NOVEL NEXT Chapter 217: The Book of Eventual Evil
"System, give me that… book of eventual evil I got.
His voice echoed faintly in his head as he leaned back on the chair, waiting.
Without a word from the System, something began to materialize before him slow at first, like smoke gathering and solidifying into form.
A dark book emerged from thin air, landing on the table with a heavy thud that reverberated through the wooden surface.
Its black cover was old and uneven, as if scorched by eons of fire. The edges glowed faintly red, like embers that refused to die out, radiating a faint warmth almost as though the book itself was still burning from one side.
It looked ancient, heavy, and undeniably alive.
The pages were thick and coarse, an eerie off-white color not quite paper, not quite flesh and their corners were burnt, curling slightly as if they had survived countless infernos.
Even the faint smell of ash lingered in the air.
Everything about the book screamed danger. The aura around it was dark, suffocating, and ominous yet strangely beautiful in its own way.
Razeal stared at it quietly for a moment. Most people might've felt uneasy in front of something like this. They might've flinched, maybe even felt their instincts scream at them to back away.
But Razeal didn't feel fear.
In fact, it felt… oddly comfortable.
That heavy darkness that clung to the book that deep, ancient malice it wasn't foreign to him. It resonated faintly, like an echo meeting another echo in the same vast void.
He tilted his head slightly, his lips twitching into the faintest smile. "Yeah… definitely from the dark faction," he murmured, almost amused.
He didn't open the book. Not yet ofcourse. Since he could already feel the power radiating from it, pulsing faintly, whispering something inaudible beneath the surface.
It was the kind of energy that promised knowledge and destruction all in the same breath.
Razeal remembered clearly how he'd received it.
Lucifer had simply extended his hand toward him, that calm, knowing smile on his lips the kind of smile that gave away nothing but weird Vibes.
"You can have it," he'd said in that deep, smooth voice. "The book seems to like you… very much."
That was all. No explanation, no condition, just those words.
And that, of course, had made Razeal suspicious as hell again.
No one.. handed out gifts like that without reason.
But after the System had scanned it and confirmed there was no trap, no hidden curse, and no trick woven into its structure, Razeal's suspicion faded into indifference.
Especially after finding out what kind of thing it was.. A fucking SSS-ranked artifact.
Once he heard that, the rest didn't really matter anymore.
If it was that powerful, then he'd take it.
Sure, the name "Book of Eventual Evil" sounded ominous the kind of name that practically screamed "don't touch me." But Razeal wasn't the type to be intimidated by names.
"System," he called out, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the tome's surface, "what does this book do again?"
He honestly wasn't entirely sure of its abilities. Lucifer had only said it would be "useful," but hadn't elaborated.
And knowing demons from old fictions, that could mean anything from a world-ending weapon to a cursed diary that whispered your death date.
A faint chime rang in his head. Then a new panel appeared before his eyes.
[Artifact Status Window]
Name: Book of Eventual Evil
Rank: SSS (Emperor Grade)
Type: Sentient Grimoire / Forbidden Tome
Origin: Born from Darkness and Evil itself
Alignment: Pure Malevolence
Description: A book not crafted, not created but born. It emerged where light could never exist, formed from the first breath of corruption, the eternal echo of darkness.
From the moment evil took its first and ever thought, this book came into being.
Ability: Knowledge of Dark, Evil, and Forbidden Etched Within
This artifact holds the complete and unfiltered knowledge of all things dark, evil, and forbidden. The truths of corruption, the essence of malevolence, and the secrets of destruction and despair all are inscribed within its pages.
Warning: The Book of Eventual Evil cannot be destroyed, sealed, or stored.
It bears an independent will and influence.
Exposure to its contents may alter the reader's mind, perspective, and moral alignment. The longer one interacts with it, the stronger its psychological influence becomes.
Be cautious
(Tagged Code Red by System. proceed with extreme caution.)
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Razeal silently read through the panel, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Knowledge about dark, evil, and forbidden, huh…" he murmured, leaning back slightly, tapping the table with his fingers.
He wondered what that truly meant.
Dark magic? Forbidden rituals? The kind of truths that mortals and gods alike weren't meant to touch?
It could be anything or everything.
He tilted his head, thinking. The possibilities that kind of knowledge held were almost infinite… and equally dangerous.
