[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-advent-of-the-three-calamities":3,"chapter-advent-of-the-three-calamities-advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-20":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Advent of the Three Calamities",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},758655,1005,"Chapter 20: Language [2]","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>\"I'm bleeding...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evelyn was taken aback. Of all the things she expected him to say, that was the last thing she could've imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her hand to touch her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling something wet trace over her finger, she looked down to see it stained in red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How did this...?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evelyn had a hard time coming to terms with the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just how hard had she been biting her lips?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raising her head, her expression changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no longer in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, she caught a glimpse of his disappearing back. Even now, his back stood straight and composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As fast as he appeared, he had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at the scene, Evelyn let out a bitter laugh. Even now, she has a hard time understanding how to feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps, this was for the best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wiping her lips, she noticed Josephine looking at her with a dumbfounded expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...So you really did know him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clasping her hands, Josephine brought her head closer to hers. A strange smile marred her face as she leaned closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's pretty wealthy, isn't he?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wealthy...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evelyn thought about it. Well, yeah. He did belong to an up-and-coming noble house. The Evenus household wasn't one to be trifled with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's also handsome, right? Pretty intelligent, too...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evelyn's eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where are you going with this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....You think you can introduce me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Introduce?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I think I'm in love~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What sort of fu—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Institute boasted a massive library that spanned over several hundred square meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With tens of thousands of books, it was the perfect place for me to familiarise myself with the world and its laws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"English... English...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My current focus was the 'Languages' section, or more specifically, the 'English' section.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been so drowsy that I hadn't noticed it then, but that was definitely English. I was all too familiar with the language. There's no way I wouldn't recognize it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this part of the game setting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....That would make sense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the same time, it didn't. If you were to create an entirely different language and social hierarchy, what was the point of adding English?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some sort of easter egg?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That too seemed plausible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This should be the place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>: [Language and literature]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bold sign was all it took for me to know where to go. Looking around, I scanned through the books before settling my gaze on a specific one. It was rather thick, and the cover felt extremely familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As expected...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking the book, my hand glossed over the cover, and I took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[English Vocabulary]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A book I would've never expected to see in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flip—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the contents were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a mixture of different emotions staring at the book in front of me. In a sense, it reminded me a lot of home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn't a day that passed when I didn't think about home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was all I ever thought about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...And while it was true that I had somewhat adapted to this world, I had no choice but to adapt to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would've been dead otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There's a thesaurus as well...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scrolling through the books on the shelves, a lot of familiar ones, such as the dictionary and thesaurus, appeared. There also appeared to be a lot of novels. From romance to fantasy...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grabbing a certain book, I opened to a random page to see what it was about, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His warm body slowly embraced her...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed it just as fast as I opened it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just what were the game developers thinking...?'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was smut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this type of book even appropriate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something feels off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't quite put my finger on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it all boiled down to a certain point. Or location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....Mirror Dimension.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the place where these books were found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What I wanted to know was... What else did they find, and where exactly did they find it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grip—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unknowingly, my grip on the book intensified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I wasn't certain, I felt a little closer to an answer. At the very least, I now had a direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Do I have no choice but to go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mirror Dimension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an extremely dangerous place. One where a single mistake could cost one's life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as I thought about how these books came from such a place, I had no choice but to go there to get an idea of what was happening to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it was dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before that...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked around me and took note of the numerous books that surrounded me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I should check out the other books.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps I'd be able to find the answers to some of my questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With how many books were present, I was bound to find something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whooo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Putting the dictionary back, I headed deeper into the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time for me to read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The library was teeming with books on all sorts of topics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I knew it, the sky outside was dark. I had been so immersed in reading that I hadn't noticed that a lot of time had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's already past dinner time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time said 10 p.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, the canteen was already closed, and there was no way for me to get food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn't let that bother me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, I learned a lot of things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the history of the continent to how the Mirror Dimension worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From my understanding, it was a fairly complicated place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While reading, what I grasped was merely rudimentary knowledge. The place was extremely mysterious, and despite the time invested, my questions remained unanswered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn't disheartened, however.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were plenty of books for me to read. I was bound to find an answer sooner or later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huaam...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A yawn inexplicably escaped from my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My tiredness was starting to catch up to me. I had no choice but to call it quits for the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's see...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sorted out the books in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A student could only be allowed to borrow a maximum of three books per semester. In front of me were sixteen different books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them interested me, and if not for the rule, I would've brought them all back with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, rules were rules, and in the end, I settled for the ones that I had already read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>: [History of the Aurora Continent]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>: [The basics of Curse Magic]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>: [Rune language and its distinctions]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the books I deemed to be the most useful for me in the long term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up and packed my stuff, placing the books I didn't choose back to where they belonged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the books fell as I positioned them on the shelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached out to grab it when...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hand paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a certain scent in the air that triggered my nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This smell...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It brought certain memories that I had buried deep within my mind. Unknowingly, my feet moved toward where the smell came from until I eventually neared a secluded area of the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, a person stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long, platinum hair cascaded down her back as she leaned on the table. Wedged in her fingers was a cigarette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unwanted memories started to resurface in my mind all of a sudden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So much so that I felt my breath grow heavy at the thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a strange tightness in my chest. It closely reminded me of the pain that had taken over my life during the later stages of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps that was why...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without realizing it, I blurted out loud,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It smells like shit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, she furrowed her brows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Puff*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took a long drag of the cigarette before blowing the smoke in my direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tough luck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the smoke drifted past me, unwanted memories clouded my mind once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the point where I unconsciously moved forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flicking the cigarette away, she clicked her tongue and stood more alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What the hell are you doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tik—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cigarette fell right in front of me, and my feet paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if bewitched, I focused my attention on the lingering orange glow at the tip as smoke drifted through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hand unknowingly trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stomp...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my foot and stomped on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight on my chest lightened, and I felt like I could breathe again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an impulsive action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One that I normally wouldn't have taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was that so hard to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The side effects of the spell were still lingering in my mind, and the cigarette served to trigger painful memories I tried to hold deep within my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something that I had trouble controlling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, shit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruffling her hair, her face crumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn't take you for such a fucker. Just like that bitch, you are the fucking same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That bitch?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never had the chance to figure out who she was referring to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I focused my attention back on her, she was already gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was perhaps for the best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn't in the right state of mind at the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?| Lvl 2. [Sadness] EXP +0.01%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?| Lvl 1. [Anger] EXP + 0.03%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Notifications continued to appear in my vision. However, despite their appearance, I couldn't bring myself to focus on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing in my mind was the thing beneath my foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cigarette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was beneath my foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I just moved it...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....Gulp.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tip of my finger twitched, and I licked my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange anxiety overtook my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One that I was only able to calm down after taking a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoooo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did I feel a little better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head and kept my foot firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doing everything possible from letting myself see it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haaa... Really.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took another deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in this life...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You still haunt me.\u003C\u002Fp>",1692,"2026-06-02T12:40:55.797Z",1,"novelbin.me","72b1278b360a33453a124cd4373c9726b57f27510cfef49372387558b0ba75e4","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-21","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-19",876,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fadvent-of-the-three-calamities-cover.jpg"]