The Villain's Story

In the first two lie the useless and common knowledge. In the third was the information deemed useful, and in the fourth was transcendent and dangerous information. So what did the fifth layer hold?

And the sixth beyond it?

Alan took a deep breath, approaching the gate to the fifth layer with heavy steps, his medallion gripped tightly in his hand.

The gate was simple, made of metal inscribed with dozens upon dozens of ancient magic. Alan couldn’t hope to break through it if he tried. He honestly believed anyone under the level of Divine would fail against such high-caliber magic.

He placed his medallion at the terminal beside it and watched silently. The terminal produced a low hum as the magic symbols inscribed on the metal door began to glow and resonate with one another.

The door opened, but this time, it wasn’t an elevator that led to the inquisitors like Sabrina had experienced, nor was it as grand as they had expected.

It was a simple room; it wasn’t a grand library like they had expected, and neither was it so… neat. The floor was cracked in some areas, and the smell was something else as well… It seemed nobody had visited to clean this place in quite some time.

A few decades, at the very least. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a simple wooden table with no sorcery engraved on it was present in the middle, along with two chairs. Though Alan doubted if they could support his weight.

The wood was rotten and moldy. However, that wasn’t exactly what he was here for. The fifth layer of the library held the knowledge that the Church had deemed.

‘Precious.’

Throughout the entire universe, through the empires of the Dragon and the God Beasts, the kingdoms of the Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and multiple other civilizations that had existed for millennia, only these few books deserved to be kept here.

The knowledge of divinity and the step beyond, supremacy. Each book present here was something you couldn’t get outside. It was simply impossible. All of them had been collected and managed here; that was how precious they were. They were written records from the Divine Dragons, the Godly Beasts, and the few other beings who had managed to reach that level.

Extensive knowledge of the Supremes, along with even the Primordial beings. The history of their lineages is all present in this singular room. But not a single book here could be read by Sabrina, for all of them were in Dragon Tongue. It would take her years to decipher even a single page within them.

She approached one of the bookshelves and reached out with her hand. There was no harm in copying the contents and working on deciphering them later… But then.

Do not touch.

A voice rang out from inside, coming from her domain. A warning.

After all, all the knowledge here was divine and supreme, and some even touched on the level of Primordial; she couldn’t hope to comprehend it. Only insanity waited at the end of that road.

You’re not at that level yet.

Sabrina sighed, giving up on her goal for now. She could find a way to get back here later, when she was at a more suitable level. She gazed at the books with a longing gaze before turning to Alan. He was at the other end, staring at the gate to the sixth layer.

As if sensing her gaze, Alan turned around with a slight smile and asked.

“Sabrina, I’m sorry, but can you go for a moment? I don’t think you can handle the sixth layer. Please?”

She silently nodded her head and left, and Alan turned to the gate once more. She didn’t bother asking why. The fifth was already too much for her; the sixth would be even more treacherous.

But that wasn’t why Alan had asked her to leave. He didn’t know she couldn’t read the books here or that they would drive her insane if she opened them. He had been informed by someone else.

A few moments prior, a voice had rung in his head.

[You shouldn’t be here, you know? Abuse of authority at that young of an age? You need disciplining.]

It was an old, ancient, and tired voice. Ariel had popped up in his mind; it was a surprise, considering this dragon only liked to talk to Kazikato or sleep a lot.

A chill ran down his spine as she ended her sentence, but Alan was still curious.

‘I’m already here, aren’t I? Or is there something I can’t see in there?’

A hollow laughter rang out in his mind.

[No, as a dragon, you can handle knowledge most can’t. Speaking of which, you should send that girl back. Just being in this room will slowly drive her insane. The sixth will kill her. All the texts here have sealing magic on them, which is why she’s able to even stand here. That girl’s thirst for knowledge will kill her one day.]

That was what had prompted him to ask her to leave.

‘Kill? Isn’t that going too far?’ Aren’t they just a few ooks

[This room would drive all of Earth insane if it was dropped on that planet without sealing magic.]

“… Oh.”

[Why do you wish to go to the sixth?]

She asked, and Alan’s response was simple.

‘I think I’ll get to know what I am once I’m there.’

[Why?]

‘Why not?’

[You obsess over finding out what you are too much. Ask it from me. Do you think I don’t know?]

A look of surprise overtook his face.

‘You do?!’

[Your family, what else are you? The specifics of your existence are not relevant; the bonds you have do.]

‘Yeah, my fault for getting my hopes up.’

Alan sighed and placed the medallion into the terminal, waiting for it to take effect, but to his surprise, nothing happened.

‘Don’t tell me…’

The sound of hearty laughter invaded his mind once again.

[Did you seriously think that your medallion would grant you access there? Your position is high, but not that high, Alan. Well, not yet at least.]

“…”

He retrieved his medallion and made a solemn request.

“Grant me access there. Please.”

For some reason, he felt as if he had to get inside there, no matter what. And as if in response to his serious demeanor, the laughter stopped and a heavy voice descended.

[Why?]

Ariel asked, wondering why Alan was so adamant about entering the sixth layer. To her, it didn’t really matter whether he went inside or not. As a dragon, his mind was stable enough to handle it, and if it wasn’t, Lanesha and Ariel were still there for him.

Lanesha already had Azmakul place a strong mental protection spell on him, and if things went awry, Ariel could always intervene. But it still puzzled her.

To her, the most important thing right now for Alan should be to proceed with the trials and complete them as fast as possible. She thought this was merely a waste of his time.

After all, the library was filled with knowledge far above his level, he had no need for them, and it was funny; he had beings of her power to ask, and he still went for a guidebook

He had already been told about the advancement to the Epic stage, and they could tell him about the rest of the stages once he reached there. But then again, knowing Alan, there was probably some other reason.

She was a dragon that had detached herself from the matters of the world for quite a while, Her involvement in the latest war was most likely the only time she had ever made an appearance to other beings beside the Supreme beings and members of her family.

Whatever was inside was something Alan would come to know eventually, so she really didn’t mind if he entered it now, but then again, it wasn’t her decision to make.

Valus had been the one to take the Dark Species under his wing, everything they had done and built was under his jurisdiction, and not hers. The spells on the gate were his own, and if Ariel wanted she could overwrite them to provide access to Alan.

But why? She hadn’t met her son in a long while. Lanesha was the only one of her children who frequently visited her. Valus avoided her for certain reasons…

[Wait.]

“Huh?”

[Now that I remember, why am I so adamant about not letting you enter? To hell with his privacy and the work of his men. That son of mine hasn’t visited me in… in….]

She honestly couldn’t tell, keeping track of time wasn’t her strong suit, but the main thing was still there. Valus hadn’t visited her for a long time… Kulak could be excused, as she understood the weight of his duty.

But Valus? What the hell was his eldest doing not to have time for her?

[Huh, I don’t know how long it’s been. Millennia? Hmmmm…]

“Can I go inside or not?”

[Hmmm… Would it piss him off?]

“What?”

[To hell with it, Alan, get inside there! If anything it’ll teach that boy to not neglect his mother! Get inside and do whatever the hell you want!]

“… What is going on?”

[GET IN!]