Ascension Through Skills

Taesan was greatly surprised upon stepping onto the 78th floor.

The 78th floor was entirely different from the floors he had traversed so far.

Within the seemingly endless space, countless bookshelves were placed, and the gaps between the shelves barely allowed a single person to pass through.

Each shelf was packed with innumerable books, leaving no space unfilled.

There were no monsters in sight; only the scent of old books filled the vast space.

Though there wasn’t a single source of light, it was bright enough to read books without any difficulty.

And it was extraordinarily vast.

Taesan had never seen a floor more spacious than this one.

It was so expansive that its end could not be seen.

Despite activating the black magic, he still couldn’t determine the boundaries of the floor.

Its size was so immense that it could truly be said to house all the books in existence.

‘Just as I’ve heard.’

The 78th floor, The Library of All Things. It was one of the floors Lee Taeyeon often talked about.

[This place hasn’t changed. Not that it could. I miss it.]

The ghost murmured wistfully.

Taesan moved between the bookshelves and examined the titles of the books.

[The Ecology of Goblins.]

[How the Great Adventurer Palanka Cooks Monsters in the Most Delicious Way.]

[Are Elves Really as Gentle and Nature-Loving as People Think?]

“There’s all sorts of things here.”

The books ranged from completely useless material to those requiring specialized knowledge to comprehend.

[This is the Library of All Things. If it takes the form of a book, anything and everything can be found here. Literally, anything.]

“Did the wizard and Balbabamba create this place?”

[No. It wasn’t created by them. This place was made by the God of Knowledge, Metis.]

The ghost spoke calmly.

[This is the domain of Metis, who organized and preserved all the knowledge they accumulated. That is the Library of All Things.]

“Knowledge, huh.”

Taesan pulled out a book.

It was a simple novel meant for entertainment.

While it didn’t seem fitting for a god’s domain, it made sense if the god in question was the God of Knowledge.

To a god, their domain was their identity and everything they encompassed. The God of Knowledge yearned for and collected all the knowledge in existence.

Taesan put the book back and ventured deeper into the library.

No matter how much he walked, the bookshelves seemed endless.

The sheer volume of books was overwhelming, enough to boggle the mind.

Eventually, Taesan discovered a small open area.

It was filled with numerous chairs and tables, creating a perfect place to read.

And there, a man sat on one of the chairs, reading a thick encyclopedia.

The man, wearing glasses and with neatly trimmed hair, looked extremely strict.

Even though he must have sensed Taesan’s presence, the man continued reading his book nonchalantly.

[You have encountered Jorge, the librarian of the Library of All Things.]

Jorge didn’t say a word.

He merely continued reading his book.

Taesan didn’t try to speak to him either and picked up a book.

Its title was [A Study on the Beards of Female Dwarves].

The only sound breaking the silence was the rustling of turning pages.

After finishing his book, Jorge closed it.

“You are a polite guest.”

His voice was as stern as his appearance, yet it carried a certain dignity.

“The process of acquiring knowledge must not be disturbed. The others who came here before you didn’t understand that and were all rude. But you, at least, show some manners.”

Jorge’s gaze toward Taesan held a hint of favor.

‘It was true.’

Taesan thought as he closed the book.

Lee Taeyeon had once encountered the librarian on the 78th floor and interrupted his reading.

Jorge, visibly annoyed at having his reading disturbed, faced Lee Taeyeon with great irritation.

Afterward, Taeyeon had said it was a very challenging experience.

Having been branded as rude, Lee Taeyeon was often met with Jorge’s displeasure whenever she attempted anything on the 78th floor.

Recalling that, Taesan had decided not to interrupt Jorge’s reading.

[It’s been a while.]

“…Hero.”

Jorge’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the ghost.

“So, you’ve passed away. I thought you would surely reach the end of the labyrinth. What happened?”

[It was my mistake.]

The ghost replied calmly.

[The Lion King and Societ. They passed through, didn’t they?]

“Yes. Not long ago. They were rude individuals.”

Jorge clicked his tongue, then looked at the ghost knowingly.

“Betrayal? I can understand. It’s unfortunate. You often spoke to me about them.”

[It’s in the past. I’m dead now, and I can no longer interfere.]

“Indeed. The one here now is this adventurer. It’s him I must speak with.”

Jorge turned to Taesan and spoke.

“Adventurer, what is your name?”

“Kang Taesan.”

“Kang Taesan. Do you know where you are?”

“The Library of All Things. The domain of the God of Knowledge, Metis.”

“You must have heard that from the Hero. That’s correct.”

Jorge nodded.

“This is the domain of Metis, who preserves all the knowledge they have accumulated. That is the Library of All Things.”

A boundless ocean of books, vast enough to consume a lifetime.

“I was honored to be recognized by Metis and granted the role of librarian here.”

Jorge smiled with pride.

