Out of Luck

Luo Wei abruptly opened his eyes and quickly scanned his surroundings.

White walls, white floors, and... Tilis, tightly clutching his hand, her steps frantic.

"I remember now! It was here that I witnessed a miracle!"

"I saw everything... all of it..."

The scene was eerily familiar. Luo Wei had found himself back at the very moment he had first entered this laboratory.

【Chapter Three: The Shadow of Hegraeus】

【Save Point: God Research Institute, Sub-Basement Two】

【Number of Resurrections Left: 4/5】

Realizing that his death and subsequent reload were due to the "Soul Extraction Technique," Luo Wei cursed his luck.

With only a one-in-ten failure rate, he had managed to hit it on the very first try.

What rotten luck was this?

As far as he was concerned, for those who were unlucky, there were only two options: unlucky and extremely unlucky.

And...

Luo Wei shot a resentful glance at Tilis.

Hadn't she confidently assured him that with her personally overseeing the procedure, success was guaranteed?

And yet, she had been proven wrong so quickly.

Complaining inwardly, Luo Wei stayed rooted in place, continuing to observe Tilis.

At present, she remained unaware of what was to come. She had stopped at the end of their path, staring blankly at an empty table.

But once her memories were fully restored, she would become fixated on that one thought—the desperate need to destroy her physical body.

Luo Wei quickly calculated that, given the situation, even his five lives might not be enough to spare.

Probability was a fickle thing, and when one was already cursed with bad luck, even drinking water could lead to choking.

He didn't want to waste his time indulging Tilis' delusions. So...

Perhaps it would be better to delay things a bit longer and think of a way out.

By now, Tilis had dispelled the illusionary spell and was holding the old, weathered box.

"So it was an illusion," she murmured to herself in sudden comprehension. "It must have been set up by me before I left..."

Taking advantage of her focused attention, Luo Wei quietly retreated, lowering his footsteps as he began searching for an exit to the laboratory.

Tilis had brought him here using a teleportation spell, but Luo Wei lacked such a skill.

The sub-basement two laboratory was about the size of a lecture hall. As he scanned the room, he couldn't find the door.

The entire laboratory seemed like a massive sealed space, with no visible entrances or exits.

Luo Wei frowned in confusion. Was teleportation the only way in and out of this place?

Looking around, he studied the complex precision instruments.

That didn't seem right...

Had these instruments been moved here by just the two of them?

Moreover, constructing such a vast underground space would have taken more than just their efforts. There had to be another way in and out.

Luo Wei ran his hand over the white walls, speculating that the door might be hidden, just like the "illusion" earlier.

He immediately redoubled his efforts to find it.

When he reached a certain spot on the side of the room, he noticed that the wall beneath his hand was faintly vibrating.

Suddenly realizing something, he hastily pressed his ear against it.

The other side of the wall seemed empty, and a series of subtle tremors was emanating from beyond. The sound of an enormous creature approaching grew clearer.

Luo Wei suppressed his excitement and continued listening, soon detecting the faint noises of battle, and it was getting louder and more chaotic.

There was no doubt about it; it was the guild master.

The creature was ravenous for Tilis, eager to devour her power. Despite the efforts of the two elders, the guild master had managed to close in on the entrance of the research institute, with only a wall separating it from its prey.

Having located a potential entrance, Luo Wei didn't rush to break the illusion. Instead, he turned back to Tilis.

At this moment, her body was visibly fluctuating as she merged with her memory fragments—the process was almost complete.

Luo Wei headed back to where the previous surgery had taken place.

He began rummaging through the cabinets, searching for something.

After a short while, he found a sealed glass vial, the same one that had been injected into his body, instantly putting him into a deep sleep.

This substance's efficacy was significantly faster than even Caroline's drugs.

An idea began to form in his mind...

Remembering the location of the vial, Luo Wei turned around.

And there stood Tilis, her face expressionless, directly behind him.

"What are you looking for, Luo Wei?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze suspicious.

"You almost gave me a heart attack..." Luo Wei patted his chest. Tilis had moved so silently that not a sound had escaped her.

"I saw you were busy, so I thought I'd wander around and not disturb you."

"Oh? Is that so?" Tilis clearly doubted his words, but she didn't press him further.

She walked over and tightly clasped Luo Wei's hand.

"I've seen what my teacher left me and recovered my past memories."

Luo Wei smiled and said, "Congratulations then. Your teacher must have achieved divinity, right?"

Tilis paused.

Luo Wei looked at her and continued, "Since your teacher succeeded, she must have hoped that you could also succeed and follow in her footsteps!"

"It seems that all the effort you've put in over the years hasn't been in vain. I'm truly happy for you!"

After saying all this, a moment of silence followed.

Tilis opened her mouth, at a loss for words.

Because her teacher hadn't succeeded. All the efforts they had made—everything they had done—had been for nothing...

Tilis thought of what her teacher had left her...

Her final words.

「Give up these obsessions. We are powerless to change anything. Your teacher only wishes for you to live well.」

「Goodbye, Tilis.」

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Tilis's grip tightened slightly.

Her teacher had wanted her to live well, but...

Given her current self—this pitiful body patched together haphazardly, having gone months without sleep, living like a walking corpse.

The only food she consumed were those unbearably bitter nutrient solutions, just enough to sustain her basic needs. If not for that shared meal with Luo Wei, she would have long forgotten what real food tasted like...

If her teacher could see her now, she would be deeply disappointed.

Luo Wei quietly observed Tilis.

Her body trembled slightly, her purple eyes flickering, caught in a fierce internal struggle.

It seemed that using her teacher as a point of influence had been the right approach.

Despite her stubbornness, she was not entirely beyond hope.

"You're wrong... Luo Wei, my teacher didn't succeed..."

"She didn't want me to follow her path either..."

Tilis silently handed the final page of the notebook to Luo Wei.

Luo Wei feigned surprise and showed an astonished expression as if seeing it for the first time.

"Such a thing actually happened..."

"Your teacher, Master Usoma, she... has passed away?"