Chapter 181 - Dawn (1/2)

There was star-like radiance glittering on the entire body as the constantly squirming monster launched a ferocious assault at Gawain. Its strange limbs that were difficult to describe could transform into countless destructive forms. The “starlight polymer” could constantly form sharp claws, giant blades, bows, or tentacles. The multiple forms might be hinting at its innate nature: a product that was produced from the dream realm, it was indescribable like a nightmare, without any origin, without any end, and it was constantly transforming.

Every time Gawain blocked the attack, he would sever those limbs and imitation weapons.

“Unbreakable Storm!”

Gawain’s blade was enhanced by magic and had turned into countless scorching blades of light. The shock wave swept out from his front and extended along the surface of the ground and towards the strange limbs that the monster attacked with. Those strange limbs were instantly torn into pieces by the powerful shock wave. Using this opportunity, Gawain immediately leaped up and released the “Champion Slash” that he had accumulated for a long time. A sharp blade made of white light descended from the sky and cleaved down at Lilith Kant’s body.

Lilith Kant’s body was nearly severed into two by this attack, but in the next second, the portable lamp emitted a light purple radiance. Her torn body rapidly recovered in the starlight radiance and fused back together. The insane woman lifted the portable lamp and laughed loudly. “It is useless, hahaha, useless! I have already fused with the dream realm’s power. It is impossible for you to kill a dream! As long as I refuse to wake up, I will never die!!”

Gawain smiled before severing a sharp claw that attacked from his blind spot. “Does the dream have everything…? It seems like the Eternal Sleepers’ religion has rooted deeply into your mind.”

“Just give up. I admit that you are formidable. In terms of combat strength, there isn’t anyone who can defeat you on this territory, but no matter how powerful you are, you are unable to destroy a dream realm. Similarly, it is impossible for me to kill you too.” Lilith Kant’s irritable expression instantly calmed down. She looked at Gawain with cold eyes and said indifferently, “If you can treat it like nothing happened here, I can promise you that I will not make a move on your territory’s people.”

“I can see the insanity in your eyes. Madam, that dark magic tool has corroded your mind. I will not believe any promise you make when you are holding the portable lamp.” Gawain adjusted his posture again before walking towards the starlight polymer that was already in a half-fusion state. He then said to Lilith, “Moreover, why should I give up? Could it that you didn’t notice? Your recovery is getting slower each time.”

“Mm?!” With Gawain’s reminder, Lilith Kant finally noticed the changes that were happening to her body. She took a deep cold breath and looked at her enemy furiously and asked, “What did you do?!”

“It seems like Sir Philip has already found the true “pillar” that is maintaining your dream realm.” Gawain raised his longsword and said, “Let’s see how much longer you can last?”

In the ruined stables behind the castle’s main building, Sir Philip shattered the dark door that was blocking him. As the nightmare’s power was impaired, the indestructible doors that were originally sealed by the dream realm had lost their shield. Slashed with a magic-imbued longsword, no matter it be wood or steel, the door had been instantly destroyed.

Behind the dark door were stairs that led underground. At the end of the stairs was a shockingly spacious underground space.

Looking at the scene of the underground space, Sir Philip’s brows were knitted tightly.

The vast underground hall was illuminated by the dusky magic crystal lamps. With the insufficient illumination, Philip could see the rows of square-shaped stone pillars that were arranged orderly. Each stone pillar was carved with countless vague magic runes and lines that were hard to understand. But the thing that made the young knight indignant wasn’t those evil runes on the stone pillars, it was the “thing” that revolved around the stone pillar.

Rectangle platforms were arranged around the stone pillars, forming an orderly array. Each platform had a shriveled, dried up, and distorted human body. Those people were still alive but they might as well be dead. They were lying on a layer of soft and dark brown material while their bodies were connected to those square-shaped pillars with some sort of “biological tissue” that looked like an umbilical cord or blood vessel. One end of those biological-tissue cords went into the stone pillar, while the other end was split into multiple cords that were plugged into the skull of each individual on the platforms.

Those people were maintained in a dream world just like this. Their mental capacities were getting extracted and drawn out while they were unable to awaken in an unending dream realm. Their physical bodies would twitch occasionally, while their throats would occasionally release a deep and indistinct murmur. However, all these were merely fundamental reflexes of the nervous system.

On the ground between the platforms and the pillars, dried-up corpses were scattered around the ground. These exhausted “firewood” were the homeless people that didn’t belong to the Kant territory and were missing from this land for 30 years.

“This… such… evil!!”

Philip yelled out with anger as he raised his longsword high and slashed at the stone pillar that was closest to him.

In the basement under the north tower, the rune radiance on the stone pillars was gradually extinguished. The power that was maintaining the “starlight polymer” was constantly and drastically declining. Gawain had an easy time as he severed the limbs that were produced from the monster that was constantly transforming. Lilith Kant’s original body was now exposed again. This time, the latter’s regeneration seemed to have completely stopped, leaving behind fragments of light purple radiance in the air that were flickering and drifting indefinitely as they couldn’t take form again.

The insane woman let out a low roar, “How did you know…? How did you know!?”

“When you made Butler Carter shift our attention away, you accidentally exposed your final secret.” Gawain knew that the situation was already settled and couldn’t help but let out a light sigh. “If I didn’t guess wrongly, the butler is probably a product of the dream realm too. The real Carter must have died many years ago. No one is able to vanish from Amber’s line of sight without a trace. Not even the world’s strongest Shadow Master could do it. He had vanished in the vicinity of the ruined stable, meaning that the “interior border” of the dream realm is there…”

“In the end, you aren’t some professional Nightmare Master. The Eternal Sleepers might have given you great power, but the power is borrowed from the ancient portable lamp. And you… are just a dabbler.”

Lilith Kant’s face was getting increasingly distorted as she heard Gawain’s words and suddenly grinned. “You just reminded me. I still have the portable lamp… It might not be completed, but the lamp’s accumulated energy is already… What!?”

She lowered her head and looked at her hand with astonishment. That portable lamp that was emitting magical radiance had suddenly been replaced by an ordinary barn lantern. Amber’s figure appeared in the distance, and the portable lamp was now in her hands.

The half-elf thief waved the portable lamp in a pleased manner and spoke in an unbridled manner that was just asking for a beating. “Let me tell you. Being unable to open your door is already the first and greatest humiliation to my professional career! If I cannot steal your lamp, then I shall never continue working in this line!”

This time, even Gawain was surprised and looked at Amber with admiration. He didn’t think that this fellow would actually succeed. How many points did she add into her thievery skill tree?!

On the other side, Lilith Kant who had lost her portable lamp was actually strangely calm. The starlight polymer gradually dispersed from behind her body while another dark shadow gathered at her feet. As she looked at Gawain and Amber, the Kant territory’s viscountess suddenly revealed a weird smile. “Do you think you have won?”

Gawain frowned.

“Our son… is about to return home.”

Lilith smiled and opened her arms as though she was welcoming her son back after the long journey of many years. Her tone was filled with joy and pride. “Belm, the child I am so proud of. He has been venturing outside for decades and is already a real man, a real successor! Today is his day of return… Can you hear? The carriage’s bell is already echoing on the stone pavement outside the castle. He is on the way back to the place that he was brought up in. As the successor of the Kant Clan, to inherit the clan business and glory… You people will never be able to stop his inheritance!”

Gawain instantly gripped his longsword. He could indeed hear an imaginary carriage sound by the side of his ears; he could hear something inhuman that was born from a nightmare alighting the carriage and walking towards the castle!