Lord Of The Lost

As the team pushed further into the maze, treasures became more abundant, but so did the dangers lurking in the dark.

Each step forward revealed riches, yet also brought them closer to death.

Some areas were simply off-limits.

> They knew one thing for sure—

If they stepped into the Dwarven Lord's Hall, they would never leave alive.

The Lost Maze was a graveyard of civilizations, where all kinds of twisted, corrupted creatures roamed.

Evil spirits drifted in silent processions, like mourners wandering the void.

William's instincts itched.

> These spirits could be harvested.

Boiled down into spiritual oil.

Spiritual oil was an invaluable resource.

> With the right amount, the [Glorious Lantern] could suppress even a Sequence 8 Nightmare.

But the problem?

> It burned out too fast.

A single battle could consume an entire jar.

At this rate, no amount of magic gold coins would keep up with their demand.

Even Calcifer, the castle's merchant, had limited stock.

They now had the formula, but refining it required souls.

> And the stronger the soul, the more potent the oil.

William's gaze lingered on the floating spirits, considering the risk.

Among them were dozens of high-level evil spirits, some even at Sequence 8.

If they stirred the whole swarm, none of them would make it out.

> The hunt would have to wait.

Just as they hesitated at the threshold of danger, the Black Swan awoke.

A monumental event, especially for the players.

> Witches are an immortal race.

And the longer they live, the stronger they become.

Yet few witches ever reach adulthood.

The Black Swan was different.

She was the only witch to fully mature in the past few centuries—

A true prodigy, with the potential to become the next Witch Night.

But more than that—

> She held the complete knowledge of the ancient witches.

In comparison, Sophia was still a child—barely scratching the surface of her potential.

Even a casual piece of advice from the Black Swan could help them avoid countless pitfalls.

> Proof?

She took one glance at Metatron's potion and immediately pointed out its flaws.

Her insights were beyond valuable.

With her guidance, they withdrew from the hall of the Dwarven Lords, leaving the magnificent ruins behind.

As they rested, Black Swan's gaze sharpened.

> "Calcifer asked you to find where the God of Dreams and Prophecy fell?"

She sounded surprised, then pensive.

Even among legends, that god's fall was a mystery.

William's instincts flared.

He had a feeling Black Swan knew something.

"Do you know where it is?" William asked.

Sophia had once mentioned that the witches had searched the maze for the Holy Grail—

But many never returned.

The Black Swan, borrowing Sophia's body, spoke calmly:

> "I don't know. But if my people ever encountered His divine kingdom… they never came back."

William frowned.

> "So it's dangerous?"

The Black Swan tilted her head slightly, her voice carrying an eerie weight:

> "That depends on who enters it."

A pause.

> "The nightmare you encountered earlier… it's connected to that place."

Gods do not simply vanish after death.

> They leave behind echoes.

Fragments of their divine essence, lingering in the world.

The place where a god falls is never just a grave—

> It is a realm, a relic, a prison… or something far worse.

> The land remembers.

And for those who step too close—

The gods' unfinished dreams may yet awaken.

William's pulse quickened.

If the Fallen Land of the God of Dreams and Prophecy truly existed within the maze—

> What awaited them inside?

A treasure trove of divine secrets?

Or a trap laid by a dead god?

The Black Swan continued, her voice cryptic yet knowing:

> "The closer you get to certain fallen gods, the stronger their call becomes."

Her gaze flickered toward William.

> "Some paths… pull their chosen in."

A chill ran down William's spine.

> She wasn't just talking about gods.

She was talking about him.

> About the Demon Wolf.

As paths ascend, they do not simply branch off—

> They spiral back toward the beginning.

Everything was connected.

The Demon Wolf.

The God of Mist.

The Lost Labyrinth.

> What path was he truly walking?

And where would it lead?

For the first time, William wondered—

> Was he truly hunting strength?

Or was something hunting him?

Most wars between gods arise from one simple truth: power attracts power.

