Chapter 111: The Inescapable Nightmare
Abyss, engrossed in an Outer God journal, devoured the accounts of Outer God encounters meticulously documented by Star.
Princess Givia had fallen asleep beside him. The constant fatigue had taken its toll, leaving her unable to engage in a lengthy conversation. After a few questions about Prince Kevin, Abyss had considerately allowed her to rest.
He wasn’t sure if any Shadowlings remained in the vicinity after he had eradicated the previous batch. The Lord of Nightmares clearly possessed the ability to influence minds, making mortals oblivious to inconsistencies and illogicalities. Abyss didn’t believe he was immune. To prevent any remaining Shadowlings from sneaking into Givia’s room, his options were limited: either station a watchful undead spirit in the room or stay awake himself.
He, of course, preferred the latter. Givia wouldn’t tolerate a corporeal undead guard, and leaving a specter to watch over her while she slept seemed disrespectful. Besides, Abyss had nothing better to do at night, so after explaining his concerns to Givia, he remained in her room.
Givia seemed to trust Abyss, who had become a familiar presence over the past few days. Perhaps her constant battles against non-human entities had lowered her guard against humans. She lay down without hesitation, thanking him for his vigilance, and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Her peaceful slumber, however, was short-lived. After reading for a while, relying on his darkvision in the dimly lit room, Abyss noticed Givia’s breathing becoming erratic.
It seemed the nightmares had returned the moment she entered deep sleep. The previous disruption hadn’t granted her even a single night of restful sleep. And his idea of having her wear the Fountain’s Draw, sleep for an hour, wake up before the nightmares began, then repeat the cycle, seemed unfeasible. The pendant’s power likely lasted for an entire day.
He had considered suggesting this loophole to Givia, but she had probably already tried it and failed.
Thus, Abyss spent the night reading and watching over Givia, who was likely experiencing an eternity of torment within her dreams. Finally, dawn broke, a sliver of sunlight piercing through the window, and the guests at the inn began to stir.
“Hmm… It’s morning?” Givia mumbled, rubbing her eyes, her brow furrowed, the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to her. “Abyss, you didn’t sleep?”
“I don’t need to sleep every night. Sometimes I read at night,” Abyss said with a smile. “No Shadowlings attacked you last night.”
Givia smiled and nodded. Although she hadn’t witnessed Abyss in action, judging by the abilities of Leona and Flora, he was no weakling. She felt safe with him as her guard.
“I should get up. We’re heading to our destination today. If all goes well, we should arrive before nightfall. We need to purchase potions and find Lannis Consten,” she said, not lingering in bed. For her, a bed wasn’t a place of comfort. She quickly got up, efficiently donning her armor and outer garments, her movements more like a seasoned mercenary than a princess. Her two years of exile had clearly hardened her.
“I’ll keep an eye out for any Shadowlings sent by the Lord of Nightmares,” Abyss said, tucking the journal into his cloak. “I also need to find Lannis, so I’ll leave the search to you, Your Highness.”
Having someone who shared his destination was convenient. Abyss relished this feeling. With the princess’s men at his disposal, he didn’t need to summon his undead servants and burden them with tasks.
“We’ll help each other,” Givia said with a smile, opening the door. Abyss followed her out.
Several guards were already waiting in the hallway, and Santos, dressed in his merchant attire, stood guard outside Givia’s room. They were surprised to see Abyss and Givia emerging together, but remained silent.
“You-You-You-You-You! Why did you come out of Gi… Veronica’s room?!”
The guards might have remained silent, but Leona, who had just emerged from her room, was far from quiet.
Flora, right behind her, also noticed Abyss trailing Givia, her golden eyes wide with surprise and a hint of questioning.
“Explain yourself! Why did you come out of her room?!” Leona demanded, her face flushed with inexplicable anger.
Abyss was confused by their reaction. He scratched his head. “I didn’t do anything inappropriate. We were just discussing some family matters…”
By “family,” he meant Givia’s brother, Kevin. Everyone present who understood Common Tongue instantly grasped his meaning.
Leona, however, predictably misinterpreted his words.
“You want to start a family with her?! Do you even know who she is and who you are?! You’re just… You’re just…” Leona sputtered, her face crimson, unable to find the right words to express her outrage. Then, remembering that she was also a princess, she trailed off, unable to articulate her thoughts.
“Leona… Abyss probably meant Prince Kevin,” Flora said, tugging at her sleeve.
“Eh? Really?” Leona blinked, her anger dissipating. “Eh? Ah! I… I wasn’t worried! Don’t look at me like that! Stupid ABC!”
…
As Abyss had suspected, neither the sleeping guards nor Leona and Flora, who had been resting with their eyes closed, had heard any sounds of the Shadowlings entering Givia’s room. The creatures likely possessed the ability to move silently or teleport, or perhaps they had influenced everyone’s minds, rendering them oblivious.
The guards, discovering several dead names on their watch schedule, were horrified. Santos even knelt before Givia, begging for punishment. But Givia, recognizing their helplessness, dismissed their negligence.
After packing their belongings and a simple breakfast at the inn, they set off, their horses well-rested and their bellies full.
Their next destination was the most futuristic city in the Eastern Empire, perhaps even the entire continent, renowned for its high-quality potions: the City of Alchemy. It was not only a prime location for purchasing potions, but also the birthplace of Rebecca, the genius alchemist Abyss sought to resurrect, and the home base of Lannis Consten, the explosives prodigy—Lavoisier City!
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