The Four Nightmares of Tamia
The next day.
When Carpe logged in, not only Mukhyang and Mirage but someone else welcomed him too.
-You're here?
"Huh? Bro, you're here? How'd you know I was in here?"
-Of course I didn't know. I just figured you'd be in the castle somewhere, so I was poking around rooms until I stumbled on this one. You walked in right as I did, and the kids were crashed out.
Cheonma said that, then pointed to one corner of the room. There, Mukhyang and Mirage were deeply asleep, clinging to each other.
"Whoa. These two bundles of energy sleeping this late? That's a rare sight."
-Yeah. They were out so cold, I didn't have the heart to wake 'em. Been waiting solo.
"Probably tossed and turned all night 'cause they switched beds or something."
They must've finally conked out at dawn after fidgeting forever. Carpe got it—he often had trouble sleeping in a new spot himself.
"Kyuuu... Kchik!"
"Mmm... Master... Please let me be a righteous thief again todayyy..."
The two mumbled in their sleep, hugging on the fluffy cushions. Smiles lit their faces—they were clearly having sweet dreams.
"Bro, they're smiling in their sleep."
-Let 'em be. Looks like good dreams. Anyway, nothing happen after we split yesterday?
"Nope. So quiet it was awkward."
He'd figured meeting the king would push the quest forward.
"Reality's got me stuck in the library playing treasure hunt. Epic pet evolution quest, huh? Feels like the clues are buried deep."
-Makes sense for an epic pet.
"You holding up okay? Everyone else safe?"
-Yeah. We've settled in a safe spot.
"Oh, good."
-And that's not all. Found a clue for the evolution quest too.
"What? For real?"
Carpe blinked in surprise. He'd come all the way to the kingdom with zilch, but Cheonma, who'd stayed outside, had a lead?
-Lemme explain what went down...
Cheonma gave a quick rundown of events since they'd parted.
With the sleeping duo's soft breathing as BGM, the story unfolded.
-...And that's the deal.
"No way, bro—you're not an NPC, right? Why's a Patron Spirit keep picking up quests?"
-Tell me about it. I'm baffled too.
"Hmm. Resistance group called Regis, huh. Sounds like it's from 'resistance.'
-Probably.
"Revolution vibes—feels like it'll play out like Ramark."
Back then, Ramark was rotting under a foolish king and a vicious prime minister's disastrous duo.
Carpe's class quest tied into the nation, so he'd gotten dragged into the revolution. The scheming prime minister vanished, and the kingdom got its happy ending.
"I got something similar too. Tied to this kingdom's class system."
But Carpe's wasn't 'help the revolution'—it was a choice quest.
"If you got one too, our options are basically set."
The prisoner in the dungeon knew about the primordial Tamias, after all.
Obviously, they'd side with the resistance.
"Revolution. The word alone screams nightmare difficulty."
-Nah, doesn't seem that tough this time.
"Huh? Why not?"
-Resistance has crazy power.
Cheonma had already scouted their spots, using his ability to move unseen anywhere.
-Every class except mages. And it's not like they lack mages entirely.
Tamias swordsmen, thieves, archers, tanks, and more!
Meanwhile, the mage-supremacist kingdom's forces were 90% mages, with the rest being jacks-of-all-trades like magic swordsmen or magic lancers—zero specialization.
-Mages without frontline support ain't scary. Revolution'll succeed easy, even without us. Unless some wild card pops up.
"Eek. That line feels like foreshadowing... makes me uneasy."
-Biggest thing: A key royal figure's already in bed with the resistance.
"Huh? Key figure? Who?"
-They clammed up—top secret. But they boasted like it was someone huge.
"Hmmm. High noble, then."
Even among nobles benefiting from the class system, one had an open mind.
Superior forces and an inside powerhouse?
If Cheonma was right, the revolution was as good as won.
-So a prison raid's overkill with just our side's muscle. Don't sweat it. Few days till go-time anyway—keep hunting clues here. I'll gather intel on this end.
"Got it. Take care of the others."
-You got it. Catch ya later.
Before leaving, Cheonma glanced at the sleeping pair, chuckled, and vanished.
"Alright. Time to hunt."
Carpe considered waking them but headed to the library solo. They looked too peaceful to disturb.
"Hmm. Read this yesterday... Today, start here..."
About an hour later.
