Ch 186
Nightmare.
If I cannot distinguish it from reality, can I still call it a nightmare?
Halona was still wandering in a nightmare.
In a state where she was not aware that it was a nightmare.
As such, Halona’s nightmare was gradually encroaching on reality-
Now she was living in a nightmare more vivid than reality, and in a reality more terrible than a nightmare.
“Huh…! Huh…! Huh…!”
Halona was running down the hallway.
Halona’s instinct to escape this place was urging her on.
‘This place? Where is this…?’
However, her thoughts, which seemed to be filled with dust, missed the counsel of that instinct.
What was controlling her now was not her original Reason, but distant Fear and Despair.
I must escape.
‘Escape? But where to?’
The only clear line of thought in her hazy mind led Halona while also confusing her.
At that moment.
The nightmare forces another thought on Halona.
“Lisir…”
The name was uttered along with her rising Breath.
‘The existence that killed that absurd Man is chasing me… Can I really escape? What can I do against such an existence?’
Halona was writhing in Fear and Despair.
Yes. Writhing. She hadn’t completely given up yet.
I want to survive.
I want to get out.
An instinctive Will that transcended Reason was leading Halona.
The reason the nightmare suddenly made Halona recall his name was to completely break that Will.
Create the situation that the target fears most.
That was how the nightmare was encroaching on the target.
“Heuk…!”
Halona’s body suddenly stopped in place.
Her rough Breath hitched unnaturally.
“L, Lisir…?”
The Man, who was clearly dead, was standing in front of her.
Scholar Halona’s Reason cried out.
Something is wrong, as expected.
She must be aware of that sense of incongruity.
However, the dust filling her head does not allow it.
“Warrior━ you’re safe!?”
Hope blooms on Halona’s Expression.
“Yes! That’s right! For you to meet your end so futilely! I definitely thought it was strange! What I saw just now was… an Illusion, yes! It’s an Illusion that our enemies are showing us! Maybe Pallag’s death is just a Misconception-…”
Around the time that Hope was ripening.
The nightmare once again reached out to the Prey who was being played by its Intention.
“Huh? Lisir? Lisir! Watch out behind you━”
Thwack.
It immediately attacked Lisir as if it had been waiting for Halona to act.
Something pierced Lisir’s neck and came out.
That which had neither color nor form revealed itself with Lisir’s blood.
It was a finger, sharply curved like a hook.
“Keoeok━”
A helpless sound, with his windpipe and lungs being submerged in blood every moment, flowed from Lisir’s mouth.
“No!!!”
A desperate scream, as if her throat was being torn, flowed from Halona’s mouth.
At the same time, Lisir’s body is pulled up into the air.
He began to struggle, grabbing the hook that pierced his neck.
“Eoeok━ eoeok━”
Without success, the wound widens and the bleeding accelerates.
Keoeok. Gurgle.
From some point on, the sounds Lisir made took on an inhuman form.
“Ah, ah…!”
A sigh, as if squeezing out her last Breath, flowed from Halona’s mouth.
Second Despair.
Halona couldn’t hold on.
Her Consciousness was about to be completely devoured by the nightmare.
It was at that moment.
“You! You’ll be in trouble if you do that!!!”
The place was oppressing Halona.
Literally, the hallway was trying to swallow Halona like the stomach of a writhing creature.
That heterogeneous phenomenon collapsed.
Lisir’s groans, which had been violating Halona’s thoughts, were no longer heard.
Wondering what was going on, she raised her head again, which she had completely dropped, and looked up at Lisir.
“!!!”
It was a Spirit Girl with an Expression that seemed angry at first glance, she was so full of Energy.
The Spirit was embracing Lisir’s neck and glaring behind him.
-Aaaaaaaah…!
The intangible Existence there is the owner of the hook finger.
The current space-
It was a single Will that made up the nightmare itself.
Embracing Nightmare, Srahan.
It made a sound as if its vocal cords were trembling as it looked at the Spirit Girl.
-Mountain of Sand that obscures the sun…!
“That’s right! I am the Mountain of Sand that obscures the sun! Verbande…”
Kkeueungeung!
The Spirit gathered all the strength in her body and focused it on her tongue.
“Ssuya!!!”
As the Situation was, that pure and Youthful appearance caused extreme incongruity.
“What the heck…”
Halona, unable to understand the Situation, blankly watched what was happening in front of her eyes.
“Ugh━”
She hurriedly covered her ears.
-Aaa… Aaa…!!! Aaaaaaaa!!!!!
Would such a sound be made if the vocal cords were vibrated, scratched, and tightened at the same time?
The grotesque Demon’s laughter, which could not be made with a Human’s throat, seemed to rummage through her Mind.
