Chapter 2: Chapter 2 : Library
Upon entering the library, I was greeted by multiple rows of books. They were all arranged perfectly onto the shelves of each category. Information, economics, history. There were all kinds of books inside. It was huge.
So I looked around, trying to find the magic category.
"Let's see… Where's the magic category?"
I wanted to read about magic and mana. Though it was explained in details in the novel, it wasn't perfect. There were things that were left out.
But due to the library being huge as it was, it was hard to find. I walked around the library for at least 20 minutes. I still couldn't find any books about magic and mana.
Then, all of a sudden, another female voice spoke behind me.
"Your Highness, may I know what you are finding?" She asked.
"Huh?"
I turned around out of curiosity again, to see who was the one that asked the question. What I saw, wasn't another maid, of course. It was a woman that looked like she's in her 30s, wearing a pair of glasses and some elegant clothes.
"Are you… the librarian?" I asked after seeing her outfit.
"Yes, Your Highness. I am."
"Ah! That's good, then. Can you bring me to the magic section?" I asked again.
"Of course. Follow me."
She turned to her left and walked. I followed on her trials and walked all the way to the other side of the library.
"Your Highness, here it was. The magic section."
She pointed at her right side's row of shelves.
"Oh. Yeah, thanks. You can go now." I urged her away.
Though I'm sure she wasn't going to show me hostility. I rather have no one watching to read than to have her standing there.
"Yes, Your Highness. Then, enjoy your time in the library."
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks." I replied, turning away from her.
I then proceeded to walk towards the shelves and started to search for the books I wanted to read.
[Mana Materialisation]
[Forbidden Magic]
[Demon Magic]
"Tsk, where is it?" I said, starting to get frustrated. I couldn't find the book that I needed.
[Mana Enhancement]
[Mana Cultivation]
[Advanced Understanding Of Mana]
[Basic Understanding Of Mana]
"Aha! I found it!" I exclaimed.
I took out book, [Basic Understanding Of Mana], from the wooden shelf and sat down onto one of the tables and chairs inside the library.
Flip.
Mana, a force of nature, is invisible to the naked eye, existing everywhere in the air and flowing along with the wind.
There are seven types of mana:
* Heated mana: associated with the fire element.
* Cold mana: linked to the ice element.
* Light-Weighted mana: representing the wind element.
* Shocked mana: connected to the lightning element.
* Dark mana: aligned with the darkness element.
* Heavy mana: attributed to the earth element.
Flip.
A mana core is a core formed near the heart that generates mana. It is created when a sufficient amount of mana inside the body is compacted together.
The density of mana one produces is determined by their tier, ranging from Tier 1, the weakest, to Tier 9, the highest tier ever achieved.
Each tier is distinguished by its color, transitioning from black to gray, and finally to white. Black indicates impure mana production, while white signifies pure mana production. Grey indicates mana that is neither impure nor pure.
On the other hand, the size of one's mana storage cannot be increased. It is determined by one's talent for mana during their birth.
Additionally, an individual's rate of mana production is the identical to everyone else. For that reason, the amount of mana one could use is heavily dependent on their mana storage's size.
Flip.
Mana can be harnessed in two ways: enhancement and materialisation.
Enhancement occurs when mana flows towards a specific part of the body and circulates like blood. This process enhances the physical abilities of that body part beyond its original limit. The effectiveness of enhancement is determined by the purity, density, and quantity of the mana in circulation.
Materialisation, on the other hand, involves releasing one's mana into the air, where it can either be compressed to form a magic spell or it can be condensed to form aura. However, mana can only be materialised within the Magic Zone of its owner. Therefore, possessing a Magic Zone is crucial for materialisation to occur.
Flip.
After reading the entire book of [Basic Understanding Of Mana], I stood up from the wooden chair and walked towards the shelf again. I placed the book back to the place it originally was placed at.
Afterwards, I walked towards another row of shelves. Instead of the magic section, this time I went to the swordsmanship section.
On my way to the swordsmanship section, I walked past a few other sections. One of them being the alchemy section.
As I was walking past that section, a voice suddenly spoke from my right side.
"Brother Emrys? You're Emrys, right?"
It was a female voice again. I looked to my right side in shock. I didn't know who she was, but there was one thing that I knew. It was definitely one of my siblings. After all, she called me 'brother' Emrys.
Smooth Green hair, beautifulblue eyes… I immediately knew who she was. I was extremely familiar with her. Ultimately, she was one of those people who had gained that guy's favour.
"Livia Lorendale…?"
"Eh? You're really Emrys… Wait, why are you here? Since when do you read?" She asked.
"Uh… No? I'm just trying to find some information. I mean… Why would I be here to read? You know I hate reading." I said, trying my best to avoid eye contact.
"Right… Anyways, where are you going? I'll show you there." She said with a slight smile.
"Sure. I'm going to the swordsmanship section."
"Ah! Follow me then!"
She brought me down the aisle, before turning left, then right, then left again.
"Here. This is the swordsmanship section." She said, before turning around and walking back to the alchemy section.
"Thank you, Livia."
"Don't worry about it, Brother." She stopped and turned around. "But you know, it's disrespectful calling someone older by their name, right?"
"Uh… Yeah, yeah. S-Sister Livia… I apologise." I said embarrassingly. I wasn't used to calling her 'sister' yet.
