He reopened his wound with steady resolve.
As his blood touched the grimoire, new words carved themselves into the page—silent yet ominous.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3/3
Subject: Hastora Vallois
3.The Truth Behind the Disappearance of the Hidden Dimension in the Underwater Cave Pool.
Reapshade had been trapped within the Nihility Collapse, which leaked through the recaptured reality. This same mana, unstable yet constant, had become the force sustaining that hidden dimension.
However, once Reapshade escaped, the balance collapsed. The dimension shattered—vanished without a trace.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hmm...."
As he finished reading the writing, a heavy stillness suffocated his chest—the truth seeping deep into his bones like ice.
The reason the hidden dimension remained stable was because of Reapshade's leaking mana.
Meaning, Reapshade had been trapped within the Nihility Collapse long before the dimension even existed.
He didn't care about its purpose.
But what truly mattered wasn't the dimension—it was the fact that Reapshade had chosen to trust him.
And now, Reapshade was free.
That was more than enough.
However, simply knowing how powerful Reapshade was made his hair stand on end.
Reapshade's mana alone had stabilized a dimension—beyond comprehension.
Just what kind of monster was Reapshade, really?
Finally, all the truths were revealed.
He was fortunate—the truth revealed was the very one he had longed for.
The limit was three, and he had reached it.
No more secrets remained; the well of revelations had run dry.
"..."
He closed the page and stored the grimoire in his shadow.
"Something's wrong... I feel unwell."
"..."
"Maybe I should just go home," he mumbled, his voice low and uncertain.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to leave.
He stood up, put on his diving gear, and left the underwater cave, swimming back to the shore.
There, he stored his gear under his shadow and walked away from the beach.
He could feel the weakening even after exiting the Nihility Collapse.
He gasped for air.
His stamina was completely drained after swimming from the bottom of the sea.
Was this the effect of the energy inside the Nihility Collapse?
He didn't know.
What mattered most was the drastically increased mana.
That was enough for him.
He sighed.
"I feel sick."
He lowered his head for a moment, then looked around.
He stopped in his tracks.
A vending machine stood under a flickering street lamp, as if waiting for him.
Driven more by instinct than thought, he approached the vending machine beneath the flickering light.
The machine hummed its welcome as he grabbed a canned tea, its coolness providing a small comfort.
He slumped onto a nearby bench.
"I need to rest."
Cracking open the can, he took a long sip.
Thirst burned his throat, parched from the day's ordeals.
The chilled tea slid down like relief itself.
"I feel a bit better."
He leaned back against the bench.
"Should I just go home?" he mumbled, then paused for a moment.
"...No." He grimaced. "Too far."
His intention vanished as he remembered the distance to his apartment.
Returning to Vel Arcanis would take hours, and it would be incredibly tiring in his current condition.
It was past midnight.
There were no buses or taxis to take him to the bullet train station.
"...Should I just stay at a hotel?"
"..."
"Alright, decided."
He finished his tea, then threw the can into a nearby trash bin.
He walked towards the nearest hotel.
Upon arriving at the hotel, he was greeted by a quiet lobby.
A chandelier swayed gently, reflecting a pale light on the marble floor.
A half-asleep receptionist looked up.
"One room," Hastora said curtly.
No pleasantries were exchanged.
A room card passed into his hand.
He walked down the corridor.
Thick carpet muffled every step.
The cool air of the air conditioning pricked his pores.
His room number came into view.
His hand pressed the card, a click sounded.
The door opened.
A simple room greeted him.
A neatly made white bed.
Tightly closed curtains.
A small table lamp cast a dim light.
He undressed, draping his clothes over the chair.
His body felt leaden; his legs, like stone.
In one motion, he collapsed onto the mattress.
The mattress bounced slightly, then swallowed his weariness.
His eyes closed halfway.
His breath was rhythmically short, then lengthened.
Thoughts of the Nihility Collapse flickered, then faded.
Of Reapshade, of the truths he had unearthed.
But tonight, his body demanded more insistently than his mind.
He took a long breath.
His exhalation melted into the silence.
No prayers.
No closing words.
Only eyes that closed…
and a body that sank into the darkness of sleep.
The table lamp remained on.
A soft yellow light fell on his face.
Making the night a silent witness—that even one such as he needed rest.
***
The sun rose from the east.
Birds chirped.
Warm sunlight touched Hastora's cheek, causing him to wake from his sleep.
He got up, put on his clothes, and left the hotel.
He returned to Vel Arcanis by taking the bullet train.
He returned to his apartment and took off his clothes.
Sweat covered his face.
The weather outside was very hot because it was summer.
He went to the bathroom and washed his face with water.
He sighed and stared at his own face in the mirror.
"Will I manage to survive in this world?"
He held his face and looked down.
Initially, he had a strong determination, but it all vanished after seeing how powerful Reapshade was.
What if he encountered beings far stronger than Reapshade out there later?
He would die.
They would kill him with ease.
He knew giving up wasn't the right choice.
But how could he obtain such power?
Suddenly, a pain attacked his head while he was thinking hard.
"Aghhh"
He fell while holding his head with both hands.
"Damn it!! What is this!!"
The pain spread throughout his body.
His veins felt like they were being pulled out forcefully.
His vision blurred.
He wanted to faint, but he kept resisting.
With his body wracked with pain, he tried to stand up forcefully.
His legs trembled, but he forced himself upright.
He staggered toward the sofa, only to collapse before reaching it.
The pain in his head felt even stronger.
Suddenly, he began to see a figure of himself standing in a tower.
His eyes widened.
"What?"
"Me? Why am I there?"
He was astonished.
He rubbed his eyes, then looked back to make sure.
"Huh? What is this? Am I starting to hallucinate?"
He looked around.
The sky was so dark.
Lightning flashed fiercely.
The wind blew hard.
He found himself on top of a clock tower.
"This feels like a dream… but why is it so real?"
He shifted his gaze and looked back at himself standing in a tower.
It was... Like a duplicate of himself.
He called out to him, but there was no response at all.
He braced himself to move closer, but with every step the pain in his head sharpened, clawing deeper.
He collapsed.
His vision began to darken before he finally fainted.
---
A/N:
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