Last Wizard King's SSS-Level Magic system in Modern World
Chapter 73: The Forbidden Section - Part 2

Chapter 73: 73: The Forbidden Section - Part 2

’Don’t ring! Just give me a minute!’

Liam cursed in his mind as he reached his hand and delicately weaved his magic into the existing lock. He was making it so that the lock would recognize his magic signature.

His hands shook as he reached for the books inside the chest.

Liam has more than enough magic to keep going, but his mental strength had taken a nose-dive due to concentrating hard.

Due to this, he didn’t have the luxury of sorting through the tomes one by one to find what he needed currently. Instead, he activated the system’s copying function and let it do the work.

One by one, the books shimmered as their contents were scanned and stored within the system’s archive.

Liam felt the weight of exhaustion settle deeper into his bones, but he forced himself to remain focused. He needed to finish this quickly.

Come on, come on...it’s almost there!

He willed the process to move faster, but the system maintained a steady pace. Any interference on his part could corrupt the copies, making them useless. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to wait.

After what felt like an eternity, the system chimed in his mind:

[Copying complete. Total books copied: 27. Time elapsed: 2 minutes, 36 seconds.]

Liam exhaled sharply. Nearly thirty books...

That’s a lot more than I expected.

He didn’t know if all of them would be useful, but at least he had something to work with.

With his task complete, he carefully closed the chest, making sure it looked undisturbed. Then, he turned to leave.

As he moved toward the exit, a wave of dizziness washed over him. His earlier magic—the one suppressing his presence—was beginning to fade. He could feel the shift, like a thin veil being lifted, allowing the ambient magic around him to detect his existence once again.

I need to get out of here now.

His heart pounded in his chest as he hurried back the way he came.

Every step felt heavier than the last, his body protesting against the strain he had put it through. He could feel his spell unraveling with every passing second, but he was almost out.

"Ugh, this is why control and practice is important. I did not realize how quickly I reach the point of exhaustion when I consciously try to use magic."

Liam looked down at his trembling hand with a detached look on his face.

Due to his dulled emotions, he was able to be a little more objective toward his condition. That also meant that he had much more freedom over how worked his magic.

As Liam neared the boundary of the restricted section, he felt the last threads of his magic dissipate entirely. A breath of relief escaped him—his spell had lasted just long enough.

If it had failed even a few minutes earlier, the magical security in the area would have detected him.

Liam didn’t waste time celebrating. He still needed to get out of the library without drawing suspicion.

Gathering his remaining strength, he straightened his posture and adjusted his breathing, trying to appear as normal as possible.

Just a little more... Then I can rest and get to reading these books.

Liam slipped back into the common library within a few minutes and pretended as if nothing had happened. No one paid any special attention to him either.

By now, people had forgotten about Elder Elias and his presence with Liam, so it was easy for him to slip around and grab a few books to take back—though he quickly changed his mind.

Liam doubted his mental strength.

Silently, he walked back to the section where he had left Asger. It had been a few hours by this point, and he needed to grab the kid and head home.

He knocked on the door first to alert Asger of his return before pushing it open. Luckily, the half-dragon was already awake, looking toward the door in anticipation.

"Finally, you’re back! I was just about to get up and find you. Did you get what you were looking for?"

Asger asked in a bored voice. The room’s TV was on, indicating what the kid had been doing all this time while Liam was away.

"I got what I wanted and then hurried back because I was worried you’d feel lonely in this place. It’s nice to see that you can entertain yourself just fine."

Liam commented, and the kid immediately went on the defensive.

"H-Hey! This isn’t what it looks like! I’m not obsessed with this modern creation and its dramas! I just... figured out how to pass the time! Yeah! That’s it. I can entertain myself without it just fine!"

The kid assured Liam, but his voice gave him away.

Liam didn’t want to tease him further, so he just smiled in that knowing way a parent does when their child tries to convince them of something ridiculous.

"Of course, Asger. Now, shall we head back? It’s time for dinner, and I want to get the house in order as well. Should I cook something special tonight?"

Liam asked, deliberately changing the subject to distract Asger. As expected, the kid immediately perked up and began rambling about food.

The further they got from the library, the more Liam felt himself relaxing.

He had known he hadn’t been caught doing anything suspicious, but it wasn’t until he reached home and threw himself onto his bed that he felt truly at ease.

Only then did he have the time to process everything that had happened.

"System, activate the fast-reading function. I want you to transfer as much knowledge as possible while I sleep. I don’t have time to read all these books properly."

Liam sighed, turning toward the system before closing his eyes.

[Understood! Fast-reading protocol initiated. User will gain comprehensive knowledge of the books’ contents. However, practical application of magic will not be included.]

The system’s response was clear, and Liam breathed a sigh of relief as sleep overtook him.

"Yeah, that’s fine. I’d rather test these spells myself before using them in combat. I don’t think I can risk casting them without knowing how much magic they require anyway."

With that final thought, Liam allowed his body to relax and drifted into sleep.

______

Can I ask for some power stones?