Chương 402: Chapter 391 - Cradle of Nightmares

Chiara leaned back in her chair, studying him for a moment before speaking.

"How much do you actually know about daemons?" Alonso gave a small shrug.

"Hard to say how much of what I went through applies in general. But they're real, strong, and bad news. That much is obvious."

"Alright, then let's start from the ground up," Chiara said.

"Daemons belong to the world itself. They're part of its native structure, its lore, the ecosystem this stage is built on. That matters, because there's a major difference between the main world and the pocket spaces we call Dungeons."

"Like natives not giving orbs," Alonso said.

"Exactly. Only Dungeon entities generate orbs and loot on death. If you get gear from a native, it's because they were wearing it. Nothing new gets produced. But that's just the surface difference." She leaned forward slightly.

"Dungeon creatures don't have to follow this world's rules. Inside their spaces, they operate on something closer to, I don't know, magic, for lack of a better word. Abilities that aren't rooted in EM control or Will like ours are. Their environment supports that." Alonso nodded slowly.

"And second, they aren't truly alive in the same sense," Chiara said.

"They behave, react, and even simulate emotions at times, but they're just constructs. Their power ceiling, their skill sets, their growth. All predefined."

"So daemons are different," Alonso said.

"They follow the world's laws. And they actually… feel?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Their emotional spectrum can be… distorted, but it exists. More importantly, their abilities are still rooted in the same frameworks as ours. Pillar, Body, Will."

"Alright," Alonso said.

"By the way, how did you dig all this up?" Chiara gave a small, almost smug smile.

"Research."

"Fair," he said.

"But that still doesn't explain the secrecy. Why keep this quiet?"

"Let's get there step by step," she replied, tilting her head.

"So, it's clear daemons aren't Dungeon creatures. The question is, what are they exactly? It took time, some travel, and a few conversations I'd rather skip over, but the pattern is consistent. Most daemons seem to have been human once." Alonso blinked.

"Human? Like some failed ritual or experiment gone wrong kind of story?"

"I can't confirm the details. The Church restricts most of the information," Chiara said.

"But it fits. In a world where bodies, minds, and Will can all be pushed beyond normal limits, people chasing power through unstable methods is not surprising." Alonso rubbed his chin, thinking.

"So… the Church. That's the issue, right?"

"Yes."

"Let me guess. Some long-standing war between them and daemons. Light versus dark, good versus evil, that sort of narrative."

"You're not far off," Chiara said.

"Lukas said something similar when we talked about it. Anyway, the Church has taken daemon eradication as a central mission. The Guild focuses on Dungeons. The Church focuses on many things, but they've made sure the daemon matter stays under their exclusive authority. There are strict rules around it, and those rules override almost everything else."

"And those rules are…?" Alonso asked, already feeling a headache coming on.

"I will send you the list in a pulse, but let's go over a couple that may interest you. One is that every sighting of a daemon, and even just a hint of its existence, must be reported at once to the Church, with appropriate rewards offered. Second, any involvement with a daemon must be reported, and failing to do so will result in severe punishment. And third, any corrupted artefact must be sent to the nearest branch of the Church at once, with its possession and improper use being severely punished," she said.

"And when I say 'severely punished', I mean odds are we will never hear of you again." Alonso pressed his lips together and nodded slowly before exhaling.

"Ok… so then… what do you suggest? I report?"

"If it was only a sighting or a hint, then yes, reporting would be the way to avoid trouble and even get some coins, but…" she sighed.

"You really went beyond it, didn't you."

"To be fair, it was a do-or-die situation," Alonso said.

"One moment I'm traveling back to Riviera, next moment I'm in a vivid dream while being eaten alive inside a hag's lair with a bunch of mutilated kids. So yeah, not the most… typical situation." Chiara's eyes widened as her jaw dropped slightly. It took her a moment to blink and snap out of it.

"Ok, now I need to hear the whole story." Alonso sighed and went over it, leaving some details out regarding the specifics of Houston and Darius and just chalking it all up to his Awakening. By the time he ended, Chiara stood frozen on the spot.

"You are not joking… right?"

"Nope."

"A dream hag… eaten alive… you… but I don't understand one thing. If she took your swords away, how did you cut her head?"

"I am willing to exchange that information if you tell me what all those amused smiles were about earlier," Alonso grinned.

"Ayu made us promise not to tell you," she admitted.

"Huh? Really? Well ok then, never mind," he said.

"I will wait for the surprise, and… you can wait for mine too, I guess."

"Anyway, this is all… this is all serious stuff, Alonso," Chiara said.

"Like, how strong was the mental pressure from this hag exactly?"

"Send a strong pulse toward my mind," Alonso said calmly.

"And don't worry, I won't counter it." Chiara nodded and did so. Alonso felt it, yet it did not affect him at all. He then discussed it with Houston and got the number he wanted.

