Collins opened his eyes and found himself in an endless white void.
There was no sky, no ground, just a boundless blankness that stretched forever. He rose slowly, his footsteps echoing faintly though there was nothing for the sound to bounce off.
"Where… am I?" he muttered, scanning left and right.
He tried to summon his status window out of habit, but nothing appeared. Not even the faintest flicker of blue text. That single fact told him everything, this wasn't Earth, nor was it part of the strange dungeon-like reality they had been thrown into.
There was no sense of time here. No hunger, no fatigue. Only silence. Collins began to wander aimlessly, each step feeling the same as the last, as if he were walking in circles despite the vastness.
Minutes… hours… days? He had no idea how long he had walked before something finally broke the monotony.
Far away, like a star at the end of eternity, a faint blue light shimmered.
Collins' heart leapt. He began running toward it, boots slapping against the non-existent ground. But the more he ran, the more the light seemed to retreat, always at the same impossible distance. Sweat didn't bead on his skin. His lungs didn't burn. It was as if he could run forever, yet never reach it.
Frustrated, Collins skidded to a halt. "There must be rules to this place…" he whispered. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm his racing thoughts. If movement by sight failed, then maybe he had to trust something else.
He inhaled deeply and walked forward. One step… two… three…
At the tenth step, warmth wrapped around his body, soft and welcoming, like invisible arms pulling him forward.
Collins opened his eyes
And nearly staggered back.
Floating in the void before him was a colossal book, glowing with a brilliant blue radiance. It was as tall as he was, its thick cover adorned with shifting runes that no human language could decipher. Yet across the center, etched in glowing strokes, were two words he somehow understood instinctively:
'The Book of Origin.'
Collins felt his breath catch in his throat. Just gazing at it, he sensed the sheer weight of information it carried, as though the entire history of creation had been pressed between its pages.
A rush of comprehension flooded his mind, not spoken, not written, but known. The Book of Origin was not ordinary. It was a repository of all things written, gathering knowledge regardless of whether the source still existed. Forgotten histories, destroyed tomes, erased secrets… nothing could hide from it.
It could compile knowledge into understanding. It could transform understanding into skills.
Collins' fingers trembled as he reached forward. As a lifelong book lover, he knew exactly what kind of miracle he was holding. Endless knowledge. Endless skills. Endless power.
His lips curled into a rare smile. If the gods don't have something like this… then one day, I'll make them pay. With this, even gods can bleed.
The instant his hands touched the glowing cover, light erupted outward, engulfing his entire body in a blinding wave.
Collins blinked and found himself lying on the cold, dusty ground of the real world. The white void was gone. The Book of Origin was gone. But in his mind, something remained. His thoughts were clearer, sharper, like someone had wiped fog from a glass pane. Every detail around him felt more vivid, every sound louder, every sensation magnified.
"Thank goodness you're awake!"
James' anxious voice yanked him from his daze. His best friend was crouched beside him, eyes red from worry. He grabbed Collins' shoulders and helped him sit up.
"What the hell happened to you, huh? You just collapsed!"
Collins took a shaky breath, then chuckled softly. "James… if I told you our revenge plan was possible… would you believe me?"
James blinked. Then he frowned, giving Collins the kind of look reserved for lunatics. "Are you messing with me? Of course not. That's impossible."
"Why?" Collins pressed, his eyes narrowing.
James sighed, shaking his head. "Listen, wise one, let me ask you. If you were a god, would you give your playthings, your toys, the power to fight back against you?"
Collins' lips twitched. "…No."
"Exactly. When you first said it, I clung to that idea like a lifeline. But when you fainted and I was guarding you, reality hit me. The gods will never give us anything that could let us rise against them." James' shoulders sagged, bitterness dripping from his words.
Collins was silent. He knew James wasn't wrong. Giving slaves a weapon was the same as courting death. But what James didn't know was that the rules had changed. The Cosmic System alone was chains… but now, with the Book of Origin, chains could become wings.
"You're right," Collins said softly.
James smirked victoriously. "Of course I'm right."
"…That was true in the past." Collins' voice grew mysterious.
James froze. "…What do you mean?"
Collins leaned closer. His tone dropped to a whisper. "I just awakened my attribute."
James' eyes widened like saucers. "Seriously? I wanted to ask before, but then you blacked out, wait, wait, what is it? Tell me!"
Collins hesitated. If it was a normal attribute like the one of James, he wouldn't have hesitated, the Book Of Origin seems sensitive. But this was James, the brother who had stood with him through everything. He drew James closer, covering his mouth with a hand. "Listen carefully."
He whispered everything, the void, the Book, its ability.
James' eyes lit up with each word until he couldn't contain himself. "THAT'S INCREDIBLE!!!"
"Shhh!" Collins hissed, slapping a hand over his friend's mouth. But it was too late.
A distant shriek echoed through the ruins. Then another. Then dozens.
The monsters had heard them.
James' face went pale. "…Oops."
"RUN!" Collins roared, yanking him to his feet.
The ground trembled as grotesque figures burst from the shadows, their limbs twisted, their jaws snapping hungrily.
"JAMES, I HATE YOU!" Collins shouted as they bolted through the streets.
"IS IT MY FAULT? You're the one who told me something so amazing!" James shouted back, dodging debris.
"THEN FROM NOW ON, I'LL NEVER TELL YOU ANYTHING!"
"I'M SORRY, MASTER! PLEASE FORGIVE THIS HUMBLE SERVANT!" James fake-cried dramatically, tears and snot smeared across an imaginary face.
Even in chaos, Collins felt his soul leave his body in exasperation. "SHUT UP AND THINK OF A WAY TO SURVIVE!"
The monsters were gaining, snarling, claws scraping the cracked pavement. Collins' mind raced. Then he spotted it, an abandoned building ahead.
"There!" he pointed.
They sprinted, hearts pounding, and slipped into the backyard. Collins shoved James behind a rusted container, both of them holding their breath. Seconds later, the horde thundered past, missing their scent entirely.
Only when silence returned did the two friends collapse against the wall, gasping for air.
Finally, Collins forced open the building's door with their newly strengthened arms. The hinges groaned as they slipped inside and slammed it shut.
The two of them leaned against the wall, staring at each other. Slowly, despite the danger, they both cracked tired, relieved smiles.
They had cheated death once again.