Chapter 134: First Encounter: Zora and Authur

"After we return to Nightmare Castle, start the preparations," Night said as he released System Girl from his tight hug.

​System Girl felt a sudden sense of loss as soon as the warmth left her, but she didn’t show it.

​[Dream], finally accepting the fact, said, "When she becomes the World Will, the Dream System will unlock again, even if it is currently being blocked by the main System."

​Night looked at her in surprise. He hadn’t expected that. "Is it because it’s my world?"

​"Yes," [Dream] confirmed. "And in fact, I, along with her, can help you much more if that happens. I didn’t suggest it before because you should know how risky it is to let something completely out of your control become a World Will..." ℯℯ𝑙.

​Night nodded. The information [Dream] had provided previously mentioned a lot about World Wills and their various risks.

​If a World Will rebels against its creator, he will die, and even if he somehow survives, he will be permanently crippled.

This was the reason it was considered better to let a World Will form naturally on its own, even though it was sometimes very beneficial to get outside help.

​System Girl gave him a serious look and solemnly nodded. "I will not let your trust down. Even if I have to betray [Dream], I will do it without hesitation..."

​[Dream] looked like someone had slapped her in the face, but she kept quiet...

​At least you are loyal, [Dream] thought.

​Night looked at both of them in amusement. Shaking his head, he pulled his focus back to the outside world. By now, he had reached the towering walls of Dream City.

...

​Looking at the city gates, he moved toward them.

​Unlike Desert City, which had been guarded by just Jeffy and another guard, Dream City had an entire army stationed at its borders.

​I wonder how Jeffy and Rogan are doing, he mused.

​Jeffy was the first person he had met, and Rogan was the hotel owner who had been kind enough to let him stay for free.

​They should have been teleported here together with the others. If they need help, maybe I can help. Night decided to look into their whereabouts after his friends woke up.

​And also, that Devil that had marked him, he wondered where it was now.

​I wish I could find that Devil. We have a score to settle. Night licked his lips as he thought of it, his intentions completely obvious.

​While he had the corpse of Alze-beus, it was always good to stock up on food.

​Just as he was about to be swept away by his dangerous thoughts, the guards stopped him.

​"Halt!" an officer barked. From the looks of it, everyone stationed at the gate seemed to be on edge.

​Night looked at them and smiled calmly. "I stay here." He then pulled out his Nightmare Castle token and showed it to them.

​The officer didn’t move; he just stared at the boy.

The body wore a blackish-purple robe. His pale white skin looked more precious than expensive porcelain, his white sunglasses looked like they were carved from bird bones, and his hair was as white as snow.

​The officer felt his palms and back covered in cold sweat as his imagination fired up.

​Night looked less like a human and more like a very expensive doll, but that was not the real reason the guards were terrified.

​The other officers around him didn’t think it was weird that their colleague hadn’t even bothered to properly check the token. They all felt deep chills when they looked at the boy.

​It was not because Night gave off some kind of terrifying aura; in fact, he looked like a perfectly normal boy.

​Perhaps it had something to do with the blackish-purple mist that kept drifting from the boy’s clothes, a mist that looked awfully similar to the fog that had just wiped out the entire surrounding region surrounding their city.

​Night saw they were looking at him like they were staring at a ghost, and he was genuinely confused.

​Don’t tell me they found out already? Night thought nervously.

​Night had no idea about the commotion his Main Body had just caused for the soldiers of Dream City. They had genuinely thought a new Death Zone had spawned right outside their walls.

​Of course, Death Zones didn’t usually appear out of nowhere like that, but with the way the world worked now, just about anything was possible.

​Just as Night felt like they were about to start a staring contest, the space nearby fluctuated slightly.

​Night was the first to sense it. After everything that had happened recently, he was feeling extremely sensitive to spatial fluctuations.

​Besides, his Nightmare Domain was active, allowing him 360-degree vision of his surroundings.

​The newcomers were a young woman and a young man.

​He recognized them both.

​He recognized the woman because she was the one who had opened the Inheritance Ground. Zora.

​As for the man, he recognized him from some of the fragmented memories he had devoured from Alze-beus.

