Hushed Tones

'I need to be back within two months no matter what. I know they'll try and use the fact Madeleine loses control on the winter solstice to force her to do something she doesn't want to. But, how do I get strong enough in two months to say no to two powerful families, I can't even beat Oliver…'

Oliver wasn't even in the Meridian Formation stage, he was only at the Peak Foundation Stage. Yet, Dyon couldn't even react to his speed. To make matters worse, Oliver had been at a disadvantage in the air and he was still that fast.

Dyon sat in meditation, allowing himself to slowly sink through the lake and his wounds to heal.

Suddenly, Dyon felt a sinister aura. Startling himself awake, he looked down, but he saw nothing but pitch black.

'This same feeling… Again?'

Dyon was certain. This was already the third time he had sensed something coming from this lake. In fact, now that he thought about it, there was definitely more than just three times, it was just that he had subconsciously ignored it before.

Dyon shook his head. Although he was curious, he knew that his best bet at getting stronger was probably the center pillar library. Whatever was down there was beyond him.

Over the past weeks, Dyon had taken out all book relevant to him on all six of the 600 level libraries in the outer pillar, Libro had never tried to restrict him. Everything from cultivation techniques to battle techniques and array alchemy. But, he had practiced none of them.

He hadn't done all of that to find techniques, he just wanted to get an understanding of what was good and what was bad. Yet, despite this, even Libro didn't give him access to the central pillar library. So, he knew that was where the truly good stuff was.

But, there was the problem of getting there. However, Dyon had an idea for that too, one that had been brewing for a long while. He would use the energy ponds.

From his understanding, all the energy ponds were connected in a large network so that they could properly fuel the technology of the school. In that case, there should theoretically be a path from any single pond to the Central Pillar… Right?

'It's the dead of night, and from what I understand, people rarely go to the central pillar library. Also, considering how everyone's scared of the pond energy, they'll never think I'd be crazy enough to enter it. That makes it perfect.'

Earlier, Dyon had done a test and found that his arrays could block out the pond's energy. Which made sense, if it couldn't block energy from cultivation, how would it work as a proper defensive array?

Speeding forward, Dyon headed for the central pillar.

'Although now that I have the rudimentary spatial array, I could probably just fly up and directly enter the library through the walls… but, I'd have no way of knowing if anyone saw me… too many damned windows.'

Soon, Dyon reached the very bottom of the center pillar and was looking into the now empty room that he had once been to for the opening ceremony. Slowly, Dyon passed through the window and touched down on the red carpets.

Dyon wasn't here to reminisce though. He looked up and saw the creation array they had used to call upon things for their performances.

'Such a large and complex array must need plenty of power, right?' Although Dyon wondered how a school without any real array alchemists could have such an array, he had no choice but to push it to the back of his mind.

Dyon lifted himself up and touched the ceiling above the center stage. His sixth sense reached out.

'As I thought, there's a massive power supply up here. It runs up and should be connected to ponds they have upstairs. If I check them diligently, I should eventually find the library.'

Dyon coated himself in layer after layer of defensive formations, ensuring that they wouldn't allow the energy through.

'Hm, since this array is able to covert this energy into a usable form… maybe I can make an array like that too in the future…' Dyon mused.

He passed through the ceiling and found himself in a sea of energy. Just as Dyon was about to randomly choose a direction to move in, but that was when the situation suddenly changed.

A strong gripping sense of rage, animosity and hatred bombarded Dyon from all sides. It felt as though someone was trying to drag him toward death along with them. He even faintly felt his emotions being twisted and darkened.

'What the hell is going on here… why do I sense such hatred?! SHIT!' Dyon felt a flicker in his aurora as it dimmed under the oppressive energy.

At that moment, Dyon knew that his connection to the flower he left to Madeleine had been cut off. He couldn't believe what was happening around him. What the hell was wrong with this energy? It looked so beautiful, so how could it be so sinister?!

'I can't allow this to continue. It's already cut off the connection I have with Madeleine's flower. If this continues, the next thing that will be cut off is me. Why is there aura like this here? I thought this sea of energy was taken voluntarily, what is going on?'

Dyon didn't have too much time to think about it, he was already speeding through the sea of energy, checking pond after pond and room after room. Although it would have been smarter to get out, he knew he couldn't give up. If he did, there would be very few other avenues for him to save Madeleine and he might very well be caught.

'I'm so sorry Madeleine… Just hold on for two months, just two months!'

A palpable fury rose up in Dyon's heart. He was disgusted with himself and disgusted with this world. How easy would it be for him to just turn around and go home? Pretend like he never read his mother's letter? Why was everything here covered beneath a pile of sinister intention?

The death qi was starting to whither away at Dyon, when finally, Dyon saw a library through one of the ponds he was swimming towards. Unfortunately, just before he could leap out, the sound of two voices speaking in hushed tones brought him to a grinding halt.