"I see… what other types of cards are there?"
In response to Erik's question, the woman began to explain as a hyperrealistic holographic image of different cards appeared on the table.
"There are five types of student cards besides the crystal one. The most common is the Obsidian card, which is given to all students who are not part of the faction."
The woman pointed to the first image on the desk, which was a black card similar to Erik's, though clearly much less refined, before continuing her explanation and pointing out the different cards.
"There's also the Ruby card, which is for disciples of mana users who are part of the faction and have some achievements but are below the title of Sage. Next is the Sapphire card, held by disciples of mana users at the Sage and Arcane levels.
Additionally, there are two special cards: the Diamond card, for those who have shown great excellence at the university, and the Black Diamond card, which is for representatives of other important factions."
The woman pointed to the last two card images, which had much finer details and were clearly crafted by superior artisans, though they were still slightly inferior to Erik's, one almost transparent and the other of crystalline black.
Erik looked at the cards with interest as he listened to the explanation, then nodded in satisfaction and asked.
"Alright, I understand… But isn't it unsafe that the card just needs to be placed to register? What happens if I lose it and someone else uses it?"
"You don't need to worry about that, direct disciple. The faction's disciple cards are special and are made based on your identification as a disciple, so they only work for you. If someone else tries to use it, it will self-destruct. The other cards have different security measures." the woman explained with a smile, while wondering why an honorable direct disciple didn't know something like that.
"That's very interesting... and lastly, where will my class be?" Erik asked as he took his schedule from his storage ring, to which the beautiful woman replied with an amused smile that she tried to pass off as professional.
"You can check that at any time on your card. You just need to give it mana and say, 'Reveal my academic schedule.' It also works if you think about it, and it will show you."
Erik put his notebook in his storage ring again, then confirmed the woman's words, realizing that the function indeed existed. He quickly put it away once more as he stood up and thanked the courteous woman.
"I see. This information will be very helpful. Thank you very much."
"It's a pleasure to serve you."
Satisfied with the results, Erik left the room and found the receptionist standing with a smile, which made him feel a bit uncomfortable, as he could guess what she had in mind. But he had to disappoint her this time, so he just smiled awkwardly and greeted her.
"Hello, miss. Thank you very much for your help."
"Is there anything else I can 'help' you with, direct disciple Erik?"
The woman asked with a smile, putting a strange emphasis on the word 'help,' which Erik wisely chose to ignore with a smile before courteously replying.
"That would be all for today. I'll just look around a bit before heading home. Thank you for the help."
"I see."
Upon hearing the response from the star-haired young man, a slightly disappointed expression appeared on the beautiful receptionist's face, but she quickly composed herself and continued.
"Then I hope you have a productive day, direct disciple Erik. By the way, my name is Vivian. If you need anything from the tower in the future, I'll be at your complete disposal and service."
A seductive smile graced the woman's delicate lips, something Erik again chose to completely ignore, before thanking her one last time and confidently walking out.
"Thank you, Vivian."
After leaving the building, Erik reunited with the wolves, who, upon seeing him, began to 'cry with happiness' and lick him all over almost desperately, as if they hadn't seen him for years instead of just a few minutes.
"Stop being dramatic; let's just go."
The wolves happily followed him, wagging their tails as Erik walked around, curiously taking in his surroundings while slowly heading towards the city center. After some time, the star-haired boy came across a striking skyscraper.
The building appeared to be a perfect blend of futuristic design with Gothic details, covered in marble-like white stone with sky-blue veins that shimmered in the sunlight. Its vaulted roof was inlaid with crystal gems that reflected starlight, while at its center stood a gigantic ancient oak tree, its branches spreading throughout the area, adorned with crystal leaves that refracted light into a spectacular array of colors.
Driven by curiosity, Erik approached the place, noticing that various students were constantly entering and leaving the building. This led him to spot a beautiful sign nearby that read "Arcane Library" in Galactic language.
Erik's eyes almost sparkled at the sight of the sign, and he immediately entered without much thought. He instructed the wolves to wait at the door, which they did, though not without first putting on their usual dramatic, almost comical show.
