Silence returned to the ancient library.
Not the peaceful kind—but the heavy, watchful silence of a place that had existed long before the world outside and would likely remain long after it fell.
I stood there for several seconds, my heart still racing, my mind struggling to catch up with everything that had just happened.
Reincarnation.
A system.
Forbidden spells.
I let out a slow breath.
"Panicking won't help," I muttered to myself.
If this world really followed the logic of fantasy novels—and the glowing blue screen suggested it did—then understanding my body came first. Power meant nothing if I couldn't even survive.
I looked down at myself properly this time.
My body was tall but lean, built more for agility than brute strength. My skin was pale, almost unnaturally smooth, and faint rune-like markings shimmered beneath it when the blue light from the library touched me just right. They vanished the moment I tried to focus on them.
Not tattoos.
More like… engravings.
I flexed my fingers slowly. They moved smoothly, without resistance, as if this body had been crafted rather than born.
"Guardian," I repeated softly.
[Accessing Guardian Physiology…]
The familiar system voice echoed in my head, and the translucent screen appeared again.
Guardian Body Overview
Physical Strength: Below Human Average
Mana Capacity: Extremely High (Sealed)
Mana Control: Perfect
Aging: Halted
Disease Resistance: Absolute
Regeneration: Low (Scales with Authority)
I stared at the screen.
"Halted aging…?" I whispered.
Immortality—at least the kind that came from time alone. No growing old. No decay. For a moment, the weight of it pressed against my chest. Living forever wasn't a blessing if the world turned against you.
My gaze shifted back to the screen.
Below human average strength. That explained the lightness of my body. If someone attacked me physically right now, I'd probably lose.
But mana control… perfect?
I raised my right hand experimentally and focused, just a little.
The air above my palm reacted instantly.
Mana gathered.
Not violently, not chaotically—but smoothly, obediently, like water flowing into a perfectly shaped container. I didn't even need to force it. The mana simply came to me.
My breath caught.
"So that's what perfect control feels like."
Most mages, according to the memories surfacing in my mind, struggled for years just to sense mana properly. Even talented ones wasted huge amounts of energy when casting spells.
For me, it felt… natural.
Too natural.
The runes beneath my skin flickered faintly, responding to the mana flow. I quickly dispersed it, lowering my hand.
Drawing attention here might be a bad idea.
The system chimed again.
[Notice.]
[Guardian body is incomplete.]
[Authority fragments detected: 0/7.]
[Unlock fragments to restore true form.]
"Fragments?" I frowned.
More sealed power. Of course.
Before I could ask internally, the library around me began to change.
The towering shelves blurred, fading into mist. The glowing runes dimmed, their light retreating into the stone. A deep vibration rolled through the floor, forcing me to steady myself.
"What now—?"
[Initial Guardian Sanctuary collapsing.]
[Host transfer initiated.]
The floor beneath my feet dissolved.
I fell.
There was no wind, no sensation of movement—just a brief distortion, like reality itself had folded around me.
Then—
I slammed onto dirt.
"Ugh—!"
Pain flared through my back as I rolled to the side, instinctively curling to absorb the impact. Compared to the stone floor, the ground here was warm, uneven, and very real.
I pushed myself up slowly, wincing.
Tall grass swayed around me. The sky above was a deep blue, streaked with clouds that glowed faintly gold at their edges. Two suns—two—hung low on the horizon.
"Definitely not Earth," I murmured.
In the distance, I could see stone walls and watchtowers.
A city.
Voices reached my ears—shouting, laughter, the clatter of metal. Civilization. People.
My heart tightened.
I was no longer hidden.
I glanced down at my clothes and grimaced. The dark robe I wore looked ancient, its fabric woven with subtle runes that screamed not normal. Walking into a city like this would attract attention immediately.
[Recommendation.]
[Acquire local attire.]
[Blend in.]
"Yeah," I sighed. "I figured."
As I took my first step forward, a strange sensation rippled through my body. My reflection appeared briefly in a puddle near my feet.
Silver-gray hair. Sharp but youthful features. Eyes a deep, unnatural violet—faint symbols spinning within them when I focused too hard.
"…These eyes are a problem."
I lowered my head, letting my hair fall over my face.
Power like this, a body like this, and an existence tied to forbidden magic—
If anyone realized what I truly was, I wouldn't last a day.
I turned toward the distant city, my expression hardening.
First goal: survive.
Second goal: understand this world.
Third goal: never let anyone discover the truth.
Because if the Guardian of Forgotten Spells was exposed—
The hunt would begin.
And this time, I wouldn't have the luxury of being forgotten.