Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 57: Chapter 57 — The Library

Chapter 57 — The Library

Victor leaned against the wooden wall of the Mana Lock Prison, his thoughts going in circles as he considered his situation for what felt like the hundredth time. There was nothing to do inside the cell except think, and unfortunately, thinking hadn’t produced any useful answers. He was trapped inside a prison that had sealed his cultivation, surrounded by an entire tribe of people stronger than him, with no idea what the elders ultimately planned to do with him.

As of right now, Victor was completely screwed.

The last few days had at least given him one small distraction.

Moonlight.

The young girl had continued visiting him every day, always carrying a tray of food and always finding another excuse to ask him questions about the world outside the forest. Their conversations had become the only moments when Victor wasn’t constantly thinking about escaping, fighting, or dying.

And strangely enough, the food had been getting better.

Victor wasn’t sure if Moonlight had anything to do with that, but he wasn’t about to question it. A prisoner getting decent food was already surprising enough.

Moonlight had only left a few minutes ago.

Victor sat cross-legged on the floor and found himself remembering part of their conversation from earlier.

Moonlight had been sitting across from him when she suddenly asked about something her tribe’s ancient records had mentioned. Huge waters that stretched farther than the eye could see. She had apparently heard about them before but had never been able to understand what they truly were.

Victor had stared at her for a moment before realizing what she meant.

"Oh," he had said. "You mean oceans?"

Moonlight had immediately looked at him.

"Oceans?"

Victor had nodded. "Yeah. Huge bodies of water."

Her expression had changed immediately.

"How huge?"

Victor had thought about the best way to explain it to someone who had apparently spent her entire life inside a forest.

"Big enough that you can travel for days and still see nothing but water."

Moonlight had gone quiet.

For several seconds, she had simply stared at him while trying to imagine it.

Then the questions started.

"Were there beasts inside?"

"Of course."

"Could they survive beneath the water?"

Victor had looked at her.

"They breathe it."

Moonlight froze.

"They breathe water?"

Victor had laughed. "Yeah."

Her eyes had widened even further.

Victor continued explaining that an entirely different world existed beneath the surface of the ocean. Creatures lived there. Different forms of vegetation grew there. There were places beneath the water that humans had barely explored.

Moonlight had immediately become fascinated.

"Trees grow beneath the water?"

"Not exactly trees," Victor had said. "There are different kinds of vegetation. Something called seaweed."

Moonlight had tilted her head.

"Seaweed?"

"It’s also food."

For some reason, that had been the part that interested her the most.

"I wonder what that tastes like."

Victor had smiled.

Moonlight had listened to every word.

Eventually, Victor had decided to ask her a question of his own.

"How long has your tribe been here?"

Moonlight had become quiet.

"The records say we started keeping track of our history around five thousand years ago."

Victor had raised an eyebrow.

"Five thousand?"

Moonlight nodded.

"Before that... we don’t really know."

She had paused before adding something else.

"Samal was more active around that time."

Victor had looked at her.

"Who’s Samal?"

"He’s our God."

Victor had remained silent.

Moonlight explained that according to the tribe’s history, Samal had saved their clan around five or six thousand years ago. He had been incredibly powerful, and the tribe had worshipped him ever since.

Victor had thought about that for a moment.

Did gods actually exist in this world?

Then again, Victor had been transported to another world. The existence of a god wasn’t exactly impossible anymore.

Still, Victor wasn’t ready to assume that Samal was truly a god simply because an isolated tribe had worshipped him for thousands of years.

He decided not to think too deeply about it.

Eventually, Moonlight had realized it was time for her to leave. She stood and looked toward Victor before giving him another small bow.

"Thank you for teaching me."

Victor had waved a hand dismissively.

"Don’t worry about it."

Moonlight smiled before leaving the prison.

And now Victor was alone again.

His expression slowly changed.

There was something he had wanted to try.

The Mana Lock Prison had sealed his cultivation. That much was obvious. Victor couldn’t properly feel his Spiritual Core anymore, and his connection to his Spiritual Energy had almost completely disappeared.

But there was one thing he hadn’t tried.

His Inner World.

Victor straightened his posture and closed his eyes.

He focused inward.

At first, nothing happened.

Victor tried to feel his Spiritual Core, but the connection remained faint. His Core still existed somewhere inside him, but the Mana Lock Prison had created some kind of barrier between it and his consciousness.

It felt distant.

Disconnected.

Victor frowned.

Then he felt something else.

A faint flicker.

Victor froze.

The Black Phoenix Flame.

Unlike his Core, the flame hadn’t completely disappeared.

The connection was weak, but it was still there.

