Ishtaar's Trial & Truth of Nivis

 Saad shrugged, trying to downplay the significance of his quest. "I need it for a quest," he explained simply.

Ishtar's curiosity remained unsatiated, but she refrained from pressing further. Instead, she began to provide answers to Saad's inquiries. "Argenis is another library from the Age of Heroes. It was built by a giant who loved books, and the library bears his name. However, it was eventually taken by humans after they killed the giant," she explained. Pausing briefly, she continued, "He built it in the desert, and it's said that the library changes its coordinates often. So, only the one who first obtains the key can truly benefit from it. Even if you find it without the key, you'll only be able to stay there for a few hours before being teleported out."

"As for the Tome of Time, you might find it on the 6th or 7th floor of this library, but it won't be an easy task," Ishtar added.

Saad listened intently, his gaze drifting up to the towering floors surrounding them. Taking a deep breath, he posed his next question. "I read that I can only climb the stairs if I pass your test. What is the test all about?"

Ishtar hummed softly, her voice carrying a teasing lilt. "So you are determined to climb the floors?" she remarked, seeming pleased. "A man should be ambitious~"

Saad felt a blush creeping up his cheeks at her playful tone. He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. Why was he feeling so drawn to this NPC? It was all too strange.

"Here is my test," Ishtar announced, and a quest window materialized before Saad.

[Ishtar's Trial]

Books read: 0/300

Questions answered: 0/40

Difficulty: A

Reward:

- Unlocking the barrier to the second floor

- +3500 EXP

- Increased familiarity with Ishtar

- Skill book chest

[Would you like to initiate the trial? Y/N]

"There is no time limit for it. You can complete reading the books whenever you want, and come to me, and I will ask you questions from the books you've read," Ishtar explained softly.

Saad couldn't help but feel overwhelmed as he looked at the daunting task ahead of him. The number of books he needed to read seemed insurmountable. He almost considered abandoning the quest then and there.

"It seems like that's a little too difficult for you," Ishtar said, her voice gentle and caring. "But as your wisdom increases, you will read faster. So don't look so sad, child." She reached out and gently patted Saad's head, her touch comforting. Saad couldn't help but wonder who could have created such a kind NPC.

"So reading speed can increase?" Saad asked eagerly, feeling a glimmer of hope.

Ishtar continued to pat his head reassuringly. "Yes, as your focus increases, your perception will be impacted, and your reading speed will improve," she explained patiently. Saad recalled how his intelligence and dexterity had increased while writing in his diary.

This realization clarified things for Saad. There were two ways to increase his stats: either by leveling up or by repeating the same action to gain a small amount of stat points. Additionally, there were titles and quests to consider. It all boiled down to the path he chose and how he decided to develop his character. After all, wouldn't his combat abilities improve with repeated battles?

Saad took a deep breath, steeling himself for the challenging task ahead. It was daunting, and it might take him a long time, but he had the determination to see it through. After all, the rewards promised by Ishtar's trial and the quest of fate were extraordinary, and passing it would bring him one step closer to unlocking his character's secrets. With resolve, he finally pressed yes.

Ishtar seemed pleased by his decision, her smile warm and encouraging. "That's a good decision you made," she said softly. "There's no need to worry about time. Read the books in your free time, and once you're done, come to me for the trial's second step. May the blessings of Endymion be with you."

Saad nodded gratefully. "I will go read the books then. Thank you, Ishtar."

The snake woman smiled softly, and Saad watched as the slithering snow snake in the air moved gracefully, leading him to the history section of the library. The sheer number of books was staggering, and Saad couldn't help but wonder what gibberish the developers had filled within those pages.

The snake went inside the shelf and wrapped its tail around a book and took it out, giving to Saad. It was incredibly efficient since he really couldn't reach that 20th shelf by himself with no support.

He took the book and followed the snake who would occasionally get inside and get a book out. Once Saad had all six books, he went back to sit in the seating area. Which, surprisingly was incredibly comfortable and had a soft snowy feel but wasn't cold at all.

Saad activated his lore lexicon skill and also equipped the enchanted lore pen before he started to read the books. He hadn't realized it before but he was able to read much faster than the real world. He didn't understand how it worked but it was fascinating.

As Saad delved into the pages of the books, he discovered extensive amount of lore and history from the age of heroes. Each volume contained extensive information, painting a vivid picture of a bygone era filled with myths, legends, and epic battles.

One particular revelation caught Saad's attention—the mention of a hero who wielded whips. It was a detail he hadn't come across before, adding another layer of intrigue to the already rich tapestry of stories.

But it was the accounts of Nivis that truly captivated him. Contrary to the widely known narrative, she was not a malevolent force to be vanquished by the gods. Instead, she was depicted as a ruler who made the ultimate sacrifice to save her land and her people. It was a revelation that challenged everything Saad thought he knew about the ancient history of the world he now found himself immersed in.

While Saad read through six books, his focus and intelligence increased by 3 points and his lore lexicon's proficiency also increased by 2. His bookworm skill also increased by 6%. Somehow his reading speed has been so fast and he had been able to quickly finish the books. And as soon as he read through all of the content, the quest finally completed.

[Secrets of Emberflame- 2]

Discover the truth about the column of Nivis. [Complete]

Rank: B

Rewards:

A piece from column of Nivis

Experience points +1500

A shimmering blue crystal like piece that was giving of freezing air landed in front of Saad. It was the size of a big diamond. And then a new quest window opened up.

[Secrets of Emberflame- 3]

Achieve level 99

Complete the quest [Curse of Fate-1]

Find out about the Whip Devil

Rank: S

Rewards:

S-grade equipment chest

S-grade skill book chest

Experience points +10k

The third Quest made Saad stare at it in disbelief. The rewards were out of this world but the quest was definitely out of his league. Completing the quest required to complete that difficult quest and also that hero whose story he had read about in the books. Maybe he would be able to learn about it in the library. But even so, he felt no real motivation towards it.

In his mind, by the time he might reach level 99 and complete that absurd fate quest, he might have gathered enough money and would be able to change his character by then. But for the first time, he felt a little hesitant about that. Should he really be changing his character? Kael seemed like some kind of hidden character.

Though he didn't really think he would be able to complete the third quest, he decided to at least ask about the details of the whip hero from Ishtar.

Ishtar looked up from reading books and at that moment, Saad wondered that just how Ishtar was reading through that piece of cloth, it was a mystery in itself.

"Oh Kael. Are you done with the books? How surprising that you read them so fast. I had thought that you would be reading all day. But our dear reader is very capable." he soft tone was full of praise and that made Saad feel a little shy.

Ishtar's soft praise caught Saad off guard, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of embarrassment. "Oh, I didn't do anything great," he mumbled, trying to downplay his accomplishment.

But Ishtar's gentle smile persisted as she responded, her voice warm and encouraging. "Nonsense, Kael. You've shown remarkable diligence and capability. I had expected you to spend the entire day reading, but you've proven me wrong." There was a hint of playfulness there that made Saad's cheeks burn.

Saad shifted uncomfortably under her praise, but he managed to compose himself enough to voice his next question. "I was curious about the hero who wielded whips. Do you know anything about him?"