"Books preserve knowledge. Understanding preserves civilizations."— The Law of Wisdom
The academy had never been so quiet.
Students whispered in every hallway.
Professors held hushed conversations behind closed doors.
Even the servants exchanged uneasy glances.
The events inside the Mana Evaluation Hall had spread across the Royal Academy in less than an hour.
"...Did you hear?"
"They say the Grand Affinity Crystal almost shattered."
"It hasn't reacted like that in a thousand years."
"I heard the student had every affinity."
"That's impossible."
"It has to be a rumor."
Alen sighed as he walked through the stone corridors.
"...I really don't like people staring."
Lyria smiled sympathetically.
"Give it a few days."
"They'll find something else to gossip about."
Darius crossed his arms.
"I doubt it."
"You've become the most famous first-year before classes have even started."
"Congratulations."
"...Thanks?"
Professor Rowan stopped in front of the three students.
"Mr. Beta."
"Lyria."
"Darius."
"I have an assignment for you."
The three stood at attention.
"Follow me."
Rowan led them through the oldest wing of the Academy.
The polished marble gave way to weathered stone.
The air became cooler.
Older.
Finally...
He stopped before a pair of enormous oak doors.
Runes shimmered across their surface.
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"The Grand Library."
The doors slowly opened.
Alen's jaw dropped.
Shelves stretched so high they disappeared into the shadows above.
Floating staircases drifted silently through the air.
Thousands upon thousands of books filled the chamber.
Mana crystals hovered beneath the ceiling like tiny stars.
"This..."
"...is incredible."
Rowan smiled.
"The Royal Academy has spent nearly twelve centuries gathering knowledge."
"Every spell."
"Every recorded monster."
"Every kingdom."
"Every known Law."
"If it has been discovered..."
"It is probably here."
They walked between towering shelves.
Alen's eyes darted from one title to another.
History of the Six Kingdoms
Foundations of Mana
The Nature of Elemental Spirits
Advanced Sword Forms
Then one book caught his attention.
Its cover was worn with age.
No title.
Only a strange symbol.
He reached toward it.
The moment his fingertips brushed the spine—
A faint pulse echoed through his body.
The System appeared.
[Ancient Text Detected.]
[Translation Available.]
"...Translation?"
Before Alen could ask another question—
The notification disappeared.
Later that afternoon...
The students gathered in a classroom.
Professor Rowan stood before a chalkboard.
"Today's lesson..."
"...the origin of magic."
He drew several ancient symbols.
"Long ago..."
"The First Mages recorded incantations in what we now call the Ancient Arcane Language."
He wrote another line.
"No one truly understands why these words invoke magic."
"We simply know..."
"They work."
The students carefully copied the symbols into their notebooks.
Alen frowned.
"...That's strange."
The symbols looked...
Familiar.
Not because he had seen them before.
Because...
Somehow...
He could almost understand them.
One rune resembled a flame.
Another resembled flowing water.
A third reminded him of wind.
The System quietly displayed a message.
[Passive Translation In Progress...]
Alen blinked.
"What?"
The message vanished before he could read more.
Class ended.
Students filed into the hallway.
Lyria stretched.
"My brain hurts."
Darius nodded.
"I'd rather fight monsters."
Alen remained staring at his notebook.
The ancient symbols seemed...
Different.
Almost as if they weren't letters.
But ideas.
Concepts.
"What are you looking at?"
Lyria asked.
"...Nothing."
He closed the notebook.
"...Just thinking."
That evening...
Professor Rowan stood alone in the Grand Library.
He opened a forbidden tome.
Dust drifted from its pages.
Its title read:
Chronicles of the World Laws
Most of the pages were blank.
Until tonight.
Golden letters slowly appeared.
"The Child of Understanding has opened the First Door."
Rowan's hands trembled.
"...Impossible."
"No one has touched the World Laws in over three thousand years."
He slowly closed the book.
Outside...
Three moons illuminated the Academy.
Somewhere in the distance...
A bell rang.
Class would officially begin tomorrow.
And with it...
Alen Beta's true journey toward understanding.
End of Chapter 8