We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 298 The Librarian—A Half-Elf, Jane!

"The Federal Grand Library?"

Upon hearing the name, Xia En immediately became interested: "There's a place like this on [Liuli Island]?"

Daisy nodded, her voice brimming with pride: "Of course, this is [Liuli Island]!"

"The Federal Grand Library is said to have been founded by the Federal Chief, Wayne Moriarty."

"It contains a wealth of historical documents from before and after the Great Flood, including some of the earliest ancient books that date back thousands of years before the flood!"

"It can be said that the Federal Library is the largest, most well-preserved, and best-stocked library in the Federation."

"The answer you're looking for can only be found in the Great Library."

Shane muttered to himself, "Wayne Moriarty..."

He certainly hadn't forgotten that name.

Back then, on Giant Island in the Misty Sea, was the location of an Ember Treasure.

Xia En had seen the message left by the Federation Chief, as well as the [Judgment] sword intent left on the rock wall.

In fact, both of these provided significant assistance to Shane at the time.

In particular, the sword intent on the rock wall allowed Xia En to comprehend the skill [Sword of Judgment], which became his trump card for a period of time afterward.

Even after reading Wayne Moriarty's message, Vivian, the Ghostess, still carried the crystal coffin to Shane's ship.

But that falls under the category of force majeure.

Shane himself still felt some gratitude towards Wayne.

So, he couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Is the Federal Chief still alive?"

"That's a question that stumped me."

Daisy said frankly, "I'm just a lowly soldier in the Federation Navy. How would I know whether those legendary big shots are alive or dead?"

"However, there has indeed been no news of the Federation Chief appearing in the Seven Seas in recent years."

"Perhaps he deliberately chose to live an anonymous life, hoping to find peace and quiet?"

Shane agreed with this.

Afterwards, Shane told the other crew members to rest at the Carles estate, while he followed Daisy toward the Federal Library.

On the way, Daisy didn't forget to remind her.

"By the way, if you have any ancient documents unearthed from underwater ruins or other places, you can exchange them for Federation merits at the Great Library."

"Merit?"

Hearing this unfamiliar name, Xia En asked curiously, "What is that?"

Daisy explained, "You can think of it as a special currency of the Federation that can be exchanged for some good things that money can't buy. These things can only be obtained through a few special channels."

"On [Liuli Island] or other core islands of the Federation, merit points are much more useful than gold dragon coins."

"Of course, merit points can also be used to exchange for gold dragon coins, but it is very difficult to buy merit points with gold dragon coins."

Upon hearing her explanation, Xia En immediately understood.

This is something like "contribution points" or "points".

This will reduce the expenditure of Gold Dragon Coins and encourage the Federal Navy and civilians to serve the Federation.

"It is said that the higher-ups also plan to reward meritorious service for this rescue operation to the Cold Sea."

Daisy said, "Regardless of your background, whether you're a pirate or a navy officer, anyone who contributes to this operation will be rewarded with substantial merit."

Hearing these words, Xia En couldn't help but admire the Federal government's boldness.

The scale and scope of this operation were unprecedented since the establishment of the Federation.

The amount of merit required would be enormous, likely requiring a huge financial outlay even for the Federation.

But then I thought about it again, and it made sense.

If they truly fail to prevent the second cataclysmic flood, all their achievements and treasures will be meaningless.

Instead, we should use this as a reward to encourage people to give it their all.

Shaen was also interested in the Federation's treasury, so he asked, "Besides ancient books, what else can be exchanged for Federation merits?"

"Let me think about it..."

Daisy pondered, resting her chin on her hand: "It seems that seeds or embryos of ancient organisms, or some never-before-recorded new species, can be exchanged for federal merits."

"Ancient organism seeds or embryos?"

Xia En paused for a moment, then immediately thought of the Ember Treasure buried in the Coral City.

Although the treasure had been destroyed by ignorant outsiders, it still contained many seeds from before the Great Flood.