Amid endless tomes, Carpe found promising text.
[...The primordial Tamias who founded Tamia is said to have wielded eight attributes. However, astonishingly, he did not possess all eight from the start. This shocking tale contradicts the modern common sense that 'the number of attributes is innate.']
The book was an anonymous work titled Truths of Darkness.
A quick skim showed it was a mishmash of wild rumors and hearsay, half sensational novel.
[...The primordial Tamias originally wielded four attributes. But he vanquished the 'Four Nightmares' that terrorized magic Tamias at the time, gaining four more as a result.]
[The Four Nightmares are as follows.]
[The crimson raptor that rules the skies]
[The ermine that freezes all]
[The golden fox with savage claws]
[The dark civet that devours everything]
"...Raptor, ermine, fox, civet. All natural predators of Tamias."
Carpe read on eagerly. Like founding myths everywhere, it told of a legendary hero slaying beasts plaguing his kin to build a new nation.
Reminded him a lot of Saint Ru Hal's origin tale.
[...In the end, after a bloody battle, the primordial Tamias felled the final nightmare, the ice ermine.]
[The ice attribute seeped into him, granting mastery of eight.]
[...]
[Having grasped nature's truths, eight rings appeared above his head—the legendary realm of Eight Qi Converging. Absorbing vital energy from great nature itself, he ascended to the immortal realm...]
"...What? Sudden wuxia ending?"
Carpe smacked his lips at the anticlimactic close but found the content riveting.
"The Four Nightmares."
Couldn't shake the Four Calamities parallel. Gut feeling said this tied to Mukhyang's evolution quest.
"Alright. Dig some more..."
"Master!"
"Kyuu kyuu!"
Then the library door burst open as Mukhyang and Mirage rushed in.
"Master, sorry. Slept so deep I didn't notice you come."
"Kyuuuung..."
"Nah, it's fine. You looked wiped—sleep well?"
"Yeah. Totally refreshed."
"Good. What kept you up, though?"
"...Dunno. Just couldn't sleep. Helped Hyan with his worries too."
"Worries?"
Carpe eyed Mukhyang curiously, but Mirage shook her head.
"Master, you're not subtle. Don't pry into a brooding boy's troubles."
"...That kinda thing?"
"Yup. But I counseled him good! Right, Hyan?"
"Kyuu kyuu!"
Mukhyang nodded vigorously. They were always close, but today felt extra tight-knit.
"Glad it's sorted. Holler if you need me."
"Yeah! Actually, got a favor."
"Shoot."
"Want costumes!"
"Costumes?"
"Black masks! Black capes! Matching pair for me and Hyan!"
"Outta nowhere."
"...No good, Master?"
Mirage hit him with puppy eyes. Mukhyang piled on from the side.
"...Can't say no."
Carpe's mouth twitched into a grin.
How could he resist this adorable duo begging?
Normally Tina would've scolded, 'Maintain knightly dignity! Knights don't beg their lord for material things!' But she wasn't here.
Carpe hopped into the costume shop.
Cosmetics were pure looks, no stats—cheap too.
"Pet black masks... Oh, got 'em."
He nabbed everything Mirage wanted.
Eye-masking black masks and capes.
Bought pairs; they hit inventory instantly. Dressed up, they looked perfect.
Mirage's androgynous look and snow-white hair popped with the black cape over her crisp shirt—like an anime hero.
Mukhyang too. Red scarf plus black cape and mask? Cuteness doubled.
"Perfect. Hold up."
Carpe got hyped, snagging black hats and silver fencing swords too.
"Flawless! Black cape, black mask—that name... The Gallant Zorro!"
"Huh? What's that, Master?"
"Righteous outlaw from my homeland."
"Whoa, perfect for us!"
"Huh? What?"
"N-Nothing! Slipped out."
Mirage panicked at the follow-up, but Carpe, smitten, brushed it off.
He just spammed screenshots nonstop. This'd rack ten million views easy.
"Okay, back-to-back pose now..."
And that's when it happened.
A Tamias approached the trio's blissful library moment.
"Pardon the intrusion, honored guest. His Majesty requests your presence at an important meeting."
"Meeting? We're outsiders."
"He wishes to hear an outsider's view. I don't know details..."
"Hmm... Got it."
Quest scent wafted strong.
To repay the king's hospitality, Carpe headed out with Mukhyang and Mirage.