Chapter 18

The wind suddenly picked up, blowing fiercely and howling through every crack in the wooden cabin. The glass rattled in response.

Ansbillis pushed open the window.

The wind rushed in like a liberation, whistling through the room. The curtains jumped and danced. Ansbillis now appreciated the benefits of having sturdy curtains that didn't flutter around like sheer fabric. The tissue box on the table was pushed to the edge and accidentally fell to the ground, rolling twice before continuing its journey towards the kitchen. The sticky notes casually placed on the shelf flipped and rustled.

Fragile objects in the room were being tormented, but Ansbillis had no intention of closing the window. His gaze was fixed on the seawater mixed with mud. The crimson currents struggled to form a greeting: "Hello, Ansbillis."

Every time Ansbillis encountered Godwin, he felt that he should add a "not" before his "hello." If he could add more words, it would be "not at all."

When was the first time Ansbillis met Godwin?

It seemed to be in a dim alley.

He sat by the back door of a bar, watching several vampires of the fourteenth and fifteenth generations fighting each other. As dawn approached, the lower-ranking vampires, who didn't have time to retreat into the darkness, turned into ashes under the sunlight.

Godwin, wearing a dusty gray robe, slowly walked from the other end of the alley, holding a small broom. He bent down and swept the vampire ashes into a dustpan, then poured them into his own bag.

Although he appeared numb and apathetic, Ansbillis could still sense the madness shrouded beneath the gray robe.

Beings of the same kind could attract each other through their aura.

Godwin was indeed a lunatic. He despised heaven, despised hell, and despised all creatures other than humans. He was also deeply saddened by the fleeting nature of human life and the banality of their existence. He believed that humans were the most vibrant creatures among the nine realms. They were intelligent and creative, brave and visionary. They didn't possess innate divine power, but they reached heights that even gods found hard to reach through technology.

Flying with airplanes, communicating with the world through phones, and exploring the world with computers.

He considered himself a representative of human wisdom—this was the reason Ansbillis confirmed that he was crazy. Godwin was not content with his own hundred-year lifespan, yet he was unwilling to rid himself of his human identity. He desperately sought the secret to longevity.

He transitioned from being a physicist to studying biology, and finally, amidst a deteriorating body and burgeoning desires, he chose to become a black wizard—a general term for humans who study magic. In contrast, those born with the ability to perform magic were called white wizards. It was a one-sided labeling by humans.

From Ansbillis' current perspective, Godwin was just a narcissistic clown who strangely appealed to the former Ansbillis at the time. And so, another pair of unlikely partners formed in chaos.

This collaboration started off well, but as Godwin's descent continued - willing to shove a dead rat into his mouth just to live one more second - their "friendship" began to crack. Godwin became more obstinate and started studying mental control, becoming increasingly irrational, often resembling a delusional mental patient, which made Ansbillis completely disdainful.

The two of them parted ways, with Godwin recruiting new soldiers while Ansbillis encountered Oceania, and both of their lives underwent drastic changes. At first, they kept to their own paths, but later on, Godwin became a foolish person who considered himself the "strongest in the Nine Realms," and he was furious at Ansbillis' perceived "betrayal." Ansbillis didn't even know when he became Godwin's subordinate!

Godwin started appearing frequently by his side, using the tumultuous relationship between Ansbillis and Oceania to manipulate him, pushing the already emotionally unstable Ansbillis into an extreme state of frenzy, leading him to do regrettable and irreparable things.

Whenever he recalled these past events, Ansbillis' mind experienced intense fluctuations, and he had to calm himself down by focusing on the black cat.

His trouser leg was lightly brushed twice, and he lowered his head to see the black cat lying on his shoe, gently rubbing its head against him.

He bent down and picked it up. "You seem to be getting smarter," he said.

The cat tilted its head, squinting its two crystal-like eyes, and then yawned.

Ansbillis stroked its head.

The sand on the beach suddenly "stood" up and slowly transformed into the shape of a person, and it was someone familiar.

Ansbillis silently counted the familiar faces and new faces appearing slowly.

The elders of the Thirteen Clans.

Messillon.

Old Benson.

Edwin, Winston.