It was not any kind of Power.
Just an outburst of pure Emotion.
With just that, Halona felt as if her Mind was being Contamination by something.
‘Not a simple… Demon…!’
That transcendent level.
Halona immediately recognized that it was a Demon with a High-Ranking level.
With that, Despair was increased.
The existence of a High-Ranking Demon was more than enough to give reality to the deaths of Lisir and Pallag.
If it were released in its complete form, the entire Bondales would be submerged under the Demon’s Power.
Perhaps, it was something that might have already happened.
“Child… take Lisir and run…!”
Halona said with difficulty.
Now that the High-Ranking Demon has set its sights on Bondales.
Lisir’s death had to be prevented at all costs.
His unrealistic Ability would be of great help in dealing with the surreal Existence that is a High-Ranking Demon.
In fact, isn’t Lisir’s Spirit protecting him from the Demon right now?
“I have to escape…!!! No matter what happens, I have to take Lisir and escape from that… So…━ Ugh!”
Halona covered her ears once again.
The Demon burst into laughter as if responding to her words.
-Escape… Escape!!! Escape!!!!! The Mountain of Sand that obscures the sun is escaping!!! Aaaaaaaa━ Aaaaaaaa!!!
The hallway━ no, the world they existed in itself shook as if it was about to collapse.
The Demon laughed wildly, finding it so funny that it couldn’t control itself.
-Yes!!! Mountain of Sand that obscures the sun!!! Flee!!! Turn your back on me, Embracing Nightmare, Srahan, and run!!! And protect that tiny body!!!
The Demon shouted, filled with Ecstasy.
-Fallen Existence!!!
“!!!”
Strength entered the Spirit Girl’s Eyes at those words.
The angle of her eyebrows becomes steeper.
That laughter again.
The Demon chewed on its enjoyment.
-Even though you have become that pathetic appearance, it seems that the great Self still remains!!! Yes! Are you upset? Are you Humiliation!? Fallen Existence! Tell me your lament! And make me happy!!!
Fallen.
The more that word was mentioned, the more serious the Spirit Girl’s Expression became, and conversely, the Demon’s Ecstasy became even deeper.
Finally, the Spirit Girl, who had been in Anguish, opened her mouth.
“Fallen…”
-Yes! That’s your current situation! It’s the pathetic reality you’ve faced, and the Humiliation you’ll have to carry for the rest of your life!!!
“Fallen!!!”
The Demon savoring the Girl’s reaction.
While its laughter shook the place, the Spirit Girl raised both hands high.
-Yes! Struggle!
“What is Fallen!?”
That was the Reason why the Spirit Girl was in Anguish.
The word Fallen was too difficult for her to understand.
“Master! What is Fallen!?”
At that time.
The Spirit Girl asks her Master.
In the Demon’s view, it was a meaningless act.
That’s because that Human’s form was an Illusion that it had created.
That Illusion-
Placed his hand on the Girl’s head.
Then, he said with a pleased Smile.
“Fallen means you’ve become more wonderful than before.”
“It’s become useful!?”
“You could say that.”
Illusion-
No, the Human’s actions deviated from the Demon’s predictions.
Having received the Human’s encouragement in that way, the Spirit Girl once again raised her hand vigorously and said.
No.
She declared.
“That’s right!!! I have Fallen!!!”
The Demon could no longer laugh at the Spirit Girl.
It realized that she, as well as the current Situation, were not in the Palm of its hand.
Maybe it was like that from the beginning.
The Spirit Girl Manifestation through the Human’s Existence.
Through the Existence of that Human, who should have been nothing more than an Illusion.
-You, what are you━ to have made That person like that, could it be-
The Demon began to be wary of not only the Spirit Girl, but also the Illusion it had created.
-Dis, appear!!! This is my domain! It’s my Nightmare!!!
Halona.
Until just before, she had been running down the hallway aimlessly.
To find the exit of the nightmare.
The tables have turned.
The Demon, who had been leisurely hunting Prey from an unseen place.
It revealed its Existence and power without holding back.
To find the Answer to this deviated nightmare.
The Demon thought that it was Domination Halona, the owner of the dream.
The Demon tried to overwhelm Halona.
This is inside the nightmare it created.
All principles and Laws were under it.
The moment it decided to overwhelm Halona, it should have already been in front of Halona.
However, the Spirit Girl and her Master were one step ahead of it and stood in front of Halona.
The Master gently placed the Spirit Girl on the floor, then placed his hand on her small head.
“!!!”
The Spirit Girl shook her head vigorously.
While enjoying that touch, she said to Halona.
-Wake up! It’s not time to sleep!
Hwaak!
Something pushed Halona strongly.
Halona flew backwards and fell.
