ยฉNovelBuddy
Strongest Existence Becomes Teacher-Chapter 30: Layers of the World
Zane walked leisurely toward the library. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ธ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ต.๐ฌ๐ค๐ข
Sure, he could teleport or glide using the Law of Windโbut sometimes, walking felt... grounding. Real. A slice of the mediocrity heโd once called boring, now oddly peaceful.
"This life of mediocrity," he murmured, hands tucked in his coat pockets, "not so bad, huh?"
Then, with a small smirk tugging at his lips, he added, "Oh well. Computer, I was talking about that idea we discussed earlier."
Beep.
"Iโm thinking of creating a battle power system. Iโll infuse you with some mana tuned to this worldโs frequency. You can use that to program a battle power transmitter. Let it run as a secondary system. Then make a lens with unstable particlesโsomething small I can wear in my eye. Attach a battle power measurer to that lens, so I can see values in real-time."
He paused, then added, "Transmit the blueprint to the secondary system back on the island. Let them handle making the lens for now. Until itโs done, Iโll use the techno-watch screen to monitor battle power manually."
He paused. "For now, Iโll give you what you need."
Without taking his hands out of his coat pockets, he summoned a set of materials: a bluish-white mana crystal, a shard of yellow energy stone, and a chunk of smooth, dense grey metal.
He fiddled briefly with his watch, then pulled out the items one by one. As he did, a miniature portal screen flickered to life over the watch.
Zane dropped each component into the portal.
Beep. Command acknowledged. Estimated time for indicator readiness: 25 minutes.
"Perfect," he said softly, just as he reached the public library.
The building stood grand and sturdy, its walls covered in ivy and its old wooden doors giving a noble, welcoming creak as he pushed them open.
Inside, a neat reception desk sat just left of the entrance. A young woman stood behind itโshort auburn hair, deep blue eyes, a calm air of elegance about her.
She looked up and smiled. "Welcome. How can I help you?"
Zane stepped forward, retrieving a travelerโs pass from his coat. "Miss, Iโm a traveler from very far away. Iโd like to read about the history and knowledge of this kingdom and the neighboring ones, if possible."
"Of course, sir," she replied with a warm smile. "For basics, please head to Section 3 on the ground floor. It contains history and geography of our kingdom and surrounding territories. For deeper archives, Section 3 on the first floor will be helpful. Thereโs a small access feeโten copper coins."
He nodded. "Then please grant me access to the first floor as well. Iโll check that after the ground floor."
He handed her a coinโone he had created himself. A silver coin, perfectly crafted to the standards of this worldโs currency. Almost too perfect.
The librarian took one glance and blinked. "Oh my..."
Zaneโs brow twitched. Was I wrong?
She looked up again. "Sir, this is a big denomination. Iโll have to go to the vault for your change. Please wait a moment."
Inwardly, Zane chuckled. Iโm never wrong.
Outwardly, he simply smiled. "Itโs fine, Miss. Iโll collect the change once I finish."
"Alright then. Happy reading, sir," she said cheerfully.
Zane gave a polite nod and turned. "Itโs nice talking to polite people... unlike someone I know." He thought briefly of Lia and sighed. "Well, whatever. Letโs read."
And with that, he headed toward the archivesโready to explore the history of a world that had only just begun to open its secrets to him.
.
.
.
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"Interesting," Zane muttered, closing the last book from the ground floor section with a soft thump. He stood up, stretching slightly.
"Okay, thatโs enough for the ground floor," he said aloud, then glanced off to the side with a subtle smirk. "Oh right... I forgot. I need to do one of those inner monologue things for the readers,Canโt let people get confused, huh?"
He turned his gaze to the side and started:
"This world... or rather, this planet, is called Orimund. Ugh, what an ugly name for a planet. Sounds like a blacksmith sneezed while naming it."
He chuckled under his breath but went on.
