Chapter 147: It’s All About Prediction
Upon returning to the Restoration Army’s base, Abyss and his companions immediately went to Givia’s location—the governor’s mansion. The guards, having received her instructions, allowed them to enter without question.
As expected, Givia was awake, sitting on her bed, waiting for them. Since the attack had occurred within a dream realm, and the attacker was dead, there was no damage to the room, only a headless corpse clutching a shovel lying near the wall. Givia’s expression was still filled with a lingering fear.
“Givia, are you alright?” Flora asked, her voice filled with concern.
She knew Givia was physically unharmed, thanks to Abyss’s surveillance. But she wasn’t sure about her mental state. An attack by a follower of the Lord of Nightmares wielding an artifact was no laughing matter.
“I’m fine. I defeated the attacker in two moves. He was careless,” Givia said, nodding, but her voice still trembled slightly. “Fortunately, he underestimated me. If he had been more cautious, I might have been in danger.”
“We apologize for not being there to protect you, Givia. We’re glad you’re safe,” Rebecca said.
“Mr. Abyss warned me about their methods,” Givia said, waving her hand dismissively. “There’s no need to apologize. The enemy seems to be able to choose their targets for these dream attacks. Even if you had been here, I would have had to face him alone. The items Mr. Abyss and Miss Rebecca provided were incredibly useful. I wouldn’t have survived without them. I was just a bit shaken. Seeing you all has calmed my nerves… Perhaps you should examine the body and that shovel he was holding. It must be one of the Lord of Nightmares’ artifacts.”
They turned their attention to the corpse on the floor.
It hadn’t stiffened yet. There was no blood, its skin pale, suggesting significant blood loss.
“He’s likely dead, but I didn’t want to risk touching him, in case he was faking it, or if the artifact still held some power,” Givia explained, turning to Abyss. “Mr. Abyss, your knowledge of Outer Gods is far greater than mine. I’ll leave this to you.”
“You did the right thing. It was a wise decision,” Abyss said, nodding in approval. “It seems you didn’t inform anyone in the Restoration Army?”
“They shouldn’t be involved in this,” Givia said, sighing. “I don’t want my people to bear this burden. I’ll handle it myself.”
“Indeed. They wouldn’t be able to help, and their involvement could lead to complications. You’ve had a rough night, Givia. Go and rest in Ray’s alchemy laboratory. It’s safe there. You can recover. It’s almost dawn. You can finally get a good night’s sleep,” Abyss said, summoning Rebecca’s Anywhere Door.
Givia, familiar with this magical artifact, nodded gratefully, stepping towards the door.
“Oh, right, Givia, before you go, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s not pleasant news,” Abyss said suddenly, stopping her. “But it’s important for our future cooperation.”
“What is it? Tell me anything. You’re all my benefactors. I can handle any unpleasant news,” Givia said, her curiosity piqued.
“Alright, then…”
…
The next morning, after a restful night’s sleep, Givia resumed her duties, leading the Restoration Army towards their next target. A garrison was left behind in the captured town, and a new governor was appointed.
As for the elder who had died in the governor’s mansion, his late-night excursion had been a secret. No one, except for Givia, knew where he had gone. They assumed he was missing. Abyss had disposed of his body, and the artifact he had been wielding was now in Abyss’s possession.
Of course, he couldn’t touch it directly. The Lord of Nightmares’ influence was partially channeled through these artifacts. Abyss wouldn’t be so foolish as to expose himself to such a risk. Rebecca had solved this problem. She retrieved a vial from her laboratory, its contents unknown, and, using magic, poured the liquid onto the shovel from a safe distance. The viscous, slime-like substance coated the artifact, neutralizing its dangerous properties.
This potion, based on the same principles as the one used to contain the divine power extracted from the mutated apple trees, had been developed in Rebecca’s laboratory during her private sessions with Abyss. She had anticipated acquiring artifacts and had prepared accordingly.
Abyss hadn’t had time to study the artifact yet. He stored the neutralized shovel inside his magical catfish’s belly, then, along with the three girls, sat inside Givia’s carriage, waiting.
He was waiting for the Lord of Nightmares’ followers to act.
He knew that after their successful deception, after the fake message from “Kevin” that had shattered the surrenderist nobles’ morale, the Lord of Nightmares’ influence in the Ossi Kingdom had been severely weakened. But this proud Outer God wouldn’t give up so easily. He would surely retaliate, and his most readily available resource was his network of human followers.
Abyss was certain he would instruct them to do something.
And now, Abyss’s spies, his network of undead insects, were watching every corner of the Ossi Kingdom, their attention focused on those he suspected of being the Outer God’s followers.
The world was teeming with insects, and the number of dead insects was even greater. Abyss had an endless supply of corpses to reanimate. He had deployed his entire stock of undead insects, their senses relaying information to him, giving him a comprehensive view of the kingdom’s activities.
At midday, as the Restoration Army engaged a demoralized enemy force, Abyss finally noticed something unusual.
Several individuals, scattered throughout the kingdom, were chanting in unison, their eyes vacant, their voices slurred, their hands raised towards the sky, as if in prayer.
“Flora, now!” Abyss said, turning to Flora, who was sitting beside him.
Flora, without a word, began chanting a prayer, her voice masked by the sounds of battle.
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