The Nightmare Wizard
Chapter 105: Conviction (2)

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Conviction (2)

When William opened his eyes, the scene became completely familiar. The sky was the same still abyss with a giant moon, but now it wasn’t red; it looked like a normal moon. The air carried that scent of iron and damp earth.

He was back. In front of him, the charred remains of the beetles were still scattered across the ground. The crater where he’d unleashed his power was still there, but there was no sign of the Scarab Knight.

William took a step forward, mumbling, "This doesn’t make sense... Last time it took months. This time... it was only days." William had just tried once to see how dark the ring on his hand was and to guess how long it would take to enter this place again.

He raised his hand, looking at the ring that glowed softly with a deep blue light. It wasn’t just a tattoo anymore; it looked like a real piece of metal, feeling like an Emperor’s symbol.

His body felt different too. It was much lighter. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now it felt like a huge weight had been lifted. This was a refreshing feeling; he felt welcomed in this place, no longer like a visitor.

"Angel," William called, looking for his companion. The response was immediate. A figure appeared out of nowhere, forming first from shimmering particles like star scales that swirled into a humanoid shape. Angel descended gracefully, touching the ground with bare feet, though leaving no prints.

She was no longer a floating sphere of light. Now she was... almost human. Her body seemed to be made of transparent crystal, and she was a bit small, reaching William’s waist, but she still looked cute, like a tiny doll.

William squinted, disbelieving.

"How is this possible?" he asked, taking a step towards her. "This is amazing, you finally have a body!"

Angel smiled. Her voice was no longer a distant echo, but something more defined, a soft, feminine voice... It felt real, less like a robot.

"I no longer feel the rejection," she replied. "This world accepts me now. Like it accepts you. It seems... when the ring evolved, when you absorbed the beetles and channeled the mana without breaking, the world... recognized us. It’s as if you’re no longer a guest, but an inhabitant of this world."

William raised an eyebrow, moving even closer. "I feel it too. It’s hard to explain, but I feel at home."

"One of our homes," Angel replied, slowly spinning, leaving a trail of light around her.

William raised his hand, trembling. He slowly brought it to Angel’s face, as if he still couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

But when his fingers touched her, they just passed through her like smoke. There was no contact. Like touching a projection.

"Not yet..." Angel murmured, lowering her gaze, her voice tinged with a serene sadness. "I’m still a soul. I don’t have a physical body. You can’t touch me yet."

William clenched his teeth, frustrated.

"But you will," he said at last, with determination. "I’ll make it happen someday, I promise."

Angel looked at him with tenderness and nodded.

"I trust you. I can wait until we achieve it."

William turned and looked at the crater one more time. The energy he had left there still filled the air, reminding him that he too had grown. Making a decision, he walked back to the mansion with a firm stride.

Entering the mansion, William’s footsteps echoed through the old halls. Everything was as desolate as before. The air was cold, but unlike before, he could feel something in this mansion rejecting him. The rejection he used to feel from the world itself, he now felt from the mansion. This made him think there was something inside this place trying to fight directly against the world. Before, it had seen him as an ally, but now that he had the world’s approval, the mansion also saw him as an enemy.

Without stopping, he walked to the secret room. The pedestal at the back was still intact. On top, the black book remained closed, impossible to pry from its base. Last time, he had tried hitting it, cutting it, burning it. Nothing had worked. Now, he just observed it silently.

"You’re not ready," Angel said softly. "That book doesn’t open by force; there must be a key somewhere to open it."

Going up the stairs, his eyes landed on the armor. He still remembered it: pure Mithril with gold decorations on the joints. It was a jewel made for war... and it weighed like a mountain. If he could use it, he was sure he could defend himself even against mages easily.

William stood in front of it, tensing his muscles. With all his might, he tried to move the sword, but it stayed just as before, completely stuck to its stand.

"Still impossible," William grumbled, giving up on taking the sword with him on this adventure.

William sighed, resigned. He turned around. He didn’t have time to obsess over things he couldn’t change. Not now.

He took an old leather backpack from the foyer and filled the bottom with the few dry provisions left in the pantry: salted roots, fermented leaves, hard pieces of beast meat wrapped in black wax. He didn’t know how long they would last... or how long he would be out, but he had to be ready for any situation.

Before closing the mansion door, he paused for a second. The place seemed to watch him as if it knew he was leaving. "Thank you for protecting me all this time." William didn’t know who he was talking to, but he still bowed to the house.

"I’ll come back when I’m stronger," he said, unsure if he was saying it for the mansion, the book, the sword... or for himself, as he closed the door, leaving everything as he had found it.

As they walked towards the horizon of black earth and dead sky, Angel floated beside him, silent.

"What’s the plan?" she asked.

"Explore," he said firmly. "I’m not going to keep relying on luck. I need more gray energy. I need to control this world. I need to be above all of it... to protect myself. To protect Lía."

Angel glanced at him.

"What if the price is turning into something that no longer resembles you?"

"Then so be it," William replied, not stopping. "I’d rather be a free monster... than a human in chains."