​Zora was the picture of a calm woman who was in control of everything, while the man looked at Night with complex emotions.

​They know me... Night guessed.

​His mind was working in overdrive. Inwardly, he had already made contingency plans: if they were friendly, how he should act; and if they were unfriendly, how he would escape.

​But outwardly, he didn’t show an ounce of panic.

He looked completely chill, as if he was not currently in the presence of a Demigod and a Peak Mortal. His Nightmare Domain had already scanned them, letting him know their exact ranks and approximate levels.

​They stared at each other in silence.

​By now, the soldiers had recognized Zora. They immediately snapped into a salute, holding their left palms firmly over their hearts. Her presence helped them regain some of their shattered confidence.

​Zora casually waved her hand. "Return to your posts."

​They didn’t need to be told twice. Though they knew Zora, their city ruler, was one of the strongest humans in the world, compared to the terror of that blackish-purple mist, they felt her presence was still somewhat lacking.

​If a fight broke out, it was much better for them to be far away. They didn’t want to cause any unnecessary disturbances, knowing a single mistake here could be instantly fatal.

​Zora then turned back to face Night, her expression masked with polite curiosity. "You are?"

​Night smiled and introduced himself calmly. "I am Night. I live here." He showed her the same Nightmare Castle token he had shown the guards.

​The recent events had made him mature incredibly quickly. Hence, he was not acting like this on a whim; most of his mind was currently working in overdrive, rapidly sifting through Alze-beus’s and Levi’s memories, while only a small fraction of his focus was dedicated to the actual conversation.

​He was exactly how to act in this situation to maintain respect without appearing like an easy pushover.

​Zora looked at the token for a moment and nodded. "I see." She continued staring at him intently.

​Before Night could say anything else, the man standing near her spoke, his tone full of hesitation. "So... Night, was it? I am Arthur, and this is Zora, in case you didn’t know yet."

​Night acknowledged them calmly, offering a slight bow as a greeting. "Arthur and Zora. Nice to meet you both."

​Arthur and Zora were stunned for a moment before returning the greeting with a polite bow of their own.

​"I am a Chosen," Arthur revealed. "My Patron God is [The Sleepless Sword], and my sister over here is also a Chosen."

​Night raised an eyebrow. It seems they know i am a Chosen as well. Is it some kind of aura that I am radiating?

​He used his Nightmare Domain to scan himself, and sure enough, he found a distinct red aura radiating from his body. He also felt a similar aura coming from both Zora and Arthur.

​The aura coming from Arthur felt sharp, like an unsheathed sword, while Zora radiated an aura that was very similar to the Dream Aspect.

​Seeing that Night was remaining silent, Arthur continued, "I know you were the one involved in the recent incident outside the city, and we would like to know more about it... if you are okay with sharing."

​Zora’s eyes brightened as she too looked interested.

​Night thought for a moment before replying casually. "It was nothing much. My friends and I were attacked by a Devil, a Void God, and a Witch."

​Zora and Arthur looked at him speechlessly.

​They could tell Night was barely Level 50, even though he felt significantly stronger than that. It was absurd that he answered as if fighting those apocalyptic entities was no big deal.

​Also, one specific thing that caught their notice was the word ’friends’. It implied plural allies, not just a solo operative.

​They exchanged a quick glance. They truly hadn’t expected someone like Night to have allies, especially since they knew his origins.

​Night continued, "The Void God and the Witch left, but the Devil lost his incarnation. As for my friends, they are temporarily recuperating from their injuries."

​Night deliberately skipped the most important parts of the story, but it was not like he was obligated to tell them everything.

He didn’t owe them anything; it was already polite of him not to just ignore them and be on his way.

​The only reason he even entertained this conversation was not because they were Chosen, but because he saw them as a means to enter the city and return to Nightmare Castle without much trouble.

​As for them being Chosen? Night couldn’t care less. It mattered very little to him if they were Chosen or if the entities behind them were Primordial Gods. He had far more important things to worry about right now.

​Arthur and Zora realized this as well. They clearly sensed his disinterest in them, but they were helpless to do anything about it.

​They desperately wanted to know more. The details of Night’s fight contained vital information.

​Information they needed to ensure humanity’s survival...