In truth, the objective wasn’t all that grand.
Ding-!
[You have discovered a new location: Seiran Library]
The only library in the Middle City of the Border City. The moment I stepped inside, the first thing I saw was the impressive motto engraved on the plaque near the main entrance:
“Information is the key to survival and the seed of power.”
The library had been closed for internal renovations over the past few days, but today it had reopened its doors. In the game, this location only became accessible after clearing Act 1, Chapter 2. It seemed that, in reality, the same condition had applied.
“If not for that, I would’ve come here much earlier.”
[Alphonse of Red Street gapes in astonishment at how enormous this library is]
Ten floors in total, including the underground levels. Between tightly packed rows of bookshelves bustled armed adventurers, researchers, and scholars. The collections here were so vast and so useful that representatives of every profession stopped by.
<The Living Labyrinth> <Complete Compendium of Labyrinth Traps> <Edible Things in the Labyrinth> <A Brief Guide to Destroying Mechanical Lifeforms>
<What to Do If You Find a Core in the Labyrinth?>
Various walkthrough guides compiled by renowned exploration squads.
<10 Ways to Prepare Basic Recovery Potions>
<Maintenance Is Survival: A Basic Guide to Equipment Inspection> <How to Keep an Expedition Journal>
Foundational books necessary for novice adventurers.
<Critical Reading of the Luthien Scriptures> <Lost Fragments: A Collection of Texts Restored Before Luthien Cult Censorship>
<108 Cases of Contracts with Forbidden Gods>
Even banned books — the kind one wouldn’t dare imagine outside Luthien’s sphere of influence.
“There’s every kind of book here.”
That was because the city administration actively replenished the library’s holdings. The diverse knowledge contained in these books increased the survival rate of adventurers. And higher survival rates inevitably led to more expeditions and better results.
As part of this effort, book donations were encouraged. Donors received various rewards and privileges, so adventurers and scholars not only submitted mysterious ancient tomes found in the Labyrinth but also wrote and contributed books themselves.
[King of Ninety-Nine Defeats notes that this is a good strategy]
There were even novels and art collections for those exhausted in body and spirit. No wonder the place was so crowded.
“...Does this world need a hero? What kind of book title is that?”
[Drug-Addicted Saint asks which book I am looking for]
“The book I’m looking for...”
I shifted my gaze to the shelves filled with literature about gods. Folk tales, myths, legends, various scriptures... exactly what I needed.
“I’ll start there.”
But before beginning the search, I had something to take care of.
Tap—
I turned away from my objective and walked to a shelf on the opposite side. Then I found and pulled out a book. Its title was strange: <How to Move, Fight, and Dodge Like a Cat>. But the moment I placed it before the cat statue on the 9th floor—
Ding-!
[Hidden object discovered! The cat wants to read too]
— Luck +1
— Noise while in stealth permanently reduced
— Night vision improved
[※ The cat statue seems to be smiling]
I exhaled in satisfaction.
“So it works after all.”
Seiran Library. Because of the countless small hidden objects scattered throughout, players had nicknamed this place the “honey pot.”
.
.
.
Half a day passed like that.
I scribbled nonsense in the corner of a reading desk. Wrote the word “Book” backward on the bathroom mirror. Buried a ghost storybook in the lower garden. It was a moment when the meta-knowledge of a transmigrator shone in full glory.
[Luck +1]
[Reputation growth rate slightly increased!]
[Luck +1]
[Divine magic resistance slightly increased!]
[Luck +1]
[Chance of rare item drops slightly increased!] .......
There were no combat bonuses, but non-combat privileges and the Luck stat had increased noticeably. Especially Luck, which rose by 1 for every hidden object. Luck is a special stat whose official description reads: “affects evasion chance, critical damage, and strange coincidences.” It is also a stat that cannot be invested in directly like Magic Power, making it extremely difficult to raise on one’s own. But thanks to sweeping today’s hidden objects, my Luck had reached a full 19 points. Nearly double what it was before.
“...Could the companion event trigger again?”
With anticipation, I completed the final hidden object in the library. It involved secretly placing desserts and love letters on people’s tables and slipping away unnoticed.
Ding-!
[Luck has reached 20]
[Your Luck shines even brighter. Minor misfortunes naturally avoid you, and unexpected small fortunes hover nearby]
[Companion character affinity growth rate slightly increased!]
Passing by people who looked around in delight, I returned to the quiet shelves. It was already late. The many visitors began leaving one by one.
“Well then... let’s begin.”
Time to focus on the main objective. I gathered the volumes I had marked earlier and sat at a reading desk.
<Where the Shadow of Light Goes> <Sanctuary of Deception> <Silent Voices>
All books declared forbidden by Luthien because they questioned their myths. If it were peak hours, I would surely have drawn the sharp gazes of Luthien’s believers. But that couldn’t be helped.
“The information I’m looking for won’t be in ordinary books.”
Luthien’s mythology is falsified. They committed countless fabrications to swallow this world. For a long time, they presented the Seven Evil Gods they worshiped as “seven benevolent gods,” preaching it to the world. They seized every sphere of life on the continent — from scriptures and education to art, songs, literature, and legend.
“And the gods who truly protected humanity and led civilization to prosperity were entirely different.”
