Sir Kaelen's panicked exit left a residue of ozone and desperation in the quiet air of the Library. Xavier watched the glass door swing shut, the faint clinking of the Knight's armor fading into the night bustle of Sovereign City. He finally allowed himself to relax, letting out a long, slow breath.
He looked down at the three crystals now resting on the counter—two from Kaelen's second, hasty transaction, and one from the first. He was three-tenths of the way to his next major Library expansion, and he had secured the existence of his descendants. All in a single afternoon.
The truly rewarding part, however, wasn't the crystals.
[Processing reward bonus for Library Owner: +10 Knowledge Points (High Urgency Bonus).] [Current Knowledge Points (KP): 13]
"Thirteen points," Xavier murmured, a genuine grin spreading across his face. "That's real currency."
Knowledge Points weren't for buying crystals or potions; they were the Library's internal energy, used to fuel system functions, unlock Keeper privileges, and, most importantly, conduct high-level research.
He called up the main task menu, focusing on the newest objective.
[New Main Task Unlocked: Acquire Artifact of Power – The Fabled Compass of Fate.]
He tapped the title of the task on the holographic display.
[Accessing Keeper Database...] [Querying Archives: The Fabled Compass of Fate.] [Warning: Querying Tier 5 Artifacts requires significant system resources. Cost: 5 Knowledge Points.]
Xavier didn't hesitate. Five points was steep, but this was a Main Task assigned by the system. He needed the primer.
"Confirm," he commanded.
[Transaction Complete. Current KP: 8] [Downloading Primary Archive Data...]
A stream of ancient, shimmering text flowed across his interface, solidifying into a concise, actionable report.
The Fabled Compass of Fate was not a navigation tool, but a divine artifact crafted by the Elder Gods of prophecy. It didn't point North; it pointed toward Destiny.
Its purpose was simple yet profound: it allowed the user to find a specific, crucial object or location that was currently outside the scope of known reality. It could locate artifacts buried in dimensional pockets, lost cities sealed by cosmic laws, or people hidden by fate itself.
Status: Lost. Last documented location was the Silent Nexus, a forgotten ruin in the Western Wastes of Valoria, sealed during the Era of Mages seven hundred years ago.
Requirement for Entry: The seal protecting the Silent Nexus requires a Tier 3 Elemental Key for temporary destabilization.
Current Location Trajectory: Estimated 78% certainty the Compass is dormant within the Nexus core.
Xavier absorbed the data like a sponge. Tier 3 Elemental Key. A seven-hundred-year-old sealed ruin in the desolate Western Wastes. This wasn't a library acquisition; this was a dungeon crawl.
"A Tier 3 Elemental Key," Xavier mused, rubbing his chin. "That's high-level magic. I'll need a patron who specializes in elemental summoning or ancient seals. Or maybe I can buy the knowledge to make one..." He glanced at his remaining 8 KPs. Not enough for Tier 3 knowledge.
His gaze flicked to the new Alchemical Recipes wing. The Standard Mana Potion - Recipe Zero was Tier 1-2 complexity. Perhaps he could find a way to trade his perfectly efficient potions for the raw materials needed for a Tier 3 Key.
He felt a new kind of energy buzzing through him. The Library wasn't a prison; it was a launchpad. His first Main Task was no longer about selling noodles; it was about navigating the high politics and hidden dangers of the Valoria Continent to recover a cosmic artifact.
He stood, walking back to the blue wing, now stocked with its perfect, basic spells. He had an idea. He needed to generate enough wealth and reputation to attract the right kind of powerful customer—a customer who dealt in Tier 3 relics and dangerous expeditions.
He was just about to start reviewing the [Water Shield - Tier 1 Primer]—which promised to create a near-impenetrable barrier against flame spells—when the glass door creaked open for the fourth time that day.
This patron was entirely different.
A woman stepped inside, clad in simple, practical leather armor polished to a dark sheen. She wore a wide, floppy leather hat that partially obscured her face, and her small, wiry frame suggested speed rather than brute strength. A quiver of arrows was strapped diagonally across her back, and a short hunting bow was slung over one shoulder. She looked like a professional scout or an elite mercenary.
She moved with an unnerving silence, her eyes darting between the empty main area and the shimmering Nexus Gate. She didn't look desperate like Kaelen, or scholar-curious like Lin Yijun. She looked intensely suspicious.
She approached the counter slowly, her hand never far from the knife sheathed at her hip.
"I'm looking for a map," she stated, her voice low and crisp, like dry autumn leaves. "Not a standard geographical map. I need the quickest, safest route through the Great Weeping Forest to the coastal city of Isolde."
She reached into a pouch and, instead of pulling out a crystal, she carefully placed a single, perfectly crafted Silver Arrowhead on the counter. It glowed faintly, etched with faint mana-dampening runes.
"This is payment," she said, her eyes fixed on Xavier. "Tier 3 Anti-Magic Craftsmanship. Worth more than a crystal, I guarantee. Do you accept non-conventional trade?"
Xavier smiled, genuinely intrigued. A scout seeking knowledge of perilous paths, offering high-grade contraband as payment. This was exactly the kind of chaos his new business model needed.
"I accept the registration fee," Xavier replied, pointing to the familiar One Mana Crystal requirement displayed above the till. "As for bartering... we can discuss the exchange rate once you are a registered patron, Ms...?"
"Verna," she finished, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. She looked intensely disappointed that her valuable arrow wasn't enough. "Fine. But I need that route, Keeper. Before sunrise."