Chapter 135: Paimon and the Servant’s Nightmare

"Traveler, did you really just agree to him like that? I always have this feeling that he is not a good person."

Paimon trailed closely behind Lumine, clutching her small fists with an expression of deep anxiety.

"Mm-hmm. Although he seems rather flamboyant, I can sense that a portion of what he said is credible. While he must have lied about certain aspects, he certainly gave me genuine information. I only need to determine which parts are true," Lumine replied firmly, striding toward the location of the next old testing ground.

"Doesn't that make this a bit too risky?"

Paimon remained deeply worried.

"Refusing him would also be a risk, and that risk might manifest much sooner."

The Traveler sighed, lifting her gaze toward the sky as it was gradually swallowed by darkness. "Let's go. We'll continue searching for incriminating evidence regarding the Doctor. If possible, we should also ascertain his current physical condition and see how effective the curse of Nidhogg actually is."

"Alright! Let's get moving then."

Although Lumine was already aware that the Doctor had been afflicted by Nidhogg's curse, she did not lower her guard. The Doctor was, after all, the Second of the Fatui Harbingers, as well as a thoroughly unhinged mad scientist. When dealing with such an individual, an abundance of caution was only natural.

She could tell that the Doctor was deliberately concealing his negative physical state. As for the reason behind this concealment, she could roughly make an educated guess.

The Doctor and the Knave had a personal feud!

If the Doctor openly displayed his frail and vulnerable condition within the House of the Hearth, what he would likely face next would be endless assassinations orchestrated by the Knave and her children. Given the opportunity, the Knave certainly would not show him any mercy.

Furthermore, the fact that the Doctor could still conceal his condition and temporarily suppress the agony of the curse meant that he might still retain the capacity to fight. Just how much of his strength remained intact was questionable. Therefore, gathering evidence and trying him through the Hydro Archon's justice was the optimal choice; engaging the Doctor in direct combat carried far too many risks.

"They've left?"

Lu Mingze stood in place, murmuring softly to himself.

He could sense that neither the Traveler nor Paimon possessed ordinary identities. The Traveler was an Outlander with a remarkably unique constitution, gradually reclaiming her lost power. As for Paimon... she gave Lu Mingze an ineffable feeling.

Although she appeared foolish on the surface, acting merely as a cute, emergency food source, she actually seemed to harbor peculiar secrets of her own.

*I'll just pull her right in while she's asleep and properly probe her then!* Lu Mingze thought with a smile.

However, his expression shifted shortly after, and he let out a helpless sigh. "Sigh, that little clumsy pig is acting up again. She really knows how to cause me trouble. Operating on multiple lines is exhausting, you know."

Within the City of Fontaine

The Doctor strolled through the nocturnal city, choosing not to seek out an inn to sleep in right away. Although he lacked direct evidence proving that his phantom pains were connected to the dreams, his intuition told him that, unless exceptional circumstances arose, he should avoid sleeping casually anywhere in Fontaine.

Sensations of agony spread and crawled across every inch of his skin—a feeling akin to the descriptions once given by the test subjects he had experimented upon. Perhaps his suffering was tangibly linked to those people he had subjected to experiments in the past?

"Fontaine truly is a dangerous place," the Doctor muttered, offering a sigh of evaluation.

He then retrieved a pre-prepared vial from his pocket and swallowed its contents in a single gulp. This was the [antidote] he had prepared for himself in advance.

Once the potion entered his system, the Doctor furrowed his brows, silently enduring the painful tingling and stimulation of the draft. Though highly uncomfortable, this trivial pain was completely negligible compared to the phantom agony originating from his soul. However, the cumulative accumulation of suffering pushed him closer to his absolute limits.

This was the potion of memories.

Before long, long-forgotten memories welled up in the Doctor's mind. He recalled his conversation with the Tsaritsa just before his departure from Snezhnaya.

"Doctor, you possess the deepest understanding of our research concerning Nidhogg. That entity suspected of being Nidhogg shall be left to you to identify and gauge its threat level."

"Your Majesty, Nidhogg's power is far too formidable for a mortal like me. Might I be permitted to bring along some special preparations before I depart?"

"What preparations do you desire?"

"A... Gnosis."

*I remember now.*

The Doctor's expression gradually relaxed into understanding.

Before setting out, he had already been fully aware that the entity suspected of being Nidhogg possessed the capacity to control dreams and translate injuries sustained within them into reality.

Consequently, he had temporarily borrowed the Dendro Archon's Gnosis from the Tsaritsa in advance. The Dendro Archon's Gnosis held the specialized authority to manipulate dreams, which might allow him to contend with Nidhogg to a certain degree.

