The Heavenly Martial Empress Returns: An OP Xianxia Returnee LitRPG

Chapter 104: The Library of Demons and Curses, Pandemonium

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When I activated the demonic library skill, a sort of domain and also a dimension were summoned into existence, one where I felt like I could freely enter or step out at any time. Inside, there seemed to be a world of its own, one where the sky was red with black clouds and a green-colored moon.

The ground was made of black or red stone, with strange, demonic crystals growing out of it, faintly illuminating the endless corridors. The bookshelves themselves were made out of the ground’s stones themselves, as if they had been shaped from them.

Inside the bookshelves, there were many books, perhaps thousands of them across this entire dimensional domain. I don’t know if it was truly endless, but as I walked around it and spread my Immortal Senses, I realized it was incredibly vast, but not endless.

It was roughly the size of Texas, though.

And it wasn’t everything a library; although there were mostly bookshelves, there were also large open areas that led to subterranean caves.

I wanted to check what was inside of them; there were more of these glowing crystals and strange, demonic ores, but first I looked at the grimoires themselves—all of these books.

Well, not all of them were grimoires though; some were empty, others had information and knowledge, and only a couple dozen, perhaps around thirty or so, were actual grimoires with spells and something inside of them.

I think that, as the skill level increases, these books will obtain knowledge and spells, I suppose. I can’t just have the entire library at full power after all.

“Now let’s see—oh!”

The moment I grabbed one of the grimoires, it shook, beginning to move on its own. A powerful black and red energy emerged from within, which made the air around it very heavy. It seemed to be releasing a lot of pressure.

“Free me! Free me from this place, librarian!”

I heard a voice whispering to me from the book—a strange, evil voice. I immediately assumed that it was some sort of demon or something. I don’t know how it even ended here inside of my skill.

“Sure.”

I opened the grimoire pages as red and black smoke surged from the book, taking the form of an imp-like demon with red skin, a pointy tail, a bald head, pointy ears, and a long nose, holding a trident.

“Gyehehehe! You freed me! You actually freed me, you fool! Once I kill you, I’ll become the owner of the library!”

He pointed his trident at me and rushed to fight me, trying to pierce my body with it. I could feel within him a large amount of raw strength, enough to easily impale all S ranks.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

However, I reflected his blows with my bare hands, or well, with the nails of my fingers, which I had painted gold because I liked that color quite a bit.

“Hmm, so, how did you end up in this library?” I wondered.

“Eh? Why are you so strong?!” He screamed before I kicked his chest, trying to put some distance between the two.

BAAAM!

However, it seemed the kick was too strong because he quickly exploded into red smoke and dissipated after giving an unsightly, ghoulish scream.

“Guuaagh…!”

As I heard his last scream, the red smoke went back to the grimoire, and the grimoire closed itself, showing a number of flames on top.

It showed the number 10.

After waiting a minute, I learned it wasn’t a minute; it was ten hours of cooldown until I could summon this particular demon again.

“Interesting…”

I grabbed another Grimoire and summoned the demon inside; this one didn’t even speak to me. When something appeared, I saw what resembled a floating eye with many red tentacles attached to it and a pair of golden horns.

“Hopefully it will go differently; I believe you won’t try to attack me, yes?”

“Bubuuub! Blururururub!”

It couldn’t even speak, I see.

“Hah, go back.”

I quickly sent it back to the grimoire and started looking for a demon that could speak to me and wasn’t an asshole. It took me three more shots, but I finally found someone willing to talk to me who didn’t look like some hideous creature.

“Huh? Wha…? Where am I?”

It looked like a petite woman, wearing a blue mask for her face, with pointy black horns, long, silky black hair, and scaled arms and legs; in fact, she had scales around her entire body; even if she was nude, she didn’t look like that.

Truth be told, she was quite beautiful, with her wide hips and puffy chest, accompanied by her beautiful mask-face and that long, silky black hair.

As a person who appreciates the beauty of all women, she was beautiful without a doubt.

“The hell! Where did you come from?! You spooked the hell out of me!”

Her pointy tail waved around the second she saw me; she was scared.

“Sorry, I was just admiring your appearance; it is quite different than the other demons,” I said. “And you can talk! Do you have a name?”

“Name...” she wondered. “I... Beelzebian Belzeeraskhasn Sataniankicha Herbellzuhbub. But you can just call me Belze for short.”

“Quite a fancy name you have.” I said. “You see, I just created this skill, and all of this appeared. You demons were also sealed in these grimoires; there’s this library. And there are many other mysteries I have yet to find out. Okay, my first question. Was this library already made beforehand, or was it created by them?”

“Hmm, so you’re the new owner... No, it could be said it’s both,” Belze said. “This is an ancient prison, actually, for very bad demons that disobeyed the Seven Archdemons or rebelled against them. It is a Dimensional Space that remains hidden within the Abyssal Void between the Worlds of the Tower. Once every few thousand years, someone is chosen to wield this power. Usually, a key is given to the chosen one by the Seven, but... but you got it from a skill?!”

“Yes! It seems that I somehow hijacked your prison and made it into my power,” I laughed. “I guess that’s part of what my System can do now.”

“W-What the hell?” she muttered. “I can’t believe that! Is this true?! Ah! Wait, the entire area changed appearances too. And you’re right, it is more like a library now. Most of those books are empty, though.”

“I imagine more demons will appear once the skill increases its level,” I explained as we walked across these arid demonic lands. 

“Hah… Hahaha…”

She started to laugh as she began running around.

“Hahahaha! It’s true, someone actually stole the Endless Demon Prison?!”

She began to jump around and dance.

“Yes! Finally! We can finally start fighting back now!”

“Um…”

“Ah! Right, my bad.”

She walked towards us.

“Um, what was your name, master?”

