Let's fucking GOOOO!!!.

I look AWESOME!

The silver hair, the sharp features, the crimson eyes, and the muscles I always craved but could never achieve.

Staring at this 'new' me on the mirrored surface, I couldn't help but think I might develop a touch of arrogance or narcissism. Because seriously, I look incredible.

Leo-sama, your dreams of having Elf-san and Neko-chan seem promising.

Heheh~...I have a new friend from the cat people, and the things he told me about their females, Neko-chan, made my virgin heart go DOKI! DOKI!

I've made a decision. I'm going to take Neko-chan as my first wife, then Elf-san as my second. And maybe a wolf woman too. I heard many good things about them, but you apparently have to defeat them first and force them into submission, otherwise it's the other way around.

Hehehe... Options... so many options. My harem would be BIG.

Why do I fool myself? There isn't a SINGLE woman in this frozen Keep! Except for that young woman who pretended to be a man. I only saw her from afar and let me tell you she was stunning.

There's something about the combination of silver hair and crimson eyes that evokes a sense of intimidation or gives off a noble and dangerous vampire lord vibe. I mean, from what I read and watched back in my old world, our appearance is reminiscent of vampires, which is awesome.

Especially that female soldier. Some men tried to hit on her, being the only woman here and the fact that most men here haven't seen a woman in a year or two, let alone been with one. It was inevitable that they'd try their luck. But that woman was... well, how can I describe it? A wild cat?

She kicked their balls okay! And hard. I practically felt the pain just from watching. Not good. I'm considering asking one of the dwarves to forge a special piece of armor to protect my balls, I can't risk the lives of my future children, right?

Going back to that woman, no one approached her again, not because she crushed the balls of some guy, but because she claimed to belong to the lord commander.

How the heck did that happen?!

I understand that the guy is handsome... very handsome... OKAY! He's ridiculously handsome... Ahem... Even I have to admit that Aron is slightly more attractive than me. So, I can see why that woman pledged herself to him. Because of this, no one dared to approach her, fearing the lord commander's wrath

I wonder if this was her goal in claiming that she belongs to him.

Speaking of the lord commander, the guy saved my life. The Keeper informed me that something went wrong during my awakening, but he didn't have the specifics since the lord commander didn't elaborate. However, based on his intuition, the Keeper guessed that I received a massive boost to my mana that my body couldn't handle. However, I know that's not true, since I didn't even have mana before.

I saw it before the pain consumed me, that image is forever etched in my mind. When I drank that potion and my awakening began, my mind drifted away and I found myself in a completely white space.

Two figures composed of energy were with me in that space. One was golden, taking a humanoid form with two wings—an angel. The other one was shrouded in darkness and was clearly a dragon.

The two energy beings were locked in a fearsome battle. I was only able to observe their fight for a few seconds before a searing pain engulfed me, and I collapsed on that white floor.

Somehow, I intuitively understood what that was, what that battle and those energies represented. I awakened to two different types of mana. And they were hostile and incompatible with each other. Of course, one was light and the other was dark.

Their struggle for dominance was tearing my body and soul apart piece by piece, yet somehow, Aron, the lord commander, managed to save me, achieving something I thought was impossible and utterly amazing.

Balance.

He stabilized the two manas inside me, making them coexist harmoniously within my chest and throughout my mana veins, similar to the Yin and Yang symbol.

Phew! I need to thank the man when I see him again. He saved my life and granted me the ability to wield magic.

Speaking of magic, I turned around and gazed at the black book and the golden feather lying there on my infirmary bed. I could sense a magical connection between the two objects and myself.

One thing I discovered after waking up from my coma was that I possessed complete control over the book and the feather. With a mere thought, I could make them levitate, turn invisible, or vanish entirely by storing them within my wrists. When I experimented, the black book would embed itself within my left wrist, leaving behind a cool-looking book tattoo. The golden feather, on the other hand, would do the same on my right wrist, manifesting as a feather tattoo.

It's a clever way to store these items. No need to constantly carry them around, especially during a fight or a life-threatening situation where I need agility and free hands.

The only thing I hadn't attempted yet was using them. All the black pages were blank, and I had no clue how to utilize them. I mean, it's not rocket science to guess that I have to write something with the feather, but the question is what?

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Is this my 'cheat' for being transported to another world? What should I call it? My Book System? I'm a little bummed by this. A book? Really!

Why couldn't I have scored a cool system where I become a master swordsman or a powerful wizard? Or... hehehe... an erotic-themed system. That would be interesting.

Sigh.

With a defeated sigh, I settled back onto the bed and flipped open the black book. I stared intently at the blank pages, pondering what to write, when a scene from one of my favorite movies back on Earth flickered through my mind.

Snapping my fingers, a thrill shot through me as the golden feather vanished from the bed and reappeared in my grasp, its smooth surface cool against my skin. The frustration I felt earlier bubbled up again. A book system? Really? This "cheat" felt underwhelming compared to the fantastical systems I'd devoured in countless novels back on Earth.

Taking a deep breath, I meticulously began inscribing a word onto the blank page.

"Hello?!" I wrote.

My eyes snapped open in surprise as I watched the golden ink being absorbed. Then, suddenly, a word materialized on the page.

"Greetings"

Hmm... so the book can actually respond.

"My name is Leo, and you are?" I wrote

"Hello, Leo, I'm Codex. How may I be of service?"

Codex. A fitting name for a book. Unable to contain my excitement, I wrote again.

"Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

C'mon, admit it. You would've done the same. Hehehe...

"Yes"

WHAT! Really? Hey, this was just a joke and something I wanted to do for fun. But is there really a Chamber of Secrets here? Of course! This is a magical world, I bet there are a ton of hidden chambers.

"Can you tell me?" I wrote again.

"No"

A big, fat NO appeared on the page. And before I had a chance to react, another line materialized.

"But I can tell you where to find it.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise and quickly wrote, "Tell me where!"

I held my breath as I watched the golden ink disappear, and for a few seconds, nothing appeared on the page. Just when I began to lose hope, Codex replied.

"In the girls' bathroom."

WHAT THE HECK!!

My heart skipped a beat. Codex's response held a completely different meaning for me. It actually understood the reference I was making and knew about that movie from my world. And that scared the shit out of me.

How the hell does something from this world know about a reference from a movie from my world?

"Don't be surprised, Leo," a golden line of words shimmered into existence. "When I awakened, I saw all of your memories."

A shiver ran down my spine as I read those words.

"Prove it," I wrote. I don't know why I wrote this, but I couldn't believe the book's words, so I challenged it.

"Alright"

"Second folder from the top named 'Research' password xxxxx, favorite picture 'Miss Neko-chan hot—"

AHHHH, STOP! I believe you! With the feather, I frantically scribbled the words out, preventing the rest from appearing.

Damn it, I can somehow sense that this black book, Codex, is smirking. The fact that it knows all my secrets irritates me.

I'm just a little embarrassed that it knows my 'dirty' secrets, and in all honesty, I don't even have that many dirty secrets, nor would anything I have qualify as 'dirty.'

I never really had the chance with all my sickness and coma. What truly bothers me is that something, or in this case someone, knows intimate details about me, while I know nothing about them. That fact grates on me.

"Alright, I believe you. Anyway, what exactly are you? Don't tell me you're just some humble old book"

There was a long pause after my words disappeared. I wondered if I'd made a mistake writing that. But honestly, I had to know. I couldn't believe this was just a normal magical relic awakened by me.

"I apologize, Leo, but I can't reveal my true nature. It would be dangerous for you. For now, think of me simply as Codex."

"And to clarify, I'm not the book itself. I'm the entity communicating with you through the black book as a conduit."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. If Codex wasn't the black book itself, then why did it initially present itself as such? And what did it mean by dangerous?

Boy. I have no fear, I'd already lived a painful and miserable life, and I even experienced death once. Did it think I'd be scared now?

"What do you want?" I wrote.

If some powerful entity was communicating with you through a magical black book and refused to disclose its true nature, then it obviously wanted something in return. Let's just refer to it as 'Him'

"Currently, not much. Perhaps in the future, you can assist me after you grow stronger. But for now, I would like your help finding someone."

Stroking my chin thinking for a moment, I wrote, "What are you offering in exchange for my help?"

Let's face it, I was willing to help if the reward was good.

"Magical knowledge," Codex replied. "I can equip you with the necessary magical knowledge in the form of training methods, runes, and spells to help you develop and wield your magic. Think of me as your mentor."

Hmm... An intriguing offer. Knowledge is power, and as a bookworm – or should I say web-bookworm – myself, I highly value knowledge and understand its importance. However, knowledge can sometimes be a double-edged sword.

"Only magical knowledge? What about the physical aspects? Like fighting styles or training methods for the body?" I wrote.

"Of course," Codex replied. "As a Watcher, you possess the potential for superior physical strength and growth compared to most mortals. I can guide you in that area as well, but I recommend focusing on the Watcher training first."

One word immediately jumped out at me: 'Mortal.' Only someone who wasn't mortal themselves would refer to others as such. My mind instantly shifted to the one person I knew who fit that description.

"Are you an Aspect?" I blurted out, then facepalmed after writing it. Damn it! I can't seem to control my curiosity.

After another long pause, Codex replied, "Yes and No," and nothing else appeared on the black page.

I was relieved that I hadn't angered some unknown entity by asking that question. The last thing I needed were zealots hunting my ass down.

"Alright, I accept your offer on the condition that you help me grow stronger and promise not to harm me in any way."

A risk? Absolutely, but I was ready to take it.

"Don't worry, Leo. I cannot harm you even if I wanted to, and yes, I will help you grow stronger," Codex replied.

A smile crept across my face. I grasped the golden feather tightly and wrote again. "Good. Now, tell me about the person you're searching for. What's their name and where can I find them?"

"Name unknown, I can't quite recall it. As for location, they are here within the Keep."

Oh! Within the Keep itself. I wonder who this person could be. "Since this person is here in the Keep, I can probably find them for you, but I need more information. Their race, gender, appearance, and age would be helpful."

Information is key. Since Codex can't remember this person's name, my search will be difficult. I can only hope he remembers other details about this person.

And the reason I asked for their gender, despite the Frostguard only having men, was obvious. If the person Codex was looking for was female, then my search was practically done, since right now in the Keep there was only one woman.

"I apologize," Codex replied, "but the only information I have is that the person is male and appears human. Other than that, no. I've never actually met him."

I frowned. This wasn't ideal. My search would be challenging. Before I could write and ask for more details or try hard to recall, golden words materialized on the black page.

"The only clue I have right now is that during your mana outburst, this person was standing right next to you. That was the only moment I was able to sense him."

Reading Codex's words, my eyes widened in shock. During my mana outburst, only one person was close to me, and that person saved my life.

Aron!