The Scream of A Thousand Libraries Chapter 9: Chapter 11: The H Incident (I).

Read chapter 9 of The Scream of A Thousand Libraries by Susangja on NovelPedia.

POV: HELENA IVYRA. When the enchantment started rejecting H, his QP seemed to take a hit. It was like he was soaked in kerosene, and I had struck a match. His body began to contort in several places, giving Noah the opening he needed to close the distance. Even with Noah's superior agility and H's difficulty controlling his energy, H's physical resilience and the versatility of the ambient enchantment allowed him to create multiple false copies made of that disgusting goo. It was giving Noah quite the extra work. With the altar still by my side, I took advantage of H's temporary weakness, even struggling, he kept fighting Noah. I realized the fight would drag on, as Noah's flames continued to illuminate the area, flickering in the shadows moving across the walls. After checking the surroundings and utilizing the extra energy flow the altar provided, I injected more QP into my Axiomatic Tessellation enchantment to strengthen the rectangular base supporting the girls. At the same time, I quickly glanced around and noted the infrastructure's state: several shelves were already ablaze, many chairs broken, and the floor scorched in multiple spots. I was determined to get out of there as fast as possible. "Chains of Marginal Liberty: Specter Bala!" I declared, using the enchantment to survey the environment from above. ‘Having another pair of eyes on my back is always useful…’ As I alternated between placing the girls on the summoned platform and observing the fight through Bala's eyes, I struggled to see through the dense gloom filling the area. A shiver ran down my spine. There was something strange about that shadow. A subtle, almost imperceptible effect, as if someone was watching me constantly. Despite this strange feeling, I kept my focus on the fight. I saw Noah, his body covered in flames, seizing the moment of H's weakness caused by the mysterious altar enchantment. He charged ferociously. His martial mastery combined with the power of fire began to dictate the fight's rhythm, delivering blows in quick succession. Even with H's clone tricks, he couldn't gain an advantage with stealth attacks. The flames around Noah burned them before they could even connect. ‘I-I think he has the situation under control…’ But… Why this feeling of apprehension? That previous enchantment seemed to have some kind of psychological effect. ‘What a terrifying enchantment…’ My attention shifted from the fight when I saw the shelves around me begin to succumb to the flames. The library's structure was crumbling bit by bit. The crater from the first attack had damaged the back wall. For now, the library ceiling still holds, but I couldn't guarantee for how long… ‘Time to get out of here!’ I pulled the girls onto the rectangular construct. When I tried to levitate it, I felt a tremendous flow of energy leaving the enchantment. It was the first time I'd tried to support so much weight, the equivalent of two people. I had to be quick if I wanted to get them out safely. I began pulling the construct with me towards the stairs. As I did so, I took one last look at the fight behind me through Bala's eyes. Even after fighting for so long and using various enchantments, I still didn't quite understand what they were looking for. Noah was supposedly a Federal Agent. That could only mean H was extremely dangerous for him to come in person. But… What about his objective? Was he after something? ‘Damn it… I think I get it.’ POV: NOAH WILLIAMS. I didn't know exactly what had happened before, but something that girl did definitely affected H's energy. I noticed almost immediately that his movements were slower, heavier, as if something invisible was dragging his body down. His joints lost their usual fluidity, and his previously menacing posture now seemed less precise, more off-kilter. His energy, in turn, had become visibly unstable. It pulsed like a flame about to go out, flickering with irregular frequency, as if the very air around him had been contaminated