“Master? Ah well, my name is Bing Xue, also Katherine.”

“What a weird name! Well, you already know my name and our circumstances. You’ve somehow committed a grave crime. By creating this skill, somehow you were able to create a connection to the Prison, and you’re now actively helping all prisoners escape into your library.”

“I did that?!”

I was just intending on making a new powerful Skill, but it has now become the way out for several demonic criminals that have been imprisoned and sealed away by the Seven, the Archdemons that seem to govern all demons in the tower.

“Yes! I don’t know how you even made this Skill; can I see its name or something?”

“Sure…”

I quickly decided to check the skill in detail; I was sure I had missed several effects within it.

Once I opened its description, it was rather long.

“Oh wow, okay, I’ll need the glasses.” She whisked her fingers as red and black smoke materialized into a pair of glasses, which she wore as she started reading, squinting her eyes. “Um… Uh-huh.”

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[Primordial Demonic Heaven Dimensional Library Domain of Abyssal Curses and Sealed Demons: Pandemonium (EX): Lv1/30]

[Skill EXP]: [0/500.000]

A Hyper Fusion Skill created from the fusion between the [Multi-Elemental Heavenly Light Spirit Divine Magic (SS): Lv1] [Eclipsing Moon Shadow Weapon Martial Arts (SS): Lv1] [Abyssal Heaven’s Cursed Domain of Demonic Torture (SSS): Lv1] [Demonic Asura Aura Manifestation: Bloodthirsty Demon Warlord Battle Arts (SSS): Lv1] and [Archdemonic Death Grimoire of Infernal Cursed Demon Formations (SSS): Lv1] Fused Skills.

Materialize a Dimensional Domain of your own, composed of both dark, demonic, and heavenly powers combined. Enter the library, where all the demons are sealed, a prison to pay for their sins. But what are the sins of demons but good deeds? Demons that pay for their crimes oftentimes would be considered good people in other cultures.

The Seven Archdemons designed the prison for them, traitors that would rather betray their kind than do what they say, even less to import upon the worlds with their mischievous malice. By harnessing the powers of this library, you can enter this separate space where time flows faster compared to the world outside.

The library offers you countless books; some contain forbidden knowledge, others are ancient, sealed demons, and prisoners of the past that remain sealed. You can control the library and its space. Even the ground, the sky, the clouds, and the ores that grow beneath. And perhaps even the annoying pests that might try to eat the books.

Yours is all of this and everything it could ever produce. Conjure Abyssal Curses, Summon Sealed Demons, and channel, cultivate, harness, refine, absorb, and assimilate the Primordial Demonic Heaven Essence within to unleash devastating Demonic Arts and Cursed Sorcery upon your foes.

Every demon has its own story to tell; some might obey you, and others would take a while to do so, but they all recognize you as the “Librarian” and know of our great Authority. 

You are the owner of the Demonic Prison, the Library of Demons and Curses, Pandemonium.

With each Skill Level, more books will be filled with forbidden knowledge, curses, demonic spells, and ancient, evil arts. 

And naturally, even more, imprisoned Demons.

Level Bonus (1): 

Increases Abyssal Curses and Demonic Arts Power and Effects by 1000% and Magic Defense Ignoration by 50%. 

Increases Summoned Demons Stats by 500% and their ability to develop their Magic and pass it to you by 200%.

Increases Curse and Demon Elements Power by 500%. 

Increases the size of the Dimensional Domain by 100% and its Natural Resources production speed by 500%.

Enhances the Power, Production Speed, and Absorption Rate of Primordial Demonic Heaven Essence by 200%.

Decreases Mana Cost of all things related to this Skill by 50%.

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“Wow, this is really long.” I said. “But at the same time, quite simple, isn’t it? Although it doesn’t go into detail about what these Abyssal Curses, Demon Sorcery, or Demonic Arts are all about..."

“Hm, I see, I see,” the demon lady said. “So it is as I thought, though there’s something new, this weird essence you can now extract from it. Also, you, as the Librarian, can receive our powers as well.”

“Demon Powers, huh?” I wondered. “I am already very strong, so I don’t think I need them, but perhaps in the future I could.”

“Heh, don’t underestimate what demons can do, young lady,” she said.

“Young Lady?! I am over eleven thousands years old, dear,” I said.

“So? I’m past my hundred thousand years of age!” she said.

“Oh…” I muttered.

“Well! I guess for a human, you’ve lived plenty, but our demons never really die. Or, well, even if our bodies perish, our essence never truly disappears; we go back to Hell, and then we have to find a new contractor to bring us out. You are that for all of us, a contractor that can bring us to the world out there.” Belze explained. “And I, for once, would like to apply as your secretary. I see you’re quite confused about everything. So how about you leave that job to me, Bing Xue—I mean, dear master?”

She seemed a bit cunning, but she was still below my Authority at the end.

And she was cute.

“Hmm, fine… You’ll have to do a few tasks for me first to show me you’re competent, Belze,” I said.

“Hah! Sure, tell me anything.” She readjusted her glasses, quickly materializing some clothes. 

Her clothing was quite casual but cute: a black overall-like dress with a white blouse, a black witch hat, black heels, and white stockings.

She truly looked kind of like a cute little secretary.

“Then your first task is reorganizing the entire library; make me a list of what every book is for, from demons to spells and so on,” I said.

“That sounds really hard, but bring it on; I’ll do it!” she said. “If I ever become your secretary, I want some payment, though.”

“Hahah, quite bold, aren’t you? Fear not, your efforts shall be paid well.” I nodded. “Now, if you excuse me, I am quite busy, so I’ll get going.”

“Once you return, you’ll see everything well organized, master!” she said with a confident smile.

“I am looking forward to it then!”

I stepped out of the dimensional domain; barely a minute had passed in the outside world.

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