Chapter 214

Chapter 214

Ogur rarely dreamed.

In the Dream World, the inhabitants did indeed dream, and it was one of the methods they used to augment their mental power. The more vivid the dreams, the greater the feedback they received. Of course, this was before the intrusion of the Evil God into the Dream World.

In any case, Ogur's race seldom dreamed. Although they were among the first to emerge in the Dream World, they seemed to have been overlooked by the world's consciousness. Apart from their robust physiques, there was little else to commend them. With the exception of Ogur, giants generally lacked strong mental power and would often sleep through the night without dreaming.

But that night, Ogur had a rare dream about the past.

It was a period after he had agreed to Bestia's request. Since the island Ogur inhabited was not suitable for raising a child, he moved to a forest far from the central battlefield of the Dream World, following Bestia's suggestion.

The Pasture God had just perished, and its territory, once a lush and vibrant forest, had turned into a hellish landscape. The crazed followers and races were like unleashed beasts, not allowing any existence to approach. It served as a perfect hiding place for Ogur and the infant.

Well, the opinions of those followers and races were naturally disregarded by both parties.

Though he was supposed to be taking care of the child, even in its youth, an Old God was never weak. They grew naturally, needing no sustenance, no elimination, no crying or fussing, like a plant growing in harmony with nature.

For several years, Ogur remained completely absent, only stepping in stealthily to deal with dangers when Lahn was threatened.

The children of the Old Gods were far more powerful than ordinary humans. In the realm of dreams, they didn't even need to eat; their strength would regenerate simply by treading on the ground. Thus, Ogler wasn't the least bit worried about whether the child could grow up safely.

Events unfolded just as Ogler had anticipated. The child, abandoned in the dark forest, didn't cry or show any fear. After a few years, when he realized that the massive figure that had restricted his movement was gone, he joyfully ran amok in the woods, embarking on a mischievous childhood of chasing chickens and dogs.

The once-silent forest suddenly became chaotic, with chickens flying and dogs running in panic. Of course, there were no ordinary chickens or dogs in the forest; only creatures that had survived the great battles and their kin. However, they could do nothing about the troublesome youngster, for wherever the child went, a giant lurking in the shadows would issue warnings to them.

Creatures and Kin: ...It's too hard, living is too hard.

The forest, after a long time, regained its vitality. Everywhere, there were creatures being chased by the mischievous child or attempting to relocate. There was nothing they could do against the giant; they couldn't defeat him, nor could they drive him away. They couldn't leave the forest either, so they could only hide.

To shield themselves from the pesky children, these creatures would even go so far as to divert their attention to other species, using brightly colored fruits to lure the mischievous kids into the territories of other inhabitants, for instance. This tactic, in turn, sparked internecine conflicts and alliances among the creatures. Every time the children appeared, the forest would erupt into a bustling spectacle of activity and intrigue.

Yet, soon enough, after Little Aron had sampled all the games the forest’s inhabitants had to offer, he grew tired of them and turned his attention to the large figure that had been evading him all this time.

It was only after some time that Aogar noticed, one day, that Lann no longer dashed towards the area where the kin gathered. Instead, his gaze fell upon Aogar, hiding in the shadows.

A shiver ran down Ogar's spine as he witnessed the antics of the bizarre creature and its peculiar kin, an ominous premonition stirring in his heart.

Indeed, from that moment on, the game of hide-and-seek began.

As a darling of the Dream World, Lane could easily locate Oger and would dash toward him with his tiny legs, only to find that every time he was about to catch the elder, Oger would turn into a shadow and vanish from where he stood.

Oger thought he'd give up soon.

However, the child's persistence surpassed Oger's expectations. While he easily grew bored with playing with other kin, he remained enthusiastically engaged in this game of hide-and-seek. Oger had no choice but to keep dodging, momentarily understanding the struggles of those in the forest who sought to avoid mischievous children.

It seemed that fortune had turned its wheel.

Fortunately, Oger held out. After a long while with no success, Little Lane finally turned away, and Oger sighed in relief from the shadows behind him.

Good, he's given up.

Although he had promised Beast to raise the child, Oger, being solitary for so long, had a tendency to vanish from sight. For him, it was enough to simply watch the child grow, knowing that no one would ever truly care for him.

Wait, hold on. As Oger was about to leave, he sensed something amiss. Was that direction... a cliff?

"Ahh—"

A child's startled cry echoed from behind, and Ogar transformed into a shadow, dashing toward the cliff without a second thought, his mind blank, even forgetting that the Old Gods, despite their youth, were not so fragile.

It wasn't until he caught the child, plummeting freely through the air, that Ogar finally exhaled, his nearly frozen blood beginning to flow again.

But soon, he froze in place.

Oh no, he had accidentally appeared right in front of the child.

For ease of caring for the youngster, Ogar had fixed his height at around two meters, but he was still massive to the tiny Lann, barely bigger than a ball. With one open palm, he could securely cradle the child's bottom, the warmth seeping through the fabric and leaving Ogar's limbs stiff, unsure of what to do.

"Uh?"

The little creature in his arms stirred, and as Ogar watched, wide-eyed and uncertain, the warmth spread as the child wrapped his arms around Ogar's neck.

