Chapter 118: Effortless

Armed with so much information, Su Mu was beginning to suspect whether the human race of Hell was actually a product of the Nightmare World. After all, the presence of humans in the Nightmare was perfectly normal—even the existence of a God wouldn't be out of place.

Whether they were didn't matter. What mattered was that the Nightmare World was truly fascinating—far more interesting than the Real World. Perhaps after returning to the Real World, he might find some clues.

If Wan was right and the Primal Angel lived in Heaven, which lay above the surface, then some trace was bound to be left behind in the Real World.

Squelch!

Another white-robed cultist stabbed himself. He didn't die; he merely offered up a little blood to draw a sacrificial array. A flash of white light flared, and a semi-transparent barrier enveloped Su Mu and the others.

"Lord Divine Envoy, with this sound-dampening barrier, we no longer need to worry about the Headless Ones hearing us speak. We can listen to your teachings at any time," Wan said with fanatic zeal. "I humbly ask that you endure this dreamscape for a few days. Once the nearby Snakefolk retreat, I will immediately escort you to the Primal Divine Cult."

"My child, you have done exceptionally well. You are all devout children of the Primal Angel." Su Mu knew exactly how to handle fanatical zealots. The moment those words left his mouth, Wan and the others nearly ascended on the spot. Some even wept in excitement, dropping to their knees to kiss Su Mu's shoes.

Su Mu discreetly shifted his feet to avoid their lips and said in a cool, detached tone, "I have one more task for you."

"Please give the order, Lord Divine Envoy! We will carry it out even if it costs us our lives!" Their fanatical roar nearly blew the sound-dampening barrier away.

"During my descent, I was discovered by the Metal Evil God. He has dispatched a familiar to destroy my current physical vessel and prevent me from guiding my devout children to Heaven."

"What!?" Wan and the others' eyes instantly turned red. Stopping them from entering Heaven was a sin far more detestable than murdering their own parents.

"What kind of deity is the Metal Evil God? To dare send someone to assassinate you, Lord Divine Envoy?"

"The Metal Evil God is one of the evil gods in Heaven opposed to the Primal Angel. Dissatisfied with the Primal Angel's rule, they banded together to overthrow Him. They were defeated, but their bitter resentment remains. They frequently hide in the shadows to wreak havoc, and after learning of my descent, they specifically dispatched a familiar to intercept me."

Su Mu was spouting total nonsense. Just as he knew nothing about Hell, these cultists knew absolutely nothing about Heaven. He alone held the power to dictate the narrative.

Wan flared with anger. "Lord Divine Envoy, where is this familiar of the Metal Evil God? I will slaughter him this instant!"

"I have already sensed his presence," Su Mu said coolly. "He is within this very dreamscape. This familiar is humanoid, but his body is utterly devoid of flesh and blood; he is forged entirely from metal."

"Forged entirely from metal?" Wan trembled with rage. "To desecrate flesh and blood in such a manner—he is a familiar of an evil god, indeed! He truly deserves death! Rest assured, Lord Divine Envoy, I will personally slay him!"

...

...

Deep within the forest, Mu Cheng crouched stealthily behind a massive tree, his body completely covered in leaves.

This was his last remaining cyborg body. His previous one had been destroyed in the Headless Ones' nest during his attempt to kill Su Mu. Now, with only a single life left, he had become extraordinarily cautious.

He had stuffed leaves into his metal joints and fashioned leaf shoes for his metallic feet, all to muffle the sounds of his movements.

He had no experience in clearing nightmares, nor did he know how to locate the nightmare's source. Though he suspected the clues were in the Headless Ones' nest, he didn't dare go with only one life left. Thus, he opted for the most foolish yet safest strategy: waiting.

He would wait a few days until the nightmare naturally ended.

Damn you, Su Mu!

Mu Cheng had cursed Su Mu in his mind more times than he could count. He had possessed a bright and promising future, but Su Mu had ruined everything. To think a dignified Silver Tier expert had been reduced to wearing leaves and squatting in a grassy ditch.

His teeth ground together in hatred every time Su Mu crossed his mind. Three days had already passed, and he was virtually certain that Su Mu had died in the Black Fog. The boy had died far too easily.

Right as Mu Cheng was cursing, his entire body suddenly tensed. He didn't even dare twitch his metal prosthetic eyes; several silhouettes had just appeared on his thermal imaging display.

Are the Headless Ones here? No, why do these figures have heads? Could they be newly arrived Nightmare Apostles?

"Lord Divine Envoy, the familiar of the Metal Evil God is right behind that tree. I have sensed his mental fluctuations," Wan sneered. "His spirit isn't weak, but he is incredibly foolish to abandon his flesh and lodge his soul within metal. Without the protection of a physical body, his soul is like floating duckweed, entirely rootless."

"How do you intend to deal with him?" Su Mu asked, a hint of scrutiny in his tone.

Wan naturally understood that the Divine Envoy was testing him and hurriedly answered, "This familiar's body appears to be forged from Mithril, rendering it indestructible. However, I can employ the Divine Soul-Binding Technique. Capturing his soul will be effortless."

Su Mu's eyes flickered. It seemed he had underestimated Wan's strength. To think he could use the word "effortless" when facing a Silver Tier expert.

However, Wan's strength couldn't possibly exceed the Silver Tier; otherwise, he wouldn't have been chased all over the place by the Snakefolk.

"Proceed," Su Mu ordered.

"Yes, Lord Divine Envoy."

Wan cast a solemn look at the nine white-robed cultists behind him. "Begin."

The nine white-robed cultists zealously drew their daggers and shouted, "Praise the Primal Angel! A sacrifice!"

Squelch, squelch...

The nine men plunged their daggers ruthlessly into their own hearts. Their heads slumped sideways, and they all died.

Wan hurriedly crouched down, using their blood to draw a sacrificial array.

Standing to the side, Su Mu was speechless. For the first time, he truly understood the meaning of a gap in understanding. Was this what "effortless" meant? Sacrificing all the white-robed cultists at once?

As the sacrificial array was completed, Wan began to chant in bizarre raves. Gradually, the corpses of the white-robed cultists combusted, burning into ash in an extremely short time.

A wisp of green smoke floated above the ash. Wan pointed a finger at it. "Bind!"

Whoosh!

The green smoke moved without wind, vaguely coalescing into a hand that reached straight for Mu Cheng behind the nearby tree.

The already anxious Mu Cheng was suddenly seized by alarm. A shudder of terror rippled through the depths of his soul, as if he had been targeted by some unseen entity.

Run! Run! Hurry and run!!

He didn't even have time to think, instinctively wanting to flee. But the instant he stood up, the green smoke arrived, seeping straight through the gaps in his metal joints with almost no resistance.

Mu Cheng's entire body went rigid. The light in his metal prosthetic eyes instantly died out, leaving him standing motionless.

A moment later, the large hand of green smoke returned, clutching a semi-transparent, cloud-like humanoid figure.

Wan hurriedly produced a transparent glass bottle and popped off the cap.