Former Ranker's Newbie Life-Chapter 7

At last, Do-Jin opened the door to the shabby building. What greeted him wasn’t the sight he’d seen on his way in, but a different world altogether. Sion’s words had been true: with the wooden ring in hand, he really could open any door and create a pathway to the Library of All Truths.

When he stepped through, it felt like there was an invisible barrier pushing against him. The air itself grew heavier as the world around him changed, and a wave of mana hit him immediately, its overwhelming density making his head spin and his breath catch. His right hand, engraved with the Magic Circuit, throbbed with a hot, dull ache.

The space was filled with pure mana, thick and suffocating. The pressure was on a completely different level compared to his previous experience. Back then, he’d entered the library with far more power at his disposal, and it hadn’t been nearly this unbearable.

[Achievement Unlocked: A First Step Toward Truth]

[Reward: Intelligence +10]

With a system message like that floating in front of him, giving up wasn’t an option. Upon entering the Library of All Truths, he had already gained ten points in intelligence. The longer he stayed in this space, the more he could accumulate.

So this is what they mean when they say you can grow stronger just by breathing.

Do-Jin took deep breaths again and again. It still felt like drinking something thick and sticky, unpleasant to the point of discomfort, but thinking of it as nourishment for his growth made it oddly satisfying.

“Cough, cough!”

Or perhaps not that satisfying. When he pushed too hard, it felt like his lungs were drowning, sending him into a coughing fit. By the time it subsided, Do-Jin had learned his lesson. His breathing became as careful as it could be.

Thought I was a goner there for a second.

Once he calmed down, Do-Jin began walking cautiously. With each step, the scenery around him shifted dramatically. Even a single step felt like traversing hundreds of meters, the surroundings stretching and flowing like liquid. There was no need to worry about finding the right place or the item he sought.

The Library of All Truths, a masterpiece of Sion Grace’s spatial magic, was crafted to read both the conscious and unconscious thoughts of its visitors. It guided them seamlessly to where their desired items were stored.

Of course, as a Tier 1 Mage, Do-Jin was only allowed access to the first floor. Despite it being the lowest level, however, he was more than grateful.

Good grief, that’s a lot.

After about ten steps, he arrived at a section where rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched endlessly into the distance. Even a quick glance made it clear that reading everything here would take a lifetime. Not that it mattered, since he couldn’t read most of these books anyway.

In the Library of All Truths, both the areas one could access and the materials one could read were restricted based on their rank. As a Tier 1 Mage, Do-Jin could only handle the lowest-tier texts in the lowest-tier section.

And so, he began sifting through the shelves, looking for books he was permitted to touch. When he pulled the first book from the shelf, information about it appeared in midair.

[Understanding Mana]

Basic Magical Knowledge

Author: Professor Eric Kendra

Access Level: Tier 1 Magic Circuit

It wasn’t the holographic interface unique to players, but glowing text that was clearly a product of magic. Do-Jin continued scanning the shelves, pulling out more books.

[Basic Concepts of Spellwork]

Basic Magical Knowledge

Author: Duke Muy Bondrei]

Access Level: Tier 1 Magic Circuit

[Components of Magic Circles]

Basic Magical Knowledge

Author: Professor Sergei Vener

Access Level: Tier 1 Magic Circuit

After checking the details on some of them, he casually tossed the other books onto the floor and kept Understanding Mana. He plopped down on the ground and opened the book.

“Mana refers to the most fundamental essence that constitutes all things. Yes, it is something. And yet, we still do not truly understand what it is. All we know is what we observe and empirically comprehend as phenomena. As mages, we use this pure mana as the material for magic. When processed to facilitate the activation of spells, this refined mana becomes magical energy, or what is often called ‘mana power’...”

Thus began his reading. This wasn’t mere casual reading, of course. None of the books in this library could be described as ordinary. The one in Do-Jin’s hands was a genuine magical tome crafted by a skilled mage, imbued with their understanding and knowledge.

From the leather cover and paper to the ink and pen, and even the knife used to engrave the patterns on the cover, every element was made from magical materials.

In terms of value, each book was a treasure in its own right, representing the pinnacle of magical achievement. Reading one wasn’t just a matter of absorbing information. The act of reading itself triggered a magical phenomenon that transferred a portion of the author’s understanding to the reader.

[Mana Affinity has slightly increased.]

[Intelligence +1]

A book designed to deepen one’s understanding of mana naturally enhanced mana affinity as a side effect.

It’s just the way it’s programmed, but hey, I’m not complaining.

With a light snap, Do-Jin closed the book he had just finished and reached for the next one. Since his time in the library was limited, he was determined to extract as much value as he could before leaving. Do-Jin’s hands moved swiftly as he rustled through the pages of the books before him.

The next book, Basic Concepts of Spellwork, wasn’t written on ordinary paper but on the leather of some kind of animal. Given the author, Duke Muy Bondrei, who was a notorious magical fundamentalist even among the insane mages of this world, there was a decent chance the leather wasn’t from any ordinary animal. It might have even been human.

