The air inside the Forbidden Library didn't just feel old; it felt heavy, as if the words on the millions of pages within were exerting their own gravitational pull. This wasn't a place for scholars. This was a mausoleum for truths that were too dangerous to exist in the light.
Arain stood at the entrance, his small hand pressed against the cold iron door. Beside him, Kael was trembling, his eyes darting toward the gargoyles that seemed to watch their every move.
"Young Master... the seals," Kael whispered, pointing to the glowing blue runes etched into the doorframe. "Only those with the Duke's blood and a high-tier mana core can pass. If we touch them, the alarm will—"
Arain didn't wait for Kael to finish. He stepped forward.
[Detection: Divine Blood Seal (Rank S).]
[Status: Unauthorized User.]
The runes flared, a blinding white light beginning to surge. Kael covered his eyes, expecting an explosion that would alert the entire manor. But the explosion never came.
Arain reached out, his fingers turning a misty, translucent black. As his skin touched the holy light of the seal, the white brilliance didn't burn him. Instead, it was consumed. The black mist swallowed the runes, devouring the mana like a starving beast.
[Skill Activation: Void Devourer (Passive).]
[System Note: Unauthorized mana absorbed. MP restored by 15%.]
The iron doors groaned and swung open, revealing a darkness so thick it looked like solid velvet.
"Blood is just a key," Arain said, his voice cold and hollow. "But shadows... shadows are the master key."
They stepped inside. The library was a labyrinth of towering shelves that reached into an invisible ceiling. There were no candles here, yet the books themselves emitted a faint, sickly green glow.
Arain walked with purpose. He wasn't looking for history books. He was looking for the 'Chronicles of the Fallen Sovereigns.'
'In my past life, I found this place too late,' Arain thought, his jaw tightening. 'I came here as a desperate man, looking for a way to stop the Hero. This time, I come as the owner.'
[System Pulse: Target Found. 30 meters North-West.]
He stopped in front of a pedestal. On it sat a book bound in what looked like gray, weathered leather. It had no title, only a single eye embossed on the cover—an eye that seemed to blink when Arain looked away.
"The Record of Souls," Arain whispered.
As he touched the cover, a massive wave of information crashed into his brain.
[Warning: Syncing with the Void Record.]
[Hidden Truth Unlocked: The Luxmore bloodline isn't 'Holy'.]
Arain's eyes widened. The screen in front of him flickered wildly, showing flashes of ancient wars, a betrayal by the first Duke, and a pact made with a being that wasn't a God.
"Your family... they are thieves, Arain," a voice whispered from the book, identical to Arain's own voice but older, more weary. "They stole the light, and left you to carry the shadow."
Suddenly, the floor beneath them vibrated. A low, guttural growl echoed from the depths of the library.
[Threat Detected: Library Guardian - The Ink-Wraith.]
[Rank: A (Elite).]
[Status: Awakened by Unauthorized Access.]
From the shadows between the shelves, a creature began to form. It looked like a mass of liquid ink, its body shifting between a hound and a man. Its eyes were two glowing white dots, devoid of mercy.
Kael scrambled back, his breath hitching. "Young Master! We have to leave! That... that's a Grade-A spirit! Even the Captain can't fight that alone!"
Arain didn't move. He looked at the Ink-Wraith, then down at the Record of Souls in his hand. A dark, terrifying realization dawned on him. The System wasn't just helping him; it was reclaiming what belonged to it.
"Kael," Arain said, his eyes glowing a deep, pulsating violet. "Do you want to see how a King deals with a 'Guardian'?"
Arain didn't draw a weapon. He simply opened the book.
[System Command: Soul Rewrite - Initiated.]
[Cost: 10% Permanant Stamina (Temporary).]
"You aren't a guardian," Arain spoke to the Ink-Wraith, his voice carrying the weight of a divine decree. "You are an idea. And ideas... can be edited."
The Ink-Wraith lunged, its liquid claws extending to shred Arain's small frame. But as it entered the radius of the book's glow, it froze. Its body began to ripple and dissolve into black mist, flowing not into the air, but into the pages of the book.
The creature's screams were silent, a vibration of the soul that made Kael collapse to his knees in agony.
Within seconds, the library was silent again.
[Guardian Absorbed.]
[New Item Obtained: Essence of the Ink-Wraith (Cursed Ingredient).]
[System Update: The path to the 'Shadow Throne' is 5% clearer.]
Arain closed the book. He looked at Kael, who was staring at him with a look that crossed the line between loyalty and pure, unadulterated fear.
"We have what we came for," Arain said, tucking the book under his arm.
As they turned to leave, Arain noticed a small mirror on the wall. He caught his reflection. For a split second, he didn't see a six-year-old boy. He saw a towering figure in black armor, his face hidden behind a visor of shadows, holding a world in his palm.
The image vanished as quickly as it appeared, but the feeling remained.
"Let the Baroness send her guards," Arain whispered, a chill spreading through the library. "By the time they find us, I won't just be a ghost. I'll be their God."
[Current Status: Evolution in Progress.]
[Collection Goal: 7/10.]
Author's Note :
"Arain just rewrote reality! 🌑📖
The secret of the Luxmore bloodline is finally revealed—they aren't the 'Holy' heroes everyone thinks they are. But absorbing a Grade-A Guardian at age six has a price. How long can Arain's body hold this much dark mana?
We are at 7.8k views and 7 Collections! We only need 3 more people to add this to their library to reach our goal of 10!
If we hit 10 Collections tonight, tomorrow's chapter will feature the First Major Battle where Arain tests his new powers against the Duke's elite!
Comment below: What do you think the Luxmore family's real secret is? 💎🔥"