Chapter 286: Temptation of the Dream Dimension
Nightmare, the lord of the Dream Dimension.
Strictly speaking, the Dream Dimension cannot be called Hell because it lacks the ability to receive souls.
However, dreams are closely related to souls, and Nightmare relies on the negative emotions of intelligent creatures harvested from dreams, especially fear, as nourishment for its growth.
So, Nightmare has always belonged to the Hell camp.
This was what Oaks learned from Mephisto's rant.
The old guy had a look of resentment as if he had eaten Shit.
But Oaks obviously wouldn't be easily fooled by Mephisto's acting...
"This reason is too far-fetched. Nightmare is your ally in the same camp, and you want to conspire against him together with me, an outsider?"
As Mephisto revealed Nightmare's background, Oaks shook his head.
"He can be defeated but not destroyed. As long as there are dreams and imagination in the universe, he will exist forever...
This kind of invincible survival ability is what Nightmare relies on to stand on equal footing with you veteran Hell lords.
What makes you think I have a way to deal with him?"
"Hehehe... originally, I didn't expect you to have this ability..."
Mephisto turned his head and looked outside the ruins. During their conversation, the vicinity had already been filled with police cars.
However, all the police officers seemed to be wandering around like headless flies, unable to see the two of them in the ruins.
This was Mephisto's chaotic barrier. The consciousness of the police officers was disrupted, and within the range of the barrier, they couldn't see either the human or the demon.
"Just a little trick..."
Mephisto proudly curled his lips.
"When I was searching for the Darkhold here, something major happened in the central part of this country...
Seems like an extremely powerful force descended upon Earth, right?"
"Hmm?"
Oaks frowned.
"The central part... that's true. It doesn't surprise me that you can sense it."
"That power was extremely strong... but the other force that resisted it was even more... pleasantly surprising!"
"Another force..."
Oaks fell silent, lost in thought.
"You were there at that time, right? Hehehe... The Avenger Druid appeared in Missouri and stopped the catastrophic spread of an extraterrestrial plant!"
Mephisto casually pulled out a newspaper from thin air and waved it at Oaks.
"Look, your news media is always so dedicated. They got the news so quickly."
"...I didn't expect you to enjoy reading newspapers."
Oaks nodded slowly and didn't deny it.
"Why were you so surprised?"
"Because it was the first time I saw that kind of power in the mortal world!"
A red light gleamed in Mephisto's eyes as he gazed intensely at Oaks, unconsciously licking his lips.
"What a powerful and fascinating power, as if the world is helping you... How did you do it?"
"It's impolite to inquire about others' sources of power."
Oaks seemed to understand Mephisto's meaning, and his eyes sparkled with an unusual brilliance.
To be honest, he was very interested in Nightmare's "Dream Dimension."
The power of Avalon was insufficient, but if combined with the power of the Dream Dimension, it would undoubtedly be able to connect to the thousands of Ego seeds from before!
If Nightmare uses the Dream Dimension to bring nightmares to intelligent beings and create fear, perhaps dreams could accomplish even more.
And from Mephisto's brief remarks, Oaks had already understood that this unprecedented feat of killing or at least "expelling" a dimensional lord might be related to the consciousness of Gaia.
Dimensional lords are invincible in their own dimensions.
But what if they are not in their own dimension and are isolated from it?
This matter can be discussed with the Sorcerer Supreme, considering her extensive experience in dealing with dimensional invasions.
"I'm still too weak now. Talking about all this is pointless."
After a moment of silence, Oaks shook his head.
"I have my own plans to elevate my pocket dimension. As for my lifespan, I'm sure you can tell it's not a big problem for me...
I have plenty of time to take things slowly, so Mr. Mephisto, you don't need to continue tempting me."
Oaks stood up and put away the vine chair. He sensed the positions of Johnny and Agatha and shook his head.
"I have other matters to attend to. Let's end it here... Shall I take you to see an old acquaintance?"
"Hmm?"
Mephisto was taken aback. Is it over? I haven't told you what to do yet...
"Wait a minute, an old acquaintance? Odin or the Ancient One?"
"You can choose to meet either of them."
"Joke! I don't want to see either of them!"
Mephisto jumped up from his chair, wearing an incredulous expression.
"You wait! You're not really uninterested in the Dream Dimension, are you? It's impossible! No one can refuse the position of a dimensional lord!"
"I'm not refusing. I just want to build a dimension of my own, little by little."
Oaks glanced deeply at the old demon and curled his lips.