"It's fine. I'll go back first then. See you later!"
She turned back and continued walking back to the alchemy section.
"Of course , Sister Livia. See you later."
Afterwards, I turned towards the direction of the shelves and looked at the books arranged on it.
"Anyways, what should I read now?" I wondered.
Though I wanted to come to this section, I had no idea on which book to read. To protect myself, I had to learn some techniques. But I had no idea which book to start with.
So I searched the shelves for books again.
[Demonic Swordsmanship]
[Tectonic Swordsmanship]
[Celestial Swordsmanship]
[Basic Swordsmanship]
"Hm… Let's just go with the basics first."
Following that, I picked out the [Basic Swordsmanship] Book, and walked to the nearest chair to sit on.
Flip.
Swordsmanship encompasses the practice and mastery of sword techniques. Each technique is composed of the seven fundamental sword movements:
* Stab: A direct forward stabbing motion with the sword aimed at the opponent.
* Slash: A cutting motion with the sword that moves diagonally, or horizontally to strike the opponent.
* Cut: A broad swinging motion with the sword aimed at slashing through the opponent's defenses.
* Parry: A defensive maneuver where the sword is used to deflect or block the opponent's attack.
* Block: A defensive technique where the sword is used to absorb the force of the opponent's attack.
* Slice: A quick, slicing motion with the sword, often used to target vulnerable areas or create openings in the opponent's defenses.
* Chop: A powerful downward cutting motion with the sword, aimed at delivering a heavy blow to the opponent.
Flip.
A sword technique is formed when someone combines the seven basic sword movements into a sequence. However, aside from these fundamental actions, precision and strength are also crucial for creating a successful technique.
Mastering the art of swordsmanship isn't easy; it requires experience, practice, and a deep understanding of combat. Only those with enough practice and skill can develop the precision needed to execute effective techniques in a fight.
With enough practice, a sword technique becomes more than just a series of movements. It becomes a way for a swordsman to demonstrate their skill and strategy, allowing them to face even the toughest opponents."
Flip.
Once again, after finishing the [Basic Swordsmanship] Book, I placed the book back onto the shelf.
"Now, I'll also need a movement technique. I'll just escape when I'm in danger."
As such, I walked to the movement section, which was right beside the swordsmanship section.
"Hm… Which one is the easiest to learn?"
I stared at the huge variety of movement techniques arranged on the shelf.
[Cyclone Glide]
[Ghost Stride]
[Cloud Shift]
[Frost Walk]
[Echo Step]
"I guess I'll just pick this one. It sounds the easiest…"
I had chosen the [Echo Step] technique as my final decision. Unlike the other techniques, it sounded simple, which was exactly what I wanted.
This time, instead of finding a place to sit down, I started reading on the spot.
Upon finishing the book, I immediately started to test the technique.
Echo Step was a technique that lightens the footsteps. Hence, increasing the speed of the footsteps. And by lightening the footsteps, it removes any sound from the steps. Thus, removing the echos of the steps.
It was perfect for me too. It was one of the rare movement techniques that didn't require mana. According to the novel, this body would never awaken the ability to use mana, even until death.
So in hopes of learning the Echo Step technique, I honed my focus, centering my mind for the task.
With each step, I carefully shift my weight onto the tip of my feet, extending my toes forward to land with barely a whisper and increasing my speed. As I move, I controlled my breath, inhaling deeply and exhaling softly, maintaining a rhythm as smooth as silk. With every motion, I erased any trace of sound, leaving behind only the subtle echo of my presence.
After I repeated the same motion for at least 30 minutes, I had finally done it. A step so swift that it left no trace of sound in its wake, not even the faintest echo of my movement was heard.
"Haa… Finally… This… is so tiring…"
I was completely out of breath. This body's condition was way worse than my previous life's body.
"How the hell did that bastard live in this body for so long?!" I complained.
It was like living in hell. I felt as if even an average old man's stamina was even better than mine.
"Whatever. Now, the last thing I need is at that section."
I looked ahead and walked to the end of the aisle, where the business books were. They were covered in dust, showing they hadn't been touched in a long time.
After brushing off some dust, I started searching for a particular book.
[Ways To Start A Successful Business]
[Ways To Earn Money]
[How To Start A Business]
"Aha! It's here!" I exclaimed.
Subsequently, I plucked it from the shelf. However, the book halted midway, resisting my attempts to fully extract it. Despite exerting all my strength, I couldn't budge it any further.
Crrruuuuuck-!
The floor beneath me suddenly transformed into a small, dark hole, seemingly tailored for my descent.
Whoosh!
"Shit! What the hell is happening?!" I panicked as I plummeted into the void.
I was immediately enveloped by the darkness inside as soon as I entered the dark hole. I couldn't see anything, except for the faint glimmer of light above.
Thud!
I collided with the solid ground, the impact jarring my senses. Before I could adjust to my surroundings, the floor shifted once more, sealing the entrance. Now shrouded in complete darkness, not even a glimmer of light penetrated into this darkness.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Kylo_13
Kylo_13 Please Tell Me If There Are Any Where I Could Improve. My Writing Might Be Bad Currently As This Is The First Novel I’ve Ever Written. If There Are Any Tips To Write Better, Please Let Me Know.
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