Still, he didn't feel intimidated.
If anything, he was intrigued.
The warnings, however, did catch his attention. It wasn't every day the System actually warned him about something. In fact, this was the first time he'd seen such a direct alert.
That was… unusual.
He rubbed his thumb against his chin, thoughtful.
Then his gaze dropped to the book again, studying it in silence.
The faint heat from its charred edges pulsed gently, matching a rhythm that almost felt like a heartbeat.
It was alive, in some way.
Sentient, perhaps.
And yet, Razeal didn't sense hostility from it not toward him, at least. The darkness surrounding it wasn't pushing him away. If anything, it seemed to recognize him, the same way Lucifer had said.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Influence my personality, huh?" he said quietly, almost laughing. "Yeah, good luck with that."
He was confident.. perhaps too confident that no book could change him.
His personality, his will, his nature they were already forged in things darker than this. If something like that could sway him, it would've done so long ago.
Still, he couldn't deny the book's presence had weight. Even just sitting there, it felt significant like holding a piece of a living concept, something ancient and far beyond mortal understanding.
Though
"Can't store or seal it, huh…?"
That line from the System's warning replayed in Razeal's mind, sparking a curious glint in his eyes.
"Well, that's interesting…" he murmured quietly.
He looked down at the dark, ominous book resting in his hand's now the Book of Eventual Evil.. its surface still radiating a faint warmth. The scorched edges pulsed with dim red light, alive like molten veins.
Curiosity overtook him. He wasn't the type to just accept something strange without testing it himself.
"Let's see about that," he said under his breath.
He raised his hand, the book balanced in his palm. His other hand flicked slightly, and shadows began to gather before him a dark mist coiling into form above the table, swirling with fluid motion.
The shadow distorted down his feet as raised up to table, the shadow in front warping subtly as his shadow storage opened. A black void moving like an ink.
Razeal's eyes gleamed faintly red as he pushed the book forward, attempting to store it like he would any other object.
The moment the book touched the edge of the shadow, a sudden resistance struck him.. like pressing two magnets together.
The shadows rippled, struggling to consume it, but the book didn't budge.
It was as if some unseen barrier surrounded it, repelling his shadow's pull entirely.
He frowned, pushing harder. The shadow rippled again, but no matter how much force he used, the result was the same. The book refused to enter.
Razeal's expression turned sharp. "Really?"
He licked his lips and focused his energy, letting his shadow expand further dark tendrils wrapping around the book's sides, trying to drag it in.
Nothing.
The darkness resisted. Or maybe it wasn't the shadow that resisted maybe it was the book itself.
The moment his shadow tried to engulf it, the book pulsed faintly, sending out a vibration through the air a low hum, deep and unsettling.
The shadow shivered, then broke apart like smoke being scattered by wind.
"…It's resisting me," Razeal muttered, lowering his hand slowly.
The shadow storage collapsed back into nothing, dispersing quietly above the table.
He looked down at the book again, expression thoughtful.
"So… I can't store it in my shadow."
That was… annoying.
Razeal leaned back in his chair and sighed, staring at the object resting in his palm. "Now how am I supposed to carry this thing around?"
His eyes narrowed as he turned it over, studying every detail. The surface still radiated that faint, eerie warmth.
This wasn't just any artifact. It was defying him him, whose shadow could consume almost anything.
He had even absorbed wind Spears conjured by Sylva an attack strong enough to put hole through mountains.. into his shadows without effort. Yet this book? It didn't even move an inch.
Weird.
He tapped a finger lightly against its cover, a faint metallic sound echoing.
"So it can't be stored in shadow… maybe not in spatial rings either."
"Wait, System you took this out from your system space or something? I didn't even have it in my hand, right?..
Why not put it back where you were holding this book, and give it to me only when I really need it?" Razeal asked in his head without hesitation.. wasn't this the loophole?..
[No, host, I can't do that. Well… as a system, of course I can take this for distribution since it's the first time. But no, there's nothing like an inventory function in my programming.] the System answered just as calmly.
Hearing even system rejection he just sighed softly, shaking his head. "Great. Now I've got a cursed, un-storable book that just wants to sit in my hands forever."
For a second, he imagined himself carrying it everywhere sleeping, walking, eating.. the thought made him roll his eyes.
"That's just perfect…" he muttered, sarcasm dripping from his tone.