If these seeds were handed over to the Federation, they would not only earn a great deal of merit, but also allow them to play their true role, blossoming and bearing fruit again in this new era, thus ensuring the continuation of the species.

Regrettably.

Xia En did not leave the [Submarine Anchor Point] in [Coral City], as it would be too much of a waste of time to go there in person, given the distance between that ruin and [Glass Island].

He had no choice but to put the matter aside for the time being.

As for Daisy's mention of "a new species never before recorded," it reminded Shane of—

【The Rhine's Hidden Realm!】

Based on Xia En's exploration of the [Rhine Secret Realm], it can be basically confirmed that before their arrival, this [Secret Realm] had no connection with the Seven Seas World.

The only "gateway" and "bridge" between the two sides is the [Empty Beast Heart Seal] in Xia En's heart.

In other words.

The creatures in the Rhine Realm are all completely new species to the Seven Seas World.

I imagine that this should bring him a lot of merit.

The only downside is that this could very likely expose the fact that Shane alone controls a [secret realm].

However, Shane still trusted the Seven Seas Federation's credibility.

Take this call for action as an example.

Many pirate ships were initially hesitant to approach the Federation's islands, fearing it might be a trap to wipe them out.

But soon, the Federation issued a notice stating that any pirate ship participating in the rescue operation would receive a "pardon" from the Federation, removing the previous bounty.

The fact that the Black Swan was able to enter the port of Glass Island is also related to this "amnesty order".

The announcement naturally sparked considerable debate and confusion in its early stages.

But the federal government has remained steadfast in its commitment to implementing this policy, and it continues to this day.

It could even be said that the Federation's reputation was so good that even the most vicious pirates could not deny it.

Therefore, Shane believes that exchanging new species from the [Rhine Secret Realm] for Federation merits is a feasible approach.

"Here we are."

Just then, Daisy's words interrupted Shane's chaotic thoughts.

He silently suppressed his distracting thoughts and focused on the matter of "exchanging merits," then looked up at what was in front of him.

As Xia En slowly came into view, a tall and magnificent building came into view.

The walls of the building are dark gray, like the color of steel.

Its architectural style also reveals its cold and hard character, like a soldier standing in the cold wind.

Its towering columns, arches, and undulating roof structure always give it an imposing and majestic appearance.

In fact, this is a very typical early federal style.

In the early days of the Federation, resources were quite limited, and buildings often prioritized practicality over aesthetics.

In other words, it has a very military style.

However, after staring at the building for a moment, Shane couldn't help but frown slightly.

Because, in his eyes, the library soon underwent an indescribable transformation. Numerous blurry black shadows spread out from the edge of the library, each shadow containing countless eyes that peered at him with different gazes.

Moreover, the building seemed to melt away, its entire shape changing as it expanded and contracted, writhing and undulating.

It resembled some kind of living thing, or perhaps a constantly burning candle...

Interspersed within this are a large amount of distorted noise and fragments of light and shadow with no clear meaning, making the whole scene look even more absurd and bizarre.

Faced with this scene, Xia En showed no fear whatsoever, and instead took a step forward.

After taking that step, the scene before me changed abruptly.

next second.

The shadowy figures that had spread throughout the library suddenly began to tremble violently.

All the eyes in the shadows seemed to have seen something they shouldn't have seen, and suddenly burst open.

The melting building emitted a piercing and painful scream.

Immediately afterwards, all the strange phenomena disappeared.

The library in front of Xia En was still that cold, imposing building, as if everything that had just happened was just his own illusion.

"How can this be?"

But then, Alessio's shocked murmur came from beside Shane.

Shaun turned his head and saw that Daisy was also looking at him with a look of disbelief.

He asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

"Speaking of which, I think I saw something strange just now. Could it be that it was you..."

Xia En's eyes sharpened and took on a scrutinizing quality.