"Ok, so the hag's EM flow on my mind was roughly equivalent to the energy of 238 of those pulses… per millisecond," Alonso said.

"Hope that gives you an idea." Chiara gulped. She could tell he was not lying.

"But that… that level… she…" Chiara shook her head.

"This is definitely not the weaker end of the spectrum, probably the opposite. I can't even imagine how you survived. I mean, fuck survive, you killed it! Yeah, absolutely, no one can hear of this. If the Church finds out you killed it, I can't even imagine what will happen."

"So you don't think they will declare me a holy knight, or some sort of savior and shower me with gifts?"

"Alonso, this is not a joke," Chiara said.

"The Church… I'll sum it up in one word: terrifying. Just avoid it at all costs. We should not, under any circumstances, get on their bad side, and I would even say the good side sounds creepy as hell. Just… no. All the other paths are fine. Not them."

"So then what? What do you suggest I do? I mean, I have the corrupted gear right there, hidden in my backpack," he said, pointing at it. Chiara covered her face with her fingers, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"I… I don't even know what to say," she admitted.

"Did anyone see you? Did you leave any traces at the scene?"

"I'm pretty sure no one was around. As for the scene, I buried all the kids, but I left the hag deep in the cave," he said.

"If it helps, it's well hidden in the middle of nowhere. I don't think anyone will just happen to pass by." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Well, the kids had to come from somewhere," Chiara said.

"What about the nearest town? Did you check?"

"The nearest town was more than 1, 800 km away," Alonso replied.

"I doubt they'd stray that far. In any case, Chiara, what's done is done. I can tell something about the Church freaked you out, but it's a problem we'll handle if it comes, same as any other horror this world throws at us." Chiara stared at him for a moment, then sighed.

"I guess you're right."

"So about this corrupted gear, do you think they have a way to identify it? Like some sensor for… I don't know…

'evil energy'?" Chiara shook her head.

"Like I said before, everything in the main world has to follow its physics. For a sensor like that to exist, these items would need to emit some detectable frequency in the EM range. Otherwise it shouldn't be possible… but we can't rule it out."

"So, you want to check it out?" Chiara gave a dry chuckle.

"At this point… why not?" Alonso went to his backpack and brought out a tightly wrapped object just under a meter long. He unfolded the cloth, revealing a crude wooden cane, uneven and crooked, its warped shape subtly unsettling.

"Well, here it is." Morvethra's Cradle of Nightmares Pillar aptitude +14% EM wave output +20% Mind resistance to external EM interference +30% Cognitive EM intrusion power +30% Chiara's eyes widened as she stared at the simple-looking wooden cane, her jaw dropping slightly.

"The hell…"

"Not too bad, eh," Alonso chuckled.

"So, what do you think? We should hide it away or—""Hide it? Fuck the Church… I mean… look at these specs," she shook her head.

"This can help someone jump a rank, it's just…"

"Yeah, feels kind of like a cheat at this point, right? Still, the lowered physical stats may be a bit annoying. What do you think?"

"Lowered? What do you mean?"

"Huh? Like the two negative affixes." Chiara blinked as she stared at him, confused.

"What do you mean? All affixes are positive, Alonso… wait… your Observer status… what do you see?" Alonso explained. Grade 06 - Morvethra's Cradle of Nightmares [Corrupted] (Cannot be tempered) Physical aptitude -14% Pillar aptitude +14% Body durability -20% EM wave output +20% Mind resistance to external EM interference +30% Cognitive EM intrusion power +30%"The fine print…" she muttered, clearly caught by it all.

"I guess we're lucky we have you."

"I guess the Observer rank is pretty useful, huh. In any case, it seems the [Corrupted] tag may just refer to those negative affixes it doesn't show," Alonso said. Chiara nodded as she held it.

"You mind if I try it?" she asked after a moment.

"Well… be my guest," Alonso shrugged. Chiara unequipped her weapon, a Grade 2 long metallic scepter, and replaced it with the cane. The change hit her instantly, like a sudden clarity snapping into place. The world sharpened, and her mind opened wider than ever before, thoughts flowing with frightening smoothness. Then she felt the other side of it. Gravity itself seemed to press harder on her body, an uncomfortable weight settling over her frame.

With the negative affixes added to the drawbacks from her Awakening, her body, while still stronger than a normal human, now felt closer to a Stage Progress not higher than 7%. Forget taking a casual blow. Even daily tasks in a world with this gravity could become challenging. Still…

"This is a game changer, Alonso," she admitted.

"Not only would this push my Cognitive Mirage to the next level, it would boost my range, output, control, mental processing, everything tied to my Pillar path. This gear… is clearly beyond what we should have access to right now."

"Well, I guess being eaten alive pays off after all. Who would've guessed," Alonso chuckled. Chiara stared at him and couldn't help but smile.

"Out of all of us, this gear suits you best, and you clearly know your stuff about the Church, so I'll leave it in your hands," he said.

"Thanks. I… I'll see what I can do," Chiara replied.