[Spellwork refers to the act of artificially invoking phenomena beyond the natural order. Spellwork comes in many forms, known by various names such as magic, sorcery, witchcraft, and the like. Each follows its own unique methods and principles. However, they all share the same foundation. They interfere with the laws of the world, creating phenomena, whether small or large, that would not naturally occur. This commonality justifies referring to all of them collectively as magic...]

As Do-Jin read, he found himself enjoying the process of revisiting LOST’s intricate lore. This was something he had largely ignored during his previous gaming sessions.

[The durability of your Magic Circuits has slightly increased.]

[The mana-processing efficiency of your Magic Circuits has slightly improved.]

[Intelligence +1]

No matter what it was, it seemed like something always went up. In a situation like this, what gamer could resist pushing forward? Do-Jin, being the obsessive type, saw no reason to rest.

With relentless focus, he devoured book after book, especially those related to Magic Circles. Every volume he grabbed was immediately cracked open and read. Among them, he occasionally stumbled across magic skill books instead of basic knowledge texts. Each time he found a skill book, he felt the thrill of saving gold.

[You have learned the skill “Ignite.”]

Starting with the Tier 1 magic skill Ignite, his skill window gradually filled with fundamental attack spells. This was all thanks to the powerful grand Magic Circle established by the legendary Archmage Sion Grace, combined with Do-Jin’s “fresh slate” as a low-level character. Even a high-level player could gain some benefits from this space, but for someone like Do-Jin, who had entered as an empty vessel, the growth was exceptionally rapid. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

I’m getting hungry...

After reading for what felt like ages, Do-Jin’s empty stomach finally made him pause. Even as a Regenian, starvation was still fatal. Thankfully, he had prepared for this. Do-Jin had entered the library fully intending to settle in for the long haul.

[Low-Quality Jerky]

[Stale Bread]

[Water]

These were the provisions he had purchased at a grocer as soon as he arrived in Zeron. Half of the gold he had earned from the Gate rewards had gone into these supplies, which was an amount equivalent to the cost of a Tier 1 skill book. And yet, all he could afford were items with descriptors like “low-quality” and “hard.”

To top it off, the water wasn’t purchased but had been scooped straight from a fountain near the Magic Tower. By scraping together every last gold coin, he’d managed to secure enough supplies to last more than a month in the library.

Sure, eating this diet for a month would probably ruin his health, but so what? Health? Who has time for that? He figured he could make up for it later by stuffing himself with broccoli or something. Right now, there were far more important gains to chase. Do-Jin chewed on the tough, fishy jerky and softened the rock-hard bread in his mouth with gulps of water.

[Now, let us move on to the methods for activating spellwork without including its components...]

Even as he ate, his eyes remained glued to the glowing text in front of him.

***

[Achievement Unlocked: Avid Reader]

[Reward: Stamina +1]

Do-Jin unlocked an achievement for reading more than twenty books in a single day.

[Achievement Unlocked: Bookworm]

[Reward: Stamina +3]

Then, he earned another one for maintaining the same pace for an entire week.

[Achievement Unlocked: Bibliophile]

[Reward: Stamina +5]

And so, fifteen days passed. With a soft thud, Do-Jin closed yet another book and glanced around.

Hmm... No matter how hard I look, I don’t think there’s anything left for me to read.

He had been so relentless in his reading that he’d already cleared out the entire section. To be exact, he’d finished every book that a Tier 1 Mage was permitted to access.

“Ugh. It’s not like I’ll run out of books, but... at this rate, I’ll starve to death.”

Standing on his feet for the first time in ages, Do-Jin stretched, his body groaning in protest after so much time spent sitting. Even light stretching sent a cacophony of pops and cracks through his stiffened muscles, making him wonder if he’d broken a bone or two. Once he’d finished, he took a moment to check the results of his grueling fifteen-day reading marathon.

[Do-Jin]

Level: 8

Class: Mage

Strength: 7

Dexterity: 8

Stamina: 61

Intelligence: 54

Skills: (5) [View]

His efforts had clearly paid off. After earning the official title of “Bookworm” from the system, his intelligence stat, without spending a single bonus point, had soared to 54, making him a stat monster among players at his level.

Even his skills had progressed significantly. Among them was Psychokinesis, learned from the skill book he received from Sisala Omen, one of the most versatile and useful spells in his arsenal.

He had also acquired basic elemental spells like Ignite, Gale Arrow, Frozen Arrow, and Light.

Considering that mages who advanced through the Imperial Academy typically started with only two or three spells, Do-Jin’s progress was downright luxurious. And he wasn’t done yet, either. He was still in the library, and if he could find more books he was allowed to access, there was still room for growth.

I’ve rested enough. Time to move.

He began to walk, but suddenly found his head spinning. Was it because he’d been running on light sleep and constant activity? Or maybe standing up too quickly after being seated for so long had done it.

For a brief moment, no more than one or two seconds, his consciousness flickered and went dark.