After clearing the first two layers of the dungeon once more, the exhausted duo began their ascent.
As they reached the entrance of the camp, Greg teased Victoria.
“How about it, Junior Sister? Want to squeeze in with your Senior for the night? I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself!”
Victoria stopped and glanced back at him, her eyes filled with undisguised disdain and wariness.
She certainly wasn't going in. The camp only had one tent, and it was cramped, barely large enough for one person to lie down.
If two people slept there, they would be confined to an extremely tight space, making physical contact inevitable.
Based on her understanding of Greg, the credibility of his promise to “keep his hands to himself” was about the same as him saying, “Even though it’s late, I’ll definitely go to bed early.” It was a promise that was practically worthless.
“Hmph, scumbag!”
After dropping those two words, Victoria turned and continued toward the exit without looking back.
She planned to use the cover of night to rush back to the dorms to rest.
Although the journey was a bit far, it was much better than being squeezed into a tent with a guy who was full of hot air.
“Sigh, I was actually serious this time, but she still didn't believe me.”
Greg shook his head, watching Victoria’s figure disappear into the passage before walking into the camp alone.
However, it wasn't a big deal.
But Victoria’s rejection made Greg realize that he might need to upgrade the basic infrastructure of his camp.
Almost everything in the camp was only sufficient for one person... well, plus a cat.
If Victoria and the others encountered a situation where they had to rest here in the future, one of them would have to sleep on the cold stone floor.
He didn't want to be that person.
So, to avoid ending up sleeping on the rocks himself, it was safer to upgrade.
“Should I buy a few more tents?”
Greg proposed a simple solution but quickly rejected it himself.
“No, there’s plenty of space here. Maybe I should just build a small cabin. That way, I can enjoy it myself when they aren't around.”
As he plotted, he walked deeper into the camp.
Then, he saw the black cat.
Nightmare was crouching on a flat rock beside the tent, her tail gently wrapped around her front paws, her amber vertical pupils shimmering with a profound light in the flickering glow of the campfire.
She looked as if she had been waiting there for a long time, her posture composed and elegant, like a queen waiting for her subjects to seek an audience.
“Thou hast returned.”
Nightmare spoke, her voice carrying its usual laziness and composure.
“I have good news to tell thee.”
“Oh? What good news?”
Greg asked as he walked toward the underground river beside the camp.
A branch of the underground river flowed through here, the water clear and slightly chilled.
He knelt down, cupped the river water to wash his face, and briefly cleaned the dust from his arms and neck.
The icy water washed away the day’s fatigue and grime, making him feel refreshed.
“I have recovered enough to grant thee a Divine Protection,” Nightmare said calmly.
Greg’s movements suddenly halted.
Without bothering to wipe the water droplets from his face, he turned around and rushed toward Nightmare in a few steps, confirming with an excited expression.
“What? You mean I can get a Divine Protection right now!?”
He had originally thought he wouldn't be able to get a Divine Protection before the Hundred Academy Exchange officially began.
After all, the speed of Nightmare’s recovery depended entirely on faith, and he couldn't help with that at all; he could only rely on Allie and the others to develop it themselves.
He hadn't expected to actually make it at the very last moment.
Nightmare nodded. “Indeed. Lie down on the ground now, and I shall bestow the Divine Protection upon thee.”
Greg paused. “I need to lie on the ground first? Can’t you just give it to me like this?”
Nightmare explained:
“Because thou currently possesseth half of my Godhood, I cannot simply bestow it as I once did for my followers. This process requires certain steps and a... sense of ritual. But thou canst rest assured; because of this, thou shalt receive a Divine Protection far more potent than those of the past.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
Hearing this, Greg didn't hesitate and decisively lay down on the ground, spreading his limbs in a “do as you wish” posture, then beckoned to Nightmare with his finger.
“Come on, baby!”
“...I think I understand now why I specifically wanted to choose thee back then.”
She whispered softly, then walked with light steps onto Greg’s chest.
Since it was only the weight of a cat, it was very light, exerting almost no pressure on his chest. Only the faint body heat transmitting through the fabric reminded Greg of her presence.
She lowered her head, her amber vertical pupils looking down into Greg’s eyes.
“Close thine eyes.”
Greg obediently closed his eyes.
Soon after, he could clearly feel Nightmare’s body heat, and that warmth was passing through his clothes to his skin, gradually penetrating into his body.
Then, he heard her voice—it was no longer the usual lazy or teasing tone, but a chant filled with ancient rhythm and a sense of holiness.
“I am the Goddess of Night, Nightmare—ruler of the Realm of Eternal Night, mistress of the Gates of the Abyss, the one who walks the boundary between starlight and shadow. I take the dark moon as my crown, the night sky as my cloak, and the breath of all things slumbering as my Authority.”
“Today, in my own name and witnessed by the fate that binds us, I bestow upon thee—my other half, my contractor, my chosen successor—the Divine Protection of Night.”
Accompanying Nightmare’s chant, Greg felt his body becoming hotter and hotter.
That heat did not come from outside, but rose from deep within his body, as if an invisible flame were flowing through his veins.
The heat was not scorching; instead, it brought a warm and fulfilling sensation, as if something were taking root and sprouting within him, merging into one with him.
He could clearly feel a certain power filling his body, a strength surging from the depths of his soul, flowing along his meridians and penetrating every muscle, bone, and cell.
He did not resist this feeling; he even found it comfortable, because this power was compatible with his essence.
When this power reached its peak, Nightmare stopped her chanting.
The surroundings fell into a brief silence, with only the sound of the distant underground river echoing in the wind.
Then, Greg felt the weight on his chest suddenly become much heavier, followed by a soft touch landing on his lips.
Rate on N.U.
