The Path to Power!

For over a year, Ryan had worked in Paul's magic prop shop, sketching dozens of intricate magic patterns, yet he had never seen actual magic in action.

He had no idea what true magic looked like, only that the symbols he painstakingly carved held power he had never touched.

But now—

This was different.

The book floating before him, shimmering with golden light, contained magic he had never even heard of.

And yet… he recognized them.

Ryan's pulse quickened as a thought surfaced, sharp and undeniable.

Could this be the gift that came with my transmigration?

It had been fifteen years since he found himself in this world, stripped of all he once knew. Fifteen years of struggling in the lowest depths of society.

And now, suddenly, this book appeared.

If this power truly came from that game guardian, then it meant…

His breathing grew ragged. A magician.

The most respected, feared, and highly paid profession in the world.

Even an apprentice magician, barely capable of casting three spells, could command admiration wherever they went.

As for full-fledged wizards?

They were practically untouchable.

Ryan had seen one before. A mere apprentice wizard.

The most powerful person to ever step foot in Paul's shop.

That apprentice could cast three first-level spells, and people treated him with reverence.

Even the magic scrolls the apprentice had left behind, just one of them, were considered treasures. Paul displayed it on the counter like a priceless artifact, drawing in customers with the mere sight of it.

And yet… the book before Ryan contained far more than three spells.

If I can use these… doesn't that mean I can become a magician too?

Ryan's hands trembled as he suppressed the wild excitement surging within him.

His eyes scanned the page, locking onto the most familiar spell—

Magic Arrow.

Among all the first-level spells, Magic Arrow was one of the most commonly used in the game.

It required little mana, but it was the only offensive spell at that level.

A lifeline in early battles. A spell that could tip the balance between life and death.

If this spell worked… everything would change.

His fingers hovered over the glowing symbol.

Then, slowly, he pressed down.

For a moment, he held his breath.

And then—

Nothing.

No explosion of energy.

No surge of power.

Just a ripple, like his fingertip had dipped into still water.

Ryan stared in disbelief.

He moved his hand away, the page returned to normal.

No change in the air. No restless energy.

He tried again.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then he tried other spells, one after another, pressing each icon, waiting for something anything, to happen.

But every time, the same result.

Nothing.

His brows furrowed, frustration creeping into his veins.

This doesn't make sense.

The book had remained hidden inside him for fifteen years, only revealing itself now. There had to be a reason.

And yet, he couldn't activate anything.

Why?

His mind raced, grasping at any possible explanation.

Then—

A shift.

A flicker in the book's golden glow.

And before he could react—

The pages turned on their own.

Ryan's breath caught in his throat.

The familiar glow of information appeared before him, yet this time, it was something completely different.

Ryan (Opener of the "Guardian's Guide")

Attack Power: 0

Defense Power: 0

Knowledge: 1

Mana: 0

That was it.

Just four attributes, simple and direct.

But as his eyes scanned the page, Ryan stiffened.

Except for the part where his name was displayed, he recognized every other attribute.

These were game statistics.

More importantly, these were the attributes from Guardian .

Ryan's thoughts spun rapidly.

Attack Power. Defense Power. Knowledge. Mana.

In the game, Knowledge determined the maximum magic points a hero had.

One point of Knowledge equaled ten mana points.

But in his case—

His Knowledge was 1.

Which meant—

He had 10 mana.

Yet his Mana stat was still at 0.

…Then how was he supposed to cast anything?

Ryan's heart sank.

Even in the game, the weakest characters he had ever played had starting attributes of at least 4.

But his? A single measly point in Knowledge?

No strength. No defense. Barely any magical ability.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips.

"So that's the catch…"

He clenched his fist, staring at the page as if demanding answers.

The book had finally appeared, but it wasn't just handing him power.

There was a cost.

And just like in this cruel world, nothing would come easy.

Ryan's jaw tightened.

He wasn't angry. He wasn't disappointed.

If anything—

He was even more determined.

If this Guardian' Guide had rules, then he would learn them.

If it required effort, then he would give it everything he had.

He wasn't the same fool who once believed time travelers were destined for greatness.

He had already crawled through the dirt, survived the worst life had to offer.

If this was the price for power—

Then he would pay it.

His gaze sharpened, his fingers hovering over the glowing page.

A small marker flickered at the edge of the book.

