What is a "Special Challenge"?
It is a kind of dungeon — a mission created by Star Lords to earn coins.
There are certain rules that a Star Lord must follow when creating a Special Challenge.
1. It can be difficult enough to be hard to clear, but it must not be so hard that it's impossible to clear.
2. There can be no Special Challenge without a reward. A reward must be provided.
3. It is not allowed to hand out rewards without effort or requirements.
Beyond these, there were several other rules as well.
For transcendent beings like the Star Lords, these rules were nothing but a hassle.
But they followed them for one reason only:
To earn coins.
※ Star Lords who create exceptional Special Challenges and operate them successfully are granted a steady supply of coins and renown as rewards.
※ Evaluation is based on two things:
– the subconscious impressions left by the players who clear the challenge
– and the assessment made by the gods.
If a Star Lord successfully creates an exceptional challenge?
They essentially gain an endless coin-generating fountain.
For Star Lords obsessed with coins, there was no reason not to try.
That's why even now, Lords are constantly designing and creating new Special Challenges.
"If only all Lords were like that."
Han Yuseong thought to himself as he walked.
Of course, not all Star Lords aimed for evaluated rewards.
Some cleverly scammed players to earn their coins.
And not just a few — a significant number of them did.
This next Special Challenge was one of those.
"I'm here."
A wide open plaza came into view, filled with people.
There had once been a large library in this place,
but now it was completely gone — replaced by a massive gate.
Above the gate, a huge message was displayed:
[I, the Lord of Knowledge, welcome all newly awakened players.]
[This is a library just for you.]
It was a message left by the Lord of Knowledge.
As Han Yuseong looked up at the massive gate, another message appeared.
[Special Challenge: Library of Knowledge]
A Special Challenge opened by the Lord of Knowledge — a library filled with countless books.
You may enter and choose two books. However, once you make your selection, the 'Librarians' will begin to pursue you.
The higher the grade of the books, the more Librarians will come after you.
[Rules: The Librarians cannot kill players.]
[Entry Restriction: Only players level 10 and below may enter.]
[Entry Fee: 40 coins (Re-entry allowed!)]
It was an explanation of the Library of Knowledge.
By passing through that portal, you would enter a separate space — the library.
Inside, countless books were placed at random.
Naturally, they weren't ordinary books.
[All books in the Library of Knowledge are Skill Books! Their locations are randomized!]
[Grades range from the lowest F to, if you're lucky… the highest grade: S! It's your chance to start the game with an S-rank skill!]
[Some players have already claimed theirs. Check out the interviews!]
"I just got lucky. I entered the library, thinking, 'Hmm, where should I go…?'
And bam! There it was — an S-rank skill book right in front of me!"
Skills can be acquired in various ways, but the most common method is through Skill Books.
This is because they can be traded or transferred to others.
However, high-grade Skill Books are rarely released into circulation,
so even if you have the money, you usually can't buy them.
"So basically, it's all about luck, right? If it's an S-rank skill..."
"Damn, that's a life-changer. Do you know how hard it is to get skills? Even getting an A-rank skill would set you up for a while."
"But what are these 'Librarians'? Are they monsters or something?"
"Yeah. I heard they look seriously nasty."
Han Yuseong overheard nearby players murmuring.
They were newly awakened players, all hoping to hit the jackpot and flip their lives around.
But the Library of Knowledge had two major problems.
First: The moment you pick up a book, monsters start chasing you.
The "Librarians" are monsters who charge at you the moment you grab a book, like they've lost their minds.
Each one is tough on its own — and if enough of them gather, they trigger a buff that makes them even stronger.
That buff not being mentioned in the rules? That's the trap.
"Someone who went in earlier said to play it safe and just take a C-rank skill. Don't even dream about getting anything A-rank or higher."
"Why? Because those Librarians are that strong?"
"Well yeah, that too — but mostly because it's just hard to even find them."
And the second problem — the biggest of all:
High-grade Skill Books are incredibly hard to find in the first place.
