Mentally, I took a step back. ‘Okay, okay, Nakia. You’re getting all worked up about what book to read. Chill. It might be the only thing I can do right now, but…’ I forced myself to focus. ‘Breathe. In through the pages, out through the… pages? Right. I’m a book. I’ve got all the time in the world. Keep it simple.’
I steadied myself, trying to let the… the overexcited beating of my heart— ‘No, wait. That’s gone.’ I don’t have a heart anymore. But I still had the mind of someone who used to. That rush of thoughts, that weird, buzzy feeling when things got overwhelming? Yeah, still there.
‘Used to…’ My thoughts trailed off as I actually thought about it. ‘I’m a book. I’m in a completely different world. This is all real, isn’t it?’ Sitting in that white void, making the choices. It had all been rather over whelming and I had just gone along with it. Not that I was complaining, much. Being a book was… interesting so far. Plus, ‘I do have other books to read to keep me busy, at least.’
But even as I told myself that, a familiar dull ache settled in my center. Homesickness. I felt the warmth of the rhythms again, their gentle whispers buffeting against me. It was like they knew what I needed, even without me asking.
‘Aw, thanks, guys,’ I thought, the ache easing just a little. ‘I’ll be fine. Just… a lot to take in, I guess.’
‘Right. Let’s get this started. I chooooose… light green. Now… how do I do this? Is it like a spell… or do I do the Power Rangers thing and call out the name?’ I thought of my scroll, and it unraveled before me. ‘What was it again? Ah, yes. Echoing Script.’ I focused on the skill and the light green rhythm. Something seemed to click into place and I watched as my mana ticked down.
Mana: 682/732(824)
The other rhythms started to fade, like they were stepping back to give someone else the stage. Not gone, just… quieter. That’s when light green began to grow. The light thickened, gaining weight—if that even made sense—and her whispers got stronger. Not enough to make out, though.
‘Oh. Oh, that itches. Ho! Oh!’ The sensation hit me all at once, like an itch and a tickle. It spread across my pages, and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to laugh, shiver, or… sneeze? Can books sneeze? ‘I wanna sneeze.’
I focused on the feeling, and that’s when I saw it—writing, appearing on my pages. Each letter traced out in light green, slow and careful, like it was taking its time to get everything just right. After the outline was done, black ink filled in the letters, neat and tidy. But even then, the black wasn’t just black. It had this subtle shimmer of green to it, like it couldn’t quite let go of the light that had created it.
‘Thankfully,’ I thought as the sensation continued, ‘the ink filled in dry. That would suck if I stained my own pages doing this!’
The itch-tickle combo eased a bit as more letters appeared, though the strangeness of it all lingered. ‘This is… definitely a new kind of weird. I wonder if this is what getting a tattoo feels like?’
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Wildlife of the Western Thickets
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‘Huh, not sure this is exactly what I was expecting, but…’ I listened to Light Green’s, no… Wildlife’s rhythm and the comfort it gave off. ‘It makes sense. Not only that, that is Wildlife I am ‘listening’ to. Not the author. They may have penned the words, but those words make up who, or rather what, Wildlife is.’ I thought it over a few moments more before focusing back in on the text that was being transcribed into me.
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Come closer now, little one, for I promise I mean you no harm. Let us sit quietly beside the old willow, where the breeze plays with the leaves, and watch our gentle neighbors roam the thickets. May this guide serve as a lamp in the twilight, showing you the shapes and shadows that call these woodlands home. We need not fear what we understand. Instead, with knowledge, we show respect to the furred and feathered souls who share our paths.
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Wildlife was… wow. Definitely an interesting read. Right from the start, it had this soothing, inviting vibe, like it was saying, “Come on in, the woods are fine!” The tone wrapped around me, pulling me into its world of tangled woods, lowland fields, and gently rolling meadows.
The entries weren’t just text; they came with the kind of soft sketches that made you feel like the artist really knew these creatures. Like they’d sat in the bushes for hours, watching and waiting just to get them right. There was the Velvet-Horn Briarstag, all elegance and moss-like thorns that covered its antlers. The Burrow-Furred Fizzle Hare, which sounded like it might sneeze itself into a puff of fur at any moment. Oh! And the Rust-Tail Brushfox—classic fox vibes but with that extra touch of whimsy.
Each creature came with these neat little descriptions, behavioral notes, and even tips for spotting their subtle signs. ‘Like tracking a Brushfox’s paw prints? Heck yes, please!’ The pictures nearly making up for the fact that I would never actually see one.
And the maps! Oh man, the maps were something else. Simple, sure, but you could tell they’d been drawn with so much care. They showed dens, foraging grounds, and watering holes, like little treasure maps leading straight to these creatures’ homes. ‘It’s like someone took the time to say, “Hey, this is their world too, and it’s worth sharing.”’
I couldn’t help but soak it all in. If I still had lungs, I would’ve sighed. ‘This book is pure magic! Oh man! I can’t believe the detail they put into this!’
‘If only it hadn’t taken so long to transfer over!’ It took longer than I had expected, but then again the pain staking precision with which each letter had been written… ‘If I had actually been reading the book, I would have read it so much faster. I guess that could be a draw back of the skill? It is listed as Level 1… Wait, what’s that?’
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Race: Handbook, Level 0
Experience: 1.63/100
I had gained experience! ‘What?! How?! What did I do? Was it from copying over Wildlife?’ I stared at the number glowing in my mind. I had been so busy going over the text and admiring the drawings, I hadn’t even noticed until after the copying had completed. ‘? That’s so specific! But who cares? I got XP! Boom shaka laka BOOM!’
