A comic book, but a librarian

"Alive?"

"I'm alive. I'm finally alive. I've really forgotten myself this time."

Uesugi Sumiko spoke to Yotsuya Miko who pushed open the door. Her golden pupils suddenly had a magical power that seemed to fascinate people. Uesugi Sumiko lay down again and looked at the ceiling.

"Cumi-san has really made a big fuss this time... Even the midnight snack has made me want to complain. The same goes for the flag you gave me. The evil spirit inside has become part of the painting."

Yotsuya Miko sat down and very naturally began to peel fruit for Uesugi Sumire, although it seemed that Uesugi Sumire had no appetite.

"What on earth did that painting become? Why are your descriptions more exaggerated than the last?"

"To be precise, the painting looks like it has given birth to something extraordinary after you added the last stroke, but it has no plans to move at the moment."

Hikigaya Hachiman walked in rubbing his hair. He has been very busy recently. After all, he has to balance his studies and practice the night wandering technique. During the days when his teacher Uesugi Sumiya fell into a deep sleep, he had a lot of doubts that needed to be solved.

"Is it that scary? Look, I was lying there peacefully after I finished painting."

Uesugi Sumire's words made Yotsuya Miko and Hikigaya Hachiman burst into laughter.

"How can you say that when you're already lying in bed? You should just stay and recover. By the way, remember not to come to school after you're discharged from the hospital. There are already too many people waiting for you."

Hikigaya Hachiman's friendly reminder made Uesugi Sumire even more confused.

210

Chapter 210 [Unrestrained Eyes] incident and Uesugi Sumire who suddenly became free.

In the reading room of Silent Books, the "Candle of History" made of the eternal agave unique to the bookstore's garden mixed with beeswax was lit. Uesugi Cheng, who looked like a seriously ill person, was sitting on a chair, and sitting opposite him was a young black-haired lady.

Of course, Uesugi Sumiya knew this lady. Her age could not be guessed based on her appearance. To be honest, he might have been a colleague of this lady.

Dr. Serena Blackwood: Once the librarian of the Hush House, once the librarian of the invisible Serapion in Alexandria, and lately... well, what is it?

Serena was very tight-lipped, but Uesugi Cheng knew that she had a partnership with the St. Rowan Trust, which was the trust organization that gave him, the bookstore manager, money every year. Serapion was protected by the White Day Furnace, so Uesugi Cheng said that he had been a colleague of Dr. Serena.

"It's always a strange feeling coming back here. Thanks again for taking over this place."

Serena looked around the Silent Bookstore. She hadn't been back to this place for a long time. It seemed that many places had changed, such as the puppet elf who was serving them tea.

"Nothing, this is my own choice. It's better to say this is the best place. This is the best place."

Uesugi Cheng shook his head and brought the topic back on track.

"Ms. Serena, what are you here for?"

"Ah, yes, it's time to explain what I'm here for. Do you know Messana?"

[Unfettered Eyes Incident]: Messina: A prosperous desert village that has become a place of pilgrimage in recent years. Recently, some strange phenomena have occurred there - some villagers have regained their sight, while others have become blind. The church has sent representatives to investigate.

"I have heard that there seems to be a great figure buried there, but my knowledge of that place is limited to what I have heard."

Uesugi Cheng replied that all he could recall of this name from his previous life was a short paragraph.

"In general, all sorts of strange phenomena suddenly began to appear in this village, including some people suddenly becoming blind, but some people suddenly regained their sight. Many people regarded this as a divine revelation, so the village has become a place of pilgrimage. But believe me, I smell the scent of the Named Ones of the Night Watch in this, and they might be planning something."

Serena looked a little worried. Although Uesugi Cheng didn't know what impact the Named One of the Night Watch would have on her, for the sake of knowledge and ancient coins, she still went along with what she said.

"In that case, what do you need me to do?"

"A book. I need some knowledge to confirm my guess. As for the reward... how about Fuchino language? That is the 'Dry Language' and some ancient coins. It can be regarded as my personal help in the reconstruction of Silent Bookstore."

Ms. Serena was unexpectedly easy to talk to, and Uesugi Cheng nodded immediately. After all, language was a subject that certainly benefited from having many skills. For example, he had several books written in Fucino. If he had not learned the language, they would have been left to gather dust. Anyway, he wouldn't lose much.

