"Why do you know?" Jack yelled. "Just by looking at our golden one-eyed masks, you can tell we believe in the God of Nightmares and do what the Lord says."
"But how do you know that we represent the Nightmare Lord, 'The Lust Painter'?
'Moreover, Astr easily called out the names of the demigod's subordinates like a treasure trove; he looks more skilled than a cultist like me.
"You don't know what I did?" Astr said clearly, "No wonder you are so bold; it turns out to be ignorance."
"You, what did you do?"
Astr smiled faintly and remarked, "It's nothing; I just went around Lust Painter Nightmare Space and tossed one of his subordinates."
"..." Jack's expression froze, like lard that melted and then froze.
'What did I hear? The boy in a wheelchair in front of me killed a nightmare monster who was in charge of a Stream Steed.
"Haha...hahaha...are you kidding me?" Jack grinned an ugly smile and staggered back two steps.
Even if half of his face is hidden under the brass one-eyed mask, the changing expression on his face is comparable to that of a circus clown.
What kind of monster did they mess with?
Astr watched Jack's collapse with pleasure, and waves of fear energy flowed into him, quickly repairing his broken body.
'This is much more effective than bandages and healing potions.'
"Feeding on other people's fears and energies, using other people's pain as a source of happiness..."
Jack murmured, his face turning pale, "No wonder; even nightmare monsters are afraid of you."
"This is called'respect'." Astr corrected, "I win based on my strength, and most people think I am cute and kind."
'The few remaining people are either dead, just like the original Rafeal and the Banshee. Or, become a loyal subordinate who cannot resist him.'
"[Stream Steed]..." Astr murmured,
"The second boss in the Lust Painter's dungeon, level 49, oversees the Crystal Lake connected to the Underworld River. And the minions are the grudge babies."
[Stream Steed] is a pale horse that lives in a circular lake.
He is responsible for attracting the souls of the dead, luring children on horseback, and then sinking them into the lake to drown them.
In the Leonis Empire, hundreds of unborn infants face the tragic fate of drowning and being stillborn.
"Huh? Wait, souls of the dead, grudge babies."
A flash of light flashed through Astr's mind; his eyes gradually widened, and he murmured with a low voice.
"One of the materials for making goblin bone mugs is the essence of the soul."
"If the souls of these grudge babies were gathered and concentrated, wouldn't it be one of the materials for making fairy bone china cups—the essence of the soul?"
[Main Mission has made progress]
[Mission update: Concentrate the soul of the Grudge Babies]
[Tips: If you fulfil the wish of the Grudge Babies and purify the soul, you will get different effects.]
[Reward: 30 experience points, The Favourability of the undead species (needs to be purified)]
Astr rolled his eyes, but he didn't expect that these "guests" would bring unexpected surprises.
Materials that had no clue at first found their direction so quickly.
"Very good; I'm very satisfied." Astr nodded and met Jack's hopeful eyes. "I'll forgive you."
After the words fell, Jack suddenly felt weak and almost collapsed to the ground.
If the blood and screams of his companions hadn't still lingered in his mind, he would have thought it was a dream. It was indeed a dream—a real nightmare.
Jack looked at Astr's face and backed away slowly. Seeing that he looked happy and ignored him, he couldn't help but feel relieved.
'Fortunately, this young man is still a human being with a trace of kindness left, not to mention his lack of experience and his lack of experience in eradicating the root of the problem.'
'Although it is a pity that Astr Serene could not be taken away or killed, But the information about this mansion is precious enough to make up for the mistake.'
While Jack was calculating, he backed up to the bedroom door and held the doorknob.
"Click."
The sound of locking was like a death knell ringing in his ears, making his mind buzz.
"Click, click, click!"
Jack twisted the door handle more and more crazily, and eventually, he even shook it with all his strength.
But this door didn't move at all. Standing in front of him, it was like a high wall, cutting off his way of life.
"..."
Jack turned his head at a sluggish pace, finding himself confronted by two strikingly beautiful and handsome faces, both adorned with unsettling smiles.
Pointing towards the door, one of them offered a grin that resembled more of a grotesque display than a genuine smile.
"Doesn't it appear as if this door has been securely locked?"
Astr did not speak. The one who answered Jack was Rafeal, stepping forward slowly.
With a flick of the brush, Jack's face turned as white as snow.
"You told me to leave," he shouted desperately and collapsed. Blood loss and fear made him dizzy. "You lied to me!"
"I didn't lie to you; I said, 'I forgive you'." Astr smiled, his smile still gentle and kind. "I didn't say I could protect you from leaving the mansion."
"You damn sick devil—Ugh!"
An invisible hand strangled Jack's neck, strangling his unfinished curse words.
Astr's smile disappeared. Without the smile, this lovely face became as cold and heartless as an ice sculpture.
"You broke into my house without permission and wanted to kill me. Do you think I might allow you to live?"
Facing Astr's eyes, which seemed to be burning with cold flames, Jack's faint hope disappeared along with the resentment.
He stared blankly as Rafeal walked up to him step by step, opened his mouth, and opened it wider and wider until he swallowed him whole. Rafeal ended his sinful life.
...
The breeze fluttered the curtains and caressed Astr's cold face, as if to soothe his anger.
Rafael stood there in silence, quietly assimilating Jack's memories. After a brief moment, Astr exhaled slowly, his countenance returning to a state of tranquilly.
At this time, the stagnant air in the bedroom began to flow again. Rafeal breathed a sigh of relief, only to feel his heart pounding.
Rafeal took the initiative and said,
"This gang's stronghold is in the abandoned sewer pipe outside the outer city. The road is very complicated, and there are many exits."
"Yes, I know." Astr nodded.
The "Leon Rose Sewer," where cultists gather, is a disgusting dungeon.
The maze-like terrain, dim vision, numerous corners, and countless old ghosts will pop out of nowhere to prank you as you walk.
Fortunately, as one of the providers of the strategy map, Astr had already memorised the terrain of the sewer pipes by heart.
"Now is not the time to launch an attack." Astr said, "These are just cannon fodder who came to explore the way. There are also powerful people in the cult."
"Okay, I will listen to you." Rafeal nodded brainlessly.
"So, what's your next plan?"
"What's your next plan?" Astr grinned and stared directly at Rafeal.
Suddenly, Rafeal felt an ominous premonition.
"The next strategy, naturally, involves fully utilising your role as a young man and infiltrating the heart of the enemy."
Astr wanted to send a big gift to the cult that worshipped nightmares.