The thrill of that revelation alone had me buzzing, but it wasn’t even the best part. Echoing Script—it didn’t just transfer over the book. Nope. It had brought everything with it. Every handwritten comment, every little note in the margins, all of it. Personal encounters, sightings, things that worked for them and things that didn’t.
‘Eryngo, Wildlife was your book too!’
‘I… don’t think you wrote it like you did me, but still! That is your writing in the margins! I can recognize your handwriting anywhere! Wait…’ I shifted my focus. The words and images across my pages began to shift and slide about as I dug through the information. ‘You’ve been to some of these places. No, we’ve been to some of these places. I can see your own maps of them. Here… this one is the most recent…’
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Take heed, little one, for among the soft rustle of leaves and the glow of emberwasps lies the domain of the Ash-Horn Nightstalker, a creature both reclusive and fiercely protective of its range. You will know its territory by the ragged scratches it leaves at the base of grayberry bushes, the resin being paralytic to any other beast. If you come across these markings, walk lightly, lest you stir its slumber.
Should you chance upon a Nightstalker, resist the urge to brandish blade or bow. Calm your breath, lower your gaze, and let it sense your stillness. Slowly place a handful of sweet, crushed frostroot at the edge of its path. The scent will soothe its ire—enough that you may retreat without bloodshed. In this quiet exchange, you respect the beast’s authority over its home and avoid needless harm to you or the Nightstalker.
If you remember only one lesson here, remember this: Understanding the ways of the forest’s guardians grants you safe passage. In reading these pages, you hold a key to peace over conflict, and I pray you use it with a gentle hand.
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‘This isn’t too long before they disappeared… yada yada… possible sighting… grayberry bushes… Oh, Eryngo. Did you try and find this creature?’
Mana: 814/814(824)
‘It looks like my mana is back to normal too. The 50 I was down refilled while I was copying the book.’ When the lock was done though, the mana that had been locked away was gone. ‘I didn’t realize I was gonna have to regen that too. Hmm, makes mana planning a bit more important, eh? It does say 1 Stamina and Mana per minute. So that’s pretty decent I guess, especially since the Admin said that is tough to do, or something. I guess that is a good way as any to keep track of time at the very least.’ I studied my scroll intently.
Name: Nakia Davids Species: Handbook, Level 0 Experience: 1.63/100 Health: 25/25 Stamina: 26/26 Mana: 814/814 (824)
Traits
Native - Your form resonates with the fabric of this world, marking you as one of its own.
Effect: Local creatures and inhabitants are less likely to treat you as an outsider or threat. You gain a slight edge in understanding the environment, customs, or languages.
Skills
Reading - Level 1
Description: You possess the inherent ability to comprehend any text written within you, regardless of language or medium. As long as it's inscribed in your pages, you understand its meaning entirely.
Inherent
Writing - Level 1
Description: You can inscribe new words or symbols into your own pages at will. The writing appears as if created by an invisible hand and can include any language or cipher you understand. This ability allows you to record thoughts, observations, or information directly.
Inherent
Resonant Scribe – Level 1
Description: By harmonizing the rhythm of your internal content with the ambient knowledge around you, you generate a steady flow of energy that restores both physical and magical energy. This synergy of internal and external order fuels your vitality and intellect alike.
Passive: You regain 1 Stamina and 1 Mana per Minute
Analyze - Level 1
Description: You can delve deeper into the essence of anything written in your pages or within your Aura Detection range. Analyze reveals intricate details such as magical properties, hidden meanings, or historical context, giving your wielder unparalleled insight.
Active: 10 Mana
Infinite Layers - Level 1
Description: Your pages defy the laws of physical space, allowing you to hold an infinite amount of knowledge and writing. Text begins to shift and overlap in surreal layers, with each piece of information accessible through intent or specific searching methods.
Inherent: Locks 1.1% of Mana.
Echoing Script - Level 1
Description: When placed near another book, scroll, or written text, you can absorb its contents into your own pages. This creates an exact copy of the text within you. The process is subtle and undetectable, preserving both the original material and your copied version. Over time, this skill could expand to copying enchantments or magical properties tied to the written work.
Active Ongoing: 60 Mana. Locks 10% of Mana while in use.
‘Hey! My XP went up again!’ I tried to flutter my pages in excitement, forgetting I was wedged between other things. Nothing so much as twitched, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if it would have even if I wasn’t stuck. ‘It’s at 1.64 now. How?! I didn’t copy anything new… I wonder what I did?’
Back home, I’d played some games. Mostly idol sims, because it allowed me to do other things while I played, but a few friends had roped me into trying Dungeons & Dragons. It had been a lot of fun, even though I never got to become a werewolf, and I knew enough to figure out the basics of how XP worked. Most of the time, you got it by killing things.
I felt about myself. Still only the two flattish surfaces on my sides and some dust beneath me. No corpses. Check. I flicked through my pages. Nothing smothered, besides the pressed plants, between them. Check. No ominous bloodstains on my cover, that I could tell. Triple check.
‘Okay, so maybe it wasn’t combat-related. Quests? Yeah, quests could give you XP too, if this world played by similar rules. But maybe not? Since I don’t think you could be a book in D&D.’ I zeroed in on my scroll again, hoping for some answers. ‘Uh, quests?’ I focused like I did to pull up my scroll. Nothing.
‘Weird. I mean, I don’t recall seeing any notifications for a quest,’ I mused, ‘and it’s not like I could’ve missed them. Unless they’re, like, super subtle? Or invisible?’ That idea felt unfair. It was one thing to complete a ‘hidden’ quest, but not to receive an acknowledgment for doing so?
I grumbled inwardly, poking at the mystery like it might suddenly explain itself. ‘Well, at least I’m getting XP… whatever it’s from. But now I have more questions… like why was it so little?’