"The right way… to read."
The sentence was not merely a passing suggestion; it dropped into Faiser's awareness like something that was supposed to be obvious… yet it wasn't at all. He remained standing, holding the book, his eyes fixed on the blank pages that seemed to mock him with their silence, as if they were saying: you are looking… but you do not understand.
A moment passed. Then Faiser exhaled slowly, tilting his head slightly, like someone trying to change the angle of thought, not the angle of sight, and said in a calm voice carrying a faint dryness:
"Well… since you're generous enough to give me only half a sentence, will you finish it? Or is the 'right way' part of some contest I'm supposed to figure out on my own?"
The book laughed immediately, but this time its laughter was light, slightly prolonged, as if it came out with clear amusement, then it said in a deliberately sarcastic tone:
"Oh, of course, allow me… step one: stare. Step two: keep staring. Step three: regret the previous two steps."
Faiser blinked once, slowly, without changing his expression, then said in a steady tone:
"Impressive… I didn't know I was holding a guidebook to failure."
"And I didn't know I ended up in the hands of a reader who needs instructions in the first place." the book replied quickly, with a tone carrying a clear smile.
Faiser lowered his gaze back to the pages and began flipping them slowly, but this time his movement was not random, it was deliberate. His fingers ran over the paper, stopping, returning, pressing slightly… as if he wasn't searching for words, but for a flaw.
"Hmmm…" he murmured to himself, in a tone of deep thought.
"Ah, the humming…" said the book in an exaggerated theatrical tone, "this is the stage where a human starts acting like a genius, while in reality… he's completely lost."
Faiser did not respond, as if the comment hadn't been said at all, and continued focusing, until—
His fingers suddenly stopped.
Not because he saw something.
But because he felt.
A very faint sensation, like a friction barely noticeable, yet it wasn't entirely unfamiliar… rather uncomfortably familiar.
Faiser narrowed his eyes slightly, then ran his finger over the same spot again, more slowly, as if confirming.
"This…" he said calmly.
"Please don't say 'I feel something'…" the book interrupted quickly, in a comically tense tone, "because that would be embarrassing for you… and me… and the poor pages."
"…It's not on the page." Faiser continued calmly, completely ignoring the comment.
Silence.
This time, the reply did not come immediately.
Then the book spoke, but its tone had changed slightly, less sarcastic, more attentive:
"Oh? Don't tell me… did you reach something without my permission? That's unacceptable."
Faiser raised his gaze slightly, then said calmly:
"The sensation… is similar."
"Similar to what?" the book asked, this time in a slower tone, as if it was actually listening.
Faiser paused for a brief second, then said:
"To me."
Stillness.
That was not a casual word.
It was…
a match.
Something that should not have happened.
"…"
The book did not laugh this time.
It did not mock.
It fell silent… in an unusual way.
Faiser lowered his gaze back to the book again, but he no longer flipped the pages; instead, he held it firmly, as if he was no longer dealing with an object.
"You…" he said calmly, "are not an ordinary book."
"Congratulations!" the book replied quickly, in a dramatic tone, "you've discovered I'm not a cookbook! Do you want a medal? Or should I applaud you myself?"
Faiser paused for a moment.
Then said:
"I was hoping at least you'd contain a useful recipe."
"I contain many things…" the book said lightly, "but definitely not recipes… unless you consider breaking bones a culinary art."
A short silence.
Then Faiser continued, in a more serious tone:
"And you're not just a voice either."
"Correct, I'm also a magician, a poet, and a full-time source of annoyance." the book said quickly, before adding in a lighter tone, "but let's focus."
"And you're hiding something." Faiser said calmly.
This time… no immediate reply came.
"Everything hides something." the book finally said, but its tone had lost part of its sarcasm.
Faiser closed the book slowly, then raised his gaze toward it, as if looking beyond it.
"I'll repeat my question." he said calmly.
He paused for a moment.
"What are you… really?"
Silence.
A long one this time—not avoidance… but evaluation.
Then the book said, in a calmer, deeper tone:
"Before I answer… let's agree on something."
Pause.
