Several white fireballs floated in the air, illuminating the previously dark space just a bit. The fire wasn't strictly necessary, but there’s a psychological element at play. Who knows what kind of traps those damned elves set up in this archive? Better to stay on guard.

I decided to ignore the control room.

*Ding! Ding! Ding!*

But then, a sound that definitely shouldn't be heard rang out from the darkened control room.

“Ah, hell…”

Should I just ignore it and move on? No, ignoring something like this could backfire spectacularly—like an alarm blaring non-stop all day. So, I grabbed the handle, turned it, and stepped into the control room, where a collection of multicolored magical devices came into view. The ones from Earth are more like cell phones, while the elves’ devices resemble computers.

*Ding! Ding!*

The natural response to provocation is to respond in kind, so I answered the call on the pink magical device that was ringing.

“This is Yong-yong, head librarian of the Archives of Knowledge. What’s the situation?”

—This is Krark at Marita Fortress! The humans have betrayed us! They’ve allied with the demons and are attacking! Requesting backup! Requesting backup!

Oh. So these guys speak my language? Or maybe I’m just understanding it somehow. Either way…

“Why the hell is this guy requesting backup from the archives? Did he lose his mind?”

—It’s urgent! If this place falls, the path to the capital will open! We need backup, now!

“….”

This is likely a record of the final days of the elven kingdom. It’s tragic, but this is just the archives. These are simply records. Maybe it’s an old support request filed away here, or even a message from a different timeline where the elves weren’t annihilated. Either way, I can’t help. I turned off the magical device without listening further.

*Ding! Ding!*

—Requesting urgent backup! If anyone hears this, please tell the Queen!

I tossed the magical device aside. No way was I going to keep listening to this depressing talk. Then again… maybe I should take it with me. It seems to work as long as it has a power supply. After ignoring the bell a few more times, it finally stopped ringing. Sad, maybe, but there’s nothing I can do, and I need to get out of here.

“Akasic Record… is this just a recording, or am I actually receiving contact from the outside?”

[The Archives of Knowledge hold many potential possibilities. It could simply be the remnants of a lost elven kingdom’s records, or in another world, Krark could indeed be sending a support request.]

In other words, it’s another Schrödinger situation. Either Krark recorded his final moments here, or he’s still alive and called the archive by accident. Sad, sure, but I’ve got my own problems to deal with. Let’s focus on finding an exit.

*Ding ding*

This time, a purple magical device started ringing. There’s no way this is anything good, right? If I answer, it'll probably be something even stranger.

—My body… my body is burning! My body, my body!

“Hey, when is that mouth of yours going to burn up?”

I threw the magical device to the floor and smashed it. This control room setup is unreliable, like a trash heap. No way could a control room in a place like this still function properly. Most likely, this call is just some twisted elf’s last attempt to buy time, hoping to catch someone off guard in the "golden window" of two hours as stated in the safety rules.

Still, I’m interested in these books. Just how important did those elves consider them if they were willing to put up all these defenses?

“It seems you can open and close each area from the real control room.”

I could even control the lock on the back door from here. As soon as I toggled it to ON, I heard a distant whirring sound. I also turned on the lights for each area, illuminating the entire archive. Just how big is this place if they needed separate sections? That back door must be the exit. The entrance I came through must’ve been a trap.

I found a map on the control room wall showing the layout of the shelves. The place is enormous, and there’s a rough route to the back door drawn on it.

“A map in an archive? Unbelievable…”

Right, because only then could it be a proper trap.

“Let’s see what kind of records they have here.”

I picked up the first book lying around on the floor.

[The Lewd Lizard Maid, Volume 1]

“Oh, what the—?”

The title was offensive, but as I opened it, an entirely new world unfolded before my eyes. This might actually be worth a read. The illustrations of the lizard maid were awful, but the content was surprisingly good. Those elves… Were they just digging up smut from the trash?

The hallway itself, according to safety rules, was ridiculously convoluted. Moving in a straight line, the corridors twisted and turned, growing long and winding. Of course, these weren’t just plain hallways.

“I've seen worse…”

The map wasn’t difficult to follow, and the hallways were narrow enough to move along easily. The towering bookshelves stretched so high that I couldn’t see the ceiling, which was a bit stifling. I’m no bookworm, but people who are would probably love this place.

Reyna was obsessed with books, come to think of it. She’d read just about anything.

—What’s with that “Hell Joseon” book? Why do you read that?
—A true intellectual doesn’t discriminate against knowledge.

