Passing through one dream after another, answering the questions of the giants trapped in nightmares, Ebner finally arrived before an ancient castle, seemingly bathed in the glow of twilight.
The castle was built against a mountain, grand and imposing, not at all inferior to the Forsaken Royalty's Twilight Palace. It bore a striking resemblance to the "Giant King's Court" described in the original novel.
It's said that half-giants with relatively pure blood often dream of towering peaks, colossal walls built upon them, and palaces, towers, and various structures forever basking in twilight. Everyone who dreams of it is convinced that it is their homeland—the Giant King's Court!
So, this should be the castle that was once dragged into a nightmare, fused with the longing dreams of those yearning for their homeland, forming this castle resembling the Giant King's Court?
It makes sense… but something still feels off… and those 'twilight rays' are unsettling…
With these thoughts in mind, Ebner surveyed his surroundings again. Beyond the castle, the outer courtyard remained shrouded in darkness, though due to its proximity to the "twilight," he could still make out his surroundings.
Two things in particular caught his attention.
The first was an altar located at the center of the courtyard.
Around the altar were intricate symbols and magical markings, while at its center rested a five-colored, shifting icosahedral gemstone.
Under Ebner's "Pure White Eye," he saw that the gem was actively linked to the "twilight" above the castle, forming a "barrier" that enclosed the courtyard, shielding it from the encroaching "darkness" outside.
The second was the massive dragon skeleton at the courtyard's entrance. Including its tail, it stretched nearly twenty meters long—had this courtyard not been designed for giants, there wouldn't have been enough space to fit it.
At the moment, it lay there quietly, its posture peaceful. If not for the fact that it was already reduced to bones, Ebner might have thought it was merely asleep. This suggested that it had likely died without much pain.
Beneath the dragon's skeleton, a pool of blood had gathered.
Even after twelve years, the blood remained as vibrant as if untouched by time.
But then again, under the glow of "twilight," time in this place was practically frozen.
"The Five-Colored Radiance Stone… and the bones of a demigod dragon…"
"This place is still within a nightmare, but compared to the previous dreamscapes, it's far more stable… and far safer."
"The ordinary people who accidentally entered through the waters outside Indor Port likely ended up in this dream… but they were probably blocked outside the courtyard by the 'barrier' created by the Five-Colored Radiance Stone, unable to truly enter."
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Ebner approached the altar, examining it carefully before furrowing his brows.
The icosahedral gemstone was the true core of the "barrier"—it was extremely difficult to break, and even if he managed to do so, the balance between the darkness outside and the twilight within the courtyard would immediately collapse.
He wasn't sure what kind of consequences that would bring, but it certainly wouldn't end well for him, standing within the courtyard.
"I should wait until I'm ready to leave before taking it… or maybe I could negotiate with the castle's owner, offering to modify the 'ritual' and replace the Five-Colored Radiance Stone with something else?"
With that thought, Ebner decided not to linger at the altar. Instead, he "flew" toward the courtyard entrance, near the enormous dragon skeleton.
He first took out a container from his belongings and collected some of the blood pooled beneath the dragon.
—After all, this was the blood of a mythical creature. Even if it no longer contained any traits, it was still an exceptionally potent spiritual material.
After filling all the containers he carried with him, Ebner cast a regretful glance at the pool of dragon's blood, which seemed barely diminished, before shifting his gaze to the massive dragon skeleton.
"The 'Gate of Dreams and Reality' can't be opened here, so I can't store it inside the 'Dream Labyrinth Tower'..."
"I could technically 'communicate' with The Fool, but…"
"It's too big! It wouldn't fit through the 'Gate of Summoning'… Besides, Klein's spirituality probably isn't strong enough at this stage to bear the weight of such a substantial 'material' entering the Gray Fog."
Ebner tried various methods but found himself at a loss when it came to this nearly twenty-meter-long skeleton. He pondered for a while before a sudden flash of inspiration struck him.
"I already have the half-broken tombstone infused with the aura of 'Calderón City,' and I've long gathered the necessary auxiliary materials. Now, with this 'Demigod Dragon' skeleton right in front of me… why not just forge the 'Bone Dragon' here?"
After carefully weighing his options, Ebner found the idea quite feasible. The only issue was that this place had an owner!
Taking some blood was one thing, but performing a ritual to refine a "Bone Dragon" right in the owner's courtyard? That would require at least a formal request. Not to mention, there was also the matter of acquiring the "Five-Colored Radiance Stone," which likewise couldn't be done without addressing the castle's master.
"However, the giants and half-giants I helped earlier were all members or subjects of the same ancient giant noble house that was dragged into this nightmare by the 'calamity' in the Fourth Epoch. From them, I've already gathered some intel on the castle's master..."
"Moreover, my previous actions should have earned me some favor with him..."
"And finally, Azik seems to have had some kind of deal with the castle's master. I entered this place alongside a big shot like him, and I even brought the notebook their family deliberately sent out... The castle's master shouldn't be hostile toward me..."
"Sigh! Speaking of Azik… I still don't know where he went… If he were still here, I wouldn't have to be this cautious..."
Letting out a sigh, Ebner didn't rush into the castle to meet its owner just yet. Instead, he activated his Pure White Eye, attempting to "extract" the residual aura and "retrace" the history of this dream-formed courtyard.
Know your enemy, and you will never be defeated!
Since time here was nearly frozen and all traces remained perfectly intact, and since there were no "secrets" obscuring his vision, the events that had transpired in this seemingly eternal courtyard unfolded before Ebner's eyes one by one.
The first thing he saw was a handsome yet cold-eyed man stepping into the courtyard, which had just been pulled into the nightmare. He—or rather, He—exuded a weakened aura, especially under the glow of the castle's "twilight," which made Him appear even more battered.
Yet, despite the discomfort, He still pressed on into the castle.
Shortly after, another man, dressed in the vestments of a Church of the God of Combat archbishop, barged into the courtyard and likewise entered the castle.
Some time passed, but only the handsome man reemerged. However, His condition seemed even worse than before. Despite possessing the rank of an Angel, He couldn't even heal the wounds on His body!
Ebner fixated on this man, a strange sense of familiarity rising within him once more—just like when he had seen that photograph in the valley outside Bayam, where that same man had appeared beside Lady Lamia!