No matter how many times he tried, the results remained the same.
This was bad.
Very bad.
If Valeska didn't survive…
"I have to try again."
Hastora channeled mana into the Arcanum water.
The Arcanum water glowed a bright blue.
He pried Valeska's mouth open and poured the Arcanum water into it.
Valeska's body emitted a bright blue light.
Hastora wiped his sweat, slightly relieved at the sight.
"Did I succeed?"
A small smile played on his lips…
…only to vanish as the light suddenly dimmed and disappeared.
And…
The result remained the same; no changes whatsoever to Valeska.
'Fuck, what the hell? Why isn't it working?' he thought.
Hastora stepped back, gazing at Valeska lying weakly on her bed.
He had to find another way to heal Valeska.
But how?
This all must be connected to the altered storyline.
The Arcanum water, known to cure all kinds of curses, was now utterly useless.
Valeriane stared at Valeska with anxiety.
Hastora's unsuccessful attempts left her despairing.
She stepped closer and hugged Valeska tightly.
"My daughter, don't leave me! Sigvard leaving was enough, don't you leave me too. Hic! Hic!"
She cried her heart out.
Tears streamed down her face.
Losing her only daughter would leave a wound far deeper than any she'd known before.
Hastora bit his lip, anxiety washing over him.
'How is this? WillI fail to obtain the Eidolith Crystal?'
Hastora kept wondering.
What if he failed? Would his entire plan crumble?
Frustration filled him as he clenched his fists.
He felt like unleashing his frustration in a single, powerful blow.
However, he quickly took a deep breath.
He mustn't show his frustration now.
It would make him easily suspicious.
He had to remain calm, as much as possible.
He couldn't give up here.
There had to be another way to save Valeska, who was on the brink of death.
Hastora glanced at Elyshara, trying to signal for help.
But Elyshara didn't even look at him.
She only stared at the mother and daughter before her, tears slowly falling.
'Damn! How can she cry ata time like this?'
This was useless; it seemed he had to think of another plan alone.
Two options came to mind.
First, go to Sigvard and forcefully ask him how to heal Valeska.
Second, kill himself and return to the Nihility Collapse to ask the Null Scribe.
'Which one shouldI choose?' he thought.
Both were incredibly complicated options.
Right now, he had strong evidence suggesting Sigvard was the culprit.
He could confront him and force Sigvard to reveal how to save Valeska.
But, he wasn't entirely sure Sigvard was the culprit.
And even if Sigvard was the culprit, would he tell Hastora how to save Valeska?
Sigvard might choose death over revealing the method.
Sigvard was vile and vengeful; that possibility was very high.
This method wasn't entirely effective, and he didn't even know Sigvard's location.
To him, the second option seemed more powerful.
If Hastora died, he would most likely return to the Nihility Collapse as before.
The Nihility Collapse itself was an anomalous dimension.
It was impossible for Hastora to go there after death unless he was no ordinary being.
The reason he could go to the Nihility Collapse was because he was a Nonconformity.
He could ask the Null Scribe to save Valeska in exchange for protecting Elyshara.
The Null Scribe was almost impossible to go back on his word.
He knew that because, after all, he was the one who wrote it.
After thinking for a moment, he finally made a decision.
Nihility Collapse…
He would go there.
Death was the way to the Nihility Collapse.
He had to commit suicide first, but definitely not here.
He had to go somewhere else first.
Hastora walked towards the door.
"I promise I'll save the princess, Your Majesty. Wait for me, I'll be right back. And, Elyshara—stay here and don't follow me. There's something important I need to do."
He said before leaving the room.
Elyshara knew Hastora was completely serious; it was evident in his burning red eyes.
She chose to remain silent and sit in her chair, waiting.
"Good luck," she said.
---
After leaving the palace, Hastora walked towards a shop in the capital.
It was…
A poison shop.
The only way to kill himself now was to drink a high-grade poison.
His body was incredibly strong from soaking in the Arcanum water pool.
Ordinary poison wouldn't work on him.
He needed a very dangerous poison.
A poison capable of killing someone with a single drop.
This wasn't just any poison.
A bald dwarf man with a long mustache appeared after he entered the shop.
Hastora approached.
"Excuse me."
