Demon Slayers: Library of Wonders

Chapter 1: Awakening

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A crystal-white soul streaked across the universe at a speed defying the laws of physics, racing towards an unknown destination. Despite the supernatural display, the thoughts within the soul remained remarkably mundane and normal.

As he witnessed himself being drawn through the universe, his formless face revealed an indescribable expression at the unfolding events. In the grand scheme, he was merely an ordinary being, gifted but not to the point of genius. His achievements, akin to specks of dust in the vast ocean, proved insufficient to fully grasp this marvellous phenomenon.

Some may question why he undermined himself so much, but they wouldn't comprehend the value of the knowledge and experience gained through traversing the universe. Having witnessed countless civilizations rise and fall during his journeys, though it felt more like watching a movie to him.

Some were so technologically advanced that humans in his world could never hope to replicate them. They colonized thousands of solar systems and utilized stars, ten times larger than the sun, to fuel their death rays with the capability to destroy solar systems thousands of light years away.

Some were so chaotic and barbaric that they rendered the world wars of his home insignificant in comparison. Brutalization and the extinction of species were common occurrences in those realms.

While some were simply just beautiful and divine, adorned with lush natural forests, endless rivers, and vast grasslands that could enchant any mortal or semi-divine being to surrender everything just for a glimpse.

After witnessing countless worlds, he concluded that while these realms were extraordinary, his destination was something beyond mere sightseeing. Trusting his intuition, he believed he was embarking on a remarkable journey and adventure.

Suddenly, his metaphysical body shivered, prompting him to glance to his side. There, he beheld a spiral of darkness, emitting a dark, vicious aura that appeared to corrupt even the space around him, forming cracks like a broken mirror stretching to infinity.

"Better to steer away from it," the soul thought. Fortunately, his destination seemed to be elsewhere, safely away from the ominous thing.

Continuing to traverse through an unknown expanse for an indefinite period, he suddenly exclaimed, "Huh!"

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't had realised when his surroundings slowly changed. It felt like he was swimming through a cosmic ocean at the speed of light rather than through empty space.

"Sigh, I should have kept a better track of time," He thought. His perception of time was so distorted that sometimes a moment felt like an eternity, or eternity was condensed into a single fleeting moment..

Although he didn't rely on any of the five senses, since it became useless once his surroundings changed. It behaved like dark matter but in a superfluid state. He could only sense his surroundings through his mind's eye, or perhaps it was his soul's eye. He developed these senses when he first glimpsed another world. He had always wondered how he could see them and why his horizon wasn't focused on a single point due to light-speed travelling. It took a long time for him to even understand that what he saw was likely the remnants of a long-lost civilization through his soul.

While he swam in the cosmic ocean like a fish in a pond, he found himself atop a colossal structure, the most astounding and extraordinary he had ever seen or could possibly imagine.

'Woah!!' He thought.

It was so breathtaking that it would put the Pillars of Cosmos by Hubble to shame. Eerie, dark pillar-like structures, seemingly crafted from some cosmic dark material, and crystal-like particles resembling small stars formed its dome. The pillars protruded from the interior wall of a dark molecular cloud, akin to stalagmites rising from the floor of a cavern.

Marvelling at this magnificent structure, he noticed a change in his surroundings. It felt like gravity was pulling him towards the structure. He attempted to swim against it, but the pull was so strong that he felt like a moth futilely fighting against the sun.

Feeling himself being drawn into the structure, he experienced a horrifying sensation, as if every aspect of him was about to be squashed. Yet, it also felt peculiar, akin to transitioning between a dream and reality.

Despite trying to resist with all his might, assimilation seemed inevitable. His strength proved futile, and as he underwent the process, his thoughts gradually slowed until they ceased.

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After a prolonged period, a tremor spread throughout the universe from one point, awakening several beings with an untold and incomprehensible amount of power, enough to crush anyone. However, their reactions were entirely different from what one would expect of such beings.

"How did it awaken?"

"It shouldn't have happened now !!"

Sigh. "So finally, ***** has an inheritor."

While the entire universe experienced chaos, the cause of the chaos slumbered like a beauty awaiting his kiss in an endless grand library.

"Hmm, where am I?" Ace thought as he awoke. He looked around to find countless shelves filled with books of unknown origin.

"What happened after 'It' started consuming me? I clearly felt my thoughts slowing down until they stopped. How am I even conscious now?"

"Stop," Ace berated himself. "Currently, it's not the correct time to think about it. I should first check my surroundings."

Slowly, he got up and walked without a specific direction or destination, as everything felt the same, as if there was no centre or corners. Describing the perception of space as having a direction would be misleading; it was vast yet felt incredibly small, like one could touch it all at once but also get lost in it—a space so eerie that it defied description. It was an indescribable space.

After five minutes of walking, he encountered what seemed no larger than a room, but the space around it kept coiling in on itself. Every inch appeared to be a dimension of its own, encompassing several shelves filled with books, all sharing the same unnerving phenomenon.

Seeing this, Ace was a little afraid, but after some contemplation, he continued deeper into the strange space, only stopping when he sensed he had reached his destination—a floating book. Feeling bewildered, he approached the book and touched it, a sense of tension mixed with curiosity and anticipation for something great already winning him over.

With a buzz, a jolt travelled through his hands and soul, and he could feel it in real time, as if his inner voice were speaking. It provided him with information while forming the words in the book:

[Congratulations, Inheritor - The Chosen One.

You have traversed the Realms of Remnants and braved the dark trenches of the Malevolent Abyss.]

[You have torn through the webs of Inescapable Fate & swum across the sea of Cosmic Ocean.]

[You have arrived at the place many desired yet none dared to tread on. Now, you stand at the crossroads of destinies. Seize this Cosmic Gift and weave your Fate with your own hands.]

**All other information will be provided to you in due time. You can check your status by turning the page.**

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