Ethan and his team finally arrived at the next stage.
In front of them stood a huge, old-looking library. Its walls were tall, with shelves full of books stretching as far as the eye could see. A warm light glowed inside, but there was a strange, creepy silence all around. Right beside the entrance, there was a poster with just one line written on it:
**You should be quiet when in the library.**
Ethan had a red handprint on his neck and cheek — a clear mark that he had lost once and got slapped hard by the sumo monster. Luckily, even after the loss, his team had managed to pass through the golden door.
Emma, Violet, Princess Ravenna, Sylvania, and Claus were all with him as they stood just outside the library entrance.
“So… we have to stay quiet and find a way to move to the next stage?” Sylvania asked, reading the poster aloud.
“Looks like it,” Ethan replied, rubbing the red mark on his neck with a small sigh. “But I have a stealth skill, so I can hide my steps and presence pretty well.”
“I can use zero gravity,” Violet added. “It might slow me down, but I won’t make any noise when I walk.”
“I know telepathy,” Ravenna said softly. It was the first time she had spoken so far. “With it, we can talk to each other inside without making a sound. But… I can only keep it active for a few minutes.”
Hearing this, everyone’s faces lit up.
“That’s amazing!” Emma said loudly, almost shouting in excitement.
But before anyone could stop her—
Screeeaaach! Howwwwl! Screeeeech!
Horrible, painful sounds echoed from inside the library.
Everyone quickly covered their ears. The noise was sharp and eerie, like metal scraping glass mixed with someone screaming.
Inside the library, the thin monsters started running around. They had no eyes, only sirens for heads, and their bodies were tall and stick-like, with twisted veins showing through their thin skin. The moment Emma spoke loudly, they heard it — and they began searching for where the noise came from.
“Your voice was too loud. Now they know someone is nearby,” Ethan said with a scolding tone while holding his ears.
“Sorry…” Emma said quietly, guilt clearly on her face.
Claus shrugged. “Whatever those things are, I guess they can’t leave the library. That’s at least one good thing.”
Ethan took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Let’s go. We’ll figure out what’s inside.”
He was the first to enter. The moment he stepped in, he activated his stealth skill. His body became quiet — no sound from his breathing, no sound from his footsteps. He moved like a shadow between the shelves.
The others followed behind, careful with their steps. No one said a word. Even breathing felt heavier in the silence.
Inside, the library looked like a maze. The tall bookshelves blocked direct paths. The goal was clear — they had to reach the exit on the other side. But finding the way through the narrow paths without getting caught was the hard part.
As Ethan walked deeper inside, he noticed something — small bells hanging from ropes between the bookshelves, swinging gently.
He narrowed his eyes and thought:
“If we throw something at these bells from a distance, we could use the sound to distract the monsters. While they’re chasing the noise, we can quietly move to the other side...”
[“I established the connection. Anyone can share their thoughts if they want to.”]
Ravenna’s calm and clear voice echoed in everyone’s mind through her telepathy.
Ethan quickly responded in his thoughts, “I’m going to climb to the top of the bookshelf to see the full path. Once I know the way, we’ll ring a bell to distract the monsters and quietly escape to the next stage.”
“But the shelf is very tall… What if you make a sound while climbing?” Sylvania asked through the link, her voice filled with concern.
“Don’t worry. Violet will use her gravity magic. That’ll make climbing easier and quieter,” Ethan replied confidently.
Violet gave a silent nod and raised her hand. A soft purple glow appeared around Ethan, making him feel lighter than air. Without wasting any time, Ethan bent his knees and made a big leap. In one smooth jump, he reached the top of the tall bookshelf.
He wobbled a little at first, but soon found his balance. Carefully, he crouched and looked across the library from above.
From that high spot, Ethan could see everything clearly. There were eight monsters inside, each of them walking slowly between the paths, listening for even the smallest sound. Their siren-shaped heads turned from side to side like radar.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. He focused hard and quickly memorized the maze-like paths between the shelves. With his experience in exploring foggy forests and dangerous places, this task was easy for him.
But just as he was about to jump down, he felt something shift.
The bookshelf beneath him creaked slightly.
Ethan’s heart skipped a beat.
Before he could react properly, the shelf tilted a little, and he lost his balance.
He fell backward.
Everyone in the group watched with wide eyes, their hearts pounding in fear.
And at that exact moment, Sylvania made a big mistake.
“Ethan!” she gasped out loud in a soft but worried voice.
Ethan’s eyes widened as he fell. “Damn it…” he thought.
But he didn’t panic. He quickly twisted his body mid-air and landed smoothly on his feet without making a sound.
He didn’t waste even a second.
The moment he landed, he dashed straight to Sylvania, who was frozen in place. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back quickly. Emma, who was standing next to her, also got pulled along with his quick movement.
Then it happened—
Screeech!
A loud, awful screech filled the library.
One of the siren-headed monsters rushed toward them at high speed. Its body was thin, but it moved like lightning. Its long, sharp arms swung through the air like deadly branches.
Ethan quickly turned to the others — Princess Ravenna, Claus, and Violet — and pressed a finger to his lips, signaling them to stay absolutely quiet.
They understood. No one made a sound.
Emma and Violet were breathing heavily, their faces pale from fear. Their eyes were wide, and sweat dripped from their foreheads. It took everything in them not to scream or gasp.
The siren-headed monster swung its claws through the air, but there was nothing there. It stood still for a moment, then gave up and slowly walked away.
Ethan’s team had split into two parts. One had Ethan, Sylvania, and Emma. The other had Ravenna, Violet, and Claus.
Ethan crouched down and spoke through the telepathic link.
