Upon opening the door, Dariu was startled to see Silas on the other side emerging from the second door at the exact same time.

"What an impeccable timing," commented Silas.

"I'm glad you're fine as well."

"Actually, I'm more than fine," he said as he inspected his body, "my injuries have seemingly vanished."

Dariu did the same only to have a similar observation, "how is this possible? I just had a—"

His chest wound vanished, yet it wasn't what interrupted his train of thought; the stone necklace, once severed, had miraculously restored itself and was back around his neck.

Silas' eyes widened abruptly, his expression mirroring someone who had just recalled a crucial detail.

"Dariu... the classes."

[Second rule: all students must attend their classes in time. Tardiness or absence from class will result in expulsion.]

They had no clue how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity. Just how many classes did they miss?

Wearing a concerned expression, Dariu turned to the woman standing behind the table and urgently asked, "How long have we been gone?!"

"Only a few minutes," she answered calmly.

Confusion flickered between them as they exchanged glances.

Approaching the reception counter, Silas commented, "I've seen weirder things; I'll believe her for now." He began filling out the form.

Dariu joined him, patiently waiting for Silas to complete the process before filling out his own form:

Name: Dariu Magnus.

Place of birth: Mikarul Village.

Age: 16.

Reason for joining: Seeking knowledge regarding Elder Beasts.

After completing their forms, they slid the papers toward the woman. In those fleeting moments, Dariu managed to sneak a glance at Silas' form:

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Name: Silas Treishen.

Place of birth: Oranus City.

Age: 15.

Reason for joining: To research—

Before he could read more, the woman swiftly stamped both papers with red ink, causing them to promptly combust into ashes and vanish into thin air, leaving the pair in a state of confusion.

"This finalizes your membership. From now on, you are granted access to the books section, enabling you to read any book you desire. However, be aware that borrowing books is not permitted."

"And... Where is the books section?" Asked Dariu.

The woman gestured toward the door opposite to her, the same one through which the pair had initially entered the room.

Exiting the room, they found themselves the similar reception area where the other identical woman was gesturing towards the door to her left.

Beyond the door, another identical old woman welcomed them. They stepped into a long hallway adorned with luxurious red wood, illuminated by several fancy chandeliers, and featuring numerous sofas lining the sides.

Clutching a green covered notebook, the woman inquired of the pair, "your names, please?"

Upon sharing their names, the woman briefly scanned the notebook's pages before closing it.

"Follow me," she declared, leading the way down the hallway.

Midwalk, Dariu gazed into Silas with looks of curiosity. He had learned that he came from Oranus: the great northern city that held tales of prosperity in the accounts he'd heard from Arsel. Once a thriving city where even peasants enjoyed a good life, it fell into chaos when an Arcadian Lojius invaded, seeking to claim it as his own. After that, the city transformed into a battlefield, witnessing the tragic demise of hundreds in the relentless war for control over the territory.

"What's your problem?" Asked Silas with an irritated tone once he noticed Dariu's gaze.

"Nothing. Just reflecting on the fact that you're younger than me."

"What's with that?"

"You should respect me more."

"You should shut up more."

The woman reached a door at the end of the hallway, and pushed it open.

Beyond the door left the pair in awe; an unbelievably vast chamber unfolded before them, housing thousands of bookshelves. The chamber's towering roof and white stone walls, adorned with scattered white circular pillars and giant chandeliers, created a majestic and expansive space.

You were wrong, Naylu. This place can definitely host the world's entire knowledge, remarked Dariu.

The pair, along with the old woman, stood on on a landing that overlooked the library from above.

"You are free to roam around as you wish, and In case you require help finding a particular book, you can ask one of the staff members below," said the old woman.

Dariu and Silas approached the wooden rail to sneak a peek at the staff members below. As usual, all the workers engaged in cleaning, managing, and organizing the books were identical copies of the same woman.

"I know that magic doesn't exist," remarked Dariu, "but I must say, this is quite... Magical."

"How come you all look identical to eachother?" Silas asked the woman.

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

They exchanged a confused glance before opting to descend the stairs, strolling amidst the countless bookshelves.

"This place is gigantic," commented Dariu, "Where do we even begin browsing?"

"Let's split up," said Silas as he walked away.

"Wait, Silas!"

Silas ignored Dariu's shouts.

This guy sure is annoying as hell, thought Dariu to himself.

"May I be of assistance?" Spoke a staff member who appeared from nowhere next to Dariu.

"Do you happen to have... Something about Elder Beasts?"

"Follow me."

Dariu's heart skipped a beat, he did not expect that he could really find information regarding the infamous Elder Beasts.

According to Arsel, when the empire's numerous hunting expeditions failed to subdue the Beasts, they shifted their strategy. Recognizing that attacks only angered the invincible three great Beasts, leading to devastating rampages, the empire opted for coexistence. To control damage, any resistance against the Beasts was forbidden, and valuable information on how to fight them was systematically destroyed. As a result, not a single book detailing the formidable creatures could be found across the empire.

Yet somehow, Arcadia was out of the empire's reach.

"This is what you seek," said the woman as she halted next to a big bookcase.

Dariu stood in perplexity, not sure where to start looking.

"I'm sorry, which book is it?"

"All of them."

"All... Of them?"

"Yes."

"Seriously?" Exclaimed Dariu with a big grin on his face a radiant expression full of hope.

He anticipated the worst – not a single book about the Beasts. To his surprise, he discovered hundreds.

Swiftly scanning the book covers, he pondered where to begin. Soon, a title caught his attention: 'The Four Devils of Rucaria: An In-depth Exploration of the Elder Beasts.'

This seems like a suitable beginning, he remarked as he grasped the book.

Dariu then looked around and found a large table nearby where he can sit to delve into the book. He took a sit, then opened the book and started reading.