【Fucino Language Lv.1】: The east side of the now-vanished Lake Fucino was once inhabited. Horace warned that it was a land of witches. And this is their language. Some call it "Dry Language", others call it "Witch Language" (2 Hearts 1 Revelation)

Of course, the arrival of this doctor also indicates one thing, that is, winter is about to come. Unlike the autumn which is generally warm, the cold winter wind has already blown into the Silent Bookstore. Even if the fireplace is not lit, Uesugi Cheng feels that the biting cold wind may even penetrate the walls of the bookstore and into his already unhealthy body.

Of course, Silent Bookstore also has its own specialties in winter, but Uesugi Cheng does not need to spend too much time on this. His dear puppet assistant will transform into a gardener to help him take care of the plants that grow.

-

Back to the real world, it was his fifth day in the hospital, and his body had basically recovered its mobility. Although it had not recovered to its full strength, there was no problem in carrying out normal activities. As his body gradually recovered, another problem came to him, which was how to deal with the follow-up issues after he had caused such a big stir in the art world.

The studio where the painting was located has been completely sealed off. It is said that before the blockade, unknown spirits would float over every day to become fuel for the painting. If it had been a little later, perhaps all the spirits in that area would have been killed.

But compared to the painting in the studio, which was relatively peaceful, Uesugi Cheng's biggest trouble was actually...

"Well, actually, my ambition is not really in the field of art, but it's okay to minor in it..."

Uesugi Cheng has no idea how many times he has said this. The increasingly high status of the people around him has begun to make him numb.

The only purpose of these people coming here is to let Uesugi Cheng devote himself to the art career, although they all know that Uesugi Cheng can make a living for the rest of his life with just that one painting "Hell Transformation". However, after seeing such a miracle, no one is willing to let Uesugi Cheng stop there. God knows what kind of surprise or even shock the next painting will bring to them. They are unwilling to think about the consequences of Uesugi Cheng giving up the path of art.

"It's okay to take a minor! I can write a letter of recommendation so you can enter the university without taking the entrance exam!"

The person who said this was an artist from Waseda University, but his excitement was completely different from his usual cold appearance in public. Instead, he looked like a star-chaser.

"No, no, no, someone has already come to me about this matter..."

Uesugi Cheng took a lot of effort to get this middle-aged man who looked extremely disappointed out of his apartment door. He now felt that he should move to another place. God knows how many people will be waiting to visit him if this continues. He can't stand this kind of situation.

Of course, he also very sincerely took a long vacation from school as requested by Hikigaya Hachiman. This time even Hiratsuka Shizuka expressed her understanding. After all, the news she had heard recently was more outrageous than the other. It would be better to let the center of public opinion stay at home for a while.

Just like that, Uesugi Cheng suddenly had some free time. Baoyue's invitation for a midnight snack was postponed for a while because of his weak body, and he didn't plan to go to the studio for a while, so in the end he sat on the sofa in the living room and began to think about his life and the little gifts that the foundry left for him.

That is the teaching about the great art [Hongzhong and Bronze].

211

Chapter 211 Return to the studio.

In fact, the skill of "Hongzhong and Bronzeware" is really unique to Uesugi Cheng.

Whether in the Noon World or in this real world, Sugi Cheng has no chance to use it. After all, metal processing is not something he should be exposed to at his age. As for the Noon World, he is alone guarding the castle. There is no place to sell metal on Brancog Island. The blacksmiths there can only help others make tools. What's more, Sugi Cheng is not familiar with him.

Even so, Uesugi Cheng did not intend to let go of this knowledge. After all, it was his immediate superior who enlightened him. Although he did not know why this superior was like a two-way fight, on the one hand he gave him a small punishment and a big warning for painting a black history, and on the other hand he secretly stuffed this knowledge into him, as if he could not understand why casting bronze ware and making a bell were separated as the front and back parts of a skill.

"Ying, I'm going out for a while, please help me pack up the things at home."

Uesugi Cheng changed his shoes and gave the order casually. The puppet hiding in the room poked its head out and nodded. For some reason, the petite puppet became more and more human, and even the inhuman features of the puppet's body became less.

The streets looked a lot quieter in the afternoon. After all, it was not a holiday. Those who should go to school were in school, and those who should go to work were going back to work. The few people who could be seen walking on the streets were mostly in a hurry. After Uesugi Cheng had some free time, he suddenly realized that he didn't seem to have anything to do, so he just walked around the street to see if he could encounter anything interesting.

As he strolled around, he returned to the vicinity of the blocked studio, which was now cordoned off. Uesugi Cheng even saw a few talismans stubbornly trying to play their own role, although Uesugi Cheng felt that it seemed no different from deceiving himself. The room now seemed to have been demarcated as its own territory by the painting, so that the people who were invited to deal with the matter could only block the outside.

