Aurora Scroll

The prisoners were lost for words from Tanael’s response. Whatever guesses they had, it was way off the mark. Even Jordan gave him a weird look from behind.

“Insolent brat! You think we’re apes!?” a guy said.

“So you’re not?” Tanael questioned softly.

“Obviously!”

“Wonderful! See, even apes can live in groups and work together, for safety or whatever, so you lot definitely able as well. We just need to be better than apes. Gahahaha!”

In a group of villains and criminals, backstabbing and treachery was pretty normal. Since Tanael knew exactly what kind of people he was recruiting, he didn't set a high bar of standards, just be better than apes!

A loud snort came from a prisoner, his disdain apparent.

“Grouping up is the choice of weaklings. A real Pathseeker needs no other people but himself!”

Tanael walked towards him, stopped before his cell. He slowly looked at him from head to toe.

“Since you’re here, you must be a pretty lame Pathseeker then,” Tanael’s disdain was no less apparent.

What a fool. Already behind bars and couldn't get out by himself. His future was just a slow rot until death but he refused because of pride. What a grand display of pretentiousness.

If you’re lacking in power, what use is pride?

Tanael turned his back on the man whose face reddened. He said threats and insults but Tanael ignored him.

“Come on, who else wants to get out of here? It’s just a hundred years. There may never be a chance like this again.”

Why just a hundred years?

Tanael could easily make the terms of the convicts' servitude to be a lifetime, so why?

First, he gave them hope, that throwing their lot with him wasn't a different kind of eternal prison or a dead end. Second, after a century, Tanael was convinced he would have outgrown them. It was practically every occurrence in the xianxia genre.

Also, from the thirty-four prisoners, Tanael didn't see a single Pathseeker above Level 5. He was a bit disappointed but he didn't dwell on it.

There was a clamor again. Tanael closed his eyes. These people were lofty figures. They were like nobles and kings, wielding great power and authority. Lesser people respect them and bow their heads. Even though they were in prison, a person’s nature wasn't so easily changed. Then a man, their junior and weaker than them, appeared and asked to sit on their heads. How could they accept such a thing?

“I’ll serve.”

Tanael opened his eyes and zoomed in on the voice.

It was a woman. She had long ears, obsidian skin, with silver eyes and hair. A dark elf.

“That’s pretty quick. No haggling? No reservations about me being human and thus a lower race than you?”

“A hundred years is... cheap,” the drow smiled, a bit sinister. “You wouldn't go back on your word, are you?”

“Well, your race has a longer lifespan than humans, true. Welcome aboard.”

After two acceptances, it was like a canal had been dug. Water flowed more easily.

“Get me out of here too, little human. As long as I can rampage again on the outside.”

“All right, I’ll bite. Let’s see what kind of man you are.”

“I’ll accept your conditions. I hope you don't disappoint me.”

“Aaaah, as long as I can paint again... My soul aches too much without art.”

And so following Jordan, Yunis, Guador, Raha'ak, Beria, and Gosden. These five swore themselves to Tanael.

“Yunis’ the name. I have darkness affinity,” the dark elf said in a simple introduction. Tanael gave a nod.

“Guador of the Mountainbreaker-tribe. The humie sent me down here because they are angry that I sank too many cities. Don't see what the fuss is about. Your kind breeds fast. A decade or two and your litters are all over the place.”

Guador is an orc. Tanael wasn't short by human standards, but the greenskin’s height was above two meters. His physique was pure muscle with many battle scars.

“Right... As long as you don't sink my cities and flatten my people, we’re good.”

“Can I flatten you?” Guador grinned; his fangs were like tusks.

“No.”

“Hmrm. Pity.”

Great, another fighting maniac. Oh well.

Tanael moved on to the next recruit.

“Raha'ak.”

“What’s up with the horn?”

Seeing the man with heterochromia didn't say anything anymore, Tanael asked. The guy only had a horn on the right side of his head. His left eye was brown in color while his right was red.

“I’m half-demon,” he said.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on NovelFire. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Interesting.”

Raha'ak was watching Tanael’s reaction to his revelation intently. He was expecting rejection or disgust, but Tanael treated the stigma since his birth like it was no big deal to him.

After three different races, the last two were clearly human.

“Beria Teslin, from the Harkelan Empire. Probably the last one of my noble line.”

“Oh? Harkelan is at war with Latias currently.”

“When they aren't?” Beria smiled and bowed like a court noble. “Lightning and metal affinities. Pleased to make your acquaintance, my lord.”

The last one was a gaunt human male who looked like he was having symptoms of drug withdrawal. He looked agitated, had shivers, was biting his own thumbnail, etc. He seemed like a heavy-duty introvert too. Speaking directly with Tanael clearly made him uncomfortable.

“G-Gosden... Aaah, I want to paint... I want to paint...”

After being released from his cell, Gosden wandered with unsteady footsteps to a nearby wall, bit his own finger, and started to paint with his own blood, disregarding Tanael.

“...Okay man. You do you.”

Tanael double-checked Gosden’s oaths and bindings were properly attached then left him be. He was prepared for a few weirdos.

Six people. Six Level 5s and not just trash-tier Level 5 either. Quite a mighty force. However, right now they were not much of a threat since the prison drained them dry of their Victa or its equivalent for the non-human. Tanael didn't know what Path of Power the half-demon half-human followed but he was currently drained all the same.

His gaze swept over the twenty-eight remaining.

“Last chance. Is there any more?”

Look of contempt and snorts of disdain were the answers he received.

