Marble floors and colorful lights.
Endless shelves lined with books.
All of them intertwined like a maze, yet Jin-hyuk continued walking forward.
To be precise, toward the center—where the information desk was located.
How long had he walked?
At the end of the passage, which gradually widened, he finally saw it: an old wooden desk.
And seated behind it—
"Um?"
Clack!
An old man wearing a black suit and a monocle over one eye stood up, curiosity flickering across his face.
Jin-hyuk knew exactly why.
How did a human break through the maze and find the information desk in one attempt?
That was what the man was wondering.
"Surprising. It's normal for first-timers to get lost in the maze of books."
"I just followed the path and ended up here. I suppose I'm a rather lucky person."
Jin-hyuk shrugged.
Rick didn't question it further.
Instead, he studied Jin-hyuk with interest.
"I am Rick Hennessy, the manager of this library."
Rick bowed politely.
A middle manager bowing first…
That alone explained why this man was dangerous.
If Rick had dismissed him arrogantly, Jin-hyuk would've found him easier to handle.
But maintaining politeness despite his superior position meant intelligence.
A true tycoon—one who managed one of the largest libraries in the Tower.
To get what they wanted from this man, players needed strategy.
"I'm Kang Jin-hyuk."
"Player Kang Jin-hyuk. A pleasure to meet you. You are one who entered this place earlier than others with the Tower's approval. As a reward, you may purchase one book here. Choose freely."
Rick extended his hand.
A treasure trove of barrier spells and offensive magic appeared.
But—
"Showing me selected books and asking me to choose… isn't that limiting my options?"
"Haha. Not at all. I merely meant you may select anything. However, purchases require payment. Naturally, we don't accept Earth's currency—only coins or items."
As expected.
Unfortunately, every useful magic book here cost at least a billion coins.
Out of the question.
"I don't have enough coins. I'd prefer bartering. Could you recommend a suitable mage?"
Jin-hyuk placed Merlin's Staff on the desk.
Rick's eyes trembled.
A telltale habit whenever something valuable appeared.
"Hm. How about this? A flame-based spellbook said to have been created by the Red Dragon. A fair exchange for Merlin's Staff."
Rick quickly produced a red book etched with golden runes.
Same old pattern.
In the past, Jin-hyuk had suffered heavily here.
He once traded priceless items for what he believed was a legendary spellbook—only to realize later it was worthless.
Back then, he had been blinded by the allure of "high-tier magic."
But now—
"That's strange."
"Strange? What do you mean?"
"From what I know, this book was written by an Imperial Court Mage—not the Red Dragon. His name was… Telemos, wasn't it? A 6th-circle mage."
Not even an archmage.
A rank-70 court mage's book—and Rick was trying to pass it off as a dragon's legacy.
"…!?"
Rick's eyes shook violently.
Shock replaced his earlier curiosity.
"How do you know that?"
"I have a wide network. Information tends to find me."
Jin-hyuk smiled and pulled out a coffee pot, filter paper, and beans from his subspace.
Items he'd bought earlier from the Coin Exchange.
"This might take a while. Care for a drink?"
He poured hot water slowly through the filter.
"No, coffee isn't really—"
Rick stopped.
The aroma hit him.
"No."
It was brewed using Coffee Beans from the Bengenti Jungle.
Rick's favorite.
"Do you enjoy coffee as well, Player Kang Jin-hyuk?"
"I'm not a fan of instant coffee, so I searched carefully. Coffee inside the Tower has deeper flavor. This one is the best."
"…Hm. You have good taste. This is my favorite as well."
Jin-hyuk knew.
He had once seen Rick drink twelve cups in a single day.
Jin-hyuk himself preferred caramel macchiatos and chocolate frappuccinos.
But winning favor mattered more.
[The librarian 'Rick Hennessy's' favor toward you increases.]
[Ever a merchant seeking profit, his stubbornness has softened.]
A keen eye for authenticity.
Shared taste.
And on top of that—Communion was subtly influencing the exchange.
Psychological warfare.
"May I ask you something, Player Kang Jin-hyuk?"
"Of course."
"You're clearly not an average player. Your knowledge… your composure. You seem to have an unusual background."
Rick watched him carefully.
Common sense dictated that a player newly reaching the 5th floor shouldn't possess this much information.
"What exactly is your background?"
Jin-hyuk smiled.
He had been waiting for this.
"Actually, the Egyptian Gods have been watching me. Because of that, I've gained access to certain information—and places like this."
"You're… in contact with the Egyptian Gods?"
"Yes."
"I—I had no idea you were a player they were so invested in…"
"They've taken quite an interest in me."
If Anubis heard this, he'd probably bite his tongue—or throw himself off a pyramid.
But Rick didn't know that.
Not yet.
"…I see. Then perhaps I was too harsh."
Rick's tone shifted completely.
"Those worthy of respect must be treated accordingly. As an apology, I will gift you one book from this library."
Oh?
This was unexpected.
Any book—regardless of price?
"Can I truly choose anything?"
"Yes. Consider it a formal apology."
In that case—
Jin-hyuk began walking.
Step.
Step.
He slowed… then stopped.
A corner shelf.
12F – Row 127
Here.
Why does this excite me when I hated textbooks?
He pulled out a black-covered tome.
"Are you sure? There are far superior books. This one is written in ancient runes—most can't even read it."
"This records the moment when I, the Black Dragon Macedrian, ascended into an Ancient Dragon. A book written by a dragon obsessed with breaking the rules of the world."
Jin-hyuk read the opening passage effortlessly.
He'd stared at these runes for over ten years.
"Puhaha! Incredible. Truly blessed by the gods."
Rick laughed heartily.
Whether it was shock at Jin-hyuk reading ancient runes—or hearing him casually mention a dragon—didn't matter.
What mattered was—
Jin-hyuk had completely earned Rick's favor.
"I'll be watching you closely from now on. I look forward to meeting you again."
Kukuku!
The library crumbled into sand.
The reward had been claimed.
The 5th floor of the Tower of Trials.
Only two days had passed since the 4th floor's conquest, yet many had already challenged it.
Because maps were assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, players rushed to secure favorable locations.
The most popular choice—
The Mine.
[C-101 is closed]
[D-77 is closed]
[E-158 is closed]
Watching the rapid notifications, Jin-hyuk laughed.
"Wow. This is like registering for university electives."
Like popular liberal arts classes—'Love and Sexuality'—filled instantly.
It was considered safer than other options.
But—
"They don't know the clear time for 'safe' options is abnormally slow."
Finding the Royal Diamond buried deep inside the mine was like searching for a needle in the desert.
Many failed even after 90 days.
All that remained was a battered body.
Jin-hyuk ignored the popular choices.
Instead, he looked at the place players avoided the most.
[Z–01 Psychiatric Ward]
Currently on standby: 37
Remaining time: 0h 2m 13s
A cursed building.
Monsters.
Roaming asylum patients.
This was the true battlefield of the 5th floor.
Almost out of time.
Just as Jin-hyuk was about to accept—
Tring!
A message appeared.
From someone who had never once revealed themselves.
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