Hastora's eyes widened as he stared at the screen.
"Nonconformity?" he muttered.
A species… he'd never heard of.
Definitely not something he'd ever written into his novel.
Could it be… a change in the story?
If that were true, then this was a huge problem.
This wasn't just bad.
It was a disaster waiting to happen.
Hastora paced back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, stroking his chin.
"What should I do?"
"This is more troublesome than I anticipated."
Mid-pace, his eyes landed on a bag sitting on the bed.
"What's inside?"
Curiosity sparked in his chest.
He picked up the bag and checked its contents.
"…? What is this?"
An envelope and a small pouch were revealed as he peered inside.
He took them out.
He opened the envelope.
"…This."
An acceptance letter to the Velmora Grand Academy.
The most prestigious academy in the Eldoria Empire.
An academy of prodigies.
Those who made it in earned respect from across the empire.
Famous instructors and professors taught there.
So, the boy whose body he now inhabited…
"A genius."
It was undeniable.
If he were stupid and untalented, there was no way he would have been accepted into the Velmora Grand Academy.
This was good.
"I can grow stronger at the academy."
"No one can bother me there. Not even the family of the person whose body I've possessed."
He put the letter back into the envelope and tucked it into his pocket.
"Now, what should I do to become stronger?"
"The Velmora Grand Academy entrance exam will be held in a few days."
"Before that happens, I need to grow stronger."
"…"
"Right, I should check what magic I possess."
"Magic status."
A screen appeared before him.
[Magic: •Control Over Darkness •Flamma Infernus]
"Only two?"
This was too few.
However, there was one incredibly dangerous magic.
Flamma Infernus.
An extremely dangerous epic-level magic.
But, the power of this magic depended on the user.
If the user's mana was very low, then this magic would only be like a campfire.
However, if the user's mana was high, then this magic would become extremely dangerous.
There was one very fatal problem now.
That was Hastora's mana being too low.
On top of that, he only had two magics.
That was a critical flaw.
A fatal one, even.
He could probably fight using a sword.
He had learned swordsmanship with his teacher in the past.
He could utilize his swordsmanship skills in combat.
But, it wasn't enough.
He needed something that could increase his mana many times over.
But what?
Suddenly, a place crossed his mind.
"…Nihility Collapse."
A highly secretive anomalous dimension, unknown even to most people.
A realm of pure chaos.
Time unraveled, logic shattered, and even causality bent to madness.
Just by entering it, one could grow exponentially stronger.
Both mana and physical strength would increase drastically.
But… he had to do something a little extreme to get there.
Indeed,
"All I need to do is enter that dimension, then return. Nothing else."
Hastora took the small pouch he had retrieved from the bag earlier.
He opened it.
"10,000 gold coins?"
Somehow, this much money was here.
He didn't know how or why.
But one thing was clear—this body belonged to someone wealthy.
"No wonder he could enter the Velmora Grand Academy. Maybe he bribed his way in."
It was impossible for him to get in with only one magic.
Hastora had only acquired Flamma Infernus shortly after his transmigration.
The only magic he had possessed before was Control Over Darkness; nothing else.
Hastora sighed.
"I can't waste time here."
He put on a long black coat and half-finger gloves, then grabbed his bag and left the house.
Because of the long distance, he decided to take a bus.
After arriving, he walked towards a shop.
A man with a thin mustache, long beard, and muscular build was visible after he entered.
"Excuse me."
Hearing someone's voice, the man turned.
"What is it, kid? Do you want to buy something?"
"I want to buy Astravine, Floraveth, and one Belladonna."
"Belladonna?"
The man raised his eyebrows.
"What do you want to do with that poison?"
"Just dealing with some pests at home."
"…Alright. Wait a moment."
The man stepped into a room.
Hastora waited.
He didn't buy those things without reason.
He needed them for a sacrifice.
He wanted to sacrifice himself by drinking the most dangerous poison in the capital.
Then, with the Astravine and Floraveth, it would create a kind of disturbance in his death.
In the novel, when a certain main character accidentally drank Belladonna, he also ate Astravine and Floraveth.
As a result, he died, and somehow ended up in the Nihility Collapse.
Hastora wanted to try that dangerous method.
Although it was very risky, he didn't care.
As long as he could enter the Nihility Collapse, then… that would be more than enough.
"Your order is ready, kid."
The man returned, carrying an order in a plastic bag.
"Alright. How much is it?"
"The price of Astravine has gone up lately. So, everything totals 1 gold coin."
That was a lie.
Hastora knew that.
But, he was rich; 1 gold coin was nothing.
After finishing the payment, Hastora immediately left and walked towards a diving equipment store.
He needed that.
There was one more thing he needed to perform the sacrificial ritual.
The final ingredient…
Arcanum Water.
To be continued in the next chapter…