The light illuminated the entire dimension.
Slowly, he could feel his consciousness fading.
"...What is this...?"
For the last time, he tried to get up before finally falling into a deep sleep.
---
Nihility Collapse
Hastora woke up groaning.
He rubbed his eyes, then looked around.
"This place..."
Nihility Collapse.
Hastora gasped, then stood up in confusion.
How did he end up here?
He tried to remember the previous events.
Survival trial, foreign dimension, giant tower, Vuldari, and the light from the sky.
Hastora's curiosity grew before he realized that the pain in his body had disappeared.
Hastora groped his body.
"...It's real."
His pain was completely gone.
He couldn't make sense of it.
What had actually happened?
"Did I die and return to the Nihility Collapse?"
He wasn't entirely sure. However, all the evidence couldn't lie.
The wounds, the pain, the broken ribs, everything was healed.
Hastora sighed, "in the end, I'll still fail."
His quest would end soon, and he hadn't even been able to complete it.
He couldn't even survive more than five days in this world.
The situation had forced him to do everything.
His plan to obtain the Eidolith Crystal had completely failed.
None of his actions were truly useful.
After the grimoire he was looking for in Fogthrone was completely different from the one in the novel, now he couldn't even get the Eidolith Crystal.
It was... disappointing.
Hastora sat down, then hugged his knees tightly.
"Nothing has changed, this second life is the same as my previous life."
Suddenly, a voice appeared as he was about to cry.
"You're awake?"
Hastora looked up at the sound of a voice from above.
His eyes widened, then returned to normal.
"I failed," he said briefly.
"You didn't fail."
"No, I really failed."
"Why are you so sure you failed?"
"Because... I couldn't complete your survival trial, Null Scribe. I could even be killed by that lowly Vuldari."
Null Scribe approached, then hovered in front of him.
"No, you didn't die. I brought you here," he said.
Hastora turned, looking at Null Scribe in surprise.
"...? What do you mean?"
"You idiot. I said you didn't die, I brought you here."
Hastora furrowed his brows, disbelieving.
Null Scribe tried to convince Hastora by giving him a small wound.
Hastora gasped and screamed when Null Scribe suddenly scratched his left hand with a pitch-black sickle.
"What are you doing?!"
Hastora focused his mana on his wound until it was completely healed.
In fact, it was a little unique because no one healed their wounds like Hastora did.
People usually healed their wounds using healing magic.
There were also people who could heal their wounds themselves without healing magic, usually those who could regenerate.
Of course, that surprised Null Scribe a little.
Hastora healed his wounds in a unique way.
However, Null Scribe didn't want to ask because it wasn't important to him.
Actually, it was all because of the Arcanum water blessing.
Just by focusing his mana on his wounds, Hastora could heal his wounds himself without having to use healing magic.
He knew it, after all, he was the one who wrote it.
That's why, since moving to the capital, he immediately targeted the Arcanum water pool as soon as possible.
It was really useful and effective for him.
Null Scribe just remained silent and didn't answer Hastora's question at all since earlier.
Feeling ignored, Hastora decided to ask again.
"What was that attack for? Why are you just silent and not answering."
"..."
"I'm asking, at least answer."
"...Just think about it yourself, you have a brain to think with."
Null Scribe's words were very hurtful and piercing.
Although annoyed, Hastora didn't want to show his annoyance at all.
No matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to defeat Null Scribe.
The difference in their strength was like the earth and the stars, truly far apart.
He decided to think as Null Scribe had just said.
Hastora still couldn't figure out the meaning of Null Scribe's previous attack after thinking for 5 minutes.
Hastora massaged his head, dizzy.
What was the actual meaning of Null Scribe's previous attack?
Was it a punishment?
Hastora decided to think again to find the answer.
After thinking for 8 minutes, he finally realized it.
He could be injured.
That meant Hastora was in the Nihility Collapse alive, not just his soul like before.
If it were only his soul, then he wouldn't be able to be injured by Null Scribe's trivial attack earlier.
Null Scribe would have to use a spiritual attack to hurt Hastora.
Null Scribe attacked Hastora with a normal attack, he didn't even add a spiritual attack to his pain.
That was more than enough to answer Hastora's question earlier.
"I'm not dead, I'm still alive, right?" Hastora asked Null Scribe.
"Finally, you realize it too."
"Does that mean I've completed your Survival Trial?"
"Correct."
"So, does that mean I can claim my payment?"
"Correct. Then, what do you want?"
This was the question Hastora had been waiting for the most.
However, he had to make sure how many requests he could make.
"How many times can I request?"
"Three, the limit is three."
Without hesitation, Hastora immediately made his request.
"Alright, first, I want you to save a girl named Valeska from her curse."
This was the first thing he had to ask for.
Because the reason Hastora returned here was for that, not anything else.
