Chapter 250

Chapter 250

Balder clearly had no intention of engaging Lane and Ogur in a severely injured state, but Lane wasn't about to let Ogur's hard-earned opportunity slip by. Utilizing his Spatial Shackles ability, he aimed to intercept Balder's attempted escape.

After several unsuccessful attempts to break free, Balder gave Lane a deep look, realizing that they wouldn't be able to resolve this easily today.

"Be cautious," Ogier whispered to Lane, "Baldur is one of the Elder Gods who first emerged in the Dreamworld. He's incredibly powerful, able to wield not only light but also its antithesis, darkness."

"You certainly know your facts," Bader said in a peculiar tone. "If I had known, I should have urged the giants to capture you back then instead of leaving you on that solitary island."

"Unfortunately, your warning came a bit too late."

As the words faded, Lane and Ogar's expressions shifted simultaneously. They looked up at the sky to find that, without their notice, the night above them had transformed into an utterly dark domain. No, to be precise, they were now enveloped by Bader's dark domain, akin to a temporary, weakened version of a divine kingdom. Lane's perception of space was immediately diminished.

In stark contrast to the light Bader had manipulated before, this power was silent and subtle. Hadn't Lane sensed something amiss at the last moment, they might not have noticed the activity above them.

However, to avoid being detected by Lane and his companions beforehand, Bader had no choice but to expand the domain's coverage, expending more energy than he had anticipated.

But there was no alternative. If he couldn't repel Lane here, he would be in peril later on. In a war of attrition, Bader could not afford to drag things out. Thus, it was better to unleash his ultimate trump card and take a gamble.

Lane had no idea what kind of dark force loomed above them, but his intuition told him that it spelled trouble. The spirit plant, having been catalyzed by him, transformed into a wooden dragon and opened its maw to snap at Bader. However, Bader didn't move, seemingly melting like an invisible stream under Lane and Ogar's watchful eyes.

Where did He go???

Lane's heart tightened as he instinctively used his spatial perception to search for Bader's whereabouts. Strangely, the Dream World, which usually responded eagerly to him, offered no reaction.

"It's Bader's Dark Domain," Ogar said softly from behind Lane, protecting his back. "I witnessed Him using this ability a long time ago. It allows Him to draw on dark power and transform an area into His divine kingdom, albeit temporarily. But it's quite troublesome."

Dark Domain?

Lane frowned and looked around, realizing that the surroundings had completely changed. It was as if they had instantly transitioned from daylight into pitch darkness, and this darkness also partially shielded his spatial perception.

"Will He try to escape?"

"No. The domain will dissipate on its own if its master is absent. Since it still exists, He must be nearby."

This power gave Lane an inexplicable sense of familiarity, but there was no time for contemplation. Lane and Ogar stood back to back, vigilant against any potential attacks that might come from any direction.

Sure enough, a black beam materialized out of thin air. Unlike the previous ones filled with light energy, this one was pitch black and moved swiftly through the Dark Domain, making it difficult to detect. Lane immediately froze the space around him, but the beam still pierced through, leaving a graze on his arm.

"Hiss..." Lane frowned. It was only a scrape, but for some reason, it hurt abnormally, as if an erosive energy was attached to it.

In the next moment, Ogul suddenly raised his hand and placed it gently over the wound on Lane's arm.

A surprising scene unfolded. As the shadow emerged from Ogul's palm, the corrosive energy in the scrape was drawn out. The shadow and the dark force seemed like sworn enemies, devouring each other frenziedly upon contact. Before Lane could react, the attached darkness had been completely devoured by the shadow.

Lane looked up at Ogul in surprise. He finally understood why he found this power familiar—it was because Ogul's shadows resembled Bader's Dark Domain.

Perceiving Lane's astonishment, Ogul whispered, "We were born almost simultaneously. Our powers both originated in the darkness and shadows of the Dream World."

What Ogul shared was a secret known to very few in the Dream World.

Though they were born from similar forces, one was an old deity favored by the Dream World, while the other was an outcast, mutated giant.

Ogul was born during a rare tide in the Dream World, a moment that resulted from its alternating periods of eternal daylight and eternal night. At that time, the Dream World was nurturing a child imbued with light and the last giant, though the birth took a little longer. By the time Bader was born, the eternal daylight had passed, and the Dream World was in the midst of eternal night, allowing Him to wield both light and dark, opposing forces.

On the other hand, strictly speaking, Ogul was born a tad later, in the full grip of the Dream World's eternal night. This was the worst period in the Dream World, when darkness embraced the negative emotions of all its inhabitants. These negative spiritual forces were usually suppressed deep beneath the ground by the Dream World, surfacing only during the transition between eternal day and night, carried by the tides.

And so, Ogul was born into the shadows of the Dream World.

