While Samael remained on his knees, trying to control his emotions, Leon watched him with obvious amusement.
It was the first time he had tested his Awakened ability like this…
And he was loving the results.
Samael clutched his chest tightly as tears involuntarily streamed down his face.
To Leon, the scene was hilarious.
'This should be enough. I don't want to break him just yet.'
With that thought, he slowly turned around to leave.
— It was good seeing you again, Samael. Until next time.
Samael breathed heavily.
— Huff… huff…
His heart still felt painfully tight, as if invisible hands were crushing his chest.
His fingers trembled with rage.
'That son of a bitch…'
He raised his head, searching for Leon around him. A few nearby people were giving him strange looks, as if he had gone insane in the middle of the street.
Samael gritted his teeth.
— I swear one day I'm going to drop a Cursed Demon on your head…
The threat came out sounding more like a bitter mumble than anything truly intimidating.
The following days passed quickly.
Samael and Elizabeth continued training under Layla's supervision. During that time, they even talked about the government's secret mission — something that immediately caught Layla's interest.
And honestly, it wouldn't be impossible for her to participate.
After all, she was the daughter of a Saint.
There were fewer than forty Saints in the entire world. That fact alone made her family's influence monstrous… especially with the support of Clan Song.
Meanwhile, Samael kept trying to improve his control over essence.
Despite his steady progress, he still lagged slightly behind Elizabeth in that regard.
Something that irritated his pride far more than he wanted to admit.
And then…
The day finally arrived.
Samael stood before a massive white metallic capsule: a Dreamscape Pod.
After waiting for so long, he would finally get the chance to experience that technological marvel.
More importantly…
He would be able to face a Divine Aspect user.
Sunny.
Just thinking about it made his nervousness grow.
After all, he had read more than two thousand chapters about that monster.
He knew perfectly well how absurdly powerful the future Lord of Shadows truly was.
Over the past few days, he had trained intensely for this moment.
Even so, it was impossible not to feel anxious.
Samael slowly walked toward the pod.
The smooth white surface reflected the lights around the room, giving the capsule an almost futuristic appearance.
He took a deep breath before lying down inside.
Moments later, the lid closed around him.
Then a series of glowing words appeared before his eyes.
{Do you wish to enter the Dreamscape?}
{Yes / No}
— Yes.
The moment he answered, his vision darkened.
Then—
A vast black void appeared around him.
Stars shone throughout the endless darkness like scattered fragments of light.
Samael looked down.
He was completely naked.
— …
Thankfully, the Dreamscape's anti-nudity system activated immediately. A few moments later, simple clothes appeared on his body.
Another message appeared before him.
{Before proceeding, please choose a pseudonym.}
Samael didn't even need to think.
— Nagi Kurose.
It was the name he used in games and social media back in his old world.
{Welcome, Nagi Kurose. Please choose a dream of your liking.}
Samael crossed his arms.
— I want to fight someone specific.
He already knew exactly who he was looking for.
Sunny.
Or rather…
Mongrel.
The problem was that Samael had no idea which dream Sunny usually entered.
Dozens of options floated before him within the starry void.
Trying to contain his excitement, he began searching slowly.
Arena.
Ruins.
Battlefields.
Labyrinths.
Nothing.
— Damn… is he not even online?
Time passed slowly.
One hour.
Then two.
Then three.
It was probably already dawn when Samael finally found the name he was searching for.
Mongrel.
His eyes immediately lit up.
The user was inside a Coliseum-type dream.
A grin spread across Samael's face.
Finally.
Samael immediately entered that dream.
A few moments later, he appeared inside a massive dark stone arena illuminated by spectral torches.
The Coliseum.
The sound of the crowd echoed everywhere.
Shouting.
Betting.
Cheering.
Booing.
It was chaotic… yet strangely exciting.
Without wasting time, Samael joined the waiting line to challenge Mongrel.
And then he saw Sunny fight for the first time.
Or rather…
He saw Mongrel.
Weaver's Mask completely concealed his face, making it impossible to see any emotion behind that dark figure.
Even so, his presence dominated the entire arena.
Sunny moved like a living shadow.
Every step seemed calculated.
Every movement flowed naturally into the next.
He fought as though he were dancing.
Strengthened by the surrounding shadows and using Shadow Step at perfect moments, Mongrel seemed utterly unstoppable.
His opponent could barely keep up.
The difference in skill was absurd.
Sunny's swordsmanship completely overwhelmed his enemy's.
Samael felt a shiver run down his spine.
'This is insane…'
Then, before he even realized it—
— GO, SUNN— MONGREL! YOU CAN DO IT!
The shout echoed throughout the entire arena.
The people nearby immediately looked at him with strange and irritated expressions.
Some genuinely seemed annoyed.
But Samael didn't even notice.
His attention was completely focused on the fight.
The euphoria he felt watching Sunny wear Weaver's Mask was far greater than he had imagined.
At that moment, Sunny didn't seem like a deadly Awakened.
Nor someone dangerous.
Nor even a potential rival.
He simply looked like the idol of an obsessed fan finally being seen in person for the very first time.
And the more the battle continued…
The more excited Samael became.
Without even noticing it, he started cheering together with the crowd.
Time passed quickly.
One challenger after another fell before Mongrel.
Then…
Finally, it was his turn.
The arena gates slowly opened.
Samael took a deep breath.
All his excitement vanished almost instantly.
Now, standing face to face with Sunny…
Nervousness completely took over him.