Chapter 29: Nightmare’s Gate, Lee Han’s Return

Across the entire region of Valles, explosions echoed alongside thick black smoke.

“Hold them back! If we break here, we’re all dead!”

All the knights had been mobilized to block the monsters.

Adventurers, guild members, and mercenaries joined in, supporting the knights.

Thanks to their combined efforts, the balance of power was barely holding.

‘But this will only last for a moment. Besides, the Gate isn’t even fully open yet.’

If the Gate that appeared in the sky were to open completely, the onslaught would be on a whole other scale.

Evan shouted urgently.

“They must be nearby! According to the reports, the first sighting was in this area…”

Evan, together with Alan, Reynold, and Darwen’s ten-man Subjugation Squad, rode through the forest on horseback.

‘The Gate is opening faster than expected.’

By his calculations, they should have had at least another week.

But the Gate was already starting to reveal itself.

The Guardians of the Void were opening portals everywhere, all at once.

‘No matter what, we have to stop this.’

As Evan’s group fought their way through the monsters and pressed on into the forest, something familiar caught Evan’s eye.

Knights locked in fierce combat with monsters.

Behind them, a swirling vortex emanated a dark aura.

‘The black aura symbolizing the Void.’

Evan immediately shouted.

“There! We have to go in there!”

Darwen nodded and issued orders to everyone.

Led by Darwen, the Subjugation Squad charged toward the spot Evan indicated.

“I’ll open the way! Go in while I hold them off!”

Darwen raised one hand and cast a spell.

A magic circle appeared in the air, and a torrent of blazing fire swept forward.

KWA-AAAAANG!

The monsters blocking the path were reduced to ashes, leaving no trace.

Evan and the Subjugation Squad raced straight for the portal.

***

[You have entered the Nightmare Field of the Void Gate.]

Evan’s eyes took in a barren wasteland.

A sky thick with black aura, and beneath it, a desolate landscape.

Charred black rocks and hills.

A cracked, blood-red ground as if ravaged by drought.

It was hard to imagine any plant—or living thing—existing here.

‘This is a bit different from the Void Gate I saw before.’

The S-rank Void Gate he’d experienced was a world of complete darkness and nothingness.

Compared to that, this place felt artificial, unsettling.

‘Maybe it’s because the quest difficulty is lower? And I’ve never seen a Nightmare Field before, either.’

There were certainly many differences from before.

And the Gate’s rate of encroachment was absurdly fast.

That fact kept nagging at Evan.

‘More importantly, why aren’t there any monsters around?’

No matter how much Evan looked around, there was no sign of life.

He immediately opened the Gate’s information window.

[Current number of monsters inside the Gate (0/??)]

[Gate Clear Condition: Destroy the Prophet’s Control Stone (1/1)]

[An evil being within the Void is eyeing your nightmares with greed.]

‘…What is this?’

Information he’d never seen before.

From the Gate’s appearance to the moment they entered—nothing matched what Evan knew.

Of course, Evan only knew the general data, not the details of the Gates.

‘Then what’s going on with the monsters outside the Gate?’

With so many questions, Evan could only make a few guesses.

Usually, in cases like this, the boss monster wanted something from the intruders.

‘Normally, it would be life energy or mana, something like that.’

But this one was after nightmares.

He wouldn’t know what that meant without facing it directly.

Evan started moving right away.

‘There’s no time anyway. Perfect—if the boss monster wants a head-on fight, I’ll give it one.’

If the boss monster wanted it, it would probably show itself soon.

“This place gives me the creeps,”

Darwen muttered, scowling as he glanced around.

Alan and Reynold approached Evan, their faces tense.

“It’s way too gloomy here.”

“Young Master, I think something’s definitely off.”

Evan nodded and cautioned everyone.

“Don’t let your guard down. We could be attacked at any moment.”

The boss monster would be watching for an opening.

It wouldn’t be strange for an ambush to come at any time.

CLACK!

Just then, a sharp metallic sound rang in Evan’s ears.

“What was that? Where did it come from?”

While staying alert, Evan heightened his mana sensitivity to sense the enemy’s location.

But before he could react—

SCREEEECH!

WHOOSH!

Suddenly, black iron chains shot up from the ground like bullets.

“Everyone, dodge!”

Evan twisted his body to the side, narrowly avoiding them.

But the unexpected ambush caught many of the Subjugation Squad off guard.

Black chains coiled tightly around their bodies.

Darwen quickly erected a shield to block the attack.

“What are these attacks?!”

Evan dodged the chains and replied, “It’s probably the work of a dimensional rift catalyst!”

But his words never reached Darwen.

Suddenly, everyone vanished from sight.

[Nightmare has taken hold.]

[Everyone has been invited to the Boss Room’s nightmare world.]

With the message, black aura surged from the ground.

“Urgh!”

A stabbing pain tore through Evan’s head, and he clutched it instinctively.

Then, the ground beneath his feet gave way.