He was the last giant, the mightiest of them all, both Aurgelmir and Jormungandr. While Balder was cherished by the Dream World and his siblings from the moment of his birth, Aurgelmir was cast out of his kin not long after he drew his first breath.

Yet, fortunately, after a long wait, he finally found his own ray of sunshine.

After his initial astonishment, Lane softly asked, "Your powers stem from the same source. Does that mean you can devour His strength?"

"We are mutually restrictive," Aurgelmir explained. "The stronger one can consume the other. However, giants have no chance of matching the Old Gods in the Dream World."

In the end, the Dream World was a world of the mind, and giants were, in some sense, weak in spirit but strong in substance. They were the least favored children of this realm, for their barren minds could hardly uphold abundant spirits and wills.

Lane's brows knitted together. This was tricky. His spatial abilities were somewhat suppressed in this domain, meaning he had to hold on until Balder lifted it...

"But you can defeat Balder," Aurgelmir suddenly whispered. "Our giant bodies are the strongest weapons. I'm not speaking metaphorically."

Lane looked at Aurgelmir, confused. However, the giant didn't elaborate. Instead, he embraced Lane from behind.

His body gradually transformed into shadows, wrapping around Lane like clothing or armor. For a moment, Lane was startled, but then he recalled how, back at the Audit Bureau, when he had dispatched his avatar, Aurgelmir had also split off a portion of his power similarly.

Baldur could not afford to let Lane become acquainted with this power. A barrage of eerie beams followed swiftly, but Lane dodged them all. It was his first time fighting alongside Oger in his true form, yet it didn't feel entirely unfamiliar. Under Lane's guidance, the shadows coiling around him began to take shape into a long spear. With a thought, he imbued it with the concept of tearing through space, launching it straight towards a target.

The spear pierced through the darkness, rupturing Baldur's domain. The deity turned to flee without hesitation, but the spear autonomously locked onto its prey. Lane fixated on Baldur as chains materialized from the surrounding space, entangling His legs. The spear impaled Him through the chest!

Lane had intended to deliver the finishing blow, but the vibrations coming from the Pantheon Forest drew his attention in that direction.

...

The perspective shifted back to the mortals below.

Seemingly since the conflict between the malevolent and old gods erupted, the focus of the Dream World had shifted from the Perfect Humans to the deities themselves. While the powerful were preoccupied with battle, unable to spare attention for the Perfect Humans, the group, after paying a heavy price, finally managed to reach the Pantheon Forest.

Compared to when Lane first arrived, the forest had undergone significant changes. Firstly, a vast clearing had opened up in the center, where a massive ship stood silently. All the Perfect Humans who reached this point halted, gazing mesmerized at the vessel.

This was the ship recorded to carry them, the one that would take them away from the Dream World.

It was also the Ark of Noah that countless Perfect Humans had given their lives to board, yet failed.

"Excuse me! The rear formation, don't stop, please maintain order."

"The injured, we've prepared potions for you!"

"Please don't push. Raise your hand or call us if you need assistance. If you're safe, welcome here!"

Contrary to what people might have imagined, it wasn't quiet here. On the contrary, the forest had never been livelier.

To accommodate the majority of the Companions, Lane had temporarily moved many trees aside. Best had also constructed a barrier above the forest, ensuring no contamination from the Red Moon. The players maintained order, and even with more and more Companion groups arriving, there was no chaos – everything was bustling yet organized.

"How's it going? How many more are yet to arrive?" Black Cat approached God Amongst Men, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

God Amongst Men stood on the deck of the large ship, which offered a panoramic view of the surroundings due to its height. He glanced at the live stream and then at the slowly approaching group from outside the forest, a smile appearing on his face. "That's the last one; everyone's here."

Black Cat exhaled in relief. "That's great."

The other early-arriving Companions also watched the newcomers with curiosity. When they noticed their pitiful state, they couldn't help but gasp.

"My God, so many injured?"

"What on earth did they go through...?"

Not all the Perfects had faced such a grueling march; they hadn't even encountered the attacks of the Evil Gods, at most only the initial wave. Thus, when they saw this squad of Perfects, nearly all injured with many displaying expressions of despair and numbness, their hearts couldn't help but tighten.

Kittridge, who had just arrived, stood there in a daze, staring at the scene. Compared to before, this vibrant and orderly place felt like a return from hell to the living world.

He gazed at the most prominent ship in the forest, his eyes brimming with unshed tears without him realizing it.

This was the end of the Perfects' journey, and the beginning of a new world.

Did you see that, Jimmy?

Bestia, who had stayed behind in the forest instead of fighting, rose to her feet. Concealed by magic, the Perfects didn't notice the presence of the feline goddess, but it didn't hinder Bestia's ability to see them.

