The silence in the house stretched endlessly, broken only by the faint rustle of curtains whenever the night breeze pushed through the cracks of broken windows. Collins and James had searched every inch of the place, from the dust-filled attic to the creaking floorboards of the kitchen, yet they found nothing unusual. No insects, no monsters lurking in the shadows, no hidden intruders waiting to pounce.
It was a relief, albeit a temporary one.
Both collapsed onto the tattered couch in the living room. Their breaths were heavy, bodies tired, but exhaustion didn't erase the unease buried deep in their bones. For a while, they drifted into sleep, lulled by the illusion of safety.
That illusion didn't last long.
The distant roars of monsters outside shattered their brief peace. The sound carried through the night like a chorus of nightmares, reminding them that survival was nothing more than a fragile thread.
Collins's eyes snapped open. Unlike James, who turned to the other side and continued sleeping like a log, Collins had long since trained his mind to be alert even when weary. He sat upright and muttered softly.
"Status window."
A familiar chime echoed in his mind.
«DING… STATUS WINDOW»
NAME: ADAM COLLINS
LEVEL: 1
ATTRIBUTE: BOOK OF ORIGIN
TITLE: KING OF BOOKS
SAGA: ———
WEAPONS: ORDINARY KNIFE
HP: 16/200
MP: 0/50
STRENGTH: 10
AGILITY: 12
SENSE: 10
HEALTH: 15
INTELLIGENCE: 1
AVAILABLE POINTS: 3
SKILL: INFORMATION MANIPULATION
Collins blinked.
The numbers were the same, but something else wasn't. The system's usual pale blue interface was gone. Now, the window gleamed with a purple-gold radiance, like a sacred scripture pulsing with divine authority. His attributes, his titles, even his skills—everything had shifted.
"…What the hell?" Collins whispered.
His gaze landed on the attribute: Book of Origin. The words pulsed faintly, beckoning him. His fingers trembled as he clicked it.
«DING… INFORMATION»
BOOK OF ORIGIN
The Book of Origin explores the beginnings of creation itself: the evolution of existence, the lives of beings, their rise and fall, the roots of historical events across different eras, and the sparks of scientific discovery.
It traces the how, when, and why of reality, mapping probabilities of change.
It can be wielded to create skills and techniques.
Collins's heart skipped a beat.
Does this mean… I can see the origins of everything? The very start of the universe itself?
The sheer enormity of the concept crushed him. His lips trembled, not out of fear but awe. If such a thing were true, then the Book of Origin wasn't just powerful, it was divine.
But then another thought pierced his awe like a cold knife.
If the system was originally created by the gods, then… do they know? Are they watching me right now?
As if answering his paranoia, another notification flickered before his eyes.
«DING…»
«Host does not have to worry. The system has been recreated with the help of the Book of Origin. This system no longer has any link with the Cosmic Stream System.»
Collins froze. His eyes widened, lips parting unconsciously.
"Re… recreated?!"
This wasn't a borrowed blessing. It wasn't a tool handed down from above. The Book of Origin had reshaped the system itself, cutting it free from divine oversight.
The realization shook him.
This wasn't just a power. It was independence.
A grin tugged at his lips. For the first time since awakening in this twisted reality, he felt… unchained.
Another ding resounded.
«The system may no longer be tied to the Cosmic Stream, but the host can still receive missions and information from it.»
Collins leaned back against the couch, breathing deeply. The purple-gold glow reflected in his eyes. He didn't fully understand why the Book of Origin had chosen him, but one thing was clear—he couldn't waste this chance.
He clenched his fists.
"…Book of Origin, collect all information about something that can kill gods."
The air around him shimmered. In his mind's eye, he saw endless pages flipping, too fast for the human eye to follow. He waited, anticipation knotting in his chest.
Then… it stopped.
The Book of Origin froze mid-page, refusing to reveal anything more.
«DING…»
«Level not sufficient. Host must grow stronger to access deeper knowledge.»
Collins scowled. "Then when will I be able to use your full power?"
«DING…»
«Host must reach the level of Transcendence.»
He sat up. "…And what level is that?"
«LEVEL 70.»
Collins almost choked. "Seventy?! That's absurd!"
Images of endless battles flashed in his mind, monsters, players, unknown horrors. Just thinking of the grind ahead made his head ache.
Still, he refused to give in to despair.
"Fine. Then what can I do right now?"
«DING…»
«Host can currently use a limited range of Information Manipulation.»
Collins narrowed his eyes. "Limited range, huh? Explain."
The system obeyed.
«1. Appraisal – See the status of other players.
2. 3D Projector – Project illusions for others to see.
3. Memory Sharing – Transfer specific memories to another.
4. Information Storage and Transfer – Store data for future use or move it between systems.
5. Information Collection – Gather knowledge of the past and present.
6. Information Hacker – Hack into other systems to collect or alter information.
7. Skill Creation and Duplication – [LOCKED]»
Collins's breath quickened as he read through the list. Each line sounded more outrageous than the last.
Appraisal could let him expose enemies.
Projection could weave lies into reality.
Memory Sharing could rewrite trust.
Information Hacker… that alone was terrifying.
"In this world…" he muttered, "…information is power. And I can bend it however I like."
For a brief moment, arrogance threatened to swell within him. The thought of controlling others like pieces on a board, of bending fate with a whisper, was intoxicating.
But Collins wasn't a fool.
Power means nothing if I die before using it.
He steadied his breathing, pushing the smugness down. He had to survive first.
Another thought crossed his mind, his connection to the Cosmic Stream. If his system was now independent, what about his data in the original?
"System… does the Cosmic Stream still hold my data?"
«DING…»
«Negative.»
Collins nodded, unsurprised. "Then can you recreate my data in their system?"
«Only possible if host allows it.»
That sealed it. The system truly was bound to his will. Relief washed over him.
"Do it. But make it average. Something plain enough that no one will look twice. And make sure the data levels up with me."
The purple-gold light pulsed.
«DING…»
«Commencing… 10%... 50%... 80%... 100%.»
A new status window appeared.
NAME: ADAM COLLINS
LEVEL: 1
ATTRIBUTE: BOOK READER
TITLE: BOOK NERD
SAGA: ———
WEAPON: ORDINARY KNIFE
HP: 16/200
MP: 0/50
STRENGTH: 10
AGILITY: 12
SENSE: 1
HEALTH: 15
INTELLIGENCE: 1
SKILLS: FAST READER, BOOK FLIPPER
Collins smirked. Perfect. A disguise to fool the world.
He leaned back, speaking softly. "System… do you have a name?"
«I am an extension of the Book of Origin.»
"That's too long." Collins tapped his chin, deep in thought. The system wasn't just a tool, it was alive, conscious in its own way. And since it was tied to wisdom and omniscience, one name came to mind.
"Then from now on, I'll call you Orúla. A Latin form of Orunmila, the Yoruba god of wisdom and knowledge."
For the first time, the system didn't immediately reply. Then
«DING… Accepting new name. System entering sleep mode in… 10… 5… 1.»
The light blinked out.
"…Huh?" Collins was stunned. Then a heavy drowsiness sank into his bones. He yawned despite himself, eyelids drooping.
"Really… now?" he muttered, but his body didn't obey.
He slumped back onto the chair beside James, who still snored loudly, blissfully ignorant of the storm about to unfold.
And slowly… Collins drifted into sleep.