Codex Null: Simulation Through Madness

Back in the present, where Noel had completely healed his soul, ranked it up to Eclipsed Soul, acquired a talent related to the soul, and then finally regained his complete memories… another battle with the Scarf relic was coming up.

In his room, too shabby compared to the grand dimension where his last battle with the Scarf had concluded, and so different from the luxurious dimension where Selena and Lilith had prepared for him to help him regain his power, which he'd read about in the simulation — Noel was preparing himself for his upcoming confrontation.

After selecting the last two choices, the process of his power-up didn't take any longer than seconds, and he didn't even have time to sit down and deliberate on his memories. But he didn't mind.

He sat on the ground with his eyes closed, concentrating on his Soul Zone — far different from the one he once remembered and far stronger now.

He was sensing the condition of the seal on the Scarf relic, and he knew that it was only seconds away from breaking completely.

But instead of dread or fear that something wrong could once again happened, and he could possibly end up dying, Noel found himself filled with unwavering confidence.

That's why, instead of waiting for it to break the seal completely by itself, Noel himself made the move and helped the Scarf break it.

It may have seemed reckless, but instead of waiting for the Scarf to crawl its way up to him, Noel wanted to take control of things on his own terms.

He had gathered every condition required for him to win the battle, and he was even more prepared for the upcoming confrontation than he'd been in the simulation, after all.

So as the Scarf was released from its seal and its suction force surged upward, Noel simply had a smile etched on his face. Instead of controlling the amount of Soul Power he was going to provide the relic — keeping it to a small amount and dragging out the battle — he took a different approach.

Noel poured his Soul Power in abundance to the Scarf relic, trying to overwhelm it with sheer volume.

He maintained this strategy for no more than a minute when the door — broken yesterday but then fixed — was suddenly shattered once more, this time even reduced to mere scraps of wood and metal.

After that, Lilith hurriedly entered, calling out, "Brother!"

Noel didn't know it, but unlike his previous choices when he'd acquired the Boundless Soul and things had proceeded calmly, now that his soul had ranked up and reached Eclipsed, things were dramatically different.

Dense Soul Power seemed to be swirling inside the room like a visible storm, and Lilith, naturally noticing this disturbance, had come immediately.

Her eyes, wide with shock and astonishment, focused intently on Noel, who didn't reply to her call, didn't lose his concentration, and simply continued his battle with the Scarf raging inside his soul.

She felt incredulous as she tried to process what was happening before her.

It was supposed to take one full day until his soul healed.

But instead of simply healing, his soul had completely recovered, ranked up, and he seemed to have acquired some kind of unique soul — all in less than twelve hours.

How was that even possible?

Lilith found herself questioning her very understanding of reality and her common sense as she continued watching over her brother in tense silence.

At some point, even Linda appeared in the doorway, equally astonished as Lilith but saying nothing, simply watching over him.

Then, not long after, even Selena arrived, her expression betraying a vast array of emotions. She had just been preparing contingencies for him, in case he messed up, and his situation deteriorated.

But to this extent, and in such a completely different direction than she'd anticipated?

She hadn't even considered this possibility.

Not knowing about the spectators watching over him with bated breath, Noel had already arrived at the critical point in his fight with the relic.

He could feel that this should have been the same moment he'd read about in the simulation — the point where he'd needed Edith's help to overcome the Scarf's final resistance.

But this time was different.

Naturally, it had to be different for him.

His soul in reality was more sturdy and resilient than it had been in the simulation, and so Noel didn't make any change in his approach. He simply continued pouring Soul Power into the hungry relic, feeding it until it choked.

Minutes stretched like hours, and at some point, Noel finally opened his eyes. Their color had changed — no longer the familiar gray, but now a striking amethyst that seemed to catch and hold light.

The transformation seemed to mesmerize both Lilith and Selena, leaving them tongue-tied as they silently and breathlessly continued staring at him.

And so Noel flashed them a confident grin as he asked, "Is this all the audience I have when I finally regained my power?"

He actually hadn't regained his full power — his understanding over the Destruction Law remained locked away.

But the first and most difficult step?

He had already conquered it, and that made all the difference in the world.

Naturally understanding the significance of this breakthrough, Selena and Lilith finally snapped out of their stunned trance.

Lilith bounced forward and wrapped her arms around him, tears already streaming down her cheeks — tears of relief and joy that he had not only survived but triumphed over his seemingly impossible situation.

And Selena, while maintaining her more reserved demeanor, also stepped forward to congratulate him, pure joy shining unmistakably in her eyes.

Noel simply smiled as he looked at this touching scene, but as he felt Lilith's soft warmth against him, a darker thought actually surfaced in his mind.

Had his situation truly been so hopeless?

Yet look — hadn't he solved it all on his own?

Despite how beautiful this moment appeared, Noel found himself wanting to be spiteful, to shatter the illusion of their collective relief.