83 Library

Backlund national library is the largest library in the world. It is a sacred place for all seeking knowledge above all else. There is a legend surrounding the library; it is said to contain knowledge of the world.

The mysteries, the destinies, the hidden history, the legends, the inventions, the novels, the stories…

The library holds it all within its walls.

This legend draws countless people to the library with hopes and dreams of attaining "Supreme Knowledge" or "Truth."

The library was built in the first year of the empire. The opening ceremony was grand, as the kings themselves were invited to inaugurate the ceremony.

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The library is a structure with a huge white dome and white marble towers. The dome was supported by gigantic pillars interspersed with angel statues. It was the third tallest structure on the continent, just after the Palace of Eternity (Royal Palace) and the statutes of six deities.

Aucuses stood at the entrance to the National Library, a wide doorway flanked by a massive white door. There were crowds entering and exiting the library from all walks of life.

There were students arguing with each other as they followed the library. There were researchers and scholars going in and out, while some literally wept with joy at the sight of the library. There were beyonders; most from Hermit, White Tower, and Paragon pathways. Suprisingly, all beyonders looked at the library with devotion. There were also workers and employers around the entrance, helping and guiding people with their doubts and questions.

In general, the entrance was buzzing with people, their faces full of hope and excitement for the bright future ahead of them.

'Herabergan ...' Aucuses thought, his eyes staring at the structure. 'He never fails to surprises me...'

This library is alive. He can feel the excitement through its wall at the arrival of people. In essence, it was sentient and conscious. Most importantly, it has a soul; a natural soul at that.

He could also sense the authority of god wrapping every inch and corner of the library, which supported and anchored the entire library to the material world. It was due to the fact that the legend was not a lie; it truly contained knowledge of the world, with the exception of the cosmos and great old ones.

The library was a masterpiece of Herabergan. It was damn impressive, even if he hates to admit it. He still cannot deny how impressive and magnificent this structure is.

To put it into perspective, the library has so many layers and sections that the interior is large enough to accommodate many cities within it.

It took him a while to extricate himself from the splendour of the library. Then he started walking into the library with crowds beside him.

He stepped through the wide doorway when he heard a chug in the fabric of space. Then, the very order of space changed.

Aucuses closed his eyes, trying to perceive the rules woven into the space. The rules immediately resisted his probe, but their resistance was futile in the face of authority. He finally broke through and examined it.

Through the analysis, he got a lot of information about the library.

It is divided into sections for different groups of people. When people walk through the door, they're automatically teleported to their most suited section, which has everything they're looking for and which is best for them. In this way, the library fulfils their desire and thirst for knowledge.

The library also has many restrictions. There are forbidden sections that can only be assessed if the requirements are met, which is usually the level of a beyonder. There are some forbidden sections, which can be assessed by only those with divinity, and another core restricted section where one must be an angel to set foot on that section. There are also numerous restrictions in each section. The information goes on and on.

Aucuses eventually made it to the top floor, which can only be reached by librarians and angels of six gods, while analysing the information.

He was now standing on a red carpet-covered platform with two railings on either side. He could tell the entire floor was shaped like a tower.

When he looked up, there were endless bookshelves stacked on top of each other, extending into infinity. There was no ceiling in sight, and each bookshelf was enormous and wide, holding an almost infinite number of books. There were also some floating shelves around the structure.

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The smell of paper and magic assaulted his senses immediately, and it felt like a treat to his mind, calming him down in the ocean of tranquillity that permeated the library.

He finally glanced at the old man standing on the platform's edge.

"Welcome to the National Library, Excellency." The old man bowed to his attention. "It's an honour to have you."

Aucuses nodded in response and looked at the old man, Hermes.

Hermes can be considered one of the most important pioneers in human history. It was he who invented the language of Hermes. He was also one of the first people to successfully become an angel after the pathways were known.

"How are you, Hermes?" Aucuses asked as he walked towards the Hermes.

"I'm fine, Excellency." Hermes replied respectfully, then continued. "Diana and the others are upstairs." He gestured upward, knowing the reason for the sun god's arrival.

Aucuses nodded and asked about his sworn brother. "Is Herabergan still there? Or has he already left?"

Herabergan, the God of knowledge and wisdom, is said to often stay in the library. It was why beyonders had a pious expression on their faces when they entered the library, which was almost like a god's sanctuary to them.

The rumour is actually true, Herabergan stays in the library quite often. It was his church that built the library with the aim of extending his influence throughout the empire.

The anchors of the gods were severely affected by the divine miracle of Aucuses, which made the religion of the sun become the major religion of the empire.

To counteract his influence, each of the gods took their own steps to address the problem on their shoulders.

Herabergan's solution was the library, which has been successful as his anchors have been recovered since the library was opened to the public.

