Chapter 486
Chapter 486
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 486
Chapter Title: The End of the Delusion (2)
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Succubus and Incubus.
Also known as lust demons or dream demons, they were a type of devil that appeared in the dreams of the opposite sex to seduce them and steal their essence.
As beings specialized in tempting the rational mind, they naturally possessed highly alluring appearances and had exceptional aptitude for illusion and enchantment spells.
'This is the first time I've used this ability so seriously.'
And, though it might seem belated now...
Hela was also a half-succubus who had inherited their blood.
Not just any ordinary succubus, but one born from a queen and a demon lord, inheriting every superior gene imaginable.
'Well, to be fair, I never really needed to use these powers before. They were just a hassle for no good reason.'
Why bother with petty tricks when she had the strength to resolve things with raw power?
Hela licked her lips as she surveyed the mirage-like scenery shimmering around her.
[Alright, let's get to work energetically today too.]
It was an innate ability all succubi possessed, and a subsidiary effect of Hela's Lord of Phantasmic Allure—Dream Dive.
That was the reason she could now exist in this dream world.
'Reality always comes with limitations on movement. I never imagined I'd end up freeloading like this.'
Though she had gone along with it considering various interests for the time being, the Yun Clan's leadership wasn't foolish enough to simply leave a disaster that wreaked havoc on its surroundings unchecked.
In such a situation, the succubus ability to freely traverse nearby dreams was akin to giving her wings.
'There were more people ensnared in the delusion than I expected. Still, it feels like we're nearing the end now.'
Ever since she and Hari had revealed themselves at the Seongcheon Yun Clan.
The kingdoms of Red Mountain and Blue Sea had reacted far more swiftly than anticipated.
Not only had they dispatched elite troops to the border with the Yun Clan, but they had even formally requested the handover of the suspects.
But, as expected... the Yun Clan had no intention of complying with such a demand.
It had all happened by sheer coincidence; they hadn't captured them with their own abilities in the first place.
In fact, they too hoped someone would take those troublemakers off their hands.
'Thanks to drawing all that aggro, we at least bought the time we needed—mission accomplished.'
Various circumstances had intertwined, letting time slip by endlessly.
Blindly launching a preemptive strike was risky after having suffered a harsh lesson before, and the renowned name of the Seongcheon Yun Clan wasn't to be underestimated.
In the end, everything was unfolding exactly as Hela desired.
[Oh? Found another one.]
During the time they had bought, Hela had diligently roamed the dream world, devoted to saving the little lambs lost in delusion.
[Now, let's see... What delusion are you harboring?]
In the process, she inevitably glimpsed others' private lives—a side effect she couldn't avoid...
Well, what could be done about it?
It was an unavoidable force majeure on her part, and she only hoped they would understand.
[Oh dear, your boyfriend—who you even promised marriage to—cheated on you? And with... your little sister? I see. So you tailed them and caught them in the act...?]
The frustration was so palpable that the delusion burst forth the moment she prodded it.
Hela hugged a massive popcorn bucket that materialized from thin air, crunching on a fistful as she nodded with keen interest.
[...Good heavens! The audacity knows no bounds. And you just let them get away with it? Yeah, yeah. Then what?]
Invading the dreams of cultivators with strong wills in the Yun Clan's barrier-laden domain wasn't easy.
But when the wielder was someone like Hela, the story changed.
She had been making flawless dream visits to the Yun Clan retainers for five straight days now.
[Those worthless scum were rotting your insides alone. Even as your pent-up rage reached its limit, you didn't cross that final line—truly commendable.]
-Uuugh... I don't even know what to do anymore. Thoughts of killing them and then myself cross my mind dozens of times a day...
[I understand your feelings, but that's not a good mindset. You need to keep your wits about you now more than ever. I have a good idea—want to hear it?]
In these dream visits, Hela ensnared them in various ways, turning them into her puppets.
Seducing those not in full possession of their faculties, half-asleep and unaware if this was reality or a dream, was as easy as eating cold porridge.
