Chapter 46: The Grand Heist.

Chapter 46: The Grand Heist.

As Olivia led Zeke through the grand halls of the library, he was struck by the sheer magnificence of it all. She took him through the four huge halls, each dedicated to one of the elemental magics: fire, water, earth, and wind.

As they walked through the fire hall, Olivia gave halfhearted commentary about the history of fire magic and the different techniques used to harness its power. Zeke was a bit disappointed, as he had expected more enthusiasm from his guide.

As they moved on to the water hall, Olivia's commentary continued in the same vein. She told him about the various water spells and the different schools of thought surrounding the magic. Again, Zeke felt a bit let down by the lack of passion in her voice.

The earth hall was no different, and neither was the wind hall. Olivia seemed to be going through the motions, and Zeke was gripped by boredom as he listened to her rattle off her exposition without any enthusiasm. He had expected more ardor and passion for books from the head librarian of the grand library.

Zeke took his time as he walked through the halls, studying each and every bookshelf carefully. He was determined to create a copy of all the books in his mind's library, using his [Perfect Sensory Recall] spell. As he made his way through the halls, Olivia watched him curiously. She couldn't understand why he was taking so much time to walk through each hall, as if he was looking for something specific. But she didn't question him, instead she entertained herself by playing with the cats that seemed to be everywhere in the library.

Zeke finally asked her why she didn't seem more interested in the halls, and she let out a sigh. "Giving tours of these halls is usually punishment duty for new library assistants," she explained. "I've given this tour so many times, it's hard to get excited about it anymore."

Zeke could sense a hidden trauma in her voice and let the matter drop. But as they made their way to the halls for the secondary affinities, Olivia's voice took on a hint of excitement. She began to talk about the rare books they had in those halls and the unique spells that could be found within them.

As they walked through the halls, Olivia's enthusiasm grew. She told him stories about the most interesting books they had and the debates that the librarians had over them. Zeke was impressed by her knowledge and was grateful that she was sharing it with him so openly. After thinking about the change she went through compared to the earlier halls, it seemed to him that she didn't often get the chance to talk about anything other than the four elemental affinities.

As they finished with another hall, Olivia gave him a small smile, "I'm glad you're interested in the rarer affinities, it's nice to have someone who's excited to learn about them."

As they walked through the halls of the secondary affinities, Zeke couldn't help but notice that Olivia never used the terms "primary" or "secondary" when referring to the different types of magic. He asked her about it, and she looked at him with surprise.

Olivia considered Zeke's question, her mind spinning with possibilities. "What," she asked, "do you believe is the difference between the so-called primary and secondary affinities?"

Zeke opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He closed it again, shrugging.

Olivia smiled at his comical display, then pressed on. "Is it that the practitioners of these affinities are stronger? No. Do they advance faster? Nope. Reach higher levels? Not at all. Possess some innate superiority? No again."

She lowered each finger as she made each point, as if ticking items off a mental checklist. "There is no factual argument that places these four affinities above or below any others," she said, looking left and right before leaning in conspiratorially. "Do you want to know what I honestly believe?"

Olivia grinned. "Just because they're outlawed doesn't mean I don't have them," she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. "I love books almost as much as I love cats, and I've managed to acquire quite a few forbidden texts over the years."

Zeke's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Can I see them?"

"If you want to, it's not much of a secret that I collect them anyway. I don't think anything would happen to me even if the word were to spread," Olivia said, leading him to a hidden door in the back of the library. "But keep in mind, some of these books are illegal for a reason. They contain dangerous knowledge and should be used with caution."

Zeke nodded eagerly as Olivia unlocked the door and revealed a room filled with books on all sorts of forbidden subjects. He couldn't believe his luck, he finally had access to the advanced knowledge he needed to advance his Blood Magic.

"Thank you, Olivia," he said, turning to her with a huge smile.

"No problem, but why are you acting like i am giving you a present? You can just take a look, not keep them," she replied, returning his smile.

As the two made their way out of the forbidden section, Olivia was impressed by this little first year. Not many students had the determination and curiosity to seek out knowledge like Zeke did. And even fewer had the ability to understand and appreciate the true value of the texts that were hidden away in that section.

As they walked through the grand halls of the library, Zeke was awed by the amount of knowledge contained within. He had always been a curious person, and the library had fed that curiosity in ways he never thought possible.

"Thank you, Olivia," Zeke said, turning to his guide with a genuine smile. "I've learned so much today, and it's all thanks to you."

"It was my pleasure, Zeke," Olivia replied, smiling back at him. "I'm glad to see that you have a thirst for knowledge, and that you understand the true value of what you learned today."

As they made their way out of the library, Zeke was excited for what lay ahead. With a spring in his step, he made his way home, eager to inspect the haul of today's operation.

Zeke practically sprinted through the streets, eager to return to his room and delve deeper into the forbidden knowledge he had uncovered in the library. He sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, his eyes closed in concentration as he delved into the mental library stored within his mind. He had spent the entire day in the grand library of Elementium, copying every single book he could find into this mental library. Now, he had a treasure trove of knowledge at his fingertips.

After delving into his mind using [Perfect Sensory Recall], he was greeted by an exact replica of the library, every detail captured in his memories. He made his way through the halls, his excitement growing as he approached the forbidden section. There, he eagerly scanned the shelves once more, taking in the names of the forbidden tomes of Blood Magic. He began by selecting a thick, leather-bound tome entitled "The Dark Arts of Bloodletting." He spent hours pouring over its pages, studying the intricate diagrams and arcane formulas that detail the methods of using one's own blood to fuel powerful spells.

One by one, he began to go through the tomes, reading and taking notes on the contents of each one. He read about ancient Blood Magic rituals, blood incantations, and the dangers of delving too deeply into the power of Blood Magic. He read about the history of Blood Magic and the official reasons why it had been banned by the empire.

Finally, after hours of reading and note-taking, he emerged from his mental library, his mind buzzing with new knowledge and his notebook filled with notes. He knew that he had only scratched the surface of the forbidden knowledge contained in these books, but he also knew that he had something incredibly valuable in his possession. He had a newfound understanding of the power of Blood Magic.