Ch.60*Pointer

“Why did that one remain without being erased?”

Remain, remain, remain.

An echo follows the end of my words. Following that voice, Choi Serim raises her head to look at the sky.

Inside the bookshelves that stretch endlessly toward the sky like ancient trees, books are densely packed. Setting aside the length of the shelves, anyone would question such a structure. The primary value of a library is accessibility—allowing everyone to reach knowledge. No one could possibly access books stacked so high in the sky.

But that’s not actually true.

“Dabin. Just a moment.”

I shifted my gaze to follow hers. In the night sky that had appeared completely black, a star was floating.

No. It wasn’t a star.

Only after seeing several books at my feet glowing did I realize what it was.

My exceptional aptitude for observing anomalies laid out information before my eyes that would normally be invisible.

[Reference]

Someone was accessing a book in the library to reference knowledge.

The referenced books turn into light dust and ascend.

Like an hourglass running in reverse, time in the library suddenly began to rewind.

From night to dawn. From dawn to morning.

But even they couldn’t completely transfer the principles, leaving the sky as a black plaza.

“Wow…”

Under the dark sky, everything around us filled with vibrant light.

Some of them remained by my side.

“The ending we’re looking for is a story written in the upper narrative layer.”

Choi Serim opened a book and placed it at my feet.

Knowledge that had been trapped between piles of books finally scattered into light.

“It could be the floor just above us, or it could be much higher.”

A gentle touch caresses my earlobe.

“One thing is certain—you need to be there.”

I looked up at the sky as far as I could, but I never found out who they were.

Rustle.

The magic ended with the sound of Daju stirring.

“I’ve been saying too many strange things, haven’t I?”

“Yes.”

I answered honestly.

“Actually, I have too many incomprehensible things in my head. I was just trying to get them out somehow.”

Choi Serim sat on the bookshelf and stretched her arm outside the cliff.

A few specks of light dust brush past her fingers.

“It might be difficult now, but there will be a time when we can unravel this slowly.”

“Did you have some kind of awakening when you had that headache earlier?”

What I threw out was half a joke.

“Yes.”

But Choi Serim just nodded without smiling.

“Let’s talk about this later.”

“We probably won’t have many chances to talk just the two of us if not now.”

I grumbled in response, but,

“No. We will soon.”

Choi Serim simply answered quietly.

Rustle.

Once again, the sound of Daju stirring was heard.

This time she was sitting up and looking around.

“Huh? Where is this?”

She mumbles in a hoarse voice, still half-asleep.

“Why am I here? Wait. I was originally…”

Choi Serim stares intently at Yoon Daju for a moment.

With a thud, Daju collapses. Checking on her, I see she’s fallen back asleep.

“I’ll keep watch over the fire, so Dabin should get some sleep too.”

“Okay.”

“I could help you fall asleep right away. Want me to?”

“No.”

I waved my hands in refusal and lay down.

I feel like I’ll fall asleep soon anyway. Falling unconscious into sleep seems a bit scary.

***

Both Yoon Daju and Jung Haewon are sound asleep. Lim Dabin, who had just closed her eyes, is also breathing peacefully.

If there’s ever a time to be completely alone, it’s now.

Crackle. Crackle.

Choi Serim was watching the burning flames when she finally let out the cough she’d been holding back.

It felt like her lungs were being stabbed with a sharp awl, and her entire head was pounding painfully.

The coughing grew worse, until blood appeared on her palm.

‘I hope Dabin didn’t see that.’

Her pale palm swept across the bookshelf floor.

Choi Serim used a book as a tissue to wipe away the sticky bloodstains.

With each heartbeat, she could hear whispers in a low voice.

This was the price for clutching dangerous knowledge and refusing to let go.

[Knowledge about the library and this place]

[Location of philosophy books]

[Where to head next]

Each piece constituted an extremely dangerous memetic kill agent.

This kind of knowledge gradually consumes a person just by being held in their mind.

“Hoo…”

After exhaling a bloody sigh, Choi Serim closed her eyes and placed her hand on her forehead.

