Chapter 17: Explanations and Rules
"Welcome to the Library of Heaven, Host!"
Arthur instinctively turned toward the source of the voice, only to be surprised by the sight of a tiny, beautiful woman no larger than a thumb.
Her face was a perfect oval, framed by long silver hair tied in a ponytail. Her bright green eyes shimmered, and a pair of golden wings fluttered on her back.
"You..." Arthur studied the little woman from head to toe before asking hesitantly, "Are you a system?"
Sylvia smiled proudly and responded with excitement, "Of course, Host! I am the system!"
"I see..." Arthur gave a small nod, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Is this your true form? If so, why didn't you use it before?"
Sylvia's joyful expression dimmed as she let out a soft sigh. "I cannot materialize outside, Host. However, within the Library of Heaven, I hold absolute authority, so I can manifest my form here."
Arthur blinked and nodded in understanding before shifting his gaze around.
Though he has seen it before, the grand interior of the library still leaves him in awe.
Only now did he notice that his feet weren't touching the floor—he was floating, just like Sylvia.
"Then, can you explain the rules and details regarding my tasks?" Arthur turned back to her, his curiosity piqued.
"Certainly, Host!" Sylvia replied enthusiastically before beginning her explanation. "As you know, this place is the Library of Heaven. Each book here represents a story world with various fascinating themes."
"As the Host of the One Thousand Worlds System, you have the authority to enter one of these worlds and complete the tasks I assign to you. Do you understand so far, Host?"
Arthur rubbed his chin and gave a small nod. "I understand, Sylvia. However, there's something that puzzles me."
"Please, tell me, Host," Sylvia said, clasping her hands together.
Arthur glanced around before asking, "You said these books represent various story worlds. Does that mean they are actual worlds?"
It might seem like a strange question, but he was currently inside a novel world himself.
Everything—the characters, the air, the furniture, even every molecule—felt as real as the world he had left behind.
If his assumption was correct, then these worlds were no different from The Monarch Mage's Journey to Conquer the World, the novel he had entered.
Sylvia smiled mysteriously. "I can't give you a definite answer to that. You may see them as real worlds or merely fictional ones—it all depends on your perspective. Do you understand what I mean, Host?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow and studied Sylvia carefully.
After a moment, he composed himself and replied, "I understand."
"Good!" Sylvia flapped her wings and perched on Arthur's shoulder. "Although the Library of Heaven contains countless books, not all of them are accessible to you, Host. The worlds within these books are divided into four tiers: easy, normal, difficult, and hell."
"The higher the tier of the world you enter, the harder the tasks and challenges you'll face. Of course, the rewards will be far greater as well."
"Each tier has specific entry requirements. To access an easy-tier world, you need level 1 authority; normal requires level 2, difficult requires level 3, and hell requires level 4."
Pausing for a moment, Sylvia glanced at Arthur while casually swinging her tiny legs. Then, she continued, "Since you haven't started yet, you naturally have level 1 authority, meaning you can only enter easy-tier worlds for now. Do you have any other questions?"
Arthur remained silent for a moment, as if still processing her explanation. 'This is… really interesting.'
He hadn't expected things to be so structured and intricate, but that only made it more exciting and challenging.
"I do have a question," Arthur said. "How do I increase my authority level?"
As if anticipating the question, Sylvia giggled before answering, "You can increase your authority by earning high evaluation scores in the book worlds. Every time an evaluation is conducted, you'll receive something called 'authority points.'"
"The number of points you earn isn't fixed—it depends on the tier of the world you enter and your evaluation results. However, keep in mind that only scores of S, A, B, and C will grant you authority points. Anything lower won't reward you at all."
"For simplicity, you can check your status."
As soon as she finished speaking, Arthur promptly called out, "Status."
[Status Panel]
[Name]: Arthur Vanitas
[Age]: 13
[Status]: Owner of the Thousand Worlds System
[Authority]: Level 1 (0/1000)
[Book World Tier]: Easy
[Completed Book World]: None
In an instant, a status panel appeared before him.
Unlike the previous panel, this one didn't display personal statistics. Instead, it contained information about him and details related to the book worlds he would be entering.
"Alright, I understand now," Arthur said with a firm expression.
Sylvia's explanation was clear, and he had grasped most of the essential details.
"Good!" Sylvia flapped her wings and floated in front of him, a bright smile on her lips. "Well then, Host, are you ready to enter the worlds of books?"
Arthur's expression grew serious. "I'm… ready!"