Sanctuary Third Floor

Quill's response was swift.

It had only been a day since Sean announced in the group chat that he would be attending the autograph session on time, and the police force in Old Sigel City underwent a large-scale adjustment. Many idle officers from various districts were transferred to the city center where the event was being held, leaving only essential personnel at their posts.

In addition, major hotels had also increased their security. Last night, the police conducted surprise room checks in the middle of the night, apprehending dozens of escorts without the necessary professional qualifications. They were all currently in custody, preparing to be sent in batches to the Eldridge Cathedral for rehabilitation.

The motels weren't spared either.

After Sean received the girl's reminder and returned to reality, he walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. He saw a police car driving from a distance, stopping downstairs. Two police officers got out and entered the motel.

After a while, they came out again and drove away. They were probably here to check the registration, right?

Sean felt it wasn't a big deal.

That was the good thing about motels. Under normal circumstances, guests staying there wouldn't be sold out. Sometimes, the motel would even help guests conceal room checks. Otherwise, if they were caught not following the rules, they would also be punished, fined at best, or have their business shut down at worst. If they encountered some ruthless individuals, they might even seek revenge after being released from prison. So, in a way, the small motel and its guests were in the same boat.

The young girl at the front desk thought Sean didn't understand. After the police left, she came over and knocked on his door to take credit. With her arms crossed and her waist tilted, she leaned against the doorframe and said logically, "Look, handsome, you just checked in yesterday, and today the police are here to check the water meter. Isn't that too coincidental? You also said you didn't bring your ID. Let me think... You're not in trouble and it's inconvenient for you to reveal your identity, so you're hiding here, are you?"

"Tsk, I never expected this. You look so refined, but you're actually a fugitive. Isn't the term 'refined scoundrel' made specifically for you?"

"But it's okay, I like refined scoundrels, especially if they're a bit rough. That creates contrast."

Seeing Sean remain silent, she assumed she had guessed correctly and said smugly, "So, handsome, I helped you this time. How do you plan to repay me?"

Sean thought for a moment and asked, "Have you eaten?"

"You want to treat me to a meal?" the girl blinked. "No."

Sean: "How about two punches from me?"

Girl: "?"

"You're so rude!"

"Don't you like contrast?" Sean said.

The girl retorted, "Then stab me!"

Sean was confused, thinking, Is there such a request?

Then, to the girl's disbelieving eyes, he shoved her out.

His ears suddenly fell silent.

Sean sat on the bed, intending to rest for a while.

He was initially skeptical when he first heard that deep meditation in the Void Arts Space was very draining, but after trying it himself, Sean believed it. It was indeed very draining, and he was a little tired.

The main thing was that he hadn't expected that among the pages of his life, besides the Saintess Oliya, there was another "heroine card." And Elvily was suspected to be his sister-in-law...

She didn't look like it, though?

Her age didn't match either.

Sean couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried. He decided to let it go and wait for the next relevant dream.

When it was late and quiet, and his body had recovered quite a bit, Sean entered the Void Arts Space again.

What? Elvily told him not to enter for the next few days?

Sorry, he had never been a good listener.

The more she told him not to enter, the more he wanted to.

Besides, when did a brother-in-law listen to his sister-in-law?

It should be the sister-in-law listening to the brother-in-law, and she would get rewards for behaving well.

Elvily didn't know yet that he had already met Quill and become good brothers who shared the same faith and cherished each other. With the secret protection of Mr. Light Servant, he was very safe. The reason he went offline in front of Elvily was purely because he needed rest, and he was just putting on an act. Because for what came next, he had to do it secretly.

He wanted to try entering the higher levels of the Hall of Truth.

The first time one enters the Sanctuary, they need to obtain the statue's recognition. The statue will then usher the Wizard into the hall. After that, one wouldn't need such trouble and could enter directly through the main gate of the Sanctuary. Of course, if one wanted to show off in front of the Wizards, they could still enter through the statue like the first time. Sean didn't want to attract attention, so he naturally chose to go through the door.

And he took the back door.

It was only now, upon entering again, that Sean truly saw the interior of the Sanctuary.

It was a circular hall, with a very retro decorative style. Oil paintings hung on the walls, along with inverted clocks and moving staircases. The dim, dark brown wood tones gave it a medieval feel. Both the stairs and the walls had a texture that was still illusory, further enhancing the sense of distant historical passage of time.

There weren't a lot of Wizards on the first floor, but they were almost all occupied with their own tasks, either meditating, reading books, or talking in low voices. The learning atmosphere was quite intense, like a study hall before a major exam, with very few people moving around.

No one noticed Sean, and Sean was happy to be a nobody. He lowered his head and drifted silently to a corner like a ghost, then took the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor was different. The number of Wizards drastically decreased, and not a single person could be seen.

It wasn't that there was no one, but they were all in the library or their dormitories.

Too few Wizards could access the second floor, and there were more than enough spots in the library and dormitories. They didn't need to go outside to meditate or read. There were also many paths from the second to the third floor. Buildings like the library, which connected different floors, could be used to go up—provided one obtained the recognition of the statue on the second floor.

If not, you would see a hazy door at the junction of the second and third floors. Every path had one, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't open it.

Sean saw no door—or rather, there was one, but it was open.

What blocked him wasn't a door, but an indescribable mental pressure.

As soon as he stepped onto the third floor, he felt his body suddenly become heavy, as if he were carrying a two-hundred-pound rich woman on his shoulders. His knees almost buckled, making it difficult for him to move. Sweat beads, which had mimicked his form, instantly appeared on his forehead.

"Am I making things difficult for myself here?"

Sean grumbled.

Besides him, no other Wizard on the third floor of the Sanctuary could enter. It was even quieter than the second floor, so he could voice his thoughts freely, which was more satisfying than just complaining internally.

Sean had guessed that as the "master," the Sanctuary wouldn't restrict his access, but he hadn't expected something like mental pressure.

Actually, if he thought about it carefully, it wasn't incomprehensible. After all, when the Hall of Truth was built, he was a big shot above the tenth rank. This bit of mental pressure was practically nothing to him; it was more for testing the Sanctuary's students.

And the pressure on the third floor wasn't entirely a bad thing. Since this setting existed, it meant there must be knowledge here that could only be accessed with corresponding mental strength. This was also the purpose of his "infiltration" of the Sanctuary this time.

But he still wanted to complain.

How could he have not thought that he would have a day like this back then?

What a dummy!

Sean cursed even himself when he got worked up.

He continued to grumble as he carried the two-hundred-pound rich woman further inside.

When he passed a place that looked like an auditorium and arrived at the library on the third floor, Sean suddenly shut up.

No more complaining.

Because he truly saw knowledge.

Knowledge was usually recorded in books, and books were usually stored in libraries. Therefore, the first place Sean looked was the third floor of the library that other Wizards had never reached. And the reality was just as he had thought—

On the third floor of the library, there were rows upon rows of bookshelves that stretched as far as the eye could see. On them were countless powerful spell and alchemy manuals left over from the Scholar Era, including even a small portion of True Formulas whose effects he didn't know, let alone their principles, and which he had never even dreamed of.

And that wasn't all.

In the glass display case at the very center, a thick book lay quietly on display.

Four characters were written on its ancient, wrinkled cover—

The Beginning of Forbidden Spells