Victor slowly focused on it.

His Spiritual Core was part of his cultivation.

But the Black Phoenix Flame was different.

It was connected to something deeper.

His soul.

Victor concentrated.

The flickering connection became clearer.

Then the world changed.

Victor opened his eyes.

He was standing inside the Library.

The familiar sight immediately appeared before him. Towering shelves stretched endlessly into the distance, filled with countless books and records. The darkness surrounding them made it impossible to see where the Library truly ended.

Victor stood still for a moment.

Then a familiar voice reached him.

"Well, look who finally decided to show himself."

Victor turned.

Jack was standing nearby with his usual sarcastic expression.

Victor stared at him for several seconds.

Then he walked forward.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

Victor lifted his arms.

Jack’s expression changed.

"What are you—"

Victor stepped forward and tried to hug him.

His arms passed directly through Jack’s body.

For several seconds, neither of them said anything.

Then Victor sighed.

"Honestly, I never thought I’d miss your sarcastic remarks."

Jack stared at him.

For once, he actually looked slightly flustered.

Then his expression slowly became more serious.

"What caused this rare form of emotion, Victor?"

Victor’s expression darkened slightly.

"Well, Jack..."

He scratched the back of his head.

"I messed up a little."

Jack stared at him.

Victor continued.

"I found a Spirit Pond."

Jack immediately understood what he was talking about.

Victor could see it in his expression.

Victor hesitated.

Then he continued.

"The Spirit Pond was guarded by a tribe inside the forest."

Jack nodded slowly.

"And I walked into it."

Jack’s expression immediately changed.

"You went into the Spirit Pond?"

Victor winced.

Jack stared at him.

Then his face twisted into disbelief.

"Stupid."

Victor looked away.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

Jack looked like he wanted to continue insulting him.

Victor quickly raised a hand.

"But it worked out."

Jack stopped.

Victor continued.

"My Core healed completely. I broke through to Rank Seven, and my bloodline awakened further."

Jack became quiet.

For several seconds, he simply looked at Victor.

Then he nodded.

"Yes."

Victor raised an eyebrow.

Jack crossed his arms.

"I felt the frequencies of your bloodline changing. Your awakening was significant enough that I expected you to return here."

Victor looked at him.

"You felt it?"

"Of course."

Jack gave him a look.

"I’ve been waiting for you to come back."

Victor smiled wryly.

"Well, I got captured."

Jack’s expression became serious again.

Victor explained everything that had happened after the Spirit Pond. The old elder. The village. The Mana Lock Prison.

He explained how the moment he had entered the cell, his connection to his cultivation had almost completely disappeared.

"I’ve never experienced anything like it," Victor said. "I can’t properly feel my Core. I can’t use my Spiritual Energy. I feel almost like a regular human again."

He paused.

"Honestly, I didn’t even think I could connect to the flame until I actually tried."

Jack nodded slowly.

The situation appeared to make sense to him.

Victor looked around the Library.

"At least this still works."

Jack remained silent.

Victor sighed.

"While I’m stuck in that prison, I might as well do something useful."

His eyes moved toward the endless shelves.

"I can work on a few things in here."

Then his gaze shifted toward the direction of the Knowledge Trial.

"And I can finally finish the Knowledge Trial."

Jack nodded.

"That’s a good idea."

Victor started walking.

Jack followed beside him.

For several moments, neither of them spoke.

Then Jack broke the silence.

"What happens if they don’t release you?"

Victor stopped.

Jack looked at him.

"What happens if they decide to kill you?"

Victor remained silent.

That was the problem.

He didn’t have an answer.

There was no secret plan waiting for him.

No hidden power capable of defeating the elders.

His body was trapped inside a prison, surrounded by people powerful enough to kill him without much effort.

Victor looked forward.

Then he began walking again.

"What else can I do?"

Jack didn’t answer.

Victor’s face remained calm, but the stress of his situation was impossible to completely hide.

"I made the decision to enter that pond."

His voice was quiet.

"I knew it could be dangerous."

Victor continued walking through the Library.

"So I’ll deal with whatever comes next."

There was nothing else to say.

If his decisions eventually led to his death, then that was something he would have to accept.

That didn’t mean he was going to stop fighting.

It didn’t mean he was going to sit inside the Mana Lock Prison and wait for someone to decide his fate.

All Victor could do was continue moving forward.

Jack watched him silently for several moments.

Then he didn’t push the subject anymore.

Together, they continued walking through the endless Library.

Victor’s destination waited ahead.

The Knowledge Trial.

And while his body remained trapped inside the Mana Lock Prison—

His mind was still free.

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