"God of knowledge has already left, Excellency." Hermes said, looking at the sun god.

Aucuses did not press on this matter, as he already knew that Herabergan must have left after being informed of his arrival. Herabergan and he were never on good terms because of their opposing personalities, even when they were both king of angels. He was very narcissistic and conceited during his time as the White Angel. Herabergan always looked down on him because of his character, which obviously did not sit well with him at all, which led to their strained relationship.

"How are they?" Aucuses asked, pushing away his thoughts about the past.

Hearing his question, Hermes took a small book out of his coat pocket and handed it to him.

Aucuses took the book and opened it, seeing the analysis; the account of the therapy of his angels.

Hermes began, summarizing their situation. "Their minds and their souls were severely affected by the secrets of the cosmos." He spoke solemnly, knowing that the sun god really cared about his angels. "The cosmos destroyed their perception of the world and made them see the world in a very different light, which only made their situation worse."

"If not for the authorities of three gods which were healing and holding them together, they would have been on the verge of losing control."

Aucuses nodded as he listened to his report, continuing to leaf through the book in his hands.

Hermes looked at the sun god as he went on. "Eventually they managed to recover, even though it took a different length of time for each of them to get out of the abyss of despair. The first to recover was Lucas. His speedy recovery can be attributed to his faith and love." Hermes's expression becomes subtle: "His faith served as a pillar of support and his love aroused a sense of responsibility in him, although he was very frustrated that he was weaker than the one he loved, but on the whole, all this helped him to accept reality faster than the other two."

'Lucas ...' thought Aucuses, looking at account of Lucas in the book. 'As expected by him ...' He was not surprised, because despite appearances Lucas's will was the strongest of all his angels.

Hermes then moved on to the Angel of Miracles. "Blaise took it hard. He was always curious about the truth behind his sufferings and torment. As a result, it had a profound effect on him. What bothered him the most was the fact that his advancement path had been cut off, and even his lord was powerless to help him. He recovered given the number of suffering and pain he endured on his journey. It allowed him to adapt, or should I say, he became numb to it in the end..."

Hermes felt the surroundings become scorching hot at the moment he said those words, so he immediately continued in a bit to dispel the tension in the air and save his life.

"However, his faith and friendships allowed him to overcome it. It was one thing that brought his heart back from the abyss. In the end, it would be more appropriate to say that he adapted to the reality than accepted it."

He finished with a relieved sigh, for he felt the suffocating aura of god dissipate with his words.

'Blaise...' thought Aucuses, shaking his head in frustration. 'There's really nothing I can do...' His hands are tied when it comes to mysterious pathways. The fate of these paths is in hands of celestial worthy. He was far from having the power to tamper with it. Finally, he sighed, feeling powerless even though he was a literal god.

While he was thinking, he flipped through the book detailing Blaise's situation.

Hermes continued, interpreting the silence as a sign. "Diana's condition was the most troubling of all. She was the one who was most affected by the secrets. She thought she was close to the truth, only to discover her ignorance. She thought she was powerful, only to discover she was too small. She thought becoming a god was all there was to it, only to realise how naive she was. Her hopes and dreams were crushed, and the only thing that kept her from sinking into abyss of despair was her love."

"However, she eventually recovered due to her finally coming to terms with reality and accepting it for what it is, even though she loathes it. But, when she considered the terrifying future that lay ahead of all of us, she managed to push it through it all. It rekindled her desire for power, but this time she wanted to become more powerful in order to protect all those dear to her in the dark future. She also didn't give up on her dream of finding the truth; in fact, she was even more determined after everything that had happened."

'Diana..' Aucuses thought with a relived sigh, leafing through the pages on Diana one last time before closing the book and putting it in his coat pocket.

"Hermes, thank you for helping them through this difficult time." Aucuses said on their behalf. Even though Hermes said it in a way that only implied his angles made it through on their own, he knew Hermes was crucial to their recovery, guiding and supporting them throughout the process.

"I owe you a favour." He promised.

"Your Excellency..." Despite being shocked, Hermes wanted to deny it.

"It's what you deserve." Aucuses cut him off. "They are above right."

"They are expecting you." Hermes responded, his hesitation caused by the sun god generosity fading.

Aucuses nodded and began to float upwards to the bookshelves. He finally looked down at Hermes and said. "Don't let anyone bother us."

Hermes nodded and exited the top floor, leaving Aucuses alone.

For a few minutes, Aucuses flew among the floating bookshelves before reaching in the middle of the floor.

He floated in front of a large, wide shelf, which was present in the middle of the stack of bookshelves.

He flew to the shelf and pulled out several books in a certain order. With the last book pulled out, the shelf faltered before revealing a dark corridor.

Aucuses jumped to the floor of the corridor and headed for the innermost part of the National Library.