Ox greeted him with a polite bow and a calm, honest tone. Unlike Sheba, who veiled her words and emotions, Ox spoke plainly—as if he had nothing to hide.
He led Taryn through vast halls until they entered a chamber unlike any he had seen before.
A library.
No—a world of books.
Row upon row of towering shelves stretched endlessly in all directions. Books of every size, shape, and texture lined them. Some glowed with magic. Some whispered. Others pulsed faintly like they were alive.
“This is your personal library, my lord,” Ox said. “I spent many years collecting every volume in preparation for your reign as Sovereign of Gehonom.”
Taryn was speechless. The entire literary history of his home world would barely fill one shelf in this place.
Still, he chuckled inwardly. While Sheba had spent her time raising nineteen concubines, Ox had gathered nineteen trillion books. He couldn’t tell which task was more insane.
“These books contain the knowledge of countless worlds,” Ox explained. “History, languages, battle arts, recipes, cosmic techniques, maps, cultivation manuals, prophecies. Everything I thought might benefit the next Sovereign of this domain.”
Taryn blinked.
“How could I possibly read this much in a single lifetime?”
“One lifetime is more than enough,” Ox said plainly. “I’ve already read them all twice. Though... a few are one-time books—enchanted to self-destruct after being read. I preserved those for you.”
Taryn’s spine tingled. Just how long had Ox been imprisoned in Gehonom?
Ox rolled up his sleeves.
“Most of these books can only be accessed through magical knowledge transfer. At your current level, only a few will respond to you.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He presented three books to Taryn.
“Only three?” Taryn muttered. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Ox noticed.
“Don’t be disappointed. These three aren’t ordinary. They’re top-tier cultivation methods—and all of them are unread. I never even dared open them.”
“Really?”
“You’ve only just awakened your sigil. This is the perfect time to build a proper foundation.”
“So... which one should I read?”
“You don’t choose them, my lord. They choose you.”
Taryn reached for the first book and opened it with anticipation...
Nothing. Every page was blank. He flipped through it quickly—still blank.
Before he could react, the book ignited in his hands, burning to ash.
Ox’s eyes dimmed.
“What a pity... I lost my horn to acquire that one.”
Still, he kept a calm face. Taryn couldn’t tell whether Ox had been a master poker player in a past life—or just numb from age and pain.
“That one rejected you. It won’t open again. Try the second.”
Taryn opened the next book.
Same result. Blank. Burned.
Ox’s face didn’t change, but internally he was screaming. Each of those books was priceless—worth entire world clusters.
Taryn hesitated before reaching for the last book.
Ox forced a smile.
“Go ahead.”
Taryn calmed his breath. He opened the final book—
And words appeared.
Alien symbols danced across the pages, but somehow, he understood them instinctively. As if the knowledge was meant for him.
The Undead Cosmic Scriptures
Inheritance of the Undead God Sovereign, Immortal King of the Netherworld Supercluster.
Inheritance Requirements Met:
? Undead Physique
? Chaos-Origin Sigil
? Origin in a Sovereign World Candidate Plane
Do you accept this inheritance?
Taryn blinked.
“What’s in it for me?”
The book answered—telepathically.
The Undead Cosmic Scriptures grants:
Insights and cultivation methods from one of the Nine Ancient Cosmic God Sovereigns
Mastery over Netherworld Fire, Soulcraft, Necromancy, and Chaos Cosmic Magic
The ability to forge an Undead Soul through chaos-origin refinement
The script’s power coiled inside his skull, eager to reshape him.
A whisper at the edge of his soul said: this path leads to power—but not peace.
“I accept,” he said.
The book burst into golden flames—and glyphs of light streamed from it into his mind.
The palace lit up. Then the entire Gehonom Valley. A beam of golden-black energy rose from Taryn’s seated form and pierced the void.