Mr. F and Albert stayed in the laboratory for a few more hours that evening. Despite the numerous failures Albert faced, his determination never wavered. He kept trying, over and over again, refusing to show any sign of weakness. However, what he also failed to show was progress. It was peculiar; even when Mr. F attempted to guide him step by step, Albert would eventually lose focus and revert to his old habits.

They had even tried brewing the recipe in tandem. Initially, this method seemed to work, but the more responsibilities Mr. F handed over to Albert, the more mistakes occurred. It was as if Albert had a mental barrier that prevented him from fully absorbing any external influence.

"We'll call it a day, Albert," Mr. F said as he watched the diligent young man clean the cauldron. Albert looked disappointed at first, but he quickly put on a smile and replied, "Okay, then until tomorrow, Master."

Mr. F almost corrected him—after all, he had never officially accepted Albert as his apprentice—but decided to let it slide, just this once. He left the lab, donned his personal robe, and exited the estate. As he left the perimeter, he could sense once again that he was being tracked by a long-range spell. However, this time he didn't care, as he had no illicit intentions.

He made his way through the city, eventually arriving at a massive building that resembled a cathedral. The structure was imposing, with towering spires and intricate stone carvings that seemed to glow under the pale moonlight. It took him half an hour to get there, and as he approached the entrance, he was struck by the grandeur of the place.

Entering the building, Mr. F noticed a counter behind which an elderly man was sitting. The man was already asleep, snoring softly. Mr. F found the sight amusing. It was late, but for a place that was supposed to be open 24 hours, it seemed a bit ridiculous for the receptionist to be napping.

He approached cautiously and said, "Excuse me."

No response. He repeated himself, "Excuse me."

Still nothing. Mr. F didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. He had gone out of his way to come here, and he wasn't about to leave empty-handed.

He reached out to tap the man on the shoulder. Just as his hand was a few centimeters away, the man's eyes snapped open, and in a flash of movement that would rival even a Tier 6 mage, he grabbed Mr. F's wrist.

Mr. F was stunned. This man could easily be a Tier 7 mage. Yet here he was, sleeping peacefully at the reception desk of a city library.

The man scrutinized Mr. F for a moment before releasing his grip. "Ahem... I apologize for my roughness. How can I help you?"

"Um, I'd like to enter the library."

"Then go right in, for heaven's sake. No need to wake me up. The library is monitored anyway."

"I don't have a library card yet, so entering without one would be a violation."

"You young folks these days. Can't you handle this during the day? Tsk tsk tsk."

Young folks? Mr. F was about to respond when he noticed the glassy look in the receptionist's eyes. The man was apparently blind and had likely used his magical perception to sense Mr. F's presence. Given Mr. F's high vitality, it was no wonder the man mistook him for someone much younger.

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Deciding not to comment further, Mr. F waited as the man rummaged through a drawer.

"Now, how did this work again? Ah, yes." The man retrieved a card and inserted it into a device on the desk. A moment later, he channeled a portion of his mana into the machine.

"Why are you just standing there? Place your hand on the device and infuse it with your mana."

Mr. F did as instructed, placing his hand on the machine. The device began to whir loudly and emit strange noises.

"Ho ho, it seems we have someone important here tonight," the man remarked.

Mr. F chuckled lightly but chose not to delve into the comment.

"And your name?" asked the man behind the counter.

"Most people call me Mr. F."

"Hmmm, Mr. F, is it? An interesting choice of name. I like it. My name is Frederick. You can call me Fred."

A moment later, the machine completed its process, and Frederick handed the card to Mr. F.

"This library is protected by a magical seal. Everything you do will be seen and recorded by it."

Frederick continued, "This library has three floors. The first floor contains general books on all sorts of topics. Typically, it's accessible to those between Tier 1 and 3, so it's practically open to everyone."

"The second floor is for those between Tiers 4 and 6. Here you'll find more specific information that isn't available to the general public."

"And the third floor... well, let's just say if you can't find what you're looking for on the first two floors, you're bound to find it on the third."

"Hmmm, okay, thank you," Mr. F said. "And how does payment work?"

"Oh, you can load money onto the card either here with me or at a magical machine. Each minute on a floor costs according to the floor's tier. However, books can also be borrowed, and there's a maximum amount of gold coins you'll be charged for reading a book. That means if you find a book that interests you, you can get a copy of it from the machine."

"The first floor costs one silver coin per minute. The second floor costs one gold coin per minute."

Mr. F waited for him to continue, but when he didn't, he prompted, "And the third floor?"

"Well, the third floor... heh heh... if you're allowed on the third floor, entry is free."

Mr. F was puzzled by this statement but decided to see for himself. "Thank you for your help. Excuse me, but I have some business to attend to." With that, Mr. F entered the library.

Frederick, who remained at the counter, leaned back in his chair and murmured to himself, "Things might get interesting around here soon."

Mr. F entered the library and approached one of the machines. Another person was already in the process of loading money onto their card, so Mr. F waited his turn. He observed the process with interest, noting how simple it was: place the card, deposit the money onto the pedestal, and the machine would absorb the payment, allowing you to remove your card.

When it was his turn, Mr. F did the same. He placed his card on the machine, took out 100 gold coins—his last, as he noted with some regret—and placed them on the pedestal. But it was worth it; after all, an alchemist always finds a way to make more money.

He waited and waited, but the machine didn't absorb his money. He tried removing and replacing the coins, but still, the machine refused to take them. People behind him began to gather and grow restless. Mr. F couldn't understand why it wasn't working and wondered if the machine was broken.

He let the other patrons go ahead of him and tried again. The machine worked perfectly for them, but for some reason, it wouldn't accept his payment.

A young man was just about to enter the library when Mr. F stopped him. "Young man, wait a moment."

"Hmm?" The young man turned and looked at Mr. F with a curious expression but responded politely, "What can I do for you?"

"I'm new here. I wanted to ask if you know why the machine might not be accepting my money."

"The machine not accepting money? I've never heard of such a thing, sorry."

Mr. F pressed on, "And what happens if someone tries to enter the library without money on their card?"

"Well, that's not possible. The person would run into a barrier and wouldn't be able to enter. Likewise, if someone's funds run out, they'd be ejected by the barrier. You could try forcing your way through the barrier, but that would trigger an alarm, and the guards would kill you. But, well, your choice. I'm in a hurry, see you around."

The young man gave a slight bow and quickly made his way into the library. It was clear he had other matters to attend to.

Mr. F decided to test this barrier himself. If it didn't work, he could always go back to Frederick. But to his surprise, he was able to enter the library without any problems.

How was this possible, without any money?