Count Brand let out a piercing shriek that grew closer and closer. A black shadow, flapping its wings, flew wretchedly out from the depths of the ruins.
When it saw Arthur standing in the same spot, it looked puzzled at first, but then a gleam of delight shone in its beady little eyes. "GAH HA HA HA! I knew it! My loyal follower would never abandon me."
It landed swiftly on Arthur’s shoulder and cowered behind his head, pointing into the deep darkness with its wingtip. Its voice trembled. "Arthur, quick! My sworn enemy is coming!"
Arthur subconsciously reached for the sword hilt at his waist, only to find nothing there. He remembered that he was currently just an illusory figure, with no weapon.
In the darkness ahead, a colossal, terrifying shadow gradually emerged from behind the silhouette of a dilapidated hall.
They had no fixed shape, as if condensed from the purest darkness and malice. Their very existence exuded a suffocating, intimidating aura.
Wherever they passed, the already faint light in the ruins was further devoured, casting even deeper and more terrifying shadows.
"GAAAH! They’re coming!!" Count Brand was so frightened he puffed up into a black furball, clamping his wings tightly over his little eyes, not daring to look.
Violet, on his shoulder, spoke in a slow drawl. "The lantern’s light can drive them away, but are you sure you want to do that?"
"He’s just a noisy little crow. Sacrificing him would be no great loss, you know..."
Her voice seemed to carry an invisible force, trying to sway Arthur’s resolve.
However, Arthur resolutely raised the lantern in his hand and aimed it at the massive, approaching shadow.
As if responding to his will, the flame within the lantern suddenly erupted in a blinding, yet warm, light.
The light, like a sharp sword, fiercely pierced the darkness of the ruins. It scattered the terrifying shadows and illuminated the surrounding broken pillars, as well as the faint silhouette of green mountains in the distance.
"AHHH!!!"
The shadows wailed as they receded, and tranquility returned to the land. The area was now bathed in what seemed like the glow of twilight.
Only then did Count Brand cautiously lower his wings. He peeked with one eye, and upon seeing the brightly lit ruins, he joyfully took flight, circling and cawing smugly, "GAH HA HA! Now you see how formidable this Count is!"
"I don’t even have to lift my noble wings! My follower alone is enough to destroy you. Hmph!"
Violet sighed. Her Gel body seemed to droop, and her voice was tinged with helplessness. "Well, that’s just great. There’s less than half of the feather left, and now the road ahead will be even harder."
She looked at Arthur, her tone laced with confusion. "Arthur, do you really not want a new life?"
Arthur’s gaze fell upon Count Brand, who had just landed back on his shoulder. He then spoke, his tone serious. "You’re wrong about one thing, Lady Violet."
"Count Brand isn’t ’just some little crow.’ He is a noble Count, and he is my friend."
"Fine," Violet said, seeming to give up on persuading him. She sounded indifferent.
Arthur said no more. After one last glance at Count Brand, he strode forward.
Darkness closed in again like a tide. This time, however, the flame in the lantern was noticeably dimmer, its light illuminating only a small area before him.
Arthur’s expression remained unchanged as he walked on in silence.
But soon, he stopped in his tracks once more.
A figure was standing perfectly still in the darkness ahead.
The round Slime wore a small, crooked golden Crown and was draped in a crimson cape, its color so vivid it stood out even in the darkness.
It just stood there silently, yet it naturally exuded an air of majesty. Who else but Chen Yu could have such an aura?
Meanwhile, the green Slime on Arthur’s shoulder grew agitated, its voice beginning to distort.
"Go around it. Let’s go, quickly."
"Arthur, this is your last chance! You can’t miss it. Let’s go!"
This time, Arthur ignored the urging of the Slime on his shoulder. He knelt on one knee and gently placed the lantern, with its nearly spent flame, before the Slime representing Chen Yu.
"Your Majesty."
The Slime representing Chen Yu jiggled slightly, as if nodding in response.
Then, it did something that surprised both Arthur and "Violet."
Slime Impact!!
With a sudden bounce, "Chen Yu’s" round body shot forward like a cannonball, ramming straight into Violet on Arthur’s shoulder.
"BAM!"
Caught completely by surprise, the green Slime was sent flying. It landed on the ground and bounced several times, looking utterly pathetic.
"Chen Yu" turned to Arthur and said, "Arthur, you must know, this is the Dream Realm."
"And within the Dream Realm, any doubt, hesitation, or fear... will breed evil and twist everything you see."
"Because of your doubt, it is no longer Violet."
"In your eyes, I have always been your omniscient Majesty. That is why I was able to see through this disguise."
"Then who is it now?" Arthur asked, picking up the lantern and shining it on the green Slime that was squirming and struggling on the ground.
Bathed in the lantern’s light, the Slime let out a pained screech. Its body began to twist and deform violently. The Gel stretched, molding itself... until it finally transformed into a human figure identical to Arthur’s own illusory form.
The figure knelt on the ground in agony, clutching its head and letting out a hoarse, resentful roar.
"Arthur, why wouldn’t you just sacrifice them!"
"Our salvation was right there! We were about to be reborn! If you had only... only been a little more ruthless, if you had just abandoned those insignificant beings, we could have..."
Arthur’s gaze didn’t waver in the slightest. He looked calmly at the shadow that shared his face but was filled with twisted desire, and spoke slowly.
"You are not me."
"And that, to me, is not salvation."