Barr, Wang Xiaoming.

Ivon.

...

Even Mamon was there.

He smiled. Such a powerful lineup was truly astonishing. If the angel who had been in contact with him was hiding in the light, they would probably appear here as well. It was a pity that he had thought Godwin's dark magic could restore his image, but it turned out he relied on his own imagination.

Messillon walked up to him, opening his mouth stiffly. "How did you crack it?" When he spoke, it was still the hoarse voice reminiscent of Godwin's vocal cords tearing.

Ansbillis replied, "Your imagination is rich, and the plot is full. Zophy was captured and revealed a long list of names. The fallen angels arrested us. However, you seem to have forgotten that the Dwarves are in the Dwarf Realm and the Titans are in the Titan Realm, and they can't be gathered just by circling the Red Sea."

Messillon's sand sculpture collapsed in an instant.

Ansbillis also wanted to ask when the other party started hypnotizing him, plunging him into a nightmare. Was it when the fallen angel knocked on the door, or when the fallen angel chased Zophy? Every time Godwin hypnotized him using dark magic, he would leave a sign. Could it be the fallen angel this time? Why a fallen angel? Is it because he saw Barr and Mamon?

He saw Mamon's figurine walking towards him, and his heart skipped a beat.

If the appearance of the fallen angel is a sign of his descent into the nightmare, then is he currently in the dream?

Or perhaps he never fully woke up to begin with.

He lowered his head and looked at the black cat.

From the moment he woke up on the sofa until now, the black cat had been staring at him without making a sound.

If the fallen angel is a sign of his descent into the nightmare, then is the cat's meow a sign of his wakefulness, just like the faint sound of a cat that appeared when he couldn't resist the temptation and wanted to bite the dwarf?

As he pondered, Mamon had already approached him, saying, "Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"Kill Edwin and Winston, and I'll release Oceania from its seal. Oceania was sealed by me, and it's all because of me that it became like this. So, the only one who can restore it to normal is me."

Ansbillis clenched his fist.

The other party wasn't discussing terms; they were trying to provoke him.

Just like countless times before.

To make him go mad, lose his reason, and become a puppet of impulse and violence.

He had fallen for it countless times before, but now it was different.

He had lost Oceania.

He had paid a painful price for his impulsiveness.

Ansbillis suddenly took off his bone ring and smashed it forcefully!

Can actions in a nightmare affect reality?

When Ansbillis opened his eyes and heard the black cat's hoarse and desperate wailing in his ear, he knew it was possible.

He looked around, and Oceania was still there. Even in the midst of the dream, it remained securely clasped in his embrace. The black cat... was stepping on his head, grabbing his hair. Sensing his wakefulness, it jumped down, let out a low growl, and curled up in Oceania's arms to sleep.

It was evident that it was too exhausted, to the point where it didn't even have the strength to seek affection.

Ansbillis gently stroked its back.

Is it you?

Even without consciousness, are you instinctively protecting me?

His mood should have been angry and crazy, but the black cat's affection dissolved the hostility in his chest, calming him down.

They were not in the cabin at the moment, but in the small forest behind it. From the traces at the scene, it seemed that he had carried someone here. Was it an unconscious act while trapped in a dream? He must have looked like a zombie back then, with a stern face, closed eyes, and a stiff and bewildered walk.

The black cat must have been terrified.

Similarly, he was grateful that dreams could influence reality, allowing him to open the bone ring in time.

The bone ring on his left index finger had already had its lid lifted, revealing a small space the size of a drop of water inside. It contained a drop of holy water, a gift from the angels of light, much purer than what the Church kept in its collection, and it easily dispelled dark magic.

The bone ring itself was crafted by Godwin's own hands, infused with Oceania's blood. When the scent of his own blood was masked by a potion brewed with dark magic, the blood on the bone ring became a disguise for his identity. Unfortunately, after being tainted by other substances, the scent of the blood was not pure enough, making it difficult for vampires to detect his lineage.

Looking at the empty bone ring, he furrowed his brow.

More than a hundred years of waiting, all in vain.

Before coming to the Red Sea, he had a plan—to find Godwin and sprinkle the holy water on him, completely ending their entanglement. But plans couldn't keep up with changes, and the holy water was used prematurely, not even a drop touching Godwin.

