Chapter 377
As Taesan stepped onto the 78th floor, he was greatly surprised.
The 78th floor looked completely different from any floor he had passed through so far.
In an endless space, countless bookshelves were arranged, and there was barely enough space between them for a single person to squeeze through.
And on those shelves, an immeasurable number of books were tightly packed.
There wasn’t a single monster in sight. Only the smell of old books filled the air.
There wasn’t a single source of light, yet it was bright enough to read without issue.
And it was incredibly vast.
Taesan had never seen a floor this large before.
It was so expansive that the end was nowhere in sight.
[You have activated [Leraje’s Domain Detection].]
Even with [Black Magic] activated, he still couldn’t detect the edge of the floor.
It was no exaggeration to say that this space might contain every book in existence.
‘Just like I heard.’
The 78th floor, the [Library of All Things]. It was one of the floors Lee Taeyeon had spoken of often.
[This place hasn’t changed. Then again, it’s a place that cannot change. Brings back memories.]
The ghost muttered with a hint of nostalgia.
Taesan stepped between the bookshelves and examined the book titles.
[Goblin Ecology.]
[The Great Adventurer Palanka’s Tastiest Ways to Cook Monsters.]
[Are Elves Truly the Gentle, Nature-Loving Beings Everyone Thinks They Are?]
“There’s all kinds of stuff.”
He skimmed through the shelves—some books were utterly useless, others were filled with specialized knowledge incomprehensible without expertise.
[This is the [Library of All Things]. If it has the form of a book, anything and everything can be found here. Literally anything.]
“Did the magician and Balbamaba create a place like this?”
[No. It wasn’t made by those two. This place was created by the [God of Knowledge], Metis.]
The ghost spoke calmly.
[This is the domain of Metis, where all the knowledge she accumulated is organized and preserved. That is the [Library of All Things].]
“Knowledge, huh.”
Taesan pulled out a book.
It turned out to be a simple novel for entertainment.
A book unbefitting a god’s domain, yet it made sense—after all, this was the domain of the [God of Knowledge].
To a god, their domain was everything. The [God of Knowledge] sought out and collected every form of knowledge that existed in the world.
Taesan returned the book to its place and walked deeper inside.
No matter how far he walked, the bookshelves didn’t end.
The sheer density of books was almost mentally overwhelming.
Eventually, Taesan found a small open area.
There were numerous chairs and tables there—a perfect resting place for reading.
And seated in one of the chairs was a man reading a book as thick as an encyclopedia.
Wearing glasses and a neatly trimmed hairstyle, the man looked incredibly meticulous.
Even though he must’ve sensed Taesan’s presence, the man continued reading his book without a care.
[You have encountered Jorge, Librarian of the Library of All Things.]
Jorge said nothing.
He simply continued reading his book.
Taesan, too, refrained from speaking and pulled out a book.
Its title was: [A Study on Female Dwarves’ Beards].
Only the sound of pages turning echoed through the silence.
After finishing the book, Jorge closed his own.
“You’re a well-mannered guest.”
His voice matched his appearance—blunt, but somehow dignified.
“The process of accumulating knowledge should not be interrupted. The ones who came before didn’t understand that. They were rude and lacked decorum. You, however, showed some respect.”
There was a slight hint of warmth in Jorge’s gaze as he looked at Taesan.
‘So it was true.’
Taesan thought as he closed his book.
Lee Taeyeon had once met the librarian on the 78th floor and had immediately started speaking to him while he was reading.
Annoyed at having his reading interrupted, Jorge had reportedly responded with great irritation.
After that, everything had been difficult.
Because he had been branded a rude guest, Lee Taeyeon said that Jorge always clicked his tongue with disapproval whenever he tried to do anything on the 78th floor.
Remembering that, Taesan had deliberately refrained from interrupting Jorge’s reading.
[It’s been a while.]
“…Hero.”
Jorge’s eyes lit up as he looked at the ghost.
“You’re dead. I truly believed you could reach the end of the [Labyrinth]. What happened?”
[It was my mistake.]
The ghost spoke calmly.
[The Lion King and Sociét Gardentia passed through, didn’t they?]
“Yes. Not too long ago. They were rude.”
Jorge clicked his tongue. Then, as if he understood, he looked at the ghost.
“Betrayal, then? Understandable. It’s a shame. You spoke quite a bit about them to me back then.”
[It’s in the past. I’m dead now, just as you said I would be. I can’t interfere anymore.]
“True enough. The one who’s come here now is that adventurer. I suppose I should speak with him.”
Jorge turned to Taesan and spoke.
“Adventurer. What is your name?”
“Kang Taesan.”
“Kang Taesan. Do you know where you are?”
“The [Library of All Things], domain of the God of Knowledge, Metis.”
“You must have heard from the Hero. That’s right.”
Jorge nodded.
“This place is Metis’s domain—the [Library of All Things], which houses all the knowledge she has accumulated.”
An endlessly sprawling sea of books—so vast that one could not finish reading them in a lifetime.
“I have been honored to receive Metis’s recognition. I remain here as the steward of this place.”
