Insomnium, the god of nightmares.
It was at the 12-point alliance talk that I first heard of this superior being.
[Sheep Zzz] “Uhm… hey, you know. Can I say something?”
[Sheep Zzz] “Someone here brings nightmares with them. A sense of nightmare exists beyond the magic circle connection that connects us.”
At that moment, the clan heads, who were busy talking among themselves, quickly settled down.
The leaders were noticeably nervous the moment the word “nightmare” came up.
Hwang Jiho, Jeokho, and Ok Toyeon, who were present in the basement of the Hwangmyeong mansion, were no exception.
Baekho was the only one who looked at ease.
The other leaders spoke over the Sheep Clan head, denying the existence of a nightmare.
[Sheep Zzz] “Sleep and dream, the incarnation of the symbol will not lie about nightmares.”
[Sheep Zzz] “All we must keep to each other is our ‘promise of inviolability’. However, I warn you as a head of one of the clans of this alliance that have been together for more than 100 years. Those who are now attending this 12-point alliance meeting and those who are around the magic circle are the ‘nightmare’ itself. Be on guard not to be swallowed by it.”
The head of the Sheep Clan warned that a nightmare was looming next to the 12-point alliance.
However, his words alone did not tell what the nightmare was, what power it had, and why the leaders were so wary.
Even with the knowledge that I possess, I couldn’t think of anything.
I knew that Insomnium was a superior being, a “god” even, based on their conversation, but it was difficult to find a myth or a legend where the being came from.
‘Most of the superior beings in this world appear in myths that I know, but there are some who don’t.’
Such was the case for the demon gods.
Avaritia the Demon God of Greed, and Invidius the Demon God of Jealousy.
They were superior beings that weren’t in any mythological system that I knew of.
Perhaps this nightmare was also one.
‘Baekho-gun didn’t answer when I asked him, and I didn’t find anything when I investigated either.’
I did some research after hearing about it, but I didn’t learn much.
Perhaps his reputation wasn’t well-known, or maybe he covered up his whole identity.
It wouldn’t be possible for a low-reputation being to exert much power though, so I guessed that it was the latter.
“Are you curious about what that nightmare is, Jo Euishin?”
Of course, I am.
If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have bothered my main playable character with questions.
Hwang Jiho suddenly spoke with an apologetic face.
“I told everyone about the dangers of it… but it seems like I never told you.”
I didn’t ask him though, so Hwang Jiho doesn’t have to be sorry.
However, from what Hwang Jiho is saying, it seems that the nightmare isn’t well-known among people of royal lineage.
If that nightmare were of high reputation, Hwang Jiho wouldn’t have had to warn other clan leaders.
It was clear that Hwang Jiho obtained information about the danger of that nightmare and informed the other clans.
“Jo Euishin is a human. He’ll be less affected by nightmares.”
“That’s true, but there’s a difference between being less affected and not being affected at all.”
Hwang Jiho replied seriously to Kim Shinrok.
It seems that the nightmare being has a bigger effect on the royal lineage.
‘Is that why Baekho-gun told me not to worry?’
When I asked him about it, Baekho-gun told me this;
— You don’t have to worry at all, Jo Euishin.
— Do what you want and what you have to do.
I believed what my main playable character said and didn’t pay much attention to it.
It hasn’t really been a problem so far.
However, listening to Hwang Jiho made me feel something.
‘…Why did Baekho-gun tell me not to worry at all? He would’ve warned me if there was a possibility of an adverse effect.’
I looked up at Baekho-gun, walking next to me with an expressionless face.
In the end, I decided to listen to Hwang Jiho first.
“Human beings are less affected by nightmares. Even if they have a scary dream, they open their eyes in the morning anyway unless there’s something wrong with their bodies.”
I don’t know since I don’t dream, but that’s probably accurate.
If a person gets a really terrifying dream, they usually wake up in the middle of the night.
When we went to China, Moon Saeron woke up screaming from a nightmare.
From what Hwang Jiho is saying, the experience of royal lineage must be different.
“But royal lineages with “true names” and their descendants are different. We are more vulnerable to nightmares. Do you remember the biggest difference between humans and royal lineage, Jo Euishin?”
Hwang Jiho asked me this question before.
“True names.”
“You remember well. We have a true name that binds our soul and body.”
I wonder why he suddenly brought that up.
Humans who are less affected by nightmares, royal lineage, and their true names that wedge their souls and bodies, the wary look of the clan heads at the mention of a nightmare…
Putting all those together, the answer came up.
