MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 1230: Heavenly Library-1 [Ko-fi Bonus Chapter]

Anthony appeared before the familiar towering pavilion. He didn’t waste time admiring it anymore; he simply stepped into the Heavenly Library. The moment he entered, the Librarian raised his lazy gaze towards the new entrant. The instant he spotted Anthony, he sprang to his feet as though he had seen a ghost.

To the Librarian, Anthony was someone of extreme importance. After all, he had personally been seen accompanying the Third Core Elder.

“How may I help you? Which book do you seek?” the Librarian asked almost enthusiastically. Although he possessed respectable cultivation and wasn’t weak by any means, he understood that building connections was essential everywhere and with everyone.

Anthony stared at the man for a brief moment before replying, “I’m looking for any books covering things like the history of this Realm, the races, languages that are spoken, cultivation ranks… basically all the fundamentals. If you get what I mean.” His tone remained calm and respectful.

The Librarian was stunned for a brief moment before immediately realizing that Anthony was an Ascendant, which explained why he had been personally escorted around by one of the Core Elders. However, he didn’t suddenly begin looking down on Anthony. After all, although the Sect had accepted a few Ascendants before, none of them had ever been personally guided to the Heavenly Library, or anywhere else for that matter.

The Librarian immediately smiled before speaking in a courteous tone. “I can personally show you the aisle and section that contain exactly what you’re looking for. Also, welcome to the Ecliptica Galaxy and the Hellinder Realm. Might I ask when you arrived?” His voice was gentle as he subtly attempted to establish a sense of familiarity.

Anthony saw through such tactics, but he simply smiled as he replied. “Around eleven hours ago. And thank you for the help.”

“Well, if I were in your shoes, I would have visited the Heavenly Library much sooner, but I suppose we all have our hands full. And there’s no need to thank me. As a Librarian, it’s my duty to help,” the Librarian replied, flashing a warm and welcoming smile.

Before long, they arrived at the appropriate section. The Librarian personally helped Anthony gather each of the books he would likely need. As for the complete history of the Hellinder Realm, the man explained that the Library unfortunately didn’t possess such a record. The Realm itself was simply far too ancient, and according to rumor, the Sect Master couldn’t even be bothered to acquire such exhaustive historical information.

Anthony thanked the man before taking the books. He carefully placed them on the floor before sitting down as though he were the descendant of the Sect Master himself.

The Heavenly Library didn’t provide chairs like modern libraries did. Anyone wishing to read simply found a suitable spot on the floor and began reading there, unless they signed their name and officially borrowed the book to take outside.

‘Aren’t Librarians in every fantasy world supposed to be overwhelmingly overpowered?’ Anthony mused inwardly. ‘I guess there are exceptions to everything… unless he isn’t the real Librarian and is just the doorman,’ Anthony thought to himself as his eyes drifted upward towards the higher floors of the immense pavilion.

Anthony shook his head, deciding to stop entertaining such pointless thoughts. Although he could simply use Thought Conception to instantly obtain every piece of information he desired, there was still a unique sense of peace and tranquility that came from reading a book because you genuinely wanted to, rather than because an examination or assignment demanded it.

With that, Anthony picked up the first book titled ‘Geography and Races of the Hellinder Realm’.

Anthony didn’t rush. He carefully read every single line and every page with deliberate patience. Unlike the Blue Planet, where races were divided into separate Domains and ruled from their own territories, the Hellinder Realm was entirely different. Numerous races coexisted here, and after counting the names listed within the book, Anthony discovered that there were eighteen major races. They weren’t isolated within exclusive territories. Instead, every race was scattered throughout the entirety of the Hellinder Realm.

In other words, one couldn’t travel to the southern regions expecting to find only a particular race while believing another region belonged exclusively to someone else.

Throughout the Hellinder Realm existed countless Sects of varying strengths, sizes, and influence, each governing its own territory and sphere of authority. Interestingly, only Humans established Sects. Every other race preferred organizing themselves into Clans instead.

