The moment the class ended, Lee Hyun was the first one out of the room.
Literally.
Before the old professor had even finished putting away the primordial stone, Weed had already disappeared through the door.
Some disciples looked confused.
Others simply thought he was strange.
As for Lee Hyun, only one thought occupied his mind:
"Information is worth money."
"...And money is worth survival."
The center of Sha Jing Oasis was enormous.
Even after being brought into the main region of the clan, he still hadn't seen even ten percent of the place.
The farther he walked, the more obvious the Huang Clan's influence became.
Tall walls.
Watchtowers.
Gu Masters patrolling.
Even the air itself felt heavier in that area.
Eventually, Lee Hyun finally saw the library.
Or rather...
[The Library Tower.]
It had the shape of a gigantic prism made of yellow stone and dark wood, rising far above the nearby buildings.
The Huang Clan symbol was carved above the entrance.
Even from the outside, it was easy to notice:
Gu surveillance defensive formations guards.
Lee Hyun's eyes immediately analyzed everything.
"Expensive security."
"That means the knowledge in there is valuable."
Two guards stood at the entrance.
Both carried metallic plates engraved with the number two.
Rank 2 Gu Masters.
That alone showed how important the place was.
When Lee Hyun presented his access token, one of the guards took out a small Gu resembling a dark-green grasshopper.
The insect slowly crawled across:
the token his hands his clothes.
Sniffing.
At the same time, a massive floating eye silently descended from the ceiling.
Its golden iris stared at Lee Hyun from head to toe.
Without blinking.
Without emotion.
Even knowing it was probably just a security measure, Lee Hyun still felt a slight chill.
"This world really doesn't respect privacy at all..."
After a few seconds, the guard returned the token.
"Entry permitted."
Lee Hyun stepped inside.
And ended up surprised.
The interior of the library was... strangely normal.
There were no glowing treasures.
No grand formations.
No absurd magical halls.
And yet...
It was beautiful.
Very beautiful.
The internal structure followed the shape of a prism tower.
Bookshelves were attached to the walls, forming several open circular floors.
At the center existed a massive empty space, allowing anyone to clearly see:
the ground floor the upper floors and everyone reading.
Probably intentional.
Easier to monitor everyone.
The floor was made of polished dark wood.
Several disciples sat silently on bamboo benches while reading.
The only clearly supernatural things were:
small glowing firefly-like insects illuminating the place and floating eyes slowly patrolling between floors.
Everything was far too quiet.
Even the sound of turning pages felt loud.
Behind a counter stood an elderly man wearing yellow Huang Clan robes.
A Rank 3 Gu Master.
In many smaller clans, someone like him would already be an important elder.
Beside him stood a young woman dressed in simpler robes.
Rank 1.
A library assistant.
When Lee Hyun approached, she immediately glanced toward:
his calloused hands sunburned skin simple clothes.
A faint look of superiority appeared on her face.
Lee Hyun completely ignored it.
In his previous life, he had dealt with far worse people.
Besides...
"Arrogant people are usually easy to fool."
He calmly showed his token.
"I want the Rank 1 Gu catalog."
The old librarian barely raised his eyes.
"North corridor. Third section."
Lee Hyun hesitated for a moment before asking:
"How many books can I take?"
The old man answered instantly.
Like someone who had repeated the same thing for decades.
"There is no reading limit inside the library."
"But only five books may be separated at a time."
"Control and damage prevention."
"If something is destroyed, the clan wants to know who was responsible."
Lee Hyun slowly nodded.
Then he asked another question:
"And taking them back to the dormitory?"
Finally, the old man raised his eyes.
"Not permitted."
"The library closes at sunset."
"All books must remain here."
What a bunch of cheapskates.
Lee Hyun resisted the urge to say that out loud.
A few minutes later, he returned carrying five books:
Rank 1 Gu Catalog History of the Gu World Known Paths Cultivation Fundamentals Introduction to Refinement.
The last one especially caught his attention.
Refiners earned a lot of primordial stones.
A lot.
Of course...
The risk of exploding while trying to refine something also seemed considerable.
But profit was profit.
As he searched for an empty table, a low voice suddenly spoke beside him.
"You really took all of those?"
Lee Hyun turned his head.
It was the girl from the awakening ceremony.
She repeated:
"You really plan on reading all of that?"
Lee Hyun raised his eyes for a moment.
