Exploring Technology in a Wizard World-Chapter 286 - 285 Taboo Bookstore

Chapter 286: Chapter 285 Taboo Bookstore

Chapter 286: Chapter 285 Taboo Bookstore

The bookstore that appeared before Richard looked very dilapidated and outdated, as if it hadn’t been repaired for many years—the exterior walls were crumbling, and the door was shaky. Above the door, the words on the sign were also blurred. Richard slowly read the words above:

“Taboo… Bookstore.”

Yes, this was a bookstore that sold all kinds of imaginable books, scrolls, treasure maps, personal handbooks, and everything related to text. It was Great Scholar Socrates who had recommended Richard to come here.

Richard’s eyes flickered, and he stepped toward the bookstore. Just as he was about to step through the door, a pair of thick, shaggy, black-haired arms, without any warning, reached out from inside and blocked him.

Next, an imposing black man, resembling a bear standing up from behind the door, revealed himself, like a mountain rising.

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Richard looked at the nearly two-meter-tall figure and felt that among all the people he had met recently, perhaps only Baki, with whom he had recently been playing, could match him.

The black man looked down from above and asked in a buzzing voice, “Who are you? What do you want? Do you know what place this is?” The tone was quite rude and carried a heavy caution.

Clearly, this bookstore was not the same as other stalls and shops; there were strict restrictions on customers—it was not a place anyone could enter casually.

In fact, there were only two ways to enter this bookstore:

First, be recommended by some important figure.

Second, be recommended by an official patron of the bookstore.

Richard glanced at the black man, said little, and simply took out a note from his sleeve and handed it over.

The black man took the note, scanned it quickly, and saw a line written: “I guarantee with my reputation that this person is eligible to enter your esteemed store—Socrates.”

This was Great Scholar Socrates’s recommendation. Maybe the other party was not a powerful wizard or a high-born noble, but in certain areas of White Stone City, he was not to be underestimated, definitely considered one of the important figures.

After reading the note, the black man made a “hurumph” sound, mumbling something under his breath, then handed the note back, moved aside, and said in a deep voice, “Alright, you’re qualified. Come in. But since it’s your first time, I need to tell you the rules.

First, you can look at all the books, but you are not allowed to pick them up unless you are ready to buy them.

Second, if you want to buy a book, make sure you have enough money prepared in advance because bargaining is not allowed here.

Third, after buying your book, hurry out and don’t randomly mention the existence of this bookstore to anyone who doesn’t know this place.

Fourth, if you violate any of the rules I just mentioned, you’re going to be in big trouble!”

After finishing, the black man asked in a stern voice, “Understood?”

Richard nodded lightly.

“That’s good,” the black man said, completely stepping aside and letting Richard walk into the bookstore.

Richard walked in, only to discover an entirely different world inside.

Despite the dilapidation outside, the interior was tidy and clean with numerous candles lit up within lampshades, casting a bright yet soft light that bathed the whole shop in a warm orange hue.

Nestled in this warm glow, a multitude of bookshelves stood densely packed. Each shelf was divided into numerous little cubbies, each holding a book laid flat. These books were tied to the shelves with a red string encircling their spines, attached to a small brass bell. Should anyone attempt to remove a book from its cubby, a sound would emit—a rudimentary theft prevention mechanism.

This theft prevention mechanism, in Richard’s view, was far too simplistic. He thought that if he wanted to, he could use the Space Iron Ring to cut the sturdy red string, and place the red string, bell, and book all into the Ring, ensuring that no one would notice. Of course, he had no need to do such a thing. After all, he was here only to search for books that had come from the Black Spirit Empire.

At that moment in the bookstore, about a dozen people were browsing the shelves; Richard glanced around and walked towards a nearby shelf to start browsing as well.

Flicking through a book, Richard discovered it was about potion-making. The contents were horrifically sinister.

One recipe recorded within, named the Joyful Potion, claimed to aid wizards in restoring their mana and shockingly, required the bodies of six-month-old fetuses yet unborn in their mothers’ wombs, along with human brains. Not to mention the ethics of it, the ingredients alone were something most individuals couldn’t stomach.

Another potion labeled as Eternal Youth Spring Water was even stranger. It purported to preserve a woman’s appearance at her most beautiful indefinitely until her death. However, it required the warm blood of at least 72 virgins, with a specific note stating that the more virgin blood utilized, the better the effect.

These potion formulas inevitably reminded Richard of the infamous “Blood Countess,” Elizabeth Bathory, from modern Earth. It was said that her secret to maintaining beauty and eternal youth for decades was virgin blood—bathing in it and drinking it, resulting in the death of over a thousand pure and beautiful young girls.

Quickly perusing through the book titled “Yabadi Potion Secret Record,” Richard understood what sort of place this bookstore was and why it was called the Taboo Bookstore.

Books like the “Yabadi Potion Secret Record” being considered forbidden was no surprise. After all, while most wizards in the current world held little regard for human life, they still claimed to be righteous and often shunned overly sinister spells and relentlessly combated cruel acts.

Thus, a bookstore harboring a vast array of books like the “Yabadi Potion Secret Record” was indeed a den of iniquity, aptly named the Taboo Bookstore.

Thinking so, Richard continued to browse through the other books on the shelves, speaking to himself while searching for the specific book he wanted.

“‘Ogre Cuisine,’ this isn’t it.”

“‘Human Treasure—How to Cook a Liver,’ no, this isn’t it either.”

“‘On Hundred Ways to Cook an Infant,’ why are they all of the same genre?”

Shaking his head, Richard moved to another shelf, continuing to browse.

“‘Love and Conquest—Making a Woman Your Slave,’ this…”

“‘Delicious Punishment—Making the Whip a Source of Joy,’ this…”

“‘Universal Love—In this World, Not Only Women But Beasts Can Release Your Animal Nature,’ this…”

Richard switched shelves again, then again, and yet again…

After quite some time and nearly going through all the bookshelves in the store, Richard finally spotted the book he was searching for.

In a small wooden cubby, a somewhat worn book lay open, flipped precisely to the last page, where a symbol of the Black Spirit Empire was distinctly marked—a triangle, a circle, and a vertical line.