Luke opened the door and stepped into the bathroom to clean up.
The bathtub was larger than he expected, filled with still water.
When he leaned closer, his reflection stared back: mud-stained hair that looked more light brown than silver, tired crimson eyes dulled by exhaustion.
Luke stripped as he cleaned the mud off his body.
Then he slowly sank into the bath, letting the warmth wash away grime and fatigue. Closing his eyes, he thought back to everything that had happened yesterday.
"It's been one hell of a long day."
After a moment, he opened his eyes and called out:
"System."
Nothing happened.
"Status."
Still nothing.
Luke sighed, irritation bubbling up. He wanted to know how to enter the Library.
Then his eyes widened. He remembered that strange dream before waking up as Luke.
"Reader of Fate… that bastard."
The words tumbled out sharp and bitter.
"He said he'd take responsibility, but why the hell did he transmigrate me into my own novel?"
"Wait.. does that mean.. everything in that dream... is real? Is that guy a... God?"
He took a slow breath, calming himself, and recalled the cryptic line he'd been told:
From this moment… You are the Keeper of all that was, is, and will be.
Luke whispered, changing the perspective of the words into his own:
"I am the Keeper of all that was, is, and will be."
Immediately, searing pain shot through his right wrist.
"Agh!"
He jerked his arm up. Black ink slithered beneath his skin like living veins, swirling together until they formed a mark on his forearm.
It was a sigil, an intricate tattoo where a feather seamlessly merged into an ornate vintage key, fine dotwork and lines accenting it like stardust.
(AI Illustration, check the paragraph comment)
As the final line set, Luke felt a solid weight in his hand, yet an invincible thing resting in his grip, though nothing was there.
He twisted his wrist instinctively like a... key.
-Click.
An invisible sound echoed, like a lock turning.
The bathwater shimmered, rippling not like liquid, but like silver pages fluttering open. A thousand whispers rushed past his ears as if from unseen books.
Before he could react, the water pulled him down. He panicked as he stood straight up.
But to his surprise, he was no longer in the bathroom. He stood instead on the celestial ink pool.
Golden shelves stretching endlessly into the silver horizon, books glowing with radiant light.
Luke let out a long, shaky sigh.
"So… that's how it should be done, eh?"
His eyes caught a glimpse of his reflection in the celestial ink beneath his feet.
The face staring back wasn't Luke's silver-haired visage, nor Nick's black-haired one. His hair was pure snow white, and his eyes glowed violet with faint flecks of gold. A black high-collared coat and trousers adorned his form in elegant and regal style.
"This is… too much."
The sound of pages turning echoed behind him.
Luke spun around. Floating before him was the golden book; the same one he had signed. Unlike last time, however, it wasn't burning. Instead, words had appeared upon its surface.
...
Welcome to the Celestial Library, Keeper.
Ask any questions you have.
...
Luke frowned. "What are you? Where are we?"
The book remained still, no new words forming.
A thought struck him. He plucked one of the drifting feathers, dipped it into the celestial ink, and wrote across the golden page.
"What are you?"
Immediately, new lines unfurled beneath his question:
...
What are you?
: I am an artifact created by Omniscient to assist the Keeper.
...
Luke's eyes lit with understanding. He had discovered the mechanism. Without hesitation, he began writing again, pouring out the questions that weighed on him.
...
Where are we?
: We are in the Celestial Library created by Omniscient.
Where is the Reader of Fate?
: He entered the River of Reincarnation.
What? He's dead?
: Yes and no. He has died, but he has been reincarnated.
...
"That bastard… he really set me up, didn't he?" Luke muttered under his breath before scrawling the next question, the one that burned at the core of his being.
...
Who am I? Am I Nicolas Frey or Luke Veyra?
: You are both, yet neither. You are a Nameless Divine Being without a True Name. Nicolas Frey on Earth and Luke Veyra on Adabal are nothing more than vessels of your existence.
Me? A Divine Being? What the hell are you saying?
: By making the Keeper's Contract, you have already Fasely Ascended to Divinehood.
Then… do I have the powers of a Divine Being?
: No. You are an empty shell. To gain True Authority, you must grow stronger and uncover your True Name.
But Luke's body has low potential. How can I improve my strength with just an E-tier vessel?