The beautiful goddess wore a complicated expression; she hadn't seen so many Perfects in a long time, and perhaps it would be the last time she would see them in the Dream World.

The God in Human Form approached Bestia, saying, "Lord Bestia, everyone has arrived."

Bestia replied, "Yes, as previously discussed, it's your turn now."

The God in Human Form nodded and stepped to the very front of the deck.

His figure soon caught the attention of those below. The God in Human Form coughed gently, looking at the perfected beings below, especially meeting their hopeful gazes, his feelings were indescribably mixed.

He had also witnessed firsthand how difficult their journey had been. Although he hadn't personally gone to the frontlines, he had seen the trials and tribulations of the perfected beings.

Fortunately, they had finally reached their destination.

"Esteemed perfected beings, thank you for coming here. Next, we will undertake the final and most crucial step: severing your spirits and attaching them to the great ship, granting it the ability to traverse dimensions."

"Then..." The God in Human Form paused slightly, speaking solemnly, "We will depart the Dream World and enter the new world. In this new world, our spiritual energy will no longer be needed. We will live just like all ordinary humans, using our hands and feet. It will be extremely challenging, but I believe in your determination."

"You have all worked hard along the way."

With that said, the God in Human Form turned to Best.

The task of the final severance naturally fell to him. In truth, it wasn't a difficult task; the challenge lay in obtaining the consent of all the perfected beings.

And those who had made it this far...

They were already prepared.

Kittridge, like those around him, closed his eyes involuntarily. They sensed intuitively that something immensely significant was about to slip from their grasp.

It was an excruciating sensation, as if their instincts were screaming, their spirits quivering, and every intuition warning them that this was something they could not abandon, for to do so would mean being utterly rejected by the Dreaming World.

But...

Kittridge recalled Jimmy's face, and his clenched fists gradually loosened.

This was the choice of the Perfects. They had come too far.

To fail now would be a betrayal of all those who had fallen along the way.

For they did not journey alone; countless others lay behind them, fallen in their quest.

Tiny points of white light emerged from the Perfects, carefully drawn away by Best's power.

Each Perfect felt their soul, their spirit, their will descending, layer by layer. With each descent, it was as if they lost a vital piece of themselves. Some platforms shattered completely, leaving the Perfects weeping uncontrollably, feeling forsaken by the Dreaming World, by their homeland, by their origins.

In that moment, all the Old Gods seemed to sense something, turning their gazes in unison towards the direction of the Shepherd's Forest. This was true even for Lahn, who had just pierced Bödvar with his spear.

Lahn paid no heed to Bader, who had seized the opportunity to escape as a beam of light. Before the malevolent gods could react, he hurried back to the Pantheon Forest.

The gods on Earth had already organized all the Completes to board the ship and instructed them to stay in their cabins.

Assuming the form of a gatekeeper once more, He exerted all His power to open a massive portal in the heart of the forest, large enough for the entire vessel to pass through.

The old gods felt an immediate surge in pressure as the malevolent gods went berserk. Upon seeing the scene beyond the door, They charged forth frenziedly. The old gods had no choice but to brace themselves against the onslaught, holding the malevolent gods at bay outside the forest.

Bestia strained every muscle to maneuver the ship towards the portal. As the vessel gradually vanished into the gateway, the old gods seemed to hear a long, ancient sigh echoing from the depths of the Dream World, as if bidding farewell.

Just as the door was about to close, Bader, who had seemingly escaped, reappeared. Ignoring the still-bleeding hole in his chest, his face twisted into a grotesque snarl, and a mad glint flashed in his eyes. His entire body transformed into a bolt of light, hurtling towards the closing portal in a desperate attempt to break through.

The old gods who tried to intercept him were occupied by their malevolent counterparts, leaving them powerless to do anything but watch as He flew past.

Lahn noticed Bader's actions, but all he could do now was to muster all his strength to shut the door as quickly as possible.

Bester stood firm in the doorway, his gaze locked onto the approaching Bader. Countless feline spirits pounced on the beam of light that Bader had transformed into, tearing at it frenziedly. However, Bader paid no heed and maintained his pace without any slowdown. This manic determination momentarily triggered a hallucination in Len, making him see the long-deceased Sauron.

"Get out of my way! Scram!" Bader howled madly at the obstructing Bester. "I will become... the one and only god!"

He transformed into countless beams of light and rushed wildly towards the door behind Bester. Bester immediately activated a barrier to block them, but having expended much divine power in the previous separation, one of the beams managed to pierce through Bester's defense.

Just like Sauron, Bader managed to touch the world beyond the door before it could fully close.

Bang!

The great door slammed shut.

Len's face fell as he looked around, but Bader was nowhere to be seen in the Pantheon Forest.