Chapter 2: Back on Track
“Uh…”
A palace guard stood at the doorway, staring in disbelief at the scene before him.
Flora and Leona sat on the floor, Abyss between them, his eyes closed. A door stood inexplicably in the middle of the room. The rest of the room was a disaster. The floorboards were ripped up, covered in scratches, the furniture shattered, its fragments piled against the wall. It looked like the aftermath of an alchemical explosion. The fact that the three occupants were unharmed only added to the guard’s confusion.
“Should I inform Her Majesty?” he asked hesitantly, clearly alarmed by the scene.
Flora’s spell had prevented any sound from escaping the room. The guard, who had been standing outside, had heard nothing. The sudden, inexplicable destruction was a shock.
“That won’t be necessary,” Flora said, smiling apologetically. “We’ll visit Her Majesty shortly. We have some matters to discuss with her personally.”
“Don’t bother. This is beyond your comprehension,” Leona said dismissively. “Just return to your post.”
“But what about Mr. Abyss? He seems to be unconscious. Should I call a doctor?” the guard asked, still concerned.
“He’s fine. He’s not unconscious. He’s just sleeping,” Leona said, waving her hand dismissively, reassuring the bewildered guard, then patted Abyss’s chest.
The guard bowed respectfully and left.
And at that moment, Abyss opened his eyes.
Leona, still watching the guard depart, didn’t notice. Her hand was still resting on Abyss’s chest. He looked at her, puzzled. “Leona…?”
“Waaah!”
Leona, startled, jumped back, landing a few feet away, her eyes wide with surprise.
Abyss looked at her, his expression hurt. “There’s no need to be so frightened.”
“Why did you wake up so suddenly?!” she exclaimed, her face flushed. “I didn’t give you permission!”
“Oh,” Abyss said, closing his eyes and feigning sleep.
Flora almost burst out laughing.
“Don’t pretend to be asleep! You’re trying to annoy me!” Leona said, stamping her foot.
“Alright, alright,” Abyss said, opening his eyes again. “But why were you touching my chest?”
Leona, flustered, couldn’t answer. Flora, sensing the awkwardness, quickly intervened. “Abyss, you’re awake! You’ve been asleep for over half an hour. Did you manage to access the Lord of Nightmares’ power in your dream? How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”
“Yes, I’ve gathered his power,” Abyss said. “It’s quite docile now, no longer harmful. I observed him closely in the dream. His true form is a massive tree. But he seems incredibly weak, unable to communicate. If we want to use his power, we might have to find a way to awaken him. Escaping the dream was easy. I simply willed myself to wake up.”
“Is that so?” Leona asked, calming down, sitting beside him again. “I never imagined that sinister Lord of Nightmares would be so… harmless. A giant tree. The Wood Elves would love him.”
“Perhaps all Outer Gods have a tragic story,” Flora said, sighing softly, her voice filled with a hint of sadness, as she thought of the countless worlds destroyed, their guardian deities powerless against the encroaching darkness. “They might be monstrous now, but they were once protectors of their own worlds.”
“The Creator God is the one to blame,” Leona said, slapping Abyss’s back a bit too hard, making him cough. “Thankfully, our world has a madman like Abyss, a genius. Otherwise, our Nine Gods might have become Outer Gods as well. I wonder what they would be like.”
“Cough, cough. The destruction of worlds is like a contagious disease,” Abyss said, nodding, still coughing. “My goal is simple: to defeat the Creator God and protect our world—that’s what Flora told me.”
“At least the threat of the Lord of Nightmares is gone. Things will only get better from now on,” Flora said, smiling gently. “We can finally continue with our plans. We’ll figure out how to use his power later. You’ve worked hard, Abyss.”
Abyss chuckled. “That’s a bit embarrassing. I don’t remember working hard at all.”
“Ignorance is bliss,” Leona said sarcastically.
“True,” Abyss replied, not bothering to argue.
As they were discussing how to access the Lord of Nightmares’ power, and how to ask the Nine Gods for help in harnessing the power of a world-destroying deity to defeat them, Rebecca’s Anywhere Door opened.
Rebecca emerged, carrying Maggie, the Druid girl, who was curled up in a ball, her arms wrapped around her knees.
“This Druid girl is incredibly talkative. I couldn’t handle it anymore. Can you give her some food to keep her occupied? Oh, Abyss, you’re awake!” Rebecca said, her usual calm demeanor replaced by a look of exasperation.
“Food? Can I really have some? But my master doesn’t allow me to eat just anything. He says we shouldn’t kill animals for pleasure, only for sustenance. But if you’re offering, and you don’t tell my master, I’ll be eternally grateful! I can even work for you!” Maggie exclaimed, her voice a torrent of words, as Rebecca held her by the scruff of her neck. “Speaking of work, this morning, when my master and I were exploring the outskirts of Ossi City, we encountered a goblin nest…”
“See?” Rebecca said, shrugging.
“Abyss, give her some food. We have leftovers from the feast,” Leona said, her voice flat.
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