“Hear me out. There are two paths to reach the exit. We’re taking the closest one to ours while you'll take yours. For you guys—go straight, then take two lefts, one right, another left, and then keep moving forward.”
He turned to Sylvania and Emma. Their breathing had calmed down, and they were focused again.
“Now let’s go,” Ethan whispered.
No one walked on their feet. They dropped to all fours and started crawling slowly. Every move was careful and quiet. Their hearts were beating fast, but they stayed calm.
They moved carefully, avoiding every monster. Even when they were just inches away from one, they didn’t get caught. It felt like a miracle. Everything was going well. Sёarch* The NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Until the end.
At the final point where both paths met and led to the red hole—the only way out—a monster stood right in the middle, blocking the way.
Both groups could see each other. But none of them could move forward.
Ethan looked around, eyes scanning quickly. That’s when he saw it.
A bell hanging just a few meters away.
He sent a quick message through the telepathy. “I’m going to ring the bell and draw all the monsters to it. While they’re distracted, we run for the exit. It’s risky, but we’re running out of time.”
“No! What if you can’t make it back in time?” Violet’s voice was full of worry. “Ethan? Ethan?!”
There was no answer.
“The telepathy ended…” she muttered, realizing they were cut off.
Ethan stood up and silently told Sylvania and Emma to get ready. Then he slowly walked toward the bell, careful not to make a sound.
When he got close enough, he raised his hand and aimed.
“Water Bullet,” he whispered.
Bang!
The spell hit the bell.
Ring... ring... ring...
The sound echoed through the huge library.
Screech! Howl!
All the monsters turned and rushed toward the bell in a frenzy.
Ethan didn’t wait. He sprinted forward, using all the strength in his legs. His footsteps were loud now, but it didn’t matter anymore.
He dashed straight to the big red hole in the wall. Even though he was at the most distance away, He acti became first one to arrive, And how could not he? He was a top tier Rank B level Awakened.
Behind him, Sylvania and Emma followed. Ethan reached first, leaped in, and disappeared into the slide. Sylvania came next, then Emma.
They didn’t care about the sound anymore. They just wanted to escape.
On the other side, Ravenna was the first to try and run. But her foot slipped.
“Ah!” she cried out as she fell.
“Damn it!” Claus rushed to her, grabbed her hand, and tried to lift her up.
“No time!” Violet dropped to the floor and quickly cast a spell.
“Zero Gravity!”
Ravenna’s body became weightless.
Claus grabbed her and, with a burst of yellow lightning, dashed straight to the red hole.
She threw Ravenna inside.
Then she turned back and saw Violet running, while all eight monsters chased after her. Their claws were raised, ready to tear her apart.
Violet’s eyes were wide with fear. She stretched her hand out.
“Grab my hand!” she shouted.
Claus smiled.
A cruel, cold smile.
Then she turned and kicked Violet hard in the stomach.
“Wha—Why?!” Violet’s eyes were full of shock.
The kick sent her flying backward.
Claws came down.
Swack! Swack! Swack!
The monsters ripped into her body. Her stomach and chest were torn apart. Blood splashed everywhere. Her body dropped to the ground, nothing but a broken mess.
Her hand, once reaching for help, now lay still.
Her eyes, wide open, stared blankly forward.
Betrayed.
Her eyes felt heavy but before closing, She saw claus divine into the slide and safely escaping.
And then her eyes went shut.
---------
In the last stage—the Tunnel of Evil—Sasha had been walking for what felt like forever. The long path seemed endless, and every step felt heavier than the last.
She was still holding Alice by the tail, dragging her through the air like luggage. Alice, of course, didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, she was still talking.
"And so after that, we went to the cosplay club and did a fake wedding! We both wore gowns, and it felt like we were really married! Honestly, I think it could happen for real. Maybe one day a real wedding!" Alice kept rambling with a dreamy smile.
Then she paused for a second, blinked, and corrected herself.
"No, not maybe—definitely! A wedding will definitely happen!" she said with a proud nod.
Sasha kept walking without a single word. Her face was blank, but inside she was exhausted. Her body wanted to collapse and sleep right there on the cold floor. But more than anything, her mind was tired.
And the reason for all of this was the same girl she was dragging behind—Alice.
Without turning her head, Sasha gave Alice a quick side glance.
"It’s been over thirty minutes... other than that moment in the library, she hasn’t stopped talking even once!" Sasha thought, feeling her sanity slipping.
She let out a long sigh in her mind.
"After listening to her this long, I’m sure of it now. She’s not just weird... she’s missing a few screws. No, maybe she doesn’t even have a single screw to begin with!"
Her eye twitched slightly.
Finally, Sasha had enough.
Without saying anything, she casually tossed Alice behind her like a sack of potatoes.
"Wh-Wha—!" Alice yelped as she spun in the air and barely managed to land on her feet.
Still facing forward, Sasha waved her hand.
"I don’t need you. You go your way, I’ll go mine," she said coldly.
Silence followed.
No reply.
Sasha blinked. "...Well, that’s better," she whispered to herself, finally feeling a bit of peace.
But then—
Wooshhhh...
A cold, heavy wind brushed past her neck. A sharp chill spread through her body. Goosebumps rose all over her skin. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong.
Her eyes narrowed, and she slowly turned around.
Alice was standing there. She wasn’t smiling anymore.
Her purple eyes glowed with a scary, icy light. Her hair fluttered in the wind, and a dark, unsettling aura surrounded her. She slowly ran her fingers through her hair while staring straight at Sasha.
Her voice dropped low and serious.
"I’ve been quiet because you’re Maruti’s sister," Alice said calmly, almost too calmly. "But how dare you interrupt me while I was telling... our sacred love story?