After a few days of thinking, Jonathan finally stopped resisting.
There was no escaping. No bargaining. No miracle ready to drag him back to the world he had left behind.
"…Well," he muttered to himself, standing up, "might as well get used to it."
His footsteps echoed softly through the Eternal Library as he started walking. Endless rows of shelves stretched before him, disappearing into the distance like a never-ending ocean of books.
A million years… huh? he thought, blinking. "That's… actually insane...can I endure it?"
The thought made his head spin a little, but the quiet around him left no room for denial.
Then, a question popped into his mind—one that made his chest tighten.
Then, a question popped into his mind—one that made his chest tighten.
He stopped and turned toward the glowing stone tablet.
"What about the cat?" he asked, voice low. "Its lifespan is way shorter than a human's. Even if I survive… it'll die in a few years. I'll be alone."
For a moment, nothing happened. He waited.
Then the tablet lit up.
NOTICE:
The cat is special. Like you, it will not age.
It has also been selected by us. We guarantee it is a very special being.
Jonathan blinked. "…Oh. Okay. That's… actually kind of a relief."
He looked down at the black cat sitting beside him. It stared back calmly, eyes glowing with quiet intelligence, like it had already figured out everything about him.
"…Good," he said, smiling faintly. "Guess I won't be stuck alone in this eternal library or whatever..."
The cat flicked its tail once and let out a soft, satisfied purr. Jonathan chuckled. "Alright, Shadow. That's your name now. Shadow. Fits that uncunning look of yours."
After a moment, he turned back to the shelves, his fingers hovering over the countless books.
"Well then… should we start?" he said aloud, more to himself than anyone else. "Nothing to lose, right? And honestly… I love reading anyway. Right, Shadow?"
The cat meowed softly, as if agreeing.
Jonathan grinned, feeling a spark of excitement for the first time in days. "Perfect. Let's do this. First book… here I come."
Jonathan sat down on the floor, cradling the first book he had chosen.
He stared at the title and felt a shiver run down his spine.
I'm not in the modern world anymore… he thought, eyes wide. This… this is the world I've always imagined. Wizards, swordsmen, magical beasts… all of it!!.
He whispered the title, almost reverently.
"Fire and Water Magic, Vol. 1…"
Opening the book, he was immediately drawn into a story about fire and water magic. It explained the fundamental principles: how fire and water could exist together, how they could create synergy, and how opposing forces could balance one another.
Huh… so it's like yin and yang in those wuxia novels I used to read? he mused, his mind racing with comparisons and possibilities.
Time seemed to slip away as he read. Hours—or maybe minutes—passed before he finally closed the book. But then something impossible happened.
The book lifted from his hands as if it had a life of its own. It floated in the air like a small boat drifting along a great river, only to suddenly burst into flames, engulfed by fire from an invisible tribe of sorcerers.
Jonathan's eyes went wide. "Ahh! My hands!" he shouted, feeling the heat licking his skin. But before the pain could register, water erupted from nowhere, washing over his hands and leaving him completely unharmed.
Blinking in shock, he realized what had just happened.
"I… I can remember everything in a book! So the tablet wasn't lying—it really did give me a skill…"
Every word, every detail, every spell or principle—etched into his mind as if he had read it a thousand times. And without warning, his own body began to mimic the magic he had just read. Fire flickered across his hands, then water rushed to counter it, following his instinctive control.
A thrill surged through him. This… this is unbelievable. I can actually learn magic from books. I can… I can live in the stories I read.
Shadow, his black cat, padded closer, tail flicking. Its glowing eyes seemed to say, Told you you'd be fine.
Jonathan's grin widened. "Alright, Shadow… let's see what else these books can teach me."
He headed toward another shelf, eager to pick up the next book. Just as his fingers brushed the spine, a sudden notification flashed from the stone tablet.
"As a librarian, you must read systematically. To access the next shelf, you must first finish the current section you have selected."
Jonathan froze and stared at the tablet. "…So there's a rule like this? And you didn't think to mention it earlier?" he muttered, annoyed.
The tablet didn't respond to his tone. After a pause, it repeated itself, glowing insistently:
"Please read systematically."
Jonathan groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Of course… the eternal library has rules too. Perfect."
Time had passed in a flash. Ten years had gone by since Jonathan arrived in this mysterious library.
Every day had followed the same routine: request an impossible meal from the stone tablet—somehow it always ended up appearing perfectly—and feed himself and Shadow, his ever-patient black cat. Then he would pick up a book and read.
Now, as he finished the last book on the first shelf, a sense of accomplishment washed over him. He had finally mastered the principles behind fire and water magic—how to control them, balance them, and wield their synergy.
"Finally! I've read through this entire shelf…" Jonathan whispered, a mixture of pride and exhaustion in his voice. "I can't believe it took this long… but… wait a second. I haven't even aged a single day."
The stone tablet glowed, words appearing clearly:
NOTICE:
Congratulations! You have finally read through the first shelf you selected. Time spent: 10 years. Time remaining: 999,990 years before release.
Jonathan blinked. "…Still… I have… almost a million years to complete this absurd task?" He ran a hand over his face and let out a dry laugh. "Well, that's… encouraging, I guess."
Shadow purred, brushing against his leg, and Jonathan shook his head, smiling.
"Alright, Shadow… looks like we've only just begun."
"Now… for the next shelf," Jonathan said, stretching his arms. "Should we pick another magic book? Your call, Shadow."
The black cat purred softly, then padded toward a nearby section.
Jonathan followed and pulled a book from the shelf. He raised an eyebrow. "This… a language book?"
He looked down at Shadow, studying the cat intently. It was almost as if the feline was trying to say something—but Jonathan didn't have the means to understand.
"…Figures," he muttered with a small sigh, flipping open the book. "Always something new, huh?"
He read the title aloud. "Elven Language."
"This sounds interesting. Good call, Shadow." He gently patted the cat, who calmly curled up in his lap as he opened the book and started reading.
I mastered the first shelf… and, somehow, it vanished before my eyes.
Thus, half a million years passed…
"Will Jonathan still keep his humanity… or will he lose himself in this endless nightmare?"