Chương 360: Something That Can Not Be Done

"I see that another of your–Allegedly–Genius plans was foiled, Mnolm. Perhaps it is time to sober up and try something new instead of displaying the definition of insanity for all to see?"

"Shut up, Lopst. My experiments are only failing because of mana interference by that damned, crusty, dusty old bastard! Argantis… That fucker should already have both feet in the grave, but he just has to keep breathing and walk this world!" Lopst raised an eyebrow at the remark. His rabbit ears shook slightly from side to side as he waited a few moments before speaking up again.

"That's a bit rich coming from you, no?" The unusually tall and spindly purple-furred rabbitfolk pointed at a certain portion of what could be called Mnolm's body… Mnolm was a cleric of the Deep Dream, like Lopst, but they shared very little, be it in personality or looks. Mnolm was a set of flying, pink-coloured crystals that did everything using refined mana control, which allowed him to manipulate tools and everything else with greater dexterity than most using their own hands.

The portion Lopst was pointed to was the top crystal, within which was a human-looking skull with a third empty eye socket situated in the center of the forehead. As far as Lopst was aware, his colleague was a very unusual kind of being. Despite appearances, Mnolm wasn't an undead. He indeed pulsated with life force like the vast majority of sapient beings blessed with existence, but in truth, his body had died long ago, and only his non-corporeal bits had lived on through dreams.

The skull was stuck in a lucid dream from which he could view the real world. The crystal served to keep it stuck in this abnormal state, allowing Mnolm to keep on living far past the date he should have met his demise.

"It is completely different. I was blessed by the dreams! Argantis? He's just a filthy black magic user. I don't know how exactly, but he probably drains the vitality of others to keep himself from ageing and deteriorating, or he summons devils to make pacts with in exchange for sacrifices…"

"... Regardless, I can tell that it is his mana that is messing everything up. What are we waiting for to go out there and tear him limb from limb?!"

"Oh wow, you want to kill Argantis? Then, do me the pleasure of showing the way to him, since you make it sound so easy!" Mnolm clicked a tongue he did not have, and the rabbitfolk shook his head, making his ears swing around.

"That's what I thought. Argantis is a disciple of the late Clatamicus. There is no telling what he is capable of. In a direct confrontation, his black magic has a distinct advantage since only a handful of people know even the basic things about it, and the counter is white magic… I know no one who practises white magic in this day and age""Still, he is messing with my attempts to contact Goddess Nebulo!"

"Mnolm, calm down. She isn't a goddess. We agreed not to call her a goddess""Don't be silly. Even with what little we gathered, she controls an entire realm of dreams and nightmares! She probably created it from scratch herself, too. This isn't the sort of power of a mere chosen one or saint seedling, Lopst! That's the work of a budding divinity!" The rabbitfolk pinched the bridge of his nose–This was a sentiment that was quite widespread throughout the Deep Dream nowadays.

The leaders were struggling to prevent the idea from spreading, and it was indeed difficult to deny the claims to begin with. By all means, what they knew about Mara Nebulo's influence over dreams and nightmares was rather impressive. She didn't use magic to create or manipulate them, and from their research, the 'Nightmare Plague' was actually a curse, but even that curse wasn't a full explanation. It was a curse, but it didn't act or react to outside stimuli like a curse.

It felt more like the curse was a mere package for something grander, something even they couldn't fully comprehend, and as such, many started to believe that Mara Nebulo was a goddess-to-be. It became even more prevalent when they sent subjects into the 'Nightmare Trials'. Subjects whose memories could be read after they passed or succeeded the chain of trials–None of them had succeeded, and one had somehow been rendered useless…

Nonetheless, they had collected precious intel about what it was like inside the trials. … They were like pocket worlds of their own. They were restricted by dire environments when opened up to the false skies, but they nonetheless revealed the true immensity that they could reach, a fact that was made even more impressive considering that the nightmare trials seemed to be created on the spot for the challenger. Entire trials made in seconds. The environment, the monsters, the objectives…

Everything simply appeared the moment it was needed. Under such circumstances, it was indeed difficult to deny the idea that Mara Nebulo might have a divine connection to dreams and nightmares. Some others within the Deep Dream instead had other ideas, but they still revered her anyway. A Nightmare Spirit? The guys believing that had built a shrine to her. A goddess? They were praying to her and making art of her. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Something beyond comprehension?

They were trying to write holy texts about her and her life. The Deep Dream was indeed caught in a troubling state of affairs. None of what these people did was wrong, but to Lopst, it felt like they were rushing without thinking–He himself probably only believed otherwise because he had met her in person once, and although he was definitely impressed by the master of the Nightmare Plague, his encounter with her had made it seem like she was something else. Perhaps she could be worshipped, but from a safe distance.

