Chapter 12 - The Book

We see Zalmiuth and his Father. Zalmiuth was showing one of his skills, it was a fire orb he saw in his book. To be fair, he already knew all of them but decided to read it anyway due to nostalgia.

Dwanus looks at the orb with interest and intrigue. "Hm…Quite the basic spell…but the aura is powerful."

Zalmiuth stops the spell and has it slowly dissolve. "But it's strange…I cannot feel my aura draining, I always felt like it was weak."

Dwanus nodded "It's normal Zalmiuth." He put his hand in the air and a colossal fire came through. The fire was so huge, it touched the ceiling.

"As you can see…" Dwanus started "I do not have Mana draining, is due to my blood and sanity. You manage to unlock The immortal Mana, just like your mother and I." I

Zalmiuth listened to his father's explanation, he knew a lot of this immortal mana but didn't have it in the past. But how? How did manage to unlock it?

Dwanus ststopshe fire, as he llooksat his son. "Unlocking this aura is not an easy task…and here you are doing it with no issue…You are impressive son."

Zalmiuth chuckled as he listened to his father's compliment, it felt nice to hear from him.

Suddenly a cough was heard from behind. They both turned around and saw a tall old woman with pale skin, green hair that was adorned as a ponytail, and dark brown eyes. She wore a dark blue robe and she wore black glasses.

This was Daria Tyupo, she was the librarian and the guardian of it. Zalmiuth had a nice reputation but his father…Not so much.

Daria: King dwanus.

Dwanus coughs, quite annoyed "Yes Daria?"

Daria clenched her fist "The ceiling." She said with frustration.

Zalmiuth and Dwanus looked up and saw the damaged ceiling that burnt down.

Dwanus: …

Daria: How many times have I told you to not use my library as a fighting ground?!

Dwanus got up and fixed the issue by summoning a huge green pentagram in his hand, casting a spell of rebuilding. The spell made the ceiling clean as if nothing had happened.

Dwanus sighs a little annoyed "Happy?" He said with a grunt.

Daria smiled at Zalmiuth and turned back to Dwanus with an angry look before walking away.

Zalmiuth: I guess it's a yes…?

Dwanus sighed and sat back down "This woman…I never understand her sometimes…She's only nice to everyone except me."

Zalmiuth chuckled a little, "I guess she didn't forget about the competition you've won."

Zalmiuth remembered that His father and Daria had made a competition to see who was better at remembering a whole book.

Dwanus had won making Daria embarrassed and never wanted to speak with him again.

It was a little foolish of her, but she was all good after that. Now both of them are more rivals than friends.

Later it was already the afternoon, and the party was about to begin. Zalmiuth got up to his chair and stretched his arm. It felt good to read books for half a day.

Zalmiuth: Father, is time for me to get ready for my birthday…and…the blessing.

Dwanus looked up to his son and nodded "Mh…Times sure flies by…"

There was a moment of silence before Zalmiuth started speaking again "I had a good time with your father…Let's do it more sometimes!" He said as he began to walk away.

"Zalmiuth."

Zalmiuth stops and turns around "Yes Father..?"

"Follow me."

We see Zalmiuth and Dwanus walking down the huge hallway, shrouded in darkness and fog.

As familiar as Zalmiuth was with the castle, this was entirely new to him.

"I've kept this place hidden from you until I knew you were ready... But now, I'm certain you are," Dwanus said, his tone tinged with an unusual excitement.

Zalmiuth looked at his father, curiosity burning within him, eager to uncover the secret that had been withheld from him.

They both halted in front of a colossal door, its immense size accentuated by heavy chains draped across its surface, creating an ominous and eerie atmosphere.

Zalmiuth swore he heard a strange murmur coming from this door. He also felt a strong aura, an aura of power and malice.

"This my son…Is the door of the 7 deadly sins and what lies in it…is something that will make you stronger" His father said with a strange mischievous tone.

Zalmiuth looked as he was walking to the door and put his arm in front of the center. A strange pentagram summons in it and the door opens slowly making a huge metal sound.

As the door creaked open, a chilling gust of wind swept through the hallway, carrying with it whispers of temptation and darkness. Zalmiuth's heart raced with a mixture of fear and excitement

The room stretched out before them like a vast labyrinth of knowledge, shelves upon shelves laden with tomes of arcane wisdom. Each book seemed to pulse with its mysterious energy, their spines adorned with symbols and glyphs unfamiliar to Zalmiuth's eyes. The air was thick with the scent of ancient parchment and the faint whisper of pages turning on their own.

At the center of the room, bathed in an eerie glow, stood a pedestal upon which rested the most imposing book Zalmiuth had ever seen. Its cover was a deep, abyssal black, adorned with crimson lines that seemed to writhe and twist like veins of dark magic.

Strange eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light, stared out from the cover, their gaze both alluring and foreboding. It seemed to pulse with power, beckoning Zalmiuth closer even as a sense of danger prickled at the edges of his consciousness.

Dwanus winced as the strange aura surged into his hand, his fingers trembling slightly as he gripped the chains that bound the book. With a solemn expression, he turned to Zalmiuth, his gaze reflecting both reverence and caution.

"This, my son," Dwanus began, his voice grave, "is the Tome of Shadows, a repository of forbidden knowledge and ancient secrets. Within its pages lie the darkest and most powerful incantations known to our kind, as well as the history of our lineage and the trials faced by those who came before us."

As he spoke, Dwanus carefully unlocked the chains, each link resonating with an ominous hum as they fell away. The air crackled with suppressed energy, and Zalmiuth could feel the weight of centuries pressing down upon them.

"And this..." Dwanus paused, his voice softer now, "is my gift to you on this momentous day."

Zalmiuth stood silent as he saw the book. Was this really what's going to make him stronger? Become the most powerful demon?

He slowly took the book and looked at it. The strange aura and the murmur enter his mind.

Zalmiuth: T-thank you father…I promise to be careful with it.

A mixture of excitement and trepidation coursed through Zalmiuth as he reached out to touch the tome, his fingers tingling with anticipation. This gift, he knew, would change everything.