Ravenna Cruor knelt before the Altar of True Silence, her eyes shut in a meditation filled with rage. The Chosen Vessel, Velka, had slipped through her fingers. Her network in The Undercroft reported the girl had vanished, as if swallowed by ghosts.

Suddenly, the obsidian altar before her began to pulse with thick black light, unsummoned. The air chilled, and a voice whispered directly into her mind. Old, powerful, and filled with cold desperation. The voice of Valerius Nocturne.

"High Priestess," the voice hissed, crossing distances and realities. "You seek a Vessel. You have taken the wrong bait."

Ravenna flinched. "Who are you? How dare you—"

"I am the head of the House that has guarded His secret for centuries," the voice cut in. "I am Valerius Nocturne. My daughter is a flawed, unstable Vessel. But my son... my son is something else. He is pure, unbound power. He is the storm you seek."

Ravenna froze. The rebelling Avatar.

"He is at the Academy of Dawn Light," Valerius continued. "In two days, he will stand alone in the Main Arena for a public trial. The entire Empire will watch. That will be your best opportunity."

"Why?" Ravenna whispered, disbelieving. "Why do you betray your own blood?"

"Our secret is too great. He threatens to expose it. I no longer control his curse. So, I will unleash it." The voice grew colder. "Take him. Crush him in your ritual. Erase him from this world. And the ancient secret between my family and your cult will remain safe. This is my offering."

The whisper faded, leaving Ravenna alone in the echoing silence. Her eyes slowly opened, and a terrifying, victorious smile spread across her face.

She had lost a Vessel. But the father had just offered her... the god itself.

"Sister Morwen!" she shouted. "Gather the Hollow Knights! We are heading to Solara Magna!"

Meanwhile, deep in the snow-covered Dragon Mountains, Tarek Mornhall observed a secluded monastery from afar. Beside him, three figures in black cloaks—agents of Duke Alaric's "Vipers"—merged with the shadows.

"The Order of Calm are fanatics," Tarek said quietly. "They won't hand over Doctor Elric easily. The plan remains the same. You create a diversion at the front gate. I'll enter from the back."

That night, they moved. The Vipers assaulted the monastery gate with deadly speed and precision, creating a small hell that drew the attention of all guards. Amid the chaos, Tarek climbed the rear wall like a spider, his strong arm doing the work of two.

He found Elric in a heavily guarded library. The doctor was reading calmly, as if the world outside wasn't burning.

"Time to talk, Doctor," Tarek growled, emerging from the shadows with his crossbow aimed.

Elric looked up, annoyed rather than afraid. "You again. You won't get out of this mountain alive."

"Perhaps," Tarek said. "But you will die first." He threw a scroll across the table. "That is a warrant for your arrest from Duke Alaric, approved by the imperial council, on charges of conducting forbidden life magic experiments. Your Church protectors can't help you now."

Elric's face paled.

"Now," Tarek said, sitting down. "Tell me about Queen Lilliana Nocturne. And tell me about the 'restraint' you used on her."

Doctor Elric, realizing he had been sacrificed, sneered bitterly. "You know nothing, hunter." He decided to drag all his enemies down with him.

"The restraint... a brilliant alchemical masterpiece," he said. "A formula designed to suppress Void manifestation by weakening the bond between soul and body. Of course, the side effect was gradual madness. But it worked. The curse went dormant."

"But the formula required a catalyst," Elric continued, his eyes gleaming madly. "A binder. Pure blood from the same lineage, untouched by the curse."

Tarek frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Valerius and Queen Lilliana had a firstborn before Nihil," Elric whispered, relishing the horror on Tarek's face. "A son. They told the world the child was stillborn. A lie."

"The child was born with the curse already active. A failed vessel. But his blood... his blood was pure. Perfect for a catalyst. We used his blood, his essence, to create the restraint for his mother. Naturally, the process... consumed the child."

Tarek was silent. The horror of the revelation made him nauseous. "You... you sacrificed a baby?"

"I saved a Queen!" Elric screamed. "It was a necessary sacrifice!"

Suddenly, a black arrow shot through a shattered window and lodged precisely in Elric's neck. He gasped, eyes wide, then fell forward, dead.

Tarek immediately reacted, rolling behind the table. The Silencer. They had been found.

But there was no follow-up attack. Tarek peeked out. In the distance, he saw a shadow vanish into the snowstorm.

The Silencer wasn't there for him. She had come to silence Elric.

