Chapter 227 – The People's Savior
"Ugh… I—I'm going to throw up!"
"I'm dying! Somebody save me!"
"My daughter… sob!"
Beneath the execution platform, the townspeople writhed in agony.
In their minds, what they had just been forced to swallow was nothing less than the most evil poison in the world.
Gideon walked over to the four captives and untied them one by one.
"Gideon!" Wilton shouted, pointing straight at his face.
"You are maliciously slandering the Church's authority and poisoning civilians! In the name of the Church's emissary, I condemn you!"
Gideon calmly raised a hand and brushed Wilton aside.
"Father Wilton," he said evenly, "what I gave them was holy water. How exactly does that qualify as 'poisoning civilians'?"
"Besides," he continued, "in their hearts, the Church already represents evil and filth. Under those circumstances, accusing me of 'slander' is even more absurd."
He gestured at the ropes in his hands.
"If I hadn't done this, I wouldn't have been able to save any of you."
Wilton opened his mouth.
"Y-you… you…"
He rummaged desperately through his vocabulary, but found no words capable of refuting him.
"But… this will only deepen their hatred toward us," Bettice said, worry written all over her face.
"That monster still hasn't appeared," she added.
"And at this rate, we may not be able to move an inch in this town."
Lombarn spoke up calmly.
"Before entering the dream, Father Gideon had already given serious thought to the rescue plan. We should hear him out."
As he spoke, he turned to Gideon. The others followed suit.
Gideon raised an eyebrow, a little surprised by the wizard's composure.
"Before that," he said, looking around at them,
"I'm curious about something."
"You're unable to use your real-world abilities here?"
Bettice nodded and explained what she had discovered.
At the same time, she couldn't hide her curiosity—
why Gideon could still conjure holy water, and even use those… rope-like abilities.
Gideon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Bettice and the others had experienced similar nightmares before, only regaining awareness after arriving in Springwood—and even then, not of their own volition.
That was the key difference between them and him.
He then suggested that they drink the holy water.
Aside from Winona, who flatly refused, both Bettice and Lombarn gained the ability of "dream creation."
Wilton resisted at first as well—but after seeing the two of them freely manipulating the dreamscape, and considering the bruises on his own face, he finally gave in.
"With this," Lombarn said, watching a floating sphere drift lazily at his side,
"even without real witchcraft, we can defeat that monster."
The sphere hovered obediently in the air.
It was nothing more than an illusion of "sorcery"—
yet within the dream, it was just as real.
But Gideon shook his head and revealed the truth about Freddy's dominion over the dream to the group.
"Then… doesn't that mean we can never escape?" Lombarn froze in place.
Winona said urgently, "Didn't the two of you apply the Awakening Potion? Once it takes effect, you can wake us up!"
Gideon poured cold water on that hope.
"The flow of time in reality and in dreams isn't the same," he said, recalling a movie he'd once watched.
"It's entirely possible that only one minute passes in the real world, while an entire month elapses here."
"Do you really think you can keep running from him for that long?"
This time, it wasn't just Winona—everyone fell silent.
Gale stepped onto the execution platform, scanning the area before frowning.
"Um… have any of you seen Mark?"
Winona thought for a moment. "The guy who studies modern witchcraft?"
Gale paused, realizing she meant his equipment and instruments, then nodded. "Y-Yes."
"No," Winona shook her head. "I haven't seen him since we arrived."
Worry flickered through Gale's eyes.
"We should first discuss how to deal with that monster," Lombarn said, stepping forward again.
"At the very least, we need to find him. That might lead us to Mark."
Henry clenched his teeth. "That coward ran off the moment we woke up. Otherwise, I'd have cut him down myself!"
"Father Gideon… you still haven't told us the plan," Pence said quietly.
Henry shot him a glare, but ultimately looked back at the priest.
"My plan," Gideon said calmly, "is for the Church to rule this place."
"What?!"
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
Gideon smiled faintly. "You'll understand soon enough."
He looked down from the platform.
Many townspeople had already fainted from sheer terror.
Gideon raised the loudspeaker again.
"Ahem."
Static crackled through the air.
"The Church has already planted the seed of evil within your bodies. In one day, it will sprout."
"When that happens, your flesh will become a breeding ground for corruption, and your souls will be bound here forever."
"The only way to obtain salvation is to await a Savior. According to the Church's revelation, that Savior will arrive… one day from now."
Hope reignited across the crowd's faces.
But Gideon sneered.
"Your hope is nothing more than a bubble in a dream."
"And we—"
He gestured toward the representatives of the different factions beside him.
"—will personally shatter it."
Henry, Bettice, Wilton, and the others shifted uncomfortably.
This was their first time experiencing what it felt like to play the villain.
Below the platform, despair spread among the townspeople.
"Before the Church fully takes control of Springwood," Gideon said coldly,
"you are permitted to return home. This will be your final reunion."
"After that, you will belong to the Church forever."
As his words fell, the ropes binding the crowd loosened and dropped away.
"Savor your final taste of freedom."
At first, only a few people backed away.
