Nihil returned to Thorek's forge via the secret tunnel, his movements as silent as a ghost. The Dwarf was examining his injured shoulder, touching the cold, ashen patch of skin with an unreadable expression. He looked up as Nihil entered, his sharp eyes showing neither warmth nor hostility.
"You're back," Thorek growled. It wasn't a question.
"I've come to warn you," Nihil replied, his flat voice echoing in the cave. "This place is no longer safe. Those hunting me know about you. They might come to you to lure me out."
Thorek snorted, pounding a nearby steel plate with his massive fist. "Let those worms come. My forge has withstood rockslides and Golem attacks. I fear no cheap mercenaries."
"They won't fight you fairly," Nihil said. He stepped forward and placed a heavy leather pouch filled with coins from his Crucible winnings onto the anvil. Its contents were far more substantial than what he had given Thorek before. "Use this. Leave the city for a while. Or, if you're as stubborn as the stone you forge, use it to buy the best traps and hire the strongest guards. I don't want any blood debts between us."
Thorek stared at the fat pouch of coins, then into Nihil's crimson eyes. He saw the seriousness there. This wasn't charity. It was a transaction. An advance payment for troubles yet to come. "Hmph. You're quite the odd one, lad," the Dwarf growled, but he took the pouch. "Fine. I'll handle myself. Now get out. You've overstayed your welcome as my tenant."
With that matter settled, Nihil nodded and vanished into one of the deeper tunnels, seeking a safe place to plan his next move. He found a dry, dead-end branch tunnel sufficiently far from the forge. In the total silence, he finally had the time for a full assessment of his abilities.
"System," he whispered. "Display full status."
A complex and detailed holographic window appeared in his mind, more comprehensive than ever before.
[STATUS WINDOW: NIHIL AETHERNIS NOCTURNE / HEZE]
[LEVEL: 2]
[TITLE: Curse Eraser, Crucible Champion]
[PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: F
Agility: F+
Stamina: E
Intelligence: A+ (Analytical Soul Synergy)
Magic: NULL (Rejected and Erased by Curse)
[AFFINITY ATTRIBUTES]
Void Affinity: SSS
[CORE STATISTICS]
Capacity: 25 / 25 (Upgraded by Null-Capacity Condenser)
Capacity Regeneration: 2 points per hour (at rest)
Depth: 1 (Echo) -> [Requires Void Sync 10% to reach Level 2: Crack]
[ACTIVE CURSE: SHACKLES OF NIHILITY]
Current Void Sync: 5.8% (Stabilized by Condenser)
Effects: Rejects external energy, severs empathic connections, drives evolution toward Singularity.
[SKILL TREE]
> FRACTURED EXISTENCE (KEBERADAAN YANG RETAK)
-> Void Grasp (Rank F)
Description: Erases physical objects or low-level magical energy through direct contact. Drains 1-5 Capacity points depending on target.
-> Suppressive Gaze (Rank F)
Description: Disrupts target's mana flow through eye contact. Drains 1 Capacity point every 5 seconds.
-> Paradox Mirror (Rank F) [Proficiency: 87% -> Rank E]
Description: Absorbs one low-to-mid-level magical projectile and stores it for up to 60 seconds before releasing. Drains 2-4 Capacity points.
-> Atomic Manipulation (Unstable)
Description: Advanced application of Void Grasp at a microscopic scale. Requires high concentration and drains Capacity massively.
UNSEEN FATE (TAKDIR YANG TAK TERLIHAT) - [Locked: Requires Depth 3]
NON-REALITY (NON-REALITAS) - [Locked: Requires Depth 4]
ECHOED DOMINION (DOMINION YANG MENGGEMA) - [Locked: Requires Depth 5]
[ACTIVE QUESTS]
-> Reconcile Two Lives (Primary) [Progress: 6%]
[INVENTORY]
-> Travel Cloak (Common)
-> Coins: 34 Gold, 112 Silver
-> Null-Capacity Condenser (Dimensional Artifact - Equipped)
-> True Mithril Compass (Gift from Thorek)
-> Letter from Elara Moonveil
Heze analyzed the data meticulously. His physical attributes were still severely lacking; he must avoid close combat whenever possible. The Capacity boost from Elara's crystal was a godsend. His Void Sync, the ever-ticking time bomb, was temporarily stable. The key to his progression was to enhance the Paradox Mirror skill and reach 10% Void Sync to unlock the next Depth level.
He now had funds, a knowledge base, and a clear objective. He could no longer afford to simply react. He needed to be proactive. He had to understand his enemies before they could adapt to his abilities.
He returned to The Undercroft, this time heading to The Whispering Flagon. The smell of beer and sweat was now familiar. He went straight to the corner where The Weaver always sat.
The old woman was knitting, as if she had never left her seat. "You're back sooner than I expected, ghost child," she said without looking up. "Your reputation now precedes you like a shadow at noon."
"I need information again," Nihil said, placing a gleaming ingot of pure metal on her table. The ingot was one of Thorek's failed projects that he had repaired. "This is payment."
