Part-47

  A smug smile tugged at James' lips as he stared at the mission prompt. Find a book on martial arts? Easy. Ba the day, he'd devoured adveories and anything with a hint of a. Log a single book shouldn't be a problem.

  fidence bolstered, James pushed open the library doors, the st of aged paper and fotten knowledge a familiar fort. He sed the seemingly endless rows of books, his gaze flitting across titles. Martial arts wasn't a genre he'd actively sought before, but surely it wouldn't be buried deep within the library's byrinth. Minutes bled into what felt like hours as James wahe aisles, his initial fidence dwindling with each fruitless search. "Martial Arts finners," "The History of Swordsmanship," and a dusty tome on "Self-Defense for Housewives" – none of them matched the specific title demanded by the mission.

  Frustration g him. This wasn't supposed to be this difficult. The System rarely offered clear expnations, but a single, obscure title felt like a deliberate roadblobsp; Defeated, James slumped into a nearby chair, the weight of the mission notification pressing down on him. He g the library ter, where Rupali, his uppercssman and the ever-patient library keeper, was anizing a stack of books.

  Taking a deep breath, James approached her, his voice edged with a hint of desperation. "Excuse me, Rupali? Do you, by any ce, have a book titled 'Martial Arts' by Jihad Mia?"

  Rupali looked up, a smile lighting up her face. Her eyes, however, held a flicker of as they took in James' disheveled appearance. He looked different from the usual James, the one who used to spend his afternoons lost in a fantasy novel or a historical biography. This James seemed… tense, his brow furrowed and his posture rigid. "Martial Arts by Jihad Mia?" she repeated, a hint of amusement dang in her voice. "That's a very specific title, James. What brings you to this particur book?"

  James hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "It's, uh, for a project," he mumbled, hoping the expnation wouldn't sound too flimsy.

  Rupali's smile widened. "A project, huh? Well, then you're in lubsp; We do have that book." She disappeared behind the ter for a moment, her movements smooth and practiced. Within seds, she emerged again, a worher-bound book held in her hand.

  "Here you go," she said, pg the book gently on the ter. "It's ly light reading, but it's quite prehensive. I'm surprised someone ye is ied in this kind of book."

  James stared at the book, relief washing over him. He mumbled a thanks, unsure how to expin his sudden and very real o learn about martial arts. Rupali's curiosity was evident, but thankfully, she didn't press the issue.

  With a final smile, she gestured towards a quiet er of the library. "Go ahead and take a seat over there. Let me know if you need anything else," she said. "And if you're looking for something a little less… traditional, we have a whole se on self-defeeiques in the babsp; Not everyone lear from dusty old books."

  James nodded his gratitude.