Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

The phrase "incarnation of nightmares" was, as In Seon-oh said, a term used to refer to the companion of Insomnia.

Insomnia travels through multiple worlds via dreams, gradually consuming reality and turning it into a nightmare. In worlds where abilities are not activated, a companion or incarnation was needed.

So, when Insomnia targeted the world I was in, they asked me to become the incarnation of nightmares.

'According to the White Tiger, Insomnia wanted me to become the incarnation of nightmares. I didn't accept that request and instead proposed a chess match to capture Insomnia.'

All of this was information I had heard from the White Tiger, so it didn't feel real, but it was a logical explanation.

If such a being were to seek to turn the world into a nightmare, I would have made the same choice.

But as I recalled the information about the incarnation of nightmares, something seemed odd.

'In Seon-oh is a person who Insomnia would want as the incarnation of nightmares. It's not surprising to consider them a candidate. But something's off.'

Depending on the result of the chess match, I was supposed to follow Insomnia, so I was also a candidate for the incarnation of nightmares.

It wasn't strange that Insomnia, who travels through multiple worlds, might have other candidates for the incarnation of nightmares besides me.

But the fact that I became a candidate for the incarnation of nightmares was because I had been in a world without abilities.

In Seon-oh, on the other hand, was in a world with abilities and was skilled in manipulating them. So, why did they become a candidate for the incarnation of nightmares? That was the question.

I wasn't the only one with doubts about this.

"Do you... do you even know what the incarnation of nightmares is? That's something that only exists in a world without abilities! You shouldn't be here!"

A trembling voice came from behind the lamb's head.

The Lamb of Sleep said that, but unfortunately, there were two candidates for the incarnation of nightmares here.

'I should just kick them out!', 'Maybe now...', 'Ah, I was just trying to live quietly!' the Lamb of Sleep muttered to itself.

In Seon-oh remained silent, staring at the Lamb of Sleep, waiting for them to calm down.

Even if they wanted to respond, it would be difficult to interrupt someone like that, so it was hard for them to speak up easily.

While waiting for In Seon-oh's response, Hwang Ji-ho, who looked visibly irritated, was about to speak when—

"That's right! Come to think of it, Insomnia left this world about 20 years ago. When they reappeared, they were attached to that person. When did you become a candidate?"

The "person" the Lamb of Sleep referred to was me.

Seeing how certain they were as they spoke, it seemed that the head of the Lamb Tribe had sensed the existence of nightmares I carried as soon as I arrived in this world.

During the 12 Zodiac Alliance meeting, I had been by Hwang Ji-ho's side through a magic circle, and the Lamb of Sleep might have sensed the nightmares even before that.

It seemed that the tigers and the dragon were also aware of this, and their gaze toward the Lamb of Sleep shifted.

What the Lamb of Sleep had asked also caught my attention.

Hwang Ji-ho stopped them before the Lamb of Sleep rambled on again.

"This is something I'm curious about as well. I want an answer, so you should keep quiet for now."

"What?! Why should I be treated like this in my own domain?"

The Lamb of Sleep grumbled, but eventually quieted down.

That allowed In Seon-oh to finally answer.

"I'll answer the first question. Yes, I know what the incarnation of nightmares means. I also understand that there's no need to be in this world with abilities. So, I was planning to go to a world where nightmares exist."

"That's nonsense!"

The Lamb of Sleep called it nonsense, but In Seon-oh's words made sense.

Although the content was absurd.

Unlike the Lamb of Sleep, who was agitated, In Seon-oh calmly responded.

"You also have the ability to cross worlds and have tried to do so before, right? To deal with the traces of nightmares."

"Does that make it the same? And I'm the Lamb of Sleep, the symbol most humans associate with 'sleep.' I can cross worlds through dreams, but you can't!"

"That's exactly why Insomnia would want you to be the incarnation of nightmares."

In Seon-oh's answer left the Lamb of Sleep speechless, and they fell silent.

When In Seon-oh said, 'That's exactly why,' their gaze lingered on me. There were no words, but it almost felt like they were silently asking, 'You can do that much, right?'

"And if you're asking when I became a candidate, it's hard to answer. I received a prophecy before I was even born that I would become the incarnation of nightmares. So, whether I became a candidate when the prophecy was first given ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) or when I was born, I'm not sure."

Hearing In Seon-oh's words, the Lamb of Sleep swayed slightly.

The place they were sitting was a large log with no backrest, so it almost seemed like they would fall over, but somehow managed to maintain their balance as if they weren't just a leader for show.

"So, you can also cross worlds through dreams, just like the Lamb of Sleep, and you received a prophecy about becoming the incarnation of nightmares in another world?"

"Yes, that's correct."

In Seon-oh answered immediately to Yong Je-geon's question.

The answer came so easily that it seemed almost trivial.

Yong Je-geon, with the same light attitude as In Seon-oh, asked another question.

"If this goes on, that prophecy won't come true, will it? Right now, it seems like Insomnia is more interested in Yi-shin than in you. It looks like you've lost the power, wealth, and honor that are supposed to come with being the incarnation of nightmares, which must be disappointing."

Although the tone was casual, the content was heavy, and as soon as he spoke, the atmosphere grew cold.

If what Yong Je-geon said was true, then In Seon-oh would have a reason to harm me.

I had thought about that possibility since hearing about the incarnation of nightmares, but it was just like Yong Je-geon to openly ask about it here.

Moreover, when hearing that question, Kim Shin-rok didn't stop Yong Je-geon but instead looked at me and In Seon-oh expressionlessly.

It was the face he usually made when working as a torture expert for the Tiger Clan, and it seemed like he was ready to intervene if In Seon-oh did anything here.