“Thanks to Metis, I can endlessly pursue knowledge. I can never be thankful enough. Thus, as a librarian, I strive to fulfill their will to the best of my ability.”

Jorge spoke quietly.

“This is the Library of All Things. You may stay here as long as you like.”

“There’s no time limit?”

“None. Knowledge does not reject those who seek it. You may remain here as long as you wish.”

Taesan already knew this.

There was no time limit to clearing the 78th floor.

If one desired, they could stay here indefinitely, accumulating knowledge without moving on.

Lee Taeyeon had also spent a considerable amount of time here.

“Metis’ mercy. Be grateful for it. However… even though I don’t understand it, if you wish to leave this place and move forward, you only need to complete one of my requests.”

“What is it?”

Jorge stood up and took out a book. As he opened it, he began to speak.

“I’ve been protecting this place as its administrator for a long time. But even I cannot read all the books here.”

The owner of this place was the God of Knowledge. It was impossible to read through all their accumulated knowledge.

“I am still lacking.”

Jorge’s eyes gleamed.

What was contained in them was a deep thirst for knowledge.

“Bring me a book I haven’t found or read yet. That is my request.”

[Quest Initiated.]

[The administrator of the Library of All Things, Jorge, is a greedy soul. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, he desires to learn all the knowledge in the world. Bring him a book he seeks.]

[Reward: Depends on how satisfied Jorge is with the book you bring him.]

“Understood.”

[Quest Accepted.]

“So, you also wish to move forward. I cannot understand it.”

Jorge looked at Taesan with a gaze that showed his genuine inability to comprehend.

As a seeker of knowledge, he could never understand adventurers who sought to leave the Library of All Things.

Taesan asked him,

“Would any book you haven’t found suffice?”

“Yes. Even the most trivial book will do if I don’t know of it.”

Jorge returned his gaze to his book and continued,

“If that’s difficult, you can also bring me a book I cannot access. This is the library of a god. There are books here that cannot even be approached without the proper qualifications. Choose whichever you prefer.”

The conversation ended. As Taesan was about to leave, Jorge suddenly remembered something.

“There are a few conditions you must adhere to while staying here.”

He raised a finger.

“First, do not defile the books. While adventurers like you cannot damage the domain of Metis, there is still such a thing as decorum. If you cross the line, you will be expelled. Second, do not disturb me.”

Jorge turned a page with an annoyed expression.

“There are some who try to meddle with me. Let me warn you in advance—here, I hold absolute authority.”

Jorge ran his fingers over the paper.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed.

Metis’ domain began to press down on Taesan under Jorge’s will.

What was contained in this force was absolute determination. Without employing barriers or an eternal faith, resistance was impossible.

“I am the sole administrator authorized by Metis. This place is also my domain. Just keep these two rules in mind.”

Taesan nodded. Jorge returned to his book, and the oppressive atmosphere vanished without a trace.

“That’s all. Now feel free to wander and accumulate knowledge, adventurer.”

The quest’s condition for completion was to bring Jorge a book he hadn’t read.

At first glance, it seemed extremely simple. The library was incomprehensibly vast. Even for Taesan, it was difficult to see its end.

With such scale, it might seem likely that any book he brought would be one Jorge hadn’t read.

However, this was the Deep Floors.

Quests on the Deep Floors were never that easy.

‘Didn’t it take her about three years?’

That was how long it had taken Lee Taeyeon to clear the 78th floor.

While she wasn’t particularly obsessed with clearing it, it still required a significant amount of time.

Jorge remembered almost every book in this library.

No matter what book was brought to him, he would claim to have already read it and reject it. That’s what Lee Taeyeon had said.

She even grumbled about it in the community, wondering if he was lying.

[What are you going to do? Clearing it the standard way will take quite some time.]

The ghost, seemingly aware of this, spoke to Taesan. Taesan moved between the shelves.

“Let’s take it easy for now.”

There was no need to rush.

Taesan already knew how to clear the floor.

If he wanted, he could clear it immediately.

But Taesan had no intention of doing so.

This was the domain of the God of Knowledge.

It was no exaggeration to say that all the knowledge of the world resided here.

Taesan slowly scanned the books.

He began picking out titles that seemed interesting and started reading.

“This is why you know so much, isn’t it?”

Immortality, transcendence, faith, spirits, and so on.

The ghost knew an extraordinary amount.

It had been of great help to Taesan, explaining various things.

Among that knowledge, much was unattainable through ordinary means.

And the place where that knowledge was acquired was here—the Library of All Things.

The ghost confirmed.

[That’s right. Most of the knowledge I sought is here. If you can find it, you can solve almost any question.]

The same was true for Lee Taeyeon.

This was one of the few floors she didn’t dislike. She spent a considerable amount of time here, reading books.

Taesan also had no intention of simply passing through.

There were many things he wanted to know.

Faith, divinity, transcendence, and matters related to ancient gods.

He planned to resolve many of his questions here.

Taesan slowly turned the pages of a book.