A Bug In Fate

"Two more plates of meat, please."

"Sir... this is already your thirty-sixth plate."

"Hehe, don’t worry. I can handle it."

"That’s... not the issue here, sir."

A rather bizarre conversation was taking place inside one of the city’s most luxurious restaurants.

And at the center of it, of course, was Alden.

It had been four days since the Gold Rank mission with Liam and Mina.

During that time, he had successfully broken through to the Intermediate Spark Realm.

After days of traveling and fighting, he had decided to take a short break.

And what better way to relax than eating the best food the city had to offer?

Of course, he hadn’t come here just because the restaurant was expensive.

The real reason was much simpler.

It belonged to the Ashcroft Family.

So Alden kept ordering one plate after another without the slightest hesitation.

With his ridiculous physique and appetite, he didn’t have to worry about something as trivial as digestion.

Inside the library, the old librarian, who was usually buried in a book, was instead polishing a crimson gemstone with a soft piece of cloth.

"Hello, old man."

"What are you doing?"

Alden asked as he walked over to the counter.

The old man glanced at him. At this point, Alden had become such a regular visitor that his sudden appearances no longer surprised him.

Without saying a word, the old man held up the gemstone.

"It’s a Crimson Ember Crystal."

He continued polishing it as he spoke.

"I’m cleaning it before sending it to the auction house."

"Auction house?"

Alden’s eyes immediately lit up.

I should visit one later.

The thought crossed his mind as he leaned closer to inspect the crystal.

The gemstone emitted a faint crimson glow, and a warm aura could be felt just by standing near it.

"So... what’s special about it?"

The old man didn’t even bother looking up.

"Why don’t you read a book instead of disturbing a busy old man?"

Alden rolled his eyes.

"Cut the bullshit."

He casually flicked a gold coin onto the counter.

Clink.

The old man’s hand moved faster than Alden’s eyes could follow as the coin disappeared into his pocket.

Only then did he begin explaining.

"Crimson Ember Crystals are formed in places with extremely dense fire mana, usually near active volcanoes or underground magma rivers."

"They’re mainly used by blacksmiths."

"Weapons forged with them conduct fire mana far more efficiently, making them highly sought after by cultivators with a fire affinity."

Alden nodded thoughtfully.

He wasn’t surprised anymore.

This had become their usual routine.

Ask a question.

Pay one gold coin.

Receive the answer.

In fact, some of the library’s regular visitors had started bribing the old man the same way.

Maybe this is how corruption begins...

Alden thought helplessly.

"So..."

"How much are you selling it for?"

The old man looked at the crystal in his hand before smiling.

"If it’s you..."

"I’ll only charge two thousand gold coins."

Alden almost laughed.

"Haha... unfortunately, I don’t have a fire affinity."

He replied with a pitiful expression.

The old man simply snorted.

He clearly wasn’t fooled by the act.

"Try harder next time."

Alden waved his hand and walked toward the rows of books.

After wandering around for a while, his eyes stopped on a history book about the evolution of food. According to the title, it even covered how disputes over food had once sparked conflicts between noble families.

"Interesting."

He picked it up and walked to a nearby chair.

After sitting down, he rested the book on his lap.

But instead of opening it, he simply stared at the cover in silence.

...I’m really poor, huh?

The thought suddenly crossed his mind.

Seeing that crystal had made him realize something.

He wasn’t exactly broke. In fact, he had enough money to buy it.

But if he actually did...

Most of his savings would disappear in a single purchase.

That wasn’t something he could afford.

At the moment, his money was only enough to let him eat whatever he wanted and cover his daily expenses.

A decent set of clothes.

A replacement for his old sword.

And most importantly...

His black tea.

That alone consumed a surprisingly large portion of his budget.

"...Being poor is tougher than cultivating."

Alden let out a helpless sigh before finally opening the book.

Soon, the library returned to silence, with only the occasional sound of pages turning echoing through the room.

Alden began reading the book, and every now and then a faint smile appeared on his face.

Apparently, two noble families had nearly destroyed each other... because of a birthday banquet.

It had all started when one of the heirs criticized the food served during the celebration.

It’s actually fun.

Alden smiled to himself and flipped to the next page.

Just as he was about to continue reading, two young men stopped beside his table.

One of them lightly tapped his shoulder.

Both wore light armor, their posture straight and disciplined. Judging by the aura they emitted, they were both at the Advanced Rupture Realm.

Alden looked up at them before closing the book, confusion appearing on his face.

"Hm? What is it?"

"We’ve been looking for that book."

One of the men pointed at the book in Alden’s hands.

"It seems you took it first."

"So?"

Alden asked calmly.

"Our young master needs it."

The man pointed toward another table.

There, a young man sat quietly reading, surrounded by four armored guards.

"So we’re asking you to hand the book over."

Alden glanced in that direction before looking back at the two.

"You can wait."

"I’ll give it to you after I finish reading."

He reopened the book as if the conversation had already ended.

The man’s expression darkened.

"Don’t make this difficult."

"We don’t have time."

His voice rose slightly.

Several people inside the library lifted their heads to see what was happening.

"Shh..."

Alden raised a finger to his lips.

"It’s a library."

He even gave the nearby readers an apologetic smile.

Some simply shook their heads and returned to their books.

Others decided to watch the unfolding scene.

"Just shut up."

The man finally lost his patience.

He reached for the book in Alden’s hands.

Before he could touch it, Alden calmly pulled the book closer to himself.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

He asked in the same relaxed tone.

But the atmosphere had already turned tense.

"You cocky brat!"

The man completely lost control.

Using his cultivation, he lunged forward.

His hand shot toward Alden’s head, intending to grab him by the hair and slam his face into the table.

But...

His eyes widened.

His hand stopped just inches away from its target.

Alden had caught his wrist.

Without changing his expression, he slowly tightened his grip.

Crack...

Crack...

The sound of bones creaking echoed through the silent library.

The man’s face instantly turned pale.

He opened his mouth to scream—

—but Alden’s free hand covered it before a single sound escaped.

"Mmmph...!"

"Didn’t I tell you?"

Alden smiled politely.

"This is a library."

The entire room fell silent.

The readers weren’t shocked just because Alden had effortlessly stopped an Advanced Rupture Realm cultivator.

They were shocked by how casually he had done it.

The second guard finally snapped out of his daze.

Rage filled his eyes.

Without thinking, he drew his sword and charged straight at Alden.

Once again, Alden had found himself in a ridiculous situation...

All because of a book.

The thought almost made him laugh.

Just a few minutes ago, he had been reading about how two noble families had destroyed themselves over a banquet after one heir criticized the food.

At the time, he had found the story amusing.

Now...

He was about to get into a fight because someone wanted the book he was holding.

"...History really does repeat itself."

Alden muttered under his breath.

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