Luciel wandered through the city, frustration boiling in his chest. No money. No food. No power.
"How did I fall to such disgrace? Me, the heir of the Demon King, reduced to a powerless fool!"
But he knew sulking wouldn't help him. He needed knowledge. If this world refused to hand him strength, then he would take it through understanding.
That's when he saw it—a massive stone building, different from the others, with large glass windows and an air of silence. People walked in and out, some carrying thick stacks of books. Above the doors, he read the sign:
Central Library.
"A hall of knowledge… perfect."
Without hesitation, Luciel entered.
The Library of the Mortal World
The inside was vast—rows upon rows of shelves stretched in all directions, filled with thousands of books. The air smelled of old parchment and ink, and a quiet, sacred atmosphere filled the space.
Luciel smirked.
"So this is where humans store their wisdom. Perhaps they are not entirely primitive."
He wandered through the aisles, running his fingers over the book spines. Each held words, symbols, meanings—a world locked away, waiting to be unraveled.
But there was a problem.
He couldn't read any of it.
The letters were foreign, their meaning hidden from him. He had never needed human language before—Demons spoke through power, presence, and pure will.
Luciel exhaled sharply. "No matter. If I am to reclaim my strength, I must start somewhere."
Thus began his silent training.
Days Passed…
Luciel returned every day, his hunger and pride driving him.
At first, he could only stare at the pages, trying to match symbols with meaning. But slowly, through observation and stolen glances at students studying nearby, he began piecing together the human language.
He listened.
He read.
He learned.
Weeks passed. He understood sentences, then paragraphs, then entire pages. He absorbed history, science, culture, and—
That's when he found it.
The Hidden Book
One evening, Luciel was reaching for a random book when, by sheer accident, he knocked another loose from the shelf.
A thick, dust-covered tome fell at his feet.
There was no title. Its cover was worn, old… almost ancient.
A strange chill ran down his spine.
Something about this book felt… different.
Curious, he picked it up and flipped through the pages.
His eyes widened.
The book spoke of Exorcists. Of cursed creatures, demons, and monsters. Of wars fought in the shadows, hidden from human knowledge.
It was forbidden knowledge.
And yet—it was here, in this very library, buried where no one would ever think to look.
"So… this world is not as weak as I thought."
There were Exorcists—warriors trained to hunt and destroy demonic beings. There were monsters—ancient horrors that lurked in the unseen corners of reality.
And most importantly…
There were others like him.
Luciel grinned.
"How amusing. This world hides its true nature behind a veil of ignorance… but I have seen through it."