The so-called “Forgotten Era.” The name of the time of gods erased by Luthien. Whether that thorough falsification had been reflected in the game’s settings or not, records and legends connected to it were nearly nonexistent even in the game. As a result, even I — an avid player — knew little about the Forgotten Era.
“A kind of MacGuffin.”
The problem was that even now, with everything made real, information was hard to find. Only a handful of banned books remained, filled with vague speculation.
“But I have to uncover whatever I can.”
I needed to find a god not listed in any guidebooks — one connected to Return After Death and Karma. It was unlikely such a god would appear in myths or legends edited by Luthien.
Rustle—
I opened the first page.
[This world is woven from threads of lies...]
***
About nine hours of reading later. In short — no direct clues. I combed through every keyword that might be relevant, but no legend or tale fit. I suppressed the rising disappointment.
“Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
At least I found mentions of “time flowing backward” in a couple of books.
[Our conclusion is this: time is a cosmic constant, and no deity or being can surpass this law]
[Time is a wall shaped like a door. It appears open, but no one has passed through it]
[They burned worlds and overturned the order of stars. But they failed to bend time]
...Though all of them declared it “impossible.” Be it a renowned scholar, a devout priest, or a great archmage. All spoke with one voice.
That not even the most powerful deity could interfere with time itself. That time was an absolute concept, never to be altered or falsified.
“If you think about it...”
Whether by coincidence or design, <Forgotten God> had been a game without a conventional save and load system. But then... what exactly was happening to me now?
“Moreover, you three immediately realized I had returned. If everything written here is true, how could you be so calm? Doesn’t that contradict the laws of the world?!”
[.......]
“A god who governs time truly doesn’t exist?”
Naturally, no answer came from the three gods.
“If you know anything at all, spit it out. I’ll pay in Karma.”
[......]
As expected. With a sigh, I closed the final book.
<Beyond Time>, by Ellen Beyra. One paragraph clung stubbornly to my mind.
[Countless experiments have proven powerless before the irreversibility of time. However, I will not stop. For somewhere along this path, I glimpsed a single possibility]
Ellen Beyra. The only person mentioned as having allowed for the possibility of reversing time. But unfortunately, Seiran Library held none of her other works. This book had been lying in a dusty corner. If the title hadn’t caught my eye by chance, I would have missed it.
“...An unpopular author, maybe?”
Perhaps the Upper City library had more of her books. But access to the Upper City was currently sealed.
“Damn. A dead end.”
Still, it wasn’t a waste. Though unrelated directly to Karma or Return, there had been some gains.
I opened my notebook and reread the dense notes I had taken. They were brief summaries from books published by a research society called the “Circle of /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Oblivion,” and they were intriguing.
— Under Luthien’s tyranny, most ancient gods vanished, but some survived.
— In rare cases, their existence has been observed in the form of artifacts or nameless guardian spirits.
...Doesn’t that sound familiar?
“That’s practically written about you. Isn’t it?”
[The three gods remain silent]
I continued reading.
— Unfortunately, Luthien’s side appears to swiftly purge such traces. However, it remains an undeniable fact that they still exist in this world.
That was a crucial lead. Deities who once watched over humanity but lost their status after being driven out by Luthien’s Evil Gods. In the original game, these forgotten benevolent gods remained mere lore — never stepping into the forefront of the narrative.
The player interacted only with the gods of the current era and overcame trials with their help. That was the established formula. And it made sense. There was no point interacting with weakened, withering gods. ...But I was different.
“Because I can restore the ancient gods’ status with Karma. The status of gods who were once strong enough to stand on equal footing with the Seven Evil Gods.”
[......]
“My guess is correct. You are truly great deities. And somewhere out there, other great benevolent gods still remain.”
I didn’t need an answer. Find the forgotten good gods. A new and clear objective had taken shape. There was no concrete method yet, but— I felt this path was the only loophole that could lead a background character like me to the true ending.
“Alright. That’s enough for today.”
In any case, even within this fog, I had found a faint point of orientation. Satisfied, I stretched and looked out the window. The sky was ink-black. It was already four in the morning. The library was unnaturally quiet, and the few remaining visitors dozed in the applied literature section. The ancient manuscripts wing where I sat was practically deserted.
“.......”
...At least, it had been.
“What the... when did he get here?”
A silhouette wrapped in a black robe sat quietly at the table across from me. I instinctively looked closer. Immediately, I felt something wrong.
“Why didn’t I notice him approaching? ‘Serpent’s Nest’ should be active...?”
Moreover, in the several seconds I watched him, he didn’t move once. He held a book but did not turn pages or shift posture. There were no breaths — none of the subtle movements a living being should make. He simply sat there, head bowed, completely still.
“.......”
A chill crawled down my spine. This wasn’t imagination.
Something was wrong. The moment I became certain of that—
Our eyes met.
“......?”
I realized it too late. His gaze had not been directed at the book, but at me — through the bookshelves. From the very beginning. All this time.
“Ah.”
...I don’t know what happened first.
In an instant—
Those unfocused, murky, ominous pupils disappeared behind his eyelids. And the monstrous silhouette dissolved into the air like a mirage.
“.......”
I stood there for some time, frozen in the silent library.
