Nol had once envisioned many possible developments.
Most of them originated from intense conflicts concerning differences in lifespan, the Eternal Church, and even racial differences. The ultimate result was the separation of the two due to unhappiness—a standard tragedy.
But she said she had lived a good life.
Even if the queen knew that her strength would eventually be exhausted, destined to walk towards death or madness. Even if she knew that her tribe might not be able to break the siege, what awaited them might be long and hopeless suffering.
Hyacinth would still bless the successors again and again.
May your journey lead to the light.
The message of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" ended, and the dim scene quickly dissipated. Sunlight poured into the Lost Tower, and Nol's eyes were somewhat sour.
The two Players were stunned, probably thinking this was a fixed part of the quest. Uncle Ma remained silent. His eyes, looking at the unconscious current queen, were extremely complicated.
Only Teest showed no change in expression. His fingertips were playing with one of the earrings. When it wasn't worn, it no longer looked like a little red mole but like a burning spark.
[Honey, are you still angry?] Teest's thoughts came. [Old Hunter was forced to follow his fate, which made you unhappy. The queen is different from what you envision, and you're still unhappy. It's really hard to figure out…]
[My arrogant master, do you wish to pull the strings more than I do, to let everything develop according to your wishes? This is somewhat difficult, as living beings will always struggle for themselves.]
Next, his thoughts carried an almost malicious smile. [In any case, Hyacinth was a successful ruler. You see, you qualify as the "chance for change".]
Nol didn't know how to respond.
He just suddenly realized that he could breathe again. His mind was cold and numb, as if someone had torn away the layers of fog wrapped around them.
Nol looked at the succubus tribe huddled not far away and then at the current queen lying on the ground. Before, to maintain sanity, Nol could only regard them as the legacy of Queen Hyacinth or a symbol representing misery. This was the first time he seriously looked at them.
Yes, this world is reality.
Here, he was no longer the absolute ruler. Those vivid lives would weave the future on their own and continue their journeys. What he knew was just a dream that failed to happen. He could only…change some things.
…Fortunately, there was still much that could be changed in time.
Instead of condescendingly pitying all beings and manipulating fate, shouldn't he need to enter this world more humbly?
And compared to a ghost indulged in guilt and obsessed with the past, this world needed a "turning point", embracing kindness more.
In this long journey, maybe what he should abandon wasn't empathy, but the arrogance that was attached to countless responsibilities… Queen Hiya's warning was correct. The rulers were lost. Indeed, one should not go alone.
Nol couldn't help but look at Teest. Did this guy see through it long ago?
Something that was pressing on his back, cold and heavy, quietly dissipated at this moment.
Right, to maintain the magic, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" couldn't be taken off for more than ten minutes.
Next, they would return the jewelry to the queen first, and then he would command the Lost Tower to clean up the monsters… Then… after that, he could treat the queen and discuss the plans with the succubi properly.
His thoughts became clear and light as a feather. Nol's eyes gradually lit up. He straightened his robe and took a deep breath.
He took back the crown from the bowed head of Uncle Ma and the necklace from the two Players. But when he stood in front of Teest and reached out. Teest gently grabbed Nol's wrist and kissed his palm.
It was a soft, dry kiss.
"For you," Teest said.
"Eh?"
Nol's thoughts were still in turmoil, and he couldn't react for a moment. Teest's smile was deeper than usual, with a bit more smugness and slyness.
"I'm glad. You don't look like those boring Players now, but you're still a bit off," Teest said vaguely. "Your position is still a bit off."
…What position?
Nol looked at Teest suspiciously. The latter was skillfully playing with the earring on his fingertip, the scarlet color rolling between his fingers. Suddenly, Teest opened both hands in front of him, and the earring disappeared like magic.
"Surprise!" Teest said with a chuckle.
"The time is almost up. Please put 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' back on!" At the same time, Succubus Doni screamed in horror.
Nol had no time to savor those subtle insights. His hair stood on end, and a layer of cold sweat appeared on his back. If "A Midsummer Night's Dream" couldn't be put back in time, the magic protecting the dream would directly shatter.
The succubi were closely watched by the Eternal Church. In the real world, besides the Nightmares, there must be other forces from the Eternal Church. The Investigation Knights led by Eugene were lingering near the Black Forest, closely monitoring the nearby movements.
Once the dream shattered, the Lost Tower would be exposed to everyone's sight.
Considering that the succubus lair was already empty, and the Lost Tower didn't resemble a certain castle in Disneyland, Nol didn't believe that the two religions would start with a friendly talk.
Nol grabbed Teest's hand and kept groping him. Teest was wearing a thin layer of succubus costume, so the white fabric and pale skin were slightly dazzling under the sunlight. The vivid red earring was hard to hide, but Nol found nothing.
"Teest, stop it."
Nol anxiously pried open Teest's fingers, his eyes scanning through the other's empty gaps. "Quickly take out the earring!"
"No, you don't look really panicked." Teest laughed. "So you have other arrangements. You're just not quite sure—not sure where your position is."
"I—"
"You're just missing a gust of wind to push you, honey." Teest stuck out his tongue, and the red diamond earring rested on the tip. "Now, it's magic time."
Whoosh.
The ten-minute limit had arrived, and a slight breathing sound resonated in everyone's ears.
Nol was stunned, then quickly rushed out of the Lost Tower. He didn't even have time to close the door.
