Chapter 177: The Lord of Nightmares Wants to Leave
“You…” the Lord of Nightmares began to rage, then stopped, a moment of stunned silence hanging in the void before he spoke again. “I was wondering how you discovered my remaining followers. No one should have been able to detect them… So you erased your own memories? You actually did that? You’re insane!”
“Perhaps,” Abyss replied, his voice calm, his gaze sweeping across the empty darkness. The Lord of Nightmares couldn’t manifest a physical form now. With Abyss’s memories gone, he had nothing to fear. “But I don’t remember anything now.”
“You insufferable worm! Is it so difficult to bow before me?” the Lord of Nightmares snarled. “Just give me your fear, and I might lose interest in this world, leave you mortals to your petty squabbles. You’re all so shortsighted, so foolish! Every world I’ve visited, it’s always the same!”
“I might have amnesia, but I’m not stupid,” Abyss said, a cold smile in his voice. “Who knows what would happen if I gave you what you wanted? I don’t trust Outer Gods like you, with your insatiable appetites, to show any restraint.”
The Lord of Nightmares fell silent. He knew Abyss was right. Outer Gods were driven by their amplified desires. Even their considerable intellect couldn’t overcome their primal urges. If he tasted Abyss’s fear, a rare and exquisite delicacy, he would become obsessed.
He knew that if he consumed Abyss’s fear, he might not destroy this world immediately, but he would trap its inhabitants in an endless cycle of nightmares, harvesting their fear, Abyss’s fear in particular, as a recurring feast. And the Nine Gods of Hai-Teweru might not be able to stop him then.
“Abyss Belator, you should be honored. You’re the first mortal to make me experience defeat,” the Lord of Nightmares said, his voice now strained, as if he were trying to control his anger.
“Please address me by my true name, ABC. It’s a matter of respect. Thank you,” Abyss said politely.
“Shut your filthy mouth!” the Lord of Nightmares roared, his composure shattered. “Listen to me!”
“Alright,” Abyss said cheerfully, closing his mouth.
“I admit, for now, I can’t defeat you. My invasion of this world has reached its limit,” the Lord of Nightmares said, his voice filled with resentment. “But don’t get cocky. If not for this world’s restrictions on my power, and my followers’ betrayal, you would have been mine long ago! It wasn’t you who defeated me, but the rules set by the Creator God himself!”
“Ah, the Creator God. Flora told me about him. I was planning to defeat him,” Abyss said, as if recalling a trivial fact.
“Defeat the Creator God? Hahahahaha!” the Lord of Nightmares roared with laughter. “What a joke! Do you even know that in his eyes, we, the gods, are no different from dust? The only difference is that he might deign to speak with us, while you mortals, he wouldn’t even bother glancing at! And you dare to challenge him? Truly, the most enduring thing in this universe isn’t the cosmos itself, but the boundless stupidity of mortals!”
“I won’t know until I try,” Abyss said, shrugging. “I don’t remember why I hate the Creator God so much, but I still want to fight him.”
“Then I wish you ‘success,’ mortal!” the Lord of Nightmares said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’ve never seen how the Creator God deals with those who defy him. If I have the opportunity, I’ll witness your demise… Death might be just the beginning for you.”
“So you’re leaving?” Abyss asked.
The Lord of Nightmares scoffed. “Yes, but don’t think you’re safe. When I’ve gained enough power in other worlds, I’ll return. And then, you’ll know true fear. Just you wait. It won’t be long.”
“I have a proposition,” Abyss said.
“I’m not interested,” the Lord of Nightmares replied, his voice firm.
“Become my follower. Join me, and I’ll find you a new source of sustenance. Leona told me that’s how I dealt with the previous Outer God, the Lord of Submergence. He’s thriving now,” Abyss continued, ignoring his refusal. “Of course, you might have to endure a bit of hunger initially, but I believe, with our combined efforts, my intelligence and your power, we can find a suitable substitute for your… diet. So, there’s hope for you yet.”
He was already making promises, trying to lure the Lord of Nightmares into servitude.
“Damn you, you arrogant fool! You worthless scum, you’re lower than toad droppings in a swamp!” the Lord of Nightmares roared, his voice almost deafening. “You want me to serve you?! Who gave you such audacity?! I’ll remember every insult, and when I return, you will pay! Just you wait!”
“There’s no need to be so angry,” Abyss said, his voice feigning hurt. “It’s a win-win proposition. Can’t you make a small sacrifice?”
The Lord of Nightmares fell silent. He seemed truly exhausted. Abyss could sense his power waning, although only slightly. He was indeed leaving Hai-Teweru, moving on to another world.
The darkness around Abyss faded, revealing his surroundings—his room in the guesthouse, the three artifacts on the table, the curtains drawn. He was back in the real world.
He turned to the three girls, who were sitting on the bed, their outer garments discarded, their bodies partially hidden behind the bedsheets.
“ABC, you’re awake?” Leona asked, seeing him turn. “You fell asleep the moment you touched those artifacts.”
“Yes, I’m awake,” Abyss said, nodding, pleased that she had used his “real” name.
“Did the Lord of Nightmares leave? Did you convince him to join us?” Rebecca asked.
“He refused. And he cursed me, promising to return and seek revenge,” Abyss said, shrugging. “How rude.”
“But at least the threat he posed to this world has been temporarily neutralized. We just need to prepare for his return,” Flora said, smiling. “Our second battle against an Outer God has concluded, hasn’t it?”
Abyss shook his head.
“Not quite. This isn’t over. Hai-Teweru is my home. He can’t just come and go as he pleases.”
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