Chapter 1: Science and Technology Library

Lightning lit up the curtain of rain, passing through the transparent window, making the library’s bookshelves flicker along with the lightning. The sharp sound of rain drove away the stifling heat, bringing a hint of coolness to this blank season.

Chen Mo moved between the library’s bookshelves, his eyes continuously searching for the book he needed.

At the corner, suddenly, Chen Mo felt a pain in his nose. A faint, fresh scent drifted into his nostrils, making him pause briefly.

Covering his nose and stepping back a few paces, Chen Mo finally saw clearly the person he had bumped into—a girl.

Her dark hair was tied in a simple low ponytail, with two strands of hair framing her forehead, blending a gentle and elegant aura. She wore a white T-shirt and very short jeans, her long, beautiful legs exposed to the air. Combined with the faint wildness in her presence, she was someone you could look at again and again.

Her eyes were bright and soft, her skin fair. She couldn’t be called breathtakingly beautiful, but she was definitely the most comfortable-looking girl he had ever seen.

Delicate.

That was the first thought that came to Chen Mo’s mind.

Realizing he had gotten distracted, Chen Mo snapped back to attention. “Sorry,” he said.

“It’s fine.” The girl rubbed her forehead, gave Chen Mo a slight smile, and turned to leave.

Glancing at the girl’s retreating figure, Chen Mo rubbed his sore nose. The faint scent lingering on the tip of his nose made him involuntarily recall the girl’s image.

Shaking his head, Chen Mo continued searching among the bookshelves. Before long, he saw the girl again.

They exchanged a smile and passed by each other. The fragrant scent that reached his nose made Chen Mo unable to resist looking back at her figure.

Rumble! A huge bolt of lightning struck above the library, accompanied by waves of screams.

The girl was also startled by the sudden noise, her figure shuddering violently. Chen Mo felt his heart contract, and he instinctively hunched his shoulders.

As the screams faded, noisy crashing sounds came from the bookshelf next to them.

Suddenly, Chen Mo’s pupils contracted. He saw the bookshelf above her head slowly tilting and falling.

“Watch out!”

Without a second thought, Chen Mo rushed forward and pushed the girl.

Thump! Chen Mo felt something hit his head hard. He wrapped his arms around the girl as they fell, and once again, the familiar fragrant scent reached his nose.

“Someone knocked over a bookshelf…”

“A student is trapped underneath, come help!”

“Call an ambulance!”

…

A throbbing pain surged in his head, making Chen Mo’s consciousness grow hazy. Before losing consciousness, he could still hear the chaotic noises coming from the library.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before Chen Mo gradually regained consciousness.

As soon as he looked up, he saw a golden gate over a hundred meters tall. The gate was covered in unintelligible writings and symbols, appearing heavy and plain. To Chen Mo, it looked extremely eerie.

Wasn’t I hit by a bookshelf?

Where is this?

The gates of hell?

A series of questions filled his mind as Chen Mo stared blankly at the gate. As soon as his hand touched it, the gate suddenly opened. Strands of white light burst forth, engulfing him in an endless radiance.

When the light faded, Chen Mo looked around.

Centered on him, bookshelves over a hundred meters tall stood in rows, layer upon layer, stretching as far as the eye could see. On the shelves, books of varying thicknesses were neatly arranged, vast as an ocean.

Gazing at the towering bookshelves, Chen Mo’s eyes were filled with confusion, like a lost ant standing in the center of a giant library.

Where is this? A hell library or a heaven library?

If you die in a library, do you end up in a library in heaven?

Chen Mo thought bitterly. Coming back to his senses, he focused his gaze on the enormous library. Even a library for giants wouldn’t need to be this big.

“Is anyone here?”

Chen Mo called out softly but received no response.

“Is anyone here?” Gathering his courage, Chen Mo shouted into the library.

“Is anyone here?”…”Anyone?”…

No one answered, only the fading echo. His eyes fell on the center of the library.

In the middle stood an ordinary redwood table, on which rested a book. The cover was dark red, simple, and heavy. Upon closer inspection, densely packed formulas, symbols, and letters formed intricate patterns.

