Chapter 1445
Surprisingly, the Fifth Progenitor survived. Even Leon hadn't expected that. The price he paid was enormous, but he managed to trick Agalon and all the others right into the trap. Once you step into the Realm of Nightmares, getting out again is nearly impossible.
Now, how to rescue Agalon and the others? Just thinking about it gives Leon a headache.
Getting into the Realm of Nightmares is actually pretty easy. Leon knows more than a dozen ways to enter, but once you're inside, escaping takes serious preparation.
After entering the Realm of Nightmares, all natural semi-planes will likely be blocked off, impossible to access from within. In that half-real, half-illusory world, maybe everything is fake—but if you die in there, that's real enough.
Thinking back, Leon vaguely remembered seeing something at that undead auction last time. He didn't know what was inside the box, but he did recall that its surface was carved with some unusual symbols.
Those symbols were meant to seal Nightmare power, similar to a psychic shield. Leon hadn't paid much attention before, but now, recalling all things related to the Realm of Nightmares, it suddenly struck him: that symbol, he'd seen it before. If nothing else, the box probably contained something left behind by the Lord of Nightmares—most likely a part of the Lord's body.
The Lord of Nightmares' bones and fragments of soul, when combined, are the key to opening the gate to the Realm of Nightmares. With that key, you can get back out after entering—but that's only a possibility...
But even more important, you still need something else.
The soulless, cursed ones march on through black nightmares—an eternal curse, never a moment's rest...
It was something he'd read before. Leon felt a headache coming on. To make it back, he'd have to rely on someone else's strength—the soulless, cursed ones, the original vampires.
Only the Thirteen Progenitors—the vampires—are soulless yet somehow alive. Legend has it their souls were lost to the curse, granting them immortality like liches, but never a moment's rest.
In legend, the servants who managed the Lord of Nightmares' dominion were the Thirteen Progenitors. Because they couldn't be affected by the Realm of Nightmares' power, the Lord needed someone to do the dirty work he didn't want to handle himself.
So, with his power, he created the Thirteen Progenitors.
It's just a legend—no one really knows for sure. The Lord of Nightmares' power is shrouded in mystery. But one thing is confirmed: the Progenitors can't be affected by the Realm of Nightmares.
If you have the right method and the key to the Realm of Nightmares, the chances of a Progenitor making it out are the highest. As long as nothing goes horribly wrong, they'll always escape.
Once the Undead Plane is conquered in the future, all Thirteen Progenitors will be captured, leashed like hunting dogs, and used to explore the Realm of Nightmares.
The mad mages even managed to develop ways to freely enter and leave the Realm of Nightmares. Many of them would go there just to seek inspiration...
Their records are filled with details about the Realm of Nightmares. Leon knows how to get in and out, how to travel through it—but right now, the biggest challenge is catching a living Progenitor...
A living Progenitor is like a guide dog, or maybe a marker. The best way to leave the Realm of Nightmares is to use a living Progenitor as your anchor...
Taking out a weaker Progenitor isn't too hard. Most of the top-ranked vampire ancestors have already fallen—seven or eight, at least. Picking off one of the stragglers isn't a problem. But catching one alive...
Now that's a nightmare. Leon kept scratching his head, sparks flying off his skull.
"Forget it. Better go check out that Darkspire Auction House and see if I can piece together a complete key..."
Arriving at the massive auction house carved from obsidian, Leon shifted back into human form, channeling the Genesis Chapter's power to wrap himself in a layer of black mist.
Inside again, the place was still bustling with undead bidding on items. This round's offerings weren't as impressive as last time. As soon as Leon entered, a skeleton in a tattered felt hat greeted him wordlessly and led him upstairs.
He saw Lilith again—she was sprawled over her desk, scribbling furiously. The Tome of Oblivion floated before her, along with a dozen beast-hide books. The pages flipped restlessly, as if Lilith had run into a problem.
When Leon walked in, Lilith immediately sprouted several thick octopus tentacles, carefully curling up the books and putting them back in their places.
"Oh, dear human, you're still alive! The Undead Plane's been anything but peaceful lately—I thought you'd perished. That would've been the worst news possible.
It's wonderful to see you again! Our deal can continue—do you have any Crimson Incantations left? The Tome of Oblivion has recorded plenty of new things you might find interesting. Want to take a look?"
