Chapter 90: Absolute Confidence
“Oh? What about your precious Flora? Where did I make a mistake?”
The scene around Abyss shattered, dissolving into darkness. The Lord of Nightmares’ voice echoed from all directions.
“Just as you’re unwilling to reveal your weaknesses, I won’t reveal mine. I know you can peer into the hearts of mortals, but this isn’t your domain. If I don’t speak, you can’t read my thoughts,” Abyss said, seizing the opportunity to exploit the Outer God’s curiosity. He wouldn’t give him what he wanted so easily.
“Hmph, I didn’t expect you to tell me,” the Lord of Nightmares said, seemingly realizing that Abyss was using his own tactics against him. “What I find curious is… You don’t doubt. Mortals always doubt. Why don’t you doubt your magic’s failure?”
“I do doubt, but I only doubt others, those whose motives and abilities I don’t fully understand,” Abyss said slowly. “As for myself, I never doubt my own power.”
“You’re that confident? Remember the hero from that other world I mentioned? He was fearless, but he also doubted. I believe doubt is an inherent trait of mortals.”
“Doubt is indeed a human capacity. I possess it as well. But as I said, I don’t doubt myself,” Abyss said, tapping his chest lightly. “If you perceive me as a reckless fool, you’re gravely mistaken. I’m perfectly sane, my actions driven by rational thought. I understand that I’m a mortal challenging beings far more powerful than myself—entities whose power is beyond my comprehension. Therefore, I must have absolute confidence in my abilities.”
The Lord of Nightmares fell silent, but Abyss could sense something intangible swirling around him.
“If I doubted my own power, would I be worthy of challenging the gods? I believe those who constantly doubt themselves can never achieve greatness,” Abyss said.
“Hmm… You make a valid point,” the Lord of Nightmares said, surprisingly agreeing with him. “If a lowly mortal like you dares to challenge the gods, you must possess unwavering resolve. Although you’re destined to fail, I respect your conviction. Rest assured, in the next world, if I encounter someone worthy, I’ll tell them your story.”
“Thank you, but now that I’ve realized I’m in a dream, I also remember my contingency plan. You distorted my memories after pulling me into this dream, didn’t you?” Abyss said, a smile spreading across his face. “You can control the flow of time within this dream, but you can’t stop it completely. My contingency plan should be activated soon. Therefore, I must take my leave.”
“Ridiculous! You think your little girlfriends can help you? They’re all asleep. No one can wake you up. Before your magic fails, before anyone discovers your predicament, you’ll be tormented for eons within my dream. I’ll erase your memories now, give you a new experience to savor…”
“Farewell, esteemed Lord of Nightmares. I’m afraid I must decline your invitation,” Abyss said, grinning. His form flickered, then vanished from the dream.
A long silence filled the darkness.
After a while, the Lord of Nightmares’ voice echoed, “So that’s it… As expected of you, Abyss Belator. Now I crave your fear even more. I will taste it eventually… No mortal is truly fearless. No one!”
…
Abyss opened his eyes, seeing the moon and stars in the sky—their positions hadn’t changed, meaning that despite spending what felt like hours in the dream, little time had passed in reality.
“Good… The timing was perfect. Any earlier or later would have been troublesome,” he said, smiling, sitting up and looking around. His three followers lay on the ground, unconscious, victims of the Lord of Nightmares’ power. Even they, undead and sleepless, had been affected.
But they didn’t remain unconscious for long. Flora stirred, her brow furrowed, then opened her eyes. Rebecca and Leona soon followed.
“Here, let me help you up,” Abyss said, approaching Flora and offering her his hand.
Flora smiled, taking his hand and letting him pull her up.
He then helped Rebecca and Leona to their feet.
“Rebecca, your plan worked. We achieved a great victory tonight. You’re the hero of the hour,” Abyss said, crouching beside her as she smoothed her hair and adjusted her clothes.
“I was a bit worried,” Rebecca said, patting her chest, earning a jealous glance from Leona. “I’ve never confronted an Outer God directly before. I wasn’t sure if it would work. And you took us to the palace right after I completed the potion. I was terrified! I had a nightmare when I collapsed, but I don’t remember the details…”
“I had a nightmare too,” Leona said, her voice filled with a childish complaint. “But I don’t remember it either. I just remember feeling incredibly hopeless. Abyss, you’re responsible for this!”
“Of course, of course, I’ll make it up to you,” Abyss said, his hands clasped together in apology.
“I also forgot the content of my nightmare,” Flora said, standing up and smiling at Abyss. “But waking up with you by our side makes it all worthwhile.”
She chanted a prayer, casting a Divine Art towards Prince Kevin’s location.
“This will prevent Kevin from taking his anger out on the guards,” she said, turning back to them, smiling. “I cast a calming spell on him. He’ll be less prone to anger.”
“Well done, Flora,” Abyss said, giving her a thumbs-up.
“What’s next?” Leona asked, curious. “Is there anything else we need to do?”
“That’s all for now. Let’s return to our rooms. We can discuss our successful mission later,” Abyss said, stroking Leona’s head. “And I’ll think of a way to compensate you for your suffering. I’m sorry I put you through this.”
Leave a Reply