With one premium simulation already available, Noel found himself returning home.
Lilith didn’t seem to be around — she’d left a message saying she was out with her friends. And Noel, without commenting on it, simply made his way to his room, and closed the door behind him.
He spread the items he had bought across the desk. And then, as he stared at one of them, a message window popped up.
[Do you want to offer the Unmarked Locket to the Codex Null?]
Faced with the now-familiar question, Noel didn’t hesitate — he agreed immediately.
And just like that, the locket began to break apart, fragmenting into faint particles of light. The sharp edges of its form crumbled, then blurred into dust-like wisps that shimmered faintly — before vanishing completely, as if it had never existed at all.
[You have received 1 Null Point.]
A new message appeared and Noel after a brief glance, dismissed it, then turned his attention to the next item without pause.
One by one, he offered them all. And by the time he finished, a quiet sense of satisfaction had crept into his expression. His eyes lingered on the corner of the screen, where the number seventeen now sat.
Seventeen Null Points.
It was time for his third simulation... his first premium simulation.
But before that, he took out his notebook and flipped to the last written page.
He had written a lot. And in the second simulation, there was progress — at least to some extent.
He’d discovered things. Confirmed others. At least... it could be considered progress.
Yet, none of it had translated into anything tangible. His soul remained injured. His memories of the blank nine years still missing. His powers hadn’t returned. And he hadn’t found the way forward.
Furthermore, after yesterday’s choice to heal his soul, Noel noticed something — more like a faint realization about how things were going to unfold.
It was about his soul.
If his soul were to heal completely, then... his memories would likely return on their own.
And that changed everything.
Gathering information had become secondary. Healing his soul — and growing stronger in any way possible — was now the most important goal.
But, with how things were going... it seemed his soul would take a long time to fully heal.
And if that were the case, then he’d likely be stuck in this deadlock state for dozens of simulations. Endlessly looping, gathering only crumbs of information each time — until, after who knew how long, he could finally piece together a clearer picture of the situation.
Noel didn’t want that.
The idea of being trapped in such a slow crawl unsettled him. That’s why he felt the need for something more defined — a clearer direction to follow.
With that thought pressing on his mind, he paused, considering his priorities. Then, he leaned over the notebook and began to write.
A question. One meant for himself — or rather, for the simulated version of him. It was something he needed a concrete answer to. Everything in his upcoming plans hinged on that clarity.
Then he added another word.
Not the kind found in gyms for ordinary people.
Noel needed something valid — something real and appropriate for his circumstances. A way to grow stronger that aligned with the unnatural world he was trapped inside. And so, these two things — surveillance and strength — would be the foundation for how he’d tackle the next simulation.
With that, he finally turned to his Codex Null.
[Do you want to spend 10 Null Points to start a Premium Simulation?]
Noel didn’t hesitate.
[Life Simulation begins.]
[21 years old. Looking at the opened notebook in front of you, you immediately felt something was wrong.]
[You took your time sorting through the scattered information around you, spending the longest on a seemingly edited video of what had happened just minutes earlier. Slowly, you began piecing together the details of your current situation.]
[Time passed, and one month later, feeling the moment had finally come, you disguised yourself as best you could. Then, following the plan you had carefully prepared, you left Boston.]
[Having already discarded anything that could give away your identity or location, and carrying only cash, you crossed the country. Your destination: Truth or Consequences — a quiet, sun-bleached city deep in New Mexico.]
So... running away was his answer?
Noel raised an eyebrow at that.
[You stayed in this city, waiting. And three days later, Selena really came.]
[She looked around the shabby place you were staying in and the greenery of nature surrounding it. Her eyes filled with amusement as she asked: If you just wanted some time in a quiet place... why didn’t you invite me?]
[You didn’t answer her question. Instead, you asked if she had been monitoring you.]
[Selena laughed and replied: Isn’t that obvious? Are you sulking, and that’s why you ran off to a place ?]
[A short argument followed. In the end, she told you to just come back with her. But you refused — saying you hadn’t achieved everything you had in mind yet.]
[At that, she laughed again, before saying: If you’re waiting for Lilith, then she’s around this city, just waiting for me to go away.]
So, his suspicion was correct. And with that, one thing became clear — moving forward, he needed to make all of his plans with the full awareness that everything he did... would be exposed to Selena and Lilith.
How he was being monitored, even the simulated version of him didn’t seem to know. That meant there was no way to conceal anything from them, after all.
[Hearing her words, you didn’t doubt Selena. There was no reason for her to lie about something . And more importantly, you felt you had already achieved your goal. That’s why you moved on to the next one.]