Dark Dragon: The Summoned Hero Is A Villain

Chapter 301: Dream-Eater

Cecilia began reading, her eyes frantically flicking through the words on the page.

This was the reason why she’d had the book stolen.

The Chronicle of the Deep wasn’t merely a collection of myths or half-forgotten history, it was a warning.

Her eyes darted across the passage, following the looping ink as it described the thing she had seen in her vision when she retrieved the golden dagger.

"The Sleeper Beneath is an abyssal entity that dwells in the fathomless depths of the abyss where creation’s light cannot reach."

Cecilia’s breath hitched.

"Though it does not exist within the world itself, it remains bound to it through an ancient metaphysical relationship."

"Every world possesses a core, a heart of living mana that radiates dreams into the surrounding cosmos. These dreams, the unintentional byproducts of humanity’s unconscious mind, drift downwards through dimensional strata until they dissolve into the Abyss."

Her heart began to pound faster.

"There, in the deepest chasm where dreams pool like sediment, the Sleeper Beneath rests."

The image flashed through her mind again. The endless ocean of darkness, the shifting mass deeper still, and the oppressive weight that had nearly dragged her under.

The sense of something ancient, waiting and dreaming.

She read on.

"The Sleeper Beneath is also known as the Dream-Eater. What it devours becomes part of its immense, slumbering bulk, which shifts slowly in the dark, putting anything that comes close into eternal sleep."

"The Sleeper hungers not for flesh, but for consciousness. It yearns to merge with the world’s core and lull all things into eternal dream, to end waking life entirely."

Cecilia swallowed hard, her knuckles whitening against the edge of the desk. The idea was terrifying. A being that could consume existence by making it dream forever.

She flipped the page. The next passage was short but that didn’t lessen its blow upon her.

"It is said that there are two daggers forged in the age before the Abyss was sealed. Each bears the power to cut through the veil separating the Sleeper from the waking world, creating a direct path, from dream to flesh.

Her breath caught. The golden dagger she had found beneath the pond. The one her brother had led her to.

Her eyes widened as realization struck.

The dagger she held was one of the two.

Which meant someone already had the other.

Her gaze flicked instinctively to the spatial ring on her finger, where the dagger now rested, still wrapped in its chains.

If the daggers were ever brought together...

She pushed back from her chair so suddenly it scraped loudly against the floor.

The Chronicle fell shut with a heavy thud.

She stood there for a moment, breathing hard, her thoughts racing.

If the Sleeper Beneath could be drawn into the world, even for a moment, it would spell the end of humanity. They’ll fall into eternal sleep, and the world into eternal silence.

She couldn’t let that happen.

Her brother, King Cillian, must have known this too. That was why he’d hidden the dagger away beneath the academy, beyond anyone’s reach. Why he’d sent her the message after his death, to retrieve and protect it.

She pressed a trembling hand to her chest.

"I’ll keep it safe," she whispered. "I’ll protect it."

Because if she failed, the world would be doomed.

[][][][][]

Time moved forward quietly after that night.

The days fell into rhythm again, of classes, duels, lectures, and training.

The academy’s restless tension that had hung in the air after the disappearances became public knowledge began to fade into the background. Students whispered less and began to laugh more.

Soon, a month had passed since the second semester had begun.

Noah walked into the cafeteria that morning, stifling a yawn behind his hand.

Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, glinting off the rows of polished tables and trays. The scent of delicious food filled the air, mingling with the chatter from the students already seated.

He grabbed a tray from the line, loading it absently with food, and found a seat near the corner of the gold-tier section.

It wasn’t long before Arlo arrived, carrying his own tray.

His white hair had grown longer, brushing just past his collar, and his green eyes still held that intensity that never seemed to dull.

He slid into the seat across from Noah. "Morning."

"Morning," Noah replied absentmindedly.

They ate in silence for a moment before Noah glanced up. "How’s the investigation?"

Arlo sighed, rubbing his temple. "Cold. The trail in the capital’s gone dead. Whatever clues there were, they’ve been buried."

"And as for the academy..." He shook his head. "There’s nothing out of the ordinary so far. No strange movements and no disappearances. It’s like whoever was behind it just vanished."

Noah hummed thoughtfully, his gaze distant. That didn’t sit right with him. The Reunifiers wouldn’t just disappear. Not after everything.

He picked at his food, muttering, "Maybe they’re waiting for something."

Arlo frowned. "Waiting?"

Noah didn’t elaborate.

Instead, he leaned back in his chair, watching the students chatting nearby. The cafeteria felt too normal. It was starting to feel like the calm that came before something ugly. He could feel it in his bones.

A movement by the door caught his eye. A staff member in a neat uniform scanning the room. Their gaze landed on Noah, and they approached quickly.

"Noah Webb?" the staffer asked, holding out an envelope sealed with the academy’s sigil.

"That’s me," Noah said, taking it.

The staff member bowed lightly. "You’re to report to the arena this evening for your evaluation."

"Evaluation?" Arlo echoed.

The staffer nodded. "Promotion exam. As the lowest-ranked student in the gold-tier, you’re required to defend your spot. Failure will result in demotion to silver-tier."

Noah raised an eyebrow, folding the letter open. The details were brief and official.

The staff member bowed again and turned to leave.

Arlo watched him go, then looked back at Noah. "You forgot about it, didn’t you?"

"I didn’t forget," Noah said dryly, though he had.

Arlo smirked. "So you’re fighting to keep your gold ranking, huh? Think you’ll manage?"

Noah glanced down at the letter, then shrugged, smirking. "I’ll manage."