Dimensional Librarian

199,999,999 / 200,000,000

Levi Warwick stared at the number on the glowing interface, unmoving.

The counter had been there since the beginning. Always hovering. Always reminding him how far he still had to go.

Now it was nearly done.

Only one book remained.

He sat quietly at his usual reading desk the one near the floating chandelier made of soft light and stained glass pages. The same spot he had sat in, on and off, for the past two thousand years.

Before him lay the final volume.

A thick, mass-market paperback.

The cover was loud. Oversaturated. The title sparkled in big silver font, completely at odds with the elegant library around him:

YOLO LEVELING A novel about a Korean hunter who levels up endlessly.

Levi stared at the title.

"…This is it?" he whispered.

He leaned back in his chair, tired in a way that went beyond the body. Not that his body had changed. Two thousand years, and he hadn't aged a second. Not a line. Not a grey hair. Not even a wrinkle.

He looked exactly the same as the day he clicked "send" on his last manuscript.

And yet, inside, he felt ancient.

The Library saw to all his needs food, clothing, light, warmth. The golems would bring him whatever meal he requested.

He had once asked for a Michelin-star seafood platter from 2067 Tokyo just to test them. They delivered it in under a minute, perfectly plated.

He lacked for nothing… except change.

Time didn't move here the way it did outside. Not really. It dragged, slow and silent. A weight on the mind. A fog around the soul.

The only thing that had kept him sane through it all… was her.

"Meow."

A soft nudge against his shin brought him back. Levi looked down.

Luna.

The black cat had stayed with him from the beginning. No matter where he went in the Library, she followed.

Curled beside him when he slept. Rested on the edge of his desk while he read. Sat on his chest when he stared blankly into space, reminding him he still had a heart.

She rubbed her head gently against his leg.

He smiled for the first time that day.

"There you are," he said softly. He leaned down and scooped her up in his arms. She let him. She always did.

Levi cradled her against his chest, gently rubbing the back of her neck.

"You've been with me this whole time," he whispered. "Even when I wanted to break. Even when I forgot what my own voice sounded like."

Luna purred and tucked her head beneath his chin.

"Two thousand years," he murmured. "I've read two hundred million books. I should be insane. But I'm still here. Still… me."

He kissed the top of her head and sighed.

"I think… I think I'm finally gonna be free from this curse, Luna. I'm so happy."

She looked up at him and gave a soft, warm meow.

He smiled again. This time, wider.

And then he looked back at the book on the desk.

His smile faded a little.

"…You know," he muttered, "for all that dramatic talk about 'forbidden knowledge,' this Library sure fooled me."

He picked up YOLO LEVELING, flipping through the first few pages.

Page one: A 17-year-old hunter gets bullied and discovers he has a hidden ability.

Page two: Dungeon tutorial. Cringy mentor.

Page three: First goblin kill.

"This isn't cursed knowledge," Levi said. "This is… this is just a novel. A normal novel."

He glanced over his shoulder.

"All of them were."

That was the real joke.

For all its warnings, all the ominous tones, all the mystery… every book he'd read had been a story. A fantasy. A drama. A tragedy. Sci-fi, romance, post-apocalyptic horror. Some were good. Some were bad. Some were unfinishable.

But not a single one had been a grimoire. Not one had held the secrets of the universe.

They were just novels.

Stories, from worlds he would never see.

He laughed under his breath.

"Well, whatever," he said. "Doesn't matter anymore. I'm done either way."

He glanced down at Luna, still curled in his arms.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"Meow," she replied gently.

He nodded.

And turned to the another page.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Levi closed the book slowly.

He didn't slam it. He didn't throw it across the room. He just shut it like a man burying the last brick of a pyramid he'd been building for two thousand years.

Then he stared at it.

"Two. Hundred. Million," he said aloud, voice dangerously calm. "And that… was the last one."

He looked down at the cover of the final novel: YOLO Leveling.

He patted it gently. "You did your job, buddy."

He sank into the overstuffed beanbag behind him his throne, his prison, and his best therapist and took a long breath.

No alarms.

No explosions.

Just quiet.

Until:

DING.

A blinding blue System window snapped to life in front of his face with all the subtlety of a slap.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have completed the First Quest.

