Simon rubbed Little Grimm as he walked towards Dirtmouth.
Entering the Troupe's area, he even had leisure to watch the circus performance, and the audience would snicker when they saw Little Grimm in Simon's hand.
It seemed Grimm didn't have much status.
The Troupe's tents were numerous, and the one Grimm was in was the stage theater; besides that, there were several tents for living quarters.
Grimm, as the Troupe Leader, sleeping in the stage theater, didn't sound very dignified.
Simon wandered around and saw a lavishly decorated small tent. He lifted the curtain and stepped inside. A strange bug was sitting on a thick red silk carpet. She wore a half-smile mask covering her right face, two curved antennae on her head swayed slightly, her short neck was completely hidden in a collar of rich red fur, her hands were scythe-claws, her thorax was extremely thin, but her abdomen was huge and long, coiled section by section into a mass, looking very cumbersome. This strong contrast on a single individual had a powerful impact.
Simon couldn't help but worry if she leaned forward, her upper body might detach from her bloated abdomen.
"Ah ah ah!" This bug was very enthusiastic, and a bit neurotic, "Did you summon us? You summoned us, so we came. We came!"
This was Divan, the mysterious Divan, the bug in the game who could reinforce Charms, though her method involved digesting them in her gut.
She tilted her head, pointing the mask towards Simon. The mask was cream-colored, with a large white eye drawn on it and a curved line for the mouth. She also raised her hand, half-covering her face, looking very reserved, "You don't seem scared at all. Why did you summon us?"
"Did I summon you, or did you summon me?" Simon recalled how he was drawn by the aura of flames to find the ritual site in the complex terrain of the Howling Cliffs.
This Troupe had ulterior motives, which Simon could understand, but they always tried to put themselves in a high position, which was a bit annoying.
Simon asked directly, "Where is The Core of the Nightmare's Will?"
"Oh! Hehehe! What an impolite question!" Divan shrank back, though her formidable lower body remained motionless, "Do not delude yourself into thinking you can get the truth from a collective will! Ah ah ah ah!" She giggled, "The deepest nightmare, no one can glimpse!"
Simon spread his hands. Of course, he didn't use much body language, and his facial expressions were completely absent, so spreading his hands conveyed most of his emotions.
And so, Simon's dismissive hand-spreading gesture successfully made Divan laugh.
"Oh ho ho ho, my dear, you are truly amusing. I hope you hurry to find the Troupe Leader. He will show you what a true nightmare is!"
Divan's nonsensical smile, to some extent, infected Simon.
"That's the plan. Yes, even if you didn't say it, I would go," he said slowly, "I will also show your Troupe Leader what true Void is!"
Divan murmured in admiration, "Shadow and flame dancing together, it must be spectacular… It's a pity I can't witness this grand performance firsthand, or maybe I can."
Simon exited the tent and went to find Grimm. Before entering the stage, he once again encountered Brumm playing the accordion. He still looked as happy and loyal as ever, not at all like a double-crosser.
Simon patted his arm. Brumm reluctantly said, "Hmm, go give the flame to the Troupe Leader. He's waiting for you."
"Don't be so gloomy, my friend. Maybe things aren't as bad as you think!" Simon, carrying Little Grimm, stepped onto the stage.
Grimm stood in the center of the pitch-black stage, the fire cage on the ceiling unable to burn away the gloomy aura around him.
"You've come…"
Simon had a sense of déjà vu.
"I've come."
"You shouldn't have come!"
"But I still came!"
"You bring the flame, which will burn away your vile life!" Grimm turned around, saw Little Grimm in Simon's hand, and immediately snorted coldly, "Present the flame, and I shall grant you death!"
"I'll ask again, where is The Core of the Nightmare's Will?"
"You'll see it soon!"
Simon released Little Grimm and watched it fly into Grimm's embrace.
Grimm, as if scorched by flames, let out a hoarse sound, "Feel! The crimson agony!"
Boom!
He transformed into illusory smoke, pouring into Simon's cylindrical head through the dense pores of his eyes.
Simon's Dream World.
"Ah haha! Let you know what a true nightmare is! I will burn your soul to ashes, and your body, your immense power, will belong to the great Crimson Will!" Grimm transformed into a giant red bat, flying through the golden scenery of the Dream World, crashing headfirst into Simon's dream seal.
The bat flapped its wings, constantly impacting the white spherical seal.
However, the seal was extremely firm, and Grimm's repeated attempts still did not work.
"This won't stop me, the flame just needs to burn more intensely!" Intense red light emanated from the bat. Grimm swooped down and abruptly passed through the seal, entering Simon's dream.
"Flame! Burn! The ritual will continue!" Grimm roared, flames spreading wildly. "Blasphemer! Come out! Let us complete the final step!"
Grimm flew around this vast space, scattering flames, but he gradually realized something was wrong.
This Dream World.
So big.
So dark.
Grimm's firelight was like a small night light, illuminating a small patch of dark land, and the majestic giant tree in the distance.
At the top of the Void Root, a pure white fruit hung.
"Is that your will? It looks truly fresh and delicious!" Grimm muttered to himself, rushing towards the giant tree.
The moment his claws touched the fruit, his body vanished, and in an instant, he appeared in the bottomless abyss, beside the Black Egg.
Grimm felt things were getting worse. His bat form was forcibly dispelled, returning to his humanoid shape, and to his horror, he found he couldn't fly.
Next to the Black Egg was a glowing stone tablet.
Grimm approached it and read the inscription word by word.
"The sky is the earth, upside down.
The abyss is heaven, good and evil indistinguishable.
Only by enduring darkness can the flame burn anew."
So, Grimm had to climb the endless abyss.
He forced a smile, "It's nothing serious, just the blasphemer's schemes. He's using the Void to resist the nightmare, but it's useless. The light of the flame can also dispel darkness…"
He stepped onto the stairs, one step at a time.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in front, none other than Simon. Grimm was overjoyed, lunged forward, and tore him to shreds with a claw, "Blasphemer! Your tricks end here!"
The figure shattered, and soon, another Simon walked over.
Layer by layer upwards, Grimm continuously killed Simon.
"Very patient, very good, but how many times can you endure death?"
The higher he went, the stronger these Simons became.
Until Grimm was ganged up on and killed by the Nail Masters.
"No! Impossible!"
Grimm screamed, awakening.
He found himself still at the bottom of the abyss.
Death was far from the end, just as he himself had said, how many times could he endure death?
He climbed again and again.
Each time he died, he weakened a bit, and could reach a lower height.
Grimm was already lost.
"Continue, Crimson Core, I feel it!"
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