Chapter 166: The Artifact of the Lord of Bullying
The Church’s records mentioned a massive monster composed entirely of teeth, a creature Leona had actually seen.
The image came from a vision granted to her by the twin goddesses, a memory of their destroyed world, Bystine. In this vision, the Outer God known as the “Lord of Bullying” had given a scimitar to mortals, inciting them to fight amongst themselves, consumed by a “survival of the fittest” mentality, ultimately destroying themselves and allowing the Outer God to fully manifest, consuming their world and causing their guardian deities to degenerate into the Lord of Submergence.
Leona had recounted this vision to Abyss and the others, so they were aware of the Lord of Bullying, a being far older and more powerful than the Lord of Submergence. His artifact, the scimitar, had been in the Church’s possession, a safeguard against its misuse. The Church, as servants of the Nine Gods, wouldn’t dare betray their masters.
But now, the scimitar was missing, complicating matters.
“So, the Lord of Bullying might have been awakened?” Flora asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Indeed,” Abyss replied, his tone calm, as if discussing a fictional story. “But it’s not surprising. The power of an Outer God is incredibly tempting. With such power, one could do anything they desired. And you know, the Lord of Bullying is known for whispering to mortals in their dreams. Perhaps he swayed the guards who were protecting his artifact.”
“That’s true… But if we had retrieved the scimitar earlier, things might have been simpler,” Flora said, sighing. “Now we’ll have to track it down, and innocent people might die because of it.”
Abyss nodded. “We need to find it before it causes widespread destruction. But don’t worry too much. I suspect someone has been targeting this artifact for a long time. Its recent disappearance might not be a coincidence. And retrieving it earlier might not have been beneficial. It could have been incredibly dangerous. Leona’s vision was vague, but I suspect the Lord of Bullying’s power is linked to the strength of his target.”
Flora, looking at him, considered his words. It made sense. Outer Gods used artifacts to influence Hai-Teweru. These artifacts likely had mind-altering properties. Retrieving them without proper precautions would be incredibly dangerous. This was different from the Dream Shear—the Lord of Nightmares’ power worked through fear, gradually corrupting one’s will, but the Lord of Bullying’s methods were still unknown. As Abyss had suggested, his power might be linked to the victim’s own strength. And Abyss, undoubtedly among the strongest mortals in this world, would be a valuable target.
“We’ll add this to our list of priorities,” Abyss said. “There’s another known artifact, the crown Star discovered. After dealing with the Lord of Nightmares, I plan to visit the Eastern Empire with Leona and investigate it, hoping to solve Star’s riddle.”
“Alright,” Flora said, nodding.
They memorized the contents of the notice board. The Church wasn’t actively pursuing them, which saved Abyss some trouble.
“Flora, do you want to explore the headquarters further?” Abyss asked.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “This place might have been my home, but I have no fond memories of it. The only person who truly cared about me was His Holiness, and he’s gone now…”
“Then let’s leave. We can return later if necessary,” Abyss said, smiling, gently squeezing her hand, sensing her sadness. “Thank you for showing me around. I know this place holds many unpleasant memories for you.”
“But now, those memories don’t seem so significant anymore,” Flora said, looking around the hall. “I’ve overcome the helplessness and the fear I once felt.”
“That’s good to hear, Flora. Let’s go.”
…
Upon returning to the Restoration Army’s base, they found that the enemy’s resistance had crumbled. The remaining soldiers were fighting not out of loyalty, but out of fear of Givia’s potential retribution. But Givia quickly presented the surrendered soldiers from the enemy ranks, showing them that not only would they be pardoned, but they could also join the Restoration Army, earning honor and recognition through service to their true kingdom.
The battle had ended swiftly, the casualties minimal. The Restoration Army’s victory was assured.
Abyss, sitting in the carriage, watching the surrendered soldiers being integrated into the Restoration Army, remembered a similar scene from the Lord of Nightmares’ dream. The dream had been so realistic that he hadn’t even questioned its authenticity.
Although he was trying not to be paranoid, the inability to distinguish between reality and dreams was unsettling.
With the battle over, Givia, her face beaming with joy, rushed to their carriage to share the good news.
“We’ve won again! We captured over five thousand enemy soldiers and a large quantity of supplies!” she exclaimed, her excitement evident. She was still relatively inexperienced in commanding large-scale battles. This victory was a significant boost to her confidence. “Now, seeing the Restoration Army’s growing strength, the remaining enemy forces will surely surrender and join our cause! Oh, by the way, Mr. Abyss, I heard that some of their soldiers have lost their memories. Was that your doing? Were they followers of the Lord of Nightmares?”
“Yes, they wouldn’t have surrendered willingly. But we’ve dealt with them,” Abyss said, nodding.
“That’s wonderful!” Givia exclaimed.
Abyss smiled, listening to her recount the details of the battle, his mind still searching for a way to confirm whether he was truly awake.
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