Then it spoke with a female voice, low and raspy yet unmistakably feminine, carrying through the quiet forest clearing with a cold, intelligent edge that sent a subtle shiver across the leaf-covered ground.

The voice emerged from beneath the dark hood, smooth but laced with ancient weariness, as if it had spoken across countless realms and centuries.

The sound was soft at first, almost whispering, then grew clearer, revealing a mature, sultry tone that contrasted sharply with the monstrous spider legs shifting restlessly on the forest floor.

The female quality was evident in the way the words flowed — graceful yet dangerous, like silk wrapped around a blade.

"I’m here looking for a book... a very important book which contains the forbidden spell which can open portals from different realms to another. And it’s somewhere in that school..."

The words hung heavy in the air, the forest seeming to grow quieter around them.

Leaves rustled softly in the breeze, but the clearing felt charged, the moonlight casting long, dramatic shadows of Rin and Dracula across the ground as they faced the hooded figure.

The female voice lingered in the air like smoke, leaving an impression of both beauty and menace.

In Rin’s mind, a connection clicked instantly.

"Hmm... could this be connected to what Yuri was talking about the other day?" He remembered their date at Moonlit Petals clearly — the cozy corner table with soft lantern light casting warm glows on the wooden surfaces, the way Yuri’s starry red eyes had dimmed with worry as she spoke about the rumors she had heard while still the Void Keeper.

She had described desperate travelers whispering of monsters plotting a large-scale invasion of Earth, gathering forces in hidden realms and preparing to breach the barriers between worlds.

At the time, he had reassured her with a calm smile, sipping his water while she savored her ice cream, her black chokers shifting as she swallowed nervously, her innocent excitement turning to genuine concern.

The memory played vividly in his head — the faint clink of spoons, the soft murmur of other customers, the way Yuri’s pale skin glowed under the lights as she leaned forward, her voice soft and sincere.

Now the pieces felt like they were aligning in a dangerous pattern, the rumor of Lilith and portal spells linking directly to this creature’s search.

Rin kept his face neutral, but internally the connection made his pulse quicken slightly, his mind racing through possibilities and risks.

Then Rin said to the monster, his voice steady and probing, "Are you the only one in search of this book?"

The monster’s glowing white eyes narrowed slightly inside the hood, its spider legs shifting restlessly on the forest floor, crunching leaves and twigs.

It replied in that same raspy female voice,

"No there’s someone else looking for this book.

That’s why I’ve been coming in more often, looking around the school because I need to find it before they do."

The creature’s tone carried urgency and caution, its hooded head tilting slightly as it explained how rival forces were also hunting for the same forbidden tome, forcing it to return repeatedly to the school in secret, searching classrooms, libraries, and hidden corners under the cover of night.

The spider legs clicked softly as it spoke, betraying its tension, the glowing white eyes never leaving Rin and Dracula as it shifted its weight, the forest floor crunching under its multiple limbs.

Then Rin was like "Okay... how does it look like?" His tone remained calm, but his blue eyes sharpened with interest as he studied the creature’s reaction, his black hoodie moving slightly with his breathing.

The monster replied that she didn’t know how the book looked like, its voice carrying a note of frustration as it admitted the limitation.

The hooded figure shifted its weight, spider legs tapping the ground, as if the lack of description made its search even more difficult and desperate, the glowing white eyes flickering with annoyance.

Then Rin said, "I can’t help since I also don’t know what it looks like," his voice carrying a touch of honesty mixed with subtle calculation.

He paused a bit, the forest wind tugging at his black hoodie as he processed the information, his mind already turning over possibilities and risks, the moonlight highlighting the sharp lines of his face as he considered the implications.

Rin paused a bit, then he called out to the Grace of the Goddess in his mind.

The GoG was the system within him — the divine interface granted by the Goddess that spoke to him directly, mostly alerting him about the levels of his lewd meter when it was low or high, but also capable of providing knowledge and guidance on various matters. He reached out mentally, the connection feeling like a familiar, warm presence in the back of his mind, a soft, neutral voice that had guided him through countless situations.

"Hey... do you know about the book containing the forbidden spell which allows the opening of portals to different realms?"

The Grace of the Goddess replied in its usual clear, neutral tone inside his head, calm and informative. "No... I don’t have any information about a book like that.

And even if there was a book with a spell capable of that, then it would be wanted by low-level monsters or humans...

because high-level monsters are capable of opening portals to Earth and different realms easily."

The system explained further, its voice steady and logical, noting that truly powerful beings didn’t need such artifacts — they could tear open portals with raw power alone.

Only weaker entities would seek out a forbidden tome for such a purpose, making the book’s existence more of a tool for the desperate rather than the elite.

The GoG’s words flowed smoothly in his mind, providing context without emotion, helping Rin piece together the larger picture.

The conversation in the forest clearing continued under the moonlight, the hooded monster waiting silently as Rin processed the new information, the night air thick with unspoken possibilities and the promise of violence if answers didn’t come.

The trees stood tall and silent around them, their leaves rustling softly as the standoff stretched on, the glowing white eyes of the monster watching Rin and Dracula with cautious intelligence.