"Cooperating with you, Mephisto, I would probably end up dead without even knowing how to die.
If it weren't for Odin and the Sorcerer Supreme backing me up, your true form would have come and captured me...
I have that self-awareness, so..."
He snapped his fingers, and dense starlight descended unexpectedly, tightly binding Mephisto's soul imprint.
"Let's go. I can't believe a single word from a Hell lord, lest I be sold out and help you count the money, not knowing how to die even when death is imminent."
"Hehehe... You are surprisingly cautious, Druid!"
Mephisto's face turned gloomy as he was restrained by the shackles of astral energy, but then he put on a smile.
"In fact, with the use of the Darkhold, you can easily..."
"Boom!"
A beam of sunlight descended, and Mephisto's mouth opened under the solar spell, but he found that he couldn't say anything.
"Be quiet. I am well aware of the dangers of the Darkhold..."
"Hehehe... But the solution to the problem lies within it. You won't turn a blind eye to it..."
Oaks furrowed his brow. Mephisto was communicating through fluctuations in his soul, and this physical form he appeared in was just a simulation created by his soul imprint.
"As for the two old acquaintances, I won't go to them... I will visit them personally when I have the opportunity, Druid!
What spellcasters can't resist the most is knowledge, and the knowledge in the Darkhold is far superior to even mine...
For now, I will leave it with you. You can read as much as you can until I come to collect it..."
Mephisto's figure gradually faded within the shackles of starlight and disappeared, leaving only the lingering sound of soul fluctuations.
"You will willingly cooperate with me, I guarantee it."
"..."
Oaks watched as Mephisto's soul imprint dissipated and raised his hand, dispelling the solar spell and the shackles of starlight. He rubbed his forehead.
"Decisive... Are you afraid that I would take this soul imprint to the two big shots and have them manipulate it?"
He stood silently for a moment before giving a cold smile.
"You thought too much by tempting me to look at the Darkhold...
I have a more reliable method for the Dream Dimension..."
...
Leaving the ruins, Oaks found Johnny and Agatha waiting in the distance.
Both of them now appeared relatively normal--
Johnny had returned to his human form, while Agatha had transformed into the appearance of an ordinary middle-aged woman, a shrewd-looking one.
"Druid, thank you for expelling Mephisto's soul imprint for me."
Upon seeing Oaks, Johnny hadn't spoken yet, but Agatha bowed deeply to Oaks with a sincere expression.
"For so many years, I have committed so many wrongdoings... It's truly unforgivable!"
"??"
Oaks scratched his head with a puzzled expression and looked at Johnny beside him.
"What's going on?"
"The Eye of Judgment's effect, and of course, this is fundamentally due to you stripping away Mephisto's soul imprint, allowing her to regain her true self."
Leaning on his Harley-Davidson, Johnny shrugged his shoulders and said.
"I can somewhat understand her... After all, the things she went through, even in that era, were too cruel.
If I had experienced it, I'm afraid I would have done worse than her."
"Mephisto's insidious influence was undoubtedly the primary factor, but it's also true that you resorted to any means necessary in your pursuit of knowledge and power."
Oaks sighed. There are probably not many witches left on Earth.
"Yes, Lord Druid..."
Agatha seemed to have a sudden realization and her face was devoid of the previous sinister aura. However, her bright eyes made Oaks understand that her pursuit of knowledge would not diminish.
"As fellow spellcasters, Lord Druid, your magical heritage is grand and mysterious. It is completely different from the Witches' Coven and white magic practitioners who claim to be virtuous..."
Agatha had actually heard about Oaks a long time ago and understood that they were essentially the same kind of people, so she was very interested in him.
"Druid priests were once known as witches or sorceresses in ancient times, and in the records of the Witches' Coven..."
She was a bit puzzled and asked tentatively, "The spells of the Druid priests should lean more toward black magic, right?"
"That was a branch that was forced to deviate from orthodox traditions due to war. The magic of nature and the starry sky is the true heritage of the Druids."
Oaks paused and asked, "Agatha, even without Mephisto's soul imprint, you are still one of the most powerful witches. Now that the imprint has dissipated, what are your plans?"
"I..."
Agatha's eyes flickered with confusion, but then she became determined.
"The power of magic tells me that I should follow you."
Her eyes grew brighter.
"I have a feeling that I will gain tremendous rewards by being with you!"
"The intuition of a powerful spellcaster, interesting."
Oaks pondered for a moment, nodded, and waved, opening a portal to the Little Rainforest.
"Then come."
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