Ch.385385 – A Book That Kills
by fnovelpia
<385 – A Book That Kills People>
There are as many different skill checks in Lucky Academy as there are numerous skills to graduate with.
Among them, checks related to “magic” or “knowledge” are more notorious than physical fields, because the amount of learning increases dramatically.
‘That’s why newbies can’t use magic!’
When you understand the principles and carefully engrave the formula, the difficulty of casting magic becomes easier.
[The formula has been perfectly engraved.]
[Problem difficulty decreases.]
[The mana circuit construction is perfect.]
[Problem difficulty decreases.]
[The difficulty has dropped to a negligible level.]
[Problem solving is skipped.]
━━━
【Magic Missile Casting Problem】
Question: 1＋1＝ ?
Answer: ? = 2
━━━
No one would find this difficult to solve.
Even a 3-year-old child who’s just learning to count could get it right.
Conversely, what if an inexperienced newbie struggles?
[The formula materials are low-grade.]
[Problem difficulty increases.]
[The formula has been engraved terribly.]
[Problem difficulty increases.]
[The mana purity is terrible.]
[Problem difficulty increases.]
[The mana circuit construction is sloppy.]
[Problem difficulty increases.]
[Mana reserves are low.]
[Problem difficulty increases.]
━━━
【Magic Missile Casting Problem】
Time limit: 5 seconds
Question: Find the rule that goes into the clover.
28500♣5＝0
2850♣4＝2
285♣3＝0
28♣2＝0
2♣1＝0
Answer: The rule for ♣ is <Divide the number before by the number after and find the remainder>.
━━━
Few ordinary people could quickly solve such problems unless they’re test-takers or college students who came to play games after studying for entrance exams, math teachers, or people studying for civil service exams.
The human brain works faster on familiar tasks and slower on unfamiliar ones.
Some Indian players who are terrible at creating formulas but are math geniuses succeed in solving all problems with their brain skills and cast all spells in just 1 second, but that’s not a skill I can imitate.
‘Such a person would have become a great mage even if they were from another world!’
An ordinary veteran player like me can only adjust the difficulty of problem-solving and memorize the patterns of questions and answers.
How is that different from just solving problems?
There’s obviously a world of difference between getting all the answers right when faced with unknown problems versus only getting right the ones you already know!
‘The problem is that just as the difficulty of magic checks increases with the complexity of the magic being cast, knowledge checks also become more difficult as the required knowledge becomes more complex and difficult!’
And right now, we’re being asked to perform a knowledge check.
【Archaeological Archives】
[When you successfully complete a knowledge check for the book you wish to borrow, that book will be temporarily ejected from the archives.]
[However, if you fail the knowledge check, the likelihood of a completely different book popping out increases.]
[Caution: According to the library’s security protocol, those who fail the knowledge check are considered intruders, and there are many trap books that can harm readers.]
Seeing the warning notice prominently displayed in front of the archives, Dobby, who desperately needed a fairy tale book, trembled pitifully.
“I can’t get this. I’ve never trained my archaeology skill, so I can’t pass the knowledge check…”
“I’ve read a lot of books studying for lectures, can’t I use my reading skill for the check?”
Titosoga asked an innocent question.
I coolly answered.
“Try it!”
“…I’ll pass.”
That’s Titosoga for you.
Like a harmless small animal, he has a good sense for detecting danger.
On the other hand, there are those who are brave because they’re ignorant.
“You all have courage smaller than a mouse’s testicles. Hahaha, I’ll get that fairy tale book in one go!”
Son Ocheon confidently placed his hand on the archives.
A judgment window appeared.
[Think about or enter information about the book you want to borrow on the mana panel.]
━━━
Input information: Fairy tale book
Keywords: fairy, anything, many
━━━
[Executing knowledge check.]
Thinking it would be as simple as searching and borrowing a book, like an electronic library system, Son Ocheon approached it casually. But an enormous amount of judgment text began flowing before him at a frightening speed, like error codes on a hacked computer.
[The scope of information is too broad.]
[Judgment difficulty increases.]
[<Archaeology> knowledge is insufficient.]
[Judgment difficulty increases.]
[<Fairy> knowledge is insufficient.]
[Judgment difficulty increases.]
[<Legend> knowledge is insufficient.]
[Judgment difficulty increases.]
[<Great Monster> knowledge is insufficient.]
[Judgment difficulty increases.]
“Huh?”
Son Ocheon sensed something was wrong.
The mana panel under his hand vibrated terrifyingly.
━━━
Ancient and noble fairy tales reject your touch.
Fairy footprints mock you as they fly away.
Traces of legend pull out the forbidden book <Tragedy of the Fool>.
Some great monster drools as it adds <Dreagol’s Leather Book>.
━━━
“Huuuh?”
In the blink of an eye, two books were randomly pulled from the archaeological archives.
One resembled a photo album with ridiculous green and red jester decorations, while the other was a man-eating book made of monster hide with ominous teeth.
