NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: Echoes in the Dark
Rikuya stared at the glowing system message for a long moment, the cryptic words lingering in his mind.
"Those who brew chaos ally themselves with the shadows."
He sighed. Right. That nonsense.
He had literally made that up on the spot. His followers had been so insistent on receiving some grand prophecy, and he figured, why not just toss out something ominous and vague? That was how these things worked, right?
'Please, for the love of all things, let it come true.'
The last thing he needed was to be labeled a fraud by his own fanatics.
He had already felt like a total scammer spouting those words with a straight face.
But if they started realizing their oh-so-wise Moon God was just pulling things out of thin air…
Yeah. That would be bad.
He groaned and rolled onto his side, shutting his eyes.
The mattress was ridiculously comfortable, the fur blankets soft and warm, but despite the sheer luxury surrounding him, he couldn't fully relax.
His mind kept replaying everything that had happened since he got here.
This place, his 'followers,' Lilith, the strange clothing—everything felt like a mix of a dream and a high-budget RPG.
And the way Lilith had insisted on "feeding" him? Tempting but dangerous.
But the thought lingered. If dreams were his divine sustenance… would refusing them actually have consequences?
Guardian said he'd be in a state of unrest. Did that mean he'd be unable to recover properly?
He frowned, his brows knitting together.
'So… if I don't eat dreams, does that mean I'll starve?'
『Yes.』
'Wow ...Thanks for the late warning, buddy.'
『You did not ask.』
Rikuya groaned internally. That's not how this works. You're supposed to preemptively tell me important stuff like that.
『Noted.』
Yeah, he wasn't buying that.
Rikuya rubbed his face. 'Okay, so does that mean I can't eat normal food?'
『You can, but it will not nourish you. It will feel like filling your stomach with water instead of sustenance.』
Rikuya let out a dry chuckle.
'Oh, fantastic. So I can gorge myself on steak, but at the end of the day, I'll still be running on empty? Sounds fake, but okay.'
He stretched, rolling onto his back.
'Guess if this were a game, I'd probably unlock a title like "Dream Eater" after my first meal. Hell, maybe I'd get a cool passive ability to go with it. Something like "Devourer of Slumber"—dramatic, ominous, totally unnecessary.'
Guardian remained silent, which Rikuya took as reluctant agreement.
Still, even knowing all this, he wasn't about to start siphoning dreams out of people anytime soon. He had survived this long without it—what was a little more time?
With that final thought, he shut his eyes, finally surrendering to sleep.
….
….
From the small gap in the door, Lilith watched as Rikuya's breathing evened out, his body sinking deeper into the plush bedding.
A serene expression graced his face, completely unaware of her lingering presence.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
Softly, she pressed her fingers to her lips, kissing them, then placed them against the door.
"Sleep tight, my love," she whispered. "I will carry out your wishes… I hope you reward me when I return."
Turning away, she glided down the dimly lit corridor, the soft click of her heels echoing through the grand estate. A quiet giggle escaped her as her hips swayed with every graceful step.
…
…
The chamber she arrived at was deep within the estate, a vast hall illuminated by floating silver lanterns.
A gathering of women awaited her, all clad in robes similar to hers—silken fabrics with lunar sigils, marking them as Rikuya's devoted. Their eyes shimmered with reverence as they turned toward her, their high priestess, the one closest to their god.
Lilith stepped onto the elevated dais, causing all to fall into absolute silence.
"Our lord has spoken," she announced. "And now, we must act in his will."
A figure stepped forward from the crowd—a demoness with small white horns that nearly poked out of her scalp, scarlet hair going down her back, and piercing red eyes. She lowered her head respectfully before speaking.
"High Priestess, what did the words of our lord mean? Please, decipher them so we—his ignorant children—may understand."
Lilith's smile deepened as she placed a hand over her chest.
"Our lord said, 'Those who brew chaos ally themselves with the shadows.'"
"It is as our lord has foreseen," Lilith continued, her voice laced with conviction. "In the kingdom of Aradorn, certain nobles have begun to weave treachery into the very fabric of the realm. They have struck a vile pact with an entity of the Abyss, seeking to unmake the nation from within. Their hands stir the cauldron of discord, and in their greed, they invite ruin."
Murmurs rippled through the gathering.
"As expected of our High Priestess," one whispered.
"The wisdom of our lord is truly boundless," another murmured.
The red-haired demoness stepped closer. "Then, High Priestess, what does our lord wish for us to do? He has not yet revealed his intentions."
Lilith let out a low chuckle.
"Knowing our lord…" She paused, a dark, knowing smile gracing her lips. "I am certain he wishes to make them suffer."
She turned her gaze over the assembly, her voice ringing with chilling certainty.
"Let us go forward and string their souls from their dreams… so that our lord may feast."
A hushed silence followed, then—
Lilith raised her hand, her voice reverent.
"In the shadows, we see clearly. In silence, we hear the truth. Fear not the night, for it is the veil of the eternal."
As one, the gathered women echoed her words.
"Fear not the night, for it is the veil of the eternal!"
Their lord had given them a path.
And they would walk it, no matter how much blood it required.
….
….
The First Lesson of Heroes
Capital of Aradorn, Velmoria – Royal Training Grounds
As dawn broke over Velmoria, the grand capital of Aradorn, the first golden rays of sunlight cast long shadows across the Royal Training Grounds.
The vast expanse of land, enclosed by towering white stone walls, was a place where only the elite warriors of the kingdom trained.
Rows of armored knights and soldiers stood at attention along the edges, watching the newcomers with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
In the center of the field stood Rakuga, an elf of striking presence. His hair shimmered under the rising sun, and his eyes held a sharpness that made it clear he wasn't one to accommodate nonsense.
Dressed in an elegant yet practical battle outfit with the insignia of the Elven Empire of Hav'Alo, he exuded a commanding aura.
The students—some eager, some skeptical—stood before him, awaiting his words.
Rakuga stepped forward, his voice carrying effortlessly across the field.
"I am Rakuga, a heroic warrior of the Elven Empire of Hav'Alo. By the agreement between our nations, I will be your instructor in what it means to be a true hero. I have trained warriors and champions countless times before. I have seen men rise to greatness, and I have seen them crumble into nothing. I have no patience for stupidity, arrogance, or incompetence."