Scarlett went back to the library.
Now that she knew there was an actual cultivation room in the space, sitting around reading theory alone wouldn't cut it anymore. Reading was good, yes, but she wasn't preparing for a written exam.
She was preparing to go hunting.
Beasts.
Real ones.
Things that bit, clawed, and didn't politely wait for you to finish meditating.
Which meant she needed something practical.
Something she could use immediately.
Combat, how to fight and of course how to escape…just in case.
And since she already knew one thing for sure, that her fire element was one of her strongest, she didn't hesitate.
She stopped in the middle of the vast library, lifted her chin, and spoke clearly.
"Fire element cultivation manual."
The reaction was immediate.
And violent.
The shelves trembled.
No shook.
A strong wind blasted through the library as if someone had opened all the windows at once during a storm. Lights flared to life in every direction. Runes ignited. The air hummed loudly, vibrating with power.
Scarlett's hair whipped around her face.
"…Uh."
The bear, who had been lazily lounging on its floating cushion, shot upright.
"What are you doing?!" it yelped.
Before it could say anything else—
Books exploded out of the shelves.
Not one.
Not ten.
Not even a hundred.
It was like an avalanche.
Books flew through the air, pages fluttering wildly, covers slamming into one another as they rushed toward her from every direction.
Scarlett screamed.
"WAIT—WHAT?!"
She stumbled backward as books began piling in front of her, stacking themselves higher and higher. The pile quickly reached her chest.
Then her shoulders.
Then her face.
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY?!" she cried.
The bear stared, mouth hanging open.
"…Oh."
"Oh?" Scarlett repeated weakly. "That's all you have to say?!"
More books kept coming.
The pile was now taller than her.
"This isn't normal, right?!" Scarlett shouted, her voice shaking as another stack narrowly missed her head. "This isn't normal! Tell me this isn't normal!"
The bear snapped out of it, waved its tiny paw sharply—
And everything froze.
The wind stopped.
The books froze mid-air.
Pages hung suspended like time itself had been paused.
Then, with another flick of the bear's paw, everything reversed.
The books floated back, gently this time, sliding neatly into their shelves as if nothing had happened. The lights dimmed. The library returned to its calm, endless silence.
Scarlett stood there, breathing hard.
Her heart was pounding.
She slowly turned her head to look at the bear.
The bear looked back at her.
They stared at each other.
"…What," Scarlett said carefully, "was that?"
The bear crossed its tiny arms.
"What kind of look is that?" Scarlett added, narrowing her eyes. "You told me all I had to do was speak out loud."
She folded her arms too, matching its posture.
"So what was the meaning of that?"
The two of them locked eyes.
A silent staring contest began.
Ten seconds passed.
The bear looked away first.
"…Okay," it muttered. "Maybe I should've explained that part."
Scarlett's eye twitched.
"Explained what part?"
The bear sighed dramatically. "Look. You said 'fire element cultivation manual.' That's too broad."
Scarlett blinked. "…Too broad?"
"Yes," the bear said, suddenly lecturing like an annoyed teacher. "There are thousands of cultivation manuals related to the fire element. Different grades. Different styles. Different philosophies. Aggressive fire, gentle fire, refined fire, explosive fire, emotional fire—"
"Emotional fire?" Scarlett repeated.
"Don't interrupt," the bear snapped. "You didn't specify. What did you expect?"
Scarlett rubbed her nose slowly.
So…this was her fault?
"…Okay," she said finally. "I get it."
The bear puffed up proudly. "Of course you do."
She waved her hand. "You're right."
The bear nodded smugly.
Scarlett's head twitched.
This bear is going to test my patience.
She inhaled, exhaled, then tried again.
"So," she said carefully, "what I need is a cultivation manual for the fire element. Something suitable for me. Beginner-friendly. Practical. Useful for combat."
The bear's lips curved into a knowing grin.
"There's a better way," it said.
Scarlett sighed internally.
Of course there is.
The bear hopped off its cushion and waddled toward a far corner of the library. Scarlett followed, suspicious.
At the corner stood a small stool.
And on it—
A crystal ball.
It looked exactly like the kind witches used in cartoons. Perfectly round, faintly glowing, mysterious in a very dramatic way.
Scarlett stared.
"…You're kidding."
"This," the bear said grandly, "is the Ultimate Ball."
Scarlett waited.
The bear took a deep breath.
"My previous, previous, previous, previous, previous—"
"Yes," Scarlett interrupted flatly, "one of your past masters."
The bear coughed. "Right. One of them created this."
It puffed out its chest. "This ball helps search for cultivation manuals that resonate best with the user."
Scarlett's eyes lit up.
"That's actually…really useful."
The bear nodded proudly. "Of course it is."
Scarlett stepped closer to the crystal ball, examining it. "How does it work?"
"You channel your mana into it," the bear explained. "Then it does the work for you."
"So I won't drown in books again?"
The bear snorted. "Exactly."
Scarlett rolled her eyes but moved forward anyway.
She placed her hand on the crystal.
She closed her eyes and recalled what she had read earlier—how to guide mana, how to let it flow naturally.
This time, she didn't hold back.
This was her space.
Her territory, no one would want to kill her for her elements.
She released her mana.
The crystal responded immediately.
Light bloomed from within.
One light.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Four bright, distinct colors shone clearly.
And then—
A fifth.
It was there.
But different.
Dark.
Deep.
Not black exactly—but like a night sky filled with distant stars.
The bear froze.
Scarlett opened her eyes.
"…Is it supposed to look like that?"
The bear swallowed.
"…We'll talk about that later."
Scarlett stared at the crystal, heart beating faster.