Guess that’s that. The willing have come forward. Six is already pretty good. A couple more is ideal but this will do. Too much is similarly a problem. Well, I’ll take what I can get.

“My liege,” Johan called. “I believe these are all of them.”

Tanael nodded. He had the same conclusion.

“Shall we go? I can't believe I’m saying this but sunlight sounds pretty good right now,” the dark elf said. Elves were tall. Yunis was a bit taller than Tanael, even though not as tall as Guador.

“There’s nothing left but dregs here,” Beria added.

The words of the six that incited a response from the rest of the prisoners. And not a good one at that.

“You all are a disgrace for Level 5 everywhere. My respect as a fellow Pathseeker has disappeared. Begone from my sight.”

“Don't care about your respect, Durkin,” Raha'ak said. “If you can't stand our presence, why don't you be the one to leave? Oh right, you can't. Because the great Eight Gates Warlock is just a powerless man right now. Hmph.”

Before the insults-trading grew in scope, Tanael cleared his throat. It was accompanied by a heavy soul pressure. These people wouldn't shut up otherwise; their ego was too strong.

“Then that’s that,” Tanael turned to face the six. “Remember, I expect you to be better than apes. Not a hard ask, isn't it?”

After getting some curt responses, Tanael went back to business.

“Alright folks, the first offer is now officially closed... Now I officially open the second round of the event!”

Some of the convicts smiled, thinking their gamble by waiting had paid off. Some of the first six released behind Tanael began to frown. Did they make a bad deal, after all?

One but Gosden. The guy just kept painting. Most likely he didn't hear a word Tanael said.

“My lord-”

“Be silent and watch, Beria. This is my show.”

Beria nodded and took a step back.

“The second deal to those of you remains. Let me extract your skills and Pathseeker attainment. You’ll lose your Levels, ability to cast Artes, perhaps even elemental affinity. Once it's done, and you’re reduced to a non-Pathseeker, I’ll let you out of your cage. You may follow me out of here. Though, I offer no guarantee on your life. I bet it’ll be a messy affair getting out. Once outside, you’re free to do whatever you want. You might have lost your power but in exchange, you’ll have a fresh start.”

If the first deal was about a century of lowly servitude, the second deal was like uprooting their roots as a Pathseeker.

As expected, the offer caused a new wave of uproar.

“The process of the extraction will be using this,” Tanael conjured an old black tome without caring about the audience's reaction.

“Have my eyes deceived me, or is that my race’s Tome of Reverse Knowledge?” Yunis’ silver eyes twinkle with surprise. “How did you come by this?”

“Hehehe. I have a life before you met me.”

A few years ago, during the elven enclave Liapris debacle, Viers and co. saved the elves from an epidemic. After twists and turns, he took one of the elf elder’s soul. From the soul he found out about a certain evil book that the guy sealed after getting it from a dark elf in battle. Viers broke the seal and took the book for himself.

The very same book in Tanael’s hands.

While a normal book containing knowledge gave it to the readers, the Tome of Reverse Knowledge was the opposite. The book was initially blank. The reader then could fill the pages using the information in their heads as ink. After it was inscribed upon the pages, the reader’s knowledge was lost.

Other people could gain the knowledge from the book by tearing the relevant pages and using a special method.

It was a very evil and dangerous artifact. It could strip a Pathseeker of their power!

“If servitude isn't acceptable for you, then I gave you an alternate way of getting out of here. The price is steep, yes, but what else can you expect for getting out of this hellhole? I’m no charity. I require no money, but the knowledge and power in your heads.”

“You said you’ll release us outside if we do?” Someone asked.

“Aye. I’m sure you realized that the second offer is for people who wish to leave their past behind and find a new beginning. Think of your power as heavy baggage that you leave behind. Whether you lead a virtuous life or resume living as an evil person is your choice alone.”

“...Very well. Promise me to help me out of the Church’s prison and release me at a safe place, then I’ll use that book of yours.”

“Jorge! You-”

“I have spent a long time thinking about my past sins, Ulanov...” He touched the gaping hole on his chest. “A fresh start sounds good.”

“I promise I’ll do what I can to send you outside safe and sound. Like I said, we’ll need to get out here fighting, so I can't a hundred percent guarantee you you’ll survive. That’s the best offer you’ll get.”

“...Haah. Better than nothing, I suppose,” he sighed.

Tanael brought the book closer from outside his cell and opened its empty pages. As Jorge looked at the white paper, writing soon appeared. He looked in pain, eyes and nose starting to bleed, but he persisted.

The writings in the book were in elvish, as knowledge was poured more and more, the letters themselves seem to contain more power and truth. Using his Euryale Sight Arte, Tanael observed the process for educational purposes. Jorge’s Intio cracked as if something was extracted from it.

It took tens of seconds before he finished. By then, he was utterly tired in body and soul.

“That’s one,” Tanael opened his cell. “Who’s next?”

Eleven people took the second option, including Jorge.

Tanael counted seventeen people remaining. Half of them were people who were already too far gone. They didn't react at all since Tanael entered. Perhaps their soul was already crushed under torture and guilt. After all, how could the deepest floor of the greatest prison in the world be simple? They were still alive but they were no longer living.

Which meant Tanael was only dealing with eight or so prisoners. They still opted for wait-and-see.

“Now then. For the rest of you who refused to swear fealty to me and didn't take the conditional release...”

A few of the remaining prisoners eagerly waited for Tanael’s third option. Based on the pattern, they thought he would lower the bar even more, to something more palatable.

“You may die in peace.”

Tanael’s voice cut like a descending executioner’s ax. His killing intent appeared like magma that tore up the earth’s crust.