SSS-Ranked Trash Hero: I Was Scammed Into Being Summoned-Chapter 101: Imperial Library — 1

The next few days were a complete blur for Lena as the preparations for the big clash against the human kingdom really started to heat up.

Everyone was on edge, and the pressure was growing every day. Caelum was given full control over their small army, and he worked from morning until night getting the soldiers ready for battle.

While Caelum focused on training the troops, Lena was constantly on the move.

She spent her days traveling quickly from one spot to another, acting like a messenger and delivering important news wherever it was needed.

She never stayed in one place for more than a few hours before she had to head out again.

It was exhausting work. In fact, this was much more tiring than anything she had ever done in her life. The physical travel and the constant stress of the coming war were starting to wear her out completely.

Just as Lena was reaching her breaking point, Caelum gave her a surprise order: he told her to go to the Imperial Library. At first, she was confused. She couldn’t understand why he would send her to look at books when there was so much work to do for the war.

However, when she looked into his eyes, she immediately understood. He knew her secret, she had reached the very top of the "Ascendent" rank and was ready to "break through" to a higher level of power.

He wasn’t just sending her to read; he was sending her to find the special tools and ancient knowledge she needed to unlock her next stage of strength.

In the past, a regular person like Lena would never be allowed inside such a royal place. But because Caelum now held a very important position under the Emperor’s direct orders, his requests were never turned down. He was using his new power to open doors for her that were once locked tight.

Even though she didn’t fully understand his reasons, Lena decided not to overthink it. She had more important things to worry about than Caelum’s hidden motives.

With a massive war on the horizon, she could feel how much she still lacked. She was desperate to gain more power, and she knew she couldn’t afford to be picky or slow.

To her, this wasn’t just a trip to a library; it was a lifeline. She was willing to accept any help, any tool, or any secret that would help her move past her current limits.

There was no room for doubt or second-guessing in her mind. If this was the path to becoming stronger, she would take it without a single hesitation.

She shoved her confusion deep down and focused entirely on the opportunity in front of her. Every bit of strength counted, and she was going to take it all.

Lena left the military camp behind, her mind still spinning. The walk to the Imperial Library took her through the heart of the capital, where the mood was just as tense as it was at the barracks.

For some unknown reason, the Imperial Library existed outside the imperial estate, a fact that made absolutely no sense to her.

The streets churned with motion, people hurrying past, soldiers marching in steady rhythm, and the sharp scent of smoke from blacksmiths’ fires clinging to the air. Yet with each step she took toward the library, the chaos began to thin until she was the only one remaining as far as she could see.

The Imperial Library was a massive fortress of stone. It sat on a hill, looking down on the rest of the city. Its walls were thick and white, decorated with gold carvings that glowed in the sunlight. To anyone else, this place was a forbidden treasure chest. Only the highest nobles and the Emperor’s inner circle were ever allowed inside.

As Lena walked up the giant marble stairs, two guards in heavy silver armor blocked her path. They looked at her simple clothes with suspicion, their hands tightening on their spears. But then, Lena pulled out the badge Caelum had given her. The moment they saw the Emperor’s seal and Caelum’s mark, their faces went pale. Without saying a single word, they stepped back and pulled open the heavy oak doors.

When Lena stepped inside, she paused.

The library was enormous. The ceiling rose so high it faded into shadow, and rows upon rows of shelves stretched in every direction, packed with more books than she could ever count.

Some shelves were so tall they needed ladders fixed to them, while others held stacks piled in no clear order, as if no one had touched them in years.

The air carried the smell of old parchment and melted wax, mixed with a faint, sweet trace of mana left behind by scholars long gone.

It wasn’t strong, but it lingered just enough to make the place feel... different. Like the knowledge here wasn’t just written, it had settled into the walls themselves.

She started to wander through the rows, her boots clicking softly on the stone floor. The sound felt too loud in the quiet, so she slowed her steps without thinking. Her gaze moved from shelf to shelf, taking in titles she didn’t recognize, symbols she couldn’t read, and markings that hinted at knowledge far beyond her.

She knew she was looking for something to help her break through her current rank, but she didn’t know what that something was supposed to be. A technique, maybe. A forgotten method. Or just a piece of understanding she was still missing.

Now and then, she would pause, pull a book halfway out, then slide it back in again. Nothing called out to her. And yet, she kept walking, trusting that when she found it, she would know.

First, she found herself in the Cultivation Section. These rows were filled with books about how to grow your internal energy. She pulled a few off the shelves, books with titles like The Path of the Silent Stream and Core Stabilization for Beginners.

She flipped through the pages, but she quickly put them back. They were too simple. They were meant for students just starting out, not for someone like her who had already reached the peak of the Ascendent rank. She needed something much more powerful, something that would force her energy to evolve.

She moved deeper into the library, where the light was dimmer. She found the Mana Mastery books. These were much more interesting. Some books described how to weave mana into physical shapes, like shields or spears.

One book, titled Echoes of the Storm, explained how to turn your mana into lightning. Lena felt a small spark of excitement.

This was the kind of knowledge that could win a war. But as she held the book, she realized it still wasn’t right. Learning a new move was like buying a better sword, but she didn’t need a better sword, she needed to become a stronger person.

If she didn’t break through her rank, her body wouldn’t be able to handle the high-level mana these books described.

She kept walking, her heart beating faster as she entered a restricted area.

Here, the books were locked behind iron grates. These were the Demonic Art books. The covers were made of dark, rough leather, and some of them felt warm to the touch.

Just standing near them made her skin crawl. She saw a book titled The Blood Sacrifice Path and another called Soul Burning.

She knew these books offered incredible power very quickly, but the cost was always too high.

Archbishop Dominus had warned her about these once; they could make you strong, but they would eat your soul in the process. She turned her back on them and kept moving.

But now that she was a demon, they wouldn’t harm her. Even so, she still preferred to avoid them whenever she could.

She was starting to feel frustrated. The library was too big, and she was running out of time.

She reached a corner that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in decades. Dust lay thick on the floor, and the shelves were disorganized. It looked like a dumping ground for old, useless records.

Tucked between two massive, heavy books about the history of grain taxes, she saw a small, thin volume. It looked completely out of place.

While the other books were covered in leather and gold, this one looked like a simple Fairy Tale book, the kind you would find in a nursery.

The cover was worn, and the corners were frayed.

Lena reached out to move it aside, but the moment her fingertips brushed the spine, her entire body froze.

A sudden, sharp pull tugged at her navel. It was like a magnet was pulling her toward the book.

Her mana, which had been calm and steady, suddenly began to swirl and roar inside her chest.

The book wasn’t just sitting there; it was reacting to her. It somehow felt more "alive" than any of the legendary cultivation manuals she had seen earlier.

Her hands trembled as she pulled the small book from the shelf. It felt surprisingly heavy for its size.

The cover was a deep, dark red, and as she wiped away the dust, she felt a strange sense of sadness and power wash over her.

She held her breath and turned the book over to read the title. The words were written in a jagged, dark script that seemed to shimmer like wet ink.

"Sage that saw the birth of a god."