“Librarian, we are looking for books about advancing our magical cores without the use of a mana spirit or a coupled magical realm,” Andy said to the puppet.
“You will likely find what you are looking for in the mana composition section. Let me print you up a map to the information terminal, it’s quite a long trip from here. Also, the area is currently infested with jellyapes. I suggest extreme caution when interacting with them.” It answered.
“Are these anything like the creature that dragged itself along the ground at us or the weird shadow creatures?” Andy had nearly forgotten that there were several questions he could likely get answered before they journeyed deep into the wing.
“No, the husks and the shadowmorphs are their own unique dangers. As you know, the shadowmorphs are easy enough to escape from, and as long as you don’t venture into the stacks that a husk is currently active in, there will be no issue there either. Jellyapes like to hunt for a much greater distance. If you would like to learn more about abyssal beasts within the library, I recommend the section on anti-magical creatures or the abyss. Though we don’t shelf much about the abyss in here, as this wing only contains material pertaining to all that is and the abyss is something else.”
“Just how many abyssal beasts are there looming in the stacks?” Andy followed up, doing his best to keep the fear out of his voice.
“All of them that are.” It answered.
“Okay, different question. How long has passed since we were last here.” Bill joined in the questioning.
“The passage of time in the Under Library is a complex set of variables based on the presence of the stewards. So, relative to you, no time has passed. Natural passage of time only occurs while you are present in the library. Effects of aging once maturity is reached are also suppressed within the Library’s time field. Due to vastly different lifespans of creatures throughout the infinite it is only fair that they have equal accommodations in regards to their studies.”
“Is it my imagination, or is it answering more questions than it did the last time we were here?” Andy remembered the puppet being seemingly unable to give any information anywhere near this level of detail on their previous trip.
“As the stewards have managed to survive their first stay in the Under Library, secure a gateway to their own universe of residence, and return with new patrons, my ability to provide surface-level information has increased. This is so that I may better serve you as your questions grow more complex while you study the Under Library itself.” Andy wasn’t expecting an answer from the puppet; his question had been more intended for Bill, if anyone, but he wasn’t about to complain. More information was a good thing, and it was something they dearly needed.
“Is there a way to speed up our biological aging?” Andy realized the poor phrasing of the question the second the puppet answered.
“Yes, many.”
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“Are there any mechanisms the Under Library has to do this for us?” He tried a more exact question this time.
“No, but I can give you a map to the section on biological aging when coupled with mana growth.”
“No, we can get that from the information terminal once we are done in our current section. Alright, final questions before we head out. Is there anything you think we should know, and if there is, can you tell us those things?” Andy figured it was best to at least try.
“There are many things I think it would benefit you to know, many of which I am not allowed to tell you about. The most important thing is ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR.” After the fifth error, its head slumped down onto the desk.
“Ugh, what happened?” Twonger reached out and poked the puppet’s head as he asked.
“No idea exactly what, but I’m guessing we pushed up against whatever restrictive programming it has, but for some reason, it tried to answer anyway,” Bill answered Twonger with uncertainty in his voice.
“Yeah, grab the puppet. I want to take it with us before it’s just replaced with a new, less helpful one. No one has told us not to yet, so I don’t think it will count as breaking a rule.” Andy hoped it was either only temporarily non-functional or that they could repair it. Either way, he wanted the puppet.
Twonger complied, reached across the desk, and slung the puppet over his arms. “Got it, now where to mate?”
“Through here, follow us,” Andy said, gesturing to Bill.
“Something is coming, let’s go quickly.” Alfred alerted the group.
They heeded his warning and quickly vanished into the stacks, following Andy and Bill as they kept referencing the map. Andy looked side to side as they went constantly checking for any dangers, mostly ignoring the small talk he heard from the others. He wanted to stay focused so that they could get to the first reading room before nightfall. Bug’s voice snapped him out of his focus.
“Andy, I smell a cat. Didn’t you say you met a cat last time?” She asked.
“I did. Where do you smell the cat?”
“She’s ahead, I believe, near the reading room you are leading us to,” Gretal answered.
“Okay, that could be useful. I was hoping we’d get a chance to talk to the cat’s owner again.” Andy was still very unsure of her, but now that he had a bigger group, she was another potential source of useful information.
With the reading room now in sight, he decided they would first set up a bit for the night and see if the cat was still around once they were secure. He had no intention of being caught out after hours. It didn’t look like fate was going to agree with his intentions, though, as they found the room already occupied.
He knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Still no answer.
“I don’t think we can make it to another reading room in time.” Bill was the first to break the silence with the bleak message.
“No, we can’t. Fuck this isn’t going to be good.” Andy agreed. He had no idea what to do.
“MEOOOOOOOW.” There was suddenly a loud screeching meow from behind them. The group spun to find a large, fluffy orange cat screaming at them. Once it saw them turn, it darted off into the stacks.
“It’s Mr. Wiggles! Quick, everyone, follow that cat!” Andy shouted to the group as he began to run after the cat.