Chapter 2: Fantasy high school: celestia (1)

The Phantasmagoric Library, Celestia.

It was the name of a place featured in [Celestia Maker], the sandbox game I used to play.

A grand repository of knowledge, forged to house all the magic in the world.

The primary objective of [Celestia Maker] was for the player, as the sole master and chronicler of this repository, to become the librarian themselves and fill Celestia’s shelves with grimoires.

And now, I found myself plunged into the very heart of that magical library from the game.

Moreover, I was encased in a body whose very state of life or death remained utterly unknown to me.

‘No matter how long I starve, I feel no hunger.’

A week had already passed since I had fallen into the Phantasmagoric Library, Celestia.

During that time, I had consumed neither proper food nor water.

For a normal human, this would have been the point where critical signals of danger would begin to manifest.

Yet, my current body showed not the slightest reaction.

‘By all accounts, it’s been well over a week already. This isn’t normal.’

It was clearly a phenomenon that transcended the bounds of my known understanding.

The maximum period a person could endure without water was, at best, three to four days.

Despite this, I was still wandering through the library, perfectly fine.

It implied that I was no longer a human engaged in normal biological functions.

‘At the very least, it means I’m not exactly ‘alive’ in the conventional sense.’

To the naked eye, I appeared like any ordinary person, and I encountered no issues when interacting with the grimoires within the library.

However, this was a reality confined solely to the mystical magical library.

I had no certainty that I would continue to exist normally if I were to leave this place.

…

As I surveyed the magical library, assessing my condition, my gaze quietly drifted towards a structure situated in the very center of the library.

It was the entrance to the Phantasmagoric Library, Celestia—.

A colossal door, unmistakable as such to anyone who laid eyes upon it, stood before me.

In any conventional library, opening that door would immediately reveal a passage leading outside.

I, too, had once harbored that very thought and had attempted to push open that door.

Regrettably, the outcome had been far from ideal.

‘It seems virtually impossible to escape this library.’

I had failed to exit the Phantasmagoric Library, Celestia.

Beyond the door lay a semi-transparent barrier.

A physical wall, impassable to any person, existed beyond it.

Still, no matter how much I pondered it, it remained an anomaly.

My presence here unequivocally meant there was an entrance.

If so, it should also serve as an exit, yet for some reason, I found myself unable to pass through that door.

‘If there’s a way in, there should be a way out. How exactly did I get here?’

Perhaps, escaping this place wouldn’t be possible through conventional means.

However, just because a solution wasn’t immediately apparent didn’t mean I could simply resign myself to remaining here for eternity.

I had to devise a way to escape this library, no matter what.

Hmm.

Lost in thought, I picked up a sheet of paper that lay on the table.

Then, taking up a pen, I began to write something upon it.

Scratch, scratch.

My hand moved busily across the paper, scribbling down countless characters.

…

Tup.

With the tip of my finger, I pushed away the paper I had just written on.

After much deliberation, I had arrived at a single conclusion.

‘I have plenty of time, so I might as well read some books.’

Perhaps among the vast collection of books here, there might be something that could serve as a clue.

That was the decision I had reached.

****

A month had already elapsed since I found myself imprisoned within the colossal magical library.

During that period, I had managed to uncover several facts, both significant and minor.

Firstly, all the grimoires present in the library were ‘usable.’

More precisely, I had gained the ability to wield ‘magic’ within this library.

I had become a magician, a being that had previously existed only in the realm of imagination.

The grimoires I had crafted in [Celestia Maker] faithfully performed their functions, every single one of them.

The collection here went beyond merely containing the content of in-game grimoires; they actually operated in a manner remarkably similar to the magic mechanics within the game.

This was a tremendous boon for me, trapped as I was within the library.

‘The problem, however, is that once my magic power depletes, I can no longer use them.’

Secondly, this remarkable discovery required its own form of fuel.

Just as an internal combustion engine cannot operate without fuel, magic would not function without a special kind of energy.

Only with the power that drives magic—mana (魔力)—could the full potential of the grimoires be utilized.

Furthermore, it took a considerably long time for that mana to fully replenish after being completely expended.

This meant that even truly powerful magic could not be indiscriminately unleashed.

‘Still, this is a significant gain. The rules for writing grimoires don’t seem vastly different from the game, and if I conduct my research diligently, I might even discover a clue to escape this place.’

