With that, the sacrificial process could proceed perfectly.
Arcanum Water could be found in an underwater cave, specifically in the Arcanum Water pool.
For now, only Hastora, the author, knew about it.
Actually, the sacrifice could still be done even without using Arcanum Water.
The problem was the warning given by the system.
If he died, that death would be permanent.
But, with Arcanum Water, he was safe.
Hastora bought diving equipment at the shop, then left after paying.
He paused.
"How far is Aoshio Beach, actually?"
"I don't remember the distance because I haven't updated the latest chapter in a while."
He opened his smartphone and checked it on the internet.
"Shit!"
"900 kilometers from here?"
That was extremely far.
It would take at least 3 hours to get there.
He sighed heavily.
"It seems today will be a tiring day."
With a heavy heart, he walked to the station and boarded the bullet train.
The bullet train sped him toward Aoshio Beach.
Once there, he got off at the station and walked towards the beach.
The cool breeze from the beach hit his face.
"I feel better."
He stretched his body and rested for a while under a tree.
He was tired.
His body was very weak.
Even the ride on the bullet train had nearly made him faint.
If he hadn't eaten bread beforehand, he might have really fainted.
He wiped the sweat from his face, then stood up.
"I shouldn't rest too long."
Putting on his diving gear, he ran and jumped into the sea.
The water was very clear and unpolluted.
From underwater, he could see fish swimming around him.
Some were bright blue, orange, and yellow.
He also saw a whale swimming beside him.
It made him shiver a little.
Fortunately, it wasn't the kind of whale that preyed on humans.
He became a little calmer, but he still had to be careful.
He accelerated his swimming.
It didn't take long for him to reach the seabed.
He swam through a narrow passage between coral reefs.
It was tight.
If he were a little fatter, he might have gotten stuck there.
However, his hard work paid off after successfully entering the cave.
The cave was dimly lit because the crystals on its ceiling reflected a faint light.
Its walls were filled with natural carvings, like petrified strokes of time.
In the center, there was a small pool with strikingly blue water.
He removed his regulator.
The inside of this cave was inaccessible to seawater, and there was also oxygen here.
He could breathe calmly without any disturbance.
"I'll begin."
After removing his diving gear, he took the Astranive and Floraveth and crushed them with a crystal until they became small pieces.
He opened the lid of the belladonna bottle and put the small pieces into it.
The color changed.
The belladonna, which was originally green, now turned into a vibrant, multicolored hue.
He succeeded.
His efforts so far were not in vain.
Now, that belladonna was no longer an ordinary high-level poison.
But, it had become a poison that could interfere with someone's death.
A person's soul would have problems, then be thrown to any place randomly.
In truth, Auren's death and his arrival in the Nihility Collapse had been pure luck.
His soul accidentally went to the Nihility Collapse due to luck.
This was a problem, but not a big problem.
All he did was imitate how Auren did it.
He knew this was silly, but there was no harm in trying.
"First, I have to hurt myself first."
He created a sword from shadows.
With trembling hands, without hesitation, he stabbed his own stomach.
"Ugh!"
Fresh blood flowed profusely after the black blade pierced his stomach.
Not just once, he stabbed himself over and over, collapsing as blood spilled from his mouth.
This was painful.
But, for the sake of becoming stronger, he was willing to do anything.
"Now, I—"
He vomited blood.
"Ugh, this is nothing."
He took the belladonna he had concocted earlier, and drank it all.
"!!!"
His throat felt like it was burning.
His stomach felt hot, as if filled with hot metal.
He coughed up blood and lay weakly.
His body convulsed.
In a weak state, he tried to enter the Arcanum Water pool beside him.
Even though he died, he had to keep his body healthy by entering the pool.
Arcanum Water could heal even the most severe wounds.
His body would remain intact, even in death.
And, someone would have a mark on their body when they first bathed in Arcanum Water.
That mark served to allow someone to rise from death.
The limit was only once, after which the mark would disappear.
He planned to use it to revive once he reached the Nihility Collapse
Even with his body broken and decaying, he managed to crawl into the Arcanum Water pool.
His efforts were not in vain.
He successfully entered the pool.
Instantly, his wounds healed completely.
His almost decaying body was now restored.
Although his body returned to normal, his consciousness did not.
Slowly, his vision began to blur before darkness finally enveloped him.
---
Hastora opened his eyes and found himself in a dark place.
There... everything was silent and empty.
But, that emptiness began to disappear.
He forcefully teleported and found himself in a volcanic region.
"What the hell is this?"
He rubbed his eyes—and in an instant, he found himself in a snowy landscape.
"Why is this happening?"
"Did my soul get thrown randomly because of the effect of drinking my concoction earlier?"
He didn't want to believe it.
However, reality couldn't lie.
There was no mistake... his soul was indeed being thrown randomly!
"Instead of being in the Nihility Collapse, but in this place?"
"If this is the case, only one thing is certain. I failed..."
He was a little disappointed.
But he had also expected this to happen.
He was too confident that he would succeed just by following a stroke of luck in the novel.
How funny.
"If this is the case, what can I do?"
He sat in the heart of the blizzard, knees drawn to his chest.
"Should I just go back?"
He only had one chance to come back.
He had to use it correctly and in the right situation.
But, if this is the case...
"There's no other choice."
He stood up.
Just as he was about to return, he suddenly found himself in a place that was so chaotic.
He flinched and looked around.
"This..."
He seemed to recognize this place.
However, he decided to confirm it once more.
He walked while continuing to look around.
Now, everything had been confirmed.
"There's no mistake."
This place...
"Nihility Collapse!"
To be continued in the next chapter…
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A/N:
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Over and out, Zalario