Void Merge.

And immediately after that...every world evolvers hand throughout the entirety of the dream realm glowed a bright golden. As a set of runic words appeared before their eyes.

[Shadow Monarch has completed a side quest: Stir the will of a Daevis!]

Zeras had a wide grin on his face as he checked the rankings...and just as expected Shadow Monarch was now ranked second.

Which gave him more confidence in the world simulation ability.

'Everything has been going as I predicted...and there has been no unnecessary mishap.'

"I just hope it stays that way." Zeras muttered with a cold piercing gaze as he glanced back.

Gulp!!

Gulp!!!

Hero drank the water continously, as he had a satisfied expression on his face. Before passing it to Sofie who had a light smile on her face as she collected it from him.

"Thanks." She said, as she took some gulp of the water.

Her brows furrowed a little at some point in time...but she waved the thought within her away.

As she gulped in the water again. She had a light smile on her face as she dropped the bottle just right beside her.

***********

Upon packing everything they might need...Hero glanced at the sky with great determination obvious within his eyes as he spoke.

"Alright, the sun is up. Let's get going."

Zeras stood up from his lying position, as he stretched his body a little.

'He couldn't wait to see their unfortunate end...Hmph, how dare they plot against him. Regarding him as some sort of minor pawn in their game to success. Today...he would show them what it means to be in control...and never losing control.'

A strange glint flashed across his eyes, as he suddenly raised his eyes up.

Only to see that Hero and Sophie were rapidly dissapearing into the distance.

"Eh- wait for me you guys." Zeras yelled out, as he also moved forward with mind blowing speed.

His legs smashed against the dark mountainous range, as he immediately shot forth with blinding speed. Almost akin to a shot arrow, as he rapidly chased after the duo.

Huff...

Huff....

He finally caught up to them as an intense exhalation escaped his lips, his hands placed on his knees as he bent down from exhaustion. He felt as though his lungs had been set on fire.

'See how much I am suffering and they are there busy chatting.' Zeras glanced ahead of him, as he caught sight of both of them just a few feet away from them.

He had a cold look on his face as it was finally replaced by a wide devilish grin.

"Doesn't matter anyways. They would soon be in hell." He muttered, as he finally caught his breathe, finally catching up to them...

"Aren't you a little bit too weak." Sofie asked with a curious look in her eyes.

"Oh-i am sorry." Zeras replied with a sad look on his face, as he glanced at the floor beneath his feet, as slight teardrops dripped down his eyes.

Sofie upon seeing this, had a shocked expression as she suddenly spoke.

"I-i didn't mean it that way...just wondering why you are not as strong as Hero."

Zeras with his bodily frame, did resemble a child...but make no mistake. He isn't one.

Zeras sniffed lightly as he spoke.

"Yeah...everyone says that...even in the slumps. They beat me up, slap me if I say anything wrong or anything they felt I shouldn't have dared to utter...they said I am the son of a whore." Zeras dictated his entire life history, as indeed all this were the truth.

But have you heard of a famous saying.

'The truth is the best form of deceit.'

Sofie had a guilty expression on her face, as she immediately grabbed him and drew him closer to her.

"Sorry kid, all those guys who said those words are bastards. They are all just jealous of you..." She said, trying to calm Zeras down...

Zeras could feel his head lying against her...

But for his plan to succeed...he could only press on...and handle such a disgusting thing...without feeling the need to puke out even his intestines.

Hero had a narrowed brow as his voice suddenly tore through the air.

"Enough of the brotherly and sisterly love...we have some incoming friends headed our way.

'Oh- we are already there. So this means if the simulation is correct just like it always is. We will soon be there...'

Zeras had a wide grin on his face, as Sophie immediately dragged him behind her.

As she stood before him...her posture showed she was ready to risk it all. And tear apart anyone or anything who would try to kill...Zeras.

Zeras had a wide grin on his face as he took a peek at Hero. Hero could be seen fighting against 3 Eldritch dream creatures.

Each one had a dark skin, a reddish bone jutting out of their worm wriggling skin, legs that had their ends jointed by large claws and countless thorns easily jutted out of their red bones, adding a dreadful aesthetic to their terror-induced body.

