Chapter 234: Let’s Get His Shears
“What is that?” Leona had expected to see a gruesome injury, but instead, Abyss was simply holding up a pile of tattered cloth.
“Wait… Don’t tell me. Let me guess,” Rebecca said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “Isn’t that the outfit you were wearing earlier?”
“You guessed right,” Abyss said, sighing. “This is what happened to my clothes after my fight with that Apos—or rather, Kohler. As you know, his weapon is a pair of gardening shears called the Dream Shear. It can split anything in two, fuse things together, and it seems to have the ability to transform objects into Shadowlings. It wasn’t an easy fight.”
He placed a pile of cloth scraps on the table.
“These were my pants.”
He then laid out the other scraps, identifying their original forms. “This was my shirt, my coat, my cloak, my underwear…”
“Why are you showing us your underwear?! And why are you even keeping that tiny scrap of fabric?!” Leona exclaimed, her face flushed.
“I feel bad…” Abyss said, pouting. “You all put so much effort into choosing those clothes for me. Except for the underwear… Sorry, I got that mixed up. Forget about that one.”
“Why feel bad?” Rebecca said, laughing. “I was worried something terrible had happened. It’s just a few torn clothes. I can buy you a new set. A hundred new sets, if you like.”
“But you all put so much thought into choosing those clothes. I felt I should at least inform you,” Abyss said, smiling sheepishly. “I’m glad you’re not angry.”
The three girls sighed in relief. It seemed Abyss hadn’t suffered any serious injuries.
Flora picked up the tattered remains of his coat and cloak. “I can’t fix the pants, but I can repair the coat and cloak. As for the shirt, it’s best to get a new one. It’s close-fitting. I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable wearing a repaired one.”
“You can fix them?” Abyss asked, his eyes widening in surprise. “You learned how to sew?!”
“I spent some time learning. I can make them look as good as new,” Flora said, smiling gently, gathering the scraps. “But besides repairing these precious fabrics, don’t you have something more important to tell us?”
“Ah, yes, you mentioned wanting to hear about my fight with Kohler. Let me tell you everything.”
…
Abyss recounted the details of his battle with Kohler, his memory sharp, reliving every moment, the danger he had faced making the girls, who had initially been relieved, gasp in horror. If not for his meticulous preparations, he might have been killed by that cunning follower of the Lord of Nightmares.
The Dream Shear, like the mask wielded by Bishop Dallan, possessed absolute power, a force that couldn’t be countered with brute magical force. This made confronting its wielder incredibly dangerous. Abyss had relied on his quick thinking and his adaptability, narrowly avoiding Kohler’s—or rather, the Lord of Nightmares’—traps.
“Those are all the abilities I’ve discovered so far. He escaped after retrieving his severed hand, which was holding the shears, by tearing through space,” Abyss said, spreading his hands. “It’s the first time anyone has escaped my Shadow Realm. And he seemed to do it effortlessly, although he was clearly injured.”
“That’s interesting…” Rebecca said, her voice thoughtful. “He can cut through space? Or perhaps… he can cut through worlds?”
“Hmm… Yes, he might have cut through a world,” Abyss said, correcting himself after considering her words. “He tore through my Shadow Realm, escaping through the rift he created. I should have followed him, but he vanished too quickly, and the tracking spells I had placed on him were severed. Thankfully, I didn’t send any of my sentient undead with him.”
“Your necromantic link can’t cross worlds,” Leona said, sitting on Abyss’s bed, her voice analytical. “That place is likely the Lord of Nightmares’ domain, where his power reigns supreme. Your necromancy wouldn’t work there.”
Abyss agreed. “Yes, that’s a possibility. So, if I ever venture into that realm, I’ll need to take some precautions… But I’m not sure what those precautions would be yet. Our next goal is to find Kohler and take his Dream Shear. We need to study it.”
“He’s not stupid. He won’t let you find him and steal his artifact so easily,” Leona said.
“We have time. No need to rush,” Abyss said, chuckling. “We might not be able to achieve it now, but we can at least plan.”
“I’ll help you devise a strategy,” Flora said. “He might need time to recover from his injuries, or he might be healed already. But I don’t think he’ll keep us waiting for long. We might need to lure him out.”
“We need to figure out what he values…” Abyss said, thinking. “We need to learn more about him. This Apos Kohler was a nobody before joining Kevin. I only learned his full name from a document I found in the palace. I know nothing else about him. Why is he a eunuch? And why is he a follower of the Lord of Nightmares? We need to find out.”
“Another investigation?” Leona asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement, as she swung her legs on the bed. “Count me in!”
“Of course. Let’s interrogate those three we captured tonight. I’ve placed them in Rebecca’s laboratory. After that, we’ll head to the Ossi Kingdom, ahead of the Restoration Army. We can have some fun… And maybe bring you back some souvenirs.”
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