it was the Bishop, his white cloak trailing behind him like a curtain of judgment.
At his sides stood five elite Chosen, each radiating dangerous levels of resonant power.
The Bishop's voice was filled with anger, his tone amplified by a subtle loop of Sound Resonance.
"I knew it. Traitors. You will not leave this place alive."