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Moments later, Lugal's joyous smile and carefree attitude vanished. Before he could fall into a dark mood, however, a feeling of calmness washed over him. His breathing became steady as the fresh, cold air struck his face. It was unlike anything the real world could offer. After all, the pollutants and toxic gases there made breathing difficult and painful, not even accounting for the outskirts. Though there was good air in some places, it only existed within the luxurious parts of the city, where the atmosphere was refined and pleasant… something only the truly rich could experience.
And here, being able to inhale this refined, delicious air as though he were a vacuum, felt like a dream come true.
The benefits of being chosen by the Nightmare Spell truly outweighed the cons.
If only I could sit in this beautiful warmth forever. My arms and legs wouldn't feel tense every waking moment…
His body suddenly rose from the ancient throne, slowly stretching outward. As he moved, the sound of his joints cracking echoed throughout the hall, as if he had not moved in ages. Below him, the people stiffened, their bodies tensing as though an invisible pressure had descended upon them.
At last, after taking a deep breath and remaining silent for a few moments, he spoke in an assertive tone.
"How far are they? What are their forces, and what are ours looking like?"
Sol immediately responded.
"They are an army of around twelve thousand, approximately twenty-one miles away. At their current pace, they will arrive by tomorrow afternoon from the east."
He paused briefly before continuing with a sly grin.
"We, however, my majesty, have no less than four hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, not including our reserves."
It was shocking. This Nightmare was supposed to be devastating, yet Lugal felt more relaxed than anything else. He had prepared himself for this moment ever since the symptoms of the Spell first appeared. It took some time to get used to, but he adapted quickly.
After all, everyone he loved was already gone.
Dying before reaching eighteen was admittedly tragic, but he could cope with it.
In fact, it had taken him less than three days to recover after saying goodbye to all his friends… well, technically just one. An eight-year-old kid who came to play with him every once in a while. Lugal had given him the ball they used whenever they played together, and afterward, he simply wandered around the city, visiting places he had never seen before.
During those final days, he did almost everything he had ever wanted to do. After all, he had no more expenses to worry about. What was the point of saving money when he was going to lose everything soon anyway? It would all go to waste regardless.
So becoming an emperor and living a life of luxury was perhaps the greatest ending he could have hoped for.
But now he realized it did not have to be his last.
After all, he had an army — something no one else who entered this Nightmare could have ever dreamed of possessing. The image of victory was practically painted before him, and it was the most beautiful sight imaginable. Most likely, he would complete this Nightmare in less than two days.
All he had to do was wait for the enemy army to arrive.
Because of that, he finally allowed his body to relax. Ever since hearing the threat of war, he had unconsciously kept himself on edge.
Using this opportunity to pretend he was deeply considering their predicament, Lugal decided it was finally time to examine his status and understand what everything within it meant. Thinking about the runes once more, they slowly materialized before him.
The last time they appeared, his Aspect had been far too overwhelming for him to process anything else, so he had ignored the attributes entirely. While some claimed attributes were less important than Aspects, they still played a crucial role in determining one's strengths and weaknesses.
They represented natural traits and affinities, sometimes even granting passive effects or abilities.
[Fated]
Attribute Description: "The strings of fate wrap tightly around you. Unlikely events, both good and bad, are drawn by your presence. There are those who are blessed, and there are those who are cursed… but rarely both."
[Dreamspawn]
Attribute Description: "You are born of two worlds, belonging to both, but welcomed in neither. Your soul exists on the edge between nightmare and reality."
[Child of Vigor]
Attribute Description: "Your vitality transcends mortal limits. Injuries that would cripple lesser beings become little more than fleeting nuisances, granting you monstrous resilience and the strength to endure even the harshest of assaults."
[Composed King]
Attribute Description: "Your mind remains unmoved in the face of chaos. Fear, pressure, and desperation fail to cloud your judgment, allowing you to stay calm and decisive where lesser beings falter. The spirit of a conqueror dwells within you."
A dry laugh escaped his lips.
