224: I apologize

The half-day deadline, like an invisible shackle, weighed heavily upon the hearts of every High-ranking Official of the Suradi Continent.

At the corner of the corridor, not far from the heavy door of the library, shadows were stretched long.

Over a dozen powerful figures with formidable auras quietly gathered there.

Leading them was Kuta, with a slender, mantis-like physique.

On its metallic face, no emotion could be discerned; only a pair of compound eyes, like the most precise instruments, calmly scanned the direction leading to the library.

Following closely behind was the lava-shelled Saras.

Beneath his dark red exterior, energy churned incessantly like a suppressed volcano.

His thick limbs were clenched tight, his joints emitting faint "ka-ka" sounds, clearly showing that his inner state was far from as calm as his exterior.

He forced himself to adopt a… terrified posture, but this expression was completely at odds with his usual brutal and fierce temperament, making it appear exceptionally distorted.

Hivedi remained hidden in the shadows of an inconspicuous corner, its gaunt figure seeming as if it could merge into the darkness at any moment.

Its long, narrow eyes calmly observed everyone present, capturing their subtle changes in expression and energy fluctuations, as if performing some silent calculation.

Zanbuluo, its short, stout body squeezed between several of The Strong Ones, was surrounded by murky, earth-yellow energy.

Its eyeballs darted around, as if it were still calculating how much benefit it could reap from setting up the isolation barrier; instead of being anxious about the immediate crisis like the others, it seemed indifferent.

The remaining High-ranking Officials, diverse in form—some with crystal spikes covering their bodies, others with bodies like giant rocks—had all, without exception, reined in their usual arrogance and domineering nature, their faces wearing carefully disguised, perfectly measured expressions of fear and apprehension.

The air was as thick as solidified swamp.

No one spoke.

Only suppressed, heavy breathing rose and fell in the empty corridor, adding to the suffocating tension.

Behind Kuta stood a new Attendant.

This Attendant was even smaller and thinner than the previous one, with limbs curled inward to a greater degree, and a lowered head almost buried into its chest.

It was trembling slightly all over; this was not a disguise, but rather fear stemming from the depths of its Soul regarding the previous Attendant's fate, as well as reverence for the existence it was about to face.

Time ticked away, second by second.

Kuta raised a slender limb and gave an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible signal to the new Attendant.

The Attendant jolted, like a startled insect, and almost instinctively moved forward a few steps, arriving before that cold metal door.

It took a deep breath, raised a limb so thin it seemed it could snap at any moment, and used all its strength to control the violent trembling, tapping three times on the door with great restraint.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound was even fainter than the last time, yet it struck even more clearly against the hearts of every High-ranking Official.

Deathly silence descended once more.

In the corridor, you could hear a pin drop.

Only the floating energy crystals emitted a faint light, illuminating faces that were feigning composure but were actually harboring ulterior motives.

A moment later.

"Enter."

That same low, hoarse voice, yet one containing an unquestionable majesty, came from inside the door.

The Attendant, as if granted amnesty, used its hands and feet, carefully pushing open the heavy metal door.

The door slid open, and the unique scent—identical to the last time, a mixture of the dusty smell of ancient scrolls and dissipating energy—rushed toward them.

Inside the library, the light remained dim.

That 'Fannojia' remained suspended before the cluster of crystals, its dark cyan carapace gleaming with a cold, hard texture under the soft light.

It seemed not to have moved from its position, and the illusory mark on its forehead floated quietly, emitting an inexplicable pressure.

Only this time, its gaze, which had always been focused on the knowledge carrier, did not seem entirely engaged.

The moment the door opened, several gazes, some bright and some dim, fell upon the doorway like invisible tentacles.

The Attendant felt its whole body stiffen and almost collapsed to the ground, but it suppressed its fear, stepped aside to clear the path, held the tray high above its head, and stood humbly by the door, its breathing almost stopping.

Kuta took a deep breath and was the first to step into the library.

Following closely behind, Saras, Hivedi, Zanbuluo... one by one, the top-tier existences of the Suradi Continent filed in.

They deliberately slowed their pace and reined in their powerful energy fluctuations; every movement was filled with caution, and the terrified expressions on their faces were performed to perfection, as if they were truly a group of ants that had disturbed a slumbering Dragon, coming to beg for forgiveness.

The space of the library was vast, enough to accommodate these dozen or so diverse-looking The Strong Ones, yet it still felt somewhat… crowded.

Invisible pressure permeated the air.

It stemmed from the indifferent gaze of 'Fannojia', and… the unspoken tension and wariness within everyone present.

Following some unspoken tacit understanding, the group stopped a dozen steps away from Xiang Yan, bowed slightly, and kept their heads lowered, not daring to look directly at the floating figure.

Kuta stepped forward and stood at the very front.

It took a deep breath, lowered its posture even further, and spoke with perfectly measured respect and… a trace of imperceptible trembling:

"Fannojia."

"We… members of the Suradi Continent council, were alarmed to hear that while you were here in deep cultivation, you were disturbed by… uh… some minor commotion from the outside, and we are filled with trepidation, and have come specifically…"

Kuta paused, seemingly weighing its words, and cast a glance out of the corner of its eye at Saras behind it.

Saras immediately understood, the energy beneath his lava-like shell rippling slightly.

Forcing down the unwillingness and irritability in his heart, he stepped forward, stood side-by-side with Kuta, and added in a muffled voice:

"Please calm your anger, my Lord! Please calm your anger!"

He tried hard to squeeze out a smile that was uglier than crying, which, combined with his ferocious face, looked exceptionally ridiculous, yet it also exuded a… deliberately crafted sense of simple-mindedness and terror.

"To tell you the truth, these past few days happen to be… a very important day for our Suradi Continent!"

Saras's voice was loud and resonant, carrying a bit of forced cheerfulness, "It just so happens… it just so happens to be our continent's first… one-hundred-thousand-year grand celebration since its founding!"

"This… this celebration, it's inevitable… the commotion was a bit loud, the rituals a bit cumbersome, and the energy fluctuations… a bit strong."

He scratched his hard shell, looking thoroughly vexed, "We were just… carried away for a moment, and neglected that you were still here in deep cultivation nearby. It is truly… a crime worthy of death! A crime worthy of death!"

Finishing this, Saras, in coordination with Kuta, bowed deeply once again, his posture as humble as it could possibly be.

The remaining High-ranking Officials also followed suit, bowing and echoing phrases like "A crime worthy of death" and "Please forgive us, my Lord."

For a time, the entire library was filled with the sounds of "trembling with fear" as they begged for forgiveness.