Infused Odon Rock

Uzor laughed internally as he stared at James. 'I should have toyed with a little more.. oh well. At least I get to see him scurry out of here.' He loved it when the usually arrogant youths learned the price for borrowing the tomes.

Uzor leaned on the counter while meeting James's gaze. "So, what will it be?" As much as he enjoyed James's stupefaction, he couldn't waste any more time with him.

"Tell me more. How am I supposed to sever a part of my soul?" James asked.

Uzor chuckled. His left eyebrow shot up. He expected James to turn around and leave. All sorcerers knew the importance of a soul. After all, it distinguished them from normal humans.

"Don't think too much about it. We don't expect you to do it. We have an Item for the task. You only need to decide if you want to do it or not." Uzor explained. He fiddled with his goatee while observing James's reaction. 'This time, he should cower out of here.' Uzor mused.

Contrary to his expectations, however, James only nodded. "Will it be returned?" James asked.

"What do you think?" Uzor retorted. His lips curved into a sarcastic smile while his eyes mocked James. He truly enjoyed teasing the ignorant. "There's always a price for those who seek power. All the spells here are of the highest quality. A part of your soul isn't that steep a price." Uzor sneered.

"If you think otherwise, you're free to leave." He dismissively waved his hand while yawning. He had his fun. There was no need to waste time on useless talk.

"You're right..." Uzor raised his head to meet James's. "Of course I am. You can come back if you change your—"

"There's no need for that." James interjected.

"Is that so? Goodbye then. Please leave." Uzor didn't care what James did. However, he couldn't let him stay in the library any longer. Rules were rules.

"Why would I do that? It would be a waste if I didn't leave with something." James smiled mysteriously.

Uzor turned to face James. 'Is he planning on stealing a tome?' A stern frown had replaced his teasing smile. "What do you mean by that?" Two black, curved horns shot out from the receptionist's bald head while purple patches slowly covered his tan skin. "Do you think your measly strength is enough to steal from here?" Uzor's voice boomed throughout the library. Dozens of masked caretakers appeared out of thin air. They stared at James menacingly while blocking the exit.

"When did I say that?" James smiled impassively at Uzor. He didn't bother to glance at the caretakers surrounding him. James's reaction took Uzor aback. However, he quickly regained his composure as he said, "Didn't you say you must leave with something?" Uzor had lived long enough to know what James implied.

"Of course." James affirmed. "But how does that imply a desire for theft?" James stared at Uzor blankly. Anyone could interpret words as they liked, as long as it suits their motive. Since he didn't explicitly say he would steal, coupled with the fact that his actions didn't go against his words, Uzor couldn't accuse him of intending to steal.

"Here I thought you were someone remarkable." James sighed softly while shaking his head.

Uzor's countenance darkened. "Are you picking a fight with me? Choose your next words carefully." He would never tolerate someone disrespecting him.

"Of course not." James waved dismissively. "A part of my souls isn't that steep a price for a genuinely powerful spell. That I agreed with you. I don't know why you spoke so much nonsense after, though." James added. He grinned as he stared at Uzor's bloodshot eyes. He had dozens of brothers with a similar personality. He would never lose to a random commoner in a verbal contest.

'This fucking brat!' Uzor seethed, but he couldn't deny James's words. He could see the contempt hidden within James's smile and his gleeful eyes.

"Leave." Uzor hissed. Within seconds, the masked caretakers disappeared. Meeting James's gaze, he continued, "You can't browse until after the severing."

James nodded. He wouldn't waste words on a petty person like Uzor.

Saying nothing, Uzor reached for an Item underneath the counter. A second later, he retrieved a half opened wooden box containing a black orb the size of an orange.

Scanning...

Scanning Completed!

Name: Odon Rock (Infused).

Infusion Type: Void Mana.

Rank: Very Poor.

Condition: Damaged.

Ability: The infused Mana can sever a portion of the user's soul.

Warning! Warning! Warning!

Possibility of permanent damage: 90%

"Place your right hand on the orb," Uzor said. A faint smile tugged at the sides of his lips. 'You think you can humiliate me, huh? Let's see if you can act so smug after I make you an imbecile.' Uzor transformed back to his previous appearance. A glint of savagery flickered in his eyes.

"What happens once I touch it?" James asked.

"You'll know once you touch it. Stop asking useless questions. Touch it or get out of here!" Uzor barked. He wasn't in the mood to play nice anymore.

"I see. Pardon me then." James slowly reached for Odon Rock. Uzor's eyes gleamed. He couldn't wait for the inevitable scream that would follow. No one would fault him since there were multiple Odon Rocks underneath the counter. How was he supposed to know he picked a damaged one?

"What next?" James called out.

Uzor reined in his thoughts. At that moment, his eyes widened. 'Huh? How is he okay?' While he gloated at James's inevitable demise, James had already touched the Odon Rock. Uzor stared at the rock and then stared at James, unable to quell his disbelief.

"Something wrong?" James asked. However, Uzor remained silent.

Just then, red spots slowly covered a third of the Odon Rock. 'It has taken his soul?' Uzor looked at James, he could see him panting heavily. 'How is he still alive?' Uzor knew how deadly a damaged infused Odon Rock was. He didn't understand why James was still alive and kicking. If the orb hadn't turned red, he would have assumed the rock failed in severing his soul. However, since it changed colors, it had successfully severed a portion of James's soul.

"If that's all, please excuse me. I have some browsing to do." James retracted his hands before turning towards the closest shelf.

The user can feed the damaged damned soul to Item—??? (undergoing refining).

James paused. 'Oh? I didn't expect that.' Naturally, he had no intentions of using his soul from the beginning. Especially not when he had hundreds of souls at his disposal. With the aid of the system, he substituted his soul for a damned soul.

'I wonder how long it will take until they're ready?' He chuckled as he thought of the gifts he got from Aebalar.

"System, you can feed them!" James mentally commanded.

Congratulations!

The User has sped up refining process!

Estimated Time Until Completion: Two hours.

'Fantastic...' James could barely suppress his rising urge to laugh. He tilted his head slightly, only to see Uzor still staring at the Orb. 'You messed with the wrong person. When I'm done with you, death will be a sweet, sweet relief.'

Uzor suddenly raised his head. 'What was that?' He sensed a bloodthirsty gaze lingering on him. 'Was it him?' Only he and James were visible in the library. And Uzor didn't believe James could unleash a frightening bloodlust.

'Is my mind playing tricks on me?' Uzor lowered his head once more. 'I have to report this to the higher up.' Someone who could remain sane after using a damaged infused Odon Rock wasn't someone ordinary. 'Am I insane? They will surely investigate if I had a hand in the matter. Especially that executioner.' Uzor trembled as he shook his head. 'I can't handle this on my own. I should seek help from Uncle Dacio. He'll know what to do.'