For a week, my routine had become monotonous: I woke up, stretched, washed up, ate breakfast, spent hours at the library, returned home for dinner, slept, and repeated the cycle.
On the seventh day, as I was leaving the library, the librarian handed me a key and said, "Well done, kid."
"What does this mean? What's this key for?" I asked, confused.
Just then, a system notification popped up in front of me.
[Hidden Sub-quest Completed]
{Hidden Sub-quest}
Mission: Visit the old library regularly for seven days.
Reward: Ownership of the library.
[As a reward, the Adventurer receives ownership of the old library.]
I stared at the screen in shock. My eyes darted back to the librarian, whose lips curled into a knowing smile.
"I liked that look on your face."
And then, before I could say anything, he started to fade away, his form vanishing into thin air.
As he disappeared, he spoke one last time.
"You'll find the path at the top shelf in the corner. Good luck, kiddo."
I stood frozen, still processing what had just happened, my mind racing to catch up.
"What are you staring at?" Mira's voice broke through my thoughts.
"The librarian just disappeared," I replied, still dazed.
"The librarian?" she raised an eyebrow in skepticism.
"Yeah, an old man with—" I hesitated, suddenly unsure.
Wait, how did he look again?
I was certain I had remembered his face, but now it was just a blur. My mind raced, desperate to recall even a single detail as a storm of thoughts swirled around me.
Mira's voice snapped me out of my mental storm.
"You're messing with me, right? The librarian disappeared? You're the librarian, and you're standing right in front of me."
She dismissed my words as a joke, but I felt a strange unease creeping in.
People have forgotten about the librarian? The man had power to altering their memories to make them believe this library is mine. I never expected this.
The man who was the librarian must have held some power, far beyond what the system bitch had. Perhaps he was a council member or their assistant.
"How long are you going to stand there? This isn't funny," Mira pressed.
"Wait a moment. Let me grab a few books,"
I walked toward the back corner of the library, my eyes scanning the shelves. There, hidden under layers of dust, were three books on the top shelf. I brushed off the dust and read their titles: 'All About Magic', All About Herbs', 'All About Weapons'. All were written by the same author: 'Unknown Warrior.'
The path…
I tucked the books under my arm and left the library. After locking up, I walked home with Mira.
---
That evening, after dinner, Rebecca turned to me, concern etched on her face.
"Eddie, why don't you close the library? I know how much the library means to you, especially since it was your parents'."
"The library has a warm feel to it. It carries their presence," I replied,
She sighed, her voice soft.
"I understand how you feel, but no one visits anymore. Being alone in that place isn't good for your mental health."
Silence enveloped us.
"I can't promise to close the library…"
Rebecca's expression darkened at my words.
"But," I added quickly, "I will spend more time at home starting tomorrow."
A smile broke across her face. "That's good."
With that, we headed to bed.
---
The next morning, I returned to the library with the books I had found. I settled into my usual spot and began reading All About Magic.
Hours slipped away, and before I knew it, evening had come. I finished the entire book, and what I learned was amazing. The content was almost the complete opposite of what I had been reading.
I stood up, a whirlwind of thoughts swirling in my mind as I made my way home.
'If what the book claims is true, it changes everything.'
Let me gave you a overview on a few key differences between the book's claims and the current beliefs:
Awakening Magic: In today's world, if someone wants to awaken their magic powers, they must pay a hefty fee to the church, where the head priest performs a special ritual. Unfortunately, not everyone awakens their powers, leaving many to be labeled as "chosen ones." However, the author claimed that anyone could awaken their magic potential at home without spending much money.
Inborn Affinity with Mana: The author explained that everyone has an inherent connection to mana, the core element of magic—like the main ingredient in a dish. Without it, no magic can be performed. Yet, none of the books I had read mentioned this concept.
Elemental Powers: The book described more than twelve elemental powers, emphasizing the importance of balance in the world. Each element had its counterpart, and none were superior. For example, Earth is balanced with Air, Fire with Water, Light with Shadow, Metal with Wood, Ice with Lightning, and so on.
In contrast, the current belief system recognizes only five supreme elemental powers associated with major gods and goddesses: Goddess Terraveth (Earth), Goddess Ignira (Fire), God Zephyrosar (Air), God Nerydon (Water), and the most powerful of all, Goddess Elyndra (Light). Other elements were considered inferior, leading people to flock to the church of their desired elemental power.
Multiple Elemental Affinities: The book also stated that a person could use more than one element. Everyone has some connection to all the elements, but some have stronger affinities than others. This contradicted the widely held belief that a person could only awaken one elemental power in their lifetime.
After absorbing all this information, doubts began to creep into my mind.
Were the churches unaware of this knowledge, or were they intentionally misleading the public?
"Either way, if the book's claims are true, it would be easy for me to draw followers into my cult."
I had to suppress a malicious grin as the realization hit me. If these claims were true, it would completely undermine the power and influence of the gods and goddesses.
No more "chosen ones" - everyone could harness magical abilities. No more people flocking to worship specific gods and goddesses. This was the perfect chink in the armor I needed to establish my cult.
I arrived home deep in thought, had dinner, and went to bed, my mind racing with possibilities.