Chapter 157: Let Me Hug You
The dream shattered as Abyss’s consciousness flickered, plunging him into darkness. He wasn’t unconscious, but adrift in a void, the sounds of shattering and tearing echoing around him. His actions seemed to have triggered a chain reaction, causing the dream to collapse.
“What have you done?!” the Lord of Nightmares’ voice roared, his tone filled with shock and disbelief. “How did you break my dream?!”
“You can only blame your own desire to torment me, your decision to grant me limited control over my body!” Abyss said, laughing triumphantly. “It was a clever trick, but you underestimated me!”
The sounds of shattering continued, the Lord of Nightmares’ voice now laced with panic. “How did you do it?! How did you use your limited movement to achieve this?!”
“Your pride is your downfall. You underestimate the mortals of Hai-Teweru, and their magic. You never bothered to study it, did you?” Abyss asked, the sounds of the collapsing dream like a symphony to his ears. “During Leona’s knighting ceremony, that stone slab that displayed the inscription was made of a special material, a mana-conductive material that, due to its energy-absorbing properties, slowly shifts when exposed to uneven light.”
“So? The sunlight outside didn’t reach the slab…”
“But it did reach my armor!” Abyss interrupted. He had angered the Lord of Nightmares, and now, the Outer God’s rage had ignited his own. He no longer bothered with politeness. “My armor is reflective. And since my dream body regenerates with each cycle, its reflectivity is usually quite high. I used the reflected sunlight, manipulating my body to direct the light onto the slab, affecting the mana-conductive material. It didn’t work every time, since my position within the dream changed with each cycle. But your endless loop gave me the opportunity…”
“…How many times did you try?”
“Do you keep track of every morsel of fear you consume?” Abyss retorted. “I seized every opportunity. Finally, on the thirteen thousand four hundred and twenty-second attempt, I succeeded. I changed the inscription from ‘Knight of the Silver Rose’ to a series of runes, a Rage spell. It’s a signature spell of the Illusion School… Oh, I apologize, you wouldn’t know, since you never bothered to study it. But I must thank you for perfectly replicating Leona’s memories. The mage who infused the slab was a high-ranking mage, his mana pure and potent. This amplified the Rage spell, directly affecting Leona, who was kneeling before it…”
“And then… she couldn’t control her rage and killed you?”
“Ah, you finally understand,” Abyss said, clapping his hands. “Yes, a high-level Rage spell is difficult to resist, especially at such close range. Leona was instantly affected, and she lashed out, killing me. Your dream might be sophisticated, but its principle remains the same—it’s based on our subconscious minds. By disrupting the memory, by deviating from the script, I broke your dream!”
“Aren’t you afraid this dream will kill you in reality?”
“Honestly, I should be worried, but for certain reasons, I’m not… I’ll explain later. Farewell!”
The dream shattered, the last vestiges of the Lord of Nightmares’ power dissipating.
Abyss’s consciousness rose from the depths, distant voices growing louder, the darkness giving way to a faint pink glow filtering through his closed eyelids.
He opened his eyes.
“He’s awake!”
Three girls surrounded him, their faces filled with relief. It was Leona who had spoken.
He was lying in a bed, a hospital bed, the scent of antiseptic filling the air.
“Abyss, you’re finally awake!” Rebecca exclaimed, her hands cupping his face, her voice filled with concern. “We were so worried! We thought you would never wake up!”
Flora, her hand warm from having rubbed it vigorously, held his hand, offering him a comforting warmth, despite her undead nature.
“Ah, it’s you. It’s been a while,” Abyss said, smiling weakly.
“A while? How long were you trapped in that dream?” Leona asked.
“Help me sit up,” Abyss said to Rebecca, who gently assisted him.
“What kind of dream did the Lord of Nightmares show you?” Rebecca asked.
“You don’t need to know,” Abyss said, shaking his head. “I spent what felt like thousands of days in there. It wasn’t that long. I’m fine. I escaped on my own.”
“Thousands of days?” Flora asked, her voice filled with concern. “Are you sure you’re alright? Do you need any healing?”
“No, I’m fine,” Abyss said, waving his hand dismissively. “I’m more curious about how you escaped Kohler’s dream. He hypnotized us all.”
The three girls exchanged glances, then Rebecca explained. “After we fell asleep, Kohler’s body started to collapse. He couldn’t contain the power within him. After he died, we all woke up, including Givia. But you remained unconscious. We were so worried. You were asleep for three days, unresponsive. But we knew you weren’t completely gone. If you had been, we would have turned to ash. So we waited, hoping you would return…”
“Kohler is dead?” Abyss asked, looking at Rebecca.
“Yes, we have the Dream Shear. We’ve sealed it. The Lord of Nightmares has been completely banished from Hai-Teweru,” Rebecca said, smiling. “You were his last anchor in this world. Flora just confirmed it with her Divine Arts. This world is free from his influence.”
“Ah… That’s a shame. I wanted to capture him… But it’s alright. I’d like to hug you all now. Is that okay?”
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