The quiet hum of the library's ventilation was the only sound accompanying the rhythmic tapping of Mario's footsteps. He turned and counted each shelf with methodical precision.
'One... Two... Three... Four.'
He stopped and pivoted to his left. This was the section dedicated to the academies — the pillars of power that defined the social strata of the Nation.
There were different books about the academies — some were grand, sweeping biographies of past teachers and headmasters, detailing their achievements in prose that bled with worship. The most common among them were from the eight major academies, uniform rows of dark green leather that looked like a forest of static knowledge.
Looking at them, Mario paused as he recalled what the director had said about being an instructor.
'I wonder if I could find the director's past in here?' After the thought, he immediately searched the books for a person with a name like his.
Yet, even after looking for almost half an hour among the stacks of books, he couldn't find the director's name at all.
Eventually, he gave up for now, as a few books covered in crimson leather with gold-colored titles caught his attention.
He carefully read their titles.
"Elyndor Academy" and "Aurelian Elyndor" — among all the books covered in crimson leather with gold-colored titles, only these two stood out the most.
The former was a behemoth, thicker than two hand spans. The latter, however, was strangely thin — thinner than a standard notebook.
Mario tried to take the former but immediately realized he couldn't carry it and could only settle on the thinner one.
After that, he turned toward the shelf containing books about AI humans. This section was different; the books here felt more clinical, less like legends and more like manuals.
Upon reaching it, he immediately began to scan the titles — "AI Humans History," "Combat AI Humans History," "Difference Between Combat and Staff AI Humans," and so on...
Some books were clearly sensationalist — purely for entertainment, filled with speculative fiction about AI uprisings or forbidden romances — making him lose interest in looking further after seeing their titles.
Eventually, after careful consideration, he took out the book covered in yellow leather — "AI Humans History" — before walking back toward the librarian.
He put on his usual mask and asked in a polite tone, "Can I take this to my unit?" Then he placed the book down on the table.
Hearing his voice, she briefly looked at him before returning her attention to her book. "You can, but only for a maximum of three days. After that, you need to return it or pay the corresponding fees. The fees are steep; do not lose them."
"I'll borrow both for two days then," Mario replied in the same polite tone.
Hearing his confirmation, she opened a drawer below the table and took out a black leather book and a pen.
She opened it and asked, "Name?"
"Mario."
"Number of books and titles?"
"Two. 'Aurelian Elyndor Biography' and 'AI Human History.' That's all."
She recorded the information before putting the ledger back in the drawer and returning to the book she was reading. "You can go now."
"Thank you." He lowered his head slightly before walking out of the library, taking the elevator, and returning to his room.
---
Mario placed the two books on the small table beside the bed, turned on the light, and sat down.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He opened the thin book first and began reading silently.
Aurelian Elyndor — Headmaster of the Unique Skill Academy ? Sword Master of the Realm ? Bearer of a Unique Skill
>"Little is known of Aurelian Elyndor's early life or origins — a mystery that has only deepened his legend. No verified records exist regarding his birthplace, lineage, or the circumstances under which he rose to prominence.
He is formally recognized as the sole headmaster of the Unique Skill Academy, an institution that would later come to be known as Elyndor Academy, bearing his name. In addition to this position, Elyndor is recorded as one of only seven known individuals within the Capital to have attained the rank of Sword Master. Despite this, the nature of his Unique Skill remains unknown, as no confirmed account exists of him ever deploying it in battle.
Historical records focus overwhelmingly on his military achievements. During the War Against the Mages, it is documented that Elyndor confronted and defeated two Fifth Circle mages in single combat — entities considered comparable in threat to a Sword Master. In the same campaign, he is also recorded as having delayed a Sixth Circle mage, an act that granted an entire army the time required to retreat. Elyndor himself later escaped the engagement, reportedly without sustaining severe injury."
Mario exhaled softly, the sound loud in the quiet room. Hours had passed; the light from the lamp seemed brighter as the darkness outside deepened. He leaned back, stretching his arms toward the ceiling until his joints gave a series of faint, satisfying pops.
Then he lingered on what he had just read, muttering under his breath. "Unknown origins, the only headmaster of Elyndor Academy, one of the seven known Sword Masters of this capital, and a Unique Skill holder."
He did not truly understand the implications of being a Sword Master other than that it meant being strong, based on the biography.
Even so, Mario was certain of one thing.
This Aurelian Elyndor was not a simple man, despite how sparse his records were.
As he sat there, his mind drifted back to the ship — to the man in the black uniform. He remembered the fluid, terrifying grace with which the man had dispatched the creature.
'If that person was already powerful… then how powerful is this Aurelian person?' Although he wasn't particularly interested in becoming powerful, it might be helpful someday — especially in searching for...
His thoughts were cut off as he noticed something at the corner of his eye — the long briefcase.