Within the upper regions of the Hellinder Realm, ordinary kingdoms also existed for common people who weren’t cultivators. These kingdoms served as peaceful sanctuaries where normal citizens could gather and live their lives, mostly detached from the endless conflicts of cultivators. However, there weren’t many such kingdoms, and they were incredibly weak. A single moderately powerful cultivator could wipe out an entire kingdom without much effort.

Once again, only Humans divided themselves in such a manner. The talented and powerful joined prestigious Sects, while the weaker individuals remained behind within the ordinary kingdoms.

A few of the races that inhabited the upper level of the Hellinder Realm were:

Asura — Yaksha — Rakshasa — Garuda — Human — Naga — Kitsune — Nephilim — Runeborn — Moonveil — Stormkin — Bloodborn — Anubari — Fomorians — Wraithkin — Oni.

Each race possessed unique racial characteristics that naturally made them exceptional, something Anthony wasn’t surprised by in the slightest. After all, racial superiority was precisely what had placed Humans near the bottom of the hierarchy within the Acarnis Galaxy.

However, that wasn’t the only advantage they possessed.

Every race was born with its own innate Law.

Unlike Humans, who first tested their elemental affinity before deciding which Laws they wished to pursue, these races were born with predetermined innate Laws woven directly into their very existence.

For example, the Garuda Race naturally possessed an affinity for the Law of Wind. That didn’t mean they no longer needed to comprehend the Law itself. Rather, Wind was their greatest specialty, making it significantly easier for them to comprehend and advance within that particular Law than nearly anyone else.

The Asura Race, meanwhile, naturally possessed innate affinity for the Law of War and the Law of Battle.

Humans, on the other hand, remained the race capable of learning virtually everything and even mastering nearly every path available. Although they lacked innate racial Laws, they compensated with extraordinary adaptability and comprehension, allowing exceptional Humans to surpass the majority of races blessed with innate Laws.

Of course, Humans still weren’t the rulers of the upper level of the Hellinder Realm.

They simply weren’t helpless.

Anthony also came to understand that the lower level of the Hellinder Realm contained no Laws whatsoever. It perfectly matched what Nathaniel had explained earlier, that the point where lower-level cultivation ended was precisely where true cultivation within the upper Hellinder Realm began.

Anthony calmly turned another page, his expression remaining composed as he began reading about locations throughout the Realm that had been marked as places one should never visit.

The first was the Shrine of the Devouring Emperor, a place where every single person who entered had died. Not one individual had ever returned alive. According to legend, the ghost of the Devouring Emperor consumed every intruder who entered, attempting to reconstruct a new physical body and return to the world of the living.

Another legend claimed that before his death, the Devouring Emperor condensed his very Title into a crystal that could be inherited by another individual upon the original owner’s death. Although the story sounded incredibly far-fetched, countless people still believed it. After all, the Devouring Emperor had possessed far too many unbelievable abilities and had mastered multiple Laws as effortlessly as though they were ordinary cabbages growing in a garden.

The mere possibility of obtaining such a Title was enough to drive countless cultivators towards the Shrine despite its absolute one hundred percent mortality rate.

Then there was the World of the Absent One, another infamous forbidden land from which nobody had ever returned.

According to the records, the Absent One had left behind his ultimate legacy there. The man had comprehended the Laws of Absence and Invisibility to such an incomprehensible degree that he could stand directly before you, speak to you, even scream at the top of his lungs, yet the Laws themselves erased not only his existence but even the sound he produced into complete absence.

The more Anthony read, the more one question lingered within his mind.

What kind of existence could have possibly killed monsters like these? After all, someone like the Devouring Emperor could literally devour other people’s Laws.

Such an outrageously broken ability… Yet he still died.

And it wasn’t only these two.

Countless legendary figures like them existed throughout history, beings whose names had once shaken entire Realms and inspired fear across generations.

Yet every single one of them had ultimately fallen, many to causes that remained completely unknown.

Anthony couldn’t help but sigh.

He had only just ascended, yet he already felt as though he were nothing more than a piece of fresh meat lying helplessly upon a butcher’s table, merely waiting for the knife to descend.

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Chapter sponsored by KingNull_001