This was especially true since she was both a coveted ally and a monster that needed to be put down. Some wanted her strength, and some wanted her gone entirely–It was a story as old as time. Whenever an entity or person like her emerged, there would be those who thought they could latch on to acquire power themselves, and there would be those ready to lay down their lives to protect what they know. In the end, the latter had always won. All legendary monsters had been slain.

All butchers throughout history had met their demise… And all catastrophes had been contained. Right now, Mara Nebulo might enjoy some peace due to brewing tensions and chaos throughout the continent, but she was the center of attention… The issue with Great Realms opening rifts and spewing their contents out had been dealt with by Leton Nebulo and his mechanical innovations that defied reason.

The warmongering and dangerous kingdom of Beelmart had been defanged and turned into an ally, and the now crownless king was no longer much of a threat. The remaining distractions weren't great threats on the same level as she was, so all eyes would eventually turn to her, and all hell would break loose. The Deep Dream would do better than make it clear that a large portion of their clerics were currently praying to Mara Nebulo.

"... If only Prophet Irjalumn were here to guide these lost lambs…" The prophet had been in seclusion for a while, but Lopst was quite fearful that when he came out, he would reveal that the endless sleep and dreams he had foretold would actually be brought via the Nightmare Plague–It was a feeling that crept at the back of Lopst's nape constantly these days. The Nightmare Plague was impressive, and it could bring about what Prophet Irjalumn had foretold long ago, but it wouldn't be a salvation at all.

It would be eternal damnation, or is punishment for all that dreams salvation in some form? The rabbitfolk worried about finding out the answer… Mnolm was still rambling, making Lopst sigh.

"Tell me, Mnolm. If you and the others love Mara Nebulo so much, then why don't you let yourselves be infected by the Nightmare Plague so that you can meet and talk to her? Although we don't have much knowledge of the final trial, the reports of the past plague said that Mara Nebulo would appear in person within them. So what gives?" Mnolm chuckled as if he had been expecting such an interrogation.

"It is simple, because of the trial that precedes the finale. Ninety-eight per cent of our subjects died within this trial. Death is only true for the final and pre-final trials, you see… The second-to-last trial seems to actually be custom-made by Goddess Nebulo herself. Hence, it is a very difficult challenge to overcome""A single mistake can cost you everything there, and the stronger one is, the worse the trial is, so weaklings are the most likely to reach the final trial, and we aren't weaklings.

Therefore, it feels like we would be wasting our time trying to reach Goddess Nebulo in such a way""Is that so? May I have a copy of your findings about the trials?"

"Sure. What do you need them for?"

"I'll go and talk to her myself""Are you crazy?! You don't even believe in her divinity!"

"I've met her once. Either I have to fight my way to the final trial, or she recognises me beforehand and comes to question me. It will be faster than all of this nonsense. I may not believe that she is a goddess, but it is undeniable that her powers are incredible" The rabbitfolk sighed loudly.

"To be frank, I just hope that I can offer her a good enough deal so that the Deep Dream won't be wiped out when all goes to shit. Wars are about to break out, and it won't be long before she has to take action. She'll probably release the Nightmare Plague when she does, so hopefully, we get in her good graces before then" The floating crystals shimmered slightly.

"You seem certain that her power is incredible""It might not be incredible right now, but I think it will be soon enough… If they have anyone who thinks like me, the System Fundamentalists will probably be trying something similar soon, or maybe not. Those bastards are not right in the head" Lopst waved goodbye and exited the experiment room Mnolm kept himself holed up in all the time, leaving the man by himself.

"Us, the fundamentalists, and whatever Argantis is a part of… I guess all three of us are trying to make an ally out of Goddess Nebulo. Then, will all others be her enemies? What a frightening thought… I hope my prayers reach you, my goddess"

"Master, what is this room?"

"The end, Heldion. This…This is the end""The end? Is that the name of all of this?"

"Yes, I am showing it to you because it is my Magnum Opus. I will certainly never create anything else that can even reach half of this invention's level. As such, I want you to be able to see it for yourself""What do you mean you won't ever create anything else of this level, Master? You still have a long life ahead of you, and you've been surpassing yourself nearly every single day without ever pausing""Certain circumstances might get in the way of this" Heldion tilted his head slightly.

"Oh, is it because of Miss Gallilah's pregnancy? I see!" Leton smiled. If that was what Heldion believed, then he wouldn't deny it.

"That's right. Gael will be born soon, and I'll have more responsibilities to take care of. I won't be able to dedicate nearly as much time to mechanistry as I do right now""I understand, Master. But… if I may ask, what is the purpose of this machine? No matter how much I try to guess, I can't get any good idea""This machine's function is very simple. Its purpose is to accomplish what I cannot do"