The others slept soundly.
Rika snored like a chainsaw, Thane's boots were still on, and Kerrick's levitating dagger twitched faintly above his bed, spinning in lazy circles.
Lyle sat in silence, perched on the narrow windowsill of the Alpha Division barracks. His eyes drifted between the shimmering artificial stars in the dome above and the faint blue glow coming from beneath his cloak.
The book pulsed again.
It hadn't left his side since that day in the dungeon.
Only now… it was changing.
More than just a magical artifact, it felt like it was syncing with him—as if something inside it was waking up.
> Every time I use it, it feels more alive. And now the system's responding faster too.
He pulled the book from beneath his cloak and set it gently on the windowsill.
It was warm.
The gold-etched eye on its cover blinked faintly, glowing in rhythm with his pulse.
And then—
> [Unintegrated Arcai Relic Detected]
[Would you like to bind "Codex of the First Spell" to your system?]
[Warning: Integration is permanent. Codex will become part of soul core.]
Lyle stared at the message hovering silently in his vision.
> I've already started walking this path. Might as well stop hiding from the thing guiding me down it.
He placed his hand on the open page.
"I'm ready."
> [Initiating Soul Bind...]
The book lifted into the air, pages fluttering as if caught in a wind that didn't exist. Light surged upward in spiraling rings, wrapping around Lyle's arm, climbing his chest, his throat—
He gasped.
The book exploded into runes.
They flooded into him, not with pain—but weight.
Knowledge.
Power.
A name he didn't understand whispered in his mind:
> Arcai.
---
He hit the floor, breathless.
A dull ache spread across his chest—like something new had been forged inside him.
Then the system's voice returned—calmer now, more connected.
> [Codex Bound: Arcai Spellbook]
New Feature Unlocked: Personal Spell Library
New Feature Unlocked: Internal Runesmith Engine
Passive Bonus Gained: Mana Regulation +12%
Codex Integrity: 62% | Fragments Recovered: 3 / ???
But more than that… he felt calmer. Like a puzzle piece in his soul had finally clicked into place.
> I'm not just using the book anymore. I am the book.
A faint hum lingered behind his thoughts—an echo of something ancient, buried under centuries of dust and blood. A woman's voice, blurred but firm, recited arcane names and forbidden techniques in a tongue he didn't yet understand.
> "Codex Memory…?" Lyle whispered.
But it faded quickly, as if aware it had said too much.
He stood, shaking the cold from his fingers. The runes had vanished from the air. The book was gone—absorbed.
Not destroyed.
Just within.
> Good. No one can steal it now. No one can scan it. No one can trace it.
Back in bed, he pulled the thin blanket over himself and shut his eyes, feigning sleep.
And when morning came, and the others groaned and grumbled to life, Lyle smiled faintly.
Rika clapped him on the back again. "Hey weakshot, ready to miss more targets today?"
Lyle chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of hitting one."
But inside, something had changed.
---
System Log (Hidden):
Arcai Codex Bound.
Spell Imbuement Slot Unlocked.
Passive Cloaking Protocol: Active.
Memory Lock 1 Detected: "Before the Fall."
Estimated Time to Decode: Unknown.
---
Let the others train with fire, fists, or brute power.
Lyle would build silence into a storm.
And no one would see it coming.