The Unnamed Book

Steve hesitated, for he had previously asked Alex for the Monk's Grass in exchange for training advice, but Steve had a bad habit of being overly dramatic and quick to react. Before hearing the response, he lamented his luck, clutching the book to his chest. "How could you do this to me, my supposed friend? I can't afford it, and I can't let it go now that it's in my hands. Why all this teasing? You know very well that if I could sell myself, I would to afford a skill like this."

Alex reminded him that the book was rightfully his, as they had embarked on the mission together. However, seeing Steve clutching the book made Alex want to tease him further. "Selling yourself isn't a bad idea. Why not hold onto it like this?"

Alex threw his dagger at Steve, and as soon as Steve caught it, the magical circle drawn on the blade shimmered. Steve stumbled back, feeling his body heat up, yet not a single drop of sweat emerged. Instead, white smoke billowed from his skin's pores, covering him completely. After the smoke dissipated, the surprise made him scream in madness. "Ah... you turned me into a girl! What have you done to me?"

Steve's appearance now resembled the horse-tailed girl from before, even his clothes changed to match his new form. "You look beautiful. Selling yourself in this new form will cover the cost of the book. What do you say?"

With large, beautiful red eyes and a feminine voice, Steve screamed, "I'll kill you, you scoundrel! I'll shatter your bones. How could you do this to me? I won't live my remaining days as a girl. I was born a man, if I were born a woman..."

While Steve raged, barely containing his disgust, Alex stifled his laughter. Despite his anger, Steve continued to ramble incessantly, tightly hugging the book. The bargaining for returning to his original state in exchange for the book didn't last long. Steve eventually dropped the dagger, returning to his normal self, while Alex burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. "Did you really believe it? It was just an illusion spell drawn on the dagger, used for disguise. Stop hugging the book, it's your share of the mission, and I won't ask anything for it."

Steve realized Alex had tricked him, and the illusion felt so real that it had scared him. The reason for this was that it wasn't just a simple illusion spell; it was a high-level magic. As soon as you obtained the blood of the person you wanted to disguise as, not only would you look like them, but you would also speak in their voice.

Steve was genuinely angry at Alex's prank, but he didn't dare do anything, afraid of losing his precious book. He settled for saying in a frustrated tone, "I'll tell your mother everything, and she'll make you pay."

Alex shuddered at the thought of his mother's anger; she had eccentric methods of dealing with such situations. Most likely, she would make Angela, his younger sister, cook for him. And as the older brother, whatever she cooked, no matter how strange or off-putting, he would have to swallow it to avoid disappointing her.

Quickly, he takes two spirit pills to appease his friend. "I forgot to give you these. You can use them to exchange for third-tier monster essence, useful for infiltration. And don't involve my mother in this."

Seeing the two pills, Steve jumped to snatch them from Alex's hand. "Thank you, my friend. I didn't expect you were a sorcerer. Sorcerers are rare in our kingdom. But you still need to tell me how you acquired all of this in full detail. But first, let's hurry back. I need to... bathe. Bathing."

Steve kept repeating the word, his face showing a strange expression, as he stared at the magical circle on the dagger. Alex was puzzled and about to ask what was wrong when Steve beat him to it, saying with a strange expression, "Can I borrow the dagger for a while?"

"Get away from me, you pervert."

After Alex returned home, he closed his room's door and took out everything he had acquired over the past few weeks from the noble house of Monroe . One hundred thousand silver coins, three intermediate skill books (one of which could be upgraded to an advanced skill), and was suitable for girls, so he decided to leave it for Angela.

From the hidden ruins, there were four wooden cubes (their purpose remained unknown), two spirit crystals, two books, in addition to the physical spirit sword, and the Monk's Grass.

Although the sword could be sold for a good amount, he chose not to do so, as it hadn't formed its spiritual form yet. Using it without risking harm could be a temporary method of protection. As for the pills, they would help him raise his level later. Regarding the two books, one of them contained a medium offensive skill called "Explosive Punch." He thought it would complement his agility-based skill "Autumn Leaf."

Finally, the unnamed book. After examining it for a while, he realized that its pages had been assembled in the wrong order. Upon rearranging them, he was shocked by the first page, which bore a single sentence:

*Magical Incantations for Body Transformation*

*By the Magi*

Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible. A book by a Magi that allows for changing one's body structure?"

Alex didn't raise his head from the book; he was thinking that obtaining this book must surpass mere coincidence. This magic contained a condition that might be the only one in the world that applied to him. He began to read those lines again in disbelief. "The body is a vessel for the soul, and any attempt to modify it would result in the destruction of the soul's form. However, in the midst of the soul's development and before the formation of its spiritual form, temporarily separating the soul from the body leads to minor changes in the body structure. Supporting this change with magic alters the blood and cells, renewing the body and bestowing strength and resilience."

Alex slapped his forehead as he recalled every detail of how he acquired this body. He had to be a hundred percent sure if he intended to use this technique.

"A technique to separate the soul from the body... It's undoubtedly discussing forbidden magic. I've used a similar technique when I killed the 'Plague.' I remember well that after returning in time, the soul inhabiting this body disappeared before my eyes. The body remained lifeless for a few minutes before my soul merged back with it. There's no room for doubt; my body meets the conditions."

Alex's excitement grew, but it didn't last as he moved to the second stage. Studying magic circles at this level was exceptionally difficult, even for a beginner like him. True, his mana control was excellent, and he was adept at many magic circles, surpassing his peers. But he wasn't skilled enough to comprehend a book authored by a Magi. In the end, he had no choice but to surrender.

"Damn it, executing a magic circle of this level is impossible for me. I'll need the help of a great sorcerer," Alex said in frustration, pausing for a moment before astonishment overcame him. "A great sorcerer? What's happening to me? How can all of these coincidences come together at once, and on the same day? Is it conceivable that this Magi can foresee the future?" Alex's astonishment was justified; how could it be that he held a book of such power, with conditions that applied solely to him, coinciding with the presence of a great sorcerer who happened to be his guest today...