Codex Null: Simulation Through Madness

[You returned to your room after Lilith helped heal your injuries, and immediately started training in the Blood Scripture.]

[One month passed, during which you poured nearly all your effort into assimilating the refined blood drop.]

[In the process, you also made progress in the Blood Refinement Path, and now, you had finally reached 100% in the Vital Purification stage.]

[You could feel that, even after fully assimilating the refined blood drop, the next stage, Six Gates, still wouldn't necessarily be achieved. But, at the same time, you also understood that by then, you wouldn't be far from it.]

[Another month passed. Your relationship with Selena and Lilith seemed to have finally mended during this time, and you even met with Serah once — who apologized to you sincerely, saying that she would never forgive the Ravelli family and those who stood with them, and that she planned to pay them all back.]

[But you were uninterested, and didn't give any comment at that. Even though they had stolen something important from you, they still spared your life. You might hold a grudge, yes… but you told yourself that you still knew when to be grateful. You convinced yourself with that reasoning, and Serah, noticing your words, seemed greatly disappointed.]

Reading until this point, Noel couldn't help but blink his eyes.

What's going on with him, in the simulation?

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he thought about it.

Them sparing his life — that wasn't a reason to drop things.

He could pursue the matter all the same. And when Elsa's life was in his hand, then he could choose to spare her — that was what his thoughts should be.

Could it be… that he wanted to take things into his own hands?

But that didn't make sense.

Noel couldn't imagine himself growing this much in strength during a single simulation.

And yet...

Suddenly feeling like he was overthinking something useless, Noel let out a quiet sigh, shook his head, and returned his focus to the simulation.

[Two months passed. Everything seemed to have returned to normal, and your relationship with Selena deepened even more… until, at last, you crossed that final line with her.]

[Lilith, who seemed to notice that, didn't say anything, but from that point on, she quietly began to avoid you.]

[Four more months passed. You continued to focus on assimilating the refined blood drop, and now, the process was nearly complete. Your strength had grown by leaps and bounds.]

[You could estimate that your power was at least ten times greater than what it had been before consuming the Blood Source. Even then, your sights were set far higher, and you were nowhere near satisfied.]

[You continued training like that, day after day — until one day, while going out with Selena, she suddenly made her move.]

[You were kidnapped by her. Your strength, which had grown so much, didn't make any difference in that moment.]

[Still, you already knew that something like this might happen eventually. So, you weren't all that surprised. But even so, angered by her timing, you asked why she had to do this right now of all times. And her answer was simple: "Then, should I have let Lilith take you away?"]

So, it really came down to this in the end?

Noel sighed as he read how things had suddenly escalated.

At the very least, his strength had grown. His progress in the Blood Refinement Path was going smoothly — and for now, that was enough.

[23 years old. Despite being detained, you didn't stop your training, and you finally completed the full assimilation of the refined blood drop. Your strength grew even further, and the instability in your blood seemed to have nearly stabilized.]

[Six months passed. By this point, your relationship with Selena had already deteriorated, and you were secretly planning your escape. Most of the people around you, unlike Selena, weren't much stronger than you — and so, you were simply waiting for the right opportunity.]

[Initially, you planned to wait until you reached the Six Gates stage in the Blood Refinement Path. But after realizing that final push might still take too long, your patience ran thin, and you made the decision to act before reaching that stage.]

[However, just when you were about to put your plan into motion, an unexpected change occurred. A sudden, unbearable pain exploded inside your head, and you collapsed, losing consciousness.]

[Time passed like that — periods of darkness where you would wake up briefly, only to be pulled back into unconsciousness by the searing pain.]

[24 years old. Slowly, the intervals of wakefulness grew longer, but your mind was blank, consumed by an indescribable ache that left you unable to think or move.]

[Then, two months later, the headache finally came to an end. And with it, a large portion of your once-lost memories surged back. You fully regained your consciousness.]

Noel clenched his hand as he read, eyes lighting up.

There had been highs and lows, interruptions and setbacks, but in the end, this simulation was still deeply satisfying.

[You found it hard at first to adapt to those memories — especially with how chaotic and vague some of them were. Everything felt disordered in your mind. But then, as your gaze landed on Selena, sitting close by and watching over you with concern, you finally seemed to regain some clarity.]

[You looked at her with an odd expression at first, but as you remembered your current situation, that look shifted into one of hostility. And so, you made your move.]

[You grabbed the unresisting Selena by the neck and held her tightly, asking if she had any intention of letting you go. And she shook her head, which only made your anger flare further.]

'Wow,' Noel almost said aloud.

The first thing he did after regaining his memories… was attack Selena?

Actually, he could understand the reason — even vaguely. Just from the scattered memories from when he was around three, he could already deduce what kind of person he'd become later.

Even then, it still caught him off guard.