The Smiling Death

Chapter 450: Another name

Isabel carefully took the old book from the shelf before walking toward a small couch placed near the corner of the hidden archive room.

The ancient room remained quiet except for the faint sound of old pages moving and distant magical lamps crackling softly.

Dust floated gently through the air beneath the dim golden light.

Amon quickly followed behind her with curiosity clearly visible on his face.

His eyes remained fixed on the old book in her hands.

The cover itself looked ancient.

The dark brown leather had almost turned black with age, while strange faded symbols were carved across its surface.

It looked far older than any normal history book.

Isabel sat down calmly on the couch before patting the empty spot beside her.

"Sit."

Amon immediately sat beside her obediently.

Very close beside her. A little too close perhaps. The moment he sat down, a faint sweet fragrance reached his nose. it was a mature and calming scent.

Amon instantly stiffened slightly.

’Focus on the dangerous ancient being... not the beautiful headmistress beside you.’

He mentally scolded himself while trying to keep a straight face.

Meanwhile Isabel seemed completely unaware of his internal struggle as she calmly opened the old book.

The pages produced dry rustling sounds.

Some pages looked so fragile that Amon felt they might tear apart if touched carelessly.

Isabel slowly flipped through them one after another while her silver eyes carefully scanned the contents.

Amon leaned slightly closer unconsciously while watching.

The old writings inside looked strange and ancient.

Many symbols were unfamiliar even to him.

Finally after several moments,

Isabel stopped at one particular page. "I found it."

Amon immediately focused seriously.

Isabel gently turned the book slightly toward him. "As I guessed..." she said thoughtfully, "I remembered reading about a name similar to Vetaal a very long time ago."

Her finger lightly touched one section of the page.

"There."

Amon narrowed his eyes while reading carefully.

The name written there was not Vetaal. It was something else but had similar tone to Vetaal.

"Baital." Isabel said.

Amon frowned slightly. "Baital...?

Isabel nodded slowly.

"According to this record, Baital was described as a strange being feared by ancient people. Not just tribe."

Her calm voice echoed softly through the hidden room.

Then she began reading parts of the text aloud.

"A being believed to be born from blood and consume life energy... vitality... fear... or blood."

Amon’s expression slowly became serious.

Isabel continued calmly.

"It was also described as a creature capable of possessing dead bodies."

Amon immediately remembered its corpse like appearance on the island. How it was still alive even in that condition.

His eyes narrowed.

Then Isabel read further.

"Shape-shifting... curses... master of fear..."

Her silver eyes moved lower across the page.

"And finally..."

Her voice softened slightly.

"’A restless being trapped between life and death. Someone who couldn’t die. ’"

Silence filled the room afterward.

Amon stared at the page quietly. The descriptions that she just read for him, They matched far too much.

Especially the blood and possessing dead body. Though he didn’t posses any dead body but it did have taken possession over Amon’s body. used blood as it wanted. Consume life force from blood of monsters.

It was similar to this information.

Amon slowly spoke, "...This sounds too similar."

Isabel nodded lightly.

"Yes."

Then she turned a few more pages before continuing.

"According to this book, the information itself was discovered thousands of years ago."

Her finger traced across another faded paragraph.

"It says an ancient tribe found these writings within old ruins hidden deep inside a forest."

Amon listened carefully.

"But apparently..." Isabel continued, "that tribe no longer exists."

Amon frowned.

"Wiped out?"

"Possibly." She said with a nod.

Her voice remained calm. "The records don’t say much about their disappearance."

Amon looked thoughtful afterward.

Then after several seconds, he finally spoke honestly, "But... this could still just be some old folktale."

He looked toward her. "Maybe it’s wrong."

Isabel nodded without disagreement.

"Yes."

She adjusted her glasses lightly. "It could absolutely be false."

Then her silver eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"But even then... there are too many similarities to completely ignore. So there are possibilities for it being half true."

Amon silently agreed.

Especially after personally seeing Vetaal.

That creature was absolutely not normal.

Isabel continued reading further through the old pages.

Then she suddenly paused again.

"Hm."

Amon looked at her immediately.

"What is it?"

She pointed toward another section of the text.

"Here."

Amon leaned slightly closer again.

This time he was close enough to almost touch shoulders with her.

Though currently he was too focused to notice.

Isabel calmly explained,

"It says here that Baital was known by many names throughout different eras and tribes."

Amon blinked. "Many names?" he asked. And then remembered how Vetaal had said to him before that he had many names. People had given to him.

"Yes." Her finger slowly moved across the old faded words.

"According to this text... Baital was described as a wandering being."

Her voice became quieter.

"A creature that roamed the world consuming powerful life force in order to grow stronger."

Amon immediately remembered the feeling Vetaal gave him. That terrifying presence. That overwhelming hunger. His expression darkened slightly.

Then Isabel spoke again.

"And there’s something else interesting."

Amon looked toward her.

"This ancient tribe and those ruins..." she continued slowly, "were apparently located near the same forest region connected to that ruined city you accidentally entered last year."

Amon’s eyes widened slightly.

"The city...?"

Isabel nodded with smirk. "The same city where you met Her Majesty Celestia after entering through that portal in royal palace."

Amon immediately remembered everything. The teleportation gate in palace, strange ancient city. The ruined structures.

The terrifying atmosphere.

"...Yeah."

He slowly nodded.

"I remember it cleary. I nearly dies that night. If not for her majesty showing up on time. I had been dead."

Isabel closed part of the book thoughtfully.

"If this information is connected..."

Her silver eyes became serious again.

"Then we may find more clues there."

Amon stayed silent for a moment while processing everything. Then he exhaled slowly.

"So basically... we still know almost nothing."

A faint helpless smile appeared on Isabel’s face.

"Unfortunately yes."

Then she added calmly,

"But at least now we have a direction." Amon nodded lightly.

That alone already felt better than before.

At least now Vetaal was no longer completely unknown.

There was finally something. Some clue and some connection about this.

Even if it was ancient and uncertain.Amon looked toward Isabel sincerely afterward.