The day stretched on as the sun began its slow descent in the sky, casting warm golden rays over the town as its reconstruction continued.
Damien and Arielle were walking back toward the Mercenary Guild building, having just left the lively chaos of the orphanage.
The children’s laughter still echoed faintly in their ears, a reminder of the joy their efforts had brought to those who needed it most.
As they reached the main road, Damien glanced sideways at Arielle. “Is there a library around here?”
Arielle tilted her head in thought before chuckling softly. “There was a library,” she said, a teasing edge to her voice.
Damien raised an eyebrow. “Was?”
“Yeah, it got razed to the ground during your battle,” she said, smirking playfully.
Damien stopped mid-step, turning to face her fully. “Wait, seriously? I destroyed the library?”
His tone was genuinely apologetic, and the sudden change in his demeanor caught Arielle off guard.
She waved her hands dismissively, her smirk fading. “I was just joking. Well, sort of. You didn’t mean to. It wasn’t entirely your fault.”
Still, Damien looked troubled. “I didn’t realize…”
Arielle awkwardly cleared her throat, trying to lighten the mood. “What did you need the library for, anyway?”
Damien’s gaze turned thoughtful. “I wanted to look into demons—specifically, the kind you talked about. Those ones whose blood can affect magic essence. I need to know what I’m dealing with if I’m going to face them again.”
Arielle smirked again, this time with genuine amusement. “You could’ve just asked me, you know. I have a mini library back at the guild, and I know a thing or two about those demons. Come on, I’ll show you.”
~~~~~
The Mercenary Guild building was unusually quiet when they arrived, its typical buzz absent as most mercenaries were still out helping with reconstruction or on assignments.
Arielle led the way inside, the echo of their footsteps the only sound as they crossed the open hall.
Arielle moved behind the counter, rummaging through a large drawer filled with books of varying sizes and conditions. She pulled out a small stack—eight books in total—and set them down in front of Damien.
“These are all the books I have that cover demons,” she said, dusting her hands off. “They’re not exactly organized, but they should help.”
Damien eyed the stack, his lips quirking into a small smile. “Thanks. Though, these seem pretty general.”
“They are,” Arielle admitted, pulling up a stool across from him. “But it’s a good starting point. Besides, I know a lot about the specific type you’re asking about. I can fill in the blanks.”
Damien opened the first book and began flipping through its pages. The text was dense, but his sharp mind quickly picked up the important details. “Alright,” he said, glancing up. “Let’s start with the basics. What are these demons called?”
“They’re called Nulls,” Arielle replied, leaning forward slightly. “And they’re a real pain. Their blood is toxic to essence—it doesn’t just weaken it; it can completely nullify it in some cases, depending on the Grade of the Null as well as the rank of the person whose essence is being cancelled out.”
Damien frowned. “How does that work?”
Arielle shrugged. “No one’s entirely sure. Some researchers think their blood disrupts the natural flow of essence in the body, while others think it’s more like a magical poison. Either way, it’s bad news if you get exposed to it.”
Damien nodded, flipping to a section in the book that mentioned Nulls in passing. “And how do you deal with it?”
“That’s where it gets interesting,” Arielle said, her eyes glinting. “There’s something called a purifier—or Pure Null, as some people call it. It’s like the opposite of Null blood. While Null blood is like a poison, Pure Null acts as the antidote.”
Damien’s brow furrowed. “So, Pure Null can counteract the effects of Null blood?”
“Exactly,” Arielle confirmed. “The problem is, Pure Null is incredibly rare. It’s not like you can just find it lying around. Most people who’ve dealt with Nulls don’t even know where to get it and an even larger population don’t know if it really exists.”
“Where does it come from?” Damien asked, leaning forward, his interest piqued.
Arielle hesitated for a moment before answering. “It’s said to come from certain high-grade mana beasts. Mana Beasts that are either born with it or develop it over time. But finding one of those is… well, it’s no small feat.”
Damien’s gaze turned distant as he processed the information. “So, it’s like hunting for an antidote while trying not to die from the poison in the first place.”
“Pretty much,” Arielle said with a dry laugh.
They continued discussing Nulls and Pure Null in detail, Arielle sharing everything she knew while Damien absorbed the information like a sponge.
Damien’s questions were sharp and insightful, and Arielle couldn’t help but be impressed by how quickly he grasped the nuances of the topic.
~~~~~
After nearly an hour of discussion, Arielle stretched her arms above her head and stood. “Alright, that’s all I’ve got for now. If you have more questions, you’ll have to dig through those books yourself.”
Damien smirked, already halfway through the second book in the stack. “I’ll manage.”
Arielle watched him for a moment, a small smile tugging at her lips. He seemed completely absorbed in his reading, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced by focused determination.
“Well,” she said, turning to leave, “I’ve got work to do. Try not to burn the place down while I’m gone.”
Damien waved her off without looking up. “No promises.”
Arielle chuckled softly as she left the room, leaving Damien alone with the books. The quiet of the guild building settled around him, broken only by the faint rustle of pages as he continued to read.
For Damien, knowledge was power, and today he was determined to arm himself with everything he could learn about the Nulls and their deadly blood. The more he understood them, the better prepared he would be when the time came to face them again and even better, “I’ll know how to deal with that blockade back at the ruined cave.”