Seeing this, Uesugi Sumiya instantly knew that these people probably couldn't do anything with the painting. After all, it was not something that could be destroyed. He felt that even if he, the author, made some random changes, he would be criticized to death by a group of people in the art world.

He crossed the cordon, and the glowing talisman papers fell off as he passed by, then spontaneously combusted into a pile of ashes that were blown away by the wind that came from nowhere.

The closer he got to the studio, the clearer the burnt smell Uesugi Cheng smelled, as if there had really been a fire that burned everything here. Along with this smell, the temperature around him seemed to have really risen a little. Uesugi Cheng suddenly laughed. It was always pleasant to see that his hard work had finally paid off.

Moreover, his fingers lightly touched the door, and it opened by itself before he applied any force. The originally short corridor inside the building looked covered with charred marks, but if you really look closely, you will find that the corridor is so clean as if it had just been renovated, without any so-called marks at all.

The door leading to the studio opened by itself, as if welcoming Uesugi Cheng's arrival and inviting him.

At this moment, Uesugi Cheng's cell phone rang. He took out his phone and saw that Baoyue Yexiao would call him at this time. He picked up the phone curiously and wanted to hear what this elementary school girl wanted to say.

"Brother Uesugi! Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I feel better... What's wrong? You should be in school at this time, right?"

"Ah, I'm not at school. I'm heading to the studio. After all, that painting swallowed up one of my dolls!"

The only thing Baoyue Yexiao was thankful for was that the spirit he brought with him at that time was not that aggressive. If it was a "transitional spirit", the studio might not have been preserved so intact.

"Well?"

Uesugi Cheng glanced outside the corridor and saw a rag doll trying desperately to hide itself deep in the branches, as if it wanted to use the leaves to cover its own existence. If possible, it might choose to dig a hole for itself and bury itself. On one side was the devilish little girl, and on the other side was the terrifying existence that was more like a ghost than a spirit. It felt that its ghost life might end today.

"Oh, I found a smart guy to keep an eye on that place to prevent anyone from breaking in. If the painting is in a bad mood, I'm afraid there will be another portrait in the painting."

Baoyue Yexiao still remembers the absorption ability of the painting. With the help of Uesugi Cheng's hand, she absorbed the evil spirits while filling her own pen. This is the first time she has seen such a magic painting. It is much more powerful than any cursed object or cursed tool.

So on this "visit", she deliberately brought the alien doll that housed the [Spirit of Transition]. After all, last time, Uesugi Cheng was guarding the painting and did not show any hostility towards her, but this time it was hard to say.

"Is it that scary?"

Uesugi Cheng looked back at the depth of the corridor. The door even shook a few times, as if beckoning him to come over, as if it had been waiting for a long time. Uesugi Cheng did not feel any hostility or murderous intent. It seemed that he was just a friend beckoning him to come over and play.

So Uesugi Cheng walked in first. After all, he was the one who painted the picture. It would be too troublesome to let Baoyue Yexiao handle it.

The studio was particularly dark due to the lack of light as all the curtains were drawn. The painting that took up almost an entire wall stood there quietly, as if it would remain the same for thousands of years. It was at this moment that Uesugi Sumiko could truly examine what his work had become. Obviously, every stroke was drawn by his hand, but even so, he still felt incredible.

The human world in the painting is not much different from hell. People are like evil spirits in human skin, except... except Yoshihide and his daughter.

Uesugi Cheng felt that he had finally regained his senses and used fire to cover up the face of Yoshihide's daughter. Although there seemed to be some flaws, at least he did not get into trouble.

At some point, the scene in the painting spread into reality, and the entire studio seemed to be engulfed in fire. Countless evil spirits were wailing in it, and countless evil spirits were killing each other in the fire. A ball of orange-yellow flame appeared in front of Uesugi Cheng.

"Hello, Creator."

The flames formed words in the air and then dissipated.

200

How to deal with Chapter 212 "Hell Transformation".

"Hello, is this our second meeting?"

Uesugi Cheng stretched out his hand as if he was facing a human.

"Yes... What are you here for today?"

Although the flame looked very calm, Uesugi Cheng could still feel the confusion in it, and even a little uneasiness. When punishing Uesugi Cheng, the furnace flickered a spark into his soul, causing him to complete the painting almost perfectly at the cost of almost burning his body and soul dry.

However, the spirit in the painting, which was born from the fire of the forge, fell into confusion. It didn't know what it should do. Its creator fell down after creating it and only appeared now. According to humans like the creator, the impact it caused might not be accepted by these humans. Perhaps it would be destroyed or forgotten.

"Will you go with me?"

