The Elevator That Should Not Exist
Valmeris City did not announce itself with noise or chaos.
It revealed itself through silence.
The library rose at the center of the city like a cathedral built for memory rather than prayer. Its walls were tall, pale, and lined with ancient engravings that seemed decorative at first glance—until one looked too long and felt an unfamiliar pressure behind the eyes.
Nen lingered here.
Not openly.
Not aggressively.
But patiently.
Meruem sensed it the moment he crossed the threshold.
The guide, an elderly man with slow steps and a courteous smile, walked ahead of them, gesturing calmly with his cane.
"Please follow me," he said. "I will guide our guests to the next hall. Your host will accompany you, of course."
Komugi stayed close to Meruem, her steps careful, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her sleeve. Edrin followed behind them, glancing around with unconcealed curiosity.
Rows upon rows of shelves extended endlessly, filled with books of all sizes and thicknesses. Some were old and worn, others pristine, their spines untouched by time. The air smelled of paper, dust, and something deeper—something ancient.
Meruem walked in silence.
But his mind was already moving.
The King's Inherited Power
Without slowing his pace, Meruem activated a technique that no longer belonged solely to the past.
Beelzebub.
Once, it had been the ability of Shaiapouf—his Royal Guard—allowing him to divide his body into countless microscopic clones. But that was only half of what now existed within the King.
Meruem had inherited more than memories.
He had inherited evolution.
Hundreds of micro-cells separated silently from his body, dispersing into the vast library like invisible insects carried by instinct alone. But unlike Pouf's fragile fragments, these clones possessed something new.
From their backs emerged faint, translucent wings—formed through the adaptive, explosive aura once belonging to Menthuthuyoupi.
Not physical wings.
Nen-formed extensions, flexible, reactive, capable of instant acceleration or violent retraction.
A fusion.
Pouf's division.
Youpi's transformation.
Together, they formed a new royal ability:
Beelzebub: Sovereign Swarm.
Each clone shared Meruem's perception, his analysis, his judgment—but retained the raw survival instincts enhanced by Youpi's rage-driven evolution. If threatened, they would not merely flee.
They would adapt.
The clones spread.
Between shelves.
Along ceilings.
Inside shadows.
And then—One of them felt it.
A pull.
Not Nen pressure.
Not hostility.
But a summons, subtle and deliberate, as if something below the ground demanded to be witnessed by the King himself.
The Hidden Elevator
In a far corner of the library, partially obscured behind towering shelves of oversized volumes, one clone noticed something unusual.
An elevator.
Not the main one used by visitors.
Not marked clearly.
Above its doors, faint letters were engraved into the metal:
SUB-LEVELS
A moment later, the clone observed a man descending toward it.
One of the managers.
His movements were calm—but calculated. Natural on the surface, yet rehearsed in precision. Under his arm, he carried a narrow, metallic box sealed with unfamiliar symbols.
The clone followed.
Silent.
Weightless.
The elevator doors slid open, and the manager stepped inside. Without hesitation, the clone slipped in alongside him, unnoticed.
The descent began.
Floors passed quietly.
Sub-level 5
Sub-level 9
Sub-level 14
Finally, the elevator stopped at Sub-level 27.
But instead of exiting, the manager pressed another concealed button beneath the control panel.
The elevator shuddered.
And continued downward.
Past the marked limits.
Past the supposed end.
The Forbidden Archive
When the doors opened again, the clone entered a place that did not resemble a library meant for humans.
The walls were lined with massive books embedded directly into stone, far larger than any aboveground. Their covers were carved with runes—ancient scripts that pulsed faintly with Nen.
The air was heavier here.
Thicker.
As the clone followed the manager deeper inside, it crossed an invisible circular boundary etched into the floor.
The moment it did—Nen erupted.
A transparent cube materialized in front of the clone, forming instantly like glass forged from aura itself.
Inside the cube—Someone was imprisoned.
A figure suspended in silence, eyes open, body restrained by unseen force.
The prisoner's gaze met the clone's.
And in that instant—The Nen reacted.
Violently.
The cube distorted space around it, and the circular seal flared with blinding light. The clone attempted to retreat, its wings flaring outward—But it was too late.
With a sharp contortion of space, the clone was erased.
Not destroyed.
Denied.
The King Is Alerted
Aboveground, Meruem paused mid-step.
Information flooded back into him—the loss of the clone, the image of the cube, the sensation of a Nen far older than modern systems.
His instincts had been correct.
Something was hidden beneath the city of Valmeris.
"Excuse me," Meruem said calmly. "I will take a brief walk through the library and return shortly. Komugi, you may wait here with Edrin. I won't be long."
Komugi hesitated.
Worry flickered across her face, but she nodded.
"Yes… Sir Meruem."
Without another word, Meruem turned back toward the entrance corridor.
The manager who had greeted them earlier stepped forward quickly.
"Allow me to guide you," the man said, smiling.
Meruem stopped.
"No," he replied softly. "That won't be necessary. We know the way."
The smile stiffened.
Meruem walked on.
Komugi and the Game of Gungi
As Meruem disappeared between the shelves, Edrin leaned closer to Komugi, his expression playful.
"I didn't know Meruem liked books this much," he said.
Komugi smiled faintly.
"Sir Meruem is very curious… and very intelligent. He learned Gungi by reading the rules only once. Even so, he plays extremely well."
The old guide's eyes widened.
"Oh? Young lady… do you play Gungi?"
Komugi shifted awkwardly.
"Well… yes. I suppose I'm fairly good at it, I'm also the champion actually on the Guingui world game."
The old man froze.
Then his eyes shone, tears nearly forming.
"I was once the world champion of Gungi," he said quietly.
Komugi gasped.
"Wah…! I feel a little foolish now. It's an honor to meet my predecessor."
"The honor is mine," the old man replied warmly. "Would you care to play a match once the inspection is complete?"
Komugi bowed slightly.
"It would be an honor. I was hoping to ask you the same."
Edrin watched in silence, unsure what to say.
Descent of the King
Meanwhile, Meruem reached the hidden elevator.
The mechanism was identical.
He entered.
The descent began.
At Sub-level 5, the same concealed option appeared.
Meruem pressed it.
The elevator continued past the limits.
Down.
Down.
Until—Sub-level 27.
The doors opened.
The air changed.
Meruem stepped forward, his aura restrained but alert, his senses sharpened beyond human comprehension.
Deep beneath Valmeris…
What secrets lay hidden?
Who was sealed within the transparent cube?
And why did even ancient Nen respond to the King's presence?