The photo album opened itself and tried to absorb Son Ocheon’s soul into its empty photos, while the leather book opened its jaws wide to bite his hand.
[Failed mental resistance.]
[Strength temporarily reduced.]
[Failed killing intent resistance.]
[Strength temporarily reduced.]
[Failed hierarchy resistance.]
[Strength temporarily reduced.]
“Damn. What’s happening to my body? I can’t move…!”
“Yep, that’s enough!”
Just before he could suffer a terrible fate, I grabbed Son Ocheon’s legs and pulled him backward.
Finally freed from the position of having his hand on the archives’ mana board, Son Ocheon fell backward and shuddered as he watched the books that were just licking their chops inside the mana board.
“What kind of books are those! Even a professor’s trap wouldn’t be that dangerous.”
“That’s because they’re not books meant to be read!”
“I’ve had a terrible experience. I’ll never touch a library mana panel again.”
Having witnessed Son Ocheon’s ordeal up close, the other students became more cautious.
They maintained proper posture and carefully watched their steps and distance, afraid to let even a thread touch the archives.
Is etiquette really born from the violence of barbarism?
“Is there anyone else who wants to try getting a fairy tale book?”
“Hmm. I might be able to help. The education I received from the Ceviche family, which was once a ducal house, was not taken lightly.”
“Wow, Sister Arcadia!”
“That won’t be necessary. You’re already burdened with reviving your fallen house. Don’t risk yourself and leave this to me.”
“Wow, Irene!”
As the two had mentioned before, libraries are the domain of the upper class.
It wouldn’t be strange for a duke’s daughter and a marquis’s daughter to have exclusive libraries in their territories.
Though not as extensive as the academy’s, they would have facilities where knowledge checks wouldn’t be unfamiliar.
[Arcadia borrows <Kaharan Desert Mural>.]
[Irene borrows <Frozen Time>.]
The two successfully obtained their respective fairy tale books from the mana panel.
“I thought you said fairy tale books?”
“Those are fairy tale books?”
Everyone’s breath caught when, instead of the picture books they were expecting (though they weren’t hoping for comic books), what appeared was a mural that looked like it had been torn whole from a wall. Irene’s was even more bizarre—a large container filled with rainbow-colored water where chaotic colors swirled endlessly.
“By fairy standards, this is a fairy tale. They read the emotional fluctuations engraved in the mural by tracing the three-dimensionally carved images with their hands.”
“And this container of swirling water called <Frozen Time> captures the past of spirits from an even more primitive era than those advanced spirits.”
“Well, it’s good we got twice the results, Dobby!”
Dobby, who had obtained the fairy tale books, asked with a not-at-all happy face.
“So when you ask me to read a fairy tale book, how am I supposed to read those?”
“With archaeology skill!”
“But I’ve never learned archaeology.”
“Then spirit language skill!”
“I’ve never had any connection with spirits either.”
“Then learn one while we’re at the library!”
Actually, the library also has what are called <Skill Books>.
When opened, they allow you to learn skills you haven’t acquired yet, or significantly increase the experience of skills you already have.
After quickly searching through the mana panel and finding a skill book to hand over, Dobby asked with a dazed expression.
“How did you find a skill book in just one second? Did you know about this from the beginning…?”
Zaku approached the confused Dobby, put his arm around his shoulder, and whispered in a low voice.
“Haven’t you noticed?”
“!?”
“If Oknodie gave you supplies from the foundation, just shut up and take it. Don’t draw unnecessary attention.”
Dobby sighed with mixed feelings, wondering if being tied to the foundation was really the right choice when the alternative was being killed by spirits, and accepted the skill book.
[You have no knowledge related to skills.]
[Acquisition time increases.]
[Failed intelligence check.]
[Pain during acquisition increases.]
[A fragment of talent is visible.]
[Your lifespan will not be reduced.]
“AAAAARGH!!!”
Dobby suddenly let out a terrible scream and convulsed while holding the skill book.
Son Ocheon was startled by his suffering, which resembled someone who had opened a forbidden book.
“Is that guy opening a trap book like the ones I almost opened?”
“No, skill books are normally like that!”
“What kind of skill book is designed to kill people?”
“They say treasures choose their owners. If someone without ability gets greedy, they should expect this much pain!”
“But you’re the one who told him to read it, you heartless little mouse…”
[Dobby acquires the Spirit Language skill.]
Great! Now Dobby doesn’t have to worry about being assassinated by spirits who visit in the middle of the night!
“We’ve accomplished our purpose at the library, but does anyone want to borrow one book each before we leave? I could even find a skill book for each of you if you want!”
The students who had come all this way together, overwhelmed with assignments, shook their heads.
What strange newbies, not needing reference books for their lectures!
“Oh right. Dobby. Return the books now!”
“What?! We came to borrow books. Why should I return them already!”
“If the spirits don’t return the books that Arcadia and Irene borrowed, and they have to pay late fees, those two will be incredibly angry. But if you’re okay with that, you don’t have to return them!”
“…”
Dobby returned the not-really-books while sobbing.
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