Weakest Summoner

Chapter 9: The Forbidden Archives

The journey back to the Royal Academy was unusually quiet.

Kael sat inside the carriage, staring through the window.

The mountains slowly disappeared behind them.

Ironroot Dungeon was no longer visible.

But Kael could still feel it.

Something beneath that mountain had recognized him.

Something from his past.

Something that had called him—

First Summoner.

Kael looked at his hand.

The ancient crown symbol remained faintly visible beside his original summoning mark.

He touched it.

Nothing happened.

Yet he could feel power sleeping beneath his skin.

Three percent.

His Ancient Summoner Authority had increased from one to three percent.

It wasn't much.

But Kael couldn't stop thinking about what Aurelius had said.

You were there.

You died.

Then how am I alive?

He closed his eyes.

The memory returned.

A battlefield.

Aurelius.

Ancient monsters.

Aurelius calling him Arven.

And the words:

Never allow them to take the Summoning Core.

Kael opened his eyes.

"What is the Summoning Core?"

Luna lifted her head.

She was lying beside him inside the carriage.

Her injuries had already begun healing thanks to the Summoning Realm.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf rested within Kael's shadow.

Kael could feel its presence.

Both summons were recovering.

He was grateful.

At least they had survived.

A voice came from across the carriage.

"You're thinking too loudly."

Kael looked up.

Seraphina sat opposite him.

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't need to."

She looked at his hand.

"The mark."

Kael covered it.

"What about it?"

"It changed."

"You noticed?"

"I'm a mage."

Seraphina leaned forward.

"Magical changes are difficult to hide from someone like me."

Kael hesitated.

Then he asked:

"Do you believe the system?"

Seraphina's expression became serious.

"About your reincarnation?"

"Yes."

"I don't know."

Kael looked out the window.

"Neither do I."

Seraphina was silent for several seconds.

Then she said:

"But I believe what I saw."

Kael looked at her.

"What did you see?"

"When you used Resonance Command."

She lowered her voice.

"For a moment, your mana wasn't yours."

Kael frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"It became ancient."

She stared at him.

"I've studied magical history for years. I've seen records of ancient mana signatures."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Yours matched them."

Kael's heart skipped.

"Exactly?"

"No."

Seraphina shook her head.

"Older."

Kael stared at her.

"Older than the ancient Summoners?"

"I don't know."

She looked away.

"And that's what scares me."

---

Royal Academy

By sunset, the expedition returned.

The academy gates opened immediately.

Several professors rushed toward the group.

"Are they injured?"

"How bad is the damage?"

"Where is the headmaster?"

"Did you reach the Second Gate?"

Questions came from every direction.

Kael ignored them.

He wanted answers.

The headmaster was waiting at the main tower.

The moment Kael entered his office, the old man stood.

His eyes immediately went to Kael's hand.

The headmaster's expression changed.

"You awakened it."

Kael stopped.

"You know what this is?"

The headmaster walked closer.

"The crown."

Kael nodded.

"What does it mean?"

The old man stared at the symbol.

"It means you have begun remembering."

Kael's expression hardened.

"Then tell me everything."

The headmaster remained silent.

Kael stepped forward.

"My system says I was reincarnated."

The room became completely still.

The headmaster closed his eyes.

"I was afraid of that."

Kael's fists tightened.

"You knew?"

"Not everything."

"Then tell me what you know."

The headmaster walked toward a bookshelf.

He pulled out an old leather-bound book.

Dust fell from its cover.

"This belonged to my younger brother."

Kael stared at it.

"The F-Rank Summoner?"

The headmaster nodded.

"He awakened thirty years ago."

"He had the same system?"

"Similar."

"Did he have the Ancient Summoner Authority?"

The headmaster looked at Kael.

"We didn't know that term."

He opened the book.

Inside were handwritten notes.

Kael saw diagrams.

Summoning circles.

Ancient symbols.

Monster cores.

And a drawing of the same crown symbol.

His heart began pounding.

"Where did he get this?"

"Ironroot."

Kael looked up.

The headmaster continued.

"My brother believed the dungeon wasn't simply hiding monsters."

He turned another page.

"He believed it was hiding history."

