Chapter Twelve: One-Time Notes

“Above is the code revealed by the hero Mino from the Tower Notebook…”

The Demonic Council convened.

Cletina exhaled softly and briefly summarized the interrogation, sharing her thoughts on Mino for the reference of Vils and Fim present.

“I see. Truly a resolute hero. It seems it will take some time before his spirit is completely broken…”

The voice of the demon strategist Sviel emerged from the ghostly flames. “But that’s alright. This won’t affect our other plan to undermine the Tower’s power.”

“This time, Lord Fim, you’ve done well.” The ghostly flames flickered towards the maid Fim, seated at the ninth seat at the other end of the long table.

Fim looked quietly at the flames and nodded slightly, her ashen face revealing no extra emotion.

“With the code, we can disable the magic defenses on the notebook and then utterly destroy it.”

A faint smile appeared on Cletina’s face.

The Mage Tower was not merely a symbolic structure, but a strategic weapon endowed with intricate and vast magical functions.

The Tower’s notebook was the most crucial key. Using a highly condensed magical engraving method on enchanted paper, it recorded complex formations that activated various Tower functions. Each generation’s chief mage inscribed their own magical insights within. For all human mages, this notebook was a precious relic.

The knowledge contained within had now likely rivaled the kingdom’s entire library. Even Archmage Rak could not have memorized all its contents.

Destroying the notebook would cause the Mage Tower to lose most of its functions, bringing considerable trouble to that archmage.

“The only difficulty now lies in how to approach the notebook located at the Tower’s core,” Cletina admitted reluctantly. This was the true challenge—akin to figuring out how to steal the key locked inside the vault.

“Heh heh.” Sviel’s laughter suddenly rang out.

“For me, this is the simplest part. Secretary, don’t forget my demonic heritage.”

Cletina snapped back to attention.

Demon Strategist was merely Sviel’s title, but before he took on that role, his name had long been etched in human fear:

—The Library Demon, Sviel.

“That’s right, Secretary. Anything in book form I can control to some extent from the void. I believe that notebook is no exception…”

Recalling the disasters Sviel had engineered before, Cletina’s expression finally relaxed.

“If Mino’s code is genuine, then our erosion of the human camp…”

“We have finally taken the first step!”

…

The royal capital, Mage Tower.

Rak entered the room at the Tower’s summit and, as usual, opened the drawer beneath the center of the desk to confirm the notebook was intact. He then immersed himself in the room’s darkness and continued his research over the past few days.

On the Tower Notebook, a nascent magical formation designed to imprint and control the subject’s mind was slowly taking shape.

“The next hero selection ceremony should be starting soon. This time… I will extinguish the risk at its root. When the hero is chosen, I will have complete control over them!”

Rak’s cold voice spread through the darkness.

After a long while, Rak wiped sweat from his brow and stood.

“Fortunately, with the notebook as a reference, I don’t need to memorize so much knowledge; I can cite it directly. Soon, I will hold the hero ceremony in the palm of my hand! Mino, there will be no next one!”

The voice of “Darkness” spread alongside: “I truly don’t understand why you told that hero to activate the spell.”

“That wasn’t an activation spell.” Rak pushed up his glasses, his eyes darkened.

“What I told him was a ‘self-destruct spell.’ I intended to guide him to activate it and destroy the notebook, making him the enemy of the Kingdom of Koor and all human mages, condemned to death! But he didn’t fall for it. Well, it’s better—being tormented by demons suits him more.”

“Within the Kingdom, I’m now the only one who knows this spell…”

“Darkness” nodded with satisfaction and receded back into Rak’s body.

Rak carefully put the notebook back in the drawer and left the room.

Next came afternoon tea time…

The room fell into a lightless silence.

After a while, demon whispers emerged from the void.

The voices solidified, penetrating the emptiness and producing an unusual attraction.

The drawer slid open slowly, and the Tower Notebook was enveloped by an eerie force. A spectral figure of a soul materialized—it was none other than the Library Demon, Sviel.

Sviel activated his senses, confirming this was indeed the unique magical book of the Tower.

Soon, his voice turned cautious: “There are actually two layers of magical protection… The first is intrinsic to the notebook, and the second must be the one Rak added. No one can destroy this notebook from the outside.”

“Unfortunately, it seems the only way is to understand the Tower’s functions through the notebook itself.”

As a demon strategist, Sviel was flexible in his planning. He quickly recited an incantation, attempting to lift the notebook’s seal.

“deep·dark·fantasy…”

After the complex spell was uttered, the Tower Notebook trembled as its pages rustled open.

Sviel joyfully examined the latest page, but moments later, scorching flames surged forth.

Amid Sviel’s shocked mental turmoil, the notebook’s pages spontaneously ignited one by one. The edges blackened and shriveled, finally turning into a wisp of white smoke—as if it had never existed.

Sviel stood dumbfounded.

“This notebook… was meant to be single-use.”

For a moment, he doubted human environmental consciousness.

But then two names flashed through his mind: Mino and Rak.

First, ruling out Mino’s suspicion—the spell was real and effective, but the notebook’s self-destruction now meant the hero wouldn’t have sacrificed the notebook’s existence just to stop them from peeking.

So the only suspect for this bizarre scene was the chief, Rak!

He had long foreseen the possibility of them extracting information from the hero and was attempting to destroy the Tower Notebook?!

If so… the notebook’s authenticity itself was now questionable.

Sviel immediately realized: “No wonder. Rak, who is suffused with holy magic, was atop the Tower just recently. He didn’t sense my arrival at all—that’s impossible.”

“This is a profound provocation conveying ‘mutual destruction’!”

“Rak’s will is unmistakable: with no hero, he is the kingdom’s last line of defense.”

“To defeat humanity, one must trample over his corpse!!!”