Tarek knew he had to leave immediately. He had obtained the information he needed—a truth so horrifying it could destroy House Nocturne and the Church of Life forever.

Tournament day arrived. The Main Arena of the Academy of Dawn Light was packed to the brim. Even Emperor Octavian Solaris was present, seated in the imperial balcony alongside Princess Selene. This was no longer merely a student trial. This was political theater.

Nihil stood alone in the entrance tunnel, listening to the roar of the crowd. He had spent every last second in The Crucible, pushing himself to the limit.

"And now!" the announcer's voice boomed. "The moment you've all been waiting for! The Solo Champion Trial! Our first-year champion, the anomaly, NIHIL!"

Nihil stepped out into the blazing arena.

"Today's challenge," the announcer continued, "is the 'Echo of War'! He will face three legendary monsters recreated by illusion magic and war golems! Can our champion survive?"

The arena around Nihil shifted. Marble floors became muddy swamps.

Phase One: Stone Basilisk of the Mud Swamp.

A giant stone-coated golem snake emerged from the mud. Its eyes glowed green. It couldn't turn flesh to stone, but it fired sonic waves that shattered magic.

The Basilisk unleashed its first wave. Nihil didn't attempt to block it. He used Atom Manipulation to turn the mud beneath the basilisk's feet into solid ground, momentarily throwing it off balance. He used that moment to dart to the side. With Void Sonar, he mapped the golem's internal structure, locating one weak point: a power crystal behind its head. He created a small Void Lance and hurled it with precision. The black projectile pierced the golem's neck and destroyed its power crystal. The Basilisk collapsed.

Phase Two: The Shadow Stalkers.

The arena transformed into a dark forest. Several wolf-shaped golems shrouded in shadow illusions charged from all directions. They were fast and nearly invisible.

Nihil stood still. His newly formed Aura of Silence pulsed, nullifying the fear aura emitted by the stalkers. He unleashed a strong Void Sonar pulse. All enemy positions were revealed in his mind. He didn't attack them one by one. He slammed his hand into the ground. [Decay Wave]. The entire forest floor around him turned into quicksand, trapping the agile golems. He then destroyed them with Void Lances from a distance.

Two challenges down. The audience was amazed by his efficiency. Professor Theron in the balcony looked uneasy.

Phase Three: Cinder Flame Wyvern.

The arena transformed into a volcanic landscape. From the sky, a giant golem Wyvern descended, its metal wings flapping, and its mouth spewing real alchemical fire.

This was the real threat. The Wyvern was too fast. It dive-bombed from the air. Nihil managed to dodge, but one wing grazed him, throwing him into the arena wall. His ribs felt broken.

The Wyvern struck again, this time unleashing a river of fire. Nihil couldn't fully evade. Part of his robe burned, his skin seared. Sharp pain seared his nerves.

He staggered, vision blurring. The Wyvern saw its chance. It dove with full speed, its metal claws extended, ready to tear Nihil apart.

Nihil knew he couldn't stop it.

As the claws were inches away, and everyone thought this was the end, Nihil's survival instinct took over. He stopped thinking. He just acted.

He didn't try to attack or defend. He poured all remaining Capacity into one command, one concept: "LIVE!"

[CRITICAL CONDITION MET. DETECTED CATASTROPHIC PHYSICAL TRAUMA.]

[FORCING SKILL EVOLUTION...]

[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: VOID RECONSTRUCTION (RANK F)]

The Wyvern's claws struck him, tearing his shoulder and chest, throwing him across the arena. He lay on the ground, broken and bleeding.

The referee would blow the whistle. Medics were ready. Theron smiled.

But then, a terrifying, inhuman scream erupted from Nihil's mouth.

His gaping wounds did not close. Instead, the torn flesh and broken bones began to dissolve into black dust. From the black dust, accompanied by a sickening sound, new flesh, muscle, and skin formed at an unnatural speed.

The entire arena watched in horrified silence as Nihil's shattered body rebuilt itself before their eyes.

Nihil rose to his feet, panting, his body trembling violently from the agony of the regeneration. He touched his now-perfect shoulder.

The golem Wyvern before him froze, its simple processors unable to comprehend how its prey, which should be dead, now stood again.

Nihil looked up at the Wyvern. His face was pale from exhaustion, but for the first time, a smile spread across his lips. Not Heze's calculating smile. Not Nihil's empty smile.

This was a smile from something new. Something that had just realized it could no longer be killed by ordinary means.

"My turn," he whispered.

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