Dragon of Nightmare

The Elf King had used the unknown authority he commanded, and the Ancient Sun God had responded appropriately.

The eyes within the Curtain of Shadows opened. The aura of Corruption caused the ocean formed from sunlight to change.

Black, viscous Corruption appeared out of thin air and flowed into the sunlight, turning the sea of pure light into something dim and profound.

The sun, usually the bane of evil, did not purify this Corruption. Instead, it fused with it, becoming a deep, shadowy sea.

"The Chaos Sea?!" Truman was startled. That profound sea really did look somewhat like the Chaos Sea.

"If you added the Dragon's 'mind,' the Tyrant's 'ocean,' and the White Tower's 'knowledge,' it would look even more like it..."

Sure enough, there were signs of everything.

The Elf King and the Ancient Sun God had once again reached a stalemate. The Elf King could not break through, while the Ancient Sun God was wary of the other Ancient Gods.

This battle would probably last a long time, until it drew every gaze to this place.

Perhaps as the Giant Race sent troops to attack the Elven Divine Kingdom, the Giant King faced off against the Phoenix, and Truman confronted the calamity, certain places were also stirring into action.

The timing was exquisitely chosen. The Dragon of Imagination had gone beyond the Elven Sea, and even the Demon Monarch had crawled out of the Abyss in response to the upheaval in the sea.

No one was paying attention to anything beyond the divine war anymore.

This was a human city-state outside the City of Miracles.

From here, people could look up and see the City of Miracles floating in the sky, never touching the ground.

This was a genuine divine miracle, and it had made the people of this region worship Dragons fanatically, giving rise to a vibrant Dragon culture.

But the gods did not care. In their eyes, humans were too insignificant. Their worship meant nothing to the Dragons.

With the Dragon of Imagination around, the Dragon Race had little need for faith. Humans had no value to them anymore.

The Dragon of Imagination's gaze never fell on this place. The occasional Dragon that flew overhead would only glance down as if counting its food.

Only when someone made an offering would a Dragon descend to the ground and swallow a few "sacrifices," their faces full of fear or delight.

When in a good mental state, a Dragon might respond, listen to the humans' requests, and do a few simple things for them.

When in a bad mental state, a Dragon would bring down disaster: frost, storms, or flames. The more frightened the humans were, the grander the sacrifices might become. Having more people pray at once also helped the Dragons stabilize their own state.

At the edge of the City of Miracles' sphere of influence stood a city-state that even the other Dragons avoided.

This was the territory of Alsuhod, the Dragon of Nightmare.

The Dragon of Nightmare was an unusual being even among the Dragon Race, and his temperament was worse than that of an ordinary evil Dragon. He took pleasure in dominating the minds of living beings and making them act according to his will.

Those beings could hardly notice what was happening, let alone resist. They would believe the thoughts were their own, until everything ended in the most terrifying, horrifying nightmare.

"Roar!" A soundless roar rang out through the Sea of Collective Subconsciousness shared by everyone in this City of Nightmares.

A strange power rippled through the city, making everyone's minds grow wild. They gradually forgot their own thoughts and instead prepared to join a revel where they would dance with Monsters.

"Fall asleep." Before the classic drama of fathers killing their sons and sons murdering their fathers could begin, specks of starlight spilled down from the starry sky, like a Night Veil. Everyone fell asleep, finding a moment of peace.

"Who?!" A dragon's roar rang through the entire city. A dragon's head emerged from the illusory sea of subconsciousness.

A figure slowly took shape. It was a beautiful silhouette, dressed in a black robe that was both shadowy and brilliant. A hood covered her head, and a veil hung down to hide her eyes.

"I know you!" The dragon's head watched the Angel of Concealment appear, a glimmer flashing in his eyes. Then he said, "The Secretive Church among humans!"

"But that's all a lie. I know where you really come from." The Dragon of Nightmare exposed the Angel of Concealment's origins. "You're an Angel under the Goddess of Misfortune!"

"Misfortune betrayed the Demon Wolf and seized the greatest gains..." The Dragon of Nightmare recounted what had happened back then in a singsong voice.

"Why have you come to my territory?!" In an instant, the Dragon of Nightmare retreated into the Sea of Collective Subconsciousness. His dragon eyes fixed on the Angel of Concealment, glinting with menace.

As a Sequence One of the Dragon Pathway, he lacked none of the characteristics of that Pathway.

He watched the Angel of Concealment, searching for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow.

"Do you want to take Misfortune's place and work with my Father God?" The Dragon of Nightmare made the human closest to the Angel of Concealment speak.

"Misfortune will have to face the Giant Race sooner or later, and only we Dragons can stand against the Giants."

After speaking, the controlled human collapsed, and another person stood up.

"Do you want to work with us to fight the Giants?"

"That's the sensible choice. Misfortune seized the only chance to survive!"

The Dragon of Nightmare kept changing his position within the Sea of Collective Subconsciousness, and kept switching between the human bodies he controlled.

He had been cautious enough. Apart from his Father God, absolutely no other God could pinpoint his location.

And his opponent was merely a Sequence Two Angel.

"The Dragon Pathway really is powerful." The Angel of Concealment spoke for the first time, her voice full of admiration. She had come to agree, to some extent, with Truman's view. "You certainly live up to the name of 'Author.'"

"You think too much."

"Psychic Domination" was completely useless!

The Dragon of Nightmare's eyes flashed. The many symbols on his body shone as he fixed his gaze on the Angel of Concealment, an invisible force surging around him.

Every word he had spoken so far had been meant to guide her thoughts. It was the Author's power to guide history, but some invisible force had blocked the suggestion.

The Dragon of Nightmare's head swayed in the Sea of Collective Subconsciousness. He had already moved far away from the City of Nightmares.

The moment the Angel of Concealment appeared, the Dragon of Nightmare had made every preparation. The one who had spoken from the beginning was already his virtual personality.

His true self had hidden himself in the deepest reaches of the Sea of Collective Subconsciousness.

Even while his virtual personality was speaking, he had been making all sorts of arrangements. The Author's abilities allowed him to create all kinds of "coincidences."

For instance, Herabergen atop the City of Miracles might happen to notice that he was not in the city and start searching, turning his attention toward the City of Nightmares.

If a battle broke out here, Herabergen would quickly summon all the Dragons in the City of Miracles and send them here!

Or perhaps someone in the City of Nightmares would wake up and unconsciously speak his Father God's Honorific Name, drawing his Father God's attention.

All this and more had already ensured his safety.

"So, are you ready?" The Angel of Concealment spoke again. This time, she looked directly toward the Sea of Collective Subconsciousness, as if she could pierce its defenses and reach its deepest depths!