With an innocent face gazing up at him, the child broke into a soft, pliable smile after a moment's silence.

An unfamiliar tingle radiated from Ogar's heart.

Confused by the sensation, Ogar carefully set the child down once they reached a safe spot, then vanished once more.

This time, he had hidden himself in the heart of the forest to sleep. He had already warned all the inhabitants of the woods and found substitutes to look after the Lanen race. He intended to simply sleep through these years until the children grew up, and his mission would be accomplished.

With this in mind, Ogier gazed into the cavernous hollow he had discovered with great effort, finding it hard to drift off.

Soft footsteps sounded from behind him once more. He closed his eyes, resolving not to acknowledge any mischievous antics from the cub; it would leave when its curiosity waned.

The steps drew closer, and soon Ogier sensed a warm bundle press against his back. He remained with his eyes shut, waiting until the breathing behind him settled before cautiously turning around, cradling young Lanen in his arms, and gazing out of the tree hollow.

The concealed kin outside froze, then pretended they hadn't lured the cub as they scattered like birds and beasts.

Sometime during this, the atmosphere of the forest had utterly transformed. Though it was noisy and restless, it was far more tolerable than the eerie silence.

Ogler gazed at the cub in his arms and slowly closed his eyes. This time, he genuinely felt drowsy, as if he were back in his childhood, taking a midday nap in the giant tribe, with the gentle spring breeze caressing his body.

He had spent too long in the harsh winter, so long that he had forgotten what spring looked like.

Until the sun sought him out.

...

After his respite, Ogier emerged from the Sanctuary and gazed upon the city below.

Unlike any of the domains of the Old Gods he had encountered before, this city was devoid of suffering or wails. Every inhabitant, or rather, every person, led a tranquil life, their faces adorned with contented smiles as if they were still living in the dreamworld before the invasion of the malevolent deity.

Assuming that their smiles didn't all bear an identical curve.

Uniform smiles, tireless bodies, and citizens perpetually wandering the streets.

Baldur's domain was far more bizarre than he had imagined. He could now almost certainly conclude that the other was the traitor among the Old Gods, the enigmatic 'Judas'.

However, Ogier needed more time to observe and ideally uncover the adversary's trump cards and the scheme behind impersonating 'God'.

Coincidentally, the deity seemed unusually weak during this period, making it an opportune moment for covert investigation.

...

"So, it's about time you tell me where Ogier has gone,"

Having observed Bestia's memories, the surroundings returned to the initial palace setting.

Lan hadn't forgotten his purpose for coming here. He had entered the Dream World to search for Augur, and now, after witnessing their encounter, his concern and longing for him had deepened.

From the professor, he already knew that Augur had gone to look for Bader. Initially, he had assumed it would be difficult to find this unfamiliar old god in the Dream World, but Bestia's appearance had given him a new lead.

After all, Bestia was also an old god; she likely knew where Bader's domain was.

Strangely, though, under Lane's expectant gaze, Bestia shook her head.

"You don't know? That's alright. Just tell me where Bader's domain is."

"I showed you this memory to alleviate your doubts. Now that your questions have been answered, you can return," Bestia said.

Lane wore a look of surprise. "But I need to find Augur."

Bestia let out a slow sigh. "Don't you understand yet, little Lane? Augur came to the Dream World in your place because he didn't want you to get dragged into the conflict between the old gods and the evil ones."

"That's impossible. The evil gods and Judas won't let me go," Lane said.

Best: "Yes, but as long as you remain in the real world, They can't touch you."

Lane: "But Judas is plotting to enter the real world through a 'Divination Ceremony.' Once He seizes God's faith, He'll surely strike at me!"

Best: "That's why Ogar went to find Judas." He stroked the kitten in his arms and continued, "Sorry, Little Lane. I promised Ogar not to reveal his whereabouts as a favor to him. You should go back."

Lane frowned. "Even if you don't tell me, I can still find Bader's territory on my own. As long as I'm in this world, I'll eventually locate it."

Best sighed again. "Don't you understand? You're different from Ogar. If Ogar were to launch a direct assault on Bader, those evil gods wouldn't intervene. But if you show up, They would attack you collectively. The situation of being in extreme peril would turn into certain death."

Seeing that Lane was about to speak, Best added, "I know you have backup plans, otherwise, you wouldn't risk coming to the Dream World. But, Little Lane, do you know what Judas and those evil gods have up their sleeves? The giants are essentially divine soldiers, weapons of war. Ogar is a mutated giant, far stronger than his kin. He isn't going to Bader's territory to commit suicide. What if your sudden appearance disrupts his plan?"

Lane narrowed his eyes, sensing the unspoken implications in Best's words. He pondered and said, "As long as I don't appear, some of my followers wandering in the Dream World shouldn't attract any attention from the factions, right?"

Best replied, "Hmm, yes, it's possible. Ever since the invasion of the evil gods, new races or followers have emerged here more frequently than grains of sand in a desert. However, they also die swiftly. Are you sure you want to bring your followers here? Many of them might not survive."

Ironically, Lane thought to himself, players were least afraid of death.