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"And the Forbidden Archives?"

The headmaster stopped.

"You've heard about them."

"Seraphina told me."

The headmaster sighed.

"The archives contain the oldest magical records in the kingdom."

"Then I'll go there."

"No."

Kael blinked.

"No?"

"You don't understand."

The headmaster closed the book.

"The Forbidden Archives are sealed for a reason."

"What reason?"

"People who entered without permission never returned."

Kael remained silent.

The headmaster stared at him.

"Some of them were S-Rank."

That stopped Kael.

Even Seraphina looked uneasy.

The headmaster continued.

"The archives are protected by ancient magic."

"Magic?"

"Something closer to a living defense system."

Kael looked at his hand.

"The system may allow me to enter."

The headmaster's expression changed.

"That is precisely what concerns me."

---

The Forbidden Archives

Midnight.

The academy was silent.

Most students were asleep.

The halls were empty.

Moonlight entered through tall stained-glass windows.

Three figures moved through the darkness.

Kael.

Seraphina.

And Luna.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf traveled within Kael's shadow.

Seraphina whispered:

"This is a terrible idea."

Kael smiled.

"You said that already."

"And it remains true."

They reached the northern wing.

A giant stone door stood before them.

There was no handle.

No lock.

Only a circular symbol.

The crown.

Kael stepped forward.

His hand began glowing.

The ancient symbol on the door responded.

BOOM.

A wave of mana spread through the hallway.

Seraphina's eyes widened.

"Kael!"

The door opened.

Not physically.

The stone disappeared.

Beyond it was darkness.

Kael looked inside.

"That's convenient."

Seraphina stared.

"No."

"What?"

"It isn't convenient."

She pointed toward the doorway.

"That door has been sealed for three hundred years."

Kael looked at the darkness.

"Then why did it open for me?"

Neither of them answered.

Luna growled.

Kael stepped forward.

The others followed.

The moment they entered—

the doorway vanished.

Seraphina turned.

"We're trapped."

Kael looked around.

"Probably."

"Probably?!"

Kael shrugged.

"We'll find another way out."

Seraphina stared at him.

"You really are reckless."

Kael smiled.

"Let's keep moving."

---

The Living Library

The Forbidden Archives were enormous.

Thousands of books filled shelves that disappeared into darkness.

Some shelves floated.

Others moved by themselves.

Ancient crystals illuminated narrow pathways.

Kael saw books chained to the walls.

Scrolls sealed inside glass.

Magical tablets.

Ancient weapons.

Fragments of monster cores.

Seraphina whispered:

"This place shouldn't exist."

Kael looked at her.

"Why?"

"The academy's official archives only contain records dating back two thousand years."

She pointed toward the shelves.

"Some of these artifacts are much older."

Kael approached one shelf.

A book moved by itself.

It flew toward him.

Kael caught it.

The title appeared.

THE FIRST SUMMONER

His heart stopped.

Seraphina came closer.

"That's impossible."

Kael opened it.

The pages were blank.

Then his summoning mark glowed.

Words appeared.

Aurelius was not the first.

Kael froze.

Seraphina read the sentence.

"Not the first?"

Kael turned the page.

More words appeared.

The first recorded Summoner was Aurelius.

But the power existed before him.

Another page.

The Summoning Core was created before the Kingdoms.

Another.

Its creator remains unknown.

Kael's heart raced.

Then the next page displayed a single sentence.

The Core chooses a vessel.

Kael whispered:

"Vessel..."

A memory flashed.

The ancient battlefield.

Aurelius.

His former self.

The Summoning Core.

Kael suddenly grabbed his chest.

Pain exploded through his body.

"Kael!"

He fell to one knee.

His vision blurred.

The library disappeared.

He was somewhere else.

A vast white chamber.

A gigantic crystal floated in the center.

Inside it—

was a glowing blue sphere.

The Summoning Core.

Someone stood beside it.

A person wearing a black cloak.

Kael couldn't see their face.

The figure spoke.

"Your soul is incompatible."

Kael's ancient self answered:

"Then I'll make it compatible."

The cloaked figure laughed.

"You would sacrifice yourself?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Why?"

Kael's ancient self looked at the Core.