You could call them bait items.
High-grade Skill Books are placed in hard-to-reach locations.
On top of that, their positions constantly change,
which means guides or walkthroughs are basically impossible to create.
So then, who is that guy in the interview claiming he got an S-rank skill?
"You could call him a promotional stunt."
It's true that he really did get an S-rank skill.
Of course, for an S-rank, the skill wasn't actually all that good.
The Lord of Knowledge had just opened the Special Challenge and deliberately handed out a low-tier S-rank skill to use as marketing.
And it worked spectacularly —
newbies rushed in, thinking they too could walk away with an S-rank skill.
"By now, the player community must be buzzing."
Han Yuseong took out his smartphone.
There was an online community specifically for players.
Naturally, discussions about Special Challenges were constantly active —
who had tried them, what strategies worked, and so on.
The Library of Knowledge was already becoming a hot topic.
[(Verified) Got this from the Library of Knowledge — is it any good?]
– "Who is this clown? Another library viral ad? Get lost."
– "How's it viral? There's literally a guy who got an S-rank skill, lol."
– "Isn't that guy a Vower of the Lord of Knowledge or something?"
– "Nah, apparently he's contracted to a different Lord. I thought it was a scam, but I looked it up and it's real; still, the skill isn't that great."
– "Why even go there? Total coin waste. You're just throwing your money away."
– "Why? I've seen lots of players come out with Skill Books though?"
Player opinions on the Library of Knowledge were deeply divided.
Some said, "Why bother going? It's a waste of coins. You'll never get a Skill Book anyway."
While others actively recommended it.
– I recommend the Library of Knowledge. If you're lucky, you can start with a great Skill Book, and more importantly, it's a Special Challenge where you won't die. That's huge.
– Yeah, it's actually not bad for getting some real combat experience.
– Better for newbies to go get humbled at the Library than to charge into some other Special Challenge thinking they're different and get themselves killed, lol.
The Library of Knowledge is a non-lethal Special Challenge.
The "Librarians" don't kill players — they just beat them up painfully.
Because of that, a lot of new players came here to get a taste of what a challenge actually felt like.
More than anything, some players really did manage to get Skill Books from it.
– I don't recommend it. Too many Star Lords mess around with their Special Challenges. But hey, if you think you're lucky, go for it.
– Not like you'd listen if we told you not to anyway, lol.
– Yeah, trying to warn them is pointless. They all think they're special.
New players don't understand the value of coins.
And at the same time, they're trapped in the illusion that they're special.
They think they will be the one to pull a top-tier Skill Book from the library.
The Library of Knowledge was designed specifically to take advantage of that mindset.
"Can't die, might get a Skill Book, and all it takes is luck?
Well, I'm not like the others, right?"
'Well, I wasn't any different in my past life either.'
Han Yuseong had thought the same.
Telling himself he was different,
confidently entering the library thinking he'd get an amazing Skill Book.
And what did he leave with? A D-rank and a C-rank.
"This time will be different, though."
Han Yuseong stood before the massive gate.
Just then, a message appeared in front of him, as if trying to block his way.
[Note: Books obtained from the library can only be used inside.]
[Note 2: External items, excluding equipped gear, cannot be brought in. If brought, they will be stored in a magical space until you leave.]
[Entry fee: Please pay 40 coins.]
As he paid the coins, the message disappeared, and the door swung wide open.
Without hesitation, Han Yuseong stepped through the doorway.
Whoosh!
His vision was engulfed in light.
When he opened his eyes again, Han Yuseong was in an unfamiliar space.
A library filled with bookshelves standing silently.
The shelves rose so high they seemed to cover the ceiling, looking more like walls. Countless books filled each shelf.
[Skill Book: Smash (D).]
[Skill Book: Fire Marrow (D).]
[Skill Book: Harden (F).]
Each one was a skill book.
None of them were particularly great skills.
Where Han Yuseong currently stood was the starting point, so only low-grade skills were found nearby.