Finally, I sensed a faint possibility from the very existence of magic.

My current body could survive without eating or drinking.

Nor did I feel any need to sleep.

While I wasn’t sure if it was truly accurate to call this state ‘being alive,’ it nonetheless meant I had ample time.

Moreover, this library contained numerous volumes that I had not yet fully explored.

These were the books fundamentally provided when one first started the game—.

Though insufficient to be called grimoires, they were books containing theories related to magic—colloquially known as ‘tutorial guidebooks.’

When I first began the game, I found them so challenging that I hadn’t properly read them, but now, I felt the necessity of examining every single book in this library.

‘After all, the only way for me to escape this place is through magic. In that case, I have no choice but to dedicate myself to studying it relentlessly.’

I had always possessed a certain aptitude for writing grimoires.

However, now I felt the need to push beyond that.

Only magic would be the key to releasing me from this place.

With that conviction, I resolved to dedicate myself to study for a considerable period.

‘Starting today, I will begin studying magic for 23 hours a day.’

The miraculous magic study method, Day 1, starting today.

Recalling that fact, I picked up the pen lying on the library table.

****

The Phantasmagoric Library, Celestia.

A year had now passed since I first entered this colossal magical library.

A year—.

It was a period that could be considered both long and short.

Throughout that year, I had continuously dedicated myself to magical research.

As a result, I succeeded in creating a ‘Mana Accumulation Spell Formula’ capable of storing vast quantities of mana within the library.

Even if my own mana reserves were to deplete, I could now draw upon external mana and utilize it.

‘The problem is that this spell formula is excessively long… Is there no room for improvement?’

My initial goal when developing this magic was to attach spell formulas to individual spells to minimize mana consumption.

However, upon completing the magic, I found it to be excessively cumbersome and inefficient.

The time required for the magic to stabilize after activation was far too long.

If I were to integrate this into other spells, it would create an unduly long delay before the spell formula could even activate.

‘But without this, the time spent on magic research would also become excessively long. In that case, hmm…’

Scratch, scratch.

Using the pen in my hand, I began to jot down my assessment of the magic I had just developed.

It certainly seemed to have plenty of room for improvement.

Yet, if it could be improved just enough to yield sufficient efficiency, then my magic research would gain considerable momentum thereafter.

After all, the very purpose of starting this research was to be able to use magic without mana limitations from the outset.

‘It feels like I’m almost there…’

The more I delved into magical research, the more I felt myself transforming into a formidable magician.

Overcoming the obstacle before me would surely be imminent.

With unwavering faith in myself, I diligently moved my pen.

‘Yes, I must work diligently while I still can.’

Magic was not a miracle bestowed upon just anyone.

Knowing this truth, I could dedicate myself intensely to the magical research before me.

****

Five years had passed.

At some point, I instinctively knew that my magical prowess had transcended its previous limits.

This was thanks to my continuous dedication to magical research throughout that time.

I had reached a personal pinnacle, a unique realm attainable by a solitary magician.

As a result, compared to when I first arrived here, I now possessed a vastly superior amount of mana.

…

The ‘Mana Accumulation Spell Formula’ I had developed also began to exhibit excellent performance after countless improvements.

Unless it was a grand spell of considerable scale, I had reached a level where I could freely cast magic all day without issue.

My own mana and the mana accumulated within the library.

Both were substantial amounts.

However, despite having reached such a profound level, I was far from satisfied.

This was because I felt myself steadily drifting further from my initial objective.

‘Something… I feel like I can’t go on like this anymore.’

As I continued my magical research, I gradually felt my own humanity eroding.

Without eating or drinking, I had devoted myself solely to magical research for over five years now.

A life spent clinging to magic for 23 out of 24 hours a day.

What value could possibly be found in such an existence?

I felt as though if I continued down this path, I would shatter irrevocably.

‘Time to snap out of it. I haven’t even managed to leave the library yet, so I can’t afford to lose my mind already.’

Tap, tap.

After repeatedly slapping my own cheeks, I took in the magnificent scenery of the Phantasmagoric Library, Celestia.

A different kind of research was needed.

Not magical research for the sake of magic, but magical research solely for the sake of my own humanity.

Useless magic.

Yet, magic for the sake of being human.

Time was needed for that.

‘…I need to eat proper food.’

This was the second goal I set for myself after entering the magical library.

It was the act of eating real food.