The room was dark.
Not in the way night is dark, but in a way that felt deliberate. Like the absence of light had been poured in by hand, one drop at a time.
Itsuki had fallen asleep against the wall of the dormitory after a long day of drills, sword stances, and avoiding questions. But now he found himself somewhere else—weightless, floating in a black expanse that hummed with hidden power.
He opened his mouth to speak—but then he heard the voice again.
That voice.
"You were never meant to survive here as you are now."
Itsuki turned in the dark, searching for a source, a face, anything.
"Then why send me here at all?!" he snapped. "You gave me a second chance, but no strength. No answers. I'm being crushed under someone else's life—!"
"You asked to go back. I granted the request. But this world is not made of mercy."
The dark shifted.
And in front of him, floating like a phantom between stars, appeared a vast doorway made of light and glowing runes.
"To thrive in a world of martial power, you must acquire it."
The doorway pulsed—then opened.
Inside, shelves appeared.
Not normal shelves. These rose into the void like skyscrapers, twisting, bending, curling upward into infinity. They were made of lines of golden energy, and floating between them were thousands—tens of thousands—of glowing books. Each one shimmered with its own light, like fireflies sealed in crystal.
A digital interface hovered before him.
Welcome to the Grand Archive.
User: Itsuki Yoshida (Soulbound)Access Level: InitiateAvailable Power Grade: Mortal - Tier 1Unlocked Books: 11,092Locked Books (Power too low): 39,884Progress: 0 / 100 Books Read
Reward upon 100 Books Completed: [Skill: Auto-Read]Auto-Read: Instantly absorb all contents of a readable item within 5 seconds.
Itsuki stared at the interface, jaw slightly agape.
"Wait… wait—what is this? Like a… system?"
"A gift," the voice answered. "And a test. Within this library, knowledge is power. Every martial path, every movement, every forbidden style—recorded and stored."
Itsuki hesitated. "But I can't use most of it?"
"Not yet. Your body is too weak to withstand the power of advanced techniques. But start with what you can comprehend. Build your foundation. Understand the why before the how. Only then will you rise."
He floated toward one of the shelves, instinctively reaching toward a glowing book titled:
[Basic Qi Circulation Techniques - Crane Flow Method]
The moment his fingers brushed the cover, a rush of warmth ran through his body. The book opened in the air before him, and golden letters began to scroll across translucent pages like a film reel.
He read.
One page. Two. Ten.
The breathing technique was slow, deliberate. The diagram explained the flow of internal energy from the dantian through the Eight Meridians, with slow control and pulsing rhythm. It was meditative—something he could actually try.
And when he reached the final page, the book burst into faint golden particles and sank into his chest.
[Crane Flow Method: Acquired]Progress: 1 / 100
Itsuki blinked. "That's it? I… I learned it?"
"No. You unlocked it. Application is yours to master."
He exhaled slowly, hands shaking. Then, something inside the library shifted. The shelves around him twisted, and new books lowered within his reach.
Like the system had adjusted itself.
He reached for another one.
[Basic Martial Stance - Iron Root Foundation]
Read. Absorbed.
Progress: 2 / 100
Then another.
[Beginner Sword Movements - Wind Cleave Pattern]
Progress: 3 / 100
Hours passed. Or was it minutes? Time didn't seem to move normally here. He read about footwork, balance, muscle control, the different types of inner qi flow, and how emotions could affect cultivation speed. Each time he finished a book, it dissolved into him—and he felt his mind expanding, his body tingling with latent warmth.
"You now have what others do not," the voice whispered. "A path not carved by lineage or luck—but knowledge."
When he awoke, he jolted upright in the dormitory.
His body was drenched in sweat again, but this time, he felt… different.
Centered.
He sat up, crossed his legs on the straw mat, and began to breathe—slow, rhythmic. In through the nose. Hold. Out through the mouth.
The Crane Flow Method.
At first, nothing happened.
But then… a warmth stirred in his belly. A small glow. Like someone had lit a candle in his core. It wasn't much—but it was real.
Itsuki smiled.
He had felt qi.
Over the next few days, he read more whenever he could—in sleep, in stolen moments during rest. He was still clumsy in combat. Still earned sneers from the others. Still had no memory of the real Jinhwan.
But he was changing.
Quietly. Rapidly.
And when he reached the 20th book, something new appeared in the library interface:
Milestone Reached: 20 Books ReadBonus Unlocked: Memory Retention Boost (10%)Your ability to recall and utilize martial arts increases slightly.
"Progress," he whispered to himself.
And he meant it.
He didn't know why he was in this world. Not fully. Not yet.
But if knowledge was power, and he had a library of infinity at his fingertips...
He wasn't going to die forgotten.
He was going to become something no one had ever seen before.
A reader, in a world ruled by fists.
Word Count: ~1,210
Would you like Chapter Five to feature:
His first duel against a fellow disciple where he puts the skills to use?
A test or ranking within the sect?
Or the discovery that someone else in this world remembers him?
Let me know, and I'll write the next chapter to match!
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