“Try putting this in.”
I pulled the Mysterious Energy Core from my inventory. Shape-wise and context-wise, it fit perfectly.
Sure enough, Bemira slotted the crystal into the book’s recess without any resistance. The edges meshed seamlessly, leaving not a single gap.
The instant it clicked in, dazzling blue light spread from the core’s surface, enveloping the entire book in moments.
But after that… nothing. Kai and the others exchanged puzzled glances, unsure what to do next.
Their reaction made me rub my forehead. It was like a math teacher facing students who could only write “solution” on big problems. “Are you idiots? Put it back—back in its original spot!”
Bemira snapped out of it and hurriedly returned the glowing blue book to the shelf as I instructed.
Like a key turning in a lock, the moment the book settled, the wall behind responded. Blue light flashed briefly, followed by a rumble as it slowly parted to both sides.
A hidden chamber within the wall revealed itself to us.
Kai and the others checked for traps, observing from outside before venturing in briefly. “Your Highness, it seems safe.”
I rolled my eyes at their caution.
If there were traps here, I’d have to admire the designer’s vicious ingenuity. Finding someone as twisted as me was rare enough. Of course, if Alice had designed it, that was another story—that girl cycled endlessly through rebellious, emo, and menopausal phases.
But no matter how devious, the designer always left the goods. Though the contents seemed a bit nonsensical?
Mysterious Mechanical Alchemy Handbook.
Radiant Chapter.
Like Lobranch’s Map-Making Notes, only names showed—no descriptions. At least I knew what the notes did. These two? Zero info.
Appraising with the All-Knowing Eye yielded nothing. Probably because the library lacked sufficient references.
Seeing the confused looks around me, I skipped asking them. Sometimes poor grades came from being surrounded by underachievers.
Kai and the others pondered seriously—even more than when sorting monastery documents—unaware they’d been mentally labeled as slackers by a certain pink-haired teacher.
“Enough thinking. More won’t help.”
I stowed the two items and called everyone out of the chamber. As if sensing our departure, the wall sealed shut automatically.
On a whim, I had Kai retrieve the book again and flip it open. Sure enough, the Mysterious Energy Core lay quietly in the recess.
But now, its glow had faded to invisibility, looking like an ordinary roadside pebble.
Mysterious Energy Core
Energy: 0%
Clearly, opening the wall had drained it completely. Still, I felt it wasn’t that simple. Better keep it anyway.
Inventory space was plentiful—not taking free stuff was wasteful.
After sending Kai’s group back to the monastery, I used a recall scroll to the nearest city, then teleported to Faerns.
As the Alwyn Empire’s capital, Faerns buzzed with energy.
With players’ gear improving and wealth growing, spending shifted elsewhere. Shops once patronized only by locals—like restaurants, bakeries, and general stores—now saw more player traffic.
This showed most players gradually integrating into the world. As the game progressed, that immersion would only deepen—not lessen. That was why Epoch was called humanity’s second world in my past life.
Too bad the owner had such twisted tastes.
Feeling gazes drawn to the cute cat ears atop my head, I grumbled inwardly but was used to it by now. A glance at the map, and I left the teleport square toward my destination.
The target wasn’t far—a dozen minutes’ walk led to a rundown shop in a back alley.
In my past life, someone found this place over two months after launch. After picking up the hidden quest here, task prompts guided them to excavate Lobranch’s mage tower, yielding big rewards.
The quest was the starting point, but paled next to the tower’s haul. The final reward was unremarkable.
For me, though, it was a key step in my plan.
The shop looked shabby outside, but stocked everything: magic scrolls, potions, recipes. Mostly market-standard goods.
Stepping inside, a man dozing at the counter stirred at the sound. Yawning, he cast sleepy eyes my way, voice equally languid. “Welcome. Need anything?”
Without prior knowledge, no player would peg this scruffy, idle-apprentice-looking guy as a mage.
But he was more: a renowned cartographer in the Alwyn Empire, expert in mapmaking. He’d faded from the scene years ago for unknown reasons—until that past-life quest uncovered the story.
“Esteemed Mr. Darens, I’m actually here to commission a blueprint.”
No small talk—I cut straight to it.
Per the old post, “making a blueprint” was the quest trigger.
Sure enough, as my words landed, Darens’s eyes flashed with interest before reverting to laziness. “I don’t know where you heard that, but sorry—I’ve lost confidence in my skills. Can’t help.”
“Does Mr. Darens have some hidden trouble? If so, what can I do for you?”
Darens paused, then met my gaze. “I hear the legendary arcane mage Lobranch researched blueprint replication. His notes might help me.”
System: Accept quest [Find Lobranch’s Notes]?
Yes.
Seeing me accept, Darens’s gaze warmed. He shared details: Lobranch’s mage tower location and entry method—exact words from that past-life post.
I waited silently for him to finish, then pulled Lobranch’s Map-Making Notes from my inventory.
Post-acceptance, it gained a quest item description below the name.
Other players would follow the steps: quest, search, submit. I skipped ahead.
“This must be what you’re looking for, Mr. Darens.”
Darens’s laziness vanished at the notes. Eyes sharpening, he took them reverently, caressing the rough cover.
“It’s Master Lobranch’s map-making notes, all right. You actually brought them back.”
After double-checking, he accepted them. “Adventurer, I don’t know how to thank you. You’ve helped immensely.”
System: Quest completed [Find Lobranch’s Notes].
System: Darens’s affinity toward you increased from Stranger to Neutral.
Ignoring the EXP and affinity pop-ups, I prepared to segue per the guide: polite chit-chat, then business.
But seeing his excitement—and recalling the post’s omissions—I had a sudden thought.
“May I ask why you sought Master Lobranch’s manuscript specifically? If memory serves, your blueprint skills are top-notch too.”
Hence his fame in the circle.
Darens hesitated, then shared a story absent from the guide.
He’d withdrawn because his fiancée—his longtime assistant—died of illness. Sorting her belongings, he found an alchemy blueprint she’d left him.
To honor her final work, he tried replicating it. He failed—and destroyed the original.
Grief and guilt eroded his confidence, leading him to retire quietly in self-punishment.