Chapter 124: The Poor, Starving Outer God
Strictly speaking, Abyss’s actions hadn’t directly harmed the Lord of Nightmares or diminished his power. The Shadowlings, the mutated apple trees, even the Ossi people he was using as a source of fear—they were all expendable, tools to be used and discarded.
But Abyss had managed to disrupt his food supply, which was why the Lord of Nightmares was so enraged, even sending a Shadowling messenger to personally deliver his threats.
As an Outer God, despite his intelligence and rationality, the Lord of Nightmares couldn’t escape his primal need to consume. Without sustenance, he would become agitated and desperate. Abyss had anticipated this.
Imagine the Lord of Nightmares as an addict, hooked on a hallucinogenic drug called “fear.” If his supplier suddenly cut him off, he would spiral into madness, even though abstaining from the drug wouldn’t kill him. His addiction, his craving, would drive him to lash out, to curse the world, to attack anyone in sight.
The Lord of Nightmares was quite eloquent in his insults. Abyss, his arm still wrapped around a blushing Flora, endured the tirade, patiently listening to the Outer God’s creative curses, until the Shadowling messenger had almost completely dissolved.
“Just you wait, Abyss Belator. You might have disrupted my feeding, but my power remains undiminished. Prepare to face my wrath…”
“I await your arrival, esteemed Lord of Nightmares. And I won’t just wait. I’ll be coming for you. I hope you’ll reconsider your actions and join my side,” Abyss said, bowing to the dissolving Shadowling, then, with a flick of his wrist, obliterated it, its remains melting into the ground.
He didn’t expect the Lord of Nightmares to consider his offer. He was simply trying to provoke him further.
The Outer God’s greatest weakness was his pride, his inflated ego. By constantly antagonizing him, Abyss hoped to expose his vulnerabilities. As a being of chaos and destruction, the Lord of Nightmares couldn’t hide his flaws. This was a pattern Abyss had observed through their confrontations, although he wasn’t sure if it applied to other Outer Gods.
“Let’s go, Flora. Our mission was a success. Thanks to you, I could focus on resolving these issues without distractions,” Abyss said, taking Flora’s hand and leading her into the Shadow Realm.
They stood in the Ossi Kingdom palace, having discreetly eliminated all the Shadowlings except for Kevin. They hadn’t killed Kevin, who was now weakened by the people’s strengthened faith, because Abyss knew that Givia should be the one to deal with him. It was not only for the stability of the Ossi Kingdom, but also because it was unnecessary.
Even if they killed Kevin, the Lord of Nightmares would simply replace him with another Shadowling once Rebecca’s potion wore off. He wouldn’t relinquish his hard-won control over the Ossi Kingdom. Abyss had only cut off his food supply, not eradicated all his pawns.
Flora, her cheeks still flushed from their close proximity, although Abyss hadn’t intended any romantic gestures, replied softly, “I was just doing my duty.”
“I’ll be confronting the Lord of Nightmares again soon. I’ll need your help,” Abyss said, smiling, summoning Little Fire Dragon, and they departed.
…
Upon returning to the headquarters in Shodo Town, they found Givia’s arm fully healed. The newly grown skin was even smoother and fairer than her original skin, like a baby’s. She sat in her chair, gently moving her arm, testing its range of motion. Although her face was still pale, she was clearly out of danger. Leona sat beside her, holding a plate of chicken, seemingly feeding her.
“You’re back!” Givia exclaimed, trying to stand up, but she quickly sat down again, smiling apologetically. “I’m still weak from the regeneration process. I can’t stand to greet you properly. Ray, Cassandra, and Haina are inside that door. Rebecca is creating a new skin for Cassandra. I wonder how it’s going.”
“Just focus on resting. How is it? Is Ray’s work satisfactory? Is the arm functioning properly?” Abyss asked, observing her new arm, nodding in approval. He was glad she had regained her full range of motion.
“Yes… Thank you for helping me with my… impulsive decision… I never imagined alchemy could be so advanced. That potion stimulated my body to regrow muscle and skin over the bone. It feels just like my old arm,” Givia said, her voice filled with gratitude. “But Ray told me my bones still need time to heal. My right arm is still fragile, and the regeneration process has depleted my energy…”
“Ray said eating more meat would help her recover, so I went to the barracks and got her some chicken,” Leona said, her voice filled with pride, as she sat on a stool beside Givia.
“Yes, I couldn’t even speak when my arm first regrew. I was completely drained, even breathing was difficult. I’m much better now,” Givia said, nodding at Leona. “How did it go? Was your mission in the Ossi Kingdom successful?”
“Very successful. I destroyed all the trees the Lord of Nightmares was using to create Shadowlings. But I didn’t kill Kevin. I didn’t want to cause chaos. And I couldn’t find Apos. He seems to have vanished,” Abyss replied. “Now it’s up to your Restoration Army to reclaim your kingdom. The more stable your nation becomes, the fewer places those Shadowlings can hide.”
“Then I need to recover quickly and rally my troops,” Givia said, then hesitated. “But… The Lord of Nightmares will surely attack me again, won’t he? Do you need to impersonate me?”
“Yes, I can’t let you risk your life. But I can make you feel like you’re there,” Abyss said, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. “Don’t worry, Your Highness. Your inspection tour will proceed as planned.”
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