Ryu read through the glowing script of the Guide, his brows tightening as line after line revealed itself.
"Good… at least it's not written in some old style with 'thee' and whatever." To his surprise, the text wasn't filled with complicated jargon or hidden riddles—everything was laid out in plain, almost conversational words, as if the book itself wanted to ensure even a child could understand.
In essence, it explained this: he now had access to knowledge of everything within this solar system, from past to present. The Book of Everything could show him the truth of any being, any event, any piece of history, so long as he asked for it.
The information would update in real time, recording the present as it happened, yet it wouldn't display anything unless he requested it. That was the catch—the biggest restriction.
Ryu narrowed his eyes as the thought settled in. 'A book that holds the knowledge of everything in the solar system? … Can that even logically exist?' He paused, then reconsidered. 'Hmm… if I set aside common logic, maybe it could. But then—what kind of being would give something like this as a gift?'
He had before him a book that held all knowledge up to this very moment… but it was only as useful as the questions he asked.
'At first, this restriction doesn't even look like a restriction. I only need to search for what I'm already thinking about. But then… the greatest knowledge becomes the knowledge of what to learn itself. If I don't even know a subject's name, then that subject will never appear in this book—and I'll never gain any knowledge of it.'
Then came the list of functions.
The first was Manifestation—the ability to summon the book into physical reality, where others could actually see and touch it. Right now, the glowing tome afloat before him was more like a hologram, a thing existing on a separate plane. No one else could perceive the shimmering light or the way its aura reflected off his skin.
Ryu was a little surprised at the realization. 'So only I can actually see and feel this book right now? That's… a pretty cool function, I won't deny that.'
The second was Knowledge Access—the core of the book, where he could specify what he wanted to learn and have it unfold before him in words, diagrams, or even full recreations.
The third was Teaching. The book could explain things in chronological order, step by step, or restructure knowledge into whatever format he needed—a lecture, a walkthrough, even comparisons—if he asked it.
Ryu nodded at that. "Good. Now, if I don't understand something properly, I can just use this function."
And the fourth… the one that made him draw in a sharp breath… was the Simulation Lab.
The book described it as a constructed space, a reality apart, where he could summon materials, tools, even entire environments, to test and experiment without consequence. Accidents there would cause no harm, and results would still be accurate—an absolute sandbox for knowledge and discovery.
Ryu's eyes widened, his lips parting in disbelief. "What the…?" Even with his equilibrium body, his heartbeat quickened, pounding faster than he expected. It took every ounce of that balance to slowly steady him back to normal after reading about this function.
It wasn't a weapon. It wasn't something that would help him fight or defend himself in a direct clash. But in its own way, it was far more terrifying. With this, he had a surveillance system spread across the world, a library that contained not just text, but images, videos, and sound—like a living computer tied to reality itself.
Ryu drew in a sharp breath as the truth finally settled in. What that being had given him wasn't a divine weapon, nor some forbidden spell capable of shattering mountains. It was far more precious than that—
a tome of knowledge.
For him, this was the perfect gift. His ability was never meant for destruction or victory; it was meant to bring clarity to chaos, to soothe and stabilize. And knowledge… knowledge would give him the means to do that better than anything else ever could.
He lowered his head in a respectful bow. No words left his mouth; he didn't need them. Whoever she was, whatever her goals might be, it didn't matter. What she had given him was the best gift he could ever hope for.
Ryu had only one thought: 'Thank you for the gift. I'll cherish it.'
Straightening, he looked at the book for a moment before dismissing it back into his consciousness. The strange weight vanished, as though it had sunk into his very soul. He would explore its depths later.
For now, something else demanded his attention—the rumble of his small stomach. A different kind of chaos, but no less real.
With a faint laugh at himself, Ryu padded toward the kitchen, calling out to his mother for something to eat.
"Mom, I'm hungry!"
From the kitchen, Misaki's voice floated back, warm and firm. "It's almost ready, dear. Come here and help me with the dishes, will you?"
"Okay, Mom." Ryu replied, heading her way.
While Ryu was helping Misaki set the dishes on the dining table, far away—in a place of endless darkness that was not truly empty—a silhouette sat quietly. Her form was hidden, only the faint outline of a shadow visible. Yet her voice rang out, soft and sweet, carrying with it both fondness and mystery.
"You don't have to thank me, darling. Your existence itself is already a gift to me."
Her words lingered as her presence faded, leaving that realm wrapped once more in silence. The question of who—or what—had awakened alongside Ryu remained, a shadow stretching into his future.
***
Please throw some comments and powerstones if you like this novel.