ALL NOVEL Chapter 40: Not Over Yet
When Maria heard about the guild, she immediately grew excited. Her friends had already given her a crash course of gaming know-how so she understood the significance a guild held in Unitale.
"I can't wait to join! Just let me finish up my quest and be freed from that stupid, lying, oppressive, demonic geezer!"
"Ahahaha~ who's that? The Library's Director?" Lizzy laughed at her friend's description.
"Yeah!"
"R-really?"
"He's a stupid, lying, and oppressive old man! I hate him! He actually locked me up in the library to read all of the books inside! It's because of him that I can't go out and level with you guys!"
"Eh?"
Maria's friends were stunned to hear this, they grew a bit worried at how weird all of Maria's quests turned out to be. First was the High Priestess' Quest that literally put a person's morals to the test, now her quest had her imprisoned inside of the library.
"M-Mary...you really have strange quests issued out to you...have you ever experienced any normal quests?" Milly asked worriedly.
"Huh?"
"Well, not many quests would confine a player to a specific area until its completion..."
"..."
"Phew...you should really refrain from taking any more of those weird quests. It's not like you can't decline, right?"
"...actually...I wasn't given the option to decline..."
"..."
"Th-there are those kinds of quests after all... Remember that quest for us to gain citizenship in the neutral cities, Milly?" Amanda immediately voiced out.
"Yeah...we couldn't even decline and we were forced to exterminate some high leveled monsters in the field..."
The bell rang in the next moment which marked the end of lunch break.
"Well, just quickly finish your quest later, okay Mary? Message us when you're finished." Lizzy said as she got up.
"Okay~"
******
Maria logged back into the game and was greeted with the familiar sight of the library's interior.
"...Let's get started...I don't want that stupid geezer to yell at me again..."
Maria flew over to the last section of the library which books she hadn't read yet. She picked one up and immediately began reading.
She didn't forget to summon Lilah. Maria loved her company more than ever now. With her current confined state, she didn't have many people to talk to.
Lilah was her only respite, but most of the time was spent in silence since she was reading, but the little fairy was there to remind her of when to eat or if there was anyone in the library that needed her help.
If she helped out in the library, the receptionist would reward her with a few coins and experience. It also added points to her proficiency so she did all she could to quickly help out the players.
"Master, there's someone down there!"
"M'kay, wait a minute lemme bookmark this page."
After she placed her bookmark, Maria put the book back and flew down to the first floor of the library and approached the player in need. It turned out to be a familiar face.
"Oh! It's Lilith!"
"Hm? Maria, you're still here?"
The person who was looking around the library's first floor was actually Lilith, the new friend that Maria had made a while back.
They hadn't been in contact after their initial meeting, but now they've encountered each other once again.
"Ahaha~ how're you Lilith? I'm now acting as a part-time librarian here!"
"I've been doing great! You're a librarian? Hahaha~ I knew it, you really are interesting!"
Maria smiled at her and asked what she was doing here.
"I need a specific book, it's called Deklorian Mythos? It's an item for my class specific quest that I got from my instructor. It took me a while before I found the clue that I could actually find it in the library..."
Maria was surprised, that book was the exact book she had just finished reading before she had logged out last night.
"Follow me! I just finished reading that book last night! I got a decent amount of INT and EXP from finishing it~"
"Hm?"
This was a first for Lilith, she never heard about receiving any stat boosts just from reading a book.
"Hey, Maria!"
"Hm?"
"What do you mean by getting a decent amount of INT and EXP?"
Maria was a little surprised when she heard the question. She thought that everyone knew about it already.
"Well, if you read a book and finish it all the way to the end, you could gain EXP and INT! Doesn't everyone know that?"
"R-really? This is the first time I'm hearing this..."
"Oh...well, now you know!"
"Y-yeah..."
Maria brought Lilith up to the 3rd floor of the library and she quickly found the book her friend needed.
"Here you go!"
Maria handed the book over to Lilith. The girl looked delighted and checked to make sure it was the one she needed.
"Thanks, Maria! This is definitely the book, alright. I can't read the title, but this book is definitely the same with the one shown in my quest!"
"Hehe~ anything for a friend~ I'll be heading back to the top floor to continue my reading or that stupid old geezer will yell at me again..."
"Eh? Okay, I'll see you around Maria. Let's party up next time!"
"Sure!"
Maria saw off Lilith before going back to the top floor to resume reading the last of the books she hasn't read yet.
It took her half of an in-game day before she finally finished the very last book.
*DING* [You have accomplished an extraordinary feat by reading all the books in the library in under a month! Reward: +100 INT, 1 Gold Coin, +200 REP, 10,000 EXP]
[Title Gained: The Knowledgeable One]
[Unique Title: The Knowledgeable One
You are well learned and have immense knowledge in all sorts of fields. Provides a passive 5% boost to INT stat.
Equipped Effect 1: Increases INT by 10%
Equipped Effect 2: Increases Skill proficiency gained by 50%
Equipped Effect 3: Decreases time needed when deciphering ancient documents]
[Would you like to equip the title? YES/NO]
Maria decided not to equip the title, the 5% passive boost to INT was enough and her [Angel of Death] title was better for grinding higher level monsters. Maria didn't understand what the 3rd effect could be used for, but she did think that the 50% increase in skill proficiency gained was pretty neat.
"I'll use that when I'm grinding monsters, and I'll have the [Angel of Death] on when fighting bosses or rare monsters!"
Titles were easily interchangeable so why not just use them when the situation called for it? Maria thought it was pretty smart so she made sure to tell Lilah to always remind her just in case she forgot.
"Now...let's go visit that stupid geezer!"
"Master, calling the Library's Director stupid is a bit..."
"Hm? You say something Lilah?"
"...nevermind," Lilah replied awkwardly when she saw the old demon standing behind the oblivious Maria.
"So...I'm stupid, huh?"
"!"
Maria jumped in surprise when she heard a very familiar voice call out from behind her.
"M-M-Mr. Zelundo! How are you? Fine day isn't it?" Maria said trying hard to pretend she didn't say what she just said earlier.
"...You ungrateful little brat... whatever, you completed my request so I'll give you your due credit!"
"Ehehe~ thank you~"
"Don't act all cutesy with me, missy! Don't think I don't know what you've been saying about me behind my back!"
"Ack!"
[Quest Completed: Study Time! Rewards: +1000 FAV with Zelundo, +100 REP, +50 INT, [Book Keeping], 100,000 EXP]
When she received the quest rewards Maria smiled and felt really relieved.
"Thanks Mr. Zelundo!"
"Yeah, yeah, come visit sometime whenever you're free, this library's always opened for you," Zelundo said as he handed Maria a card.
[Received: Library Diamond Pass x1]
It was the item required to gain access to the library's higher floors. Normally the library passes that a player would receive when they completed the receptionist's quest would award a basic library pass that granted a time limited access to the library's first floor, but the diamond pass granted Maria unlimited access to the entirety of the library.
"Thanks!"
"Remember to drop by sometime! I'll prepare some new books for you to read, little missy!"
"M'kay~ I'll get going now!"
"Ah, wait a minute." Zelundo called out to her just as the girl was about to take off.
"Don't forget to go to the Magic Tower. That girly, Hella, had already placed arrangements for the old guy in the tower to teach you the skills you want."
Zelundo left behind those words before returning to his office.
"...I have a bad feeling about this..."
Maria was just about to inform her friends that she was finished, but it looks like things still weren't over for her.