My SSS-Rank Clone Talent: I Level Up Endlessly!

One day, Grey asked Lucy directly if she could help him become a Book Tamer. She agreed without hesitation.

Grey was instantly overjoyed, until he discovered that she expected him to do chores for nearly three months before she could finally hand him an Awakening Stone.

He had no choice but to comply, and while he accomplished the tasks easily, the delay made the process drag on far longer than he'd hoped.

Fortunately, in this world, some people were born with spiritual energy, while others were not. For those without it, an Awakening Stone could awaken their potential.

The only catch? The stone was expensive, so much so that, for an ordinary person, it would cost several months' worth of income just to afford one.

Of course, if Grey really wanted to, he could have easily stolen the Awakening Stone. But he held back, warily mindful of the Grand Book Master, who was said to monitor every single corner of the capital with eyes that missed nothing.

After finally receiving the stone and dripping his blood onto it, Grey experienced his first Awakening. His body began to channel spiritual energy, and he even gained a title as a result.

Now, all he needed was a Grimoire to tame, and he would officially become a Book Trainee.

Unfortunately, Lucy had other ideas. Instead of handing over a Grimoire, she told him he'd have to work for another year if he wanted one.

Grey grumbled, quietly cursing in his heart as his eyes settled on Lucy's sleeping figure. She had saved him from the streets and he wasn't the kind of person to forget kindness.

"Sigh…" he exhaled, turning around to leave the room.

Just then, Lucy murmured in her sleep:

"Please… please don't leave me, Grey. I know… if I give you a Grimoire, you'll leave… so please… don't go…"

Grey froze mid-step.

Her voice was soft, almost childlike. But after a moment, he resumed walking and flicked off the light.

As he quietly shut the door behind him, his expression grew thoughtful.

'What should I do…? What should I do…?' he muttered, his mind caught in a loop.

He wandered over to a nearby table and casually began flipping through a few books, skimming through their contents without really reading them, trying to distract himself from the thoughts pressing on his heart.

The book was about Grimoires and they were truly strange entities.

Unlike ordinary tools, Grimoires were like living beings, each with its own will and consciousness.

They could think, react, and even feel. They needed to be nourished, both spiritually and emotionally. If neglected, they would weaken and could even die.

"Each time a person writes in the pages of a Grimoire, the stronger the emotion and spiritual energy infused into the words, the stronger the resulting attack will be."

Grey paused thoughtfully.

"And if the pages are all used up," he murmured, "then the Grimoire will either reach its growth limit or evolve into the next tier."

The deeper he read, the clearer it became: Grimoires were far more complex. There was still so much he didn't understand about them without having it.

Grimoire growth also depended heavily on the capabilities of the Book Tamer.

"There are four main ranks of Book Tamer," Grey read aloud, "and with each rank, the amount and efficiency of spiritual energy use increases. This, in turn, greatly boosts the chances of evolving a Grimoire to the next tier."

He sighed and muttered to himself, "The four levels are Trainee, Disciple, Master, and Grandmaster and each of them is further divided into three sub-levels: Low, Mid, and High."

As he continued sorting through the books, Grey couldn't help but sigh again.

It was already night. And while he could easily stay up until morning, if he wanted to keep pretending to be a normal person, he had no choice.

He had to sleep.

He made his way to another room in the library, a small, cramped space with little more than a bed. The mattress, however, was surprisingly soft.

The moment Grey dropped onto it, he practically sank into the squishy surface.

Without another thought, he closed his eyes and slept soundly through the night.

The next morning, he woke up with a lazy yawn, stretching his limbs.

"Lucy should still be asleep by now, I'm underpaid for this, for real," he muttered.

Shaking his head, he stepped out of the room and immediately froze.

The library, which usually felt like a ghost library except for the occasional woman peeking in through the windows, was now packed.

Dozens of people filled the space, each quietly flipping through books, lost in study. The once-empty place now buzzed with activity.

"Huh?" For a moment, Grey was frozen in place.

"Grey, what are you doing? Hurry up and get to work," came Lucy's cheerful voice from beside him.

He turned to look at her, eyes narrowing slightly as he muttered inwardly, Why are you up so early?

As if reading his mind, Lucy grinned. "Because today's the day of the Grimoire Ceremony."

"Grimoire Ceremony?" Grey echoed, still groggy and slightly confused. "I've never heard of that before, I don't remember reading about it in any of the books."

"Well, that's probably because you never leave the library," she teased, stepping closer and giving her chest a proud pat. "It's a special event held by the kingdom to encourage commoners to become Book Tamers."

Then, with a smug smile, she added, "Did you really think I was going to make you work an entire year just to get a Grimoire?"

"Looking at you, you just might have," Grey chuckled.

Lucy pouted. "Alright, alright. Serve the customers first, the ceremony starts at nine."

"Okay…" Grey sighed, dragging his feet a little as he made his way to the counter to assist the incoming wave of visitors.

The library was bustling, filled with people of all ages, from energetic children to elderly men with walking sticks.

Grey couldn't help but think, 'So there's no age restriction here, huh?'

He worked steadily, helping them borrow books and managing the flow. Eventually, the last customer left with a satisfied smile, and silence once again settled over the library.

Grey glanced up at the clock.

8:45.

Fifteen minutes left until the ceremony began, just as Lucy had said.

"You work perfectly, Grey," Lucy said with a satisfied smile, giving him a thumbs-up. "Now come with me. Let's close up shop."

"Alright," Grey replied with a casual shrug.

They quickly locked up the library and stepped out into the streets, weaving through the morning bustle.

However, as they walked, Lucy's face remained puffed up in annoyance.

Nearly every woman they passed turned to look at Grey, some stealing glances, others outright staring, as if he were a magnet and they were metals. Their eyes almost seemed glued to his figure.

"Why do you attract so much attention, Grey?" Lucy huffed.

Grey glanced around, then chuckled, flashing a mysterious smile. "Who knows?"

Of course, he wasn't about to tell her the real reason was thanks to his inherent skill: <Charm>.

That would be idiotic.

Still, Grey couldn't help but feel a bit dissatisfied with the skill. Compared to other talents of the others, except perhaps for <Heart of Righteousness>, it felt largely useless.

'Maybe it helps me tame Grimoires more easily?' he chuckled at the funny thought.