: Use Fate Points.
How do I check my Fate Points? What can I do with them?
: Speak the keyword "RECORD" to view your status. With Fate Points, you may create Skills through Cause and Effect, assign yourself Quests, and enter Otherworlds to accelerate your growth.
Then… can I raise Luke's potential with Fate Points?
: No. Fate Points cannot directly alter potential. However, by creating a Minor Authority, you may gain Fame, and through Fame, raise your vessel's potential.
...
Luke prepared to write another question, but the feather's ink ran dry.
Clicking his tongue, he crouched to dip it again, only to find the ink refusing to cling.
"Huh?"
He reached toward another floating feather, but the quills scattered, fluttering out of reach like startled birds.
"…So, no more questions today, huh?"
He sighed, straightened, and muttered the keyword.
"Record."
Immediately, the same blue-colored interface glitched into existence before him.
---
{ [| Record of Divine |] }
{ [True Name: Unknown] }
{ [Current Vessel: Luke Veyra] }
{ [Age: 17] }
[Strength: B]
[Agility: B]
[Endurance: B]
[Intelligence: A]
[Willpower: B]
[Mana: D]
[Charm: A]
[Potential: E]
{ [Progression: Novice Stage (Tier-1)] }
[Skills: Author's Insight (S)]
[Gifts: Presence (S), Conceal (A)]
[Keeper's Authority: All knowing]
[Techniques: None]
[Weapon bond: None]
[Contracted Spirit Beast: None]
{ [Fate Points: 1200]: Create++}
{ [---------------] }
---
"Whao"
Luke's gaze lingered on the glowing text. "For humanity, S-Tier is the ceiling. So, B-Tier isn't bad."
His stats are impressive, but in this world, stats mean nothing.
Progression was everything. And Luke's remained at [Novice] (Tier-1), despite having awakened five years ago.
His peers are already at [Initiate] (Tier-2) or [Elite] (Tier-3).
In five months, when the story truly began, the main protagonist of the novel would hit [Master] (Tier-4)
Closing his eyes, Luke steadied his thoughts. He knew what he needed.
His finger tapped Create. A new menu unfolded:
---
Type: [Skill] [Gift] [Technique] [Authority]
Description: [What should it do?]
Fate Points Needed: [Calculated by Value]
---
A grin crept across his lips. Without hesitation, he typed, words flowing as though already written in his mind.
---
Type: Skill
Name: Ascendancy
Tier: S
Fate points needed: 250 points
[Added to Record]
---
Type: Gift
Name: Manaless Disguise
Tier: B
Fate Points needed: 160 points
[Added to Record]
---
Type: Authority
Name: Exceed
Fate points needed: 600 points
[Added to Record]
---
Luke gave a small nod, the corner of his mouth tugging upward.
"That should do it… for now."
-------End of chapter-------
{Codex}
----
Skills:
Author's Insight (S-Tier):
: Grants the ability to inspect artifacts and objects, as well as view the status of other beings.
---
Skill: Ascendancy (S-Tier)
: Grants a temporary surge of power, allowing the user to overpower opponents up to two tiers higher. The duration of this skill depends on the wielder's willpower.
Cause: Gain additional power.
Effect: Severe mental exhaustion proportional to usage.
---------------
Gifts:
Presence (S-Tier):
: A passive ability. Others feel the user's presence differently depending on their own emotions and the user's state.
---
Conceal (A-Tier):
: Allows the user to suppress his mana signature. Detection is possible only by beings four or more tiers above the user.
---
Manaless Disguise (B-Tier):
: Allows the user to alter superficial features such as hair color, eye shade, and minor facial details. The ability itself consumes no mana, but the user must possess at least a trace of mana to maintain the disguise.
Cause: Enables the user to disguise their appearance.
Effect: If the user's mana drops to zero, the disguise is automatically dispelled.
---------------
Authorities:
All Knowing:
: Grants the user the ability to read, understand, and communicate in any language. However, knowledge of a language is only unlocked after encountering it for the first time.
---
Exceed:
: The user gains [Fame Points] from the emotions and perceptions of others. Accumulated points can be converted to permanently increase the user's potential.
Cause: Potential growth through fame.
Effect: Requires gaining recognition and influence.