Chapter 568: Chapter 78: The True Object of Fear

Nightmare Barrier, as the name implies, is a barrier formed by collective nightmares.

Anyone wishing to pass through it would encounter the passive attacks of these nightmares — targeting the psychological weaknesses of the passerby with nightmares designed specifically to break their mental defenses.

Once someone died within the dream, they would also sustain injuries in reality, and Nora had fallen victim to this.

After listening to the explanation from the Banshee Queen, everyone hurriedly took a few steps back in the direction where Nora originally was, ensuring not to accidentally touch the barrier.

Then they turned their puzzled glances towards Nora.

“Ahem,” Nora hesitated before saying, “I dreamed that I had become the Pope of the Church Court.”

“Then Aske came with people to kill me, claiming I had betrayed the Transcendent faction.”

“I couldn’t defeat him, and he killed me.”

“Oh…” The girls all suddenly understood. Since Aske appeared in Nora’s dream, it was normal for her to be unable to defeat him and be killed by him — thinking about how much Shadow the Squad Leader had cast in everyone’s hearts throughout the year.

Even for Sigrdrifa and Mia, who often trained under the Squad Leader, if Aske one day came at them with a sword, even in a dream, their legs would probably turn to jelly instantly.

Resistance would be futile, they definitely wouldn’t be able to defeat him! After all, they had lost to him nearly a thousand times over the year, never winning once!

But though it was just training, the fact that the Squad Leader actually wanted to kill Nora, even if just in a dream, was too much!

Thinking this, everyone’s gaze towards Aske carried a hint of scornful dissatisfaction.

Aske: ? ? ?

“Aske, this time you really went too far,” Thira cleared her throat and said.

“What did I do?” Aske asked, baffled.

“You killed her in her dream,” Mia said.

“Hold on, that wasn’t me,” Aske said, trying to argue with a bittersweet smile, “That was the Nightmare! What does that have to do with me? Blame the Nightmare Barrier if you must!”

“If you didn’t always bully her, would Nora be this terrified of you that she even dreams of you?” Eleanor critically said in a calm voice.

I… Aske was speechless.

“Heh, nightmares aren’t constant. The more flaws in one’s mind, the higher the likelihood of succumbing to nightmares,” the Banshee Queen coldly summarized, “You create flaws in someone’s mind, yet you still have the gall to shirk responsibility. Ha, scumbag.”

Aske: ……..

He helplessly spread his hands, adopting a stance of lying back and letting them hammer away. After all, arguing with women was inherently a losing deal — losing the argument is embarrassing, winning the argument… not only embarrassing but disgraceful.

“Well, we must find a way to ‘safely pass through the Nightmare Barrier,'” Aske immediately shifted the topic when everyone fell silent.

“I’ll do it,” Eleanor courageously stepped forward, “My Will Law can immunize against mind-type abilities, including, presumably, dreams.”

“Then let Eleanor try to cross the barrier,” Aske said, “If she can pass through safely, we’ll head to Fire Island and have her lead us through.”

“Mm,” Eleanor nodded in agreement.

Thus, she took a deep breath and then bravely walked forward.

……..

Suddenly, she came to her senses and found herself sitting on the Iron Throne.

That was close! I almost got lost in the dream!

Luckily, my will helped me stay conscious, enabling me to realize I was dreaming.

Eleanor’s heart was pounding as she began to process the memories in her mind.

She did not know when she had been drawn into the dream. At this point in the dream, she had already left The Azure Longsword Mercenary Corps and returned to the Weisbach family.

Previously, the Saxon family had withdrawn from the competition for the Empire’s throne due to the Empire’s defeat in war, yielding the position to her father, the Duke of Bavaria.

Years later, her father had passed the position to her, reasoning that she had become a demigod, more capable of bearing the responsibility of leading the entire Empire forward.

After ascending to the Iron Throne, she, as the first female monarch of the Empire, governed with vigor and effective leadership, not only easing the relations between the royal family and the major families, vassals, and citizens, but also restoring the relationship with the Church Court and maintaining the technical support from the south.

Now, the Empire’s national power was thriving, the people were living in peace and contentment, and both domestically and internationally, everything was in a stable state; everything was developing in the best possible direction.

The only thing that troubled her were the mercenary and swordsman groups that were stirring up wars across the country.

They usually secretly accepted employment from the nobles to start wars in neighboring fiefs. For the nobles, it eliminated the step of conscripting militias, and thus the perpetually anti-war Emperor would not discover who was initiating the wars.

Of course, for Eleanor on the Iron Throne at present, these mercenary groups were simply a cancer of the Empire. They were always involved in the conflicts and conspiracies among nobles, disrupting the peaceful relations between fiefs, slaughtering people everywhere, and burning down houses, simply committing heinous crimes.

Thus, she issued the most severe “Iron Ban” in history, forbidding any mercenary group from accepting employment within the Empire without permission, and even deployed a large number of Blade Warriors to eradicate those unruly, illegal mercenary groups.

Naturally, such measures caused widespread resentment and hostility among the mercenaries. The Steel Cross Mercenary Group, being the largest and oldest mercenary group in the northern part of the Empire, had recently encountered intense friction with the Empire’s policy and control.

Seizing an opportunity, they initiated armed mutiny against the Emperor in the Aachen Palace, aided by insiders within the palace along with other large mercenary groups.

“Is this my nightmare?” Eleanor on the Iron Throne shook her head, unconcerned.

She disliked war, yet she was not afraid of it. In the dream, she could also use her extraordinary abilities, and possessing the Unyielding Holy Sword, it was nearly impossible for any mercenary to assassinate her.

Not to mention that she now also held the rank of a demigod.

“Your Majesty!” Several Blade Warriors quickly entered to report, “The rebels have attacked the courtyard!”

“I will personally quell the rebellion,” Eleanor said calmly, standing up from the Iron Throne, and picking up the longsword and spear beside her.

Minutes later, in the palace courtyard strewn with corpses.

Eleanor had killed the last enemy and then leaned on her longsword, looking around under the guard of the Blade Warriors.

Being aware that she was in a dream, her mood was quite relaxed and easy, asking those nearby,

“Are there any other enemies?”

“More enemies are headed towards the courtyard!” one of the Blade Warriors replied.

“Could it be a demigod?” Eleanor thought a nightmare should not be so simple, and then looked up again to see Aske approaching with a longsword in hand.

Eleanor: !!!!

Her heart instantly constricted.

Despite knowing she was dreaming, she could not suppress the chill spreading through her limbs.

“Ellie,” Aske said coldly, “the day has finally come.”

“We are finally destined to cross swords.”

“I…” Eleanor’s lips parted slightly, but she was unable to make any sound.

An overwhelming, uncontrollable sorrow enveloped her, but these negative emotions were quickly dispelled by will—facing the silent erosion of the nightmare, her Unyielding Skill started to activate its resisting effect.

“This is just a nightmare,” Eleanor said in a deep voice as if striving to convince herself, “You are not real.”

“You are not Aske!”