Victor didn't see the other librarians for several hours. He browsed the collection of books on the first floor before selecting one that seemed interesting. It was titled [The Purgatory Primer: Everything You Need to Know to Last a Day in the Space Between]. He read through it over the course of his 'study session', absorbing the information within. It was under 100 pages, but some of the information sent his head reeling.

The world he was in was the newest in a long line of Purgatory planets. Every 10 years, a new planet was integrated into Purgatory. This new planet featured around 10 million individuals from various time periods on Earth or other worlds. Viktor still struggled to wrap his head around the fact that Purgatory was basically confirming the existence of other humanoid species, but there was so much other insane information that he was numb to the surprises.

The angel had been straight-forward with him and Claire. In general, as time went on, people's first lives became easier. Softer. They were tempted more but tested less. It was far easier to be lulled into lesser evils until a soul was steeped in the grey of moral ambiguity without opportunities for people to feel a righteous sense of conviction that drove them to grand acts of goodness. Fewer martyrs, fewer heroes, fewer saints. Purgatory was a place of non-stop challenge and struggle. Greater evils and greater opportunity for sacrifice. A mercy for those who couldn't grasp the good of quiet sacrifice each and every day-- the mother that works two jobs, the brother that lies to protect his sister, the old man who greets everyone with a smile on his face despite his cancer.

It was a little sickening.

Viktor pressed on, returning to his college days as he made full use of his incredible memory. He devoured the primer and sat back, face a mask of calm as he considered his options. The world he now lived on had 'gestated' for hundreds of years. Despite it being new to the humanoids, civilizations from other time periods or worlds had been simulated on its surface to create ruins, and monstrous residents had developed complex ecosystems, developed hoards of treasure, and interacted with each other for hundreds of years in order to create a dangerous and rewarding environment for the newest entries for Purgatory.

After 10 years, this world would open up and become just another world in Purgatory, another battleground or resource farm for those looking to make a name for themselves. Dying before that happened sent a person back into the queue and wiped the majority of their memories, turning them into fodder for the heroes of another age, their motivations primarily stripped from them. Viktor knew that, if that happened, he'd lose the unique advantages granted by Mephistopheles.

Therefore, Viktor had 2 goals:

- Survive for 10 years

- Become strong enough to barter for Claire's freedom.

First, he defined his win-condition, like a game. After thinking about it, he realized he had two: his goal was eternity with Claire. Whether that was in Purgatory or Heaven, he honestly didn't care. He'd just have to get Claire free in a Purgatory that was worth enjoying, or he'd have to get them both into Heaven. He wasn't picky.

After defining the win-condition and his goals, he needed to break them down into bite-sized pieces. SMART Goals. SMART Goals were specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-based. But SMART Goals took more information than Viktor had available, so he settled for more general goals about getting that information and preparing himself to survive for 10 years in a way that gave him power.

His weaknesses were many, but he could break them down like this:

1. He did not currently possess the mental fortitude required to deal with Purgatory.

2. He did not currently possess the physical fortitude required to deal with Purgatory.

3. He did not know how to fight.

4. He could not level up inside of the library.

5. He couldn't currently leave the library.

6. He might lose his memory if he did leave the library.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Together, these weaknesses seemed insurmountable. So Viktor didn't look at them all together. He broke them down piecemeal. In order to address his mental fortitude, he'd need to prepare himself in esoteric ways. What did it mean to be ready? He needed to be able to fight through pain and keep a cool head. He needed to feel no fear. He needed to be able to think through any situation without panicking. All things that he could theoretically learn while within the library, right?

The physical fortitude he was sure he could address. From the primer, he knew that the limits of the human body were broken... shattered. There was an upper limit that one could achieve, but even that could be shattered through dedication and training.

Elixirs were the other way he could make up for his lost progress. Elixirs could help to supplement the life energy he wouldn't be getting from slain creatures. That was how most of the people in purgatory would be getting stronger. Absorbing the life energy of slain foes would allow their soul to grow stronger. They'd increase their limits, surpassing what they thought was possible and molding their bodies into vessels of destruction and power. Meanwhile, Viktor would be sitting next to books, collecting dust for years. It was no path to power. At best, he'd become slightly more powerful than average. At worst, he'd find himself trapped in the library for eternity with no ability to escape. It was a bleak position, but stocking up on information and cashing in favors would be a way to make up for his lacking power.

In order to get those things, he'd need money. So how to get it? Viktor spent the next few hours exploring Floor 70. When he went up the stairs, he only had to go up one flight before he found himself on Floor 70. He floated between the aisles, fingers trailing along the spines of books as he perused the collection, confirming his suspicions. Floors 51-70 would be a history of the world, with Floor 70 being the most recent events. Numerous books were about the surrounding landscape, the tribes of creatures living nearby, and the areas most suitable for human inhabitance. Clearly, the idea was that any adventurers coming to the library this early would be looking for lower threat areas to settle or hunt wildlife.

Early in his hunt for information, Viktor made his way to a stairway on the other side of the library, intending to go down to Floor 69. He walked down and came to an empty stone room with a desk in the center. On the desk sat a stone bust of a fresh-faced young man wearing a collared shirt inlaid with 20 small gemstones. The bust animated as Viktor walked towards the desk, giving him a hopeful look and a smile.

"Hi there! You're the librarian? I'm a young adventurer looking to start a settlement. Could you tell me where I should go looking?" The bust asked, and Viktor understood. It was a test. The bust would act as an adventurer, and Viktor was supposed to prove his knowledge of the previous floor in order to gain access to the rest. He considered the question for a moment.

"You could try the area about 10 miles east of here, I suppose. It's a grassy plains up against a marsh hosting frog-men, but in recent times they've maintained a state of non-aggression towards other monstrous tribes and don't have many weapons. It's unlikely they'd harm you, and the marsh provides a pleasant source of freshwater," Viktor explained. The bust closed its eyes and nodded before asking the question again. A single gem on the bust's collar lit up, and Viktor had another realization. He'd have to answer 20 questions correctly in order to pass the test.

"About 650 miles to the South, you'll come across a desert. Continue 50 miles into the desert and you'll come across an oasis filled with a self-renewing lake and many fruit-trees. It's a frequent stop for traveling mantis-men, but if you can make peace with them, it would be a wonderful home." Another gem lit up.

The test continued with the bust asking questions about the landscape, which Viktor could answer decently since he'd studied a map in a book on Floor 70. The trouble started when the bust asked about the cultures of the monsters in the area. The only one he'd really read about were the frog-men surrounding the library. He immediately failed to answer the question about the best way to negotiate with a naga, and the bust became inert. Viktor felt himself being pulled away and responded to the call, walking back to Floor 70 to resume his studies.

If he could use the information in this book to find previously hidden treasures, he could leave the library and amass a small fortune by using the market system of Purgatory. There was, according to the primer, some sort of small structure he could build to access an auction-house that all residents could purchase from. This would allow him to gain silver, gold, or copper, the commodity currency backed by Purgatory.

Days turned into weeks as he studied and prepared, the other residents of the library completely forgotten.