The current Walpurgis was but a shadow of its former glory, lacking the power it once held. After the most powerful witch fell to the Commandments' blade, they scattered, hiding from the relentless pursuit that decimated their ranks. Even their most formidable practitioners faced the same fate, nearly driving them to extinction.
In the game, the remnants of Walpurgis met their end. Souta remained ignorant of the details, piquing his curiosity. Dispatched to the demon battlefield by the Mechanic Country, he had little knowledge of events in God's Continent. Though he could access information as part of Athen's Champion and the Mechanic Country, he chose not to delve deeper.
"They were indeed formidable," Alice reflected. "Their organization rivaled that of entire nations, and their leader was deemed mighty even among gods."
"Indeed, Le Fay is formidable, though the extent of her strength remains uncertain. Their actions have certainly drawn the attention of the Commandments," Souta acknowledged.
"The God's Will. They're the ones responsible for the destruction of the Hall of Power."
"That's correct. The full details of its demise elude me," Souta admitted with a shake of his head. "But dwelling on it won't help. We lack sufficient information. I'm somewhat surprised you haven't experimented with the Nightmare Mask first."
"Eilish is handling that. Besides, I have reservations about the Dream Power. My father's proficiency in dream control raises concerns about his intentions," Alice explained.
"The Great Demon Emperor. While powerful in dream manipulation, his abilities have limits. If he could locate you in dreams, he would have done so long ago. His influence is formidable but not all-encompassing," Souta reassured her.
The one who will be capable of that in the future is the Sea King. At that time, the Sea King will be able to manipulate all the dreams of almost every living being, except for a few like gods. The gods even set up a formation to protect their people from dying in their dreams.
Mortals are too vulnerable in their dreams without the protection of the gods.
"So you don't have to worry unless you meet your father in your dream. I'm sure that your father could pull you out of your dream and bring you to his position if you ever meet him," Souta reassured.
"I see," Alice nodded in understanding.
"For now, you can try to gain the Dream Power. I'll enter the Nightmare Dream once all of you succeed," Souta concluded.
...
Souta strolled through the streets, eliciting respectful greetings from those he passed.
"Good afternoon, My Lord!"
Returning their salutations with a wave, he continued until he reached the area inhabited by the Toxinum Goblins. Holes in the ground led to their underground caves, their preferred habitat.
The goblins gathered upon hearing of their Lord's visit.
"My Lord, how may I assist you?" inquired the Tribal Chief with deference.
Souta observed them silently, noting their progress since their time in the sub-world. While they had grown stronger, their rate of advancement lagged behind that of humans and demis in the Astros.
'The pills and potions that could boost humans have little effect on monsters. You know, you're not even using those pills or potions,' Saya said to him.
It's not that those pills and potions were ineffective. It's just that their effect wasn't as pronounced as it was for humans and demis. The only things that could truly aid them were natural resources like mana fruits.
With him now the Emperor of Goblins, their growth rate would increase, but whether they could catch up to the rest remained uncertain. It still depended on their inherent talent.
"Nothing, you can go. I just came here to see if you're doing well," Souta said as he waved his hand, dismissing the goblins.
"Thank you, My Lord." The Tribal Chief bowed politely before gathering everyone and returning underground.
Souta watched as the goblins returned to their home, contemplating the future progress of the goblins in his territory. With the Heritage and Bloodline Knowledge of Crimson Twilight, he believed he could aid them as long as they followed the path of Crimson Twilight.
'I will try to gather the small goblin tribes in the Hall Plains. I wonder if my call can reach them,' Souta mused inwardly.
Turning away, he left, intent on assessing the current state of the tribe that gave birth to Yenxa. He hoped to see them grow stronger quickly, knowing their fate would soon be intertwined with his as their emperor.
Over the next few days, several goblin tribes arrived outside Ekatoe City in response to the emperor's call. Despite their weakness, they emanated a dense bloodlust and ferocity. Unaccustomed to the presence of humans and demis, they also lacked intellect.
Driven solely by instinct to heed the summons of a higher being, they arrived, unable to resist the call.
Souta organized the city to accommodate the entry of the goblins without endangering the civilians.
He instructed Doranjan to open a portal leading to the other side of the Guardian Fortress. Recognizing that the newly arrived goblins were not yet capable of coexisting with humans and demis due to their wild nature, he questioned whether summoning them was the right decision.
Deciding to allow them time to adapt to the other part of the Guardian Fortress, much like the toxinum tribe, Souta planned to oversee their integration.
On the other side of the Guardian Fortress lay Involin Forest, where they first arrived on the continent. Spanning over seventy kilometers in diameter, the forest primarily served as a refuge in case of emergencies in Ekatoe City. The Astros had no intentions of expanding their influence there; it was merely a contingency plan for evacuations.
They paid no heed to the monsters dwelling in the forest.
Standing alongside Doranjan, Souta observed the goblins.
"Are you certain about this, Souta? Only a few of them can communicate, and their intelligence is lacking," Doranjan inquired, casting a glance at Souta.
"Yes, we'll give it a try. Yenxa's tribe will also settle here, and this territory will be under my jurisdiction," Souta affirmed.
"If you say so..." Doranjan resumed his observation of the goblins.
Souta descended and pressed his palm against the ground. Closing his eyes, he followed his instincts, drawing upon the knowledge of the Crimson Twilight Emperor.
Ohm!
His energy surged, causing the ground to tremble. Blood began to seep from his pores before ascending into the sky. Moments later, a rain of blood fell, drenching the entire area in red.
Souta slowly opened his eyes, taking a deep breath before rising to his feet.
"W-What was that?!" Doranjan exclaimed.
"It's something like a ritual. From now on, this land is my territory. This place will enhance any of the goblin-type monsters, especially those of the Crimson Twilight," Souta explained with a smile. He glanced at Doranjan and added, "Stay here for a while. Ensure they don't cause any trouble. You can eliminate any who refuse to comply."
"Fine..." Doranjan agreed.
"Okay, I'll head back now," Souta said, waving his hand.
He stepped through the portal, reappearing on the Astros side, where the guards bowed upon seeing him.
Souta pondered his next steps. With some time before his departure for the Walpurgis, he decided to check on the progress of the others to see if they had acquired Dream Power. Success would mean they could enter the dream realm without relying on the [Nightmare Mask].
However, those of lower levels weren't qualified; attempting the trial of the Nightmare King without sufficient strength would likely result in their demise.
Arriving at his manor, Souta found that Alice, Eilish, Yuko, Eztein, Franklin, and Vashno had successfully gained Dream Power. Isabella, Gragas, and Torkez, lacking in strength, hadn't attempted it, their focus directed elsewhere.
Using Dream Power was challenging, especially immediately after acquiring it. Even Souta himself could only utilize it for brief periods. The last time he employed this power was during his battle with Nine Yin.
"Try it. Enter the Dream Realm because I'll enter too. I'll see you on the other side," Souta instructed them as he picked up the [Nightmare Mask]. He then sat down and closed his eyes.
Ohm!
In the next moment, Souta felt his surroundings change. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a different landscape. No longer in his manor, he stood in his territory within the Nightmare Realm.
This land, called Vanko, was divided into nine zones, each containing different regions. Souta's territory lay in the Vorr Zone, specifically the Ming Region, where he held sovereign authority.
"I'm back," he remarked with a smile.
