Chapter 4: Vestige Hall

I still have too much free time left so I decided to go to Vestige Hall first and not in the dorm.

Vestige Hall is the name of the library in Elysium. It contains various types of books. Any types of book you can think of is available there, there's even a secret tomes of some clan.

You ask me why I know all of it? Well it's pretty much a common knowledge now, Vestige Hall is also officially recognized by the World Association as the Largest library in the world.

More importantly, the Vestige Hall also contains skill books, from martial art technique to magic skill.

The skill book is divided into 4 categories— mana cultivation for cultivating mana, breathing technique paired with a set of physical exercise is for increasing physical stats, martial arts techniques are skills that utilities mana to perform various techniques for combat, magic tome is for learning magic spell and sacred text is used by priest to learn support skills.

Additionally, they're also divided into 9 different grades based on their quality, which is F> E> D> C> B> A> S> SS> SSS.

"Yo, farmer, are you for real?"

"I just don't understand. Are you one of those attention seekers? This is the first time I've heard of someone choosing a scythe at Elysium."

On the way to Vestige Hall, a group of guys struck up a conversation. I'm already used to someone insulting me. So, I simply ignored their sarcastic remarks.

Seeing me unperturbed by their provocations, the group left after snickering to themselves. As expected of teenage boys, they were more interested in female students.

Even I turned my sights their way.

While on my way to Vestige Hall, I suddenly remember that I don't know the way.

"Oh right, I don't know the way to the Vestige Hall."

So I opened the holographic navigation functions in my Smartphone.

"Hermes, show me the way to the Vestige Hall"

Light gathered in front of Azazel and condensed into a small arrow indicating the direction.

It also circled around me indicating to follow it.

"Oh! how convenient" I couldn't help but be amazed at how convenient this thing is.

Smartphones is the current digital model available in the market while the smart lens is the advanced model that's not available to the public except for the authorized, and Hermes Is the A.i assistant available only for the students of Aoelia. I got him when I successfully enrolled in school.

I kept following the projection until the projection in the air disappeared.

When I looked straight ahead, I saw a tall clock tower. It only takes me more than 20 minutes of waking just to reach the Vestige Hall.

"Wow, amazing!!"

I couldn't help but be amazed by the building in front of me.

In the current modern era, it's hard to find infrastructure that resembles buildings from the Middle-Ages. I can't only see pictures of buildings like this in history books.

Without taking too much time outside, I slowly entered the Library.

As I stepped into Vestige Hall, my eyes traversed countless rows of shelves, each holding a multitude of books. The library's atmosphere was infused with a distinctive scent that greeted my nose—a nostalgic blend of aged paper, a whisper of dust, and a subtle aroma of ink.

"Junior, Is there anything specific you're looking for today?"

While mesmerizing the view in front of me, a librarian of the Vestige Hall appeared beside me.

"Whoa!"

I couldn't sense her at all, and Junior?

The librarian who appeared is a woman not much older than me. She wore the Elysium uniform with the colors of Red and Gold, signifying that she's in 3rd year. She also has golden hair tied in a ponytail with a face comparable to the celebrity outside Aoelia.

How beautiful.

Wait get a grip me. It's not time to mesmerize her beauty.

"Junior?"

Senior voice was heard again, waking me up from my stupor.

"Um, I-i want to find some s-kill bo-oks"

Ahh!!!, how embarrassing why the hell did I stutter.

"Oh, don't be nervous junior. You can find the section for the skill book on the second floor."

"Oh! Thank you senior..."

"Don't mind it, I'm just doing my job"

"Then, I'll go now."

I bid farewell to my senior immediately so I could go find a skill book.

..

It's already been a few minutes since I bid farewell with senior but I still can't find the stairs leading to the second floor.

I tried going back to where I came from so I can ask senior, but I just lost my way.

"Sigh..." I couldn't help but sight. The Vestige Hall is really big compared to its size outside.

I've already been walking for quite some time but I haven't found anyone beside me.

"Hermes, show me the way to the second floor."

"Hermes?"

I tried activating the navigation system of my smart phone but for some unknown reason, It's not working.

I kept walking between the myriad of book shelves until I found a different book shelf than others in the Vestige Hall.

The bookshelf is filled with dust and damage, showing signs of neglect. In comparison to the other bookshelves, it only contains one book—an old ,worn-out book.

"What's this?" Curious about the origin of the book, I grabbed it from the shelf and flipped it open.

As I opened the book, my vision collapsed and I passed out.

When I woke up, I found myself in a forest surrounded by trees with a full moon shining brightly in the night sky.

"Where am I?"

Wondering why I'm in a forest.

I tried to investigate the surroundings first when a shadow pounced on me from behind.

"Whoa!" Before the shadow could hit me, I already moved sideways, dodging its advance.

Thanks for my trait activating in time, I managed to avoid an impending danger.

"B-ut w-hy it's here?"

I couldn't help but be terrified, Because the shadow is not just a shadow.

I mean I already expected it to be some monster but I didn't expect the monster in front of me to be a rank 6 shadow leopard.

Just like its name, it was a leopard. Contrary to a normal leopard, it has pitch black fur and has a height that reaches 2 meters.

Among the Rank 6 demonic beast, shadow leopard is a monster that is considered formidable, since its combat power can reach rank 7 when the sun is down, which currently happening.

"No fun! How did you even dodge it?" A child-like voice echoed in Azazel's mind.

A voice?

Wait!

"Are you the one who just talked?" I asked.

If it's really the one who talked, then the shadow beast in front of me might not be a demonic beast. Instead, it might be a spirit beast.

Beasts in this world are divided into 4 categories which are— Animals, Demonic Beast, Spirit Beast and lastly the Divine beast. However, no one has ever seen, much less own a Divine Beast, so the divine beast is just a legend of old.

"Yeah, I am". Again, a child-like voice was heard again.

Then, is it really a Spirit Beast?

"What are you thinking about?"

"Uh, nothing I guess?"

"Then...." Suddenly, the shadow beneath the leopard shifted, rising to envelope its entire body like a black veil, obscuring anyone's vision.

Not much time has passed, the black veil covering the shadow leopard recedes, revealing the being before him shown to the world.

Instead of the shadow leopard before, the one in front of his is a bird. A bird with a round body and jet-black feathers, it has a large head with forward-facing eyes, a hooked beak. The bird in front of him is an Owl.

The owl flaps its wings and flies to the top of a tree trunk.

The Owl opens its beak and says, "as a price for finding me, I will let you have a chance."

The same child-like voice earlier echoed in Azazel's head again.

This voice!, could it be.....?

"Are you the shadow leopard earlier?" I asked, " and, "What do you mean about giving me a chance?"

"Of course I am, and this is my true form," The Owl spoke. "The chance I'm talking about, is giving you a chance to own a treasure in my treasure trove in the expenses of answering some of my questions."

Damn.... Did I just hit a jackpot?

I couldn't help but suppress my excitement just thinking about it.

"Then can we start now?"

The Owl flaps its wings and spoke with a sinister expression on its face, "Then, let's the game begins!!!"

Damn it..... Did I just step in a landmine?