The library was nothing like what his past fears had prepared him for. Libraries were a place where minds were tortured to learn new things. But this one gave off a warm, welcoming charm, almost like a pastry shop. From the outside it was plain, marked only by a simple sign reading Library. Inside, however, words struggled to capture how majestic it truly was.
He froze as his mind—his circuits—worked to process the overwhelming view. The ancient saying never judge a book by its cover had never felt truer.
"I get it. You've never stepped foot in this place," Elderwood said, noticing how Reever had gone still, still absorbing everything around him. "Trust me, I wore the same expression my first time."
"To be honest, most major buildings look like this. Unreal. I don't know how the developers created something so lifelike, but who cares. We're here to level up." He sighed softly and let Reever enjoy the moment.
When Reever finally tore his attention from the scenery, his gaze drifted to the center of the room. A curved counter stood there, its surface glowing like liquid moonlight. Behind it floated an AI librarian construct shaped as a middle-aged woman in a creamy blue suit and crisp white shirt, complete with a cute bowtie.
As the two approached her, Reever noticed that she held a holographic mug, and was sipping some coffee. Reever nearly laughed at the sight, until the librarian shot him a glare sharp enough to cut metal.
" Welcome to the world of stories and impossible worlds." she said as she put her mug down and faced the two.
"Why do you always act mysterious and dramatic whenever someone new shows up?" Elderwood asked. "You'll scare the newcomer if you keep that up."
" Ooh Elderwood, how many times do I have to tell you that it's hard to resist saying those words. I love them." the librarian complained as she rolled her eyes. " And also, please ensure some silence as I do not want to chase you out of this place." she warned as she turned to look at Reever who was still busy trying to understand how this AI was. He was tempted to go and pinch her little cheeks but then remembered the scary glare he was given earlier and discarded those thoughts.
" Who do we have here today. Interesting. This is new. I never expected to experience this like ever." the librarian was shocked when her eyes turned to Reever. She then calmed down, not wanting Elderwood to notice her change in expression.
Reever had already noticed it and almost lost his cool." "Did she already detect that I'm not human? If so, running would only raise suspicion. She has not sold me out then, meaning that there might be a bargain to hold later on." he thought. Luckily, with his bot body, emotions were hard to read, and plus with a mask covering his whole face, he was protected.
"Miss Librarian, my name is 067, and I've come to enjoy the wonders your place offers." He extended his hand for a handshake.
"First, I'm not 'Miss Librarian.' My name is Pixie. Secondly, I do not know why you are mocking me by stretching your hand. I am a holographic being so handshakes are but an insult to me. It's day one and you have already angered this Librarian. What a poor soul. I am not sure if you will manage to have a second time here with such kind of attitude young man. Humpf" the librarian rolled her eyes as she stuck her tongue out, then turned back to Elderwood.
"Little Elderwood, you've brought me an even worse guest than last time. But I'll forgive you. You may enter now—I'll handle your companion. Remember, you both only have thirty minutes once I release him." With a wave of her hand, Elderwood vanished..
"As for you," she said, turning back to Reever, "the reason I held you back is because I'm still angry. How could you even think about pinching me just to check if I'm real? Such disrespect toward this great and mighty librarian. But… since it's your first time, I'll pardon you."
Reever sighed internally. He had assumed she'd detected his non-human status and was preparing to extort him, but no—she was simply dramatic..
"How did you know I wanted to pinch you? Can you read thoughts?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
"Men truly are strange," Pixie said. "Your hands were twitching, your eyes were fixed on my face, and there was no affection in them—only mischief. I've worked in this library longer than I care to admit, and I can read expressions better than anyone. Especially men. But if you're really so curious, you can pinch me and see what happens." Her cheeks flushed red.
Reever immediately suppressed the urge. Something told him that pinching her would earn him a permanent ban.
" I'm ok Pixie. Though you look cute and pinchable, I want to use this time to go through some books." he said.
" Books? What are you, from centuries ago? You really are a funny person. Books are a relic of the past. In this library, we let you experience the books. You get to feel what the characters felt, and live every moments of their life with them. Does the place where you come from in the real world have books. You guys need to evolve." Pixie mocked, making Reever frown due to the mistake he made.
But his curiosity grew. A world where books were a thing of the past. His first conclusion was that he had transmigrated, but the statues he'd seen around the city reminded him him that he was still on planet Earth. With that in mind, he concluded that many years had passed by then. Maybe a hundred or two hundred.
If books were relics, then the world had advanced far beyond the era he remembered. All his family members, his friends and everyone else was dead. He took a deep breath to calm his circuits before waiting for the next step.
" Not to worry. I hope that I did not hurt your feelings. Let me do something that will cheer you up then." Pixie said, as she instantly appeared before Reever, giving him a hug.
Despite being holographic, her hard-light body felt surprisingly softer than a marshmallow and he couldn't stop himself from patting her head.
" You probably always wanted to hug a librarian. Consider that wish granted. Though it doesn't matter to a dead person anyway as they have no bucket list." B inwardly teased.
"I'm alright now. You can let go," he said, not wanting B's teasing to escalate further. Sure thing the librarian was cute, but his reputation mattered. The librarian quickly disappeared before appearing in front of her desk, her face red.
"Let's not waste any more time. I'll guide you through the library. You have thirty minutes, and I promise that's more than enough." She snapped her fingers.
Reever vanished.