Lilith greeted Leon with operatic enthusiasm, even using a tentacle to drag over a massive chair, at least three meters tall, for him.
Leon looked a bit weirded out—had it really only been a short while since they'd last met? Lilith was acting like she'd overdosed on some strange potion...
"Oh, did I say something wrong? Isn't 'your excellency' how strong humans are addressed? I've been brushing up on human customs lately, and honestly, humans are so much more powerful than undead. Their creativity is terrifying—truly a race favored by fate, even if most humans are a bit too fragile..."
Lilith kept speaking in that bard-like operatic tone. Leon just sighed.
"Alright, Lilith, does this mean our previous deal can go on? Did you find all the missing fragments?"
Lilith adjusted her monocle, stretched out a tentacle, and took a pitch-black stone box from a tall shelf. Its surface was covered in eerie patterns—necromantic runes unique to the Undead Plane.
When Lilith opened the box, an impossibly pure aura of light burst out, turning into a soft halo that enveloped the box and began to expand, completely unaffected by the obsidian structure's suppression.
Leon glanced at the fragments inside the box and nodded slowly. They were all in place, except for one—the very piece he'd acquired last time.
Even if it's broken, as long as nothing's missing, it's fine. After all, this is one of the Death Tome Modules. With the right method and all the fragments, it's easy enough to restore.
And that pure aura of light—there's no way to fake it. At least, nobody in the Undead Plane could pull that off. The fact that it's not suppressed by the obsidian building proves it's genuine.
Leon tossed a Spatial Ring to Lilith.
"Inside is the pre-built Path of Planes. I've turned it into a special magical artifact. No matter where you set up the path, just follow the instructions and assemble it. Once it's in place, the Path of Planes will be locked down and can't be moved again."
As per our deal, the buyer gets to pick the location—I won't know about it. Is that acceptable?"
Lilith adjusted her glasses, examined the Spatial Ring for a few seconds, then nodded decisively.
"No problem, dear human. You're far more trustworthy than the records suggest. Looks like our deal is going splendidly—we can keep trading."
Leon put away the box and nodded.
"Alright, Lilith, let's keep trading. I'm after anything related to the Lord of Nightmares—preferably bones or soul fragments. As for the price, we can negotiate."
Lilith smiled, flipping through the Tome of Oblivion until she found what she was looking for. But when she glanced at Leon, she seemed a bit surprised.
"You wish to enter the Realm of Nightmares? Anyone who goes there is doomed to eternal damnation. Even the King of the Undead won't set foot in that place. According to the Tome of Oblivion, only a particular kind of creature can escape once they've entered the Realm of Nightmares."
If you want to save those humans lost in the Realm of Nightmares, I'd advise you to give up. No human can enter and rescue anyone from there..."
Leon wasn't surprised Lilith knew about this. The Tome of Oblivion's special power lets people forget anything they don't want to know—and information like this is always up for trade...
"Oh? Aren't you at all surprised that I know? Ah, that's boring, you already figured it out. Still, for the sake of a fair trade, I have to warn you—your plan is utterly impossible. Even if you get what you want and manage to enter the Nightmare Realm, there's no escaping it. That place is eternal damnation..."
Lin Yun nodded.
"I'm aware of all that. One Klingon incantation, in exchange for the Nightmare Lord's bone and soul fragment. Is it a deal?"
Lilith pressed her forehead, looking troubled.
"You're so stubborn. Humans really are stubborn creatures. Fine, I do have a piece of the Nightmare Lord's bone and a soul fragment, but you know...
The Nightmare Lord's body is rather unusual. He barely has any bones at all. The Nightmare Lord fell on the Undead Plane, and almost all his bones vanished. The fragment of skull left is the only piece we've ever obtained.
This is the most precious thing, sir. Do you really think a single Klingon incantation is enough? Our deals must be fair..."
Lin Yun gently shook his head.
The Nightmare Lord truly is unique—the only god-demon without a fixed body, more like a half-ghost, yet still possessing bones. If not for this state, he wouldn't have fled to the Undead Plane when death was imminent.
