Chapter 20

In the early morning, Ymir bounced in place, and it took a great deal of effort to convince Kathleen that his body had absolutely no lingering aftereffects. Only then did he manage to secure the right to go to school alone.

Oh, come on, he’s not a child anymore.

Although Ymir always carefully concealed his superpowers in front of Kathleen, he was still a 21-year-old man. According to the constitution, he was a fully capable adult American citizen.

Columbia University is one of the world's most prestigious institutions of higher learning, located in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City, overlooking the Hudson River, north of Central Park. It shares the same district as the notorious Hell's Kitchen, and Ymir could travel between school and home by school bus.

Even before the school bus entered the campus, one could see the vast grounds of Columbia University from a distance.

The university's name comes from Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the American continent, and its English spelling differs from that of the South American country Colombia.

In the United States, Uncle Sam is a male personification of the country; in contrast, Columbia is often used as a female personification, which is not unrelated to the weak demeanor of Ymir's body in its previous life.

Founded in 1754 under the Royal Charter of King George II of Britain, it was named "King's College" and is one of the oldest colleges in the American continent. It was renamed Columbia University in 1896.

In the same year, Columbia University moved from Madison Avenue to Morningside Heights, near Manhattan, giving the school about 32 acres of land across six blocks. On a clear day, it appears even more grand and magnificent, with the sun reflecting the light of wisdom.

Stepping off the school bus, Ymir turned the corner and was stunned by the approaching cluster of ancient buildings, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world—the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

After walking a few hundred meters from the grand and solemn St. John's Cathedral, crossing the street, one arrives at the campus of Columbia University.

As one of the five oldest universities in the United States, and recognized as one of the top three in American higher education alongside Harvard and the University of Chicago, "King's College" has no special barriers. There are no guards or security personnel, and anyone can enter and exit freely.

Unlike the schools Ymir attended in his previous life, Columbia University is founded on the principle of freedom. Students are not formally seated in classrooms listening to lectures but are scattered throughout the campus.

Some sit at small tables or on chairs, some sit on the steps by the wall, reading books, using computers, or quietly discussing something; on the lawn, some students gather in circles, possibly for interest groups.

However, none of this had anything to do with Ymir. What he needed to do now was find his mentor, Father Terence, and report to him.

Following his instincts, Ymir walked through a path in the campus and came upon the iconic library of Columbia University. On the high steps, the goddess of wisdom sits centrally, calmly and gracefully watching over the students and visitors passing by.

A guard blocked Ymir's path. As a research university with high scientific standards, many areas are not accessible to just anyone.

Ymir smiled and did not argue with the diligent guard. He pulled out his student card from his school uniform pocket and handed it over.

"Welcome, Mr. Ymir! However, Father Terence has gone to St. John's Cathedral to preside over a Mass, which will take a long time!" Unlike other student cards, Ymir's card faintly displayed a dark golden cross.

Surrounded by palm wreaths, a dagger and a pair of horizontally spread angel wings form the main body of the cross. The guard, as the gatekeeper of the Divinity School library, immediately became respectful: "Congratulations, Mr. Ymir, you have finally become an official member of the St. John's Knights!"

Columbia University's library system includes 23 branch libraries, each with its own unique features, such as the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Butler Library, Social Work Library, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Library, and the East Asian Library.

However, in addition to these 23 branch libraries, there is a hidden branch library that is not usually made public. This is the St. John's Knights Library, which, although located on the Columbia University campus, does not belong to the university.

The guard had heard that Ymir had recently been applying for official membership in the Knights. He did not expect Ymir to stand out so quickly from the many competitors.

If he could have previously dismissed this timid young man, now that Ymir had officially joined the St. John's Knights, he was not someone the guard could afford to be disrespectful to.

"Father Terence? St. John's Knights?" Ymir remained calm, took back his student card, and smiled at the humble guard: "Thank you for the information."

It seems he was right. Behind the death of Ymir's body, there must be a significant secret.

In the world of superheroes, there are various powers, and the organizations formed by these superpowered individuals are countless. For example, the X-Men's Xavier's School is one of them, but it is not unique.

The Church, which ruled European history for over a thousand years, also possesses its own mysterious powers. For instance, Eric Brooks (Blade), a vampire hunter fighting in the dark world, or exorcists who have been battling demons and evil spirits like Lucifer and Mephistopheles from hell.

The St. John's Knights Library is undoubtedly the brain and center of wisdom for the Church's combat forces. It houses the most extensive and comprehensive collection of books that the Church can gather. Any book qualified to be stored here might contain a spell that could change the world.

Over the years, countless exorcist families and mutants have wanted to delve into the St. John's Knights Library, even if it was just for a month or a day.

For those who possess superpowers, power is everything. Once they taste the pleasure that power brings, they will become addicted and willing to pay any price to enhance their power.

Ymir was not wrong. In this world, inheriting the surname Longinus meant that his life would inevitably be intertwined with the Church's influence.

However, due to the vague memories in his body, Ymir had not yet realized this. To him, this was just a regular branch library of Columbia University. Even though it was heavily guarded, he did not associate it with anything supernatural.

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