Oliver advanced forward while looking around the place, going from bookshelf to bookshelf in hopes of finding anything at all.
While wandering around like a ghost, every step he took pulled loud creaks from the old wooden boards, making it feel less like a library and more like an abandoned house.
An eerie sensation protruded through his translucent body, yet he still felt a strange pull urging him to continue exploring the place.
That voice that had resounded in his head during the battle had told him something about a library.
"Dreaming about this just after what happened earlier seems too much of a coincidence. There has to be a connection between this place and that 'awakening,'" thought Oliver, his hand running along the empty bookshelf as he sighed, taking in the vast emptiness without a single book in sight.
After looking around the place, Oliver's eyes sparked with excitement as his gaze landed on something new.
A bookshelf that looked different from the others it had a luster that made it seem brand new, making it stand out from everything around it.
Oliver looked at it and finally found what he had been searching for — books, or at least potential information on what this place actually signified.
On the bookshelf stood two distinct books, each giving off a different vibe just by looking at them.
Oliver slowly picked one up and inspected the cover, searching for any clues about what the book depicted.
On the cover, a golden sun with specks of orange was portrayed in the middle. Under it, what appeared to be five different weapons were lodged in the ground while a group of people in black robes were seen praying before them.
Oliver didn't know whether the cultists were praying to the sun or the weapons, so he decided to open the book and try to read.
At first the letters were all scrambled, making it impossible to read, but they soon rearranged themselves, allowing Oliver to read the title and the upcoming pages leaving him dumbfounded.
"Second Dawn."
His eyes widened with every page he turned. The book contained the very story the old man had told him earlier about the mighty warriors who saved humanity. Everything was recorded here, word by word.
After reading and making sure he hadn't missed anything, Oliver closed the book and slowly backed away, his eyes settling on the other book still resting on the bookshelf.
This time the cover was slightly different from the other one. On it was a simple snowflake, its simplicity making Oliver even more suspicious about what was hidden inside.
He opened the book and found that this one had no title, instead, what it did have left Oliver completely amazed.
"These are… the abilities I unlocked earlier while fighting that sturdy man," Oliver murmured as he read on, seeing that not only did it contain descriptions of his abilities but even guides on how to use them effectively,different from the knowledge he had been granted when he first 'awakened.'
While Oliver was engrossed in his studies, he suddenly heard that voice again with another message.
[Your elemental understanding has increased.]
Just by reading a few pages my understanding of the element has increased. So I don't even need to use [Cold Control] to actually improve,' thought Oliver as he tried to read the same pages again, only to be met with no results.
'Is there a cool down to this, or can I simply not improve by reading the same material twice?' thought Oliver while looking at the book
He then tried to practice the proper way to use his abilities, following each step steadily
trying to see if his abilities would work inside the library.
With no weapon on him, Oliver simply decided to direct his power toward his translucent body. Even if his body resembled that of a ghost, he could still interact with the things around him, just like in a proper dream.
He pointed his palm at his body and simply followed the guide. First he needed to envision how much ice he wanted to produce and control. From what he had read in this short span of time, he understood that his brain was the source where the ability first activates using his vitality, the brain converts stamina into elemental energy. He could deduce that the higher the output, the greater the strain on his body.
Another thing he noted was that there was a limit to how much vitality he could convert at once,too much and the process would become unstable, potentially frying his brain altogether. Essentially a built-in indicator that pouring too much vitality at once could end him.
The guide advised that it was better to preserve his energy rather than become a glass cannon.
So first he would have to improve his output efficiency as much as possible to preserve his stamina. He couldn't rely solely on his 'magic' without knowing how rare it was to have it. Unwanted attention was the last thing he needed while figuring things out.
Then the elemental power would circulate through his body toward the destination Oliver wanted to direct it. It wasn't difficult to comprehend such a low level ability, the hard part was simply controlling the output in a short span of time.
Oliver did just as the guide instructed, trying his best not to channel every ounce of vitality going through his brain.
The result was satisfactory to say the least. The experiment resulted in Oliver being half covered in ice, its potency being strong enough that he could barely break it with his scrawny hands.
It did have some cons however, leaving Oliver with a slight headache from not properly controlling his conversion,leaving him with more questions than before.
"If it's a dream, why do I still feel pain when using my abilities? This place is more mysterious than I thought. Could it be that I'm not actually in a dream and that my consciousness was transported here while I fell asleep, with a portion of my sensory functions still active?
Is this a result of my transmigration…
Another thing I noticed is that the ice is more potent than before,whether from using it properly or because my understanding has deepened, further testing will be needed. I still don't know what that notification does.
Speaking of notifications…"
While Oliver was still lost in thought, that invading voice persisted until he stopped to properly listen. This time he wasn't met with just one notification.
[Your elemental understanding has increased.]
[Congratulations! Your affinity with the ice element has increased.]
[Ice Affinity: 1 → 2]
[Your current ability potency has increased.]
[A new ability will soon be unlocked with increased understanding.]
[To access the control panel of the library, simply think the word.]
[Great job, Librarian. May the stars be with you and bless you on your journey.]
Oliver remained stunned after hearing it all, the amount of information overwhelming him and needing him some time to process everything.
"I only need to think about the library, right?" thought Oliver.
The control panel showed up instantly, displaying all the information he had obtained so far:
[Affinities: Ice Affinity — 2]
[Comprehension: Ice Understanding — Rank: Novice]
[Abilities: Cold Resistance, Cold Control]
'The only thing that increased is the affinity level. Do I need to meet certain conditions for my Ice Understanding to go up? What is the difference between Affinity and Understanding to begin with?'
Oliver also discovered that he could close the panel by thinking about the library again. This time however, he was met with another unexpected event his translucent legs and arms seemed to be slowly disappearing from his sight.
"It seems my body has had enough sleep for now," said Oliver as his entire body faded from the library entirely.
… … …
The morning sun broke through the horizon, its light washing over the plains that had once been a battleground,now cleaned and transformed into a proper camp for the mercenary band.
Alongside the fortress wall, a man was shaking a scrawny boy in an attempt to wake him, but the boy looked like he was deep in sleep.
After some shaking, the boy opened his eyes, trying his best to adjust to the sudden light.
"Rise and shine, boy. It's time."
"Huh? Time for what? What's happening?" said the boy, sounding half asleep.
"It's time for the baptism," said the man profoundly, his eyes settling on Oliver.