Shadow of the Beautiful World

burn!

Outside the ruins in the snowy mountains of Niflheim, Loki holds a torch.

With determination and anger shining in the prince's eyes, he said to the others around him:

There is no other way, we must burn this place.

Your Highness!

A guard of the Golden Palace with a battle ax on his back looked at the people wandering in the ruins with some embarrassment.

He discouraged in a low voice:

Maybe they can still be saved, maybe we...

They can't be saved!

Behind Loki, an elderly rune guard whispered:

Their souls are left in the nightmare and become a springboard to connect the nightmare and reality, extending the power of the nightmare to the real world...

In the process of that transfer, their souls were already crushed.

All you see is a shell that is still alive.

The old man sighed, and he too held a burning torch.

Turning around, he called out to the soldiers who didn't know much about magic:

The evil hidden deep in the dream is filling their bodies. Once they complete the fusion, our compatriots will become mindless monsters and become the minions of nightmares raging in this world.

They are hopeless, all we can do is to give them the last decency!

His Royal Highness Loki's decision is correct.

The old man clenched the badge in his hand, and he said:

In the name of the Great Rune Tower, we support His Highness' decision!

We must burn the city and burn away the remaining nightmare power, or it will continue to corrupt Niflheim...and spread to other worlds.

We will find the monster hiding in the dream!

Loki's cold voice sounded in the evening, and he said to the others:

In the name of Odin, we will never let it go!

burn!

His Royal Highness closed his eyes, and he threw the torch towards the ruins in front of him.

When the flame covered with magic power touched the ruins, it began to burn blazingly.

Behind Loki, other people also threw out the torches in their hands.

With the help of the rune guards of the Great Rune Tower, the flames on the ruins burned extremely violently, like a storm blown by the wind, with a gesture of sweeping everything, soon the ruins of the entire castle were destroyed. It ignited.

It was probably because the nightmare had too much energy remaining here, and when the flames came into contact, those energies were ignited like gasoline.

Your Highness...

The flames burned, casting Loki's shadow on the ground. Behind Loki, the guard of the Great Rune Tower said softly:

What happened here must be reported to Her Majesty the Queen of Heaven.

The strength of this evil spirit is still uncertain, but it can easily pull a city into a nightmare, and it is obviously beyond our ability to deal with it.

It retreated.

Loki replied blankly:

It left on its own initiative, maybe it felt threatened...

You stay here and report the situation to the Great Rune Tower, Master, I will lead a team of wizards into the mountain and search in the direction it left.

I do not doubt your magical power, Your Highness.

The old man dissuaded:

But I think you should wait until His Majesty makes a decision before acting... Asgard has lost a prince, and we cannot lose another.

Time waits for no one.

Loki had only thought of Niflheim as a one-way move to solve his own problems.

But after actually coming here, he realized that the problem was much more serious than he had imagined.

Loki does have a grudge against Odin, but he also calls Asgard home.

He wanted to prove that he was more suitable to be a king than his elder brother, so he had to fulfill his duties, which was why he took the risk to make a deal with Lau Fei.

Seeing this situation in Niflheim now, if Loki runs away again...

He no longer has to fight for the throne.

well.

The rune guard behind him also sighed. The old man with rune runes tattooed on his face looked at the mountain surrounded by darkness, and he said worriedly:

If only Prince Thor was here, his thunder power has a strong restraint on these evil spirits.

Loki's expression changed.

He knew that these loyal, apolitical runeguards were just talking nonsense.

But that made him very uncomfortable.

Thor again...

Obviously standing here to protect the people is him, it is Loki...

Obviously his elder brother has given up his responsibility and mission to his hometown, but everyone still misses him.

but...

Could it be that he was doomed to never get rid of his brother's shadow for the rest of his life?

Go and inform the queen mother.

Loki grabbed the Eternal Spear, and said in a cold voice:

I'm leaving!

After speaking, His Royal Highness rushed into the mountain below the city with a team of rune guards.

Behind him, the flames of the city burned.

The flames burst into the sky.

—————————

In the deepest frozen fog forest of Niflheim, the country of fog, Zatanna, the magician lady, is busy around the gate of dreams.

She frowned tightly, and was arranging a large spell on the ground deftly.

Around her body, dreams and the world are blending.

The roots of the nightmare tree that should have taken root in the dream have pierced through the barrier between the two worlds, taking root in reality,

Pulling this icy forest into the dreamland filled with dark red like ashes.

The distinction between the present world and the dream becomes blurred here, turning this place into an ever-changing and intricate maze.

Part unreal, part real.

The two are intertwined in a fantastic way, which makes Zatanna a little at a loss.

It grows too fast.

Miss Magician stood up and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

She looked back at the nightmare tree behind her. In just a few days, the scale of this nightmare tree far surpassed the tree in her dream world.

It became wide and hideous.

The branches without leaves are like the fluffy crown of the sky. It is just a tree, but it is like a small forest.

Those intertwined branches cover everything around them.

On that branch, those dark red charms were shining, like flickering lamps, illuminating the smooth light from the branch, but this scene was not beautiful.

Only horror.

Indescribable horror.

I have to close this door.

Zatanna looked at the circular light curtain wrapped in vines, which was the gate of dreams, used to connect this dream with hers.

Let the power of nightmare flow in two directions.

In previous days, this door was still free to close.

But today, after the materialized nightmare destroyed a city in Niflheim, that door cannot be closed.

It is maintained in an actively opened posture. In Zatanna's dream world, a steady stream of nightmares are poured here, so that the evil spirits born in the nightmares can get sufficient nutrients.

Nightmare is about to be born.

After absorbing the fear of a city, it will transform from a symbolic existence to a real existence...

Just like human childbirth.