[I'll take away all the worries you're harboring. When you wake, you'll feel clearer and more refreshed than ever. With that purified mind, try doing as I say.]
-Ah, aaah—! Thank you, thank you! Sniff, you're so beautiful.
[Huh? Suddenly? Uh, well. Thanks?]
-I think men are unnecessary in my life after all. Can I call you sis?
[...Hmm, I'll be going now? Stay strong no matter what hardships come.]
-Thank you, sis! Oh, by the way, did you hear? A bakery opened next to the Terrio Orphanage outside the outer walls...
Hela shrugged after absorbing the worries and eradicating every sprout of delusion, then slipped into the next dream.
Dreams normally flowed haphazardly along the stream of consciousness like that.
Rather, being fixated on a single obsession even in dreams signaled a mental affliction.
'Even serious problems feel trivial upon calm reflection. New worries will pile up over time, but this should hold for a while.'
Feeling satisfied at having helped another lamb, she wiped under her nose.
Of course, upon waking, the dream's owner would forget most of what happened, vaguely recalling only fragments.
That's how dreams worked.
But amid all that, one fact remained crystal clear.
Even if they forgot everything, they would come to fanatically revere Hela without realizing it.
Just like when they were enthralled by the delusion.
'Well, I deserve at least that much compensation. House calls like this aren't easy.'
For all her talk, she was a demon lord at the pinnacle of devils.
Free service didn't suit her temperament.
Still, unless something major arose, she had no intention of pushing them too hard...
-Who are you?
A wary voice suddenly rang out.
Hela flinched!
Her eyes twitched as she instinctively scanned the new dream.
This was the first time since getting used to Dream Dive that someone had noticed her intrusion first.
She wondered if she was just being paranoid, but...
-This is my dream... How did you get in here?
The follow-up confirmed it.
It was directed at her.
'Her awareness is as sharp as if she were fully awake? This goes beyond mere lucid dreaming.'
Who could it be?
As curiosity stirred, the shimmering surroundings gradually sharpened into clarity.
Ruins of collapsed buildings and piles of debris like a junkyard.
A gray sky cracked and shattered, chunks falling everywhere.
'Where is this?'
Hela, her expression hardening, locked eyes with the little girl in the midst of the devastation.
A small girl clutching a tattered picture book, looking up at her.
-...But you feel strangely familiar. Who are you, really?
Ramyu scowled at her—the cause of Hoon's crossing into this world.
***
Space-Time Control
It was the name of Ramyu's unique skill, said to have awakened.
'I knew from the name it involved manipulating time and space, but...'
Who could have guessed it extended to 'sleep time' and the 'space' of dreams?
This place wasn't a mere dream.
It was more accurate to call it Ramyu's unique world, created by her as a goddess under the full control of Space-Time Control.
Above all, the time flow here differed from the outside by over a hundredfold—the greatest proof.
-So, to sum it up... You're wandering around like this to catch the bad guys plotting a secret war?
[Yeah, yeah. You're a smart one, aren't you?]
-Flattery like that doesn't impress me...
Ramyu replied to Hela's praise with a sullen expression.
Still, her wariness had lessened since their first encounter.
-You work with Hoon oppa? Masquerade?
[That's right. We're like a fixer team traveling dimensions to solve problems. We came here because someone requested help. Ask him after you wake up.]
-Hmm, I did get a similar vibe. That dragon Horus felt the same.
She easily accepted it, perhaps because Hoon had once told her about Masquerade.
As she said, there was a sense of similarity.
But regardless of Ramyu's attitude, Hela had been struggling since earlier to suppress her rising astonishment.
'How long since she awakened her unique skill, and she's already at this level?'
And not long after waking from a long slumber, no less.
Considering unique skills had top-tier performance but were hard to master, this growth rate was utterly absurd.
'If I hadn't earned karma points through early achievements, I couldn't have operated Avatar at this level either.'
It was probably influenced by her innate 'power to cross dimensions.'
