The Black Pale

10 Minutes before the meeting between Sonia and Feylord.

Arthur, using the Acid Lizard's skill to become literally invisible, hid in an inconspicuous spot and patiently waited for the Principal and the Dean to leave the Administrative Building.

Once he saw them head towards the coast, he rushed to the body he hid nearby and possessed it.

Everything was ready and the main threads were temporarily gone, so it was time to proceed with the plan he prepared for.

He stood in an alleyway and stared at a wall for a couple of seconds before smashing his face into it once. He broke his nose and a bit of blood leaked out, but it wasn't fresh since the host he was using belonged to one of the Unholy Blasphemer Cultists he had killed previously.

It was the last human body in his possession besides Leonis Sanguis.

When he was done hurting himself, he shredded a bit of his clothes then sprinted toward the front of the library.

The students and teachers saw him, but he paid them no heed and barged in, falling near the entrance while shouting

"There's an attack! Help me! Pleaaase help!"

The librarian near the reception and a teacher ran up to him in surprise.

"What's wrong?"

"There's demons! Demons are attacking! We… w-we need to run!"

Arthur cried, his body trembling from fear and anxiety.

His resounding shouts and evident distress was seen or heard by everyone in the library. The students hastily left while the teachers grouped around the parasite, asking questions.

Within a minute and a half, almost everyone was outside.

As an elderly teacher was applying a healing spell on him, Arthur suddenly used [Mist of Decay] then [Air Decay].

The several teachers around him were suffocated and couldn't defend themselves as the parasite used [Mind Blast].

The assault on their minds knocked them unconscious but it wasn't strong enough to kill them. After all, Arthur wanted to incapacitate them.

Within seconds, they were all lying on the ground, their bodies limp and motionless.

The dense green mist carried them outside while Arthur shot toward the stairs and took out a couple of small and jet-black crystals from his new storage artifact.

They were Blood Crystals, altered using his blood and ready to be used. It did cost him no small amount to buy them, but he was willing to gamble on them rather than just use [Wither Touch].

After the heist, Arthur suspected that Sonia reinforced the barrier protecting the Vault, so only a big explosion will break through it.

When he poured Mana into the three crystals in his hand, they twitched before letting out a bit of white light.

When he sensed they were about to explode he threw them at the semi-translucent barrier and protected himself using [Sanguis Barrier].

The explosion was deafening and made the entire building shake.

'It worked!'

Seeing the upper part of the staircase gone and the barrier broken, the parasite gilded upwards and dove into the exposed Vault.

He was holding a clutch of Blood Crystals, infusing them with Mana and throwing them left and right while his eyes were searching for the Alchemy Scripture.

The search itself barely lasted a minute as he [Keen Eyes] proved to be invaluable in this situation. He located the golden and eye-catching book and removed the glass around it using [Enhanced Spell] along with [Wither Touch].

The glass cracked but didn't shatter, so Arthur used [Wither Touch] again, pulling all the energy in the surrounding to himself.

His body became bloated with Mana, his veins bulging out and letting out a faint blue light.

Arthur felt a bit suffocated as he had absorbed more than he could handle, nevertheless, when he unleashed all that energy, it instantly shattered the protective glass.

Without any sliver of hesitation, he snatched the Alchemy Scripture and enveloped himself with the green mist.

It spiraled in the air then flew out of the library with insane speed. He had stayed in the library for no more than five minutes, and the 'heist' proceeded successfully and smoothly.

He knew Sonia would respond quickly and come to the Vault, but he was faster than her.

In fact, he had expected her to give chase, but she didn't. Then again, trying to catch a fleeing Parasite was a difficult feat, even for an Archmagus.

The Masquerade Reverie was an underground auction conducted every month. A total of 12 times a year, each time in a major city like Blackcrest, Ilexset, Spectral Street, Eldest King City, and so on…

This month, Ilexset would have the honor, and as expected, there were a lot of influential figures attending. However, everyone had to wear the same golden mask and use a fake name.

