Chapter 176: And You Are…?
The guards escorted them back to their accommodations within the palace. Leona, surprisingly, didn’t rush towards the food, but sat quietly beside Abyss, waiting for his instructions. Flora and Rebecca, accustomed to his leadership, also waited patiently.
Abyss dismissed the guards, instructing them to keep their distance, wary of potential tricks from the Lord of Nightmares, then began planning his final move.
“What’s your plan?” Leona asked, her curiosity piqued. “I know you’re planning something against the Lord of Nightmares, but what exactly?”
Seeing their expectant gazes, Abyss shrugged innocently. “I haven’t decided yet. You haven’t told me everything about the Lord of Nightmares.”
“Oh, right,” Leona said, slapping her forehead.
“I’ll explain. I’ve spent the most time with Abyss, dealing with this,” Flora said, smiling gently. “I’m sure he’ll figure something out quickly.”
“If you’re explaining the Lord of Nightmares, please focus on his artifacts,” Abyss said. “Although I don’t have a concrete plan yet, since Outer Gods use artifacts to influence our world, our counterattack should begin there.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you everything I know,” Flora said, nodding. “Using your necromantic link will be more efficient. I’ll share my memories with you directly.”
Using the link was indeed faster, akin to transferring memories. Abyss quickly absorbed all the information Flora had about the Lord of Nightmares, then fell into deep thought.
After a while, he looked up at Rebecca. “I have a plan. Rebecca, give me that rake.”
“Hmm? You have a plan already?” Rebecca asked, handing him the rake, still safely encased in the mana-neutralizing potion.
“Indeed,” Abyss said, smiling. “I’m going to summon my familiar. You said it’s a storage space, right? I need you to retrieve the Lord of Nightmares’ other two artifacts.”
He summoned his magical catfish. The space within its belly wasn’t restricted to him. Anyone who knew what they were looking for could retrieve it.
Rebecca, the most familiar with the artifacts besides the amnesiac Abyss, immediately retrieved a shovel and a pair of shears from the catfish’s belly.
Now he had all three artifacts, safely coated in Rebecca’s potion.
“What’s your plan?” Leona asked, curious. “Summon the Lord of Nightmares and subdue him? But he’s so arrogant. That’s impossible, right? Making him our servant seems even more difficult than defeating him.”
“I’m not planning to make him our servant. Flora’s stories have made his arrogance quite clear,” Abyss said, looking at them with a confident smile. “But I do want to have a chat with him, to resolve our… disagreements. Rebecca, I need that potion that dissolves the coating on these artifacts. And then, I need you to coat yourselves with it. Flora, you can use Divine Arts, so stay by my side, ready to cast any spell I require. Leona, you’re the fastest. You’ll be responsible for protecting them, dealing with any unexpected situations.”
Even with his amnesia, he had quickly assessed their strengths and assigned their roles accordingly.
Rebecca smiled and immediately began working. The amnesiac Abyss still had good ideas. Coating themselves with the potion was a practical, if somewhat unpleasant, solution.
Abyss held the vial Rebecca had given him, watching as they coated themselves with the sticky, mana-neutralizing substance.
“Don’t stare! It’s rude for a boy to watch girls applying potions!” Leona scolded, her face flushed.
“Huh? Why?” Abyss asked, confused.
“Just don’t look! No more questions!” Leona insisted.
“Alright,” Abyss said, obligingly covering his eyes with his hands. “Carry on.”
With Abyss no longer watching, the three girls helped each other apply the potion, a thick, even layer covering their bodies. They had removed their outer garments, leaving only their underclothes, ensuring complete coverage. As undead, they didn’t need to breathe, so the potion effectively protected them. The viscous substance clung to their skin, defying gravity.
“Abyss, we’re ready. You can begin now,” Rebecca said through their telepathic link. “But we’re only in our underclothes, so no peeking… unless you want to see me.”
“Alright, I’ll look at you after we’re done,” Abyss replied, his voice unfazed by her teasing, much to Leona’s annoyance. She wanted to kick this shameless pervert.
The potion coating the artifacts dissolved upon contact with another potion Rebecca retrieved from the magical catfish, revealing the three artifacts.
Abyss, without hesitation, gathered them, holding them in his hands.
As his fingers closed around the artifacts, his vision went black.
“Abyss! You dare return?!” the Lord of Nightmares’ voice roared, his fury echoing from all directions. “After your despicable, undeserved victory, you dare ask for more? You insignificant worm, you worthless scum…”
“Excuse me, but… who are you?”
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