Reborn With A Technology System In A Fantasy World-Chapter 82: Shocking Discovery

Adrian’s shoulder tightened with each passing second and pressure was filled with unmistakable hostility.

Adrian didn’t need to guess who it was. Considering where he was; only one person would seize him with such malice. Fabian.

With a swift motion, Adrian’s left hand shot up, seizing the wrist that clamped his shoulder.

He yanked it off effortlessly, and slowly turned to face the culprit.

As expected, Fabian’s irritated face greeted him. For a moment, their gazes locked, with Adrian’s icy stare boring into Fabian’s as he still held onto his wrist.

Fabian’s confidence almost broke down as he seemed unsettled under Adrian’s stare.

Regaining his composure, Fabian tugged at his trapped wrist. "Let go of me, you dud!"

Adrian’s expression didn’t shift and he said in a cold tone. "What was the grab for?"

Fabian’s face reddened, his arrogance clashing with his predicament.

"How dare you keep holding me!" he said. "Have you forgotten who I am? Let go NOW!"

He yanked harder, but Adrian’s grip held firm, but then with deliberate calm, Adrian released his wrist.

The sudden freedom, combined with Fabian’s desperate pull, sent him stumbling backward, crashing onto the library floor with a thud.

Gasps rippled through the nearby Mages as their heads turned at the commotion.

Fabian, meanwhile, had his face twisted in fury as he scrambled to his feet, his pride bruised more than his body.

"You’ll pay for that!" he snarled, raising a hand as he began a chant:

"Ignis—!"

A spark of flame began to form in his palm, growing into a small orb of fire. But before Fabian could unleash the spell, two of his friends rushed over, grabbing his arms and saying urgently.

"Fabian, stop! You’ll get in trouble for casting in the library!"

Fabian’s teeth gritted, the fire in his hand snuffing out as he relented, his glare still locked on Adrian.

"You’re lucky today," he spat and said. "But at the Exchange, you won’t be able to hide. I’ll show everyone who’s the stronger one. Don’t think your little tricks will save you then."

Adrian had already turned back to the shelf as Fabian spoke, but he still managed to catch on what his brother had said.

’An Exchange, huh? I wonder what that’s about.’

He made a mental note to ask Master Von about it later, as his hand brushed over the book he’d touched earlier.

[Assimilate ’Fundamentals of Fire Mana’?]

[Yes/No]

The library’s magic section was filled with many books, and Adrian wasn’t sure how much his mind could handle, so he directed a silent command to his system before he began. ’Tech Core, alert me if I’m nearing mental overload.’

[Affirmative. Monitoring cognitive capacity.]

With a mental nod, Adrian selected [Yes]. A flood of information surged into his mind, as usual, and when he was done with it, he moved in to the next book.

The Mages around him stole glances, their whispers growing as they noticed his strange actions. In less than an hour, he’d assimilated every magic book in the section, his mind buzzing with new concepts.

Adrian stepped back in satisfaction but slightly disappointed. The knowledge was vast, but it hadn’t been enough to push his Magic Theory knowledge to Level 3.

’On the bright side, my head’s still clear, so I can keep going, possibly for other knowledge.’

He sighed, resolving to visit the main library next. ’That’s where the real stuff is.’

As he walked toward the staircase, empty-handed, the Mages’ stares followed him.

Their whispers grew louder, filled with confusion and disdain.

"What was he even doing?" one muttered.

"Just touching books and leaving with nothing?" Another scoffed, "Probably lost his nerve."

Unbeknownst to Adrian, Fabian had stormed downstairs after their clash, rallying his friends to report a Knight’s presence in the magic section.

They had confronted the clerk, demanding action, only to be told that Vice Dean Victoria herself had authorized Adrian’s access.

The revelation stunned them, sparking a mix of shock and jealousy. Why would a Knight, of all people, be granted such a privilege?

The Mages’ resentment remained. To them, the magic section was sacred, and it was a kind of a divide in the library, showing that they were superior.

Since they were allowed to access the whole library, but the Knights were limited to their section.

Seeing Adrian stroll through, touching their precious books only to leave empty-handed, felt like a mockery.

But they still rejoiced, assuming he had been overwhelmed and given up, their egos calmed by the thought that he had learned his place.

Adrian was oblivious to their petty drama, his mind already on the main library.

’I wonder how it’ll be,’ he thought, descending the stairs with his hands in his pockets.

***

The main library wasn’t far, and despite Adrian’s tired legs, he managed to reach its grand entrance in under twenty minutes.