Yet, to claim victory... that was utterly impossible.

Using a specialized method, the Doctor had fused and concealed a Gnosis deep within his own body, and then erased that very memory, compressing it into a potion for storage. He had then presented himself before Nidhogg in a state relatively susceptible to the manipulation of dreams—placing himself directly within the game to personally test its might.

Once he verified its power, he would consume the memory-laden potion, optimize his physical condition using the power of the Gnosis, and execute maneuvers that would catch his opponent off guard.

Why had the Doctor sealed his own memories?

The reason was quite simple. The Knave had already explicitly stated within the dreamscape that Nidhogg held absolute, overwhelming control over dreams, rendering any resistance against his power entirely futile.

Therefore, the Doctor had naturally anticipated the possibility that Nidhogg might read his memories. If Nidhogg were to read his memories, all his preparations would have been rendered pointless, and he might even forfeit the Dendro Archon's Gnosis he had recently acquired in Sumeru. He understood better than anyone that the Dendro Archon's Gnosis stood no chance against Nidhogg himself.

"What a truly crafty fellow," the Doctor muttered under his breath, his expression grave.

Although his plan was exceptionally sound and his actions had revealed no flaws whatsoever, the Dragon King within the dreams was incomparably cautious, promptly eradicating every single memory he had experienced inside the dreamscape.

He had thrown himself into the game, only to achieve absolutely nothing.

*Was my Gnosis insufficiently hidden, leading Nidhogg to discover it?*

With a furrowed brow, the Doctor concentrated on the core of power concealed within his body, carefully verifying its presence.

The Gnosis was still there.

This meant that Nidhogg within the dreamscape might not have detected the Gnosis at all. Perhaps, simply out of extreme caution when dealing with him, Nidhogg had chosen to erase his memories outright.

Yet, if that were the case, why hadn't a cautious Nidhogg deleted the Knave's memories as well? Clearly, that woman was deeply infatuated with Furina, and the Knave had indeed carried out an assassination attempt against her. Why leave the Knave's memories intact, allowing her to carry the intelligence back to Snezhnaya?

It made no logical sense.

Upon careful reflection, that entity suspected of being Nidhogg seemed to have appeared right beside him in the guise of Focalors, observing them closely. Perhaps he had discovered the Gnosis right then and there.

The reason he spared the Knave's memories while erasing only his own was likely because he had already seen through everything. His plans and calculations were nothing more than the pathetic, futile struggles of a weakling in his eyes. Nidhogg was toying with him like a jester, deliberately guiding him step-by-step toward despair.

What a terrifying creature!

The deeper his analysis and research went, the more the Doctor's mental state frayed. He felt like a caged bird; though he could perceive the outside world, he remained trapped behind bars, utterly incapable of shattering the iron cage of fate, no matter how desperately he struggled.

Fortunately, Nidhogg had not struck him down immediately. The dragon was likely contemplating something further.

Or perhaps, because Nidhogg was fond of Furina, he had selected him as the second target for judgment under the law, waiting for the Traveler to drag him before the court and execute him in full view of the citizens of Fontaine.

If so, what struggles could he possibly mount under such circumstances? What course of action would actually prove effective?

*Oh my, oh my, he actually drank the pre-prepared [antidote] this early. It seems the stimulation the Knave provided him was quite severe—much faster than I anticipated.*

*Damn it, the actor has recognized his current predicament far too early. My entire setup has been disrupted, and it's all the Knave's fault! She's the one who ruined my arrangement! Ah, I'm so curious! Tonight, I'll just have her keep that park bench company for the entire evening! Damn it, she has zero sense of proportion!*

Lu Mingze bit his lip in grievance and anger. This development deviated from his expectations. The Knave had managed to endure several days within the death loops of the dreamscape; surely, the Doctor, fortified by the addition of a Gnosis, should have had no problem holding out a bit longer.

Yet, the problem now was that the Knave had employed far too many [methods] while eliminating the Doctor, causing him to break down prematurely and consume his backup [antidote] ahead of schedule.

Weren't you fierce when you were dealing with others?

How come you crumble the moment it's your turn?

Useless! Absolute trash!

"What's wrong with you? Why does your expression suddenly look a bit pained? Did you think of something?"

Furina asked with a hint of concern.

"It's nothing, just minor issues."

Lu Mingze quickly composed his state of mind, internally mapping out the subsequent progression of events. In his eyes, the Doctor was nothing special; even if he managed to uncover certain things, he lacked the capability to break free of this game. At most, he would simply choose to lie flat and give up during the final showdown.

Besides...

The Doctor did not seem like the type to sit idly by and await slaughter. He would likely seek out new variables and escape routes using his own methods. All Lu Mingze needed to do was account for every possibility the man could conceive.