Zeras had a bright smile on his face as Hero's sword suddenly radiated a white light, as whirlwind rise into the air, before smashing against one of the Eldritch dream creatures.

BAAANG!!!!

SLIICEEEE!!!!!!

The Eldritch dream creature had one of its' four legs sliced apart, as dark blood spluttered into the air followed by a loud shreik. As Hero immediately attempted to follow up with a finishing move.

Only to be blocked by four claws that were clamping down from great heights and headed for his head with terrifying speed...the wind frenzied in a wide manner as he narrowed his brows as he realized he had no choice but to leave such a great opportunity.

He immediately slid onto the ground, barely avoiding the claws. He didn't waste any time, as he immediately ran across the ground, each time an attack wanted to tear him into pieces...he would suddenly have his two legs exude a white glow and immediately after that...his speed would suddenly shoot forward...

'Yeah.. that's it. This is the wind aspect related ability that allows him to escape countless life-endagering situations.'

Zeras had a raised brow, as he studied Hero with precise attention.

After all...he couldn't say. Anything could happen after all. Therefore he had to be prepared for the worst...though he was still a hundred percent confident in his plan.

Yet...that didn't mean he should belittle others.'

Hero's sword was suddenly waved, as a light glow escaped from the sword. Immediately smashing into the last Eldritch dream creature, as it was sent flying into the distance, as it crashed into countless rocks and stone continously.

BAANG!!!

BOOOM!!!!

Hero had a wide grin on his face as he immediately moved. His legs tore through the air at a terrifying speed...as large amount of circlic wave appeared beneath his feet...and then.

BZLLZZZ!!!!

His legs moved with a mind blowing speed, his sword shun with a bright glow as he sliced forward with everything he had got, every ounce of energy within his muscle were brought to full display.

As his sword easily cut through the body of the Eldritch dream creature in one fell sloop...

SLIICEEEE!!!!!

CLAAAANG!!!!!

SHATTEEER!!!!!

Hero immediately appeared behind the Eldritch dream creature, as he sheated his sword with a light smile on his face.

And immediately after that...the Eldritch creature suddenly split into two...as dark blood, viscera and organs dropped onto the floor continously before it collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Hey...kiddo. Pick up the three cores and let's get going. Also Sophie, next time we meet some incoming friends, you will be the one doing the fighting. I can feel my origin energy rapidly declining, it won't be a good thing if I don't recover in time for a severe battle."

Hero said after he had sheathed his sword, as he slowly moved into the distance, not bothering to hear a reply.

"Guess I have no choice then. But don't worry, I will still try my best to protect you." Sophie aaid with a light smile on her face, as she bent down a little, before caressing Zeras' violet hair...

Zeras had a wide smile on his face, as he nod his head before replying.

"Thanks, let me quickly get the cores." He immediately moved, as he picked the core one after the other...

While trying to hold the urge to puke...'my holy hair has been tainted.'

Zeras almost got into tears, as he picked up the last of the three cores.

He now had no choice but to put on a smile-facade...as they all 'knowingly' made way towards the dreadful land...

**************

After countless hours of walking, and battling countless Eldritch dream creatures. They let out intense exhalation as their feets wasn't responding as fast as it ought to.

But all this changed when they sighted the large tall mountain...

They had finally arrived at the end of the mountain range.

'Finally, now all we need to do. Is just to climb the fucking cold mountain, get to the other side...and get this done with.' He couldn't hide the smile that surfaced upon his lips.

"Alright, we will be doing some hiking now. Therefore, Kiddo you can bring the cores and the shards." Hero said as he brought out the artifact; SAFE OF ANTHERIA.

Zeras had a sly smile on his face, as if he remembered properly. This thing was sure hell the best storage artifact within the dream realm. And it was also stolen by Hero during his last simulation...whereas in the first, he rightfully got it.

'Is it me...or is my simulation the one causing the change in his personality...'

Zeras narrowed his brows as he murmmured.

"But the runes never said such a thing... it only said i can interfere with the set trajectory..." It finally dawned upon Zeras.

'He had interfered with the predetermined fate, thefore indirectly it would affect those around him; or more appropriately, he had tampered with the course of events, thereby disturbing the natural flow of event and breaking the predetermined fate in the process.'

