“It’s all thanks to your help! I’ve achieved one of my dreams, and now, everyone on this Layer will perish!”

  “?!”

  Hearing John Doe’s voice come out of the shadow assassins’ mouth, the scarecrow’s arms moved instinctually, immediately swinging the violet sickle and cutting off the head.

  Despite his shock at the statement, he would rather reduce the numbers of pawns to just one before communicating with his enemy.

  However, the head he had been grabbing quickly turned into intangible shadows and fell apart beneath his loosening grip.

  “Soon, we will finally have our promised clash!” The shadow assassin reappeared next to the one-legged elf, who stood patiently leaning on her hammer.

  I helped him? Has he finally lost it? Somnu thought, then tried to buy time as he checked on his friends and communicated with Arman. “Where are you? You wanted me to get here, and you keep hiding. Let’s do this.”

  “Yes, It’s almost time. Just as you have prepared and schemed, so have I. Just as you have used me, I have used you.” The grin on the shadow assassin grew wider and wider, stretching the muscles on his face. “As I said, you and I, we’re connected! You see me, and I see you.”

  “... I get it now. You’re just a loser who seeks acknowledgement by making a big impact on other people’s lives.” Somnu made the strawman tighten the grip on the weapons. “Even if it means killing a young boy’s only parent.”

  “That wasn’t my will, but his. The one who is truly aiming to grant us all our dreams.” The dark assassin took a step forward, manipulating the shadows around him to form a grinning skull symbol. Then, with crimson, yet deep, dark eyes, the hoarse voice coldly proclaimed. “Although I immensely enjoyed watching the life leave your mother’s body. She was a deceiver, a liar, a fraud who ran away from her duties.”

  “...” Far away, Somnu's felt the cold, raging grudge ignite deep within him, threatening to take control.

  And yet, he didn’t have the time to consider the mysteries surrounding his mother’s true nature.

  At the moment, he needed to suck it up and focus on the here and now, on those who are still around him.

  Why did he do all this? What was the plan behind all the murders? Why did he allow his pawns to step into this trap and die? Somnu repeated those questions, abusing the few seconds his enemy allowed while awaiting his reaction.

  Noticing the silence, the murderer spoke once more.

  “Don’t you worry, once everything’s ready, I’ll send you to where she is so you could ask her directly. For now, I have to break this connection before my new pet runs too wild.”

  “Wait!”

  “See you soon, little rival.”

  “!”

  Suddenly, the shadow assassin shuddered and jolted his head in place, then reached for his head, mumbling in his own voice.

  “Don’t do that ever again…”

  “...”

  Taking it as her cue, the hammer-wielding elf took hold of her weapon and hopped forward with her one leg.

  His new pet? Don’t tell me…! Putting it all together, the answer finally came to him. “?”

  Looking around, he noticed the swarm of Specter Nightmare Creatures had stopped actively attacking ever since the world had turned crimson. They all looked and hovered away in the direction of the faraway moon, now fully shimmering like a ruby instead of an emerald.

  Although it was different, Somnu remembered the last time that had happened, it was another missing piece of his puzzle.

  Mr. Emberlyn’s didn’t let any Dreadbeast into this Layer, nor did the Faceless Forager interfere to let that happen… Instead, the deity simply evolved the Nightmare Creatures within this Layer! One to block the exit to the cavern, and then more evolved after the last appearance of the crimson moon, like the Swiping Ape. But in that case…

  Somnu felt his heartbeat grow ever faster at the conclusion he was coming to. Faraway, while he waited for the right moment, his bare body was sweating profusely now.

  The Faceless Forager can directly influence the Nightmare Creatures! He finally figured it out. Evu’Dral mentioned another Dreadbeast earlier that was likely released from within the fort somehow… Does that mean John Doe possessed a Nightmare Creature at that level and is planning to-?!

  While trying to multitask on various matters, Somnu lost control of his doppelganger as the two remaining pawns easily thwarted it.

  “Dammit! Change of plans!” He gritted his teeth and summoned a doppelganger behind his friends.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Then after briefly praising them for their incredible progress, he explained the situation.

  “The Nightmare Creatures around us are about to turn into Dreadbeasts!”

  “?!”

  “Actually, the truth is, that goes for every single Nightmare Creature on this Layer!”

  “What?!” Lulu blurted out.

  “Just trust me, a way will open to the bottom of the fort, take it and go!”

  “You’re doing it again!” The bunny girl grabbed the doppelganger by the clothes it was wearing. “We didn’t rank up to be left behind again.”

  “...” Mathros looked down at his palm, then back at the strawman. “What do you want us to do?”

  “Mathros?! What the hell are you thinking?!”

  “Calm down, Lulu. This is different than before. Isn’t that right, brother?”