"Oh, really?"

Furina remained somewhat skeptical. She leaned closer, fixing Lu Mingze with her aquamarine eyes as if attempting to peer straight through to his thoughts.

"Mm..."

Lu Mingze turned his head away, refusing her gaze.

Furina closed the distance further for a closer inspection, her cute face inching forward until it was nearly touching his.

"Ah, fine, fine! You win, I'm just feeling a bit out of sorts!" Lu Mingze finally broke, conceding helplessly as he pushed Furina back.

"Hehehe, I'm so good!"

Furina declared with a smug, bright smile.

"Right then, let's play a game..."

"What kind of game...?"

"The Knave and the Bench."

A short while later.

The Knave found herself back on that familiar park bench. Calmly observing her surroundings, she awaited the appearance of the Doctor. Today, she had devised a multitude of brand-new routines and intended to put them into practice.

Thanks to the Doctor, she was no longer as sensitive to the bench as she had been before.

Soon enough, two identical figures of Focalors emerged from opposite sides simultaneously. Locking their eyes onto the Knave, they asked in unison with faint smiles, "Hello, Lady Arlecchino, welcome to my dreamscape. Care to guess which of us is the Hydro Archon?"

The Knave: "???"

"The rules of the game are simple: you must remain seated on the bench for your choices, and before each choice, we will provide you with a certain amount of hints."

"Your initial gravity is set at onefold. If you make the wrong choice, the gravity you bear will increase by an additional fold. If you choose correctly, the gravity burden will decrease by a fold. Once the gravity weighing down on you reaches zero, you'll be free to leave!"

"Well? Doesn't that sound fun?"

Both Focalors asked simultaneously with identical smiles.

"Ugh... did I do something wrong?"

The Knave asked, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

"You have the nerve to ask? Do you not know what you've done? Isn't it only right that you face some punishment?" Focalors crossed her arms, speaking with proud, willful arrogance.

The other Focalors offered no explanation. With a casual snap of her fingers, a flying emergency food source materialized within the dreamscape as well. Paimon blinked in bewilderment at her surroundings, muttering, "Where is this...? Didn't I just fall asleep? Is this a dream?"

"Quack quack quack, come here, my little cutie, let me ravage you to my heart's content! Hahahahaha!" Focalors swept the adorable Paimon straight into her arms, adopting a villainous cackle as she began to playfully rough her up.

"Aahhh! What kind of nightmare is this?!"

Paimon wailed in despair.

"Sigh~"

The other Focalors let out a sigh, a flicker of longing gradually igniting within her helpless gaze—she seemed to want to pet Paimon too. However, refraining from joining in, she turned her head back toward the Knave and asked, "Question: which of us is Focalors?"

"Which of..."

"Three, two..."

"She is Focalors!"

Pressured by the countdown, the Knave instantly pointed toward the figure who was currently holding Paimon and aggressively petting her.

She knew that the so-called Focalors was essentially Lu Mingze's avatar, and Lu Mingze was the sort of person who chased after whatever amused him most. It was entirely within character for him to indulge in teasing Paimon, meaning that the one manhandling Paimon had to be Lu Mingze himself—and therefore, Focalors.

As for this other Focalors standing before her...

She must be Furina in disguise!

"Eh? Hehehe..."

A brilliant smile bloomed across Focalors' face as she looked at the Knave with squinted eyes. "Oh, congratulations, you answered incorrectly. Gravity increases by one fold, haha!"

The Focalors who had been petting Paimon quickly morphed into the appearance of Aether, the Traveler. He smiled and said, "My apologies, I was merely impersonating her. *She* is the real Focalors."

"Huh?"

Gazing at the transformed Aether, the Knave felt as though her worldview was under assault. She had no idea what was going on with this Traveler Aether, nor why he was still clutching Paimon and playing along.

Furthermore, was this other Focalors Lu Mingze? Or was she actually Furina, while this Aether was the true Focalors—meaning Lu Mingze was disguised as Aether? Or perhaps Furina truly was Focalors, and Lu Mingze was merely an actor playing a role?

All manner of possibilities rushed through the Knave's mind. Gradually, she felt the gravitational force pressing down upon her double. Yet, this increase in gravity was nowhere near as agonizing as she had anticipated.

Because it truly was only a single fold of added gravity; such a minor weight meant nothing to the Knave.

Lu Mingze and Focalors were simply in a foul mood and looking to play games with her rather than genuinely trying to inflict harm. After all, she was practically half on their side now. A bit of lighthearted teasing was sufficient; there was no need to take things to extremes.

"Come on, the next round begins!"

(End of Chapter)