'…And how powerful is the director? Or even the original owner of that sword?...'
Mario inwardly called the proficiency panel a second time that day, silently looking at the grayed-out unique skill.
"Maybe I'll understand more things after I simulate a second time…" he muttered before standing up from the chair. His eyes fell on the clock — 9:58 P.M.
He turned off the light out of habit, making the unit plunge into a soft, blue-tinged gloom.
Yawn~
He yawned, then approached the bed and lay down. His body slowly sank into the mattress.
'So relaxing…'
Yawn~
Mario yawned again before closing his eyes and slowly falling asleep.
---
Morning arrived with a sharp, uncompromising blade of light piercing through the gap in the curtains.
Urgh…
Mario opened his eyes slowly before pushing himself up and sitting on the bed. He let out a yawn, feeling satisfied at the best sleep that only his simulated self had experienced.
He remained sitting on the bed for a few minutes before feeling a slight pang in his stomach.
He stood up, pressed the button on the wall, and ordered the same meal as yesterday before approaching the paper bag and taking out spare clothes. Then he headed to the bathroom.
Almost half an hour later, he walked out of the bathroom and placed the worn clothes in the basket before a doorbell sound rang out.
Mario opened the door and let the same staff member prepare his food on the table before paying and eating quietly.
For the rest of the day, he remained in his unit, immersing himself in the books. He reread the biography before moving on to the other book.
When hunger nudged him, he ordered the same meal he'd had earlier. By the time evening settled over the city and the soft glow of the unit lights replaced the fading sunlight, he had finished the second book.
---
The Next Day
After returning the books to the library, he didn't take out any others. Instead, he returned to the elevator and pressed the (1) button.
Different stores appeared in his view, making the entire floor look almost like a market. But instead of youths, the most common people were middle-aged, all dressed in the same uniform he had seen on the old man beside Arthur.
They crowded around the largest store in the middle of the floor — most likely the one responsible for the wilderness beast meat.
After watching them for a few moments, he wandered around the other stores, each with its own hum of activity.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a particular shop and stepped inside.
The moment he entered, he was hit by a familiar smell — the smell he had known for the past two years. The sharp scent of fish mingled with the smell of seawater.
He slowly inhaled the familiar smell, a nostalgic feeling settling in his chest.
Eventually, his eyes roamed the interior. Freezers lined the walls, brimming with all kinds of seafood glistening under the harsh overhead lights. Massive aquariums stood at intervals, each housing a writhing collection of live fish, crustaceans, and other sea creatures, their bodies shimmering as they darted through the water.
Before he could examine any further, movement caught his attention. A man emerged from behind the counter. He wore a uniform beneath a deep blue apron edged with gold, the crest of Celestine Hotel embroidered prominently at its center.
[How can I help you, sir?] it asked, voice soft yet emotionless.
Mario didn't answer immediately. He looked at the fish swimming in the aquarium before pointing and answering, "Please give me this and deliver it to my unit."
"...And also, please keep it alive," he continued before handing over his golden card along with his unit floor and room number.
The familiar slit appeared as it scanned the card and gave it back to him.
After that, Mario walked out and wandered through the different stores, buying all the ingredients he needed before returning to his unit.
Upon reaching his unit, another AI staff member was already waiting at the door, a cart beside them holding a small aquarium filled with live fish.
Mario opened the door and stepped aside, allowing the AI staff member to wheel the cart in. The aquarium was placed carefully on the table, followed by the ingredients.
For the rest of the day, he cleaned and gutted the fish before cooking them, finally making his "Fish Cleaning" and "Rough Cooking" skill proficiency rise.
---
Twenty Days Passed
Burp.
Mario let out a satisfied burp while leaning back in the chair, his body relaxed after eating the food he had just made.
For the past twenty days, he had done nothing other than going to the library, cooking himself a meal, reading a book, and then sleeping.
He inwardly called out the proficiency panel, curious about his skill advancement from earlier.
[Skill: Fish Butchering — 0 Tier (Advanced)... Basic Cooking — 0 Tier (Beginner)]
[Unique Skill: Simulation (?)]
'After twenty days of cleaning and cooking fish, my progress was truly rapid.' His eyes briefly fell on the second skill. '...The cooking skill progresses slower compared to the simulation.'
He lightly shook his head, putting those matters aside before glancing at the unique skill section — it wasn't grayed out anymore.
'I'll do a simulation later…' After that, he stood up, washed his dirty dishes, and approached the table beside the bed.
He sat down and read the book on it.
After a few hours of reading, he stopped, placed a bookmark in the book, exhaled a soft breath, then stretched his arms upward and approached the bed.
He sat down on the bed and leaned his back against the headboard before saying in a low voice, "Start Simulation."
A holographic screen immediately popped up in front of him.
[Simulation Starting…]
