Escape from the Library

Raws Title: 逃离图书馆

Author: 蝶之灵 (Butterfly Spirit)

Link: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5272881

Status: 322 chapters (Completed)

Tags: Unlimited flow, puzzles, gaming, team

The Story:

Another unlimited flow novel by the author of Card Room, Accidental Mark, God Level Summoner etc. The main characters are summoned to this separate space called the library where they have to pass through school courses and earn credits. Once they receive a certain number of credits, they will be able to return to the real world. Each student has special skills related to the major that they can learn and upgrade using points obtained in the courses they pass.

If you have read the author’s other novel Card Room, you will find it similar. However, there is less emphasis on mystery solving and survival. Escape from the Library has a larger variety of courses depending on the school they are doing at the moment. There are imaginative courses like becoming cells and making sure that a baby grows up healthy, urban planning a city or even a music rhythm game. Of course, there is some mysteries and survival but it isn’t as frequent, making it feel a lot less repetitive than Card Room.

Main Characters:

MC – Yue Xingwen. He is similar to Xiao Lou of Card Room. He is kind, gentle and friendly to others. He is from the Chinese language department so his skills are based on idioms etc. The funny thing is that his first skill is a book called Modern Idioms Dictionary. However, the skill in it had such a long cooldown that he ends up using the dictionary as a physical object to smash his way through the enemies. Due to his personality, he is the leader of the group.

ML: Jiang Pingce. Colder and more aloof than Yue Xingwen. He is from the mathematics department and is able to do things with the skills of the mathematics department (that requires calculations) that other people with the same skills can’t do. He is a reliable support for the team whenever they are in a crisis.

The Romance:

As is typical with this author, the romance is extremely slow to develop because they are more focused on passing the library than feelings. Yue Xingwen and Jiang Pingce have known each since high school and ended up going to the same university. Yue Xingwen often drags Jiang Pingce to participate in things he wouldn’t normally do.

Jiang Pince already knows his feelings for Yue Xingwen but Yue Xingwen is oblivious to them for a long time. Jiang Pince uses the method of ‘boiling a frog in warm water’ to get Yue Xingwen used to the idea. Still, don’t read this novel if you’re only interested in the romance. I will repeat it again but the romance develops late and most of the focus is in the extras.

Side Characters:

The author once again has a large cast of characters. It is a bit harder this time because unlike her previous novels, she introduces most of the characters at the beginning. There is the main team of 12 with most of the focus on a few people in the group (like Card Room) and some people from other teams occasionally show up.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, if you’ve read the other author’s novels then you will have some idea of what to expect. I like it a bit more than Card Room because the style of the arcs in Card Room can become repetitive sometimes. Escape from the Library has a lot more innovative ideas and funny skills. There is less focus on death and survival because there isn’t an opposing organization like the hunters in Card Room. This might put off some people who prefer unlimited flows for the thrills, horror and lessons on human morality. This is more focused on the good side of humanity in such a game and they maintain order than devolving into chaos for benefits.