I stopped a distance from Crown City, high up in the air to properly take in the breadth of the territory. Several large roads converged on the metropolis that honestly took me by surprise. "Knowledge hub" was an understatement. Pastures and tiny villages dotted the surroundings, spreading out from the city-proper like farmland or satellite neighborhoods.
Calling it "Crown" City also made sense, since I saw from my bird's eye view the city plans had the boundary walls make the shape of a crown with three points.
[Nori? Why did you stop?]
"... Well, seeing the wind drake was an unpleasant wakeup call so I forgot that there were good things about being in Gaellia too."
A city created with the influence of both humans and "fantasy" races. Looking at the architecture…
[Nori?]
'Thirty-Seven. Crown City… is parkour paradise.'
[...]
Shaking myself from trying to figure out how to climb that large belltower I spotted, I located the Library I've been hearing all about rather easily. There were several large buildings that reminded me of campuses but 37 was nice enough to highlight the one at the center-point of the city, half-hidden in a park.
Contemplating the way to get access since I was not going to let anything stop me (again). I flew above the Library—
—and then dropped down feet first.
*Ttk.*
"Did you hear something?"
"Probably a squirrel. As I was saying…"
Whoops, I seemed to cut the breaks a little too slowly and a bit of tile chipped when I landed on the roof. It had caused a light clattering as gravity took hold and it bounced down and disappeared over the edge.
I Scanned my surroundings both using the ability and flipping to check the mana flow, squinting a little when I saw the web that surrounded the building.
'Actually, is this still the sight…'
[Your Level Up has evolved your vision to be able to see the building blocks of spells and enchantments.]
Nice to know but I still had no idea what it was the net of magic did. It was written in some of the foreign scripts I saw in a few of Ing's journals, so I assume it was Magic Language.
[It is.] A pause. [I think you have to enter through the front door since you lack a key to the wards.]
A 'ward,' huh? So much to still learn!
Excitedly, I dropped down to the ground, keeping discrete as I moved to the entrance that my partner directed me to. Telescoping my vision a little, I saw there was a person behind the desk to probably greet or help visitors. The duo I heard were outside the doors, sounding like pol-sci majors arguing semantics.
Taking in the bespectacled alf(?) with his attention on the papers he was reading and the debating academics(?), I picked up a pebble off the ground.
Tossing the small rock up and down, getting a feel for its weight, I used my magic and slingshotted the stone to the wall near the duo outside at an off-angle, so they would look away from the direction I was in.
"What was that? I told you the squirrels are trying to take over the city!"
"Oh— for Minerva's Sake, Tillian—"
The short-haired librarian turned his attention to his surroundings, looking around in confusion. "Hm?" he muttered before shaking his head and returning his attention to the papers.
Meanwhile, I was past the double doors behind the desk already, having used mana to speed up my movement and manipulate some vectors. It wasn't teleportation but it was damn close!
(I wasn't going to do this blindly though. Too much guessing in calculations meant increases in errors. And crashing into things.)
'I probably wouldn't have been able to do that before, you think, Thirty-Seven?'
[Your mana-control and manipulations seem more finely-tuned after your jump in levels, Nori. I think your synapses have improved greatly and your brain activity seems more… efficient. Your body seems to have adapted to the presence of energy; it is now coded to the deoxyribonucleic acid level.]
DNA-level. Well, I mean, I realized it was hinted at with 'evolution' being mentioned but what are the consequences of having myself change at a DNA-level?
[Nori is still Nori. You are self-sustaining production of energy to a point now instead of what you can use because of our bond.]
'So I can use magic even if I'm no longer bonded to you?'
[...]
'Hey, hey,' I started upon realizing I hurt him with my clarifying question. 'It's not like I want you to leave! I've gotten used to you now, and you really don't go through fighting and beating a pseudo-dragon without getting close, buddy.'
[Hn.]
A little amused over my partner's reaction, a part of me kind of glad he was showing more emotions even if I feel like it will bite me in the ass later on, I finally turned my attention to the multi-level rows of books and scrolls.
Jackpot.
It was probably too much to expect them to conform to library classification systems I would recognize though. After all, Gaellian language was like comparing apples to oranges against the languages from back home.
I found the magic section (it was actually an entire room) in this maze of a building filled with knowledge and was just about to head to the geography section I discovered earlier, when a little ball of light floated in and headed toward me.
"The Library is closing in fifteen minutes. Please finish what you were doing and follow the wisp to the exit," a low male voice emitted from the oversized fairy light.
Left with no choice, I did as instructed, heading out of the Library and walked off the grounds. Wandering the streets, I figured I needed to get a 'Library Key' as soon as possible; those wards meant no breaking-and-entering would pass unnoticed.
"Excuse me, Sir?" I ask a man as it felt like I was heading into a residential area.
"Hm? What is it?"
"I just arrived and still hadn't the opportunity to look for an inn, so if you wouldn't mind giving me directions…"
"Oh, new in the City, eh?" the bearded man nodded before directing me to a place to sleep.
Rosengarten Inn was in a decent-looking area and I managed to get a room from the matron without a problem. The place was probably mid-ranged, a week's stay having cost 6 half-gold at a reduced rate (compared to 1 half-gold per night). It also showed in the larger room that actually had a desk and chair in addition to the bed (with fresh linens).
I stiffly checked my range of movement, my body still protesting if I lifted my arms high because of the bruised ribs. Sitting on the bed, I leaned against the headboard, before finally checking the artifacts I got from the Bazaar.
First, the necklace. I took note of the broken clasp and the cool sensation of the pendant before putting it away. It was rather useless to me at the moment but you never know.
I then checked the black leather book that was now tethered to me much like the Terminal. It took me a minute failing to open it with my hands before I figure out it opened by itself with thought.
37 seemed to shift and I focused on the AI. 'What is it?'
[I think you can use this as identification, Nori.]
As soon that registered to me—
—was emblazoned on the leather cover in neon green light. The grimoire flipped open to the first page:
Property of ▘▖▟▗▞▝▛▞▚▛▜▟■▝▚▙▜▝■
Archmagus
Magia Adeptus
Progenitor of Hybrid Magical-Science (Blackwell Ed.)
...that last one was a mouthful. But I was surprised I could read it at all.
Setting it aside to mess with later, I pulled out the two remaining items. The focus shifted to a black tungsten ring which I placed on my forefinger. The egg…
The egg I stared at.
...
What was this, Pokemon?!
"Ugh, I'm going to sleep!"