Then more followed—until panic erupted, and the crowd scattered in every direction.
Soon, only Gideon and the others remained in the square.
"Father Gideon… who exactly is this Savior?" Bettice began—only to be interrupted.
"You've been lurking there for quite a while," Gideon said, staring into a dark corner.
"Are you really afraid now?"
A wave of shock rippled through the group.
They followed his gaze—but saw nothing.
"Heh… so you can sense me."
Freddy rose from the ground, adjusting the brim of his round hat.
"Compared to your talent for running away," Gideon sneered,
"your hiding skills still need work."
Freddy ignored the jab.
"I never thought you'd be this stupid," it said.
"You came here to save those humans—yet you personally drove them away."
It laughed darkly. "Do your companions know that?"
Some of them glanced uneasily at Gideon.
He remained unfazed.
"Save your cheap attempts at sowing discord," Gideon said calmly.
"Those souls were under your control from the beginning. Until they're truly released, they can't escape at all."
"So how could I have 'driven them away'?"
Freddy paused. "Hmph. Even that, you noticed."
Gideon smiled thoughtfully. "So I wasn't wrong after all."
Freddy stiffened, realizing it had been baited.
It snorted.
"Even so, what can you possibly do?"
Its body split into hundreds of copies, floating around them, speaking in unison:
"You can't take them with you. You can't even escape yourselves. And sooner or later, the dream will swallow your consciousness again—forever."
"I told you already," Gideon replied evenly.
"A Savior will come for them."
Freddy burst into laughter, clutching its stomach—its blades slicing open its own flesh.
Hundreds of intestines spilled out in a grotesque display.
"Why waste words on it?" Henry roared, drawing his sword.
"I've waited long enough for you!"
He launched into the air, gripping the sword in both hands.
"In the name of my ancestors," Henry shouted,
"grant me the power of Loyalty!"
A massive golden spirit manifested behind him.
"That's the blessing of true knightly spirit," Lombarn murmured in awe.
"Only knights of genuine lineage can wield it."
Understanding dawned on the others instantly.
"Hmph. Only someone of that level would be sent," Wilton muttered.
Henry's power surged.
The spirit behind him expanded several times over.
"Filth that crawls in the shadows—die!"
He plunged the sword downward.
Golden lightning exploded from the blade.
Freddy's copies screamed in agony.
In mere seconds, thousands of electric arcs tore through the air.
When the dust settled, the Freddys were reduced to ash.
Henry landed—but his expression remained grim.
He knew it wasn't over.
Sure enough, Freddy's voice echoed again.
"Heh… even your sword exists only because of the dream. What makes you think it can harm me?"
Golden electricity surged again—but this time it formed Freddy's shape.
The lightning engulfed Henry.
"Ugh—!"
He collapsed.
"And now… all of you!"
Freddy reappeared on the execution platform, laughing madly.
"You pathetic humans—trying to defeat me in a dream!"
The ground cracked open.
Weapons emerged—black staves, scanning devices, massive holy statues—
Every one of them bore Freddy's face.
The attacks came instantly.
The staves lashed the two witches.
Gale was bound to a machine preparing to scan her.
The statues smashed toward the clergymen.
Only Gideon remained calm.
Holy relics floated around him, forming a barrier.
He even had time to mutter, "A monster with copyright awareness… impressive."
"But just like I said," Gideon added coolly,
"your creativity is terrible."
"You're the monster!" Freddy howled.
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
Anger—useful.
But Freddy calmed itself.
"So tell me," it sneered,
"how will you escape now?"
"Your companions are trapped. And you—how long can you hold out?"
"As long as the dream exists, you'll never leave."
Gideon shrugged. "Maybe."
That casual answer enraged Freddy further.
"Even if you endure," it snarled,
"what about them? You can't save anyone."
"I already said," Gideon replied,
"a Savior will arrive in one day."
Freddy's face appeared inches from the barrier.
"Then watch carefully!"
The space twisted like a curtain being pulled aside.
Darkness fell.
Steel rang.
Light returned.
Dream—Day Two.
The town's people flooded the streets, kneeling, praying.
Freddy dragged a blade under a girl's chin—she didn't even react.
"This is your 'creation'?" Freddy mocked.
"Where's your Savior?"
The others looked at Gideon in despair.
He stepped forward calmly.
"Excuse me."
He patted Freddy's shoulder.
The monster moved aside instinctively.
The crowd recoiled at Gideon's appearance.
He inhaled deeply.
"Pain… despair… fear," he said greedily.
"Still delicious."
Even Freddy looked like a subordinate beside him.
Doubt spread among the group.
Had Gideon been evil all along?
Gideon licked his lips.
"Yesterday, I promised a Savior."
White light—Hope—flickered faintly among the crowd, wrapped in deep blue Fear.
"Perhaps you're wondering who it is."
"Signs. Statues. Roads."
"He's always been with you."
Gideon activated [Envoy of Sin — Emotional Guidance].
"It is your Savior—Freddy Krueger."
[Envoy of Sin +220]