For low-sequence beings, this isn't something they need to worry about, at least, not yet. They lack the strength to even reach that stage. But the higher an entity ascends, the more it begins to draw others in, not just from its own path, but from those adjacent to it.

Adjacent paths refer to extraordinary pathways that share overlapping traits and abilities. The stronger a transcendent becomes, the more its power begins to infringe upon neighboring paths. This is why, at the highest levels, conflicts become inevitable.

When two deities stand too close in power, the only resolution is war.

This is how the Original Moon and Primordial Sun cemented their thrones. The most powerful gods have all endured divine battles, fought and survived, carving out their domains until their supremacy was unshakable.

The First Demon Wolf did the same. He hunted the God of Mist, an adjacent path, and absorbed His power, fully mastering the domain of "Mist."

If another "Mist" path were to emerge in the future, it would inevitably be drawn toward the Demon Wolf's domain, just as all witches are bound to the moon.

This process, where powerful beings naturally attract those on similar or adjacent paths, is known as Extraordinary Aggregation.

The Original Moon was the first to claim dominion over the night.

For witches, their ultimate ability, Witch Night, is directly linked to the throne of the Original Moon. If a witch ever ascended to godhood, she wouldn't overthrow the moon god or carve out her own separate realm.

She would simply be absorbed into the Original Moon's divinity, becoming just another piece of His power.

The same fate awaits any transcendent who rises high enough.

At first glance, high-sequence beings appear to have limitless potential. But in reality, the highest thrones are already claimed. The seats of power at the end of each path are predetermined.

Unless a god is dethroned, which is nearly impossible, anyone who reaches their level will simply be assimilated into them.

William is no exception.

If he continues down his path, he will eventually be pulled into the First Demon Wolf's domain. He won't even have the chance to challenge for his own throne because the Demon Wolf has already secured it.

Only gods can declare war on gods.

And the gods are the laws of the world itself.

The Black Swan's Warning

The Black Swan shared this story not to frighten William, but to warn him and for Sofia's sake.

Sofia has very few people she can trust now. The night is no longer safe.

Iris is gone. Her fragile soul won't be able to shield Sofia from the dangers ahead.

Even if William and the others seem weak now, they have potential. And in time, they might be the only ones who can protect her.

The Black Swan also had another reason for telling him this: fate has a pull.

Calcifer had guided them here for a reason.

Normally, the Falling Place of a God cannot be found. Even if you pass right through it, you wouldn't realize it was there.

Just like the Misty Forest, which shields its presence from all forms of divination, hiding something far greater than a sanctuary for witches.

Is that forest actually where the God of Mist fell?

Fate has a way of drawing certain beings to these places, like nightmares drawn to the dreams of the lost.

The Secrets of the Fallen Gods and the Coming Darkness

The witch clan has always regarded nightmares as natural familiars.

When the Black Swan was alive, she commanded many such creatures.

Now, Sophia is considered the last witch, at least in name. But in truth, she has yet to awaken the defining power of her lineage.

A witch without a familiar is not a true witch.

A witch's power is built upon four fundamental abilities, one of which is [Familiar] the ability to bind a creature to her will, transforming it into an extension of her own power.

Once bound, a familiar is completely obedient, incapable of betrayal.

Nightmares, as creatures of night and dream, are prime candidates for this role. Some naturally submit to the Witch's Throne, while others seek out a different path, the path of dreams.

And at the end of that path lies the [God of Dreams and Prophecies].

Originally, He was only the God of Prophecy, a being who saw the future unfold before it happened.

But during the War of the Gods, He slew the God of Dreams and claimed dominion over both realms.

Ironically, one must wonder, did He foresee His own death?

The Black Swan had an ominous feeling.

"You've already encountered a nightmare," she said. "That means you're closer to His remnants than you realize."

To her, it wasn't just coincidence, it was fate guiding them forward.

Like a ship drifting on an ocean current, they would inevitably reach the shores of something ancient and powerful.

But not all Falling Places of the Gods are as peaceful as the Misty Forest.

Most are riddled with dangers beyond comprehension.