Dungeon King: A Lady Knight Offered by My Goblins

Chapter 485 483-The Innkeeper's Intentions

After traversing through various dreamscapes for a considerable amount of time, they finally came to a halt before one particular dream.

This dream belonged to the innkeeper.

"We've ventured into the innkeeper's dream before, haven't we? We found nothing peculiar within her dreamscape. Do you think our previous endeavors were unsuccessful?" Prophet Magus spoke, still perplexed.

He couldn't fathom why Shadow Elf had brought him to the innkeeper's dream again, considering their prior exploration.

The air held a touch of strangeness as Prophet Magus voiced his thoughts.

He couldn't comprehend the motives that had guided Shadow Elf's actions.

They had indeed entered the innkeeper's dream on a previous occasion, and it had yielded no significant revelations.

In the innkeeper's dream, they found no useful information whatsoever.

Even if, within the innkeeper's dreamscape, Prophet Magus had foreseen the presence of the cloaked figure and had managed to uncover clues related to this enigmatic individual, it was largely due to the assistance provided by Ethan.

Without Ethan's guidance, he would have never unearthed such a multitude of leads.

"The reason I brought you here is to completely lift the curse that plagues this dreamscape," Shadow Elf finally spoke, his voice resonating with a sense of determination.

"I've pondered this for a long time, and I believe I've unraveled the truth."

Their predicament was not solely a result of the cloaked figure's alliance with the God of Curses.

There was another individual who had lent their aid to the adversary, and that person was none other than the innkeeper.

Shadow Elf's deductions aligned perfectly with Ethan's own theories.

Furthermore, due to the additional information Shadow Elf had acquired, his revelation had come earlier in their quest.

Faced with Shadow Elf's startling revelation, Prophet Magus was profoundly shocked and utterly incredulous.

After a moment of stunned silence, he shook his head with a smile.

"This is absolutely impossible. I know the innkeeper very well, and she would never do such a thing. Unless she faced an enormous crisis, she would never seek my assistance. Your conjecture must be mistaken. Perhaps you should consider other possibilities. Have you thought about the possibility that it's the overwhelming power of the God of Curses at play here?"

Prophet Magus remained steadfast in his disbelief, a reaction well within Shadow Elf's expectations.

After all, even Shadow Elf had been taken aback when he first deduced this information.

Nonetheless, Shadow Elf didn't feel the need to rush the matter.

He only needed to guide Prophet Magus back into the innkeeper's dream once more.

"Your disbelief is understandable, but I'll demonstrate why the innkeeper and the cloaked figure are allies," Shadow Elf declared with conviction.

"Ethan has already uncovered the God of Curses, rendering him unable to provide any further assistance to the innkeeper. This means we can finally extract enough information from her dream."

Without hesitation, Shadow Elf led Prophet Magus into the innkeeper's dream once more.

This time, the scene that greeted them was drastically different from their previous visit.

In their previous venture, they had encountered a serene and ordinary depiction of the inn.

However, this time, they found themselves immersed in a nightmarish landscape, tainted by an overwhelming curse.

Faced with the surreal and nightmarish transformation of the innkeeper's dreamscape, Prophet Magus struggled to believe what he was witnessing.

However, he couldn't help but wonder if it was possible that the Power of Curse within this realm had grown in strength.

The intensification of the Power of Curse could indeed explain the unsettling changes in all dreams associated with the Cursed Dreamland.

"It's entirely possible that this is due to the Power of Curse strengthening," Prophet Magus mused, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"As a mage, I should be able to sense the fluctuation in the Power of Curse here. Do you believe the Power of Curse in this place has become potent enough to manifest such aberrations? But let's not deceive ourselves any longer. The reason the innkeeper's dreamscape has turned like this is undoubtedly because she has aligned herself with the God of Curses."

He turned to Shadow Elf, his doubt slowly giving way to a sense of resolve.

"Do you really think that she could have joined forces with the God of Curses and still be willing to cooperate with us? You may proceed with your actions here. I believe this time, we will indeed find success."

Shadow Elf remained silent, for he believed that it was now Prophet Magus's moment to shine.

Despite his initial disbelief, Prophet Magus ultimately chose to harness his precognitive abilities within the innkeeper's dream.

There, he witnessed the previous collaboration between the innkeeper and the cloaked figure.

Regardless of his earlier doubts, Prophet Magus had no choice but to acknowledge the accuracy of Shadow Elf's deductions.

He recounted everything he had seen to Shadow Elf.

"It seems we must eliminate the innkeeper as soon as possible. If we fail to do so, Ethan's situation will be severely compromised," Prophet Magus concluded.

With the revelation of the truth, Prophet Magus abruptly awakened from the Cursed Dreamland.

In the realm of dreams, once individuals became aware of their dreaming state, they invariably woke up.

Even within the confines of the Cursed Dreamland, discovering its true nature granted the ability to awaken promptly.

Shadow Elf and Prophet Magus awakened simultaneously.

Without hesitation, they ventured forth into the waking world, driven by the urgency of their mission—to locate the innkeeper.

The innkeeper had taken precautions in her room, setting up traps to deter any intruders.

However, the traps were no match for Shadow Elf's expertise, and together with Prophet Magus, they effortlessly bypassed the innkeeper's defenses.

As they breached her room, the innkeeper's astonishment was palpable.

"Have you discovered crucial leads?" she inquired, though she tried to maintain a facade of nonchalance.

Even in the face of their unexpected arrival, the innkeeper clung to a glimmer of hope that perhaps Shadow Elf and Prophet Magus had stumbled upon some unrelated clues.

However, it didn't take long for the innkeeper to realize that her previous actions had likely been uncovered by these two individuals.

She could discern from the grim expressions on both Shadow Elf and Prophet Magus that they were well aware of her deceit.

"Why did you choose to collaborate with the cloaked figure? And not only did you collaborate, but you also deceived me. What possible gains could justify your actions? Do you truly believe that the God of Curses would provide you with irresistible terms?" 

Prophet Magus's tone was laden with anger as he confronted the innkeeper.

To him, her actions seemed utterly irrational.

The innkeeper appeared to have dropped her pretense.

Her facial expressions underwent a drastic transformation, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"I chose to align myself with the God of Curses because he promised to resurrect my son! If achieving that goal requires any action on my part, I am willing to take it!" 

Her voice trembled with a mix of desperation and determination.

The innkeeper's revelation left both Shadow Elf and Prophet Magus slightly taken aback.

However, Prophet Magus quickly grasped the situation, realizing that there was little more to be said.

After all, he was intimately familiar with the innkeeper's circumstances.

Her son had tragically passed away in an accident many years ago, and she had lived a solitary life ever since.

Despite her typically cheerful demeanor, everyone in the town understood the deep sorrow that the innkeeper carried within her.

The desire to bring her son back to life, while unconventional, was undeniably driven by a mother's love.

Prophet Magus, having known her for so long, couldn't help but empathize with her plight.

While Shadow Elf was aware of these facts to some extent, he still couldn't fully condone the innkeeper's actions.

"The God of Curses will never fulfill his promises," Shadow Elf began, his voice laced with conviction.

"And even if he were to keep his word, can you be certain that the resurrected being will truly be your son? Even the God of Shadows can't successfully revive someone who has been gone for so long. What the God of Curses may resurrect is nothing more than a twisted abomination. Are you truly prepared to accept a grotesque creature as your son? I urge you to abandon this unrealistic fantasy."

Shadow Elf's words carried a note of compassion, not solely condemnation.