Chapter 4: The Library of Traits
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When my vision returned, I was no longer floating in the empty space.
I stood on solid ground or something resembling it. The floor beneath me was smooth like polished stone. My bare feet couldn't feel any distinct texture. The air was thick with the scent of aged paper and ink, laced with something faintly metallic, like the lingering presence of a storm.
Above me stretched an endless void, a ceiling so high it vanished into a darkness. But there was light. Glowing orbs drifted lazily through the air, casting a soft golden glow across the massive bookshelves that extended in every direction.
A library.
But not just any library.
A place that felt almost alive.
The shelves shifted on their own, some moving aside to make room for others and books whispered as their pages fluttered. I could hear them. Not as voices, but as impressions, as if the books themselves wanted to be read.
And I wasn't alone.
Hundreds of souls filled the space, each of them in various states of awe, confusion, or desperation.
Some wandered aimlessly and where overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the place. Others clutched books tightly and flipped through pages as if their lives depended on it—which, in a way, they May did.
There was no guidance. No explanations.
Just us, the books, and an unspoken understanding that we were to choose.
"The Weight of Choice" I thought
I approached the nearest shelf, running my fingers along the back of a book. It was warm to the touch, almost pulsing like a heartbeat. The title wasn't written in any language I recognized. When I opened it, I understood everything as if the knowledge had been placed directly into my mind.
Each book detailed a trait of something fundamental that would be woven into our new bodies.
Not skills. Not talents.
But physical truths, almost blessings.
A body that would heal rapidly. A heart that would never tire. Muscles that could tear through steel. Eyes that could see through deception. Miraculous abilities which we could only dream about where in our reach.
Three traits.
That was the limit.
And the weight of that decision settled over me like an iron chain.
I observed the others.
I wasn't the only one struggling to chose traits.
To my left, a young woman with an glow to her form flipped through books feverishly. Her lips moved as if she were muttering to herself and her eyes darted across the pages with restless energy. It seemed like she wanted to absorb the truth behind those books.
Further away, a man gripped a book so tightly his knuckles turned pale, his whole body trembling and his brows began to furrow.
He turned to another soul nearby, his voice frantic.
"Three?! Only three?! That's insane! How the hell am I supposed to fight a Demon King with just three?!"
His outburst caught attention, but no one answered him.
Some nodded in silent agreement. Others ignored him. They were too engrossed in their own decisions.
I continued walking, brushing past a soul who had collapsed onto the floor, cradling a book in his arms. His whisper was almost inaudible.
"What if I choose wrong…?"
His fear was justified.
This wasn't a game where we could respec our choices. What we picked here would define us forever.
I read for what felt like hours.
Book after book, page after page, my fingers traced the words of countless possibilities. I debated endlessly, weighing raw power against survivability, agility against endurance, offense against defense.
And in the end, I chose three.
1. Silent frame – The body naturally moves without making sound, even on unstable terrain.
I didn't want overwhelming power. I wanted freedom. The ability to move without sound, without hesitation, to never be caught off guard. In a world of danger, the one unseen is the one still standing.
2. Regulated Metabolism – Can go long periods without food or water.
This choice came from practicality. A body that required less sustenance was a body that wouldn't weaken as quickly. In a world where survival wasn't guaranteed, having control over my own energy would give me an edge.
3. Death's Resilience – Immune to instant-death effects and curses.
A trait that would keep me alive. I didn't know what kind of magic existed in this world, but I knew one thing: I refused to die a second time.
I exhaled slowly, closing the final book.
My choices were made.
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The End of Selection
As if responding to my decision, the air around me shifted.
A low hum filled the library, and I noticed something—some souls were vanishing.
One by one, as they made their choices, they faded from the space, their forms dissolving like mist.
Some were ready. Others hesitated, clutching their books, fear written across their faces.
And then there were those who had chosen nothing.
Their expressions blank, their hands empty. Souls that had spent too long wavering, doubting, regretting.
A new sound joined the hum—footsteps.
Slow, measured.
Lir walked among them.
The small, golden-haired figure stopped before each of them, tilting their head slightly. And with a simple gesture—a touch, a whisper, a breath—those who had failed to choose simply… disappeared.
No screams. No resistance.
Just… gone.
I clenched my fists.
I didn't know where they went. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
A pull. A shift. A sensation like falling.
The library blurred. My body felt light, weightless, dissolving—yet something else was forming in its place.
Something solid. Something real.
My vessel.
My new body.
And just like that, the library was gone.