Lugal finally understood why his luck often felt so absurdly unnatural. The first attribute, [Fated], made it seem as though he were destined for something extraordinary — though what exactly, nobody would know until it happened. Even so, after reading through it carefully, it appeared that both fortune and disaster were more likely to gravitate toward him than toward anyone else.
"I'm glad I have this. I imagine this is the reason I obtained such a remarkable Aspect… and why I was incarnated as a king."
If [Fated] was his innate attribute, then his last two attributes were likely tied to his Aspect, [Hollowed Prince].
But the second attribute puzzled him.
What exactly did it mean to be born of two worlds? And how could he belong to both while being welcomed by neither? Did that mean he would not be accepted within the Dream Realm? If so… what would happen whenever he fell asleep?
[Dreamspawn] was an odd one, but he decided he would cross that bridge when the time came.
For now, however, he finally understood why, whenever fear or anxiety threatened to overtake him, some strange calmness would wash over his mind. It was because of [Composed King].
He even tried imagining things that would normally anger him, yet nothing managed to truly provoke him. There had not been much use for the attribute so far, but he suspected that would change soon enough.
Deciding to inspect his Memories later, Lugal dismissed the runes after several more moments passed.
Then he spoke softly.
"How quickly can you mobilize these forces before they arrive?"
Sol responded immediately, though there was hesitation in his voice.
"All of the forces, my lord? Are you certain we need every soldier against such a lowly army? Even a thousand of our most elite troops could crush them."
Lugal pondered his words for a moment before calmly replying,
"The desire to seem powerful often keeps one from truly being so."
Sol's eyes widened. Not only his, but the other two standing beside him also appeared stunned. Sahara, still frozen in place, quietly repeated his words beneath her breath as though trying to grasp their meaning.
Fintan was the first to recover.
"Y-You're right, my lord. Clearly, our thought process cannot compare to someone such as yourself. Please allow us to humbly apologize for our arrogance."
Lugal suddenly wore a complicated expression.
He had not intended to sound profound. All he meant was that going easy on someone could easily backfire. One could never afford to underestimate an enemy. They had to possess a reason for being so confident despite declaring war on an empire with more than triple their forces.
Honestly, it intrigued him.
What exactly were they hiding that made them so bold?
And more importantly… could it survive being crushed by his overwhelming force?
"I simply mean you should never go easy on an opponent. You never know how the tides of battle may change, so beginning with your full strength is always the wiser choice," he explained bluntly.
The three of them, clearly enthralled, shouted in unison,
"Yes, your majesty!"
Sol, seemingly enlightened by those words, continued in a calmer tone.
"If we exclude the reserves once more, then yes, all of them can be prepared before the enemy arrives, provided we depart to inform them immediately."
Good, Lugal thought. There's no way we lose this. With my luck and this army, victory is inevitable.
"Alright. Leave immediately and inform them. But Sahara, stay behind. I want to discuss something with you a little longer. Is that understood?"
"Yes, your majesty. We shall complete this without issue. It is our honor," Sol and Fintan replied simultaneously.
Both lowered their heads to the ground before turning and rushing away. Soon, the massive doors opened, and they vanished from sight. The final thing left behind was the loud bang of the doors shutting.
"Why, my majesty? What would you like to speak with me about?" Sahara asked, a faint blush spreading across her face.
Lugal smiled lightly.
"I wanted to ask if there was any—"
Before he could finish, the doors suddenly burst open.
A man clad in gold-and-silver armor sprinted inside, a spear clutched tightly in his right hand. He rushed toward Sahara's position with his head lowered, careful not to fully raise himself in the emperor's presence. The moment he arrived, he dropped his weapon and kowtowed.
"My lord, it's an emergency! Two Awakened Tyrants have been spotted chasing the enemy!"
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So after at least 30 Reese's and alot of inspiration, I finally finished Chapter 3. I've actually gotten the motivation to keep writing this book, and I'm having a lot of fun with it now.
I'm planning to release at least 2 chapters a week, because each one takes me around 2 hours to make. The next chapter will most likely be out Monday.
Also, I appreciate the feedback I've been getting, so feel free to leave more criticism or suggestions if needed.