Hope led Professor Rice and Professor Armitage behind a tree outside the library.
Professor Rice could actually still stand and walk at this point. Hope did not know whether Jack had treated him well or whether the wound had merely looked frightening.
But Hope still did not trust Professor Rice's condition, so he had Professor Rice stay behind to watch over Professor Armitage while he headed alone toward the library entrance.
The Gatekeeper seemed to be asleep. Soft, steady breathing came from the little room.
He actually lived here—did he not have any family? Was he an empty-nester, or was there some other reason?
Hope was curious about the Gatekeeper. After feeling around for quite a while, he finally found something in the corner that seemed to be a door.
He knocked hard on it.
The breathing inside did not change.
Just as Hope was wondering whether he should make a louder noise, something nudged his leg—
It was a door.
This door was actually divided horizontally into an upper and lower half, with the lower section able to open separately.
And the one who opened it was—
Hope took two alarmed steps back.
It was a Yellow-and-White Beast with an Iron Chain around its neck—the Mongrel Hound that had killed Wilbur—but it was not baring its sharp white teeth.
Unlike the vicious beast it had been when facing Wilbur, the hound did not bark. It merely watched Hope quietly.
When Hope backed away in alarm, the hound backed away as well. It half-retreated into the room, but it continued watching him.
Hope could not sense any malice in those eyes—perhaps something was wrong with his mind. He was actually analyzing a dog's emotions.
But after hesitating for a moment, Hope stretched out his hand as if to pet the