Levi didn't flinch.

He simply squinted at the floating window like it owed him rent.

Did you miss me?

"No," Levi said flatly. "In fact, I forgot you existed. Life was better that way."

Ouch. You wound me.

"Not yet I haven't."

Still spicy after two thousand years. I like it.

Levi sighed. "Let me guess. You've been watching the whole time?"

Of course. I saw everything.

Your breakdown in year 347, the time you read a romance trilogy out of spite in year 802, and that questionable fanfiction phase between years 1,520 and 1,538.

"I told you never to speak of Year 1,520 again."

Luna hopped onto his lap, as if summoned by drama. She curled up and purred like a warm loaf of peace.

Levi stroked her absentmindedly. "At least one of you was supportive."

Well, the important thing is: you did it. You read every book in the Library of Noctis.

"Took me two millennia. And It NOT 14Million Book IT Fucking 200 million"

Yes. We had you down for 300 years, max. Honestly, I thought you died.

"You left me. For two thousand years."

You needed uninterrupted reading time. I didn't want to be a distraction.

"You abandoned me in a library built by cosmic gods and now you're acting like you're my life coach."

Semantics.

Levi rubbed his eyes. "Okay. What's my reward? Do I get to go home? Do I get a new body? Do I at least get a cool sword?"

You get a job.

He blinked. "Come again?"

You are now an Active Librarian. Your duties begin immediately.

"…So my reward for surviving two thousand years of psychological endurance training is more responsibility?"

Correct! You'll get to meet Patrons from across the dimensions!

"Oh, goody. Multiversal customer service."

Also: a Bonus Reward has been triggered.

Levi narrowed his eyes. "If this is another quiz, I'm setting the carpet on fire."

Nope! Due to your prolonged suffering and sarcasm resilience, the First patron will arrive shortly.

He froze. "So… double the work."

Double the purpose!

"Double the therapy bill."

Let's go over your responsibilities:

– Welcome the Patron to the Library.

– Ask them what they seek.

– Recommend the perfect novel.

– Request payment.

"Wait, payment?"

Correct. Any currency, item, or trade will be converted into Dimensional Crystals.

"…And what do those do?"

You may exchange them for EXP or useful items.

Levi paused. "So I could've been getting paid this whole time?"

Only after completing the First Quest.

He looked at Luna. She blinked up at him.

"You hear this?" he muttered. "I was sitting here reading for two thousand years like a volunteer librarian at the end of time, and now they tell me I could've been earning loot."

Luna responded by gently licking his wrist. Emotional support confirmed.

Connecting Library to World #001 – Valen. Genre: Classic Fantasy.

Levi stood slowly, straightening his coat.

He cracked his neck. Rolled his shoulders. Wiped a bit of cat hair off his lap.

"Alright," he said. "Let's meet our first interdimensional guest."

The marble floor trembled slightly.

Dust fell from ancient chandeliers.

Somewhere, a book spine snapped itself closed in excitement.

Then, the doors — massive and silent for millennia — groaned open like they hadn't been used since the dawn of narrative.

Golden light flooded the entryway.

And then…

A silhouette stepped through.

Blue robe. Silver staff. Glowing rings on both hands. Long beard. Glorious posture. He might as well have walked in with a soundtrack.

Levi squinted.

"…A wizard."

He looked down at Luna.

"Why is it always a wizard?"

Luna offered no opinion. Just purred louder.

First Patron successfully received.

Levi sighed and muttered, "Let the cosmic book club begin."

System Warning

Never let the patron see your fear. Never let them suspect you are weak.The Librarian must appear wise. The Librarian must appear strong.

REWARD: None.

FAILURE: Death.

Levi blinked at the glowing message hovering in front of his face, pulsing a deep crimson like a bleeding wound.

"...What the fuck is wrong with you?" he muttered under his breath, voice cracking just slightly.

Luna, perched smugly on the desk beside him, yawned.

The message didn't disappear.

In fact, the final word Death began to flicker. Brighter. Closer. As if it was thinking about how best to introduce itself.

Levi gulped. Straightened his back. Smoothed his robe.

"Right. Smart and powerful. I can do that. Totally."