Hearing someone's voice, the dwarf turned.
"What is it, lad? Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I want to buy poison."
"Poison?" The dwarf raised his eyebrows.
"Yes, poison. I want to buy two high-grade poisons." Hastora produced a gold coin.
The dwarf quickly took the gold coin.
"Alright, wait a moment," he said, then walked towards a room to prepare Hastora's order.
Hastora waited.
He folded his arms.
Two high-grade poisons were needed to create a stronger poison.
There was only one poison capable of killing him now.
The strongest poison in the novel; Vermorath—an ancient poison that rots the soul and body simultaneously.
Even someone who had soaked in the Arcanum water pool wouldn't be able to withstand this poison.
Vermorath directly attacks someone's soul.
While someone who had soaked in the Arcanum water pool had no resistance against soul attacks.
However, not many people knew how to make this poison—only a handful of people knew.
Clack
"Your order is ready, lad."
The dwarf came out carrying a plastic bag containing two high-grade poisons.
Hastora quickly took the bag and left the shop.
Now, he just had to find a place to commit suicide.
But where?
In the forest? Impossible.
Monsters might appear and eat his corpse.
In an abandoned building?
Unfortunately, there were no abandoned buildings here.
There was only one place, the safest place he could think of.
An underwater cave, where the Arcanum water pool was located.
Currently, no one knew about that place except Hastora, Elyshara, and Mirellia.
His corpse would be safe there.
Hastora quickly ran towards the beach.
He bought new diving gear and swam towards the underwater cave.
Once there, he removed his diving gear and stored it in the shadows.
He took out the two high-grade poisons, mixing them in a bottle.
"It's time."
He channeled a little of his mana into the bottle, mixing the poisons thoroughly.
With his mana, the mixing process wasn't ordinary.
The poison emitted a dark light before turning pitch black.
Now, the poison was ready to claim his life.
His body trembled as he was about to drink the poison.
This was the most terrifying moment.
He would have to endure agony beyond imagination.
Hastora took a deep breath.
"I have to drink this. After all, this is what a real man would do."
With trembling hands, he gulped down the poison.
"Ugh!"
It felt as if a blade carved through his throat.
His veins blackened, pulsing violently like serpents desperate to escape his flesh.
His heartbeat faded, like a song losing its last note.
His consciousness began to fade before he finally died, blood flowing from his mouth.
Even in this place where nothing exists, he felt the weight of his own presence — or perhaps the illusion of it.
The boundary between self and void blurred like ink bleeding into still water.
He could no longer tell whether the silence around him was external or a reverberation of his own mind.
Was he being punished? Or preserved? Or was this all simply... natural for something like him?
He remembered a window. Not a real one, but the metaphorical kind.
Back when he was still human—or thought he was—he often stared at rain trickling down glass panes, wondering if the world outside saw him as clearly as he saw it.
"What am I now?"
No voice answered.
Only the echo of his question, folding into the vast non-space, vanishing like a dream within a dream.
Then came a flicker—faint and almost imperceptible.
A ripple in the collapse.
Like a breath exhaled by the universe itself.
Was it memory? Was it another anomaly? Or a call from something... beyond?
He extended his hand. It didn't move.
Or maybe it moved in every direction at once.
In this place, time refused to obey.
Causality crumbled. Intent scattered.
He laughed. Or he cried.
Or he simply existed in a moment that defied all verbs.
"If I am not real, then what is?"
[Third death]
[Character's soul rots due to drinking Vermorath]
[Arcanum water's blessing restores the character's soul]
[Null Scribe detects the character's arrival]
[Sending the character's soul to the Nihility Collapse]
---
Hastora woke up with a groan.
He found himself in the Nihility Collapse after opening his eyes.
"Did I succeed?"
Hastora stood, looking around.
There was no mistake.
He was truly in the Nihility Collapse.
The sight before his eyes couldn't be denied.
Soon, a shrill voice echoed from above.
"How did you get back here?"
Null Scribe emerged from a dimensional rift.
Hastora calmly met Null Scribe's gaze.
He couldn't show any fear.
He only had to ask Null Scribe to save Valeska; nothing else mattered.
If he failed, he was done for.
And if he succeeded, this would be his greatest stroke of luck.
To be continued in the next chapter…