"Still, itโs not lacking in complexity. The kingdom Iโm currently in is Valdoria, the strongest of the six major kingdoms. Why? Because unlike the others, Valdoria doesnโt enforce any race-based discrimination. All speciesโhumans, elves, beastfolk, dwarves, even demonsโcan live together here, as long as they follow the rules. That inclusiveness is what makes Valdoria thrive."
He started walking slowly toward the stairs to the first floor as he thought.
"The other five major kingdoms are... interesting, to say the least."
Solvanyr โ The Kingdom of Humans. Traditional, prideful, and often self-important. Not much different from Earthโs old empires.
Sylwenora โ The Elven Kingdom. Graceful, magical, and so full of themselves youโd think they were born with their noses in the clouds.
Aetherveil โ The Spirit Kingdom. Home to entities that exist between the physical and magical planes. Beautiful place, hard to understand their logic.
Tharnok โ An alliance kingdom where beastmen and dwarves coexist. Rugged, strong, and industrialโbut surprisingly balanced.
Malgrith โ The Demon Kingdom. Isolated, feared, and shrouded in ancient power. But theyโre not inherently evil... just not trusted.
"And of course, there are several smaller kingdoms too. Some may not be strong in power, but they hold strategic or magical importance."
He ticked them off mentally.
Glimmereach โ A minor floating kingdom that hovers near Aetherveil. Itโs literally floating. No idea how they manage that. Might be worth a visit.
Varnokh โ Tribal territory of orcs and northern nomads. Harsh climate, harder people. Brutality defines survival there.
Zephoria โ A sea-based kingdom populated by sirens, merfolk, and other water-based species. Politically neutral but dangerous in their own waters.
"...The planet itself orbits a binary star systemโtwo red dwarfs. The larger sun is Aruvion, and the smaller one is Veskar. With both in the sky, the light is always tinted with a soft reddish hue. A little eerie... but it gives everything a surreal beauty."
He glanced upward through the skylight.
"This planet, Orimund, is about 1.3 times larger than Earth. The gravityโs only slightly heavierโbarely noticeable thanks to how mana flows through everything. Itโs probably what lets the wildlife and people grow stronger here, even without intense training."
He smirked.
"And its moon? Oranyaโglows like a silver jewel in the night. One full cycle takes 35 days. Nights here last longer, and the full moon seems to amplify mana in the air. Rituals, cultivation, spellcasting... everything feels sharper under Oranyaโs gaze."
He finally reached the first floor, hands tucked in his pockets.
"This world uses mana as its main energyโeverything revolves around it. From magic to machines, even currencies and artifacts are linked to it. Civilization grew not just from raw intelligence, but from how well each race adapted to manipulating mana except some races ."
He gave a small smile.
"Yep... not a bad place to stir things up."
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Meanwhile, a short distance from the public library...
Inside one of Eldrinโs finer inns, a warm fire crackled in a hearth built into the stone wall. The room, elegantly furnished, exuded both comfort and statusโvelvet curtains drawn, plush chairs set around a low mahogany table, and two travelers occupying the space.
Ron paced across the room, brow furrowed, boots tapping restlessly against the polished wooden floor.
"How does he know...?" he muttered under his breath, jaw clenched.
Lia, lounging casually by the window, tilted her head. "Ron, whatโs going on? Why are you so agitated?" she asked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Ron paused mid-step, eyes sharp with unease. "Itโs that guy we met. Zane."
She blinked. "Zane?" Her expression tightened slightly. "That suspicious guy... I still donโt buy that he took down the Wolf. He seemed weak. I couldnโt sense anything from him."
Ron didnโt answer at first. He simply stared at her, the weight of his thoughts pressing down.
Lia straightened, sensing the tension thickening. "What about him? Did he say something to you?"
He nodded slowly. "He knows."
There was silence.
Liaโs eyes widened. "You mean...?" she asked in a hushed, surprised voice.
"Yes." Ronโs voice was low, serious. "He knows about our illusion disguise."
The room fell still, the crackle of fire the only sound between them.