It was time to erase her own memories again.

She erases memories from her consciousness and locks them in her subconscious.

By fragmenting memories and recalling them only when needed, Choi Serim had managed to survive.

‘Even that won’t last much longer.’

She focused deep into her consciousness to check the suggestion she had placed on herself.

[Condition: Arrive at the library and proceed quite deep inside.]

[Seal multiple memories in the subconscious until the condition is met.]

[Memory unlock.]

It was a condition she had set for herself long ago.

Until this morning, she couldn’t remember it.

The condition wasn’t simply “arrive at the library” because she was worried about the side effects when the memories were unlocked.

The terrible headache. If she complained of a headache so severe she couldn’t move properly, she might abandon the exploration and turn back. Then the objective couldn’t be achieved.

“…”

Choi Serim felt apologetic.

Those side effects happened to hit while they were being chased, causing trouble for everyone.

This time, she needed to be more careful.

The condition was inside the library. When they reached the “destination.” She added specific details to that.

When all conditions were met, Choi Serim’s memories would be released to the surface again.

The memories were rapidly sinking.

[Form■ Philosophy]

[Narrative layer■]

[Star of Forgetting]

[Role■ as ■■, responsibility, duty]

Before the last memory sank into her subconscious, Choi Serim got up and moved.

To where Lim Dabin was sleeping.

Swish.

She brushed aside Dabin’s hair and placed her hand on her warm forehead.

‘I should cut her hair when we get out of here.’

It would probably be difficult.

Choi Serim smiled bitterly.

She had explained everything she knew. Dabin could do it. That’s how the story was meant to be.

***

A cracked glass orb begins to shine. The stained glass covering the ceiling changes color as if warming in the sunlight.

It was morning in the library, illuminated by a giant lamp instead of the sun.

We’ve now climbed up from the cliff and are searching through books again.

After several hours of this, Jung Haewon finally straightens his back and wails.

“No!!! How are we supposed to find what we want among all these books? Isn’t there a search system here?”

“Hey. You think you’re the only one struggling?”

I nudged Jung Haewon’s side.

“Kids these days only look at smartphones… Reading various things while you’re at it is fun, you know? Think of it as work, but also self-improvement! That’s how you should approach it.”

“Seriously… are you really being such an old-timer, noona?”

It’s comfortable banter with a familiar dynamic.

I push Jung Haewon as if cracking a whip.

“Just do what you’re told!”

Though I say that, I’d go crazy from boredom if we didn’t joke around like this.

Jung Haewon is playing by stacking books into towers. Yoon Daju is practically melting, lying down in front of a bookshelf.

Choi Serim maintains her focus while examining books, but judging by how she occasionally interlaces her fingers and sighs, she’s tired too.

In short, it’s like finding a needle in a sandbox.

The books are practically infinite, but what we need to find is just a few lines.

[The Return of the Genius Explorer]

Not this one.

[Raising a Puppy Together]

This is also far from what we’re looking for.

“Ugh…”

Just as I was about to slump down.

“Oppa! Look at this.”

“Huh?”

Daju comes running toward me with a book.

What is it? Did she find something?

I had my hopes up, and as expected, Daju didn’t disappoint.

The book cover gradually comes into view.

Above an illustration of a surprised girl, the title is written in cute lettering.

[TS: I’ve Turned Into a Girl?]

Daju giggles as if it’s the funniest thing ever.

“Isn’t this about you, oppa?”

“You little… seriously!!!”

I put my weight on my arm, intending to push her away, but Daju quickly dodges.

“Whoa?”

I lose my balance and fall forward.

Just as I feel the dizziness coming on, Daju grabs my hand and pulls me up.

“Hey, you should be careful.”

Daju looks down at me with a grin.

I don’t have much to say, so I just sigh while fixing my hair.

“But Yoon Daju, you seem to be doing fine. Yesterday you fell from up there and rolled down. Are you okay? Any injuries?”

“Oh, that?”

