He had no idea what he was supposed to do now, but he still walked towards the shining shelves.
As soon as he approached them, he felt a strange sense of familiarity as if this was where he was meant to be.
While thinking about how odd that was, he noticed a soft light floating around him. It didn't look harmful, but it was constant.
Hoping that it truly wasn't harmful, he reached out to touch it, and surprisingly, he could, despite its nature as light.
Soon after, he found himself holding a book titled "Codex Eternal."
<
Richard still didn't know where the voice was coming from, but he knew that it originated from the book he was holding. However, books couldn't talk.
"Yes," Richard answered with a smile.
Despite how strange it was, this was the first thing that had happened that was at least somewhat well explained.
With his confirmation, Richard saw the book suddenly light up again before it rushed towards him. Before he could react, the light rushed into him, and almost immediately, he felt his mind fill with all sorts of information.
It turned out the "Codex Eternal" was as he had thought, but it wasn't exactly the way he imagined.
The name gave the impression that it was some grand book or codex that could be used to record everything in the universe.
No, this was a glorified diary; you write what interests you. However, it did come with a bunch of interesting features.
"An hour in here is a minute on the outside. Use it wisely," Richard heard the being say as a smile bloomed on his face.
"I will," Richard replied.
Without much hesitation after that, Richard picked up a book from the shelf.
The book, initially nameless, immediately gained a name and other characteristics as soon as he pulled it out of the shelf.
[Introduction to Languages]
A title appeared on the once-blank book, but for some reason, Richard wasn't as excited as he once thought he would be.
This was the list provided to learn the language he had seen outside the library.
"Doesn't the live translation already cover this?" Richard thought.
He had wanted to learn that language because it had the strange effect of making anyone understand the meaning behind it, without actually speaking a language the person knew.
However, what was the point of that when the Codex Eternal possessed a live translation feature? It allowed him to read, write, and speak other languages with ease… When he wanted to.
"Can I even cancel it?" Richard asked as he looked through a page in the book.
On the page was a long list of tasks or steps he had to follow, all related to language learning. This was the other feature of the Codex that Richard found interesting.
Based on his needs and wants, the Codex generated what he could only describe as a 'Mission Board.' A good example of this was his current situation: he had a strong desire to learn whatever that language had been, so it generated several minor tasks that would lead to that.
It was a mini-system; however, unlike a system, it came in the form of a book, and no reward was issued after you accomplished what you set out to do.
It was a surprisingly good system if one thought about it; the steps provided were comprehensive, and from what he saw, even tests would be generated.
"What if I wanted to learn how to fight, would it do the same?" Richard thought as he took the book to a small desk he found in the area.
It was unknown whether the being had provided it knowing he would need it or if it was always there. At the moment, though, Richard wasn't thinking about it as he began his new quest to conquer this language.
As soon as he sat down, he noticed the strange clock or timer on the desk. It was counting down from 60.
"Is this for me?!" Richard asked.
"The Gods no longer support your mind; it can only remain in such an elevated space for two hours each month in Earth-time. In 60 hours, you will be forced out," the being explained as Richard nodded.
He sort of understood it, and even if he didn't, he didn't have time to think about it.
He could only be in this library for 60 hours or two and a half days, and after that, he would no longer have access to this place again until after a certain time had passed later this month.
Putting aside all distractions, Richard found himself entirely focused on the book. He read through page after page and chapter after chapter without even realizing it.
His body moved at speeds that should be impossible for a human, his mind processing way more information than should be humanly possible.
However, the one majorly affected took no notice of this change. In what looked like seconds, he had read through half the book.
<
A new sound was heard as he noticed the Codex, which had been floating beside him, suddenly open.
"Huh?" Richard asked as he looked up at the book.
The page that opened was empty, but soon he saw text appearing on it. It was as magical as one would expect it to be, but he was still confused.
"How long has passed?"
Looking at the timer before him, he found that only five hours had passed, but looking beside him, he found a long pile of books stacked beside him.
"When did I… What's going on?" Richard asked.
He remembered picking up one book from the shelves, but there was an entire mountain near him.
Even beyond that, the Codex now had several tasks ticked as completed, even though he didn't have any memories associated with completing them.
He retained the knowledge he had read but didn't understand how one book had somehow multiplied into an entire mountain of books.
"Is this an ability of the Codex or the Library?" Richard asked.
He couldn't tell which was which, but he knew one thing: the Codex was the ultimate learning tool.