I sat, rubbing the side of my head slowly as I came to terms with all the new information Erzili unloaded upon me. If there was anything I could glean from the knowledge, about, then it meant that Dreamer was the one that Oblivion had been talking about. The one who was trying to break into my world. The one Oblivion wanted me to stop at all costs, even if it meant destroying all of Alamir.
Him being a Demiurge like me and his knowledge of other worlds…
Is it possible he’s…?
“So your desire to create a world where man and nightmare can coexist…?”
“Janus, darling, Erzili is sorry, but Erzili told you from the start – Erzili will say whatever and do whatever to stay alive, and to complete Erzili’s goals.”
“That too was a lie.”
I didn’t know Erzili at all. Everything she had told me was a lie. The only truth in her words was that she lied a lot, which was the most ironic thing about it all.
“If the Night Emperors are your enemies, why didn’t you want me fighting them?”
“Darling, Erzili means no offense, but even at Erzili’s lowest moment as the Night Emperor of Lust, you as you are would not be able to leave a scratch on Erzili.” She shook her head. “That aside, Dreamer has the habit of killing all other Demiurges he manages to encounter. You aren’t even an Elder One yet Janus – you have not even been a nightmare for a year, for half of that. You do not have any chance against beings who have a millennium’s worth of experience.”
I wanted to stubbornly disagree. I was confident in my knowledge as a reincarnated person, and all the titles and tricks that came along with it. However, if my opponent was a Demiurge like I, if he was, as I suspected him to be, a reincarnated person from my world, then the stakes were different.
It was like a Level One player entering an MMO server for the first time, and within his first ten seconds, he decides to find the number one player who’d been in the game for over ten years, and then challenge them.
No game system would allow it. It wouldn’t even be worth calling a battle. Even with my [Duality] the gap was still insurmountable.
But with the Heart of Sisyphus…
From the look Erzili gave me, I could tell she was thinking the same thing.
Requirement Alternatives:
Using the following items, you may access the Find Command for “The Heart of Sisyphus” item:
Human Champion’s Blood x1
Nine Starred Devil Pentagram x1
Hair of a Nightly One x 1
Alhamisian Virgin Sacrifice x 9
Heart of a Beloved x 1
“The current Alhamisian Champion is General Hoplite Hierophantasia. The Marisian Champion is Saint Leone de Nostradame. The Takumian Champion is Prince Wukari ibn Raba. The Saba’ini Champion is Chief Avarga Khan, and the Gabani Champion is King Korol Zhaniye. Together, they make up the Five Champions of Humanity.”
“And we need to get blood from one of them?”
“The first two are out of the question,” Erzili said immediately. “Attempting to wound either the Alhamisian or Marisian Champion is a suicidal task. The remaining three are also difficult, but due to varying reasons rather than sheer power. The Kingdom of Takum is too far north to reach, and out of our grasp. The Saba’in Hordes have a Cockatrice Calvary that rides faster than the wind. The Gaban Dynasty is an impenetrable fortress.”
“So, it’s an impossible task.”
“At our current level of power… yes.” Erzili agreed reluctantly. “There are Five Champions of Humanity, and there were Nine Night Emperors. Nine couldn’t defeat Five. That speaks for the strength of each Champion.”
“So what do we do then?”
She rose from her seated position, walking back and forth, before turning to me. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“For now. For now, we’ll focus on increasing our power. Erzili will think of a method in time. Let us simply focus on increasing the strength of Fort Zyvar, and dominating the Hlahani Lands. If we expand our Domain suitably enough, Erzili believes the answer will present itself.”
‘Hey, Janus. We’ve got a problem.’ Sunny’s voice spoke. ‘You seeing what I’m seeing?’
My brow rose, sharply, as I could see what Sunny was seeing in another timeline. “Erzili… is Giggles… an Elder One?”
Erzili blinked at me. “How did you know?”
“…because I’m fighting him. Right now.”
/∞/
[Path B: Sunny]
Giggles
[He Who Laughs Last]
[Elder One of Cosmic Humor]
[Ancestral Deity of Krvavi Lagoon]
Nuckelavee
Level ?
I expected a monster.
An ugly, twisted abomination of a creature that would disgust and revolt me at its mere presence. Instead, what was before me was neither monstrous nor disgusting. Pitch black like the starless sky, the creature before me, standing atop the Lagoon was some sort of mutated Centaur. Half-man, half-horse, the upper body of the horse was muscular yet lean. A long, smooth beard almost resembling the stereotypical visage of aged Chinese martial artist dragged down from its chin. Its eyes were darkened with white pupils, its hair braided backward in a long mane, its arms long, but muscular, and with an almost serene, aged visage upon the monster’s face, I felt I was more in the presence of a mythical creature than I was in the presence of a nightmare.
Two long horns protruded from the top of Giggles’ head like antlers. The with two arms and four feet, the creature, gliding atop the surface of the water was almost saint-like.
“[Water Striding].”
I activated my skill as soon as I hit the water. My feet made contact with the clear liquid and I performed the miracle of walking on water, whereas Onna splashed into the depths. I dragged her up, ignoring her spit out water from her lungs as she continued to laugh. Her laughter increasing in pitch,
