The room was pitch black. Not a single ray of light pierced the darkness.
"Why... is it so dark in here?" Elyshara huddled closer, reflexively clinging to Hastora's left arm.
The darkness triggered old trauma. Light felt foreign to her now. After five thousand years in the Nihility Collapse, even a flicker of shadow sparked terror.
"No one's turned on the lights yet."
Hastora stepped inside, closing the hotel room door behind them.
With a touch to a wall switch, a chandelier flickered to life, chasing away the shadows with soft, golden light.
The luxurious hotel room interior was revealed—a king-sized bed, a plush carpet, an elegant glass table, and large windows with thick curtains.
"It's bright now," he stated flatly, gesturing towards the illuminated lights.
"Wow..."
Elyshara breathed softly, her eyes fixated on the ornate ceiling.
Five thousand years trapped in the Nihility Collapse had left her a stranger in a world that had changed.
Hastora had intentionally created a world blending modern and fantasy elements in the novels he used to write.
Classic European settings felt boring to him.
He found medieval European fantasy novels incredibly monotonous.
So, he combined medieval European environments with modern technology to make the fantasy feel cooler, different from the rest.
Elyshara's gaze swept across the room, her eyes sparkling. "This room... it's beautiful."
She leaped onto the bed, sinking into its softness. "Then I'll sleep here!"
Hastora inhaled deeply. He rolled onto the left side of the bed.
"I'll sleep on the left, you take the right," Hastora said calmly, as if it were the most ordinary decision.
Elyshara paused, confused. "Eh? W-Why are you sleeping here too?"
"Am I supposed to sleep on the floor?"
"N-No, I thought the room had two beds!"
Hastora closed his eyes. His voice was soft, reluctant.
"I—It's a love hotel..." he stammered.
"A love hotel? What's that supposed to mean?"
"A place for couples to... do private things."
Elyshara's confusion deepened, her eyes glancing at Hastora suspiciously. "Couples? You mean...?"
"To sleep, not for anything else." Hastora replied with a flat expression, feeling slightly awkward.
"Don't lie to me, tell me the truth."
"I'm not lying."
"You are lying. I know it, you can't fool me."
Hastora sighed. "A love hotel is... a place for couples to spend private time. Usually... yes, for intimate things."
"...WHAT?! W-Why didn't you say so earlier!"
"You dragged me in."
Elyshara's face flushed crimson. "Y-You don't intend to... attack me, do you?"
Hastora looked at her for a moment, then looked away.
"Not interested."
"...Is my body unattractive?"
"Stop saying stupid things."
"...Yes, I'll sleep. D-Don't even think about trying anything!"
She snapped. Elyshara pulled the blanket up to her chin and quickly closed her eyes.
Hastora sighed, then sat on the edge of the bed.
The clock showed eight-thirty in the evening, marking the end of the day.
As the atmosphere grew quieter, Hastora raised his hand with an empty gaze, as if remembering something.
"Status," he murmured softly, and a digital screen slowly appeared before him, glowing with a faint blue light.
[Name: Hastora Vallois]
[Race: Nonconformity]
[Age: 16]
[STR: 15 > 17]
[AGI: 13 > 15]
[INT: ?]
[VIT: 16 > 18]
[EP: 200]
[Level: Enlightenment]
[Magic: •Control Over Darkness •Flamma Infernus •Gravity Vortex]
[Swordsmanship: Dark Swordsmanship]
[Quest: None]
"Two-point increase... not bad."
Not bad... definitely better than before.
'Maybe that Hollow Leaper gave a stat boost...'
Hastora closed the status screen. He glanced at the window—the night sky shimmered gold, reflecting in the glass.
"The Altar Kingdom... too peaceful."
This is where they were now. The most peaceful kingdom—and that was the problem.
He couldn't stay long in the Altar Kingdom—the safest, most peaceful, and most useless place to grow stronger.
No monsters, no growth. Eldoria—a place full of gates and attacks. That's where he had to go.
Eldoria… the center of power and conflict. A city where the sky was filled with magic aircraft, and the streets patrolled by armed familiars.
Many people registered as hunters there.
One could see Hunters and Battlemages roaming around with swords and other weapons in their hands.
He needed to kill monsters to increase his stats.
It was the place where gates appeared most frequently and the place most often attacked by monsters, perfect.
The Eldoria Empire also had a renowned magic academy.
"Velmora Grand Academy... a place even novels called the best and most prestigious magic academy."
