Morning sunlight bathed the stone paths of Lovaria as Sako guided Team E-D-W to a towering marble structure—ancient yet brimming with magical vitality.
"Welcome to the Library of Hidden Worlds," she said.
"It holds over 1 crore books, ranging from elemental treatises to transcendent memoirs. This is your next trial."
Library Trial – Quest Overview
Quest Activated:Read 100 Books
Time Limit: None Record: Fastest team finish – 3 days (100 books per player) Rewards: Skill: Read – Enables neat, clear, absorbent reading Skill: Concentrate – Deepens focus and stabilizes thoughtflow 📦 Opens access to Set Skills
Sako paused, voice calm but weighty.
"Beware: Over-reading can lead to knowledge distortion. Last year, 10 students went mad after crossing mental thresholds beyond what they could handle. Read wisely."
Understanding Set Skills
Winston raised a hand, curious.
"Sis Sako, what exactly are Set Skills?"
Sako smiled and explained:
"Basic Set Skills include:
Patience, Courage ,Concentrate ,Hope, Focus, Kindness.
Once a team unlocks all six, the Set Fusion activates—combining their effects to enhance emotional stability, reaction time, and passive stat resistance."
She continued:
"Here's your current progress:
Quest 1 (Sit): Patience and Courage – ✅ all three Quest 2 (Dig): ❌ None Quest 3 (Mine): ❌ None Quest 4 (Pick-Up): ✅ Hope – Winston only
So today… your fifth quest grants each of you a chance to obtain one set skill, plus access to 3 random skills."
Rules & Environment
"Each of you must read 100 books. No speed boosts, no duplication magic, no shortcuts.
Food is available in the cafe. I'll be stationed there. No talking. Only silence and focus."
Winston nodded.
"Sounds… peaceful. And dangerous."
David adjusted his gloves.
"The risk makes the skill worth it."
Edward, eyes already scanning titles in the outer shelves, whispered:
"Let's discover what's hidden… and earn what others feared."
Inside the vast and echoing Library of Hidden Worlds, the three stepped quietly beyond the threshold.
Edward turned to Winston and David, his tone composed:
"We should split up. Distance prevents temptation to talk."
David nodded approvingly.
"Smart move. This quest needs silence more than company."
They parted ways.
Edward's Path – The Hidden Meditation
Ascending to Floor 25, Edward felt the air thin—still, heavy with arcane weight. Rows of books pulsed with latent magic.
He knelt between two towering shelves and whispered,
"Activate status."
The system pulsed. A blue shimmer circled him.
Secret Skill Activated:
"All Things From Me, I Am All Things" – Connects mind with the full library network.
Edward closed his eyes.
Mind-Link Established: 1 Crore Books
He slipped into meditation. Information swirled—language, lore, timelines collapsing into a single point.
A flicker crossed the screen.
Status Activate
Hidden Skill Used:Omniscience – All knowledge flows without barrier.
Curtain Falls (EX) – Stack 2 → Grants access to rare skill
Rare Skill Activated:Calm Mind – When inner chaos stills, understanding blooms exponentially.
Silence surrounded him. His breathing slowed.
Winston & David – The Steady March
Winston, now on Floor 13, paced row by row, carefully selecting titles. Each book felt heavier than the last—but he persisted. David, on Floor 3, Row 7, mirrored Winston's rhythm. They were different in style, but alike in determination.
Three hours passed.
Break Time – Sako Returns
From the café, Sako emerged like a shadow from mist.
"Kids," she called gently, "Food's ready. Come eat."
Winston stepped out.
"I finished 10."
David added:
"Me too. Ten solid reads."
Edward descended from Floor 25, calm as starlight.
"I've finished 10 as well," he said with serene clarity.
(Truth: Every book now rests in his mind. He had read them all—1 crore.)
Sako raised a brow, offering no judgment.
"Nice progress," she smiled, "Come. Eat. And be silent."
After sipping coffee lattes and enjoying bowls of noodle soup at the Library café, Team E-D-W regrouped for the second phase of their book trial.
Edward stretched.
"Let's change floors. We need new perspectives."
Winston agreed.
"Good idea—new shelves, new energy."
David, ever prepared, handed Edward a small deck.
"Here. I built a new Buff Deck—might help."
Edward activated his status:
Card Master Skill: Draw Limited
Pulled Card: Buff – Speed Up Bonus Draw: Bond Card (Store) – Helps digest embedded knowledge
Edward grinned.
"Let's do this together."
🌀 Skill Activated: Bond Card
→ Bonded Speed Up and Store to all three teammates
→ Speed boosted by 25%
→ Mental absorption boosted via Knowledge Digest (5-hour window)
They scattered again—floor swap complete.
Evening – Performance Check
Five hours ticked by in silence.
Sako returned to the reading chamber, gently placing snack trays near each student.
"All right, kids. Wrap up. Time for rest. How many did you read?"
Winston: "Forty."
David: "Thirty-six."
Edward: "Forty."
Sako blinked, startled.
"Wait… Before dinner, you were at ten books each. And in just five hours, you devoured over thirty? That's dangerously fast."
She frowned slightly.
"This trial isn't a race. Overloading your mind can backfire—ten students last year went mad chasing records. Pace yourselves."
David stepped forward, calmly.
"Sis… Edward and I used our job-class synergy. You said to use our fused skills—not waste them."
Sako nodded slowly.
"Fair. But tomorrow, I'm assigning lighter reads—ancient comics, 1,000-year-old biopics, early legend retellings. Modern books are filled with quests and ego. These older ones offer reflection."
She pointed toward a glowing hallway.
"Rest now. Tomorrow will test how your minds handle nostalgia."
The trio exchanged glances—curious, wary, but still burning with resolve.