Otherwise, it was incomprehensible.
But from the story, that wasn't all.
[You've been learning chakra all this time? And you've already achieved Opening?]
-Yeah, well... Hoon oppa seemed busy, and I couldn't just sit around idly. Then I met Yun Soso and...
She had approached her—who was trying to win over the iron-willed Hoon by targeting his surroundings—and learned the basics of chakra.
After that, using the dream's over-hundredfold time dilation, she had swiftly met the Opening conditions.
Hela closed her eyes tightly at those words, deeply reflecting.
She realized anew that she hadn't paid enough attention to Ramyu lately.
Coming here was for Ramyu's growth in the first place, yet during her long sleep, priorities had shifted.
'Still, this exceeds expectations. I can look forward to even more.'
Gazing admiringly at the child growing on her own without guidance, Hela spoke in a gentle tone.
[So, what chakra has our Ramyu been learning...?]
-I'd rather not say.
She deflated at Ramyu's immediate distancing.
She accepted her only as 'Hoon's colleague,' still wary of deeper personal intrusion.
'Wait... This might actually...'
Hela, who had been crestfallen, suddenly stroked her chin thoughtfully.
She was currently busy roaming dreams, removing delusions and tracing their threads.
The delusion chakra was so deeply hidden that finding each one took considerable time.
Five days of focus, and she still hadn't left the Seongcheon Yun Clan area.
'But what if she helped?'
With her abilities, bringing one more person into dreams was trivial.
Combined with Ramyu's Space-Time Control...
'We might find delusion-hidden dreams faster. Or at least, adjusting the dream time dilation would help immensely.'
And there was an extra benefit.
'If we track and smash the culprit... Ramyu would get a hefty karma point share too. Perfect for faster growth.'
A groundbreaking method that handled the task swiftly while fostering Ramyu's development.
Truly killing two birds with one stone.
Having organized her thoughts, Hela smiled slyly.
She looked at Ramyu with meaningful intent.
[Hey, want to team up with me on something...?]
-No thanks.
...Convincing this child seemed to be the first hurdle in her grand plan.
***
When the seeds of delusion scattered across the Seongcheon Yun Clan began vanishing one by one.
'Who is it? That demon? She even has this ability. This is getting troublesome.'
His first emotion was irritation mixed with a sense of crisis.
His chakra was nearly impossible to detect before activation.
Everyone harbored worries great or small, and his delusion seeds burrowed in, took root, and quietly hibernated.
Activation occurred only when the seeds awoke at his signal, sprouting and blooming.
The triggered delusion subtly twisted the rooted worry, cunningly guiding the host's actions.
And even after activation, it was so covert that the host felt no incongruity—his pride and joy...
'Tch, have to abandon the seeds in the Yun Clan.'
Until then, it was just stress over things going awry.
Pity to lose the investment in the Yun Clan, but it was minor compared to the whole.
However.
'...What?'
Not long after.
He faced a crisis beyond comparison.
'Why...'
From some point, the seeds around the Yun Clan had been erased en masse.
That was understandable enough, but the problem came next.
'What is this insane speed? And the expanding range...'
It wasn't limited to the Yun Clan vicinity.
For some reason, the mysterious 'domain' rapidly ballooned, swallowing the central continent and soon reaching the capitals of Red Mountain and Blue Sea Kingdoms.
'...Damn it, what nonsense is this.'
In the end, he had only one choice left.
Activate all the reserves he had held back for key moments at once.
Better to use them somehow than lose them entirely, right?
—In conclusion.
It was the worst decision.
No matter how stealthy the chakra activation, there were limits.
The more seeds activated, the greater the fluctuations—naturally.
And the connections born from that...
[Ah! Finally found you.]
...Were inevitably caught by the gaze of someone who had been waiting for this moment.
[Wait just a sec?]
A bewitching voice echoed in his mind—one impossible to forget after hearing.
[I'm coming to meet you now. Hehe—]
Cold chills raced down the spine of the mastermind who had been so confident in remaining hidden.