A girl stood beside the table holding a Gu catalog book.
She had large brown eyes filled with genuine curiosity, constantly observing everything around her.
Her movements were slightly awkward, like someone who still wasn't entirely sure what to do with her hands or how to behave in a place like this.
Her smooth bluish-white hair fell past her shoulders, faintly reflecting the golden glow of the library's firefly Gu.
In this world, strange hair and eye colors were relatively common.
After years living there, Lee Hyun had already stopped finding it strange.
What truly caught his attention was something else.
She looked far too comfortable.
As if she still managed to hold onto hope in such a miserable world.
"..."
Strange.
She slowly pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
"You ran to the library the moment class ended."
"I honestly thought someone was chasing you."
Lee Hyun answered calmly:
"Knowledge is power."
He paused briefly.
"...And power generates money."
The girl blinked.
Then she held back a quiet laugh.
One of the floating eyes slowly drifted above them at that moment.
She immediately lowered her voice.
"You sound like an old merchant."
"Old merchants usually become rich."
"...That actually makes sense."
She seemed to accept that absurd logic surprisingly fast.
"My name is Liling."
Lee Hyun nodded lightly.
"Lee Hyun."
"I know."
Of course she knew.
The two Class B talents from the outskirts.
It would've been stranger if she didn't know.
Liling rested her arms on the table while staring at the absurd pile of books.
"You're really going to read all of this today?"
Lee Hyun had already opened the first book.
"Yes."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
She stared at him silently for a few seconds.
The kind of look that clearly said:
this guy is weird.
Lee Hyun completely ignored it.
In reality, he was already analyzing:
Gu prices refinement costs regional resources market demand.
Liling quickly noticed that he had practically forgotten she existed while reading.
The pages started turning rapidly.
Too rapidly.
Even the library assistant began discreetly glancing in their direction.
Lee Hyun looked like a machine devouring information.
Liling watched him for a few seconds before murmuring:
"You really are... different..."
But unlike the library assistant...
She didn't seem to despise him.
"If you want to call me strange or bizarre, that's fine. I won't get offended."
"Okay, you're really weird."
"Thank you."
Weed found her surprisingly straightforward, especially since she made sure to include the really.
"...That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
She held back another laugh.
For some reason, that made Lee Hyun feel slightly more comfortable.
Maybe because:
They came from the same outskirts survived the same awakening knew the same miserable reality.
Or maybe...
Because optimistic people were incredibly rare in this world.
"Have you already decided which Gu you'll choose tomorrow?" she asked quietly.
Lee Hyun answered immediately:
"Not yet."
A lie.
He was already analyzing:
cost potential compatibility future evolution.
Liling rested her face on her hands.
"I want a beautiful Gu."
"..."
Lee Hyun slowly raised his eyes from the book.
"Beautiful?"
"Of course."
She smiled as if that was perfectly normal.
"If I'm going to use a Gu for the rest of my life, then it should at least look pretty."
Lee Hyun remained silent for a few seconds.
Then thought:
"She is definitely going to choose something terrible."
After that, the two occasionally continued talking in low voices.
Mostly Liling talking.
Lee Hyun listening.
Or pretending to listen.
Because in reality...
His mind had already completely submerged itself in the books.
The pages kept turning continuously.
One after another.
Without stopping.
Without hesitation.
His eyes seemed to absorb every line like a machine.
Even the library assistant began throwing strange glances toward him.
The catalog contained:
prices functions essence consumption refinement rates related paths.
And Lee Hyun memorized everything.
Especially:
market values resource locations profitable Gu.
While other disciples dreamed about power...
Lee Hyun was already thinking about economics.
"The southern oasis produces red ore..."
"Golden silkworms are worth a lot..."
"Storage-type Gu are ridiculously expensive..."
"Refinement has absurd profit margins..."
Hours passed quickly.
Without realizing it, Lee Hyun finished:
one book then another then another.
The library slowly began to empty.
The glowing fireflies dimmed their light.
Then a voice echoed throughout the hall.
"The library will be closing soon."
Lee Hyun finally raised his head.
His neck hurt.
But his eyes were shining.
He had obtained far more information than expected.
After returning the books, he slowly walked back toward the dormitory.
The desert night was cold.
But his mind continued working nonstop.
Tomorrow...
He would choose his first Gu.
And that would define the beginning of his path in this world.