Chapter 14: The Heir of the Great Archmage

Doesn’t he value his time?

It was time. Skimming books didn’t count as reading. Skimming gave zero stat experience.

You had to read carefully. Only then did you gain stat experience. Soohyuk’s wisdom exceeded 1300.

Even with a low level making stat increases easier, reaching over 1300 required reading an immense number of books. That meant an enormous amount of time.

Is the game not fun?

Even if stats increased, spending all that time reading? It didn’t make sense. Was hunting boring? Or was there another reason?

Is it because of the 50 gold?

There could be another reason: the library’s entry condition. Each library had unique requirements, and Oren’s needed 50 gold. The catch was that Oren, a tutorial area, was a one-way trip—once you left, you couldn’t return.

Yeah, he spent 50 gold.

To use Oren’s library, you had to earn 50 gold in Oren.

That could be why.

It could be reluctance to waste the 50 gold.

Fifty gold isn’t easy to earn. It might be manageable for high-level players, but for low-level ones, it’s a fortune.

Especially in Oren, a tutorial area, it’s an even bigger sum. Having spent that much, one might read books just to make it worth it.

But spending that much time reading carefully isn’t even harder?

Earning gold is tough, but reading that many books meticulously is even more difficult—almost impossible.

Even if the gold was precious, reading thousands of books carefully? For stats? Over that much time? That’s why, despite creating the title, they thought no user would earn it.

“Wow, that’s insane,” Jang Yul said, amazed.

“He’s been reading in the library since the second day, without missing a single one.”

Lost in thought, Yang Joohyuk snapped out of it at Jang Yul’s words and spoke.

“Since the second day?”

His face was full of disbelief.

“Playing a game to read books?”

It was as if Soohyuk started Pangea just to read.

“But with these stats at that level…” Jang Yul trailed off, staring at the monitor.

“With those stats?” Yang Joohyuk prompted.

Jang Yul continued, “Doesn’t that meet the condition?”

“Condition?” Yang Joohyuk asked again.

What condition?

With those stats, countless conditions could be met. He wondered which one Jang Yul meant.

“The job we made in case someone conquered Oren’s library,” Jang Yul said.

“…!” Yang Joohyuk was shocked, his mouth agape at Jang Yul’s words.

“The Great Archmage’s Heir.”

The Great Archmage’s Heir, a first-grade job—one of the top, most powerful among first-grade jobs.

The catch was that it wasn’t harder to level than other first-grade jobs. The difficulty lay in unlocking it. The conditions were absurd—enough that, if revealed, players would protest, calling it ornamental.

Yet the job was created for the unlikely case someone conquered Oren’s library, and not just conquered it, but did so efficiently. It was a gift for a user who met such insane conditions.

Since they thought no one would earn it, the job was buried in memory. Yang Joohyuk said nothing—not because he chose to, but because he couldn’t.

“His wisdom’s over 1000, so the first condition’s met,” Jang Yul said, as Yang Joohyuk stayed silent.

The Great Archmage’s Heir required multiple conditions, the first being a wisdom stat over 1000. Soohyuk had already met it.

“No way!” Yang Joohyuk, who’d been quiet, shook his head and spoke.

“He might not go for mage.”

The second condition was the mage job. The Great Archmage’s Heir could only be unlocked from the standard mage job—not special mage jobs, only the basic one.

“Come on,” Jang Yul said.

“With those stats, what else would he pick?”

“Anyone would say those stats are perfect for a mage.”

Overwhelming wisdom—ideal for a mage. Anyone would recommend it.

“Still!” Yang Joohyuk insisted. “He could go somewhere other than the Magic Tower.”

The third condition was the location. To unlock the Great Archmage’s Heir, you had to go to the Magic Tower, specifically a certain building there.

But mages didn’t have to start at the Magic Tower. Other nations allowed mage job unlocks too.

“These days, users say kingdoms are better for leveling,” Jang Yul noted.

Unlike early days, more mage players started in kingdoms for easier growth.

“But what if he starts at the Magic Tower? And goes to the library?” Jang Yul added.

There was always a chance. What if he went to the Magic Tower and the library where the Great Archmage’s Heir quest was?

“It’s fine,” Yang Joohyuk replied, his earlier calm returning.

“I thought about it.”

His calm came from finishing his thoughts.

“With those stats, if he picks mage, Magic Tower NPCs will shower him with offers for second- and third-grade jobs.”

Soohyuk’s stats were incredible. If he chose mage at the Magic Tower, NPCs would see him as a genius and compete for him.

“A chance at a special job, and he’d go to the library instead? No way.”

Users couldn’t resist special jobs. Ignoring them to visit the library for the Great Archmage’s Heir? Absurd.

“Once you pick a special job, that’s it.”

Choosing a special job locked out the Great Archmage’s Heir. So, they could relax.

“But just in case,” Yang Joohyuk added, a sliver of unease lingering.

“Keep an eye on him.”

“Yes,” Jang Yul replied.

Hearing this, Yang Joohyuk returned to his seat.

But…

Sitting down, he thought.

Isn’t it a problem even if he gets a second- or third-grade job?

Compared to the Great Archmage’s Heir, they were lesser, but second- and third-grade jobs weren’t trivial.

His stats are already insane.

And with those stats?

Even as a standard mage, he’d crush special jobs.

It was a dilemma either way.

Why just read in the library?

He couldn’t understand. Why only read? Even if he read, leveling up through hunting first would’ve been better. Such a shame.

He’s not really playing just to read, right?

Yang Joohyuk chuckled at the absurd thought and started work.

—

[Wisdom increases by 1.]

“Hoo,” Soohyuk sighed deeply, standing and approaching the bookshelf.

“Not much left now,” he muttered, pulling out sparkling books.

Over two months, he’d read relentlessly, finishing nearly all the library’s books.

“Five left.”

Only five sparkling, unread books remained. Five more, and he’d have read every book in the library.

“Plenty of time.”

Checking the time, Soohyuk had enough to read. He returned to the desk with the books and started reading.

[Wisdom increases by 1.]

The first book raised his wisdom.

[Wisdom increases by 1.]

The second did too.

[Wisdom increases by 1.]

So did the third.

Going up nicely.

Opening the fourth book, Soohyuk thought. Including two increases before and three now, his wisdom had risen five times in a row.

Though his wisdom rose well, in over a thousand books, he’d never had five consecutive increases—a new record.

Swish.

Finishing the fourth book, Soohyuk closed it. Sadly, the record ended at five.

Finally, the last one.

Only one book remained. Soohyuk opened it and read carefully, as always, word by word.

Swish.

Finishing the last line, he closed the book.

[Wisdom increases by 1.]

A message appeared. His wisdom had risen. But it wasn’t the only message.

[You have read all the books in Oren’s library.]

[Title: Oren’s Library Conqueror acquired.]

“…?” Soohyuk was puzzled, seeing the messages.

“A title?”

The messages detailed the acquisition condition and the title earned.

“To get it, you had to read all the books…” Soohyuk smiled.

The condition for the “Oren’s Library Conqueror” title was reading every book in the library—a tough requirement. The title’s effect must be significant.

To check, Soohyuk opened his character window and went to the title tab.