‘Don’t tell me, the reason why they’re so wary of nightmares is…’
Hwang Jiho smiled, sensing that I got the answer.
“Nightmares invade our consciousness through dreams. It can swallow the true name that we sealed in our heart.”
Nightmares are the greatest threat to the true names of royal lineage.
Hwang Jiho answered as expected.
“Those who have been swallowed up by nightmares often fall into deep sleep. They literally cannot wake up from the nightmare.”
I suddenly felt faint.
To think that such a variable exists in this world…!
And the head of the Sheep Clan warned that it was near the 12-point alliance.
If a royal lineage or a descendant I knew suddenly fell into a deep sleep one day…
I felt terrible just imagining it.
“If there’s such a being, then shouldn’t we go after it?”
“It’s difficult to call it a being since nightmares have no substance and only move through dreams. Royal lineages who are connected to dreams like the head of the Sheep Clan or a succubus could increase the possibility of subjugating it.”
“I’ve heard that a succubus instinctively follows nightmares.”
I could see why the 12-point alliance failed to respond properly to the threat.
Incubus followed nightmares, and the head of the Sheep Clan said it was alright as long as he was not affected.
‘Then what about Incubus’ descendant…’
Merlin, Goo Seulbi’s teacher, was a descendant of a succubus.
However, Merlin was sealed by Nimueh, the Lady of the Lake.
If Merlin was a free man, he wouldn’t have watched Goo Seulbi sacrifice her life.
Lost in thought about this new variable and nightmares…
“You don’t have to worry about it, Jo Euishin.”
For the first time, Baekho-gun spoke.
Baeokho-gun’s words made me dizzy.
Following him, Hwang Jiho also spoke.
“Baekho is right. Nightmares easily dig into our dreams, but it is impossible to completely encroach on the dreams of those with strong minds. Spray as much dye powder in a typhoon, one still cannot change the color of the wind.”
Hwang Jiho’s metaphor was difficult to understand, but the old man looked full of confidence.
Even though two mythical tigers told me not to worry, it still caught my mind.
Nightmares cannot completely encroach on them, but they would still have a great impact.
‘…But I can’t do anything about it now even if I worry.’
I felt helpless, but I decided to think about this new variable first.
Although we were in a “mountain” inside the garden, it was excessively quiet because there were no birds or insects.
After talking about nightmares, Kim Shinrok carefully spoke out as the silence continued.
“This is not a nightmare itself but only the dust left by it. You don’t have to worry.”
“Does the dust have no effect on true names?”
“Yes, it’s just a trace of the nightmare.”
But how did Kim Shinrok get a hold of this?
“May I ask where you got the dust?”
Kim Shinrok hesitated a little.
“…My friend gave it to me as a gift. He said it would help a bit with torture.”
Kim Shinrok only has one friend, right?
…Yong Jegun gave it to him!
Hwang Jiho looked like he’s never heard of it before either.
“It’s helpful indeed, but I can’t believe that damned dragon gave it to you as a gift.”
…Well, maybe because Kim Shinrok’s been hiding tacks in Yong Jegun’s stuff?
It wasn’t really a gift, but Yong Jegun liked it very much anyway.
‘I’ll ask Yong Jegun where he got it.’
Kim Shinrok began explaining other things following the source of the nightmare dust.
Insomnium is said to stimulate fear, anger, and sadness of the dreaming subject and use their emotions as his nourishment.
Insomnium usually leaves no trace in the present world because he travels through dreams, but it’s said that he leaves dust sometimes.
“This dust stimulates a nightmare. It doesn’t cause physical pain, but it can encroach a dream and dig into someone’s mind.”
“Looking at it carefully, it looks like your energy waves are mixed into the dust…”
Jukho looked at the envelope in Kim Shinrok’s hand, and the latter nodded.
When Kim Shinrok shed a red energy wave, the envelope floated into the air.
“Yes, because simply planting nightmare dust isn’t torture. Until he gives me the information I need, the nightmare won’t wend.”
Jukho admired Kim Shinrok’s plan.
The two began to have a heated discussion on the principle and process of mixing energy waves and dust.
Hwang Jiho watched them with a satisfied face, while the couple listened to the two.
Kim Shinrok seemed to have put a lot of effort into studying how to break down the subject’s mind as he had a very limited means of attacking any bear.
“…We’re here.”
Hwang Jiho stopped in displeasure.
The eyes of the tigers turned toward a dark-mouthed cave.
