William stared at me with wide, pleading eyes, almost as if he was silently begging me to tell the truth. His expression was so human, so filled with emotion, that it took me by surprise. But as much as I wanted to do the right thing here in Penance, I felt trapped, like my hands were bound by invisible chains, the will of forces beyond my control.
“It was really the Goblin King who botched the final attack,” I began, my voice catching slightly as I tried to steady myself. “He took out both Thomas and Klericho, but I managed to deal the final blow and beat the floor. Unfortunately, I died of poison right after, but as soon as I cleared it, the floor reset. Now, anyone can clear the second floor again. The Djinn is gone. I checked.” I didn't because I didn't remember clearing an entire floor, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
The creature across from me—William—nodded slowly, his wide eyes glinting with a strange light. “Wonderful, wonderful,” he murmured, his voice filled with an unsettling excitement. “We should be expecting new arrivals anytime now. I will be quite happy about this.” He paused, leaning in slightly. “Is there anything else you want to share?”
I shook my head, feeling a knot of tension slowly unraveling in my chest. “No, that’s it.”
“All right,” William said, straightening up and smoothing down the front of his robes. “There are quite a few things we need to go through before I can admit you into the library process properly.” He reached over to a nearby desk, pulled out a hefty stack of papers, and placed them in front of me. “To begin, there are several documents that require your signature, as well as fees that need to be paid. Proper upkeep of the library is expensive, after all.”
“Paperwork?” I muttered under my breath, my irritation rising. “I didn’t think I’d have to deal with that in Penance, of all places.”
William’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of impatience flashing across his features. “You know how to write, don’t you?” he asked, his tone dripping with condescension as he handed me a quill and the stack of papers.
I frowned at the pile, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “I’m not reading all that,” I said bluntly, not bothering to hide my frustration.
“Read it or not, it doesn’t matter,” William replied, his tone indifferent. “But you must sign on every page.”
I hesitated, the quill hovering over the first sheet. “Can you at least tell me what I’m agreeing to here?” I asked, my voice tinged with a mixture of wariness and resignation.
William let out a long, slow sigh as if explaining this was a tedious task he’d rather not be bothered with. “Yes, yes. These are basic contracts outlining your duties as a librarian. The first few pages are about procuring more books for the vault.” His voice took on a reverent tone as he continued, “If you didn’t know, this library is a very special place. Every book here is a portal to another world.”
“Wait, what?” I blurted out, my hand freezing mid-signature. My mind struggled to process the enormity of what he was saying.
“Yes,” William continued, his tone almost casual, as if he were discussing the weather. “Each book in this library doesn’t just contain words—it transports you to a new reality.”
I stared at him, my mind reeling. This was just the third floor. What could possibly be waiting for me on the next four floors if this one contained entire worlds? How long was this floor going to take? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
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Seeing my hesitation, William’s expression softened slightly. “Oh no, you misunderstand,” he said, waving a hand dismissively. “While the books do take you to new places, these worlds are not as vast as you might think. They are self-contained, usually small, with a few tasks that must be completed in order to leave. But there are categories that define each world.”
I slowly lowered the quill, trying to make sense of his words. “I think I kind of understand,” I said, though my voice lacked confidence. “But what do you mean by categories? What kind of categories?”
“It’s simple,” William replied, his eyes lighting up with the excitement of a teacher explaining something to a particularly dull student. “There are seven categories of worlds, each with its own theme. For example, your friend who brought you here is currently in what we call a jungle world. It’s filled with rainforests, regular forests, and all sorts of creatures—animals, monsters, and combinations of both—that you must battle using only weapons. Skills don't work in that level at all..”
He continued, leaning forward slightly as if eager to share more. “In another world, called the Mountain, you must scale ridiculously tall peaks, jumping across perilous gaps to reach your goal without attack magic, or weapons while monsters constantly attack. And in yet another, you might find yourself clearing out camps—goblin camps or other such creatures.”
“Okay, so what’s the goal?” I asked, still trying to wrap my head around it all. “I just jump across gaps, kill monsters—what’s the point?”
“Yes, yes,” William said, nodding vigorously as if he were finally getting to the good part. “At the end of each of these areas, there is what is known as a Golden Page. We believe that by collecting a certain number of these pages, you can create a new book that might take you to the next floor. But the problem is, no one has come back after entering such a book, so we are not entirely sure.”
My heart sank as his words hit me like a ton of bricks. “So, no one has ever come back?”
“Not yet,” William admitted, a shadow of doubt flickering in his eyes. “But we continue to test theories on how to create this golden book. Once we figure out the formula, we will share it with everyone on the floor. It is our hope that no one will ever be stuck here again.”
I sighed, the weight of the task ahead pressing down on me like a lead blanket. “So let me recap. I need to go into these worlds, collect these Golden Pages, and then that will allow me to create a new book that might—just might—let me escape. Correct?”
“Yes, that is correct,” William confirmed, his voice growing more serious. “However, since you are joining the librarians, there is one more thing we need to discuss.”
“And that is?” I asked, my wariness returning.
“The cost of membership,” William replied, his tone formal, as if he were conducting a business transaction.
Of course, this wasn’t going to be free. I should have known better by now.
“Since you are becoming one of the librarians,” William explained, his eyes boring into mine, “there are two things you must do every day that you are on this floor. First, you must collect two books a week to bring back to the library; This is a mandatory task. Second, for every ten Golden Pages you collect, you must bring us three.”
“That’s outrageous!” I snapped, unable to hold back my frustration any longer. “You’re asking for too much.”
William remained unfazed by my outburst, his expression calm and collected. “There is an upside,” he said evenly, as if explaining a simple fact. “In exchange for bringing us Golden Pages, we offer a currency that you can use here in the library. That currency will allow you to purchase things. For example—” He paused, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a small item, which he placed on the desk in front of me. “These are called Library Checkpoint Tickets. They allow you to respawn inside a world when you die, without changing your class, or losing your items.”
My eyes widened slightly as I recognized the item. “Oh yeah, those are pretty awesome,” I admitted, feeling a flicker of hope. “I think I have a few already.”
William’s expression shifted from calm to confused, his brows furrowing slightly. “How do you already have tickets? You can only get them inside the worlds.”
“I—uh—I don’t know,” I stammered, feeling a sudden wave of anxiety as I realized I couldn’t explain it.
“It doesn’t matter,” William said, waving a hand dismissively, though the confusion lingered in his eyes. “There are many more rewards for bringing us these Golden Pages. We are trying to test different theories on how to create the golden book. Once we have figured out the formula completely, we will release that information to everyone. It is our hope that we can forever solve this floor so that no one will ever be stuck here again.”