Chapter 14: The Dungeon Under the Library & the Forbidden Book Club

Chapter 14: The Dungeon Under the Library & the Forbidden Book Club

Location: Academy Library, Restricted Section (a.k.a. the "Screaming Shelf")

It began, as most disasters do, with curiosity and a trapdoor.

Vault Girl was hunting for "50 Shades of Mana: Elemental Binding Edition" when she heard a click beneath the carpet.

"Oh," she said cheerfully. "That's ominous."

A trapdoor opened.

A gust of wind whispered:

"Leave... or face overdue fees."

She went down anyway.

Below: A Hidden Dungeon.

The staircase spiraled into a forgotten archive, lit only by the faint glow of enchanted regret.

Dust floated.Shelves loomed.The books... were whispering.

One of them breathed:

"We remember the last librarian. She didn't."

Vault Girl: "Cool."

Meanwhile, in Liana's Office

System Notification:

[Student Has Entered: Sub-Library Dungeon LV. 66][Chance of Madness: 84%][Chance of Cool Loot: 92%][Principal Override Needed]

Liana swore, threw on her "I Hate Everything" coat, and went in.

Ten Minutes Later:

She stood in front of a floating book titled "How to Gaslight a Lich and Other Clerical Errors."

Another book levitated to her and whispered, "Hey, girlboss. Wanna start a club?"

Liana stared.

Vault Girl popped up, holding an unmarked tome that oozed sarcasm and blood.

"This one's banned in seven realms," she said cheerfully. "It insults gods and teaches critical thinking."

The System Buzzed:

[New Club Proposal: The Forbidden Book Club][Warning: Reading club material may cause philosophical breakdown, ironic detachment, or enlightenment-induced nosebleeds.][Perk: Weekly snacks provided by cursed snack cabinet.]

Liana sighed. "Fine. But no summoning eldritch deities without a permit."

Vault Girl: "That was one time."

Club Activities Include:

Debating free will vs magical determinism.

Dramatic book readings where the book screams back.

Rebinding books with flesh or vegan leather (student choice).

Accidentally summoning the ghost of the Academy's first principal, who was super into bureaucracy.

He wept when he saw Liana.

"You actually filed student club paperwork?"

Liana: "I... try my best."

Problem: One Book Escaped

A book titled "The Anarchist's Grimoire for Fluffy Rebellions" floated out and began radicalizing the textbooks.

Now the math books were demanding equality.The alchemy scrolls unionized.The janitor's mop tried to vote.

Liana: "Why is nothing ever normal here!?"

System:

[Because the average worldbuilding setting would be boring, ma'am.]

Resolution:

Liana hosted the first "Debate of the Doomed", where students argued whether knowledge should be free, dangerous, or aggressively censored with fire.

The winning team?Vault Girl and a haunted thesaurus.

Prize:

[New Trait: Principal of Forbidden Knowledge][Unlocked Dungeon Zone: The Stacks Beneath Reality]

Aftermath:

The Forbidden Book Club now meets every Thursday. Sometimes in other timelines.

One demon student began writing fanfic about Liana. It's very popular in the underworld.

The cursed snack cabinet started asking riddles. Losers get popcorn anyway.

The ghost of the old principal became the official club chaperone. He still files reports. No one reads them.

End of Chapter 14