Ryan tapped it lightly.

The page shifted back, returning to the screen of magic icons.

He wasn't done yet.

If there was a way to gain magic power, he would find it.

And when he did—

Nothing in this world would stop him.

Ryan frowned as he carefully read through the Magic Arrow spell description.

---

Magic Arrow (Level 1 Attack Spell)

Requirements: Minimum 1 mana to cast.

Primary: Mana cost: 5 | Damage: (Mana × 10) + 10

Basic: Mana cost: 4 | Damage: (Mana × 10) + 10

Advanced: Mana cost: 4 | Damage: (Mana × 10) + 20

Expert: Mana cost: 3 | Damage: (Mana × 10) + 30

---

His frown deepened.

Even at Primary level, the spell required at least 5 mana to cast. But he only had 10 mana total.

Meaning?

At best, he could fire two arrows before being completely drained.

Ryan quickly scanned through the other spells, but his heart sank further.

Not a single spell could be cast without mana.

He glanced toward the lower right corner of the book, where a small glowing "10" was displayed next to an icon.

That must represent my mana points…

Which meant he had enough to cast something, just barely.

But that raised a different question:

How do I restore mana?

If this were a game, he could rest at an inn, visit a mana spring, or slay monsters to replenish his energy.

But this wasn't a game.

This was the real world.

Could he increase his magic power by fighting?

The problem was, who was he supposed to fight?

With zero attack and zero defense, he wouldn't stand a chance against anyone.

And leading troops? That was laughable.

Ryan sighed, his fingers tightening into fists.

Just when he was lost in thought—

"Brother Ryan, why are you just standing there?"

His breath caught.

He turned sharply, Kelly stood in the doorway, watching him with curiosity.

For a split second, panic shot through him.

Could she see it?

His gaze darted toward the floating book, still glowing before him.

But Kelly's eyes didn't react to it at all. She was only looking at him.

A strange thought struck him.

"Baby, do you see the big book in front of Brother?" he asked carefully.

Kelly blinked, puzzled. "What book?"

She walked closer, even waving a small hand in front of him.

Ryan's heart skipped a beat, her hand passed straight through the book.

The shimmering pages blurred briefly, but she didn't seem to notice.

Kelly tilted her head. "There's no book here! Are you teasing me again?"

Ryan forced a calm smile.

"No book, huh? Brother was just joking," he said smoothly. "Is the food ready?"

Kelly's face darkened slightly.

"It is… but Mom isn't back yet. She's never been this late before."

A shadow of worry crossed her young features.

Ryan's brows knitted together, but he quickly placed a gentle hand on her head.

"Don't worry, Baby. Auntie will be home soon. Brother will play with you while we wait, okay?"

Kelly hesitated but nodded.

But then—

"No need, Brother. Just keep drawing. I'll sit with you and watch."

Her serious tone made Ryan chuckle despite himself.

"Alright. Then sit across from me."

He reached for the candle, moving it to the center of the table so she could see his hands clearly.

As he prepared to resume carving—

"Brother, did you carve all these today?"

Ryan paused as Kelly's eyes widened at the neatly stacked fragments on the table.

She picked one up, tracing the engraved magic lines with small fingers.

"Yes," Ryan replied with a small smile. "Why? Is there a problem?"

Then—his body stiffened.

Through the semi-transparent Hero's Guide, something changed.

The page in front of him shifted again—but this time, it was something entirely new.

A small avatar appeared.

Kelly's avatar.

Ryan's breath caught.

Beneath her name, a short line of stats appeared.

---

Kelly (Ordinary Human)

HP: 5

Attack: 0

Defense: 0

Damage: 0-1

Speed: 1

---

Ryan's mind reeled.

This… This is a unit stat screen.

In Guardian , every unit had an entry like this.

But Kelly; a real person, was being displayed here.

He stared at her in shock.

This wasn't just about him.

The Hero's Guide could see other people.

It could quantify them.

Which meant—

This book wasn't just for casting spells.

It was something far bigger.

Ryan's heart pounded wildly.

If it could show Kelly's stats… could it do more?

Could he change them?

Could he train someone? Level them up?

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

His eyes flickered back to the Hero's Guide, scanning it for more information.

Because if this book could truly apply game mechanics to the real world…

Then it wasn't just magic he could control.

It was people.

And that—

That changed everything.