Chapter 13:The Wisdom Outlier

“How many books are left?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but probably two or three weeks to finish them all,” Soohyuk answered.

Soohyuk and Yeonjung continued their conversation.

“Wow, at least two weeks?”

“Yeah.”

“Man, I’m jealous.”

“Of what?”

“Reading books raises wisdom.”

Yeonjung’s envy stemmed from stats. It was well-known that reading books increased wisdom.

“Now that you mention it, I’m curious,” Yeonjung said, his face full of interest. “What’s your wisdom at?”

He wondered how high Soohyuk’s wisdom was, having read books nonstop since Pangea’s launch.

“…” Soohyuk let out a hum, thinking.

The last time I checked…

He didn’t know his exact wisdom, as he didn’t open his character window every time a stat increase message appeared.

Was it 925?

Recalling his last check, Soohyuk said, “925.”

“…?” Yeonjung was speechless. After a moment, he opened his mouth, his expression incredulous. “What?”

His first reaction was a question.

“925? Your wisdom is 925?” Yeonjung pressed.

“Yeah, the last time I checked was 925. It’s probably higher now, since it’s gone up a bit since then,” Soohyuk replied.

Yeonjung fell silent again.

Crazy.

He was stunned.

925 wisdom? Higher than that?

925 wisdom? And even more now?

“What’s your level?” Yeonjung asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

“8,” Soohyuk answered.

Yeonjung thought.

Level 8 with over 925 wisdom?

He’d asked assuming a high level, but Soohyuk’s level was only 8. Yet 925? It was absurd.

“How many books have you read?” Yeonjung asked, finishing his thoughts.

How many books did it take? How many to reach 925? He couldn’t even guess. No, 925 wasn’t a wisdom stat achievable by reading alone.

“Doesn’t it get harder to raise the more you read?”

The number of books needed to raise wisdom by 1 varied per user. Some needed 2 books, others 3, or even 10. But there was a common trend: the more you read, the harder it got. If 3 books raised wisdom by 1 initially, later it might take 5, 7, or 10.

“…?” Soohyuk looked puzzled.

“What do you mean, harder the more you read?”

He didn’t understand.

“Normally, one book raises it by 1, right?”

Not always, but usually one book raised wisdom by 1. Rarely, it didn’t.

“What?” Yeonjung exclaimed.

“You mean it goes up every time you read a book?”

His face was full of shock.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Soohyuk nodded.

Yeonjung said nothing, just thought.

Is Oren’s library special?

Many users experimented with wisdom increases from books. Mage players at the Magic Tower read countless books to study the pattern, but the number of books needed varied, and no exact formula was found.

They only guessed multiple factors were involved. Yet Soohyuk’s wisdom rose with every book, consistently. Was Oren’s library unique?

Or his level?

Maybe it wasn’t the library. It could be Soohyuk’s level. At level 8, perhaps fewer books were needed to raise stats.

That’s highly likely.

Level was a strong possibility. Others didn’t read as consistently as Soohyuk. They hunted or quested, leveling up before reading.

“Don’t tell anyone about your stats,” Yeonjung warned.

“It could cause a lot of trouble. If guilds find out, they’ll be all over you.”

Even at level 100, 900 wisdom was rare, yet a level 8 surpassed it. If word got out, Soohyuk would face endless hassle, especially from guilds. A guild’s power came from its members, and many would want Soohyuk. If they couldn’t have him, they might ensure no one else did.

“I know,” Soohyuk replied.

He was aware of the risks.

“I only told you because it’s you.”

He wouldn’t have told anyone else.

“Good, glad you know,” Yeonjung said, relieved.

Looking at Yeonjung’s expression, Soohyuk added, “Didn’t you say you were starting a guild?”

“Yeah, but it’s not easy. I’m just planning for now.”

“A third-grade job has been unlocked!” Jang Yul reported.

“Really?” Yang Joohyuk replied calmly.

“Why so calm?” Jang Yul asked, turning from his monitor to look at Yang Joohyuk.

“It’s not the first time. A third-grade job is no big deal,” Yang Joohyuk said.

It wasn’t the first third-grade job unlocked. Two months and five days had passed since Pangea’s launch, and many special jobs had been revealed. A third-grade job no longer surprised him.

At that moment:

“Oh?” Jang Yul exclaimed, his voice full of shock, as he turned back to his monitor.

“What?” Yang Joohyuk asked, still calm.

What job was it this time? Or another hidden condition?

“Uh, it’s…” Jang Yul stammered.

“A user has earned the ‘Oren’s Library Conqueror’ title.”

Yang Joohyuk shot up from his seat. His calm demeanor vanished, replaced by shock.

“Oren’s Library Conqueror? For real?”

The ‘Oren’s Library Conqueror’ title was one they’d created but never expected anyone to achieve. Yet someone had.

“Yes,” Jang Yul nodded.

“Who is it?”

Who could have earned such an absurd title?

“Hold on,” Jang Yul said, tapping his keyboard.

A window appeared on one of his many monitors.

“A user named Soohyuk,” Jang Yul said, reading the screen.

“Soohyuk?” Yang Joohyuk muttered, approaching Jang Yul’s desk.

“Let’s see the info.”

“Yes,” Jang Yul replied, pulling up Soohyuk’s details.

Level: 8
Experience: 51%
Health: 2540
Mana: 26420
Satiety: 40%
Strength: 14
Agility: 15
Stamina: 48
Wisdom: 1321

“…!”

“…!”

Yang Joohyuk and Jang Yul were speechless, staring at Soohyuk’s stats in shock.

This is insane…

Looking at the stats, Yang Joohyuk thought.

Level 8 with these stats?

They were unbelievable for a level 8. But then he reconsidered.

No, it’s because he’s level 8.

These stats were possible precisely because of his low level. Reading unread books gave users stat experience, a special type of experience.

To raise a stat, that experience had to reach its cap, which varied by user level. Lower levels required less experience, higher levels more.

To raise stats easily, one needed to read many books but, crucially, stay at a low level.

But…

Yang Joohyuk tilted his head, puzzled.

Something didn’t add up. Not the level—that made sense. What didn’t was…