On the cover were five gilt characters: Science and Technology Library.

Science and Technology Library?

Chen Mo hesitated for a moment, then opened the book to the title page—it was blank.

Hum…

Just as Chen Mo was about to investigate further, a curtain of light descended from above the library, and a figure appeared in the empty space behind him.

An old man, dressed in a gray robe, with white hair and wrinkles on his face. His eyes shone with wisdom, and he wore a kindly, amiable smile, like the grandfather next door.

“Elder, hello. Where is this?” Chen Mo asked hesitantly. The old man didn’t seem like a bad person.

“Isn’t it written above? Lucky child.” The old man spoke, smiling at Chen Mo.

“Science and Technology Library?” Chen Mo pointed at the book’s cover.

“Yes, this place collects the technologies of countless civilizations. It’s called the Science and Technology Library.” The old man looked toward the endless rows of bookshelves behind him.

Chen Mo hesitantly walked toward the shelves. After seeing the books on them, his eyes flashed with disbelief.

Quantum Teleportation Gate, Super Alloy, Gene Editing and Artificial Humans, Artificial Intelligence, Hyperdimensional Mathematics, Antimatter Extraction Technology, God Particle Stabilization and Application Technology, Human Potential Development Potion, Superpower Awakening Methods and Technology…

The hundred-meter-tall bookshelves were filled with various technical books. They covered all high-tech fields: physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, mathematics, information science, medicine, military technology, and more.

Here, every book represented a technology. Any single technology he saw could bring him fame, fortune, and endless wealth in the real world, easily attainable.

How many technological secrets were stored in this Science and Technology Library? Chen Mo turned to look into the depths of the library, his heart filled with awe.

Snapping out of it, Chen Mo reached out to take a book, but his hand passed through empty air. He realized these bookshelves seemed not to exist in his spacetime—untouchable.

He tried a few more times but still couldn’t grasp anything.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t touch any of the bookshelves; his hands simply passed through them.

“Elder, am I dreaming? Why can’t I get these books?”

Chen Mo smiled bitterly. It was like a mountain of gold right in front of him, yet he could only look, not take. The greatest distance in the world was just this.

“Child, this is not a dream.” The old man pointed to the dark red book on the table. “Write your name on it, and you will become the new owner of the Science and Technology Library.”

Chen Mo walked back to the table, hesitated for a few seconds, then picked up the black quill beside the book and wrote his full name on the title page.

As soon as he finished writing, the characters flickered with a golden light before fading.

“Chen Mo.”

A booming voice echoed above the library. Chen Mo instinctively looked up but found nothing there.

“Don’t bother looking. The library is verifying your identity.” The old man chuckled at Chen Mo’s reaction. “From now on, you are the owner of the library.”

The old man’s words brought a smile to Chen Mo’s face. He realized he might have stumbled upon a real opportunity.

“Elder, what should I call you?” Chen Mo asked.

“I am the keeper of the Science and Technology Library. I have no name. You can call me the Administrator, or whatever you like.” The old man looked at Chen Mo, growing more pleased the longer he watched.

“That won’t do. You’re the administrator here, surely well-read. Since ‘book’ sounds like ‘Shu,’ I’ll call you Elder Shu.”

“I never thought I’d have a name.” The old man laughed heartily. “As you wish.”

“Elder Shu, now that I’m the owner of the library, can I take the books?” Chen Mo eagerly walked back to the bookshelves.

“Try,” Elder Shu said with a smile.

Chen Mo reached for a bookshelf, but his expression turned frustrated—he still couldn’t get anything.

“Why can’t I take these books yet?”

“Insufficient authority.” Elder Shu shook his head. “You’ve just acquired the library. Your authority level is Novice. You can’t access high-level technologies.”

“Can I take lower-level ones?” Chen Mo immediately grasped the key point.

“Yes. Your authority is Novice. Each month, you can randomly select one book from the Novice level. To start, you may freely choose one.”

“Which ones are Novice level?”

“Look in the book.” Elder Shu pointed to the dark red book on the table.