Between the towering bookshelves that reached the ceiling, librarians appeared and disappeared, their movements seamless. Amidst the scent of old books, the sharp tang of disinfectant lingered in the air. There was a faint trace of blood too. Perhaps patients were being housed here. The scene overlapped with fragments of the fallen world Uijae had once witnessed. Collapsed bookshelves, scattered books, and weary Hunters sitting atop the disarray—this library had once become the last refuge.

**Click**, a librarian placed a steaming cup of coffee and a neatly arranged plate of cookies on the table. Uijae bowed his head in thanks, …