To find better skills, he would need to go deeper inside.
"To do that, I'll have to get through the maze."
Between the wall-like bookshelves, he saw a wide passage.
The Library of Knowledge was a maze formed by bookshelves.
As you go deeper in search of skill books, you eventually forget where you are.
Most players end up getting lost that way.
Of course, this wasn't a problem for Han Yuseong.
"Aaaah! S-someone help!"
"Should I go ahead and move?"
A desperate scream echoed from not far away.
Han Yuseong began walking through the maze of bookshelves.
Following the "experiences" he remembered from his past life—quickly.
Countless players were wandering through the Library of Knowledge.
"Where the hell is this place? Everything's just D-rank!"
"Damn it, at this point I'll just grab whatever and get out…!"
Some, exhausted from being lost in the maze, gave up and picked up any book they could find, searching for an exit.
They were simply too tired to go on.
But not everyone was like that.
Some got lucky.
"Hey! Hey! I found one! Holy crap, I found it! B-rank!"
"There's a B-rank over here too! Ha, all that wandering finally paid off!"
"Nice! Let's just grab two books each, stash them, and get the hell out!"
Players who had found good skill books shouted in excitement.
After picking up the ones they needed, they prepared to escape immediately.
And just then…
"… Huh?"
Someone appeared in front of the players.
It was a man in a black robe, holding a lantern in one hand.
The players tensed at the strange atmosphere, but only for a moment—
"Kyaaaaaargh!!"
"W-what the hell?!"
The man let out a horrifying scream and lifted his head.
At that moment, his body began to change.
He transformed into a grotesque creature — unnaturally large and emaciated, with claw-like fingers as sharp as blades.
The Librarian charged down the corridor at terrifying speed.
Clack-chk!
"W-what the—?! M-my sword?!"
His claws slashed toward the players,
slicing through weapons as if they were made of paper, and even striking the players beyond them.
The players collapsed, wounded by the invisible cuts.
The Librarian retrieved the books from them and returned to his position.
Just then—
Ssshhhhh…
An ominous light appeared in midair and began to heal the players.
A message appeared before their eyes:
[You were subdued by the Librarian.]
"N-no, my skill book…!"
The players' bodies vanished in an instant.
Since they had been subdued, they were expelled from the library.
Then, the Librarian—who had transformed into a grotesque creature—returned to human form.
Click, clack. Click, clack.
As if nothing had happened, he began to calmly wander the library once more.
– "I can't find anything else. Let's just take what we have and get out."
– "Aaaahhh! M-monster! There's a monster!"
– "S-someone do something! Isn't there any way to kill that thing?!"
– "How are we supposed to kill a monster like that at our level…?!"
– "We're not going to die, right? That thing can't actually kill us… right?!"
Similar scenes played out all over the place.
The Library of Knowledge echoed with the players' cheers and screams.
And from a high vantage point, a pair of eyes watched it all.
[Heh heh… good, very good.
The joy of watching the coins flow in is almost as great as the joy of accumulating knowledge.]
The one who had created this twisted challenge—
The Lord of Knowledge.
He smiled faintly as he observed the expelled players.
Just thinking about the coins flowing in from them was enough to make him laugh.
The income generated by this library was nothing short of enormous.
But the true advantage was its consistency.
And there was one more thing—
[There's no better place to get rid of cheap skill books than here.]
They cost only a few coins to produce and don't sell well elsewhere,
but here, they could be offloaded for a hefty profit!
High-grade, low-performance skill books — where else would such junk go?
The Lord of Knowledge had stockpiles of such worthless inventory.
[Foolish humans. Toss them a seemingly good skill book once in a while, and they keep coming back.
Even better, they spread the rumors for me.]
The Library of Knowledge wasn't a scam.
There really were high-grade, high-quality skill books.
Some players even managed to obtain them and escape safely.
Even 5-star ranked skill books truly existed.
The problem was — it all depended on the Lord's will.