"Why are you still holding me?" it added, in a light tone carrying genuine curiosity.
Faiser did not hesitate.
"Because you're a talking book… isn't that enough!?"
"Weak definition." the book replied immediately.
"Fine, simply because you don't follow the laws of this world, is that what you want to hear!?"
"Hahaha, that's better." the book said, as if giving him a point.
Faiser paused for a second, then said:
"And also… because you… resemble me."
Stillness.
Then—
The book laughed.
But this time, it wasn't just mocking… there was clear interest in it.
"That…" it said slowly, "is a very annoying answer, Faiser."
"Why?" Faiser asked calmly.
"Because it means you've started thinking correctly… and that's not always in my favor."
"Too bad for you." said Faiser.
"Catastrophic, actually." the book replied immediately.
Then—
"Well…" the book said, its tone shifting slightly, "let's test you."
"A test?" said Faiser.
"Don't worry, I won't make you cook." the book said quickly, "even though you failed at reading a page."
Faiser sighed lightly.
"Alright… speak."
"If you faced an opponent stronger than you…" the book began, in a calmer tone, "what would you do?"
"I look for a flaw." Faiser answered immediately.
"And if there isn't one?"
"I create one."
"And if you fail?"
Faiser paused for a second.
Then said:
"Then I am the problem."
Silence.
Then—
A laugh.
This time… genuine.
"Good… very good." said the book, "I would've lost hope if you said 'run away.' That option is boring to the point of insult."
The atmosphere gradually changed; the sarcasm remained… but it was no longer everything.
"Now…" the book said slowly, "I'll answer you."
A short silence.
"I…" it paused.
"…am remnants."
"Remnants of what?" Faiser asked immediately.
The book replied in a sarcastic tone: "Hehehe… you want to know!?"
"Ahem… I am remnants of arts…" said the book.
Pause.
"…martial arts."
Faiser's gaze changed.
"And forbidden." the book added, in a low tone.
"I am a book of forbidden, nearly forgotten martial arts."
Silence fell.
"What do you mean by forgotten?" Faiser asked.
"Because I do not fit this world…" the book said slowly, "I do not follow its flow, I do not respect its balance, and I do not abide by its laws."
Pause.
Then—
"I break them… well, not to that extent hahaha."
Silence.
"More importantly… you…" the book continued, "can use me… I think."
"Why me?" Faiser asked.
Silence.
Then the book said slowly:
"I would say… coincidence."
Pause.
"…but I do not believe in coincidences."
Calm.
"Let's say… your chi energy is inverted… and your vessel is broken as well, and your very existence… does not align with this world at all… just like me."
The book continued lightly: "To explain simply… your chi and your vessel align with my inverted world, because my world is the opposite of the real world, and that is exactly what is happening with you, because the laws of your vessel are the opposite of the laws of the vessels of other martial artists in this world… do you understand now?!"
Then—
"Simply… you are an exception."
Faiser did not move, but his gaze changed.
"And that…" the book said, in a lighter tone, "…makes you the only person who hasn't annoyed me so far."
Pause, then it added sarcastically:
"Don't get too happy, you're still annoying… just in an interesting way."
Faiser smiled faintly.
"That's a strange compliment."
"That's the best you'll get." the book replied immediately.
Silence.
Then—
"So…" said Faiser, "what now?"
"Now?" said the book, its sharp sarcasm returning.
Pause.
"…we see whether you will fail quickly… or fail in an interesting way."
Then it added, in a light calm tone:
"Because I… will teach you interesting things."
A short silence followed that sentence, but it wasn't an ordinary silence; it felt like a space being made for something deeper to emerge—something no longer just mutual sarcasm or a passing test, but a true beginning of a collision between two worlds… within two completely different minds.
Inside the book—
The voice was not as still as it seemed.
There was a subtle disturbance, thoughts accelerating behind that sarcastic tone it was used to showing, as if something about Faiser had not passed normally… but left an uncomfortable trace.
"A broken vessel…?"
The thought repeated slowly inside it, but with clear weight, as if it did not belong to what it knew, but collided with it.