In her free time, Reyna would always pile up a mountain of books. Eastern, Western, it didn’t matter. Now that I think about it, maybe she’s a bit of a bookworm, too.

Then again, Reyna was pretty picky, so she might even get carried away in a place like this.

“I never expected this…”

Then I saw them—piles of skeletons blocking my way. Like something straight out of a fantasy game, these animated skeletons were standing in my path.

“What the hell are those?”

They practically screamed "low-level monster from every RPG ever." I’d expected something like this after the weird calls started, but really, did they think these could stop me? If the elves wanted to block me, they should have sent something beautiful. I raised my hand.

*Snap!*

All it takes is a bit of chaos.

“Just a snap of my fingers, and they’ll—oh?”

But the skeletons didn’t turn on each other. Odd. My chaos magic should work on low-level creatures like these. Instead, they wielded their swords and marched toward me.

This was irritating. Was the power of the "chaotic dragon" really not working?

“Is it just that mental attacks don’t work on them?”

Thinking about it, do these things even have consciousness? If there’s no mind to attack, my power is useless. But maybe a punch or some white flames will work.

I charged at the skeletons and swung my fist.

“Grah!?”

Bones crumbled with a strange sound, as if there was still something there to scream. These things seemed to be made of magic; as soon as they were destroyed, they vanished completely.

“Not too tough, are they?”
“Graaaar!”

“Oh, come on, they’re respawning? Didn’t I destroy the magic keeping them going?”

Magic-based creatures should disappear once their magic fades. I confirmed the magic was gone. How about some white flames?

I set the skeletons ablaze with white fire. The flames spread quickly, and the skeletons sank back into the floor. But these things were tenacious. They kept climbing back up until I blanketed the floor in flames, blocking their respawn and clearing the path.

That’s when I sensed a presence nearby.

“You can’t defeat them like that!”

“Huh? Another bookworm?”

“Those things came from the books! You need to burn the books themselves to get rid of them!”

Pointy ears, pale skin, platinum blonde hair… Wait, have I seen this elf somewhere before? Reyna? No, the vibe was different. Reyna had that sharp, prickly attitude, but this elf looked more innocent—and had a noticeably smaller chest. Yet somehow that made her look even more… alluring? She seemed older than Reyna.

No, control yourself. This place would not have ordinary elves hanging around. She’s definitely another bookworm.

“Come on! We need to find the book they came from and burn it!”

This elf dove into the shelves, searching frantically. Why bother? That only gives the skeletons more time to move.

“Or… we could just burn everything here.”

If I torch a few books, it’ll be fine. The Akashic Record said not to burn everything, but a little fire should be okay. I charged forward, lighting up the area ahead of me. The skeletons vanished as I advanced, meaning the book must be close by.

Burning them would certainly help with any other monsters around.

“What the hell are you—”
“Burn bright, Hellfire!”

With a brilliant incantation, the surrounding shelves erupted into flames.

“You’re insane! You burned all the books!”

This elf was definitely a bookworm. When the shelves collapsed in flames, the skeletons finally disappeared for good. Monsters spawned from books seemed unaffected by chaos magic. For a moment, I wondered if this elf had also spawned from one of these books.

“Hey, I know they’re discarded records, but burning them all at once? Those were still knowledge!”

Her expression really did look like an innocent version

 of Reyna’s. To test if she was real or just some book spirit, I pinched both of her cheeks.

“Ow! That hurts! What are you doing?”

“They’re squishy, like mochi… Are all elves like this?”

I let go after a moment. Her skin felt almost artistic—soft, just like Reyna’s.

“Are you all like this? You’re an elf, aren’t you?”
“Well, uh, if I had to say…”

How to explain? A dragon? A human? Physically, I was close to a human, just with the powers of an evil dragon.

“I guess I’m… human—”

“You damned imperial! Now you’re trying to invade the archives too? My name is Rachel Silverluck, proud member of the elven royal family, and I’ll kill you to avenge my kingdom!”

Rachel Silverluck? Wait, royalty? What is a royal doing here?

But this bookworm wasn’t giving me any time to process. She drew her sword and charged at me like a madwoman.

“Oh, for—at least let me finish talking.”
“Die!”

Clearly, this elf was no ordinary bookworm. She charged with such a fierce energy that it was intimidating. Judging by her movements, she had training in body reinforcement.

But who am I, after all? I am the reincarnation of Azidahaka, the strongest in this world. 

*Thud!*

“Aaaargh!”

I delivered a powerful punch right to her gut, enough to shake her to her core.