“Heok…!”
Soon, she got up again-
The nightmare was over.
She felt a presence next to her.
“Sleep…?”
A Woman got up and uttered those words.
It was Chender’s companion who had fallen into a nightmare.
✦✦✦
“…”
A sword piercing his chest.
Blood and Breath were slowly draining from Dedof’s body.
The Emotion that dominates him now was neither anger at being played by the enemies nor Fear of death.
The High Priest’s Eyes, losing light.
It captured the Spirit Girl and the Man, respectively.
The High Priest was a Demon Worshipper.
He follows Demons and seeks their power.
That’s why he could know.
What the Man and the Spirit Girl are doing now-
No, what the Man and ‘what used to be a Demon’ are doing.
The Man made a Plea to the Demon-
The Demon listened to the Plea and gave power to the Man.
It was what the High Priest had longed for so much.
Originally, the High Priest’s purpose was to revive Srahan and receive the Demon’s Power.
What the High Priest could barely achieve even after sacrificing everything after reviving Srahan-
That Man was achieving it so easily.
“…”
The High Priest was disgusted by that futility.
But that was only for a moment.
‘No… that’s not it…’
He realizes belatedly.
It wasn’t that the Demon gave power to the Man.
It wasn’t that the Man was reborn as a Servant of the Demon.
It’s the opposite.
The Demon was rather a Servant of the Man.
Just as the High Priest had been loyal to Srahan with a purpose.
The Demon was also loyal to the Man with a purpose.
What it wanted in return-
There was nothing.
Just one pat.
And encouragement.
How absurd.
“…Ha.”
Only a futile Chuckle leaked from Dedof’s mouth.
Soon, his Gaze turns to the Crystal that fell on the floor.
An Artifact containing the Energy of the Demon Srahan.
There was still Hope left.
‘If only Srahan is safe…’
Demons are immortal beings.
If you become their Servant, it was possible to imitate that immortal Power, albeit unstably.
‘Embracing Nightmare!!!’
The High Priest still felt the Demon’s Existence connected to him and shouted to him.
‘Please, give me your power!!! The Authority to punish those who have insulted you…!’
The High Priest’s prediction was correct.
The intervention of the ‘Spirit Girl’ and her Master, the Man, presented a significant sense of crisis to the High-Ranking Demon.
The noble, transcendent Existence listened to the High Priest’s words for the first time.
That was the moment when the High Priest was about to achieve his goal and be reborn as a Servant of the Demon.
“The Situation… seems to be roughly resolved. Then, shall we discuss the disposal of that Artifact now?”
Pallag brought up the topic.
The High Priest inwardly ridiculed him.
All they could do was Seal the Artifact or hide it in a place where the Demon Worshippers’ hands could not reach it.
It was too late to stop the High Priest’s Scheme that was already in progress-
“Ah, Ber!!!”
“Lisir! What’s wrong!”
“It looks like Ber swallowed the Artifact!?”
Poosh.
A cute digestive sound leaked from the Spirit Girl’s mouth.
The High Priest felt the connection with Srahan was severed.
“Bullshit…”
With those words, the High Priest’s Breath stopped.
✦✦✦
▷Fate 33: Embracing Nightmare ━ Has been deactivated.
Bonuses are awarded accordingly.
✦✦✦
『Base defense successful!』
『▶Base: Bondales』
『The Fame of the Base increases!』
『Base stats increase』
✦✦✦
『A new public keyword has been activated!』
『Keyword: Guardian Spirit of Bondales （?）』
『Keyword: Master （?）』
✦✦✦
Bondales.
Without the City knowing, the nightmare was wandering in between.
The place the nightmare visited was not only Goose Manor.
At the same time.
Numerous people throughout Bondales fell asleep alive.
They were trapped in a nightmare from which they could not wake up.
“Are you okay!? Are you conscious!?”
“…Sleep?”
“Yes?”
In the meantime.
A beloved Disciple woke up.
“Oh my god! Thank you, Young Master! Thank you so much for regaining Consciousness! I was worried about what would happen if you didn’t wake up like this━”
“…Wait.”
“Yes? Ah! Please speak! I’m listening!”
“…Do you happen to know what sleep is?”
“…Yes?”
A Man who is the focus of the Family’s Expectation woke up.
Like that, one by one-
Those who had been wandering in the nightmare while awake began to wake up.
It was something that happened after having a common Experience.
“Master…”
“Yes. Tell me. What did you see inside? Who helped you?”
“…Master?”
“?”
Before waking up from the nightmare, they saw a Man and a Spirit Girl.
Specific people who were staying in Bondales.
It was the moment when the face of a Man whose name they did not know was Marked in their heads.
✦✦✦
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