The Weaver touched the ingot, sensing its unnatural purity. Her eyes widened slightly. "An intriguing offer. What do you seek?"
"The Cult of Nullity," Nihil said. "Tell me everything you know."
The old woman stopped knitting. The air around them grew colder. "That name is poison on the lips," she whispered. "They are not merely mad worshippers gathering in underground dens. They are misguided scholars of darkness, obsessed with the end of all things. They are extremely dangerous."
"Where can I find them?"
The Weaver hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the gleaming ingot again. "There is a place in The Undercroft that even city guards and Umbra Venari avoid. The 'Dead District.' Once a bustling residential area until a magical plague wiped out all life there centuries ago. The place is cursed, its energy stagnant and deadly. That is where the ravens of the Cult of Nullity make their nests. At the heart of the district stands an old cathedral they have profaned."
Nihil nodded. He now had his location. "Thank you."
As he turned to leave, The Weaver called out to him. "Ghost child," she said softly. "Whatever you seek there, be cautious. Sometimes the answers we find are far more terrifying than the questions we ask."
Nihil nodded once more before vanishing into the crowd, his steps steady as he headed toward the most dangerous part of The Undercroft.
Stepping into the Dead District felt like entering another world. The noise of The Undercroft vanished instantly, replaced by an oppressive silence. Dusty streets were littered with rubble and collapsed buildings. But this was no ordinary decay from age. The stones seemed... weary. As if the very essence of life had been sucked out of them, leaving fragile husks. The air smelled of old dust and rotting flowers.
Strangely, Nihil felt at home here. The ever-present pressure of Blessing energy in the city was gone. The emptiness within him resonated with the silence around him. The Shackles of Nihility in his soul felt lighter.
He moved through the quiet streets, guided by intuition and The Weaver's description. At the heart of the district loomed the skeletal remains of a once-grand cathedral. Sacred symbols on its walls had been gouged out and replaced by inward-spiraling carvings, the symbol of the Cult of Nullity.
He did not enter immediately. Instead, he climbed a taller building across from the cathedral, finding a perfect perch in a ruined bell tower. From there, he could peer into the cathedral's main hall through the long-broken stained glass windows.
Inside, a ritual was underway. A dozen black-robed figures knelt in a circle, chanting in an ancient, ear-piercing tongue. At the center of the circle, bound to a stone altar stained with filth, was a man. He wore the remnants of a mage's robe, his body trembling.
Before the altar stood the ritual's leader. Ravenna Cruor. Even from a distance, her aura was palpable. She wore a form-fitting black silk robe, her raven-black hair flowing loose. Her movements were elegant and full of power.
"Great Void, hear us!" Ravenna's voice echoed within the cathedral, brimming with fanatical fervor. "We offer you the echo of power that defies you! Grant us a sign! Show us where your Avatar dwells!"
Purple runes flared on the floor around the altar. Life energy was forcibly drawn from the bound mage, forming a pulsating orb of light above the altar. The ritual was a brutal form of divination, using a human soul as fuel to locate Nihil.
Nihil watched coldly. Allowing them to complete the ritual might provide information on how much they knew. But letting someone die when he could prevent it... Heze's soul rebelled.
He had made his decision.
He did not target Ravenna. That would be too obvious. His targets were the acolytes forming the ritual's foundation.
He extended his hand from the bell tower. Focusing on the stone floor beneath two acolytes closest to the altar.
[Void Grasp activated. Target: Structural Integrity of Stone Floor.]
[Capacity: 25/25 -> 23/25]
Silently, the floor beneath the two acolytes vanished, creating a two-meter-wide hole. They fell into the darkness beneath the cathedral without a scream, swallowed by nothingness.
The sudden void disrupted the energy flow. The rune circle flickered and died. The chanting ceased.
"What's happening?!" one acolyte shouted in panic.
Before anyone could react, Nihil targeted another acolyte, who seemed to lead the chanting. He did not attack physically. He simply stared. Suppressive Gaze!
The acolyte gasped, clutching his head as his mana flow was disrupted. He fell to the side, his chanting becoming incoherent.
With the ritual utterly shattered, Nihil leaped from the bell tower, his cloak billowing behind him. He landed silently on the edge of the broken stained glass window, then jumped down to the cathedral's main floor.
The remaining acolytes retreated in terror, their weapons trembling in their hands. The mage on the altar had fainted but was still alive.
Nihil stood in the now-silent cathedral, his crimson eyes fixed on one person: Ravenna Cruor.
The Dark Priestess showed no fear. She was not angry at the disruption of her ritual. Instead, as she looked at Nihil—seeing his white hair, red eyes, and feeling the familiar yet far more powerful aura of pure emptiness—her expression changed. Surprise. Admiration. And finally, a horrifying fanatic joy.
"He is here," Ravenna whispered, her voice trembling with overflowing emotion. Ignoring her confused followers, she knelt on one knee before Nihil.
"The Avatar has answered our call!"