[Vol. 7] Chapter 218: Fear and Terror
In that moment, Orluk finally understood why [Nightmare] had been so afraid.
That being… wasn’t just on a different level from her, it wasn’t even the same kind of life. They were two completely separate kinds of existence, divided by an impossible gap. That being was so far beyond her that… it probably wouldn’t even need to do anything directly.
If its overwhelming will simply noticed her and sensed something wrong, she would be completely wiped out in an instant, without a chance to resist.
Even though she had never experienced it before, it felt like it was an undeniable truth, because the other party's existence was the rule itself, an inconceivable being embodying reason and law, a true master far more majestic and powerful than the [Spirit of Nightmare].
Orluk even vaguely realized that, if not for her connection with [Nightmare], which gave her some degree of divine power, especially increasing her mental strength. She might not have been able to sense the being at all. It would have been like an ant trying to look up at the sky, only able to see a small patch above, completely unable to know which giant’s gaze was watching from above.
But that being wasn’t a giant. It was… a god. A real god!
And this god… was currently hiding inside Sainz? It had personally launched such a massive scan just because she tried to attack a maid named Mia? Why would a god care that much!?
Just being able to sense and recognize the presence of a god already put her above 99.9% of all living beings in the world. But because of that, she also truly felt the massive gap between them, like heaven and earth, something that could never be crossed. All she could do was tremble under the overwhelming pressure of a god.
She was going to die! She was going to die, she was going to die, she was going to die!!!!
Even though the god’s glance didn’t seem to carry any killing intent… Even if it was just a casual look, like how someone glances at a bubble rising on the surface of a river… the moment Orluk realized she was the target of that terrifying being’s search, she was filled with a fear so deep and strong it nearly shattered her soul.
Her ears were filled with buzzing noise, her pupils and lips twitched uncontrollably, and foam dripped from her mouth as her body responded to the terror and the fear of death. She even felt a wave of warmth and wetness from below, her body had lost control.
And even with all that, she didn’t dare move an inch. [Nightmare] also fell completely silent, as if it had disappeared entirely.
Thankfully, the god’s attention faded as quickly as it came. Only when that divine presence fully left the area did Orluk finally collapse to the ground, gasping for breath, sucking in the air that now smelled faintly of urine.
“Hah… hah… haah… haah…”
Because she had been trying to quickly master the power of [Nightmare], Orluk's body was already in bad shape. Earlier, when she had used the [Dream Seed] to attach her mind to Philoae’s subconscious, the strong reaction had worn her down. And after all that just now, she was so drained she could barely move.
Even though she had embarrassed herself, at least she was alone here. As long as she didn’t think about it too much, it wasn’t too bad...
But what really mattered was the deep fear and shadow left behind by that god’s brief glance. It had burned into her soul like a brand. It completely crushed the confidence she had gained after receiving her powers.
“I mean… is this really the kind of terrifying thing you all are going up against? Are you kidding me? That’s impossible. Something like that… something so far beyond human understanding... A god... Whatever plan we had, it’s doomed to fail. I… I…”
The girl, now totally crushed in spirit, mumbled to herself. But unlike her, [Nightmare] slowly began to calm down. In her heart, it even spoke in a thoughtful and comforting tone.
“Don’t give up so quickly. I’ll be honest with you, our side also has a powerful force backing us, just as strong as that god. It’s just that, for some reasons, it can’t act directly in this world right now.”
“I didn’t expect that god to show up in Sainz, or even be connected to… well, anyway, our mission isn’t to fight or defeat a god. Today’s operation may have failed, but in some ways, we actually gained something even more important than expected…”
Orluk blinked in surprise.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I mean that She has also come to Sainz... and cooperated with that little vampire. That fact alone already tells us a lot.”
“I don’t really get it…”
“That’s okay. You don’t need to understand everything. Like I’ve told you before, knowing too much won’t help you. Just focus on doing your part and getting the rewards we promised… That’s enough, right?”
“Don’t worry. Gods have their pride. As long as you don’t go looking for trouble or jump out in front of them on purpose, and you hide properly like today, they won’t go out of their way to destroy you.”
Thanks to [Nightmare]’s comforting words, Orluk slowly recovered a bit of strength. She leaned against the wall to stand up, wiped the foam from her mouth, and ignored the obvious puddle on the ground. Before long, a serious expression appeared on her face.
"Are you sure? I need to say this again, no matter what you're trying to do, you must not let the princess be in any danger. That is the bottom line of our agreement."
"Heh, don’t worry. We’re not planning to destroy this place completely. A small city built by ordinary people isn't even worth the effort for His Divineness to make such a complex plan. As long as you follow the plan and guide the princess to avoid danger at the right moment, or better yet, keep her under control, the girl won’t be in any danger at all. Like I said… letting her act freely would actually be more risky.”
“You’ve already seen powers far beyond human understanding. You should know by now, I’m not just making empty threats.”
“……”
Orluk didn’t answer. It wasn’t clear what she was thinking. After a long silence, she finally gave a small nod. Seeing this, [Nightmare] quickly continued with more instructions.
“Alright, this place isn’t safe. We should leave quickly. Even though we were lucky to escape this time, that god has probably sensed us a little. We’ll need to change the plan now and stay hidden for a while.”
“Since you’ve more or less learned how to use your powers, now’s a good time to move. Try to capture the princess and the close people around her. That will help with our next steps. What do you think?”
“…Understood. I’ll handle it properly.”
………………………………………………………
Mia had a dream. A very strange dream.
She dreamed she was floating above a long, ancient river. The water was clear and calm, like a perfect piece of jade without a single ripple, reflecting countless lights and shadows.
Being in that river felt like being wrapped in her mother’s warm arms, or like soft clouds were covering every part of her body. It made the girl feel a peacefulness and comfort she had never felt before, yet somehow felt familiar.
When was the last time she had felt something this wonderful? That river... those reflections of light...
Her thoughts were cloudy, and it was hard to remember. Floating on the river, Mia slowly opened her eyes a little and, without thinking, looked toward the dream-like lights on the surface of the water…
And she saw a familiar face. It was her own.
She saw herself growing up, from the moment she was born, day by day. She saw how she became a maid serving the Sixth Princess. She saw her life, her struggles, her changes. All of her past, leading to now, where she existed as a vampire.