Inside the building, Erik found a beautiful reception area similar to the one in the previous tower, with several receptionists as well. He approached one of them and asked.
"Hello, I'd like to know how this library works." Erik took out his student card and showed it to the receptionist before quietly adding, "I'm new here."
The receptionist looked at the card with a bit of surprise but quickly reacted, standing up from her chair and bowing deeply to Erik, while speaking in a tone full of respect.
"It's a pleasure to serve you, direct disciple. What would you like to know?"
Erik could only smile wryly at the receptionist's attitude as he put his card away and replied.
"There's no need for that. I just want to know how the library works, if there's any cost, and things like that. Also…" Erik pointed towards the door where the two wolves looked like abandoned stars on an altar and added, "Can those two come in?"
Hearing Erik's words, the woman's smile widened a bit as she straightened her posture before speaking in a tone full of professionalism.
"Understood, direct disciple. For direct disciples, the library is completely free and open to any student, although there is a cost for them beyond a certain floor. The higher you go, the more advanced the information. As for the mystical wolves, considering it's you, of course they can come in."
"Thank you very much."
After thanking her with a smile, Erik gestured to his wolves, causing the pair of drama queens to rush into the library and leap onto him, prompting him to pet them for a moment as he asked.
"Is the payment made with points?"
The receptionist smiled slightly at the wolves' behavior, but quickly responded in a professional and respectful tone.
"Exactly, and the books can only be used within the library; it's forbidden to take them out."
"I understand. Do I need to do anything special to read something?" Erik nodded in understanding before asking out of curiosity.
"You just need to register, and you can go to any floor to get the books you want and read them in the private room exclusively for direct disciples." The woman shook her head politely before responding, to which Erik exclaimed happily.
"That's great! Do you need my card to register?"
"That's correct, direct disciple." The receptionist quickly took out a crystal tablet similar to the one the woman used to register him for class and continued, "You just have to place your card here, and a room will be assigned for your use."
Erik followed the process, which was exactly the same as before: he simply placed his card on the hologram, and that was it. He now had a private room to read whatever he wanted. Additionally, the receptionist explained that to reach his room, he only needed to go to the elevator after selecting the books he needed, place his card, and it would automatically take him there.
Upon finally entering the library, Erik was quite surprised by the beauty of the place. The shelves were made of dark ebony wood, extending all the way to the ceiling, finely carved with all sorts of runes, and filled to the brim with books and scrolls of all kinds.
On the ground floor, there were study tables made of fine wood, with comfortable leather chairs scattered around, and magical lights floating above, providing soft illumination, where a few students were reading.
Erik spent some time walking around the library with the wolves following him, which inevitably earned him several glances from the others in the room—something he also ignored as he focused solely on finding interesting things to read.
After wandering around for a while, with a literal mountain of books in his hands. Since he occasionally picked up some that seemed interesting, Erik could not help but notice that each floor seemed much larger than the last, something that piqued his interest and made him eager to seek out information about it. However, he couldn't find anything, so he just made a note on his agenda to investigate it later.
After some time, Erik felt that he already had too many books, so he headed toward the elevator. However, something curious he noticed was that each time he took a book from the shelf, the empty space quickly filled with a new one that was exactly the same—another event he noted in his agenda to investigate later.
(How magical everything is…)
When the elevator opened, Erik found himself in a beautiful room with what appeared to be velvet carpet and walls lined with cherry wood panels. Their shiny surfaces were illuminated by the soft, warm light of lamps that floated magically around the room. On one side, there was a large window replacing one of the walls.
In the room, besides several chairs, tables, and desks, there were a couple of cream-colored leather sofas situated near a magical fireplace, whose flames danced in blue and green colors, providing both warmth and a fascinating light source.
Erik walked around the room, somewhat surprised, but after a while, he sat down on one of the sofas as he unloaded his enormous stack of books onto the floor. Then he picked one up, settled into the comfortable sofa, and began to read with a smile, while the wolves lay down in front of the fireplace.
"This is the life. I need to do something nice for my masters to thank them…"
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Arcane Library