He escaped to the Undead Plane hoping to use its power to recover, wanting to transform his body into an undead creature. That wasn't difficult, but his wound was a shattered god-demon soul. Even in the Undead Plane, it was hopeless...
The Nightmare Lord's bones are rare, but to say only one remains is an exaggeration. Lin Yun remembers clearly—the Nightmare Lord's skull had seventeen bones, eleven turned to ash, leaving six. All are on the Undead Plane.
One became the mount of a Death Knight—the Nightmare. The remaining five have kept their original form. Destroying the Nightmare Lord's skull is nearly impossible in the Undead Plane; no one knows how.
After all, it's a god-demon's skull, nearly indestructible. This undead auction house, according to Ymir, is the domain of the Lord of Greed. Lin Yun recalls that name—a god of wealth in the Undead Plane, unrivaled at gathering riches.
Still, records are vague. No one knows what the Lord of Greed really is, what he looks like, or his strength. He's never fought in a war, seems to have no territory, but all undead lords know he's not to be provoked.
If the Lord of Greed only had one piece of the Nightmare Lord's skull, Lin Yun wouldn't believe it for a moment.
The five keys made in the future all use materials from the Undead Plane, and finding those five skull fragments wasn't difficult. The last piece, which became the Nightmare warhorse, somehow survived the mad mages.
As for soul fragments of the Nightmare Lord, there are plenty. He was a half-ghost god-demon, his soul shattered at death, so the leftover fragments are far more numerous than bones.
"One Klingon incantation for a piece of the Nightmare Lord's skull. If you're willing to throw in a soul fragment, fine. If not, no matter—there are plenty of those. I just need a little effort to find them. If I recall, there should be some in the Ghost Canyon, and maybe at the fork of the Styx..."
Lilith glared at Lin Yun, her eyes fierce.
"The soul fragments in Ghost Canyon are long gone. The fork of the Styx... you terrifying creature, how do you know where the Nightmare Lord's soul fragments are...
No, at least two Klingon incantations. Not a single one less!"
Lin Yun shook his head again.
"Lilith, greed is the greatest original sin. I only have this last Klingon incantation left. It's a fair trade. I know where to get the Nightmare Lord's skull myself, but it's a hassle. Trading with you is just the quickest way.
Honestly, if our deal weren't so pleasant, I'd just find another devil scribe. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to swap two useless trinkets for a precious Klingon incantation.
Besides, if it came to it, I could trade with the Lord of Greed. It's just, dealing with that guy wouldn't be enjoyable. So, you get my point?
What I want isn't something only you possess, but what you want, only I have. That's not equal. By value, I'm giving more than you are!"
Behind Lilith, dozens of tentacles writhed. Her eyes widened, glaring at Lin Yun for a full ten seconds before she slumped and waved a hand. A tentacle darted out, retrieving a pitch-black obsidian box from the top of the stone shelf.
"Fine, greedy devil. Damn it, you're the greediest devil I've ever met. Even the best devil traders can't compare to you. You're terrifying—I bet you could swindle a devil out of his own territory.
One Klingon incantation. The Nightmare Lord's skull and soul fragment you want are all here.
But before we trade, I must remind you: once you have this, and enter the Nightmare Realm, there's no way out. I'm better at deals than any devil, but I don't want you dying in there..."
Lin Yun just smiled, saying nothing. He picked up the quill and swiftly signed Lilith's prepared contract. Once the deal was sealed, Lin Yun wrote out a Klingon incantation in the Book of Forgetting.
Lilith glanced at the Klingon incantation in the Book of Forgetting, a trace of a smile on her face. To her, a Klingon incantation was as vital as a mage's grasp of rules—a key for advancement. Though each incantation could only be used once and was destroyed afterward.
Still, in this era, unused Klingon incantations aren't few. Many will be unearthed in the future, never having been used before...
After all, rarity brings value. Even the undead understand that...
Getting what he wanted, Lin Yun opened the box for a look. Inside was a palm-sized bone, utterly ordinary at first glance. But staring at it made his mind blur—the longer he looked, the stronger the effect, even his soul felt the pull.
Satisfied, Lin Yun relaxed. The item was genuine. As for the soul fragment, no need to test it—a piece imbued with god-demon soul power, like a terrifying explosive. If it detonated, even a fragment the size of a fingernail could rival a tenth-level spell...