After hearing my unusual demand, Aileen's eyes widened slightly, but her previous amused demeanor quickly returned. "The Great Library? That's... an interesting request for a first-year."

  I simply nodded, keeping a calm face. "I know, but that's what I desire..."

  She pursed her lips, considering. "Hmm, access tokens are usually only given for good performance during tests and competitions, but given the circumstances... I'll need to first consult with Master Leo, but I think it shouldn't pose a problem."

  As Aileen stepped away to confer with her superior, Gil chimed in. "You want to go to the Great Library? Why? There's nothing but books there!"

  "Exactly!" I grinned.

  "You're weird… To think you could have asked for a literal pile of soul coins or even a real artifact!" Gil shook his head disapprovingly but then quickly returned to thinking about his own reward.

  I didn't say anything in reply, knowing it was useless. Gil was too young and shortsighted to understand the age-old saying that knowledge is power. In my mind, this was the best possible choice I could have made.

  Soon, Aileen returned, her expression unreadable. I threw a questioning look her way, to which she smiled and placed a small, ornate token on the counter.

  "Your request has been approved," Aileen cheerfully announced.

  I gazed lovingly at the unassuming wooden slip, which was apparently the famed access token for the Great Library.

  It surprised me how quickly I was able to obtain this. After all, the classes had only started about two days ago.

  So, the notion I was able to complete one of my main goals so fast was a bit daring even for me. That said, I also didn't expect to be thrown into the Labyrinth depths all of a sudden, so it kind of equaled out.

  Seeing my excited face, Aileen chuckled. "Hmm, so you're one of those nerds who wants to get ahead of the herd, is that right?... Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with that... It's just that I have a hard time imagining you as one, especially since you are in the company of this wastrel over there."

  "Hey! What's that supposed to mean? I study too, you know? It's just that I'm better suited for more entrepreneurial endeavors, that's all..." Gil blurted out, looking outraged all of a sudden.

  'Did she hit a nerve or something?' I silently wondered. Their friendly bickering gave me the impression they had some history, but I didn't prowl into it. It was none of my concerns, and the only thing on my mind right now was returning to the dormitory's peace and quiet.

  I had to suppress an urge to head into the Library straight away as sadly, this token was valid for only a single visit. Also I would be able to borrow only one tome for further study.

  That said, it was anyone's guess how many books I perused while I was there before I selected the one I would be taking with me.

  That's why I had to carefully prepare and go there first thing in the morning, so I would have as much time as possible before they threw me out due to the night's curfew.

  With that in mind, I promptly said my goodbyes to both Aileen and Gil, who was still torn between the various options of his one and only reward, and quickly headed back down to the second floor so I could prepare for tomorrow.

  'What should I focus on?' was the million soul-coin question. Well, the thing I wanted to study the most were the advanced elements, so the general direction was given.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Still, the main question was whether or not I should bother with the general theory pertaining to all the elements or if I should simply focus on a single one from the very start.

  I wasn't going to waste my time with the basic elements like the rest of the first-year students. After all, I had only three years to make a name for myself and become an apprentice before my prepaid tuition ran out.

  Granted, there was always the option of doing more tasks for money, but that went directly against the academy's purpose. As each day spent working meant one less day for studying magic.

  Furthermore, since mastering an element took apparently many years, even more so with the advanced elements, I couldn't waste any time.

  'There's one other option,' I suddenly realized. While I was living in the Labyrinth city, I noticed that there were only a few healers. Their services were very much sought after, so they made a lot of money while also being able to freely practice their craft and thus gain experience at the same time.

  The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. 'So, I guess the element of life it is...'

  And since the only other element that synergized well with it being the element of light, my future path seemed all but set. 'All that remains is to find a good grimoire that would give me a good starting point...' I thought, smiling.

  ***

  The next day, I headed out nice and early, skipping both breakfast and the morning class. I was already in deep water for skipping one, so one more shouldn't make too much of a difference.

  By my count, it took around five minutes to walk up a floor; if one was walking swiftly, that is. Thus, going all the way to the tenth floor should take me around an hour or so. There was very little traffic so early in the morning, so my ascent was quick and purposeful.

  Soon, I left the bustling dormitories behind and was fully surrounded by the absolute quiet of the various advanced study facilities and classrooms on the high floors.

  It seemed I was only first-year around, which garnered me a few too many curious looks. Luckily, none were particularly hostile, and I thanked my lucky stars I didn't have to deal with any arrogant young masters first thing in the morning.

  Then, I was already standing in front of the majestic entrance to the Library. I gulped as I pressed my mage's mark against the ornate doors.

  With a gentle push, the massive doors swung open silently, revealing a long hallway that then opened into what looked like a small chamber—or was it a Lounge? There was also a counter behind which sat a strict-looking woman.

  Realizing this was no student but a bonafide mage, I quickly adjusted my posture and gave a respectful bow. "Be greeted, honourable magister. I'd like to visit the Library." I said, presenting the small token.

  Since I had a feeling I would be visiting this place a lot, I made sure to look as humble and subservient as I could, knowing that the masters were often quite finicky, so the last thing I wanted was to piss off a librarian.

  The woman gave me a single sharp scrutinizing look before she simply viewed her hand dismissively. This probably meant I could pass, so I hurriedly gave her another quick bow, and then I was already on my way to the other entrance I spotted at the opposite end of the small chamber.

  What greeted me was a vast circular chamber that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. Towering shelves filled with countless tomes lined the walls, disappearing into the shadowy heights above. 'There's so many...' I couldn't help but look up in awe.

  Remembering I was on a mission and had only a limited time, I forced myself to turn my eyes off the literal mountain of books and focus on the task at hand.

  'So where do they keep the books on advanced magic?' Looking closer at the towering shelves, I noticed it was a mix of both the old, partly faded scrolls as well as the newer, leather-bound tomes with ornate covers.

  As I walked further inside, my footsteps echoing softly on the polished stone floor, I became fully enveloped by the pleasant smell of leather and aged parchment.

  Some shelves were overflowing, while others were neatly organized with books of various shapes and sizes. And in between the shelves, there were narrow aisles that led deeper into the maze-like library. Truly a dream come true for an avid reader like myself.

  So, while lost in my own world, I almost bumped into the small figure that suddenly emerged from behind the corner. "Ugh! Please excuse my clumsiness..." I quickly began apologizing, but then I froze as there stood no other than Margarette.

  At first, she looked almost as startled as I was; however, she quickly recovered her haughty demeanor. "You! What are you doing here? Are you perhaps stalking me?"

  "Ehm, no? Why would I want to stalk you? On the contrary, I've learned my lesson and want to keep my distance. It's you who keep bumping into me out of nowhere!"

  "Hmph! As if I would believe a dirty peasant like yourself. You're certainly plotting something, and I'm going to figure out what!"

  Hi guys! Sorry for the late update. I have been terribly busy lately, which has left me almost no time to write.

  That said, I used this pause to redo my advanced chapter stack as well as write down ideas for future ones. It's a hard job as a first-time author to keep the story fresh and interesting even after (almost) 200 chapters.

  However, now that Darian has entered the Tower and embarked on the next chapter of his tumultuous life, a new world of adventure has opened before him, full of things to discover and exploit, so stay tuned!

  From now on, the release schedule will return to normal, which means one weekly chapter. If you don't want to wait and would like to support my work, check out my , where you'll find up to 10 advanced chapters with more on the way.

  Cheers!

  CosmicQuill