Daisy quickly explained, "Mr. Shane, it's not what you think."

"Actually, this should be considered a routine when visiting the Federal Library."

"Books and writing also possess special mystical power, especially those books that record ancient secrets, which can be considered a kind of [forbidden relic] in themselves."

"Therefore, a special sealing ritual is set up in the [Federal Grand Library] to prevent this strange secret power from leaking out."

"Although the Great Library sealed this power, some traces of it will always leak out."

Daisy paused for a moment, then continued.

"People with high levels of inspiration often see indescribable images when they first see a large library."

"Conversely, there will be no effect at all."

After hearing this, Xia En immediately understood: "I see."

His tone was quite meaningful.

From a subjective point of view, Daisy and her brother did not intend to harm themselves.

However, the two of them led Xia En to the entrance of the Grand Library without giving him any warnings, clearly harboring a mischievous intention to see him make a fool of himself.

However, it seems that his own reaction startled them instead.
Shane glanced at Alessio behind him, said nothing, and continued walking into the Great Library.

After they had been separated by some distance, Daisy asked Alessio in a low voice.

"Hey bro, what did you just see?"

Alessio still seemed somewhat dazed, muttering, "I saw... those shadows, they were scared away..."

“I saw a similar scene.”

Daisy looked somewhat surprised and asked, "Just who is this Captain Shane?"

Simply having a higher rank doesn't mean you can do what you just did.

It is obvious that Shane possesses a quality that even the hidden forces within the library fear.

Daisy changed the subject and said...

"However, even so, he'll probably still suffer a setback in front of the administrator, right?"

Alessio nodded in deep agreement.

"After all, it's that female administrator..."

……

……

Xia En, who had already entered the library, was completely unaware of the conversation between the two people behind him.

As soon as he entered the gate, his eyes were drawn to the seemingly endless books in front of him.

Rows and rows of bookshelves are filled with countless books, stretching as far as the eye can see.

The entire interior of the library is like a forest made of books and bookshelves.

It was cold and silent, yet possessed a strange beauty.

For book lovers, this place must be paradise.

Tread...  

Just as Xia En was stunned by the scene before him, he heard a series of unhurried footsteps behind him.

Xia En turned his head to look.

An elderly woman with a aged face, wearing a long black dress, walked from behind.

She was slender, with a calm expression, and the beauty of her youth could still be faintly seen in her eyes.

The old woman stood there in the forest of books, yet she seemed perfectly at ease, as if she were a part of those books.

At first glance, she looks a bit like an old witch from a fairy tale.

They're the kind that eat children!
However, upon closer observation, one can discover that the old woman actually gives off a rather unremarkable feeling.

It's as if they've already experienced the world's splendor and witnessed both highs and lows, so they don't care much about external things.

She was standing there, yet it was as if an immeasurable distance stretched between them.

After glancing at Shane, the old woman's expression remained unchanged. She simply moved her feet and continued to do her unfinished work.

But that's it.

However, Xia En noticed something unusual about the old woman and couldn't help but ask.

"Are you... an elf?"

The reason Shane asked this question was because he noticed that the old woman's ears were slightly pointed and there were some dark green marks in her pupils.

Most importantly, the old woman possessed an indescribable natural aura.

"……Um?"

The old woman raised an eyebrow, as if she had noticed something in Xia En, and asked.

"Have you ever seen a real elf?"

The old woman's voice was deep and magnetic, as if it had been refined by time.

After hesitating for a moment, Xia En nodded: "That's right."

At that moment, an unprecedented brilliance suddenly shone in the old woman's cloudy eyes.

She murmured quickly, "No, you not only saw elves, you also spent every day with them..."

"So that's how it is... So you are..."

The old woman's indifferent attitude suddenly changed. She walked up to Xia En and said seriously.

"Nice to meet you, I am Jane Vivian."

"I am not a pure-blooded elf, but a hybrid born from an elf and a human."

(End of this chapter)