The Library was losing.


    It looked like it holding firm, even resisting the fierce and lethal Void that kept forcing its way in, but this was only an outward appearance. The image it instilled of being able to defend such an abomination slowly crumbled, revealing that it had never truly been holding back the Void at all.


    Rumbleeeee—!


    The hole above was widening as more fissures and cracks kept manifesting throughout the whole library, connecting to the ends of reaches it could link to.


    The paper floor to rece the library''s interior was dwindling while the wooden shelves were gone, countless Guardian Shelves that tried to rece it as a second option have already been swallowed by the Purplish Emptiness as well.


    Thest line of defense the library could exert isn''t going tost.


    With the result dampening, worsening at each time, the first result of the Library''s defeat started to be apparent.


    Shelves from the ''current roof'' started falling down.


    Thud—!


    While in search of the Elusive Door, Cesar''s steps were weak. He wasn''t able to run or jog to increase the pace of his running.


    He was merely walking as he tried to control his body from suffering, afraid that he would break apart if he exerted himself once more.


    ''Calm down…''


    Tak—!


    ddened at the fact that the shelves falling down and the interior of the Library wasn''t falling towards them, Cesar tried to search for each shelf he could see.


    Aside from the clue that it is continuously being elusive that he received from Cedeit, Cesar didn''t know anything else about it.


    But whatever it was, he knew his time was running out.


    Rumble—!


    Feeling the intensity of the quake getting much stronger each second, Cesar walked through the pain and pursuit what he thinks that looks like an ''Elusive Door''.


    He walked between the shelves, rows of books neatly lined up as his trail of blood marked the floor behind him.


    Just as he was beginning to think it was futile to search for something as obscure as an ''Elusive Door,'' something caught his attention at the corner of his eyes.


    As he did, Cesar observed the same stacks of books lining up however in one part of the board, something was moving.


    No, it looked like it was quivering in fear.


    This ''thing'' that was shaking isn''t a book which is why Cesar was able to see it even with one eye. It wasn''t even trying to conceal itself if this thing could do it in the first ce.


    This thing looked like a door, a miniature version of the previous doors he had gone through the hallways.


    "Is that it?"


    Cesar voiced outwardly, trying to have Cedeit''s attention towards him to give some sort of confirmation that they were looking at the same Elusive Door, that didn''t suggest its name at all.


    But nothing.


    It seemed Cedeit had gone back to his usual ''ignoring session'' where he would just straight up disappear. He might be there, really ignoring Cesar or he might not be after something where the voice likes to put ''lost connection'' between him.


    Not that he cared anyway.


    Among the countless shelves he had passed, this was the only Door he''d encountered during his entire journey through the Library. Aside from the door he''d originally entered through, this one might indeed be the path that led to everything once inside the Library.


    Cesar stepped forward.


    And he continued to tread weakly as he observed the Elusive Door continuously quiver at its ce while gazing upwards.


    After a minute of walking even though the distance between them wasn''t quiterge, Cesar was able to reach the Elusive Door with ease. Stricken in fear and absolutely not knowing what to do, Cesar twists the knob of the door.


    Unfortunately, it couldn''t be opened.


    Seeing the knob''s shape perfectly match the key he held, Cesar retrieved the Librarian''s Key from his pocket and inserted it into the Elusive Door… that exactly fit in.


    nk—!


    Twisting it and hearing a noise that sounded right, Cesar twisted the knob and found himself in a new ce.


    He hadn''t entered through the Elusive Door in the usual way. Instead, it was as if he had simply materialized, appearing suddenly at the middle of the strange new ce.


    "!"


    Cesar was instantly on guard as he found himself in a dark room thick with malice, its atmosphere oppressive and filled with corruption that seemed to seep into anyone daring enough to enter inside.


    The ominous sensation was strongest to his left, making Cesar snap his gaze in that direction.


    There, he saw a rotting corpse lying on its back against the wall surrounded by worms and maggots trying to eat the decayed body. This particr body had seven fingers and two arms. A very long leg and neck.


    Cesar stepped back.


    As he did, he felt his foot press onto something, causing him to turn swiftly. Looking down, he noticed an exaggerated scratch etched into the floor, one that looked eerily familiar, resembling a mark he''d seen before, visible only to someone he knew better than anyone else.


    ''Prated reality?''


    This prated reality isn''t clouded, instead, just a scratch with an imageing from the inside that seemed like a live view of what was happening on the outside.


    However, it was dark already as if the connection it had had been disrupted by something.


    Rustle—!


    Cesar immediately picked up the Source of Light artifact and channeled his mana into it before muttering under his breath.


    "Let there be light…"


    Whoosh—!


    Soon, the dimly lit room brightened, allowing Cesar to take in the full view of his surroundings with his own two eyes.


    Apart from the rotting corpse, the room was filled with countless prated realities, as if scratched open by someone, most of them now showing only nothing.


    Yet, Cesar managed to spot a few that still disyed live scenes—each one revealing parts of the library.


    There was Vin, Maine, his squad, and any soldier from that particr angle and view, could be seen through these scratches.


    Just as he was assessing the connections of these prated realities from the ones outside, his gaze fell on the floor where found an enigmatic, dying eyeball… that lunged andtched itself to him.


    It crawled very swiftly before entering his left eye.


    "Hehehe, what a great fellow you are,"


    Cesar''s eyes wavered when this particr eye sounded so clear inside his mind.


    "How are you talking—Just what are you…?"


    The dying eye thattched itself into his empty bleeding eye socket chuckled, its voice groggy as it answered.


    "What do you think am I? I''m just an old and weak Nightmare, Sparrow. Though, you can call me Eyes of Deceit. And I''ll borrow your body for a moment if you won''t mind. Hehe,"


    Cesar''s heart rose while trying to remove the eyeball thattched itself into his empty eye socket as he shouted in desperation, "No, why would I give you my body?! Get the fuck out!"


    As though the decaying eyeball had finally fused with the empty socket in his skull, something snapped within Cesar.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    And he let out a wailing sound that came from the depths of his heart.