The moment Priyanshu left the Shadow King's Citadel; his system buzzed with a peculiar prompt:
[New Quest Unlocked: Enter the Devil's Library.][Warning: This location contains forbidden knowledge that even gods have sealed away.]
Intrigued, Priyanshu whispered, "System, where is this library?"
[Coordinates uploaded. Caution: Your mind will be tested, and your soul may fracture.]
Within minutes, he teleported across planes to a barren desert. A single obsidian door stood in the middle of nowhere, pulsing with infernal runes and oozing cursed energy.
The moment he stepped through, he was swallowed by darkness.
He found himself inside an endless space filled with floating books, demonic scrolls, and sealed tomes that radiated fear. The air was thick with whispers. Some laughed. Some cried. Others begged him to turn back.
[Trial Activated: Resist the Madness of Forbidden Knowledge.]
He walked cautiously between shelves that defied reality. Some books bit at him. Others spilled shadows that crawled across his limbs.
Then, a voice echoed.
"Welcome, child of chaos," said a tall figure cloaked in a librarian's robe made of living ink. His face was stitched shut, yet his words were clear. "Why do you seek the secrets of the damned universe?"
"I seek power," Priyanshu replied.
"To protect?"
"No. To rule. From behind everything."
The librarian chuckled. "Then choose a sin and let us begin."
Seven books floated before him, each representing one of the cardinal sins.
Wrath: Blood of a Thousand Worlds
Lust: Eyes of Seduction's God
Greed: Coins That Consume Empires
Envy: Mirror of the Forgotten King
Gluttony: Tome of Eternal Hunger
Sloth: Breath of Time's End
Pride: Soul of the False Creator
Without hesitation, Priyanshu picked Pride.
The librarian's stitched face stretched.
"Ambitious… like the ones before you. They all died."
[Skill Acquired: Divine Ego—Suppress opponents with sheer presence. Immune to mental attacks below Peak Deity Transformation Realm.][Mental Fortitude increased.]
But Priyanshu wasn't done. He reached for another book—Envy.
[Secret Technique Acquired: King's Mirror—Create perfect copies of any technique witnessed once.]
The librarian trembled. "Two sins? Madness!"
But Priyanshu's mind was clear, stable, and terrifying.
He smirked. "I came to learn what others feared. Now… I'm the one they'll fear."
[You have become a Forbidden Reader.][New Title: Scholar of Shadows unlocked.]
As the door opened again behind him, the librarian whispered one final warning:
"You'll never be mortal again… but not even the heavens will dare erase you now."
And Priyanshu walked out stronger, darker, and smarter than ever armed with secrets meant for devils.
The world had no idea what kind of villain they'd just let learn the truth.