Chapter 16 16: Prize For Murder

Not wanting to interrupt and delay any more than necessary, I zipped my mouth shut, pushed all irrelevant thoughts aside, and listened intently. Raising one arm and sticking up a finger through the oversized robe, the Librarian began. "―Skills are powers or abilities that all fall under one of two categories: 'Passive' and 'Active'. Regardless of which category they belong to, all Skills have the potential to increase in Level, which enhances their potency up to an undetermined maximum!" Lowering that arm and raising the other, she continued. "On the other hand, Traits are characteristics that apply to you as an individual and, unlike Skills, they cannot increase in Level! Fret not, however! They still promise a plethora of boons and bonuses for you to enjoy!" Then, raising both arms, her body swayed as if standing on one leg. "Annnd~ last but not least we have Blessings! These are powers that can range anywhere from having negative effects to positive! They are also unique in that they are primarily obtained through the power of beings other than yourself. Additionally, whilst many Blessings cannot increase in Level, there do exist those that can―such as the Library's Authority!" Finally, she performed a twirl atop the stool before returning to her usual standing position. "That's all for the simple explanation! Do you perhaps have any questions?" This time, the Librarian's report was, surprisingly, clear and concise for all three subjects. Currently, I possessed no Skills, but I did possess a Trait, Professionalism, and a Blessing, Authority of the Library of Illusory Worlds. I didn't know what Professionalism did, but I was already informed quite deeply about the latter; seeing that 'Tier One' tagged onto the end, I also recognised the veracity of the explanation. "Can you explain Professionalism?" "Certainly! Erm, if you would like to see further details about Skills, Traits, or Blessings, you may do so by selecting them on the Assistance Menu!" 'Hm?' I did as the Librarian said―lo and behold, a description appeared before me. Trait - [Professionalism] A true professional knows only success. (All aspects considered related to your profession are enormously enhanced) "Ahh... Is that all?" 'It's not as in-depth as I'd hoped, but... I guess it's alright...?' Ideally, it would have clarified what precisely was meant by "aspects considered related to my profession"... or anything more than it currently displayed, in fact, but as I could only theorise as to what that referred to in particular, there wasn't a whole lot else to discuss. However, I did note that these were both things I must have possessed prior to being transported to that Illusory World with the Hero, meaning, if the Trait was truly a passive ability like the Librarian suggested, then it would have been active on me ever since I first entered the Library on that night... At that realisation, I reflected again on the past days. 'Was there anything off about me during that time...?' To be entirely honest, I didn't remember it that well, and even if there was something odd going on, I probably would have been too overwhelmed with the situation at hand to notice anything different... I did remember being unusually calm during moments throughout it, but well, it wasn't to the extent that I would call it abnormal. 'Maybe it's something I had before stumbling across that magical critter, even.' That was another possibility I had to consider. "By the way, does this allow me to speak the language of Illusory Worlds? Or is that just because the people there spoke English. No, wait, since it's the world of a fictional story, would it just be the setting...?" Either way, hopefully it was the case that everything would be translated for me. Fortunately, the Librarian answered that concern too. "Certainly! Unless it is stated otherwise that the residents of an Illusory World use a language separate to your own, assume it is the same I suppose! Of course, most Illusory Worlds take place in a setting in which their spoken language is unique―Regardless, you will be able to understand and communicate with them perfectly, Enki! So fret not! The Authority of the Illusory Library allows you to comprehend and speak all manner of languages among the diverse Illusory Worlds!" "I see. Well, that definitely helps a lot." 'Wonder if it allows me to speak other languages on Earth too.' It was definitely convenient, but in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but feel that something about it was odd. Regardless, both due to a mix of unrelated frustration and not understanding what my own problem was, I simply decided to postpone it for now. If there are any issues I think of, I can deal with them when they arise. If I can't think of them, then there's no point dealing with them―Or rather, I can't deal with them if I can't think of them, so I shouldn't waste my time bothering. "You are very welcome! Does that alleviate your curiosity somewhat?" Scratching my head, I nodded. "Mostly." Other than that, there weren't really a whole lot of questions I wanted to ask. If anything, just some more information regarding how I'm supposed to level things up or even just acquire them in the first place. Well, there were also the other sections of this Assistance Menu thing to check out, so the answer probably lied in one of those. Curious, I decided to tap on the only Blessing I had to open up its description. Blessing - [Authority of the Library of Illusory Worlds (Tier One)] A Blessing bestowed by the Spirit of the Library of Illusory Worlds; a mysterious existence not once mentioned in myths nor legends, only observing in quiet from the peace of its isolated Library. With the Authority of the Library, you have officially gained the favour of the Illusory Spirit, and thus permission to enter the Library of Illusory Worlds as you wish has been granted. Alas, as is evident by the yet-lacking Tier of Authority, this is merely the inception point of uncovering the Illusory Library's truth. (You do not yet possess the full authority of the Library of Illusory Worlds - Gain the Spirit's favour to be bestowed a higher Blessing.) Tier One - Authorisation to access the Library of Illusory Worlds. Tier Two - ??? I perused the description, brimming with intrigue. From what's been said, it appeared to be the case that this 'Illusory Spirit' I keep hearing about is the master of the Library. 'Does that mean it's the boss of the Service as well?' The description didn't state how to gain the favour of the Spirit, but I didn't have to think very hard to figure out what the most likely answer was. Protagonists Dispatched : 1 When that number reaches a certain threshold, I'm sure the Spirit will start to favour me more. After all, if my understanding was correct then the Spirit was the one who wanted to bring me here in the first place―not the Librarian. Or rather, the Librarian was the one who somehow recruited me even though I never applied for the job, but I guess the Spirit was the one who ordered her to do so. Anyway, I'll naturally come to understand if my assumption is correct or not in due time. 'Er, hold on. Am I just assuming I'll continue to do this...?' Feeling a slight scowl form on my face, I shook my head. Regardless, I did say I would listen to the Librarian's entire explanation first. Stretching my body lightly, I remembered there was still more to go over. "There're those Shop and Storage menus, aren't there? Before we get into the Shop, I'm assuming the Storage is empty, right?" 'The '???' menu will probably be unlocked when my Authority is higher, so I won't worry about that for now.' Unexpectedly, however, the Librarian shook her head at my question. "Actually, you do! Currently, you have three 'items' in Storage!" "...Huh?" Uttering just that confused sound, I blinked. Before she could say anything more, I immediately pulled the tab open. "What... Oh! Hah, this is where it went...!" Indeed, in the third slot of the expansive inventory space, a certain item could be found. Item - [Jackass Hero's Holy Sword] A Holy Sword possessed by a young Hero infamous for his abuse, discrimination and narcissism. Some prayed the ancient spirit sealed within the blade would lead the Hero down a path of righteousness and virtue, but alas, such a hope appeared to have been akin to a fool's paradise. Now that the abhorred Hero has passed on, and the accompanying Holy Sword lost, what will become of the divine blade? *Possesses Holy properties *Possesses Anti-Evil properties *Possesses Anti-Demon properties Ego Item - (Sealed Spirit) Grade : Legendary Subconsciously patting at the spot on my waist where the two swords had previously been attached, relief soothed my heart as the ends of my lips curled up.