"Hey kiddo, what are you murmmering. We don't have all the time in the world.We have to get to a safe place." Hero said with a serious expression on his face.

As Zeras immediately handed over the cores and shards to Hero. Hero had a light smile on his face, as three pair of dagger suddenly appeared.

He took one and gave the other two to Zeras and Sophie.

And immediately afterwards...they all got to work.

CLAANG!!!!

CLAANG!!!!

The pair of daggers continously digged into the mountain, as they all grasped on with everything they had got. Each step was taken with great cautiousness and intense determination.

And slowly....

They lost count of time. As the rays of the Night finally showered its' grace upon them.

A hand appeared on top of the mountain...as slowly a figure rose into view...it was none other than Hero, who had an exhaust look on his face.

He immediately collapsed onto the floor, as he breathed heavily.

And he wasn't alone...two pair of hands also slowly rose into the mountain's floor. Revealing two other figures; Zeras and Sophie.

Zeras immediately laid on the ground, as he exhaled and inhaled continously.

"Hurray...we finally made it to the top." He said with great difficulty, as his hands dropped onto the floor.

"You have some hours to rest...we will...descend the mountain afterwards."

Zeras let out a slight exhalation, as his pupis got closed.

Sophie had a light smile on her face, as she carresed his hair with a light smile on her face.

Seeing Sophie attend to Zeras with so much care, Hero could only shake his head.

'They would both soon be dead anyways.'

And slowly...time flew by.

As the time of respite was finally over.

"Time up. Pack your loads. We are descending right now." Hero said, as he got a hold of his pair of dagger.

And then...he was immediately followed by Zeras and Sophie as they descended down the mountain.

CLAAAANG!!!

CLAAAANG!!!!

Slowly but surely, they were soon close to the bottom of the mountain, as they could now clearly see the floor.

It wasn't even appropriate to call it a floor...it was more of a bed of bones...shattered bones, the floor was dyed dark red.

Which Zeras was sure came to be as a result of multiple blood dying the ground and staying there for a long time...

The entire area spanned into endless darkness...as everything his eyes could see through was simply endless darkness and well...pieces of bones and dried blood.

Thud!!

Thud!!!

Thud!!!

They finally jumped onto the ground, as they were met with eerie silence. One to bizarre and weird for such a realm such as the dream realm: A world of Nightmare...itself.

"This place gives me the creep." Zeras said, as his body shivered continously.

"It's okay, everything will be fine. Big sis is here to protect you." Sophie said with a light smile on her face as they slowly walked deeper into the endless darkness...

Tap...

Tap...

They slowly made way towards the end of the endless darkness of a land...well they assumed due to the fact that they could now perceive some slight golden light from the distance.

They slowly approached the beacon of hope...and when they finally realized what their beacon of light was...

Everyone were simply terrified except for Sophie who was both shocked and perhaps petrified.

She took in a large gulp...as before her eyes laid a monstrosity...

'A monstrosity that wasn't supposed to exist, at least not at the outer rings of the dark realm.'

"Well...it surely is as abominable as it is during the Simulation." Zeras murmmured in a low breathe, as he glanced at the humongous body, a white snow like body that had countless sleeky dark like worms wriggling across its snow white skin, spoiling the supposedly beautiful body. And this wasn't all, although in a bent state...with its pupils closed. As it seem to be taking a nap.

It easily towered over two meters in height...as it had large dark claws glittering continously...almost as though it was a reaper of life...and an agent of darkness as it glowed with an otherworldly darkness...

"We betta get out of here, right now." Zeras muttered, as suddenly a loud defeaning sound reverberated through the endless expanse of darkness...

Glancing at the source of the sound...it was none other than Hero, and most shocking of all. He had a golden sword in his hand as he continuously smashed it against the ground.

He had a wide devilish grin on his face... as he was some couple of meters away from them...and away from the chained monstrosity.

And slowly...a dreadful event suddenly took place.

The Abomination of an Eldritch creature suddenly opened its' white pristine pupils and slowly it lost the white glow as it had noticed the invaders.

A dark abysmal look slowly unfurled within its' pupils and the entirety of its' iris...as it rose onto its' four feet.

Easily towering over five meters in height...as large dark horns jutted out of its' head, various dark bones jutted out of its' skin...as it gazed at the invaders with a cold piercing look.

