[ This world is a novel the Host has read. ]
[ Title: The Loom ]
A novel I'd read before...
But not really.
I stood still for a moment, brow furrowed. Then it came — a hazy memory of a phone screen, a half-opened tab, and a short synopsis I'd scrolled through quickly before closing it.
A synopsis. I'd only read the synopsis. Never touched a single chapter.
"..."
I was done for.
I knew this world was my reality now. I knew there was a plot somewhere. But what that plot was, who the villain was, how it ended — all of it sat in complete darkness somewhere in my head.
This was like walking into an exam having only read the chapter titles.
Okay, okay... slow breath. Stay calm. Try to remember.
I pressed my eyes shut, fingers pushing against both temples.
The Loom. A semi-modern fantasy world set around an academy. There was a rank system. The population was majority female — I remembered that specifically because the synopsis had highlighted it. And there was something about threads, or weaving — I had a feeling the world's name tied into that concept somehow, but the details had long since faded.
The one thing I knew for certain — the original protagonist of this story wasn't me. There was someone who was supposed to carry that role. Someone chosen to save this world.
And it wasn't Six.
Right. So what exactly am I — a background character who wandered into the wrong story?
I exhaled. Might as well accept it for now.
"System." I said it with a sigh. "Is there any skill or reward that could actually help me in this situation?"
Silence for a moment.
Then —
Ding!
[ Host has been granted Skill: Blackspine ]
[ Blackspine — Binding Weapon ]
[ Details: A weapon that can shift its form according to the wielder's will. Default form — a black thorned chain. Permanently bound to Host and cannot be separated. ]
Oh. A weapon. I got a weapon skill.
I looked down at my right hand — and sure enough, from out of nowhere, something cold and heavy coiled itself around my wrist. A black chain, thin but solid, with small thorns arranged neatly along its entire length. It looked... dangerous. And honestly, kind of cool.
Maybe my situation wasn't so bad after all—
Ding!
[ Additional Notice: ]
[ The Host who receives Blackspine will be bound to it permanently. ]
[ In exchange — Host cannot use any form of magic or learned skills. Blackspine is the Host's only power. ]
I read it once.
Twice. Three times.
"'Additional Notice.'" I repeated quietly, eyes still fixed on the last line. "Am I really supposed to survive with just one skill?"
The panel vanished in an instant, disappearing from in front of my face without an answer.
I looked at the black chain coiled around my wrist. It didn't move, didn't make a sound — just sat there, cold and still. I already understood: it wouldn't move unless I moved it. No will of its own. No automatic miracle waiting to activate.
Entirely dependent on me.
My one and only power.
No magic. No skills I could learn from this world. No other option except this black thorned thing wrapped around my hand.
I laughed quietly — not because anything was funny. Because if I didn't laugh, I was pretty sure I'd come close to crying.
Alright, Blackspine. I stared at the chain for a long moment. Looks like you're the only friend I've got in this world.
The chain didn't respond.
Of course it didn't