Many children of high-class nobles enrolled in this academy.
But, there was one problem; bullying.
There were also commoners who enrolled in this academy.
Not many of them became easy targets for the nobles.
Those who were weak would only be bullied.
And those who were strong could protect themselves.
"I need more power. This is just the beginning."
Hastora lay back down, then gazed at the hotel room ceiling with a flat expression.
Null Scribe's words to protect Elyshara were still on his mind.
"Who exactly is Elyshara?"
He had to find out someday.
Not for now.
For now, he just had to obey Null Scribe's orders to protect Elyshara.
He could sense something bad if he ignored Null Scribe's orders.
"Troublesome... better to just sleep."
He turned off the bedside lamp, then dropped his body onto the bed like a retired Demon Lord corpse.
Five seconds later, a soft snore began—as if the world was no longer important.
---
The next morning, after packing, Hastora and Elyshara stepped out of the hotel, the atmosphere still filled with quietude.
Outside, the fresh morning air greeted them.
Without much conversation, they walked to the train station, their destination clear: The Eldoria Empire.
His left hand ached as he walked.
'Probably from yesterday's fight.'
He had expended so much energy that his hand now ached.
His muscles tensed, as if his body wasn't used to such pressure. But this pain… it made him realize he was still alive.
Hastora's expression spoke volumes. Elyshara just glanced at him, then frowned.
"Your left hand hurts?" she asked, worried.
"How did you know?"
"It's obvious."
"You're quite thoughtful," he muttered, glancing at her.
Elyshara snorted, staring intently ahead. "Shut up. I don't need praise from you."
"I didn't expect your attention either. "
"So arrogant! I won't help you fight again!. "
"Liar. You wouldn't be able to just let me die, would you?
"Why?"
"No, that's the reality. You won't be able to do anything without me. "
"You bastard!." Elyshara lightly kicked Hastora's butt in annoyance. "You're so annoying!. Where are we going? Are you trying to take me somewhere deserted?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I've got zero interest in anything like that."
Hastora hadn't told them their destination from the start.
She'd followed him without a clue.
That made Elyshara curious.
Her curiosity was piqued.
"The train station," Hastora replied with a flat expression.
"The train station?"
"Right. Don't ask anything. You'll know when we get there."
"...Yes. I'll be quiet."
The streets were quiet, but their steps held a quiet hope.
Elyshara's curious expression couldn't be hidden, while Hastora continued to walk calmly, as if he already knew where they were going next.
They exchanged glances, but said nothing. An unanswered question hung in the air.
---
A bullet train was visible when they arrived.
It took 15 minutes to reach the train station on foot.
Hastora went to the automated ticket machine and typed in their destination: Eldoria Empire. He chose executive class, couple seats, and two passengers.
After swiping his identity, the digital ticket was sent to the communicator on his wrist.
He said nothing and walked ahead.
"Where are you going? What were you doing just now?" Elyshara tilted her head.
"Buying tickets, let's go."
The train doors hissed open. Hastora stepped inside, followed by Elyshara. The interior was clean and gleaming, filled with elegant quietude.
They walked down the aisle until they found their reserved couple seats.
Hastora sat by the window, while Elyshara sat beside him. Without a sound, the train started moving.
After sitting down, the atmosphere in the cabin was quiet and comfortable.
"This is the first time I'm riding this thing."
Elyshara stared out the window, enjoying the scenery flashing by.
Hastora leaned back, crossed his legs and closed his eyes for a moment, letting the rhythmic clatter of the iron wheels and the soft hum of the engine soothe his mind.
They didn't talk, making it awkward for both of them.
But Hastora didn't mind. He just remained silent with his eyes closed.
"Hastora... What are we going to do after we get to the Eldoria Empire?" Elyshara tried to break the silence by starting a conversation.
"Of course, to kill monsters."
"Why there? You can kill monsters here too."
"Monsters rarely attack this kingdom, even gates rarely appear. On the contrary, the Eldoria Empire often has gates appearing and is attacked by monsters.
"I can kill many monsters there to become stronger. If we're weak, we won't even survive more than 5 days in this world," Hastora explained at length.
"Why are you so obsessed with becoming stronger?" Elyshara raised her eyebrows.
"To survive in this world."
"...?"
"You wouldn't understand because you're strong. You might understand if you were weak."
"... "
"Forget it. You'll never understand what I mean."
To be continued in the next chapter…