As it large maws slowly opened...releasing a loud roar.

A terrifying circlic wave immediately smashed right into Zeras and Sophie, ad they felt a bad smell assault their nose...as their hair blew about hayzardly...but that wasn't the worse of it all.

The worse of it was about to take place...as the Eldritch dream Creature immediately smashed down with one of its' paws with devastating might.

It was as though one was rasing a mountain to smash against some ants...

As a terrifying pressure weighed down on Sophie and Zeras continously.

"Get out of here." Sophie roared, as she pushed Zeras back with every ounce of strength contained within her body.

And then...to the shock and horror of Hero. A terrifying change...a mind blowing morph suddenly took place.

As Sophie's entire body immediately got covered by dark bony scales of sort, she immediately got on her four, and then a humanoid body got ejected out of her body as it collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud.

And the body was none other than Sophie's body...and then...

The Sophie who was now shockingly a dream Eldritch creature who smashed upward with terrifying force, she let out a loud yell as her paws smashed against that of the monstrosity with terrifying force.

And the result could be expected as it was like a snail trying to tackle a lion...the paws of the gargantuan Eldritch monstrosity easily smashed through her paws as it exploded into a pile of blood and paste...

She glanced at Zeras with a light smile on her face.

"Kid, try to survive...it was nice knowing you..." Her voice resounded through the air as it was cut short by a loud

BOOOM!!!

SPLUTTER!!!

The monstrous paws that had countless worm like creatures revolving underneath them...easily smashed through her entire... Eldritch body.

As a pile of blood and paste mixed with mashed organs spluttered into the air as they littered the entire floor...as the ground was now dyed...dark...adding to its previous darkness.

Zeras had a cold look on his face as he glanced at Hero who had a wide grin on his face. Before he glanced before him...as although the golden chains were tightly wrapped around the Nightmarish Abomination...through the Simulation.

He knew it would be as easy as swatting a fly to death for the gargantuan Eldritch dream creature to easily appear at anywhere within a radius of 10 meter of the endless expanse of darkness...

And Hero had positioned himself just right beyond this position, waiting for the right time to pass through the cave behind the creature...and escape to the holy city; the only save zone within the dream realm...

He had a wide grin on his face, as his sword was hung in the air, as he seemed prepared for anything...

Yet was he prepared for this...

An intense stomach ache suddenly assaulted him, he felt his entire stomach rumble continously, as various of his organs continously bursted within him. Agonizing pain...such pain...he had never felt it before.

It felt so agonizing...it was hellish painful.

He slowly raised his pupils, as he caught sight of Zeras' devilish wide grin. He had a look of shock and disbelief in his eyes as he couldn't believe the weak and timid kid could have set down such a plot.

But the question that weighed his mind even till he dropped dead on the ground.

'How the hell did he know...'

Zeras upon seeing him collapse with a loud thud, had a breathe of relief. As he had finally eliminated one of his problem...now for the second.

A terrifying breathe weighed down on him as he glanced back only to see the gargantuan Eldritch dream creature now before his eyes...as he tried to calm himself down.

Then...he immediately brought his plan to work.

He immediately thought of his worst fear...and if there was one thing the Simulation had made him know...that would be the fact that he was very much afraid of death.

And immediately after he thought of his greatest fear...The Malivoire creature who was in another place entirely...as corpses littered the ground beneath it suddenly sniffed the air.

As through the use of its ability; scent of fear.

It immediately located Zeras and immediately afterwards. It suddenly dissapeared and upon reappearing.

It appeared before Zeras, as it had a wide grin on its' face. And then...to the shock and disbelief of the Nightmare weaver.

Zeras suddenly dissapeared from sight as even its scent of fear couldn't find Zeras...

Zeras had immediately made use of void merge...as he immediately dissapeared from existence as he merged with the limitless void.

And then...within the outside world...within the endless expanse of darkness. The

Nightmare weaver suddenly glanced back...only to be faced with the garguantuan monstrosity.

It had no fear on its' face...as only disdain could be seen in its deep dark abysmal pupils...it was just like a royal glancing at a commoner.

That disdain...that disgust couldn't be hidden...as the Eldritch dream creature let out a loud roar...and then...

All hell broke loose!!!