In The Undercroft, as the sun began to set, the players prepared for the night's challenges. At the Dimensional Guild's hidden base, Elara Moonveil stood before a holographic map of The Undercroft. "Begin the sweep," she commanded. Several small crystal orbs shot out from the base, becoming nearly invisible as they entered the streets above. They were her Scrying Orbs, her eyes and ears in the field, searching for something subtle. A red marker appeared on the map. "Nihility residue detected," reported the AI. "Location: Alley behind The Gilded Leech." Then another marker. "Location: Outside The Whispering Flagon. Pattern matches the destroyed bowstring." Elara smiled. She didn't need to chase rumors. She could follow the ghost's trail. "Keep gathering data. Create a 'heatmap' of his activities. I want to know where he operates."
At Umbra Venari's headquarters, Tarek Mornhall studied the same map but with a different approach. The failed traps had taught him he couldn't catch the wind. "Forget about directly searching for that boy," he told his hunters. "It's a waste of time. He's too slippery." He pointed to a thin man with unusually large ears, known as "Rat Ear," his best informant. "Find Gorgon the Butcher. Find out who was in the inn that night. I don't care about the ghost, I care about the people who saw him. Every person he interacts with is a clue." Tarek threw a bag of coins onto the table. "I want names. I want locations. We're no longer hunting a wolf. We'll follow the trail of the sheep he's passed."
Deep underground, in Thorek's warm forge, Nihil awoke. His capacity was almost fully restored. In the corner of the room, a plate of roasted meat and a cup of clean water had been placed for him. He ate in silence, observing the Dwarf working tirelessly at his anvil. There was no conversation. No friendliness. Just a silent agreement. Safety in exchange for miracles. For Nihil, it was more than enough.
After eating, Thorek finally spoke, his heavy voice echoing off the cave walls. "The rumors above are heating up," he growled, continuing to forge an axe. "Two groups are seriously searching for you. One is the wolf-uniformed hunters. The other is... stranger." Thorek paused. "They're not asking about a boy. They're asking about a 'void's trail.' They're not spreading coins, they're spreading sensors. More professional. In my opinion, more dangerous."
Nihil nodded silently. The system's warning had been confirmed. There were two pairs of eyes now watching him. The walls around him felt increasingly tight.
In the grand House Nocturne dining hall, the silence was suffocating. Valerius, Alban, and Velka sat at the long table, with only the clinking of silverware breaking the quiet. "If Father had let me deploy the Shadow Knights, he'd have been caught by now," Alban said, breaking the silence, his voice filled with restrained frustration.
"And the entire noble council would know that House Nocturne is hunting one of its own in the streets," Valerius retorted coldly. "Our reputation is more important than your anger. 'The Silencer' has been contacted. Be patient."
Velka remained silent, carefully cutting her food. Behind her calm demeanor, her mind raced. You're both wrong. Strength and containment will only hasten the disaster. She had to find Nihil first. "In which area is Umbra Venari searching, brother?" she asked, feigning concern. "I'm just worried he'll cause trouble near our allies' territories."
Alban, underestimating his sister, answered without suspicion, revealing crucial information about Tarek's search areas.
Back at Thorek's forge, Nihil decided he couldn't just sit still. He needed to understand and train his new abilities. He also felt the need to return the Dwarf's kindness—or rather, pragmatism.
"Thorek," he called. "Give me the most damaged metal you have. Something you've already considered garbage."
Thorek raised an eyebrow but took a dented and scorched helm from the pile of failed items. "This. It was hit by a lizard wizard's acid spell. The structure is ruined. Worthless."
Nihil took the helm. Heavy and cold. He could still feel the corrosive energy lingering within it.
He placed both hands on the helm. First, he carefully used Void Grasp, not to erase the metal, but to suck out and vanish the remaining traces of the acid magic that was corrupting it.
Then, the difficult part began. He closed his eyes, fully concentrating.
[Using Atomic Manipulation: 'Rewriting the Metal's Crystal Structure'.]
His energy drained rapidly. The helm in his hands began to glow with a dull crimson light. The dented metal started to straighten on its own. Small cracks fused back together. The process was silent, unnatural, and extremely powerful.
At two different locations, alarms sounded simultaneously.
At the Dimensional Guild's base, Elara's main sensor began to flash a bright red.
[NIHILITY EVENT ACTIVATED!]
A precise location point appeared on her map, deep underground in the foundry district. "I've found him!" Elara whispered, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Prepare the infiltration team. Stealth mode."
At Umbra Venari's headquarters, a small artifact in Tarek's pocket—a cheap 'resonance tracker'—cracked and began to smoke.
"Boss!" one of his subordinates shouted. "There's a massive energy surge from the direction of the old sewer network! Right below the old workshops!"
Tarek's eyes lit up. A real clue. "Assemble the best team. We move now."
Inside the forge, Nihil opened his eyes, panting. In his hands, the once-damaged helm now looked brand new, without a single scratch.
Thorek stared at the helm, then at Nihil, then back at the helm. His jaw dropped. This was no longer just 'erasing.' This was 'recreation.' A blacksmith god's miracle.
Nihil felt tired but satisfied. He had proven his abilities.
But he was completely unaware. His quiet actions underground had just ignited two beacons in the darkness, revealing his location to the two most dangerous hunting groups in the city.
His safe time had come to an end.