"Alright. But, I can't heal her directly. I'll give you a potion that can absolutely cure all curses."
Null Scribe replied, a potion suddenly appeared in his hand.
"Here, use this."
Null Scribe gave the potion to Hastora.
"Next, what's your second request?" Null Scribe asked.
"I want 5,000 gold coins as my second request."
"You obtained it."
A bag containing 5,000 gold coins suddenly appeared in front of Hastora after Null Scribe waved his hand.
"Next, what's your last request?" Null Scribe asked Hastora for the third time.
"..."
Hastora didn't know what to answer.
He didn't know what to ask for his last request.
For now, he didn't need anything else to ask for.
He already had money, he also already had a potion that could absolutely cure all curses.
He didn't need anything else for now.
"Can I hold on to my third request for later? I'll ask for it someday when I need it."
Hastora asked. This was the most appropriate choice right now.
He had to save his last request.
And when he encountered difficulties someday, he could use his third request.
"You can save it. Besides, it won't harm me," Null Scribe replied as he floated higher.
"It's time for you to return, you don't have any more business here," Null Scribe said, his hands enveloped in pitch-black energy.
Soon, a thick black smoke enveloped Hastora's entire body before he finally disappeared from the Nihility Collapse.
---
The world of the living, inside an underwater cave.
Hastora woke up as water touched his feet.
"...Am I alive again?"
He stroked his messy hair, then looked towards the Arcanum water pool in front of him.
Now he was very sure... He had come back to life.
He stood up, his feet feeling a little cold from being in the Arcanum water pool for a long time.
Before leaving, he cleaned the blood from his mouth first.
After finishing, he put on his diving gear, then swam back to the shore.
He stores his diving gear in the shadows, and ran towards the train station.
It didn't take long for him to get there.
He boarded the train and chose his seat.
The train moved.
"I hope I get there before the quest expires."
---
Imperial Palace, Valeska von Asterea's room.
Elyshara couldn't take it anymore.
Valeriane kept asking her strange questions.
She really wanted to leave here.
She had tried various ways, but none of them worked.
Starting from taking a short walk, sitting in the yard, and others.
Valeriane kept stopping her from leaving.
She had no choice but to answer all of Valeriane's silly questions since earlier.
Valeriane didn't ask any serious questions as she had expected.
The first impression Elyshara got of her was... A chatty girl.
That was the impression she got from watching her.
Valeriane couldn't be quiet and kept talking incessantly.
It made Elyshara a little disturbed and tired from constantly talking.
She hoped Hastora would return as soon as possible, nothing else.
Soon, her hope became a reality.
Hastora returned after being gone for a few hours.
Elyshara was very happy, finally she could stop talking to that chatty girl.
"I'm back," Hastora said, walked into the room.
He walked towards Valeska who was lying weakly on the bed.
"I've found the cure. Can I start now?" he asked Valeriane.
Valeriane stood up, then stepped closer to Hastora.
"Yes. You can start now."
Valeriane answered, her face a little sad. Changed 180 degrees.
"Then I'll start," Hastora said.
He opened Valeska's mouth wide and poured the potion given by Null Scribe earlier into her mouth.
Valeska's body was enveloped in colorful energy.
Slowly, the dark circles under her eyes began to disappear, as did her pale skin.
The colorful energy enveloping her body disappeared, she was completely recovered.
Valeska had returned to her original appearance.
Pale white skin and striking blue eyes, a beautiful girl lying on the bed.
Valeriane quickly hugged Valeska tightly, she couldn't help but cry.
Elyshara was a little moved by that moment. However, she didn't cry like before.
She walked towards Hastora with furrowed brows.
"Where did you get that potion?" she asked.
"Secret," Hastora replied flatly.
"Tell me quickly," Elyshara glared at Hastora. "You'll get the consequences if you don't tell me."
"..."
"Still don't want to answer, huh?"
"..."
"Don't blame me."
Elyshara stepped closer, then kicked Hastora's crotch until he fell to the ground in pain.
Elyshara's hard kick made Valeriane stop crying and look at them both.
"What are you two doing?" she asked.
"Nothing, I just gave him a little gift," Elyshara replied with a smile.
"Alright then. I'll continue crying for a while, do you mind?"
"I don't mind, Your Majesty the Empress. Please continue your crying."
"Alright, thank you."
Valeriane continued her crying while Hastora was still sprawled on the ground in pain.
Elyshara's kick was like a monster's.
Luckily, the two balls in Hastora's pants didn't break because of it.
Slowly, Hastora stood up again while holding his crotch.
"Damn old hag," he said.
Elyshara became even more annoyed, she gritted her teeth.
"You brat, how dare you."
Valeriane quickly stopped them both when Elyshara was about to punch Hastora.
"Stop. That's enough. This isn't the right time to fight."
To be continued in the next chapter…