Jorge smiled proudly, clearly honored.
“Thanks to her, I have been able to endlessly accumulate knowledge. I cannot be thankful enough. That’s why, as librarian, I intend to do everything I can to uphold her will.”
Jorge spoke quietly.
“This is the [Library of All Things]. You may stay here as long as you wish.”
“There’s no time limit?”
“None. Knowledge does not reject those who seek it. You may remain here as long as you like.”
It was something Taesan had already heard and knew.
There was no time limit to clearing the 78th floor.
If one desired, they could choose not to clear it at all and simply stay to accumulate knowledge.
Lee Taeyeon had also reportedly stayed here for a very long time.
“It is Metis’s mercy. Be grateful for it. However… though I cannot understand it in the slightest, if you wish to leave this place and move forward, then all you have to do is complete a task for me.”
“What is it?”
Jorge stood up and retrieved a book. As he opened it, he spoke.
“As the librarian, I’ve been guarding this place for a long time. Yet even I have not been able to read all the books here.”
The owner of this place was the [God of Knowledge]. To read all of her knowledge was impossible.
“I am still lacking.”
Jorge’s eyes shone.
What was in them was a thirst for knowledge.
“Bring me a book that I haven’t acquired or read. That is my request.”
[Quest Initiated.]
[Jorge, the steward of the [Library of All Things], is a greedy soul. With a bottomless hunger for knowledge, he desires to learn everything in existence. Find and deliver the book he longs for.]
[Reward: Depends on how satisfied Jorge is with the book you retrieve.]
“Understood.”
[Quest Accepted.]
“So you also intend to move forward. I don’t understand it.”
Jorge looked at Taesan with an expression that showed he truly couldn’t comprehend.
As one devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, he would never understand adventurers who wished to leave the [Library of All Things].
Taesan asked him a question.
“If it’s a book you haven’t acquired, does any type count?”
“Yes. Even the most trivial sort is fine, so long as I’m unfamiliar with it.”
Jorge turned his gaze back to the book and spoke.
“If that’s too difficult, you may bring a book I cannot access. This is a divine library—there are books here that cannot be approached without the proper qualifications. Choose whichever you prefer.”
The conversation ended. As Taesan was about to leave, Jorge suddenly spoke, as if something had come to mind.
“There are a few rules you must observe while staying here.”
He raised his finger.
“One: do not defile the books. A mere adventurer may not be able to tamper with Metis’s domain, but there is still such a thing as manners. Cross the line, and I will expel you. Two: do not disturb me.”
Jorge flipped a page with a bothered expression.
“There are always a few who try something foolish. Let me say this in advance: in this place, I hold absolute authority.”
Jorge idly stroked the page.
The air changed in an instant.
Metis’s domain responded to Jorge’s will, pressing down on Taesan.
What was contained within it was absolute intent. Without using [Boundary Line] or [Eternal and Undying Faith], resistance was impossible.
“I am the only administrator permitted by Metis herself. This place is also my domain. Just remember those two things.”
Taesan nodded. Jorge returned to his reading, and the pressure vanished without a trace.
“That will suffice. Now roam freely and accumulate knowledge as you wish, adventurer.”
* * *
The quest’s clear condition was to bring Jorge a book he had not read.
At first glance, it seemed incredibly simple. The place was absurdly vast. Even Taesan could barely see the end of it.
With that scale, one might think any book could potentially be one Jorge hadn’t read.
But this was the [Deep Layer].
A quest in the [Deep Layer] would never be that easy.
‘It took her about three years?’
That was how long it took Lee Taeyeon to clear the 78th floor.
She hadn’t been obsessed with clearing it, but still, it had taken an immense amount of time.
Jorge remembered nearly every book in this place.
No matter what book she brought, he would say he had already read it, according to Lee Taeyeon.
There had been a time when she vented her frustration in the community, wondering if he was lying.
[What will you do? If you go the proper route, it’ll take quite some time.]
The ghost seemed aware of this and asked Taesan. Taesan moved between the bookshelves.
“I’ll take it slow for now.”
There was no rush.
Taesan already knew the method for clearing this floor.
If he wanted, he could clear it immediately.
But Taesan had no intention of doing that.
This was the domain of the [God of Knowledge].
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say all knowledge in existence resided here.
Taesan slowly skimmed the books.
He began reading the ones with titles that caught his interest.
“This place is why you know so much, right?”
Immortals, transcendents, faith, spirits, and more.
The ghost truly knew an immense amount.
He had helped Taesan greatly by sharing what he knew.
Many of those things weren’t attainable through conventional means.
This was the place where he had acquired that knowledge—the [Library of All Things].
The ghost confirmed.
[Yes. Most of the knowledge I desired was here. As long as you can find it, you can resolve any question.]
The same was true for Lee Taeyeon.
This floor was one she didn’t dislike. She had spent a long time here reading book after book.
While Taesan wouldn’t go to the same extent, he had no intention of just passing through either.
He had many questions.
About faith, divinity, transcendents, the [Old gods]—
He intended to resolve many of those mysteries here.
Taesan slowly turned the pages of a book.