The auction, albeit being 'illegal', was occurring in the Gastin Theater on the East of Ilexset.

The place was heavily-guarded by experienced mages and under-cover knights. The host of this large and monthly event was the largest underworld organization 'The Dark Pale."

From the trafficking of humans to the selling of weapons and smuggling, the Dark Place had monopoly over the entirety of the underworld's economy.

Even though most governments knew about it, they let it be as its presence was essential for stability and peace. Ironically, thanks to the Dark Pale's absolute power, there were no quarrels happening in the Underworld. It was a place where one would be able to find almost anything they wanted, but only for the right price.

The Masquerade Reverie was one such place, therefore, Arthur decided to use it to auction the Alchemy Scripture.

"You're late!"

When Arthur appeared out of nowhere in front of the impatiently waiting Marco, the broker was momentarily startled before grumbling.

"The auction hasn't started yet."

"I know, but the item has to be appraised first. To determine its authenticity. I told you about that!"

Marco grunted and beckoned for Arthur to follow him as they passed the busy street and entered the Gastin Theatre through a backdoor.

The broker seemed to know the route as he kept turning left and right until they reached a small office at the end of a spacious corridor.

After knocking twice, Marco entered and signaled Arthur to keep silent.

"Marco!"

Surprisingly, it wasn't a human sitting behind the exquisite black and wooden desk. It was a chubby penguin wearing a monocle and a tight black suit.

Appearance-wise, it looked strikingly similar to Vanessa Crimson's servants, the same penguins who caught Arthur before he could escape. To this day, he didn't know what Race they were and why people were so comfortable with having them around. They were peculiar, especially for someone like Arthur, who was only used to normal, non-talking, non-sentient penguins.

The penguin eyed the parasite for a moment then directed his gaze toward the golden book in the latter's hands.

"Aha! Is that the item you've told me about? Let me have a look!"

The Alchemy Scripture flew from Arthur's hand to the front of the penguin. He held the monocle close to his eye and scrutinized every inch of the book.

When half a minute passed, the penguin leaned back and excitedly said,

"It is genuine! Very good. Very very good. I'll gloss over your late arrival and auction this off."

The penguin stared at Arthur and asked, "You're the owner, yes? What shall be the starting price? If you don't know, I can make a suggestion."

"I'm listening."

"50,000 Blakin Gold Coins. The final price will be much higher, however. Also, do keep in mind there's a 10% fee for us."

"10%?"

The penguin tilted his head and let out a strange unhappy squeak as he retorted,

"That's the bare minimum for ensuring the transaction happens without any complications. We will be responsible for your privacy as well as the buyer's. Lastly, we will showcase your item to a great number of wealthy individuals, thus raising its price and encouraging the competition for it. Personally, I think 10% is too little, but those are the rules of the Black Pale."

'Regardless of all those reasons, the fee is outright unreasonable.' Instead of arguing with the penguin, Arthur kept his thoughts to himself and simply nodded.

"Splendid! If you're going to participate in the auction, Marco will take you to the waiting room. Speaking of which, after your item is sold, you can bid for another before getting the money. Good luck!"

Arthur was then dragged outside of the office and led to a smaller room with a bunch of unremarkable golden masks. After he wore one, Marco took him to where the main event was taking place.

The Gastin Theatre was recently built and its interior was spacious, extravagant, and welcoming. It was not dissimilar to the theatres on Earth, though this one was illuminated by magical lamps and protected by barriers that stuck to the walls and ceiling.

Arthur sat down and looked around, curiously examining those close to him. Noticeably, those present in the theatre were wealthy, and that could be seen from their fancy clothes, the lingering scent of cologne and perfume, and their aristocratic mannerism.

"Hello!"

On Arthur's left side was a man busy flirting with a young woman. They seemed to be in their own little world, eagerly chattering about the auction.

On his right side, the seat was empty for a while until someone came. It was the graceful figure of a woman, and when she sat down, she turned her head and kept looking at Arthur.

"Was stealing my scripture and destroying half of the Vault fun for you?" Sonia asked, her eyes fixated on him.