Yoon Daju tilts her head innocently as she speaks.

“I was fine after sleeping, you know?”

“That’s strange.”

“I know, right? I guess I wasn’t hurt that badly.”

“You should have gotten hurt a little more.”

“Ah, oppa! Isn’t that too harsh?”

I ignored Daju and headed back to the bookshelf.

After staring at tiny print for a long time, I was finally stretching my back when I noticed a strange book.

While all the other books were plain, one book spine in the distance seemed to shine with vibrant colors.

It wasn’t close by, nor was it particularly near any lighting. But somehow I felt drawn to it.

That eye-catching book was at least three bookshelves away.

The distance looked to be about 300 meters.

I started walking quickly, and at some point, I broke into a run.

“Huff, huff.”

After running as if entranced, I finally reached my destination, out of breath.

“Heuyk…”

The voice that came out of my mouth was something I could hardly believe was mine.

It sounded a bit… erotic… I hope no one heard that?

I sat down with my hands on the floor and looked back.

Thankfully, Jung Haewon was following me, but he was still quite far away.

“Noona! Where are you suddenly going?”

After resting a bit, I’ll put him to work when he gets here.

With that thought, I lay down.

The cool floor.

My rough hair spreads out beneath my back.

It felt good to lie down, but my long hair pulls painfully.

I lift my head to pull out my hair and gather it neatly, then use the bag I was carrying as a pillow.

“Huff, huff.”

Even though I feel like I’ve rested enough, my breathing won’t return to normal.

I’ve adapted to this body and done plenty of running around, but this stamina shows no signs of improving.

I raised my head slightly to look up at the bookshelf. A wooden bookshelf with various scratches. The book is placed quite high.

“Noona!”

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Did you find something? You suddenly ran off…”

And Jung Haewon arrives.

I sat up.

“Haewon, look.”

I pointed to where the book was.

“Up there… *huff* we need to climb up.”

“I see.”

I gulped down the saliva pooling in my mouth.

“…So help me stack some books. Make stairs so I can climb up.”

“Will that work? It seems like it might collapse.”

“That’s why you need to watch from below when I climb up.”

“Why don’t we just wait for the others to come?”

“No.”

When I spoke firmly, Jung Haewon smiled awkwardly.

I shouldn’t be doing this, but it’s becoming increasingly fun to boss my younger brother around.

Taking charge and telling him what to do makes me feel more masculine somehow…

Three rows of bookshelves are roughly 2 meters tall.

The book I’m looking for is about seven rows up.

If we had a ladder, it would be easy to reach, but it’s not a trivial height.

The work finished faster than expected.

“You’re good at this.”

“It’s quick because we’re doing it together.”

“You like soccer too, right?”

“Yes.”

I wonder if this kid would become an S-class recruit in the military?

I’m not sure. I did civil service because of my back problems.

“But why do you ask?”

“No reason.”

I answered indifferently and climbed up the stairs made of books.

A khaki-colored cover inserted on the seventh level.

Finally, I could see the title of the book that had been shining so vividly.

[*End of the World Scenario: 5000]

I turned to the first page.

– Book Classification: *Pointer

– The content of this book indicates the ‘address’ of the designated document, i.e., its ‘location’ within the library.

– Therefore, this book does not contain the content of the designated document.

– The designated document [End of the World Scenario: 5000] deals with the human extinction scenario that occurs when ■■ makes incorrect judgments and fails to ■■■ ■■■■.

“Hmm?”

I turned to the next page, but no content was visible.

The page was filled with what seemed like random alphabets and numbers.

The next page was the same. And the page after that as well.

‘What is this?’

Just as I was beginning to question it, text floated up from the book.

[Displaying reference address.]

[Searching for notation the reader can understand…]

[‘Notation: Symbol’ has been adopted.]

…

[Please close the book and open to page 9 again.]

…

[The arrow you see on page 9 is called a ‘pointer’.]

[You can access the desired information by moving to where the pointer indicates.]

Like a compass, the arrow drawn on the book began to rotate in various directions.