Chapter 200 (1/2)
Chapter 200: The Keeper’s Request
“There is nosoldiers I trust you understand this truth With so many books, this place attracted my attention As a result, after I had asked the Clairvoyant my questions, I decided to stay I hadn’t been here a er to show my prowess, I read and commented on the collected works you see here Around that time, I met the Bookworm, and immediately he and I launched in to an acadee of all subjects So our arguments continued, off and on Before we’d known it, a month had passed”
“We had a healthy respect for one another We’d known each other for only a short tiood friends In our world of acade we care to concern ourselves with That short tireat benefit to me It’s plausible to sure, it’s very unlikely I’d have reached the nitude of success I enjoy now”
“Around the nificant discrepancy in opinion regarding one academic issue in particular Both of us were co to concede to the other It became so fervent, so coer Should the Bookworm lose, he would relinquish the Library to me, and remove himself from the Avenue Where I to lose, it would be ate cost of those already in stock More than fifty percent of those would need to be unique volumes, not copies of those that were already owned”
“To be frank, I was already in love with the Avenue I agreed on i input from every luminary the academic world had to offer Many came to participate in our intellectual battle”
At this point in his story, the Keeper paused His eyes betrayed a look of disappoint I’m still here He chose exile Even prior to his exodus, I harbored deep regret even in victory I told hier, that he could renored ain for thirty years”
“And then one day he caed ers would be the same as our first encounter By that tion status As ever, he was no challenge to s were clear to me I knew that intellectually he waswith anyone, however physically he was constrained and unable to realize growth As such, I held the advantage”
“What happened between he and I, even all these years later, is still a regret that lies heavy onhis precious Library This hy I had hoped so desperately for hiain after that second encounter We spoke by communicator, once He toldhe studied, even if he spent his entire life in the pursuit But he made me promise… one day, if his pupil were to defeat mine, that I would pass the Library unto him once I died He would inherit this place”
“I agreed Perhaps I felt as though I owed him still, but the hope he would remain never abated I’ve tried to follow in his footstep since then, to do and study as he’d have done As e and experience increased, I put his theories to work The more effort I put towards it, the h our experimentation methods were in opposition, the end result was the sa And neither was he”
The Keeper see so far as to close his eyes “Still, with his knowledge he’s certain to have found a way to prolong his life, as I have An invaluable treasure for anyone, but especially a scholar”
Lan Jue took advantage of the lull to ask him own questions “What do you need from me?” Lan Jue knew the old man wouldn’t have shared this story with hi to it
The Keeper sence “Wait until the academic competition at the NEU has concluded Once it has, I’d like you to spend some tiiving you so all those years ago Tell him I’ve nearly reached my time, and he should return to claim his library”
Lan Jue nearly gasped in alarm “Keeper, your health…”
Suddenly the old ht you were srin “These small tricks are… inspiration I could sit and wait for hiive him a little incentive and the chances increase exponentially”
Lan Jue heaved a sigh of relief He ell aware of how significant the Keeper was, to the whole of the Eastern Alliance This wasn’t just due to his Paragon status, but also due to his ie He was a treasure of the acade should happen to hiedy
He took a s the irin “Don’t worry I’llwhen I deliver the ‘news'”
The Keeper nodded “Go then If he should have any questions with regards to mecha corandson, help give hiine he’ll be of some considerable use to you I’ll find someone to substitute your classes while you’re away”
Lan Jue was helpless to deny the old ain He could count the nu the job on one hand
The Keeper was astute, and saw Lan Jue’s reservation written on his face “Not to worry, it’s close You’ll be back in no time At most you’ll miss one class I hear you’ve acquired quite a reputation at the university already Though I can’t iine what benefit this class of yours has on the student population, I have faith you aren’t abusing your position or taking advantage Anyway, you’re busy, I won’t take any randson find a wo to look at him”
Lan Jue couldn’t express how much respect he had for the old h and shake his head at their parting words
His certainly was a… unique personality, the Jewelry Master mused
Lan Jue said his goodbyes, and left
The Keeper lazily rose to his feet as the youngin the wind, on the verge of being extinguished, he hobbled his way to the openand looked out over the Avenue
“I’o back to the way things used to be! You ive to you How could you pass up an opportunity like that? Come quickly”
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