The Nightmare lowered her eyelids—her father had died in the first Great Expedition.
The so-called blocking battle was merely about sending some "unimportant" advance troops into the abyss for reconnaissance. Naturally, these scouting teams were completely annihilated, their bodies unrecognizable, their souls and flesh twisted into grotesque creatures.
This was something she learned afterward.
"You are absolutely right, it’s the Chosen One, which signifies supreme honor, and additionally, a direct gift from the Heavenly Father."
These words were, of course, directed at Lindong.
Even though Lindong was labeled a "witch" by the Church when she defected from the Empire, she was still far from being a real witch.
Lindong’s strength had nothing to do with the faith in the Evil God, it all stemmed from her development of her own magic power and the use of elemental spells.
Unlike most members of the Elder Council, who crossed the threshold of the Saint thanks to the Heavenly Father’s gift, Lindong achieved this among them with a mortal body, which meant that once she received the Heavenly Father’s gift, becoming a true witch, she would become unbelievably powerful.
Perhaps, she would be the most powerful Chosen One in history.
The Nightmare changed the topic, "I want to know, where did you hear this term? To my knowledge, this is not a common term in the Empire."
Ethan, who always advocated honesty, had no intention of withholding once the Nightmare Witch revealed secrets about the bottomless abyss to them.
It was the first place he heard of the "Chosen One" concept, and he gained Old Ba’s insight in the polluted area of Lakefront Town. From then on, the title "Chosen One" was tied to him, and the meatball in Fireplace Bay rolled to the ground in fright upon seeing him.
That marked the beginning of his communication with Old Ba.
What puzzled him was that the Nightmare, being a true believer of Old Ba, didn’t receive "higher instructions" like the meatball did. Follow current novels on novᴇlfire.net
"Riverside Town? Isn’t it already destroyed? Yakwell died there as well."
Yakwell wasn’t a member of Dream Eclipse, but he was a believer favored by the Heavenly Father. The Nightmare heard that he had an important plan on the Empire’s border, but he died due to unforeseen circumstances.
This was good news for Dream Eclipse. If Yakwell were alive, Lindong would probably have to compete with him for the candidate spot.
"This explanation is a bit complicated."
Ethan pointed behind the Nightmare, who was standing with her back to the banquet hall door.
After all, today was a banquet initiated by Queen Margaret, attended by cabinet ministers. If anyone overheard them discussing "stories of Old Ba" on the terrace outside, it would have immeasurable effects on the Empire’s morale.
The Nightmare didn’t comment further; she had conveyed the necessary message, and now it depended on Lindong’s attitude. She said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
There could only be one Chosen One.
The one favored by the Old Gods also deserved to be the manager of the bottomless abyss.
The previous ruler was Flor the Tycoon, a man like a venomous snake.
In their original plan, the time for the Evil God’s ceremony was at least twenty years away. No one expected Flor to stumble badly at Ophira.
This was also thanks to the system Sincaro set for his believers.
Even after receiving the gift and gaining the title of Chosen One, one couldn’t be careless. Once someone stumbled, the first to retaliate against Flor were his own "colleagues."
In contrast, the Heavenly Father was much more generous and merciful.
He almost never took back his gift proactively.
Lindong didn’t respond, instead, she looked at Ethan. She had no interest in Bazatous’ gift, even despising Old Ba’s aesthetic taste, but for Ethan, it was a rare opportunity to meet an old friend.
The bottomless abyss was the closest place in this world to the Old Gods, and Ethan could find many answers there.
About the Old Gods, about Sealing.
And the true nature of this world.
The Nightmare immediately agreed, "You may accompany us, and the creations along the way will not trouble you. I will take you to the residential area of the abyss, where you can wait for the festival to be over."
This was probably the only good news this evening—at least Lindong was open to returning to the abyss.
The turn of events had exceeded the Nightmare’s expectations, and now she could only take one step at a time, as not even she could predict what would happen at the festival.
She could see the changes in Lindong, who had now turned into someone completely unfamiliar.
The fire of anger and hatred in her heart had been soothed, transforming her into a gentle house cat.
Her student... had become weaker.
The Nightmare wasn’t sure if such a Lindong would still gain the Heavenly Father’s favor.
"Thank you in advance."
The young man named Ethan replied courteously, and then Lindong nodded, "Let’s make a trip back then."
Thus, the purpose of the journey to the imperial capital was achieved—in a way that she never anticipated.
The royal family demonstrated their hospitality by arranging a large house for the Nightmare and thoughtfully dispatched two maids to take care of her daily needs. Once back at the mansion, she immediately had the maids prepare hot water for her.
This was her habit, as soaking in warm water allowed her to relax.
The Nightmare’s mind was a jumble, with scenes from the banquet continually flashing in her mind.