Another world, Celeste

Chapter Twenty Eight

"We're here."

He stops walking and I look at where we are. The treetop walkway we're on ends in front of a very thick and very tall looking tree that my neck strain from just looking at how high it is. The tree itself boasts an aged, timeless impression. Although I say that but, it seems to be man-made, I mean it doesn't give off the natural presence of a living tree. Moreover, it's the only tree species in this village that's different from the rest.

My head tilts as I try to recall the name of a particular tree, "Bao-bao, no, that's doesn't sound right."

"What is it?"

I turn my head at Luda.

"Nothing, just that this man-made tree looks familiar."

Luda's brow slightly twitches at my mention of 'man-made' then says, "You can find this kind of tree in the desert region. Never mind that. Let's head inside."

"Inside where?"

I don't see any door or openings. Luda ignores my question and his palm touches the bark of the man-made tree at a particular spot. When I observe closely, there's an authentication template that works as a biometric scanner and instead of fingerprints, it scans our mana for authentication. An entrance the size of a double-sided door opens next to it. Archie flinches in surprise.

"Come along."

Luda is already walking ahead of us. I carry Archie in my arms and hurry after Luda. My steps halt after crossing the entrance.

"Whoa," I exclaim.

The inside of the man-made tree is hollow and it also looks like the elves carved the remaining wood into floors and stacks every floor with hundreds and thousands of books. This is like unknowingly stepping into a long lost library in a time to when it's still standing. Luda watches my amazement and chuckles.

"Welcome to our prided library. It exceeds your expectation, isn't it?"

My eyes wander around as I express my feelings at the moment, "This is cool, very cool."

"This whole tree is planted for the sole purpose of preserving the quality of papers and materials we elves have collected for centuries."

I could detect traces of temperature control spell all over the library as Luda explains.

At the very centre of the library is a pillar of a spiral stair. My neck strain from following the end of the stairs to the very top of this high-rise library. I can't see the end. Just the thought of having to walk up those steps is already making me feel exhausted. How long will it take just to get to the highest floor, I wonder? As though Luda read my mind, he heads to the pillar of spiral stairs.

I reluctantly follow him as he continues speaking quietly, "We're currently on the second floor. Anyone can access the library through any floor that's connected with the walkway and the floors are sorted by subjects. The first entrance on the ground floor is the reception and reading area. If you need any help finding a book, there are librarians assigned on each floor and starting from the fiftieth floor is where you need permission to browse through."