– "Huh? Wait! That one! Over there!"
– "Shut up and run! Can't you see the librarians are chasing us?!"
– "No, look! That's a 5-star skill book! Right there!"
– "Five-star?! Are you kidding me?!"
Some players had spotted a 5-star skill book.
But they had already made their selection.
And more importantly, they were being chased by the Librarians —
so they couldn't even approach it.
– "Forget it! Just run! If we get caught, we'll be subdued!"
– "Damn it, that book was so close…"
The players had no choice but to abandon the skill book and flee.
And the moment they were gone, the skill book flickered — and vanished.
As if it had been an illusion all along.
[Just showing them an illusion reflected in a mirror is enough to make them that happy.]
They'll go outside and boast that they saw a 5-star skill book.
That sense of regret in their story will lure even more players in.
[Heh heh… If only more would keep coming in… Hm?]
As the Lord of Knowledge looked around the library, he noticed something.
A man in a black coat was confidently striding through the maze.
The Lord felt an eerie, hard-to-describe sense of unease from him.
[This man… How is he heading in that direction? … No, it must be coincidence.]
Because in the direction the man was heading, something hidden lay.
But only for a moment did that unease linger—
The Lord of Knowledge shook it off.
There was no way a mere human could know the path to what he had hidden.
It must have been just coincidence, he told himself.
It wouldn't take long before he realized that judgment had been a mistake.
Click! Clack, clack, clack!
[ …" .-?! ]
The man stood in front of a bookshelf that appeared to be a dead end.
He looked at it briefly, pulled out a few books, and rearranged their positions.
With a loud rumble, the bookshelf moved aside and revealed a hidden passage.
The Lord of Knowledge was shaken as he watched.
[H-how… How did he find the passage I hid?!]
The hidden passage was revealed before the man.
The watching eyes widened in shock.
How does he know about this place? Was it leaked somewhere?
That couldn't be. Even the Oathbound don't know about it!
No… there's no need to panic.
Beyond that passage lies another maze.
A maze full of deadly traps. There's no way a player could…
Whoooosh! Click! KRA-KOOM!
[How is he dodging all of this?!]
He was avoiding everything.
The man advanced through the newly revealed maze without hesitation,
evading every trap without suffering a single injury.
As if he knew everything in advance.
[No, no, wait! If he keeps going that way—!]
The man—Han Yuseong—was approaching his destination.
The end of the hidden maze.
The place where the Lord of Knowledge had concealed a book.
[An S-rank Skill Book!]
The highest-grade skill book in the entire library.
There was another player.
A player once known by the name "Great Thief."
He possessed a unique ability that allowed him to sense the location of precious treasures.
Having just completed the tutorial, he entered the library in search of skill books—
and he quickly realized the tricks set up by the Lord of Knowledge.
[The Lord of Knowledge is no different from a con artist.]
[A bastard who scams only beginners. I, the Great Thief, hereby expose the truth of the library so this bastard can't pull any more tricks!]
[I just hope no more players end up going to the Library of Knowledge!]
Along with that message, a map was posted in the player community.
It was a map of the Library of Knowledge—
a detailed record of the place, including where and how the Lord had hidden the high-grade skill books.
It also described how he obtained a 5-star skill book,
and exposed the tricks the Lord had implemented inside the library.
"If you only look at that part, he seems like some kind of noble thief…"
Han Yuseong muttered bitterly, thinking of the Great Thief.
But the Great Thief wasn't exactly a virtuous man.
He was obsessed with stealing things—
so much so that, even as the world was falling into ruin, he caused harm by stealing to satisfy his own greed.
In the end, he became a public enemy and was executed.
Still—
"That guy turned out to be helpful for me right now."
Unlike the chaotic outer maze, this was a small, quiet chamber with only a few bookshelves.
At its center, a storage case held a book.
Looking at it, Han Yuseong smiled faintly.
He couldn't help but smile.
[Windstep Technique (S)]
Right before him was a 5-star skill book.