Sneaking into the second floor

"I told you, Ethan! This plant is so precious!"

Mason was so delighted that he forgot that he was in a library. Of course, all libraries have got one typical rule: every visitor must be quiet at all costs.

"Do you forget that you are in a library?" After staring at Mason for a while, Ethan asked with furrowed brows.

Hearing what Ethan just said, it was as if his reminder was a mouth-shutting spell. Mason froze, as well as his mouth being shut.

"Ah shit, I was just too excited," Mason said.

"So, how huge is the strength we are talking about?" Ethan asked as he tried to study what was on the page.

Mason hesitated a bit. "I don't really know... I can just read further since everything about the elixir is written here."

Ethan nodded. "I'll just hang around then."

They both agreed and Ethan left that spot. He walked around the first floor library, looking for books associated with The Changed but found no one.

There were over a thousand books as said by the librarian on the first floor, and surprisingly, no book about The Changed was among them.

Not even one.

Ethan cast a suspicious look around.

"Is this why we aren't allowed to enter the second floor?" Ethan wondered in a mutter.

He guessed that these books would be hidden on the second floor.

"It must be there."

Ethan had full belief. He knew they might be hiding some things from the Adepts.

The academy's library had three floors. Both 1st and 2nd Year Adepts are only licensed for the first floor which was located in the lowest floor of the library building. Actually, the library building was a two-story structure. The extreme top was the third floor while the mid section was the second floor.

No one could be allowed to enter the second and third floors due to the miseries hidden within them. Only the high-ranked Professionals who had a breakthrough to at least the third higher stages in their Profession ranks could visit the academy library to study some information.

However, the third floor was barely visited. The Albany government only made this place accessible mainly to its officials. A magical army group called The Legion.

Stuck on the first floor, it was certain that Ethan wasn't going to see any book written about The Changed.

Realizing this, Ethan frowned.

Ethan tried to sneak into the second floor, but unfortunately, the entrance was fiercely locked. Not with the usual padlocks used in various homes, it was a magic entity that looked like lightning strings. If one tried to trespass, they might get struck...

Ethan had no choice but to back out, not wanting to get struck by lightning. He knew how unfriendly the effect of a lightning strike was, much less that of a Magus-level Arcanist like the librarian.

"I don't want to die..."

Ethan turned to walk away. Although he was deeply furious and displeased, what would a weak inferior Adept like himself do?

He shuffled frustratedly down the staircase that led to the entrance of the second floor slowly and calmly, retreating. And just as he continued stepping down, he heard a slight thud upwards.

Ethan fearfully glanced up, wondering what source the sound would have came from. However, when his gaze met the ceiling area, his eyes widened in shock.

Ethan saw an ironic platform that looked like a small entrance. It was more like an escape hole seen in most houses, but due to being structured upwards, calling it a hole didn't best described it.

'This must be an unknown entrance into the second floor. I must go through it.'

Luckily, this entrance wasn't locked by lightning strings. By looking at it, Ethan didn't seem to notice anything that could hinder his entry.

There were two handles at the surface of the ironic structure, so he should be able to push and get rid of the little cyclical door.

Ethan could undergo this procession if the barricades around the stairs added to his height, so he was fine.

After successfully doing these measures, he was able to open the iron circle, and he managed to enter the second floor.

"Phew... Amazing," Ethan commented, his anger and disappointment suddenly replaced by delightful actions.

He didn't waste a second before closing the circle entrance so he wouldn't be caught. And after doing that, Ethan began to explore the second floor library.

Unlike the first floor, the books here weren't really much as many were just history books. However, the size of the books here was really massive, even though there were only a few of them.

Ethan aimed to get a book telling about the entire aspect and history of both the great Terrain Seizure that befell the universe years ago, and the aspects of humanity's major adversaries, The Changed.

Although it was a stressful search, he finally found a book titled "Albany Before and After the Apocalypse".

Quickly, he grabbed the book, moved to a convenient area, sat down, and started reading.

The first thing he came across was the universe undergoing evolution. Of course, everyone knew that that was the cause of the apocalypse, but no one really knew how large the apocalypse affected the universe.

Ignoring that part, Ethan came across a page that revealed the secret behind the continuous increase of The Changed.

People would always say that The Changed couldn't reproduce, yet there would be reports of population increase in their kin. Ethan had been wanting to know about this, and now that he had the chance, he was quite happy.

"Good thing I'm here. I hope I find how it's possible to get transmigrated into a novel. If I don't get an explanation, I wouldn't hesitate to meet Martin."

"He must tell me what I need to know."

Ethan mumbled.

He tried to concentrate on reading the pages about the increase in population of The Changed. He spent more than two hours reading these pages and even forgot that he had come with Mason to the library.

Actually, Mason should have been looking for him by now, but unfortunately, Ethan Nox was deeply engrossed in the book he was reading. He was utterly heedless.

He continued reading until it was about four hours being spent.

Although he didn't stop deliberately, something made him stop.

Ethan heard a sound in the second floor's main door. If anyone heard this sound, they would surely notice that someone was coming in.

Ethan's heart almost skipped.

It must be the librarian. Perhaps, they must have been looking for him because Ethan knew really well that Mason would have gathered all the ideas on making the Sapling's Strength Serum.

With a rush, Ethan returned the book to its usual position and found his way to hide.

He heard the door open, and two figures entered. Judging by their voice, he noticed that they were both adults.

Well, it was until he heard them speak that he knew he was in big trouble.

"Welcome Principal Bernard, this way leads to the third floor."