"Okay. That sorted, one last, but important question," Alonso said.

"Everything you mentioned makes it clear this is a sensitive matter, but that doesn't explain why I can't share it with the rest. I mean, sure, I'm not handing a life-ruining secret to Leonhard and his men, but why not discuss it with Ayu, Lukas, and the others?"

"It's… complicated. But it's not about trust, Alonso," Chiara said with a slow exhale.

"If you appeared in front of Ayu and asked her anything, she wouldn't hide it from you, right?" Alonso nodded, then paused.

"…Oh."

"You mean someone could impersonate me? All those mental tricks like your own skill? You're saying the Church is proficient in that, able to manipulate others under illusion and pull information out?"

"Yes. You saw what that hag did. I won't say the average priest has nowhere near that kind of output, but they have methods and training. Even the local priest made Lukas more susceptible for a while. Now imagine the higher clergy, whose entire foundation is built around the Pillar path and mental control."

"That is… scary," Alonso said quietly. He had noticed the trend in gear affixes, some for mental defense, others for intrusion, and the picture was becoming clearer.

"So what's the solution? If we start hiding things from each other, that can go bad fast."

"I've been thinking about that," Chiara said.

"Mental interference can't rewrite long-term memory. It can't erase or change your past. Once the illusion breaks, your mind re-aligns. The danger is while you're inside it. But we're not without options. This world has several ways to defend against mind tampering. Gear helps. Certain affixes directly reinforce mental stability. And then there's Will. A tempered mind is harder to breach, even without Pillar mastery."

"You mean methods like what the beastmen used before, with the Way of the World, Primal Flow and all," Alonso said.

"Yes. Different approaches, same principle. Will and mental conditioning. I found manuals with exercises that help reinforce internal structure, basically building mental walls against intrusion," she explained.

"I see…" Alonso nodded.

"You talked about this with the others?"

"I have. Now that we've begun working with Will, everyone knows both the methods and how important this is."

"Good."

"I'll share everything with you now, what the others and I have found," Chiara continued.

"All the research on the Church, daemons, and the world's structure. But at the moment, you're in the best position out of all of us. If you endured that hag, your Awakening gives you serious resistance, close to immunity, I'd say, against mental interference. Sensitive information, particularly anything involving daemons and the Church, is safer with just the two of us until the others strengthen their minds."

"Alright. I take that as you're confident too," Alonso said with a knowing smile.

"I am. And now with this cane… even more," she admitted.

"Ok. Then send me the info, and I'll see you at the Guild in three hours." Chiara nodded and transmitted the data in a compact burst.

"So this is it then," Alonso smiled as they stood before the Dungeon entrance, the fee paid and the gate humming faintly from the distorted space beyond. He looked over them one by one and felt it. Each of them carried their path on their body. Their gear had color, character, identity. Imani stood like a wall of iron. Thick plated armor wrapped his broad frame. A tower shield rested at his side, tall enough to cover him from chin to knee, its surface marked with tempering lines only a smith would notice.

In his other hand hung a heavy warhammer, its head simple and brutal, built for impact, not elegance. Pablo wore a layered mantle of reinforced cloth that draped over light armor, pockets and loops stitched everywhere. In his hand he held a heavy tome bound in dark leather, edges lined with metal. Leonie looked rather striking. Her armor was knightly in shape, plates fitted close to the body, engraved with clean lines that caught the light without being flashy.

Leather sections reinforced the joints, practical and well maintained. She stood straight without trying to, presence calm and controlled. Chiara's gear looked almost casual at first glance. A long leather coat covered fitted cloth layers beneath, gloves hugging her hands, rings and small devices strapped along her belt and wrists. The hag's cane was nowhere visible, yet Alonso knew it was on her, hidden somewhere beneath the coat.

Lukas, on the other hand, looked like he had stepped out of a noble gathering by mistake. Clean lines, elegant fabrics worn over his armor, colors that matched just a bit too well. His face and posture made him stand out, like a front-page model from back on Earth, yet somehow, when Alonso blinked, his eyes slid past him for a second. Easy to look at. Easy to miss. Like he existed half a step to the side of where attention usually landed. Then there was Ayu. Alonso smiled as their eyes met.

She wore light gear that followed her shape instead of hiding it. Reinforced leather shorts allowed full movement, tight wrappings circling her thighs and calves. Thick wristguards protected her forearms, while a fitted chest wrap beneath a sleeveless leather vest left her shoulders and midriff exposed, lean muscle defined across her abdomen. Her feet were bare as always, soles hardened, toes gripping the stone with quiet certainty. Alonso's gaze lingered a fraction longer than he meant it to.

She looked ready for a fight, and to him, she looked amazing. But what caught his attention most of all… no weapon. Makoh's bone daggers were nowhere in sight. That made him curious. In any case, he would find out soon enough. Alonso turned back toward the Dungeon gate. Without another word… they all stepped through.