Isabella stood outside the storage room, unaware of the malicious smile on Lucius' face, as he eagerly anticipated using his newfound System. Perhaps utilizing it was the only way to regain his powers to their former glory and seek revenge against those who had betrayed him. However, he knew it would take time.
Lucius surveyed the storage room, filled with boxes, a few uniforms hanging on hooks on the wall, and, of course, a layer of dust. It seemed that unlike the effort put into keeping the exterior clean, the storage room, accessible only to those who worked there, was neglected. Not that Lucius cared. He was there solely to fulfill Isabella's request: placing the new books on the shelves.
Opening the boxes, Lucius came across approximately 14 new books. Two of them immediately caught his attention. "Blood Magic Volume 1, Necromancy Volume 1," he read silently, holding the books in his hands.
A sweet voice echoed behind him, belonging to someone he knew well: Isabella.
"These two are for the reserved section," Isabella said, taking the books from Lucius' hands. "Students are not allowed access to this content. You know they're dark, right?"
Lucius smiled, "No, I didn't know. How could I? I'm not a magic practitioner."
"Well, that makes sense. Well, deal with these books and don't worry about these two," Isabella said, shaking the two books she had just taken, and then she left the storage room.
Any student would be intrigued by reading those titles, but Lucius was even more so! Necromancy, blood magic, and all the other subjects related to dark arts had always been his strong suit.
He needed those books, but how could he get them? His magical talent was nonexistent, and his authority within the school was zero. Only teachers had access to the restricted area, or a few select students.
'Deceiving people, of course,' thought Lucius.
One by one, Lucius took the newly arrived books and placed them on the shelves. It took a while, as he had to search for the shelves in that immense library, and he also needed to dust the place.
Meanwhile, some students started to arrive. Lucius knew that classes for the day were yet to begin, but many students liked to use the free time before class to study, practice, or do homework.
Practically everyone looked at him with the same disdainful gaze that the first young man had given him. It infuriated Lucius.
Despite feeling weak and useless in that moment, Lucius knew well that it was only a matter of time until his strength returned.
As he placed the new books on the shelves, one of the many students walked towards him. He was a thin young man, just like Lucius, but slightly shorter, around 1.76 meters in height.
Unlike most of the students in the academy, this particular young man seemed to lack the same financial means as the others.
Lucius immediately surmised that he was a commoner, much like himself.
"Excuse me," he timidly said, "Could you help me find a book?"
It was rare for a student to ask Lucius about something related to the library. They usually approached Isabella, who was beautiful, charming, and came from a noble family.
Lucius looked at the young man with a different perspective, not because he treated him kindly, but because he saw him as a potential target!
With a friendly yet subtly cunning smile, he replied, "Of course! Which book are you looking for?"
A bit awkwardly, the young man replied, "Well, let me see," pulling out a small note from his pocket, "Alchemy for Beginners Volume 1."
The old Lucius, who couldn't practice magic due to his lack of talent, was an avid reader and knew every corner of the library.
"Follow me," Lucius said, taking the lead.
Although it seemed easy to find a book like that just by looking at the topics, it wasn't. The library was vast, and there was a small possibility that the book might be in the wrong section, although Lucius didn't believe that.
"Here it is," Lucius said, pulling out a thick leather-bound book from one of the shelves.
The book was titled 'Alchemy for Beginners Volume 1,' which was exactly what the young man was looking for.
"Thank you very much..."
"Lucius, my name is Lucius."
"Theo. Nice to meet you!" Theo said, extending his hand.
They shook hands, and Lucius quickly added, "Are you heading to class now?"
"Yes, I am."
"Well, if you want to read your book in peace, the library is empty during the night, and since I work here all day, I'll be around," Lucius said in an attempt to get closer to the young man.
Theo seemed to like the idea. "I'll keep that in mind."
Theo left with the alchemy book tucked under his arm. He wasn't sure if he would come to the library at night, but he couldn't deny the resemblance he saw in Lucius. Both were young, facing similar difficulties within the magic academy.
Lucius returned to his tasks, organizing the library that grew quieter as students made their way to their classes. Isabella was among them.
"Lucius, take care of everything while I endure the tedious classes with Professor Lauren Evergreen in Herbology," Isabella said, waving to Lucius before leaving.
Unlike him, Isabella attended classes, so Lucius was responsible for the library during the morning and a significant part of the afternoon.
"See you later," Lucius replied, waving back.
Although he was alone and tempted to explore the restricted section to acquire those forbidden books, Lucius knew it wasn't a wise idea.
'There must be magical defenses in place there,' he thought.
Therefore, he spent the entire day tending to his duties in the library, only taking a 15-minute break for lunch and occasional bathroom breaks.
A few students visited throughout the day, but Lucius ignored their disdainful gazes and focused on his own tasks.
'This Devil's System is intriguing...'
Lucius managed to gather some information about his System. Apparently, it was connected to the Devil, which was him.
'So, my body is still trapped in that endless darkness, but somehow, a part of my soul ended up inside this new body...'
Lucius needed to form pacts, collecting souls and sending them directly to his true body, thereby regaining a portion of his lost powers.
His mind held knowledge of numerous spells, rituals, potion recipes, and enchantments for weapons and armor, but they were locked away in the abyssal darkness, with only fragments of his memories residing in his new body.
'It's as if the knowledge is here, but I can't access it... Well, I need to collect the first soul and see what happens,' murmured Lucius.
And at that moment, an innocent young man named Theo opened the doors of the library, excited to converse with his newfound friend.