  “This is the only way to protect everyone, trust me. The more we are, the easier for him to pick us off.” The [False Echoes] seemed to get faster as the two pawns began moving. “I have a plan! A good one! So go before-?!”

  CRASH!

  “?!”

  Just as the pawns prepared to attack again, the ground in front of them suddenly shattered. However, instead of going downwards, the hole exploded out as a fist punched through it.

  The fist was glowing a bright golden color, while a myriad of other hues enveloped the figure appearing first from the new hole. The wind caressed her long flowing pinkish blond hair, her highlighted skin radiating with the hope of a star.

  She stopped midair, hovering above everyone, her aqua blue eyes studying the surroundings closely.

  Instead of her usual outfit, she was donning a full superhero costume that far suited her style more than the one she had worn on that Halloween night. It perfectly fit, outlining her eloquent, yet active figure, while an ethereal cape hung loosely behind her back, commanding the wind.

  The whole regal attire was mixed between three colors. Blue, purple and pink, all faint and mixing together as a stunning starry night.

  This was the Nightmare Slayer fictional character, despite the small changes to the outfit. The bracelets were the same, the dream catcher logo on her shapely chest, it was all the same.

  The only thing that stood out were the two feather earrings that didn’t quite match the whole aesthetic, yet completed the persona it was based on.

  Those are…! Somnu’s borrowed gaze fixated on that detail alone, rather than the fact Aurora had just appeared in the throne room despite his instructions.

  That was because he recognized those feather earrings from somewhere. After all, those were the same ones his mother always wore.

  “?” Aurora darted her head around while everyone looked up in puzzlement at her. Then, she noticed the strawman and furrowed her brows at it slightly. “Somnu.”

  “...” In his shock, it had taken him a few seconds to process the situation. “Why are you here, Aurora? Where are-?”

  “We’re here too!”

  As he asked, Mo jumped out of the new hole, carrying his sister in his arms. Then, he landed next to Mathros and let Leyna down.

  “It really wasn’t very nice of you to leave us behind!” His sister stomped toward her brother, but then quickly noticed. “?!”

  “Somnu, where is your real body right now?” Mo asked as he tried to survey the area for answers.

  Dammit… Everything is falling apart. Somnu grumbled to himself.

  He could naturally understand their frustration, but he had made the choice nonetheless. It was both the smart decision, the one he would have always made if it meant his loved ones would end up safe in the end.

  “We’re still here, dammit!” The shadow assassin appeared around the gathered cohort suddenly, summoning all his five shadow clones. “?!”

  However, a blinding, burning light shone from above, instantly putting out all the shadows, and leaving the assassin standing on his own with no way to escape.

  “Move away!” The one-legged elf jumped high and swung her blazing hammer down, the very air around it became palpable.

  Then again, before she could reach them, her clothes suddenly tightened enough to stop her in her tracks. As she landed on the ground, her limbs restricted, she flexed, ripping her clothes apart to free her joints.

  “That’s enough.”

  “?!”

  Before she could attack again, Mo grabbed both of her arms and squeezed against her super strength. Before he knew it, the hammer ignited on fire, the burning flames suddenly latching onto Mo’s body, turning him into an actual fireman.

  And yet, the flames lost their heat instantaneously, not even burning the clothes on his body.

  “Dammit!”

  The shadow assassin took out his poison daggers and jumped forward, only to be punched hard into the ground by a glowing fist no one had seen coming.

  It killed him instantly.

  Not even glancing at her latest victim, Aurora jumped backwards in a flip and landed in front of strawman in a graceful flourish.

  “Where are you now, Somnu? I already told you we can help.” She said, narrowing her eyes slightly.

  “It’s too late.” Somnu conveyed, the clothes on his doppelganger suddenly disappearing.

  “No, it’s not!” Lulu added from the side.

  “He’s right.” Mathros spoke calmly. “From what I saw outside, we’re just about to reach the destination.”

  THRUUUUMMMM!

  “?!”

  As he finished his sentence, Mathros and everyone around him felt the sudden tremors in the fort. Something no Sleeper or Luscairna had ever felt even once during their time inside the constantly moving structure.

  Then, the ground under them suddenly disappeared, an empty abyss awaited them below.

  “I’m sorry.” The apology echoed through the surroundings. “We’ll meet again when we all wake up.”

  “Somnu!”

  Many voices called out at the same time as they all, even the still restricted one-legged elf, fell down toward the grimy waters filling the inside of the fort.

  Both Mathros and Aurora, with their flying capabilities, rushed to catch everyone, something Somnu had counted on.

  Then, as Aurora glanced up one last time, the scarecrow met her gaze before he and his familiars completely vanished.