Lin Yijun stepped closer to the rippling nebula that shimmered at the far end of the Library. It wasn't a physical wall at all—more like a living veil of light, shifting between the hues of dawn and twilight. Each step closer sent faint ripples through the air, distorting reality like water disturbed by a stone.
He hesitated for a breath, then stepped through.
The world changed instantly.
Instead of the Library's marble floor, his boots met something soft, like walking on starlight condensed into mist. Around him, countless motes of light floated in an endless dark void, rearranging themselves like a swarm of glowing fireflies.
[Welcome, Patron No. 001: Lin Yijun.]
[Initializing Reading Chamber.]
[Assessing intellectual profile... scanning mana imprint... adapting environment.]
The lights converged rapidly, shaping themselves into a vast circular room filled with suspended scrolls, open tomes, and streams of glowing words flowing freely through the air. Every sentence shimmered like living thought, and when Lin Yijun tried to focus on one, it solidified into text.
"This is..."
He reached toward a drifting page. It felt warm—alive, even—like a pulse of consciousness brushing his fingertips.
[Detected inquiry intent. Displaying Recommended Knowledge Thread.]
A glowing sigil appeared before him, forming the title:
"The Fundamentals of Elemental Resonance: Wind as Conscious Flow."
Lin Yijun blinked. His curiosity piqued instantly. The system had somehow chosen a topic perfectly aligned with his wind magic mastery at the Ascendant Wind Mages' Academy. Without hesitation, he reached for the floating sigil.
The moment his palm touched it, a rush of luminous energy poured into his mind.
His breath caught.
The information didn't appear in words—it flowed directly into his consciousness, layer by layer, like a song of wind played directly into his soul. He saw visions—currents of air weaving around the world, the unseen threads connecting storms and breezes, the subtle rhythm of all moving things. His mind expanded with each image.
Then, a strange sensation—his internal mana stirred on its own. It resonated with the imagery, aligning and syncing, as if the knowledge itself were teaching his essence how to truly understand the element, not merely command it.
The air around him began to ripple gently, responding to his thoughts. He realized, in stunned awe, that he was learning—no, experiencing—a new layer of wind magic comprehension directly through the reading.
"This… this isn't study," he murmured. "This is... communion."
Meanwhile, back at the counter, Xavier's screen flickered.
[Main Task: Register 1 Patron – Completed.]
[Reward Claimed: Access to Basic Spell Tomes & Alchemical Recipes unlocked.]
[New Task Assigned: Facilitate Patron Knowledge Integration – Progress 0/1.]
[Penalty Avoided: Gene Lineage Continuity Ensured.]
Xavier exhaled, slumping into his chair with immense relief. "Good. Still fertile."
He glanced toward the shimmering nebula, faintly pulsing in rhythm with Lin Yijun's reading chamber. For the first time, he was truly curious what actually went on inside those chambers. The system had never shown him, only given abstract reports.
He rubbed his chin. "Well, as long as the customer doesn't die, I suppose it's fine."
Inside the dimensional chamber, Lin Yijun floated cross-legged, eyes closed, surrounded by invisible streams of air. His breathing synchronized with the natural rhythm of the wind, subtle and steady.
Then—silence. A strange kind of stillness filled the space. The glowing texts froze midair.
And suddenly, everything clicked. The veil lifted.
Lin Yijun opened his eyes. A faint, invisible breeze swirled around him—no spell, no gesture, just sheer, conceptual mastery. His wind mana had grown purer, denser, and more refined than ever before. It wasn't a breakthrough in raw power; it was an awakening of conceptual mastery.
[Knowledge Integration Complete.]
[Patron Lin Yijun has achieved: "Minor Epiphany – Elemental Insight (Wind)."]
[Processing reward bonus for Library Owner: +2 Knowledge Points.]
Back at the counter, Xavier's interface pinged again.
[Host, congratulations! A patron has achieved their first Epiphany through your establishment.]
[New product line unlocked: Foundational Lecture Scrolls – "Truth of Elements" series available for resale.]
Xavier blinked. "So... people read, gain power, and I get points? I can work with that."
A minute later, the nebula at the back of the Library shimmered, and Lin Yijun emerged. His eyes were calm but brighter, carrying a subtle luminescence like wind-swept starlight.
Xavier gave him a professional nod. "Satisfied with your purchase?"
Lin Yijun opened his mouth, hesitated... then chuckled softly. The simple fee of One Mana Crystal seemed ludicrously small now. "Boss, that... that wasn't knowledge. That was a master teaching my soul directly. It might actually have been cheap."
He turned toward the exit, his long robe fluttering gently even without a breeze. But before leaving, he paused by the counter.
"Boss," he said. "If more people knew about this place, you'd have a queue stretching across Sovereign City."
Xavier shrugged, pointing at the wall. "Advertising is prohibited."
Lin Yijun smiled knowingly. "Of course it is. A true treasure never begs for attention."
As the door closed behind him, the Library of Truth fell silent again—until a faint chime echoed.
[New Main Task Available.]
[Main Task: Register 10 Patrons. 1/10.]
[Reward: Unlock Advanced Reading Chambers + Library Expansion.]
[Side Task: Acquire Rare Knowledge Fragment (1/1) – Pending.]
Xavier sighed, rubbing his temples. "Ten more customers, huh? I should probably stock more chairs."
He leaned back, eyes drifting to the glowing nebula that pulsed faintly at the back of the Library.
Somewhere deep inside, he could feel it—the faint hum of knowledge growing, evolving, alive. And for the first time since his forced recruitment by the system, Xavier smiled genuinely.
Maybe running a mystical library wasn't such a bad fate after all.