He had to come up with a way to make up for it.

Like finding another drop from the angels of light?

They always contacted the angels unilaterally. After the last time, the angel probably thought their cooperation had ended. He thought so too. The angel's usefulness was solely in releasing the seal on Oceania. If that couldn't be achieved, of course, he would cut ties.

Alternatively, he could inform Edwin of Godwin's intention to kill Winston and gather a few allies. With Barr and Wang Xiaoming, they would have a good chance of winning.

But his identity would be a big problem. Most of the elders of the Thirteen Clans would not be pleased to hear that he had escaped confinement.

In fact, he was surprised that he had managed to disguise himself for so long.

During the Holy War, he and Oceania were at war with each other. He participated in the Holy War only a few times, and very few vampires had actually seen them. After the Holy War, many high-ranking vampires didn't want to stay in the human realm, filled with memories of war, and returned to the vampire realm. This provided him with a natural convenience to impersonate Oceania.

To avoid exposing his identity, he lived a reclusive and low-key life, with only two things that interested him.

One was collaborating with the angels of light who actively sought him out to find a way to break the seal on Oceania. After testing and discovering that the angel had a very negative impression of "Ansbillis" and great sympathy for "Oceania," he maintained his identity as "Oceania" and catered to the angel's ideas, accusing Ansbillis of "misdeeds" and implying that he was removing the seal to completely eliminate him. As expected, he received the angel's consent.

First, it is about tempering oneself and learning to control emotions. His method was to imitate. He imitated Oceania's way of speaking, thinking patterns, and habits. At first, it was difficult because one of the fundamental contradictions between him and Oceania was that he could not understand Oceania's thoughts at all. However, after long immersion in the fantasy that "Oceania is right beside me," even "inside my own body," he began to sense Oceania's presence. In certain memories, he joined forces with Oceania against a common enemy, considering his past self to be unreasonable.

Everyone says Macavity is crazy, but who would have thought that craziness could be cured?

Ansbillis caressed Oceania's cheek, gently wiping away the dust with his thumb, while attentively listening to the sounds in the woods.

At sunset, the sky was filled with red clouds, and the lush leaves burned with a faint fire, some orange and some golden. The air by the seaside was heavy and humid, yet the leaves moved slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Suddenly, a dense forest split open, revealing a massive black figure leaping out from within! Ansbillis bared his fangs, roaring furiously, and grabbed the horns on the head of the shadow, resisting its forward attack!

"Meow!" The black cat let out a sharp cry. Ansbillis felt a pain in his waist as he was thrown from left to right. The raging monster was struck by a beam of light, turning into a pile of scorched earth—right where Ansbillis had stood moments ago. If he hadn't been thrown away, that would have been his fate.

In an instant, Ansbillis bounced back from the ground, grabbing the person who had attacked him with one hand and reaching out to embrace Oceania with the other.

"Don't go."

A low voice sounded in his ears, freezing him in place.

Ansbillis had never felt fear like he did at this moment.

When Oceania was sealed, he felt anger, frustration, and pain. The mixture of too many emotions overwhelmed his heart, leaving no room for fear. But now, he clearly heard Oceania's voice and saw Oceania lying motionless not far away.

The conflicting scene seemed to place him on the boundary between desire and reality. Take one step further and fall back into the cold, painful reality; take one step back and descend into the illusory world of smoke and mirrors.

Was it Godwin's dark magic again?

Truly impressive. In the past, he would never have dared to use Oceania to create illusions because he couldn't deceive him. He was more familiar with Oceania than with himself, so in previous illusions, Oceania, like reality, was an immovable shell.

Therefore, he should turn around and see through Godwin's clumsy trap.

Ansbillis calmly contemplated, slowly turning around, but his fingers gripping the wrist of the person behind him tightened.

...

Was that a cat person?

With an extra pair of cat ears on top of their head, and yellow-green vertical pupils, they were currently looking vigilantly behind Ansbillis.

An incredibly strange image, even stranger than the wings of angels or fallen angels.

However, Ansbillis knew clearly—

It was Oceania.