"This… logically… is impossible…"
It was not just an observation, but a deeply rooted truth being challenged.
"In every era I've known… in every system… the vessel is the foundation, it is what keeps its owner alive, it is what contains the chi and prevents it from devouring the body…"
Pause.
"And if it breaks…"
It did not complete it immediately, as if the thought itself refused to be spoken easily.
"…everything ends."
No training, no exception, no survival… just collapse.
But—
Faiser stood before it, breathing, thinking… even speaking steadily… simply like a normal person…
"Then… what is this?"
This time, the question was not simple.
"Is it a flaw in the world of this era…? Or was the system of the world itself… never complete?"
A moment of silence.
"Or…"
The thought stopped.
"Something that does not belong to this system from the beginning…?"
Stillness.
But this time, it was no longer just thinking… but the beginning of real interest.
Outside—
Faiser was not unaware.
He felt that change, not through words, but through their absence.
That voice… which never stopped commenting—
quieted… and that alone was enough to catch his attention.
Faiser raised his eyes slightly toward the book, his tone calm, yet not without precise observation:
"You suddenly went silent… don't tell me you started taking me seriously, that would be annoying for you."
The reply was delayed this time, as if words were being chosen carefully.
Then the book said in a lighter tone, but deeper than before:
"Don't worry… I still find you annoying, but… not in the same way."
Faiser narrowed his eyes slightly, then said:
"What do you mean?"
The book sighed lightly, as if partially giving in to something it didn't want to say:
"You know that… you should not exist in this state, and yet you are here, standing, speaking, even trying to understand… and that in itself is an error in the law of the world."
It paused for a moment, then added in a lighter tone, but with clear weight behind it:
"And the problem… is that I don't hate this error… on the contrary, this error might truly free me from my loneliness hahaha."
Faiser's expression did not change much, but he did not ignore the words.
He lowered his gaze slightly, as if something began connecting within him—not only from what was said now… but from everything he had experienced since entering this world.
"…"
Then he spoke quietly to himself, slower than before, as if dismantling his thoughts while speaking:
"Since I came to this world… I kept noticing one thing repeating."
Pause.
"I thought everything seemed to work… but not as it should."
He raised his gaze toward the empty shelves, then returned it to the book.
"I thought power had a system… but it doesn't explain all cases, knowledge exists… but it's incomplete, and laws… are broken silently… but all my previous thoughts and ideas were wrong… I think I understand now why. I think it's because I moved between worlds, that's why I am an exception. I thought the people I met until now were ignorant… but it was the opposite… I was the ignorant one. I didn't realize they were living according to the system of their world, nothing more… I was the one outside this world, trying to force myself into it… hahaha… I'm truly an idiot, why do I take everything so seriously, damn it!!"
Stillness.
Then Faiser spoke directly to the book, in a clear tone:
"And now… you… and me."
He said it simply, but behind it an understanding was forming.
"A book from an erased era… and a person with a broken vessel… standing in a place destined to bring them together."
Silence.
It wasn't a question… but a conclusion.
The book smiled, but this time its smile wasn't entirely sarcastic; it carried something closer… to acknowledgment.
"Hah… when you put it like that… the story sounds poorly written… you're making it romantic in a stupid way… ahem… idiot."
"I think the story is very good like this hahaha." Faiser replied calmly.
The book laughed lightly.
"Maybe… that's why I haven't disappeared from loneliness yet hahaha."
Then it paused for a moment, before adding in a lighter tone, but with clear interest:
"Well, Faiser… it seems I won't be satisfied with just teaching you…"
Pause.
"…I will also watch you… and accompany you."
Faiser raised an eyebrow slightly, then said:
"Annoying."
"Mutual." the book replied immediately.
Then—
"But don't worry…" it added in a lightly sarcastic tone, "if you die… I'll write a short chapter about you. It won't be good… but at least I'll make an effort."
Faiser looked at it for a second, then said calmly:
"Try to make my ending not boring at least."
Stillness.
Then—
A laugh—this time, shared.
Silence fell again.
But this time—it was not between strangers.
But between two things… that had begun to realize…
that there is a future… they share.