Lightning lit up the curtain of rain outside. It flashed through the transparent windows, casting brief, eerie glows across the bookshelves of the library. The downpour was heavy and suffocating, bringing an unusual chill to this otherwise warm season.
Chen Mo moved between the rows of bookshelves, eyes scanning for a specific title among the countless volumes.
As he turned a corner, he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his nose. A soft, floral scent hit him at the same time, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Stumbling back a few steps, he finally saw who he'd collided with—a girl.
She had long black hair tied into a simple low ponytail, with two soft strands framing her forehead and a fringe that enhanced her gentle, elegant aura. She wore a plain white T-shirt and ultra-short denim shorts, her long legs exposed to the cool air. Despite her delicate appearance, there was a faint wildness to her presence that made her captivating.
Her eyes were bright and gentle, her skin fair. She wasn't the kind of beauty that stunned on sight, but she had a presence that made you want to keep looking.
Delicate and pretty.
That was Chen Mo's first thought.
Realizing his mind had wandered, he quickly came to his senses. "Sorry," he said.
"It's okay," the girl replied, brushing her hair aside with a small smile before walking away.
Watching her leave, Chen Mo felt a tingling in his nose from the lingering scent. Her image stayed vivid in his mind.
Shaking his head, he went back to scanning the shelves. Not long after, he spotted the same girl again.
They exchanged a polite smile as they passed, but the soft fragrance she carried made him unconsciously glance back at her retreating figure.
BOOM!
A deafening clap of thunder roared overhead, shaking the library. Screams followed as startled readers reacted.
The girl flinched from the noise, her back tensing. Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively hunched his shoulders.
Then came another sound—louder, closer. It came from the row of shelves next to them.
Chen Mo's pupils shrank in alarm. A bookshelf was slowly tipping over—right above the girl's head.
"Watch out!"
Without thinking, Chen Mo lunged forward.
Thud!
Something slammed into his head as he wrapped his arms around the girl and pushed her away. The scent from earlier filled his senses again just before everything went dark.
"Someone knocked over a shelf!"
"There's a student pinned! Help!"
"Call an ambulance!"
Pain throbbed in his skull. Chen Mo drifted in and out of consciousness as muffled voices surrounded him.
He didn't know how long he had been out, but when he finally came to, his senses slowly returned.
What he saw first wasn't a hospital ceiling—it was a massive golden gate, hundreds of meters tall. Strange symbols and writings covered its surface, intricate and ancient. The door radiated a deep sense of power and mystery.
Wasn't I hit by a falling bookshelf?
Where... am I?
Is this the gate to the afterlife?
His mind spun with questions as he stood before the door. When his hand brushed against it, it swung open on its own. A white light spilled out from within, enveloping him completely.
As the light faded, Chen Mo found himself standing in the center of a place he couldn't comprehend.
Towering bookshelves—each hundreds of meters tall—stretched out in all directions. Every one of them was packed with books of varying thicknesses, stacked neatly and seemingly endless in number.
He stood frozen, like a single ant in the middle of a colossal library.
What is this place? Heaven's library? Hell's archive?
Did I really die in a library and end up in a bigger one?
He shook his head and forced his gaze forward, spotting something in the center of the space.
There stood a lone mahogany table with a thick book on top. The cover was deep red, heavy and worn, and inscribed with intricate patterns—formulas, symbols, strange letters woven into a mesmerizing design.
On the cover, five golden words gleamed:
The Library of Science and Technology
Science and Technology Library?
Chen Mo hesitated before opening it. The pages inside were blank.
Then—woosh!
A beam of light descended from above, projecting a figure behind him.
An old man in a gray robe appeared. His hair was white, his face lined with age, yet his eyes shone with intelligence. He had a warm, kind smile—the image of a wise grandfather.
"Hello, sir… what is this place?" Chen Mo asked cautiously. The old man didn't seem hostile.
"Didn't you read the cover, lucky child?" the old man said with a chuckle.
"The Library of Science and Technology?" Chen Mo pointed at the red book.
"Exactly. Within this library lie the technologies of countless civilizations." The old man gestured behind him to the endless shelves.
Chen Mo stepped toward the nearest bookshelf, his eyes scanning the titles:
Quantum Portal
Super Alloys
Gene Editing and Artificial Humans
Artificial Intelligence
Hyperdimensional Mathematics
Antimatter Extraction Techniques
God Particle Stabilization and Applications
Human Potential Unlocking Serum
Superpower Awakening Methods
Each title stunned him more than the last.
Fields ranging from physics and chemistry to biology, computing, medicine, and even military tech—everything was here. Every book represented a powerful technology. Just one of these could bring him fame, fortune, and unimaginable wealth.
How much knowledge is here? Chen Mo gazed into the endless depths of the library, overwhelmed.
He reached out to grab a book—only to pass right through it. His hand met nothing but air.
He tried again. Still nothing.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't touch any of the books.
"Is this a dream? Why can't I touch them?" he asked, smiling bitterly.
A golden mountain stood before him—and he couldn't take a single piece from it.
"You're not dreaming," the old man said calmly. "If you want access, you have to write your name in that red book on the table. Only then will you become the new owner of the Library."
Chen Mo hesitated for a few seconds. Then, picking up the black quill beside the book, he wrote his name on the blank first page.
As the ink settled, a golden flash flickered across his hand—then vanished.
"Chen Mo."
A deep voice echoed through the vast library.
Chen Mo looked up, startled, but saw no one.
"No need to look," the old man chuckled. "That was the voice of the Library's system. It has acknowledged your identity. From this moment forward, you are its owner."
Chen Mo grinned. An adventure… it's really happening.
"Old man, what should I call you?" he asked.
"I'm the guardian of the Library. I have no name. You can call me the administrator—or anything you like," he replied, eyes twinkling.
"In that case, I'll call you Shu Lao. Elder Shu. You're the Library's guide, and I'm the eager student."
"Ha! I never thought I'd get a name," Shu Lao laughed. "But sure, I like it."
"Shu Lao, now that I'm the owner, can I finally read the books?" Chen Mo asked eagerly, heading to the nearest shelf.
"Try it and see," Shu Lao said with a knowing smile.
Chen Mo reached out again… but still couldn't grab a thing.
"Why not?! I'm the owner now!"
"Your access level is too low," Shu Lao explained. "You've just inherited the Library. Your authority is at the [Trainee] level. The high-level tech is still locked to you."
"Then… I can access low-level stuff?"
"Yes. As a [Trainee], you can select one book per month from the beginner tier. Go ahead—pick your first one."
"What counts as beginner tier?"
"Check the red book," Shu Lao said, pointing at the one on the table. "All the answers are inside."