Dreams To Return: The God Of The Tower
81. Underworld

Novan was immersed in that darkness, in contrast to when he was in the body of the whale belonging to Leviathan, his body now absorbed all the darkness within the Bahemoth, the Pope said, making the corpse of the Devil slowly disintegrate into pieces of stone that give off a foul smell. The more Novan fell the more he could see the underworld portal, apparently the body of the Bahemoth made of cave pieces towards the underworld and the corpse of the original Bahemoth, this explained how the demon could be of enormous size.

Novan could see Bahemoth's body slowly collapsing and he immediately dropped himself towards the portal, instantly moving it to the underworld alone.

Darkness was everywhere, the souls of the dead seemed to pass by in that place aimlessly. Rivers with deep blue and red waters visible in several paths, Novan finally set foot in the underworld. Right in front of him a three-headed dog stared at him "Cerberus" The animal reacted to the sound of Novan, his six bright red eyes looking at him carefully before then barking and approaching towards Novan.

Novan immediately stepped back, leaving Cerberus confused. Another barking sound rang out from a distance making Cerberus quickly bite Novan's shirt and take him to a place "Hey! what are you doing?!" Novan did not attack, he did not feel the hatred and negative aura that Cerberus showed him. While running, one of Cerberus' heads looked back, Novan could see a wolf of the same size as Cerberus sniffing the last place Novan stood.

It seems that the reason Cerberus picked up Novan was to remove traces of his smell using the energy smell that Cerberus had. The Greek mythological creature continued to walk while biting his lucky Novan clothes quite thick. Slowly but surely the further Cerberus took him away, the clearer the arid land before Novan slowly turned into fertile soil overgrown with green grass.

In the end, the two arrived at a beautiful and lush garden, very different from the scenery outside the park even Novan did not know he was in the underworld or other realms. "Oh Cerberus! You're finally back!" A soft and warm voice rang out from behind the neatly arranged flowering bushes.

A blond woman with a crown of flowers on her head reveals herself, her golden eyes that look so beautiful meet Novan's red eyes. A smile formed on Persephone's face. "Novan!!" He ran towards Novan and happily grabbed the young man's hand gently "thank God you're okay, I was worried when Hades told me everything. How did you get here, son?" Persephone looked like a mother who welcomed the arrival of her long-awaited child.

Novan could not open his mouth, he could not remember his encounter with Persephone. "Ah sorry did I confuse you?!" Persephone looked panicked when Novan was just silently staring in place. Persephone's golden eyes stared at Cerberus for a moment and he finally realized Cerberus looked worried when he saw Novan's back.

Persephone walked to the back of Novan's body and she could see light coming out of his back that "this is a sacred power? But how can it be embedded in your body, son?" Persephone shut her mouth, unable to believe what she saw. Nova finally opened her mouth.

"I came here because someone told me that this place could remove this holy power" Novan said with a serious look. Persephone seemed to think for a moment before she looked back at Novan with a worried look.

"There is no way to eliminate the sacred power in one's body... Unless that person can balance it" Persephone now looks more worried. "I know how you're gonna survive, but I don't want to see you suffer what Hipnos told us..." Persephone looked very sad.

"...what does it mean is about me having experienced a round of the world for thousands of rounds?" Persephone could not answer, Novan now grumbled Persephone's hand and smiled "I will never regret it, because this time I will finish this cursed round..." Persephone could only nod in confidence. Although there is still a doubt in his heart, suffering may be better than death for Novan.

Persephone escorts Novan into a river that emits a bright blue light that calms the heart. "This is the river Mnemosine, the river that can restore all your memories." Novan stared at the river water and his reflection which was very different from what now looks so clear.

"This river is the opposite of the Lethe river that flows from the cave belonging to Hypnos" Persephone's words now Novan realized that it turns out the curse of memory removal he got because of the water from the river Lethe. The water of the Lethe river that washed the soul of Novan in his first round made the same effect in each round because the water had been cursed by the gods to always purify the soul of Novan every time Novan died, that way Novan can not remember the previous round.

"If I drink this water, will I remember everything?" Persephone nodded as Novan asked that. Novan will get his memories, even his powers from every previous spin. But there is a price he has to pay for it.

Novan took the water and drank it, his body instantly glowing with a beautiful blue light and his body felt so heavy and pain pierced his entire soul. Novan falls down and Cerberus immediately catches him, leading him to a coffin surrounded by flowers, Persephone invited Cerberus to lay Novan down and with a warm smile and a sad-looking face Persephone stroked Novan's head one last time.

"Until we meet again, the son we love the most" and Novan then closes his eyes.

.

.

.

Novan wakes up in a battlefield. A blond man approached her and asked her "are you okay? Can you still move?" Novan for a moment was confused but then he remembered that he was currently fighting against the messengers of the gods.

"Yes I'm fine, Nanaru"

"Do you know how the gods deceived the dream gods?"

"Oh sure. They say that we want to control this world, when in fact we want to control the dream world of the gods themselves. Somehow the dream gods can trust them..." Nanaru said clearly.

"Then why do we have to kill them? Can't we talk all right?-"

"Novan, someone who has been blinded by hatred is hard to succumb to reality. Moreover, we have killed one god, Fobetor. The dream gods must have hated us. There is no other way but to completely snatch this world from the hands of the gods" Nanaru touches Novan's shoulder and he tells all the truth he knows from the power of his information-seeking eye.

Novan can only nod his head and he has promised to continue helping Nanaru seize the dream world and return all humans to the world of reality.

Nanaru smiled and he gave a clock to Novan "this is a clock that can turn time. We will never know what happens in the future. I want you to use it and help me at the right time" Novan picked up the gold pocket watch, and he held it tight.

"All right, I'll do that"

The two fought together all the way to the final battle of Ragnarok. The gods were furious at Nanaru who made it that far and they challenged him to a duel, but Nanaru eventually lost. Novan who realized his friend was cornered immediately used the clock Nanaru gave him, unaware that it was also one of the deceptions of the gods.

It is not a clock that can carry Novan into the past, but it confines Novan to a very complicated dimension of time. Novan was confined within that dimension for a long time, he lost his hope.

In the endless darkness he was immersed in solitude.

There is no hope, no light or way back.

All have vanished how a nightmare has finished and disappeared without a trace in memory, unremembered but imprinted on the mind like a wound. All he could do now was ask himself.

'when I don't want this to happen..'

'why does fate have to go this cruel..?'

'all has vanished. why.just me'

'why am I alone able to see the end of this nightmare..'

He wanted to give up but he knew he had to go back. Back to start the dream he started, back in time to save everything he loves.

The light appeared in his hands and the sound of the world clock was heard "do you want to go back to a time where you had nothing?" The voice was like a gust of wind in the midst of a hot desert, a light of hope that came to Novan to answer all his pleas.

'right. I have to go back..'

The light dimmed and turned into a pocket watch that he held tightly to, the white pocket watch in his hand slowly twisting its hand in the opposite direction than it should have been, turn time back to the past. And that was the beginning of Novan's suffering.

...[.Connecting]...