Even though the tigers' atmosphere wasn't normal, In Seon-oh remained calm.

"If I harm Yi-shin, Insomnia would likely watch, but if I push him toward death, there will definitely be revenge."

Though it was a hypothetical situation, the mention of death made the atmosphere even colder.

I was unaffected, but the tigers looked visibly displeased.

In Seon-oh, of course, and even Yong Je-geon, whose eyes sparkled with excitement, didn't hide their discomfort.

"Also, the prophecy has already lost its meaning. Although I was called a candidate, with the prophecy gone, I'm not really a candidate anymore."

It seemed that In Seon-oh had no intention of engaging further with Yong Je-geon and instead looked at Hyeon-mu.

Hyeon-mu was the person who knew the most about the prophecy, so it seemed like a suitable moment to change the subject.

"Since the morning star appeared, the prophecies in this land have disappeared. I agree that it's difficult to treat you as a candidate for the incarnation, but after hearing your words, I have a question."

Hyeon-mu, who had seemed somewhat removed from the situation, now took an active role.

Rather than being interested in nightmares themselves, it seemed like Hyeon-mu was more interested in something else.

"I don't sense any prophecy or foresight from you. So, someone else must have passed that prophecy on to you. I'd like to know who that is."

Hyeon-mu knew about the prophet even though he had no direct contact with Wi Gi-hwan.

It seemed that he had the ability to identify those who were not prophets.

In Seon-oh, who had been answering smoothly until now, fell silent for an unusually long time.

Was it a more difficult question to answer than introducing themselves as a candidate for the incarnation of nightmares?

After some reflection, In Seon-oh finally replied.

"There are many who are wary of Insomnia in this world."

The word 'many' indicated that it wasn't just one person.

I waited for In Seon-oh to continue, but there was silence.

Hyeon-mu silently watched In Seon-oh and then nodded as if he understood something.

"You didn't have to answer my question, but thank you for doing so."

"No, thank you for your consideration."

Hyeon-mu seemed to have figured something out, but I couldn't tell what it was.

Hwang Ji-ho frowned slightly while looking at Hyeon-mu but didn't press him for answers.

It seemed that Hyeon-mu's response made it hard for Hwang Ji-ho to pry any further.

In an attempt to ease the atmosphere, Hyeon-mu spoke in a warm voice.

"My friends wouldn't want strangers to stay too long. If you have any questions, it would be best to ask them now."

"I still have much to hear, so I might stay a while."

"Stay a while? Didn't I tell you to leave quickly?" Help us continue by reading at the source: MV2LEMPYR.

"If you don't like us being here, answer the questions right away."

Hyeon-mu was warm, but Hwang Ji-ho and Cheong-ho were not.

Hwang Ji-ho bombarded the Lamb of Sleep with questions.

Most of them were about nightmares.

What kind of power they possessed, how to sense them, how to create barriers to stop nightmares, and what impact nightmares had on this world, among others.

It seemed like the amount of information he was requesting was huge, and it was questionable whether the Lamb of Sleep could answer, but to my surprise, the Lamb of Sleep answered quite readily.

Maybe Hwang Ji-ho thought that understanding more about Insomnia would make it easier to stop the nightmares.

"I have some questions about the traces of nightmares."

"You're the dragon's friend, right? Yong Je-geon said the traces were a gift, and you really liked them. Are you out of your mind?"

"...Sometimes I think it's hard to be friends with that dragon when I'm sane."

"I guess I'll have to make sure you stay insane if I want to keep being friends."

Kim Shin-rok also asked a few questions.

Though Yong Je-geon teased him more than he had with Hwang Ji-ho, Kim Shin-rok succeeded in asking all the questions he had prepared.

In conclusion, the Lamb of Sleep had no interest in using the traces of nightmares, so when it came to how to use them, Kim Shin-rok had the upper hand.

However, when it came to information about the origins, harvesting, handling, and safety measures of the traces, the Lamb of Sleep knew much more, so the conversation wasn't entirely pointless.

'The traces are remnants left by nightmares. Looking at them, it seems like Insomnia was quite active in this world 20 years ago. It even rampaged in the Korean Peninsula.'

As I organized the information in my head, the conversation started to die down.

It seemed like everyone had asked most of their questions.

Hwang Ji-ho turned to In Seon-oh and asked.

"By the way, your question still hasn't been answered. Didn't you want to ask the Lamb of Sleep something?"

"I've learned what I wanted to know, so it's fine."

"Looks like you already got the information you wanted from the conversation."

"Yes."

Hwang Ji-ho seemed to regret not asking In Seon-oh questions first, but even if he had, it wouldn't have meant much.

In Seon-oh still had things to hide, and they didn't seem inclined to reveal everything.

But if there was something In Seon-oh wanted to know from today's conversation, it wasn't without clues.

"The first time I entered the Lamb Tribe's domain after the 12 Zodiac barrier was set, I didn't expect it to be this poor. I'll send some furniture for the reception room as a gift later."

"I left it so it would break if you guys started rampaging. But if you're sending something, I'll take it. Can I choose the color?"

As the Tigers prepared to leave, the Lamb of Sleep seemed to regain some energy.

Excited, the Lamb of Sleep began to give directions.

"I was just saying because you're giving a gift, but you."

The Lamb of Sleep raised its hand and pointed to someone.

I expected them to have something to say to either me or In Seon-oh, but the finger was pointing at Cheong-ho.

Cheong-ho blinked in surprise, as if he didn't expect to be singled out.

With a triumphant look, the Lamb of Sleep said.

"I see traces of a very rare dream. It's a good omen, so be careful not to let nightmares take it."