Evan fell endlessly into a bottomless void.

***

[You are under the influence of a Nightmare.]

When Evan regained consciousness, he found himself in a dark, empty space.

‘Where am I?’

He tried to turn his head, but his body was frozen, unable to move an inch.

CRACKLE!

A black aura gathered before him, and a figure appeared.

A human wrapped in a tattered black cloak and rusted armor.

Or rather, half of its flesh was rotting, the other half a bare skull.

It was closer to a corpse than a living human.

“Who are you?”

Evan asked, but the figure gave no answer.

It simply approached, step by slow step.

[The boss monster of the Void Gate, Nightmare, has appeared.]

[It has begun to covet your nightmares.]

As he read the message, Evan realized what he was facing.

‘Nightmare… Was that corpse a victim of Nightmare?’

The formless monster called Nightmare.

A being that lived within people’s nightmares.

A mental-type monster that preys on the nightmares of humans.

Physical attacks don’t work on this creature.

Because it’s a mental-type, you have to fight it with white magic or holy spells.

Troublesome, but against those with strong minds, it’s a weak monster.

“But how does a low-level monster like that have this kind of power?”

At best, it feeds on other people’s nightmares.

It was hardly boss monster material.

To be the boss of a Void Gate was even more absurd.

It wasn’t even related to the Void—its very existence was a mystery.

Of course, Evan didn’t expect a proper answer.

He was provoking it, just to get any sort of reaction.

…Foolish mortal.

The voice echoed in his mind.

Then, black aura wrapped around the creature’s body, swelling it up.

[Nightmare’s nightmare has begun.]

[Nightmare is pleased with your nightmare.]

[Nightmare uses the power of the Pioneer to summon a nightmare.]

A rune on its forehead began to glow.

The same as the one he’d seen on the goblin test subject before.

Evan narrowed his eyes.

‘Don’t tell me… this thing can use the power of runes too?’

Now everything made sense.

How a mere wraith could exist within the Void and wield such power.

[Lee Han’s first nightmare has been summoned.]

The darkness shifted, and a familiar city appeared.

“This is…?”

Evan looked around, his face twisting in anguish.

Cold corpses were strewn about before him.

People he knew well.

His very first Hunter party members.

It was the moment he’d first lived as a Hunter, as Lee Han.

Evan turned to look at Nightmare.

But Nightmare was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, the boss monster that had brought Lee Han his first despair stood there.

A hulking figure, over four meters tall, with gray fur.

Sharp fangs and claws, and a mana stone embedded in its chest.

‘Grizzly Bear.’

Its entire body was soaked in the blood of his party members.

Its eyes, bloodshot with frenzy, fixed on him.

This was undeniably a nightmare from Lee Han’s life, not Evan’s.

He never expected to be forced to face such a hate-filled past like this.

No, this was Nightmare’s method.

It broke its victim’s mind, took over body and soul, and turned them into its thralls or tools.

That half-skeletal man he’d first seen had probably died in just such a way.

The pattern Nightmare would use was simple.

It would pull out the victim’s nightmares, trigger their trauma, and paralyze their reason and thoughts.

It would repeat this endlessly, until the mind broke.

No one could withstand it easily.

A past stained with blood.

Regret, sorrow, hatred—all tangled together like a spider’s web, and now faced again.

‘The atmosphere is convincing enough. But there’s one thing you overlooked.’

He felt none of the fear or tension he’d felt when he’d first faced that monster.

If anything, it just made him angry.

A murderous glint flashed in Evan’s eyes.

The Grizzly Bear in front of him was nothing but a lowly monster to Evan.

No nightmare could hold any meaning for him now.

Things were completely different from back then.

Nightmare might try to take control, but seeing the same monster again, he would never feel that same fear.

It all seemed petty.

Could he really be afraid of something so insignificant?

[Conqueror’s Contempt has activated.]

Evan’s stiff body gradually relaxed.

“I actually wanted to see this again. This is perfect.”

He gripped his sword tightly.

Aura surged along the blade.

A blue light enveloped his entire body.

He recalled, slowly and precisely, the technique he’d used to defeat it alone in that desperate fight.

Mana Slash.

A skill Lee Han had often used in his early days.

In that brief instant, he would channel mana into his blade for a single decisive strike.

The sensation was as vivid as if it were yesterday.

‘No, it’s not just in my head.’

The metallic scent of blood and the reek of beast filled his nose.

His body felt heavy as soaked cotton, but the energy within was overflowing.

And the cold, simmering rage.

Everything matched his memories of that day.

The sense of perfect overlap was so real, Evan almost thought he’d become Lee Han again.

And at that moment—

[Synchronization has reached 100%.]

A mysterious message appeared before Evan’s eyes.

[Synchronization Rate has been unlocked.]

[Synchronization Rate increases by 0.90%.]

[Initial Synchronization Rate has exceeded 1%. -You acquire Lee Han’s abilities.]

[You have learned the skill: Lee Han’s First Sword Form.]