Before his eyes, the dreamlike blue-purple sky was peeling off crazily. The fog between the trees had disappeared. The soft filter on the trees quickly vanished, revealing the original rich and intense colors.
The space didn't shake or crack. That layer of dream was like dust floating on reality, dispersing with the breeze.
At this moment, above the massive Lost Tower, an endless blue sky unfolded.
Hundreds of magical fluctuations emanated from every corner. In this second, the news of the destruction of the Dream Edge was about to enter countless ears, and this tower would also pierce countless eyes.
Those Nightmares appeared again in reality, along with the Eternalist blowing shepherd's whistles. Following them, thousands of cold breaths approached from the depths of the forest. And at the edge of the Black Forest, the flags of the Investigation Knights fluttered in the wind.
Teest followed out at some point, still wearing his succubus costume, his long tail happily swaying behind him.
He stood barefoot on some tentacle at the edge of the black tower facing Nol, happily spreading his arms. Behind him, the dense Black Forest lifted the dust, and complex breaths came rushing from all directions. A chaotic storm was at hand.
"Welcome to the real world!"
Teest announced with a smile. The harsh sunlight enveloped his arms, and his silver hair was fluttering wildly in the high wind.
He whistled to the anxious succubi at the gate. "The queen is still in a coma. As the Crown Prince, I command you—vent and take revenge! From this moment on, all incoming enemies are food."
"I know you don't like the way my husband and I do things, so you'd better guard this tower. In case the queen dies inside, you will have to endure the two of us."
The wrinkled succubi instantly transformed into a group of bitter melons. More than a dozen guards swiftly lined up, already in a position ready to attack.
Nol felt the rapidly approaching forces. Damn. Teest was forcing him to make a move. That guy only gave him time to think of a countermeasure.
Luckily, he just happened to be very good at devising countermeasures.
…And, this meant he could have a good fight with the Eternal Church. Nol found, to some surprise, that his hands were slightly trembling with excitement.
"How fast can you kill?" Nol aggressively questioned the chief culprit of the chaos.
"I'm willing to give you 90% of my power." Teest smoothed out his messy hair around his ear and said with a laugh, "Of course, provided that you cooperate with me with all your strength and assure that you won't nag about this afterwards."
Nol gritted his teeth hard. "I just need to vent. This time, I will forgive… No, after this is over, I will settle accounts with you in a more moderate way."
As he spoke, Nol dropped the crystal cover holding Kando. The black candle's vertical eye opened instantly. The black-cover notebook was pressed against his chest, and the staff tapped the ground, causing majestic magic power to spread instantly.
The soil near the Lost Tower roiled, and a skeleton dragon soared into the sky, swirling around the tower. The bones of giant beasts hid in the shadows of the tentacles, with numerous eyes burning with blue fire looking towards the outside world. The tower, originally horrifying, now looked eerie, like Death itself.
Under the leadership of the Eternalists, those strange Nightmares, contrary to their usual behavior, rushed towards the black tower in madness. The first to rush weren't many. Nol cleanly tilted his staff, and giant tentacles swept across. The strong smell of blood began to spread in reality.
The shattered monster skeletons jumped and reassembled. They stood up shakily with blue fire ignited in their broken eye sockets.
They turned around and rushed towards the Eternalists who were blowing the shepherd's whistle.
"I'm responsible for all close-range defenses," Nol explained in a deep voice, aligning with this eerie scene.
"The succubi will primarily deal with the Investigation Knights. Use charm spells to dissolve their will to fight. Try not to cause harm." He then gave his order straightforwardly. "If possible, try to lead them to the people of the Eternal Church."
"Anakin, Solo, Malvina. If other enemies slip through, remember to deal with them," Nol said, raising his voice.
"Why the hell am I involved too?" Uncle Ma yelled back from inside the tower. "Don't you know to respect the old and love the young*? Besides, with your lousy arrangement, it's all about defense. Who the hell is going to attack!"
*(尊老爱幼) Idiom referring to a person with good moral character (as respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a tradition virtue in China).
Anakin and Solo showed shocked expressions almost simultaneously. They ran to the door and stared straight at Uncle Ma.
"What are you looking at?!" Uncle Ma bared his teeth to them.
"Someone is responsible for the attack."
Watching the three connect, the corner of Nol's mouth ticked upwards.
"…The crown prince of the succubi has decided to take up this responsibility, and as his husband, I will assist him fully."
Teest laughed loudly, winking at the nervous succubi. He maintained a slightly open arm position, leaning back and falling towards the ground like he was jumping off a cliff.
But he didn't really hit the ground.
At some point, golden threads were stretched between the trees, and Teest stopped steadily on them. The golden threads bounced slightly due to his weight, and Teest lifted his head, making eye contact with Nol, who was looking down from above.
"I push my beautiful vase back on the table… Back on the table—"
Teest hummed a tune he had improvised. In the shadows, he blew a kiss to Nol, his whole body seemingly floating with delight.
"I deserve the best reward—"
Not far away, the main force of the Eternal Church approached first. The bushes shook, the branches broke, and hostility and killing intent pricked the skin like needles. Teest could even see the dark aura around the Demon King's minions.
"Get ready!" Nol shouted from the tower. Those blue eyes seemed to have been dusted by the wind, becoming even more pure.
"…Start the battle!" he declared loudly.