The building was a majestic structure compared to the Year 1 library’s modest ambiance.

A staff member sat on a table after the door as expected, checking the badges of incoming students.

"Badge." Her eyes flicked up as Adrian neared.

Adrian handed over his standard badge, but before she could comment, he pulled out the golden card. "This too," he said in a calm voice.

The woman’s composure faltered as she took the card, her fingers tracing the engraved "Library All Access" and Vice Dean Victoria’s signature.

Her eyes widened, darting from the card to Adrian’s face. "This... you have full access... As a year 1?" she asked in disbelief.

She cross-checked his badge, her movements hurried, then handed both back with a respectful nod.

"My apologies, Adrian. You’re cleared to enter. If you need assistance, please let me know."

Adrian nodded, slipping the card back into his pocket. "Thanks," he said, stepping past her into the library’s vast interior.

The main library was breathtaking, as rows of towering shelves stretched into the distance.

The air buzzed with energy, and the sheer volume of books dwarfed the Year 1 section. Adrian’s heart raced; this was a goldmine of knowledge.

His head wasn’t at full capacity after absorbing the Year 1 magic section, and he could feel the faint strain of mental fatigue. ’Too many books,’ he thought. ’I need to be strategic.’

Pushing too far could leave him dazed, so he decided to focus on the restricted section upstairs.

’If I’m going to risk overload, it would better be I learn something valuable,’ he told himself.

As he approached the staircase, he noticed no students lingered near it. The area was strangely quiet.

’’Only staff and special cases like me get access,’ Adrian guessed. The exclusivity only heightened his anticipation and his mind raced with possibilities.

A stern-faced clerk, an older man with a neatly trimmed beard, sat at the table, his eyes tracking Adrian’s approach.

Assuming Adrian was passing through, he returned to his ledger, but Adrian stopped and pulled out the golden card, holding it up.

The clerk’s head snapped up. "What’s this?" he muttered, taking the card. His eyes scanned the engraving, widening in shock.

"All Access... signed by the Vice Dean?" He glanced at Adrian, then back at the card, as if expecting it to vanish. "Badge, please."

Adrian handed over his standard badge, and the clerk verified the details, his expression shifting to one of reluctant respect.

"You’re cleared," he said, returning both. "Proceed."

Adrian pocketed the card and climbed the stairs with his hands in his pockets.

The restricted section greeted him with a breathtaking sight.

Unlike the crowded shelves below, this floor was sparse. A few dozen books rested in individual glass cases.

Adrian’s sore legs were forgotten as he took it all in and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

He approached a short shelf holding a massive tome, its title etched in silver: Compendium of Runic Symbols.

His pulse quickened immediately. This was exactly what he needed. He’d asked Master Toren for a similar book in Rune Making class, only to be brushed off.

While Adrian could craft all sorts of runes, there were still complex combinations that yielded standalone magical effects, which he could only figure out through trial and error.

These runes were versatile, though they had various limitations, they were still worth learning.

Grinning, he touched the cover, and his [Tech Core] pinged.

[Assimilate ’Compendium of Runic Symbols’?]

[Yes/No]

Adrian selected [Yes], and a torrent of symbols, patterns, and mana alignments flooded his mind.

The knowledge settled seamlessly, his prior rune experience allowing him to visualize drawing each one with precision.

He set the book down and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

’This is worth it already.’

His gaze drifted to the next case, and his excitement faltered, replaced by curiosity.

The book’s title read Ignis Decar, two words that were strange but he could recognize.

Another nearby was Ventus Dominus and that confirmed Adrian’s thoughts. ’Spell books.’

The Year 1 magic section had no spell books, as students at their level relied on instructors to learn spells.

Spell books were like guidelines to mastering spells, but were still useless if one didn’t put in effort to learning them.

Curious, he touched Ignis Decar, not expecting much to happen, but his [Tech Core] pinged.

[Assimilate Spell Book ’Ignis Decar’?]

[Yes/No]

Adrian’s jaw dropped and his heart pounded. ’Spell books too?’

His mind began to pace as he wondered what it would mean for him if he could assimilate spells.

He eventually calmed down. He didn’t have a mana core after all, so he avoided himself from thinking too far. Still, he went on to select [Yes].

The system flashed a new message.

[Error: Insufficient Mana Core Proficiency. Unable to assimilate spell book.]

His shoulders slumped in disappointment. But before he could return the book, another notification appeared.

[You have discovered a new skill function: Catalogue!]

[Would you like to catalogue the spell book ’Ignis Decar’?]