Uesugi Cheng asked straight to the point. He didn't intend to talk about his work in so many twists and turns, not to mention that the other party seemed to trust him quite a bit.

"Can I go on living?"

It asked back curiously, those humans classified it as an ominous thing and intended to lock it here. Of course, these things were meaningless to it, but it still felt a little uneasy.

"Why not? You didn't do anything...well you were just a little hungry I guess."

Uesugi Cheng looked at the lifelike portraits of people and evil spirits in the painting and didn't want to think about how many wandering unconscious spirits the painting had swallowed in the past few days.

"Then please take me away."

The flame returned to the painting, making the whole painting look alive. Several evil spirits in the painting suddenly appeared in the room. They first bowed to Uesugi Cheng, and then prepared to slowly peel the painting off the wall so that Uesugi Cheng could take it away.

"Uesugi-sama!"

Baoyue Yexiao, who broke in, raised her doll, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward. She rushed over and found that Uesugi Cheng had already walked into the studio. For safety reasons, she was ready to summon the evil spirit at any time to fight with the guy in the painting.

However, "Hell Transformation" completely ignored Baoyue Yexiao's actions. It just rolled itself up silently. After the painting was completed, the paper that carried it seemed to become tougher. At least Uesugi Cheng felt that it was much heavier than it looked.

[Hell Transformation]: A painting by a former immortal of the lamp, who exhausted all his inspiration and concentrated his efforts. It is said that it contains the secrets about Si Chen, but apart from the author, no one can decipher it. However, the painting technique that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality still remains. (Reading will give you: [Teachings: Scenes and Colors] [Memories: Regret]) (Reading requires: 10 casts)

Uesugi Cheng was stunned when he saw the prompt that suddenly popped up. He actually completed a scroll containing the knowledge of the great art by himself. Moreover, compared with the books stored in the Silent Bookstore, this scroll was obviously more suitable for people here to read, although...

"Can you restrain your power so that people who see you don't have those hallucinations?"

Uesugi Cheng tentatively took the painting which had been rolled into a large roll and was quietly lying in his hand.

Baoyue Yexiao also looked over curiously. She didn't expect that the beast was completely unwilling to communicate with other people, and even ruthlessly drove away humans who tried to approach it, except for Uesugi Cheng.

"I'm sorry, but those aren't actually my powers... Creator, those are the techniques you used in your paintings. They weren't influenced by my powers, but the effects you created with your own skills."

Uesugi Cheng shook his head helplessly after hearing this. This painting was destined not to be exhibited. After all, anyone who saw it would feel as if they were burned by fire at best, or even be directly beset with bad luck at worst. In a sense, the name "devil's painting" was worthy of its effect and the full effort of Uesugi Cheng's [Sight and Perception Lv. 9].

It was at this time that he completely gave up. This painting was not suitable for more people to see, unless he wanted to take revenge on society. Although he did not have any strong desire to let more people know about his paintings, he felt frustrated that his hard work might have to be hidden.

The scroll was placed on the table, and the unused paints from that day were all neatly laid out there, untouched by anyone. Uesugi Cheng planned to go back and find a suitable box to pack all the things away at once. After all, if he took the painting home like this, it would probably cause some trouble, such as an evil spirit bumping into it along the way and turning it into food or something.

"By the way, Uesugi-sama, do you have time recently? Hotaru has to tutor others, so I would like to ask you to tutor me. Eiko will pay for it!"

Baoyue Yexiao finally thought of a way to bring them closer. Yingduolang has indeed been tutoring other high school students recently. Although she has not fallen behind in her studies, the price she paid is that Yingduolang looks visibly tired, especially after watching Uesugi Cheng's painting process not long ago. He seemed to have had nightmares of being burned by flames for several nights in a row.

"Is that so? That's not impossible..."

Uesugi Cheng touched his chin, thinking that it would be a bastard not to make money. Besides, he was very interested in the fact that Baoyue Yexiao's crude method was so effective in controlling evil spirits, and planned to observe closely how she did it.

Two people, one big and one small, walked out of the studio. The problems caused by "Hell Transformation" were not big or small and had been properly handled by him. So next he should really rest well, fulfill his promise to Baoyue for a midnight snack, accompany her to the ruins, and subdue more powerful evil spirits.

"Speaking of which, big brother, will you continue to paint?"

Baoyue Yexiao himself didn't know why he asked such a question. Maybe he was afraid that Uesugi Cheng would wholesale this kind of "magic painting" and turn the whole Tokyo upside down.

"Why not paint? But now I have finished what I wanted to paint the most, so I might just paint more casually next time."