In the depths of the land of mist, near Asgard's Hades, an evil spirit that feeds on fear is about to revive.

Zatanna is not worried about the birth of Nightmare.

This was her plan...

Throw the Nightmare on the land of Asgard and cut off its connection with the Dream Dimension when it is born. Without the power supply of the Nightmare Dimension, the newly born Nightmare will become weak.

It has a high chance of being defeated and sealed by the rune wizards of Asgard.

The plan went smoothly.

But now, the final step is approaching, and with it unexpected problems.

Nightmare seems to have read Zatanna's mind.

It uses the power of the Nightmare Dimension to force open and maintain the Dream Gate.

If Zatanna can't close this door before it is born, then the dream world of her and Merlin will be the first to be occupied by nightmares.

Nightmare is not stupid...

Compared with the large number of rune wizards in Asgard, the small dream world guarded by Zatanna is obviously a better persimmon.

Any plan has risks.

Now, it's Zatanna's turn to risk her plans.

Fortunately, I made preparations in advance.

Miss Magician took a few steps back. She took out a few strange old seals from her waist, and threw them on the black light-emitting spell at her feet.

In the urgent and strange chanting sound of her characteristic ironic magic, those dream eaters who had no specific entity like insects were summoned from the agnostic sea.

The moment these dream-feeding spirits appeared, they were called to pounce on the doors connecting the two dreams.

Those twisted creatures began to use their sharp mouthparts to absorb the power of the door.

A few more!

Zatanna threw out a few old seals again, and more Dream Eaters were called over like a dense swarm of bees.

They made a strange humming sound, lying on the vines that bound the gate of dreams.

Like a swarm of locusts.

The power of the nightmare was devoured, and the surface of the opened dream door had a halo of water ripples, and its magic structure was becoming loose.

And the spells on the vines like the door frames are also getting darker.

Those spells were about to go out.

A door that can be opened from both sides, and now the lock on this side is about to be broken.

Zatanna just needs to go back to her side and smash the lock on the door there, and the door will be closed forever.

It's not difficult at all.

The premise is, if no one bothers you.

Just as Zatanna was walking towards the gate of dreams, the neighing of war horses suddenly sounded in the area behind her where dreams and reality were intertwined.

Along with the neighing of the war horse, there was also a gloomy and slippery voice like a snake.

Where are you going? Little sister.

Zatanna turned her head, and saw that under the frantically swaying branches of the nightmare tree, the surging black air was condensing into a strange figure.

A magnificent black war horse was neighing with its head raised.

Its eyes are red, and there is no hair on its body. Those fluttering manes are like swaying black smoke. Its four hooves and neck are dotted with exquisite saddles, and the horse's head is covered with iron armor.

There are dark red flames burning on its four hooves.

nightmare beast...

This is not the kind of hybrid breed domesticated by the hell lords, nor is it a fantasy creature like Yeqi that has degenerated for several generations in this world.

It's a real nightmare beast.

A strange creature that can only be born in nightmares and can walk in dreams.

And on the back of that mighty and majestic Nightmare Beast sat an even weirder guy.

It was wearing a tattered green robe, which was divided into four petals under its body, like a special skirt.

Its body is thin and pale, and just looking directly at it, one can feel a strange mistyness and distortion, as well as the deepest depravity.

It has a thin face, like a guy who is extremely malnourished and has severe Internet addiction symptoms, with a pair of dark red eyes and heavy dark circles.

It also has a sharp face, like those lemurs, or some kind of special kind of devil.

There are pointed ears, an exaggerated eagle nose, and a mess of black hair that is loose and messy.

It's like a head of black grease covering the head, beating and shining.

It held a staff like an elongated bronze key in its hand.

Or call it, Spear?

In short, this guy was riding on the back of the Nightmare Beast, looking at Zatanna who was constantly retreating with a critical look.

Well, the face is 9 points, the figure is perfect, and the occult attainment is quite high.

The guy glanced at the dream eaters who were summoned to lie on the vines and devour nightmares.

It raised its head, looked at Zatanna, and said:

Unfortunately... the soul is no longer pure.

I'm a bit of a clean freak, and I don't really like things that other people have used...

It raised its hand, and the entire land where reality and dreams merged was distorted, and in the pale light that changed like a nightmare, balls of black mud-like things were called out.

Under Nightmare's manipulation, they transformed into twisted knights in black armor, surrounding Zatanna from every direction.

Countless ages, countless eternities.

The Sandman keeps me from devouring that delicious world time and time again.

In every era, there are warriors chosen by him to fight fiercely with me, but what happened in this era?

The Nightmare Master riding on the back of the Nightmare Beast grabbed its chin with its claw-like hands. It tilted its head and looked at Zatana in front of it.

it says:

Is the Sandman drunk? Or out of his mind? Why did he pick you against me?

Do you think you have a chance of winning?

Zatanna ignored Nightmare's provocation, she looked around vigilantly.

She held a ball of magic in her hand, but before the magic could be thrown out, a sharp pain came from her abdomen.

dang lang

The sound of shattering glass rang in Zatanna's ears. Zatanna herself was pierced from behind by a nightmare knight who appeared silently.

The pain made her wake up from the dream...

Looking back, she saw that the gate of dreams hadn't been weakened at all, and she hadn't summoned any dream eaters at all.

It's all been a nightmare.

A nightmare in constant rotation.

Snapped

Zatana was held by the neck by the nightmare that emerged from the black mist, and was lifted in the air.

The Nightmare Master said cruelly and lightly in a tone of playing with his prey:

Guess, Zatana Zatara, how many times have you been killed?

Guess, Zatana, poor child, how many times can you persist in the nightmare of reincarnation?

One last guess...

Will someone come to your rescue before you completely collapse?