The Origin of the Anomaly

As early as when he first entered the Library, Bai Zhi had summoned his Shadow Guard to conduct a search within the Library.

While Shadow Guard isn't capable of handling overly advanced commands, such as cooking or doing homework, he performs quite well with simple tasks.

For example, sweeping the floor, wiping windows, throwing away trash, stepping into potholes... and stepping into potholes again.

However, before all the Player had arrived, one of the Shadow Guard he had summoned to explore the Library lost contact.

At that time, it was the very beginning, and he couldn't reveal his Skill right away, so he didn't say anything to the others.

However, he was aware from the beginning that there was some unknown danger inside the Library, but apart from that initial moment, the Shadow Guard had not been in any trouble since... until just now.

He had tried, and it seemed that because they weren't living beings, the Shadow Guard couldn't take books from the bookshelf. So, why would books fall off the bookshelf for no reason?

Something unusual must be going on. Taking that book back was the right choice... except for one thing that Bai Zhi hadn't considered.

Just by exchanging such a small item, he consumed a terrifying 2000 points of Spiritual Energy.

Although some Shadow Puppet consume double the spiritual energy when using their main body's Skill, exchanging a book over such a short distance still consumes a terrifying 1000+ points of Spiritual Energy, while his total Spiritual Energy limit is only a little over 2000 points.

Such a terrifying drain on his resources—if he didn't have the Ring of Shadow, he might not have been able to withstand it.

"Like the other books on the shelf, the content cannot be displayed unless purchased..."

After taking the book in his hands and glancing at it, Bai Zhi pondered for a moment before looking up at the Chronicler.

Do you want to read this book?

"Did you just take this from the bookshelf? Is there anything unusual about it?"

The Chronicler glanced at the book in Bai Zhi's hand, looking slightly puzzled.

"I suspect this book belongs to that Player named Instant."

Bai Zhi calmly pushed the book in his hand forward and spoke.

"Why don't you buy this book and see? Maybe he'll come back."

"Well..."

After a moment's hesitation, the Chronicler, holding the book in his hand, selected to buy it from the Story Shop.

Then, immediately following a flash of white light, a Young Man with long black hair obscuring his right eye and a slightly pale face appeared on the table.

The moment the other person appeared, all the memories everyone had of that person returned to their minds simultaneously.

Upon seeing Bai Zhi in front of her, she seemed unsurprised, as if she already knew she would be rescued, Instant began to speak to Bai Zhi.

"I have something very important to say about this Library..."

"I'm happy you're back, but Xiao Mo, could you please get off my arm first?"

Before he could finish his sentence, the Chronicler behind him, whose hand he was stepping on, spoke softly.

"Please, that hurts. You should lose weight."

Instant:"..."

"This Library itself is a story."

After getting off the table, he Instant addressed everyone with a serious expression.

"We were in the story from the very beginning."

"Oh."

"Then?"

"So what?"

"..."

Seeing the reactions of the people in front of him, he couldn't help Instant fall silent.

Contrary to his expectations, most of the people in front of him reacted indifferently, with a few even yawning listlessly.

... Isn't this information explosive enough?

"Since we're in a story, the Item we obtained through the Destiny Card won't be so easily taken out. You'd better be prepared."

After a moment of silence, he Instant spoke his second sentence.

"We already know these things, so tell me something useful."

"We all prosper together, we all suffer together," the Chronicler said, seemingly unable to bear it any longer. Shaking his swollen, red hand, he spoke up with a rather annoyed tone.

"How exactly did you become a book?"

"... If a person is alone in this Library, the Library's rules will be triggered."

He glanced at Bai Zhi over there subconsciously, his lips twitching slightly, and Instant he spoke in an instant.

"I was captured by someone dressed as Librarian, and then I turned into a book and was randomly placed on a bookshelf... After becoming a book, my thoughts gradually become slow and stagnant, until finally I completely perish."

He reached out and pulled out a chair, sitting down. For Instant, his expression turned slightly gloomy.

"Besides that, in that state, I also saw some unbelievable scenes..."

What scene?

Turning to look at the other person, Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly.

"In the beginning, it was a vast Library, with Library interior layout similar to our modern Library, but hundreds of times larger..."

He let out a slight breath and Instant began to speak.

"The Library was bustling with activity, filled with all sorts of strange people every day. But one day, it seemed as if the Library itself was under attack. The walls crumbled, and endless Monster poured into Library from outside, destroying more than half of it. Then, I saw a book fall from the shelf into the gap..."

"Then what?"

Bai Zhi straightened up slightly and narrowed his eyes.

"The scenes I saw were presented in fragments, and the following scenes were a bit chaotic and disjointed... I saw the book that had fallen out of that Library land in another world, where it was picked up by a little Girl. That world was also being corrupted by supernatural Anomaly, and the situation was quite serious; the entire world was practically on the verge of destruction."

His expression turned quite serious in Instant.

"That day was the little Girl's birthday, but she was about to die. Before she died, she made a birthday wish on this book, hoping to live in a peaceful world... The book granted her wish and swallowed the little Girl."

"Is this the origin of this Anomaly?"

Bai Zhi glanced around at the bookshelves that stretched all the way to the ceiling and frowned slightly.

"Pretty much, the scenes that followed became even more fragmented... I saw more and more people being swallowed up by the book, and in the process, the white cover of the book gradually turned black."

He exhaled slightly in Instant.

"The Strength of that book grew stronger and stronger until finally the area it influenced became a Forbidden Zone; anyone who entered that area would be devoured by the book..."

"Finally, we Player have arrived."