The Notebook

Actually, it was not such a big surprise for his engraving to improve by a complete level with just one task. After all, the reward for the tasks depended on their difficulty, and defeating that massive boar would have been an impossible feat for the vast majority of the participants.

Filled with renewed motivation due to his progress, Kayden approached the wooden tile Lily had mentioned. Carefully lifting it, a cloud of dust scattered into the air, accompanied by a creaking sound that echoed through the humble hut.

Just as Lily said, an old notebook appeared in Kayden's eyes after pushing aside the wooden tile.

At first glance, the notebook had a worn yellowed cover, bearing stains of moisture that hinted at its age. Its pages, also yellowed and slightly battered, managed to hold up reasonably well over time.

Gingerly, Kayden opened it, his fingertips delicately handling the fragile pages, afraid that they might crumble beneath his touch. His eyes paused on the first page, as he began to read it with expectation.

As his gaze traced down the lines, his eyebrows gradually rose, showing his growing incredulity at what the words inscribed on the pages. The sense of astonishment only grew as he reached the next pages.

After what seemed like a while, Kayden finished reading, closing the notebook while he took a moment to absorb its content.

'Even though I'm determined to do everything possible to reach the top of the cultivation society, I have no confidence in being able to do something like this if it was necessary,' he thought, his mind racing with the implications contained within the pages.

The notebook contained a description of the plans of one of the two main institutions that governed the town, the Council.

It appeared that the town government was divided between the Mayor and the Council.

The first one consisted of an inherited position among members of the same family, while the second one consisted of a group with six positions, that were destined for the wisest citizens, or so it seemed.

However, the actual most important requirement to obtain a seat in the Council according to the notebook was not wisdom, but connections with important people.

It mentioned that, with the purpose of creating the ultimate soldier, the Council deceived the parents of those children who showed a great talent for fighting.

They would explain to the parents that they had noticed their child's outstanding talent and that they wanted to support his development to make him an incredible warrior.

Nonetheless, in order to achieve this the child would need to live in a private academy, where he would be able to interact with similar children while learning from the best teachers.

In reality, this was nothing more than a facade to carry out their plans.

Actually, what they would do was force the children to fight each other in death matches until only one of them was left.

If the children were to refuse to participate even after being punished, those in charge of supervising them would threaten to kill the child's parents. The Council stopped at nothing to ensure the compliance of their orders.

But the depravity didn't end there. After killing his opponents, the victorious child would undergo a series of experiments, his body subjected to invasive surgeries in an attempt to elevate him into a superior being.

According to the words in the notebook, Daniel, the father of Lily and Ollie, had accidentally heard a conversation between two members of the Council where they talked about how close they were to finally achieving their goal.

It seemed that they were having two main problems when operating on the winning child.

On the one hand, they tried to artificially infuse mana into his organs, muscles, and bones so the child's body would be a step above others. However, in many cases the child's body would not be able to withstand this procedure and would collapse even before the operation was completed.

On the other hand, even if a child managed to withstand this, the forced excess of mana in the body would gradually break his mind, causing the child to go crazy.

'It seems the Council discovered that Lily and Ollie's father had overheard their vicious plans,' Kayden thought, a melancholic tinge touching his mind. 'They spared Lily and Ollie's lives initially, perhaps deeming their deaths unnecessary. But for some reason, their intentions clearly changed.'

From what Kayden understood from Daniel, it became evident that the Council was aiming to take total control of the town solely for themselves by taking advantage of the fact that the most suitable time for this was approaching.

Michael Thompson, the town's Mayor, was in his mid-fifties and although his family had tried to hide it, there were rumors that he had an incurable disease, and it was only a matter of time before he died.

His eldest son, Richard, was in his twenties and was known to be a good-for-nothing who wasted his time on drinking and gambling.

Due to his behavior, he did not have the slightest support from the population, whose contempt for the young man had done nothing but grow over the years.

In stark contrast, Alex, the youngest son of the Mayor, enjoyed a great reputation among the inhabitants of the town, thanks to his kind actions, leadership skills, and versatile talents.

However, there was a problem, he was just fourteen years old. Thus, there was an ailing mayor, an incompetent heir, and a talented but too-young second son.

The sum of all this provided the Council with the best opportunity in years to become the sole rulers of the town.

As Kayden pondered these matters, the words on the final page of the notebook echoed within his mind, a poignant plea from the departed hand that had etched them onto the parchment.

'If you're reading this, I am likely no more than dust in the wind. I know not who you are, but I implore you with utmost urgency. Bring an end to the Council's tyrannical reign. Otherwise, the lives of the townsfolk will plunge into an abyss of darkness, forever shadowed by the yoke of their oppressive rule.'