LDING!

(Your mastery of the Codex of Moonshadow has increased from 14% to 20%!)

(Your mastery of the Codex of Endless Flame has increased from 10% to 16%!)

[Codex:

Codex of Dragon Emperor (40%)

Codex of Moonshadow (20%)

Codex of Endless Flame (16%)]

Richard received the notification in the middle of his training, at an hour he no longer cared to measure.

He wasn't concerned about time, only focused on pushing himself further, enduring his training for as long as possible.

From night to day, until dusk.

[Aether: 5283/10,000 <Tier 3>] +600

[Aether Accumulation: 10,283 <Tier 3>]

'Truly this much…'

Richard was astonished by himself.

If he were to tell anyone about this, no one would believe him. It would sound like utter nonsense.

If someone could accumulate this much Aether in a single day, then what use were great artifacts like the Star Wheel?

Of course, in truth he had only absorbed 300 Aether on his own. Reaching 600 was thanks to the help of the Aether Bottle—an artifact even more astonishing than most others.

"How's the situation outside?" He peeked out to check.

"What?"

Naturally, he was surprised.

There was no one outside. Not a soul.

But instead of relief, Richard only felt more uneasy and restless.

It was all too predictable—Rebecca had likely removed them.

Who knew what had happened to them now.

Though Rebecca herself wasn't visible nearby, how could Richard possibly trust his own eyes?

'She may have sealed off this entire area,' he thought.

A secret place belonging to the Dragon Knight—how could Rebecca not go to every length to seize it?

Richard even suspected she might have already discovered that it was him who entered.

With enough power, investigations were easy. Simply gather the Magi around Apple Town.

If someone was missing, then that was the one.

If no one was missing, then it must be an outsider.

However, Richard had already been exposed by Olivia. If Rebecca gathered the Magi, then he would be the only one absent among them.

Of course, even if she knew about him, Richard wasn't sure whether she would guess that he was the son she had cast away.

That might only be possible if she saw him directly. Given her Realm, she should be able to detect their bond, just as her ancestors once could.

"Aiii…" Richard was overthinking too much.

He pulled out some food he had stored and began to eat.

Afterward, he decided to sleep for a while.

His body couldn't endure anymore, and one night of sleep was a necessity he couldn't avoid.

DING!

(You have gained 2% affinity with the Void Element!)

(Your affinity with the Void Element has increased from 2% to 12%!)

For the first time, Richard was awakened by a notification from the System.

"Void!"

He was utterly shocked at the word.

Emptiness—what was emptiness?

It was simply something that did not exist, something that could not be described with words or colors, because it wasn't there. Something nonexistent was naturally not threatening.

Yet in this world's lore, this was a legendary element.

Someone who possessed it could become nonexistent.

What was called nonexistent wasn't merely disappearing, but being completely forgotten, as if they had never been.

This might not alter the past, but the past of someone who became nonexistent would vanish as if it had truly never been.

Of course, this was magic. The element did not completely erase someone.

For its wielder, they merely shifted into a world of nonexistence and could return to the real world again.

In other words, this element granted the ultimate disappearing ability.

Once nonexistent, one could no longer be detected.

Even being attacked was impossible, even if they stood right in front of their enemy.

Of course, using this element was said to consume an immense amount of Aether, even for the briefest moment.

It was not something one could use repeatedly or for long durations.

Using it on others was even harder, but if successful, the enemy wouldn't just die—they would be forgotten.

If someone possessed this element along with great talent, becoming the champion of an era and obtaining the World Magic Aether was almost certain. History had proven it. Two people had succeeded by relying on the Void Element, even though their combat power was not as great as others.

'The System seems to grant abilities that will help me when I'm in dire need,' Richard thought.

From standing, he immediately sat down and opened the door.

Whoosh!

He spread his Aether throughout the hall and then pushed some of it outward.

But soon after, Richard's instincts suddenly sensed a sharp gaze fixed upon the dragon's maw outside.

It seemed his Aether movement had been detected by someone who was watching.

However, the moment Richard thought of the Void, his body, his Aether, and even everything enveloped by his Aether instantly vanished without a trace—vanished to the point of being forgotten.

Even for a brief moment, Richard himself felt as though he had completely ceased to exist—the exact same feeling as when he had died on Earth before being reborn into this world.

Fortunately, after some time, his consciousness returned.

He could still see the world, but it felt like an illusion, as though he was no longer part of it.

"What am I doing here?" Suddenly, Rebecca appeared from behind a tree, confusion written on her face.

Perhaps never in her life had she shown such bewilderment—except now, when she truly was confused.

She knew she was near Apple Town, but she had no idea why she was there.

Everything she sought had disappeared, including her memory of the secret place of the Dragon Knight.

Without those things, how could she not be confused about standing in Apple Town?

And Richard could only be mesmerized by this effect—an effect that transcended space and time.

"Huh…"

He didn't think long before dashing away.

This was not a situation he could maintain forever.

Once his Aether was depleted, he would reappear—and Rebecca would remember everything that had been erased.

Richard ran until he reached where Athena was. Even the horse appeared bewildered at the moment.

But as soon as Richard reappeared, Athena's confusion vanished.

Richard climbed onto her back and immediately urged her to run back toward the village.

Meanwhile, Rebecca, who had been confused, regained her memory.

She was now certain of what she had just forgotten.

Others might not notice, since their focus was divided across many thoughts, so forgetting Richard and the secret place felt natural.

But for Rebecca, her attention had been locked onto both.

When they vanished from her memory and then returned, she perceived it clearly.

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