In the dream world, the golden castle still stands in its original place.

But the originally beautiful garden in front of the castle has disappeared, replaced by a tree like a demon.

Low, twisted, hideous.

Just like a black stone pillar, planted in a complex magic circle.

It stretches out thousands of vines.

Those black ones grew like fire-burned vines, forming a black crown like a spider web.

There were dark red talismans on those vines, and the power of nightmare jumped among the shining talismans, making the scenery of this originally extremely beautiful dream world gloomy and weird.

It's like jumping from spring to late autumn and cold winter.

Except for the lack of fallen leaves on the ground, everything around was very solemn.

The Nightmare Tree is still drawing substantial nightmares from the dream dimension, but after the nightmare was born in another world, the nightmare that overflowed from the dream world has been much less.

Especially after the Dream Gate in front of the Nightmare Tree was destroyed by Odin's blow of an angry thunder, the Dream Gate connecting the two areas completely collapsed.

This completely separates the nightmare from the nightmare dimension in which it is located.

It's like a king who was expelled from his own kingdom.

Unable to return to the nightmare dimension.

Nightmare never wants to swallow the world.

Zatanna's adventure plan succeeded.

The price was that she almost died in the golden light that ruined most of Neforheim.

She is very tired and exhausted now.

But the wounds on the body no longer hurt much.

Miss Magic was lying on the recliner on the edge of the Nightmare Tree, wearing only simple black underwear, and had scratches or pierced wounds everywhere on her body.

A guy wearing a black hood, thin body and looking ethereal, is healing her wounds.

Zatanna tried hard to keep herself from falling asleep.

She leaned against the recliner and looked straight at the person in front of her.

It was like in the blink of an eye, he would completely disappear, just like the last farewell.

"Why should I look at me like that?"

Merlin reached out and threw a healing spell on Zatanna's arm.

He also had some bandages and sutures on his hand, which were not uncommon in this Zatanna and his dream world.

"They all said you were dead."

Zatanna said in a hoarse and tired voice:

"I don't think you're dead, you won't die. It seems I guessed it right."

"It depends on how you look at it."

Merlin replied calmly:

“In the traditional sense, I was indeed dead.”

"But you're still here!"

Zatanna said stubbornly:

"Unless I think you are crazy, and when I don't even notice it myself, I create an illusion of you in the dream world, you..."

"Is it true?"

"You can touch it."

Merlin raised his head and smiled under the black hood.

He said:

"But we don't have much time, Zatanna. I'm not lucky to meet the high-level fear demon every day."

"Um?"

Zatanna heard Merlin's words and blinked and said:

"The Fear Demon? Are you in hell now?"

"right."

Merlin held Zatanna's hand and said softly:

"It is the scorched earth plain between the River of Anger and the River of Swearing and the River of Resentment and Disaster, and in the cracks of the fifth hell, it is said to be in the lower level of Lucifer's Hell."

"It is specifically used to exile those souls that no one wants to accept. It is a very special dimension of hell. I have been in that ghost place for a while."

"The time flow rate there is not normal, so I can't be sure how long it has passed."

“6 months!”

Zatanna rubbed her painful forehead and said:

"You've been dead for 6 months."

"Oh, that's fine."

Merlin chuckled softly.

He stood up, walked behind Zatanna, stretched out two fingers and placed them on Miss Magic's forehead.

While massaged gently, he gently inserted magic power into her body to relieve her fatigue.

He said:

"When I was out today, I was lucky enough to meet a high-level fear demon who was wandering around. You also know that that kind of demon also has the ability to enter a dream."

"So I 'borted' its body for a while and wanted to come back to see you, but I saw you running to die."

"I'm not."

Zatanna curled her lips and said:

"I sent the nightmare to Asgard, where it gave birth to a personified consciousness, and it tried to be born in this world, and was also stopped by Odin."

"That villain is trapped there, and as long as it does not return to Earth, it can no longer penetrate our dream world, we are safe... the world that has always been protected by you is safe."

"Although it's a bit risky, it's worth it."

"You have also started to learn from me to protect the world? It really touched me...but how long can you stay with it?"

Merlin whispered:

"One year? Two years?"

"It's meaningless, Zatanna, the Sandman gave you and me 7 years to deal with the nightmare matter. You just exile it can't solve the problem."

"Then what should I do?"

The magician snorted and said dissatisfied:

"You left me alone here and let me face the nightmare alone. I am just a weak woman. It's already great that I can do this."

"Stop making trouble."

"Aren't I back?"

Merlin's fingers stroked Zatanna's cheek, and the cold touch of ghosts made Zatanna shudder.

She held Merlin's fingers backwards and pressed it tightly against her neck and face.

"Will you still leave this time?"

Zatanna asked.

Merlin did not answer immediately, and after a few seconds, he whispered:

"This time, I won't leave anymore, I will accompany you until the end... nothing can stop us anymore."

"good."

Zatanna showed a weak smile on her face, and she said:

"I will believe you again."

"But then again, you are being locked in hell. Do you need me to find some people to find a way to release you?"

Miss Magician said:

"If I want to turn on hell, it may take me some time to prepare."

"No, no."

Merlin bent down and kissed Zatanna on his forehead, saying:

"The dimension of hell that traps me is a strange place that cannot be opened from the outside. How to leave from there is something I have to consider."
To be continued...