"Because someone has to protect them."

The vision changed.

Blood.

Fire.

Aurelius screaming.

The Summoning Core cracking.

The cloaked figure reaching for it.

Then—

Kael's ancient self standing between them.

A sword pierced his chest.

He fell.

Aurelius shouted:

"ARVEN!"

The memory shattered.

Kael returned to the library.

He was breathing heavily.

Seraphina was holding his shoulders.

"What happened?"

Kael looked at her.

"I remembered."

"What?"

"Someone killed me."

Seraphina's eyes widened.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

Kael looked at the book.

"But they wanted the Summoning Core."

The library suddenly became silent.

Every floating crystal went dark.

Seraphina froze.

"Kael..."

"What?"

"Don't move."

Kael slowly looked forward.

At the end of the aisle—

a figure stood.

Black cloak.

Hidden face.

Exactly like the one from his memory.

The figure slowly raised a hand.

A black summoning circle appeared.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"You're here."

The figure laughed.

"Finally."

Seraphina raised her staff.

"Who are you?"

The figure ignored her.

Its attention remained on Kael.

"You've awakened earlier than expected."

Kael stepped forward.

"Did you kill me?"

Silence.

Then—

"Yes."

Seraphina's eyes widened.

Kael's expression became cold.

"Why?"

The figure tilted its head.

"Because you refused to surrender."

"Surrender what?"

"The Core."

Kael's hand glowed.

The crown symbol became brighter.

"You failed."

The figure laughed.

"No."

A black aura spread throughout the library.

"We failed."

Kael's eyes widened.

"What?"

The figure removed its hood.

But there was no face.

Only darkness.

"We killed your body."

The figure pointed at Kael.

"But we could not kill your soul."

The entire library shook.

Books fell from the shelves.

A system window appeared.

---

[Ancient Enemy Identified]

Designation: Null Apostle

Classification: Unknown

Threat Level: S

Connection to Previous Life: Confirmed

Primary Objective: Recover the Summoning Core

Secondary Objective: Eliminate the Successor

---

Kael stared at the message.

"You're an S-Rank?"

The Null Apostle laughed.

"That is merely the rank your age understands."

Its black aura intensified.

"I existed before ranks."

Seraphina stepped forward.

"You won't touch him."

The Null Apostle looked at her.

"You are irrelevant."

Seraphina's mana exploded.

"Try me."

She fired a massive lightning spell.

The Null Apostle raised one hand.

The spell disappeared.

Seraphina froze.

"What?"

Kael immediately moved.

"Luna!"

Azure light flashed.

Luna charged.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf emerged from Kael's shadow.

Both attacked simultaneously.

The Null Apostle didn't move.

A black barrier appeared.

Luna slammed into it.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf struck next.

The barrier cracked.

The Null Apostle finally reacted.

"Interesting."

It looked at the Abyssal Iron Wolf.

"You created that?"

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"Yes."

"Then you have already begun recovering."

The Null Apostle's voice changed.

For the first time, there was fear in it.

"You must not remember everything."

Kael smiled.

"Too late."

His summoning mark erupted.

The crown symbol appeared above him.

The Null Apostle stepped backward.

"Impossible."

Kael raised his hand.

The system appeared.

---

[Ancient Summoner Authority: 3%]

Emergency Condition Detected

Ancient Enemy Present

Temporary Authority Release Available

Release 3% Authority?

YES / NO

---

Kael stared.

The Null Apostle suddenly moved.

"Don't!"

Kael smiled.

"That's the first time you've sounded afraid."

He selected:

YES.

A massive blue summoning circle appeared beneath Kael.

The entire Forbidden Archives shook.

Ancient books began floating through the air.

The crown symbol expanded.

Luna's fur glowed blue.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf's markings turned brilliant silver.

Seraphina shielded her face from the energy.

The Null Apostle raised both hands.

"No!"

Kael's eyes became bright blue.

For one brief moment—

another voice spoke through him.

An ancient voice.

A voice from another life.

You should have killed me when you had the chance.

The Null Apostle froze.

"Arven..."

Kael looked at it.

And smiled.

"Let's see if you can kill me twice."

The forbidden library exploded with light.

.....