But then again, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
The book was evil. Not in the metaphorical sense.. literally, in its nature. It was born from darkness and malevolence, not made or forged by anyone.
Maybe this inability to be sealed or stored was part of its very existence. A way to ensure that wherever it appeared, people would find it. Read it. Fall into it.
It was a perfect design for something born from evil itself irresistible, uncontainable, always present.
Razeal's eyes glimmered faintly, his thoughts deepening.
"Can't be destroyed, can't be sealed, can't be stored…" he murmured. "That's unbelievable."
Still, something about that bothered him.
"Unbelievable" wasn't the same as "impossible."
He frowned, tapping his finger against the book. "How can something be truly indestructible? There's no such thing as absolute immortality… everything ends eventually."
He thought about it for a moment longer before speaking up again in his mind.
"System, can it really not be destroyed?" he asked silently.
[It is very hard to destroy, but it can definitely be destroyed at one point.]
The System's calm voice filled his mind.
[As I have scanned it before, the 'cannot be destroyed' statement appears because even when it is destroyed, it simply reforms regenerates itself into the same exact state it was before.]
Razeal blinked.
[Don't be confused, Host. Everything has a limit. Even the very center of a star can be destroyed under the right condition.]
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips. "I see, I see… that makes sense."
He nodded slightly to himself, lightly drumming his fingers against the book's cover a slow, thoughtful rhythm.
"Well, that's good to know," he murmured, more to himself than anyone..
He was still mulling over the System's words when he suddenly felt it a pair of eyes on him.
That subtle pressure. That sensation of being watched.
His gaze lifted slowly.
Across the table, Maria was staring at him.. or rather, at the book in his hand.
Her eyes were wide, unblinking, her expression strangely blank.
She wasn't just looking. She was lost in it.
Her pupils were slightly dilated, her breathing slower than usual as if she was caught in some invisible trance.
Razeal frowned faintly.
"What happened?" he asked calmly, his tone cutting through the quiet air.
Maria blinked suddenly, as if snapping out of something. Her shoulders twitched slightly as she shook her head, confusion flickering across her features.
"…Nothing," she said quickly, almost too quickly. Her voice sounded uncertain, like even she wasn't sure what had just happened.
Then, after a short pause, her gaze drifted back to the book again though this time with more awareness than before.
"What is that?" she asked, her tone cautious but laced with curiosity.
Razeal's frown deepened slightly.
"It's nothing too" he said shortly, lowering his hand and placing the book on his lap, out of her line of sight.
The movement was casual, but deliberate.
Maria's brows furrowed slightly, her gaze following the motion. She wasn't fooled.
"Nothing," huh? She didn't buy that.
She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with a small huff. Her eyes lingered for a moment longer before she looked away, feigning disinterest.
"Hmph. Who wants to see that half-roasted old thing anyway," she muttered under her breath, turning her gaze toward the open ocean beyond the deck. "Acting like he's guarding some great treasure."
Razeal glanced at her briefly, his lips twitching faintly at her reaction before his eyes returned to the book.
Her earlier expression replayed in his mind. The trance-like stare, the way her eyes had glazed over it wasn't normal.
"She was tempted… right, System?" he asked silently in his head, one hand resting lightly on the book in his lap.
[The Book of Darkness and Evil naturally radiates attraction, Host.]
The System's tone was serious.
[It draws in curiosity, desire, and temptation especially from those with strong emotions or weak mental resistance. Keep it safe.]
"I see…" Razeal thought, his expression turning thoughtful again.
So the book didn't just carry knowledge it pulled people in too. That in itself was dangerous.
It wasn't hard to imagine what could happen if the wrong person started reading it.
Still, Razeal wasn't too worried. He didn't plan on letting anyone touch it anyway.
He sat there for a few more moments, quietly running his fingers along the scorched edge of the cover, the faint heat pressing against his skin.
Then, after several seconds of silence, his curiosity finally broke through.
He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Well whatever," he muttered under his breath, "no point in holding back now."
He placed one hand firmly on the cover.
And then, with a faint sound a soft crackle of heat and whisper of air.. Razeal slowly opened the Book of Eventual Evil.
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4.7k Words i swear trying to come up with something this creativity took hell out of me
I deserve powerstones and golden tickets guys😭😭
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