The Systems Challenge-Chapter 442: Stanley Appears Again

The idea was that they'd spend a few days while Elmo and Elwin perused their various books. Which Elin eagerly awaited results from Elmo. With Elwin, she wasn't that concerned, although Kim did leaf through some of the books that Elwin had finished.

However, about halfway through the second day, when Elin was contemplating going back to the cafeteria to get some lunch, they had 'visitors.'

Stanley and his group were led to them by what Elin could only consider a book fairy or something. It looked like a strip of paper that was stiffer than the paper in the books and floating through the air. She wasn't sure how exactly to describe it, as it was too much outside her experience of dealing with things.

She hoped someone else would know more than she did about it.

"Well, this is a surprise," Stanley said, hardly sounding surprised at all, which Elin suspected was to be expected.

The floating piece of paper floated over to Blot and said, "This is the book you're looking for," a feminine voice said.

"Okay, we'll take it then," Stanley said, his face smug. "Assuming these others haven't selected it themselves, I mean."

Elin doubted he really meant the tone that his words came out with. It was just something that she really had serious doubts about, even as she glanced at his companions..

"Well, have you inspected what books they brought to trade?" Blot asked the floating piece of paper.

"Oh, I knew I was forgetting something!" the paper said, sounding like it was a pretty big blunder.

Blot then turned to Stanley. "What books did you bring to exchange for me?" he asked, sounding much more pleasant than Stanley had.

"We were told that we could choose a book to take with us and you're the one that we chose!" Frank snapped. "If you're going to spring this on us, then you're just cheating!"

"I'm sorry, but if we let everyone who comes here take whichever book they want without trading anything for them, we'd eventually run out of books," Blot replied sounding almost helpless, doing his 'book shrug' as he spoke. "It's a rule that was passed down since the library was created. Just because a bookmark forgot to explain that to you, then that doesn't mean we can waive that requirement."

Frank blinked, looking like the wind had been taken out of his sails before he really was able to get going on a tirade. A tirade that was clear he wanted to go on.

"You're saying that it has to be a book for a book?" Stanley asked, looking at each of Elin and the group she was in. "What about these people? How many books did they bring to trade?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to talk about other clients at the Library of the Ancients," Blot replied gently. "What they brought or intend to trade is their business. Right now they're perusing other books, so if you want to show me what books you have, I can see what can be traded for them."

Stanley blinked, looking like he was caught off guard. Not that Elin was surprised. Though, as she looked at the others around her, only Elmo hadn't started watching the events going on by them. Events that looked like they could potentially take away their guide in this library. Though, it was clear that Elmo was struggling to keep his concentration on the book in front of him.

Harold opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to say something, but Stanley quickly cut him off, looking a little alarmed in Elin's opinion. "What kind of library is this that it doesn't allow its guests to check books out? We plan on returning any book once we don't need it anymore."

Blot merely shook his head, almost looking apologetic about the matter. "That may be, but we have no way to confirm that you would return any book you took with you. Which is why we need you to offer other books in exchange for any book you'll want to take with you."

Stanley looked like he was getting ready to grind his teeth in frustration. Which told Elin that he hadn't brought any books to trade, but didn't want to admit it. Something that Elin couldn't help but find amusing.

While she was willing to let the scene play out in front of her, a thought came to her that made her speak up. Something she actually hadn't thought of before.

"What would happen if we took a book without trading for it?" she asked, partly to help Staley make up his mind about what he should do in his situation. "And I mean, deliberately. Not accidentally."

"Actually, it doesn't matter if its accidental or not," Blot replied. "First we'd let the person know that they can't leave with that book. If that person persists in leaving with the book, then we will resort to dealing with them like they were trying to damage the books."

Elin blinked. She hadn't expected them to resort to such extreme methods, Especially with someone who wasn't intending to take a book out.

"Look, how do we get you put on hold for us?" Harold blurted, drawing looks of outrage and disbelief from the rest of his group. "That way when we come back we can make a trade for you."

"Hmmm," Blot said to himself, thoughtfully. "A hold?" Blot sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but we can't do that. It's still first come, first served. If you didn't bring any books to trade, then you'll have to go get some and then return with them and hope the book, or books, you want will still be available."

Stanley looked at Elin and her group. Almost like he was already plotting something. Which Elin would be surprised if he wasn't. At least given her past experiences with him, he seemed like someone who didn't really like not getting his way, even if he was in the wrong.

"Fine," Stanley said. "We'll just wait outside the library for this group to finish. I'm sure they'll give us what we'll need to trade for you."

"Whatever you do outside the library isn't the business of the library," Blot replied gently, but with a firmness in his voice that made Elin wonder if he's had to deal with this kind of situation before.

Without giving anyone a chance to say anything, he turned around and started walking away. Elin couldn't say if Stanley was just upset because he couldn't get his way or if it was because he'd given away that he wanted Blot. All she could say was that she was glad that Stanley had likely entered the library from a different location than they had.

The strip of paper quickly followed them, as if it was afraid of losing them. Which Elin thought that it was possible.

Although, one thought came to Elin that felt strange: the fact that they hadn't met Stanley or anyone from his group when they were in the cafeteria. It was possible that they weren't made aware of it, but with how hospitable Blot had been, and how hospitable that strip of paper had seemed, Elin would be more surprised if they hadn't mentioned the cafeteria to them.

Not that Elin thought that they'd have been respectful in there. Or at least that they'd have been just as respectful there as they had been a moment ago.

"What was that about?" Bart asked, looking a little bewildered.

"Probably because of the same thing that we only figured out a little bit ago," Elwin replied, opening his books up again. "That Blot is the book we need to complete the last set challenge."

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on novelbuddy.cσ๓.

"Well, should we be worried when we leave the library?"

"Nah, I think we'll be just fine since it's likely a different location from the one that Stanley used," Jonas answered. "After all, they have the teleportation cat or something. A Blynx, I believe it was called."

"So, there's no problem then?" Heather asked, looking like she was still processing everything that had just happened.

"Not unless they actually came through the entrance we had," Patricia added. "I mean, it's possible that he had, since we did enter through there a few days before he had."

"Well, even if he did pick a different entrance than the one we used, he should at least know where we're heading, regardless of anything else," Kim remarked. "So, its more of a question of when he'll get tired of waiting there and move to the dungeon."

"Come on!" Elmo complained. "Just one more day. I still haven't gotten to the part in this book that I've been searching for."

"We did agree to give them time to peruse the books we won't be taking, so we really should stay for at least another day," Jonas commented. "I'm sure it'll take at least a few days before Stanley gets tired and comes back in. Then when he does go back to the starting dungeon, we can still first approach it cautiously and see if he and his group are there. If so we can either try to sneak in or offer to share it with them."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that Stanley isn't going to like sharing with us," Owen said seriously.

"Well if he doesn't want to share, we can at least make a break for it and see how far we need to be in the dungeon to complete the challenge," Jonas replied.

"Where should we meet up if we get separated?" Kim asked, sounding more resigned than Elin had expected.

"How about the same room that all of us had first gotten together?" Bart suggested. "You know, where we all told each other what was going on before we got pulled into this competition."

Elin didn't have any complaints and it looked like no one else did. Which she felt a little relieved about.

"Well then. Looks like we got our game plan ready," Jonas said clapping his hands, the sound echoing through the library.