My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill-Chapter 201

Chapter 201: Chapter 201
Jessica tried. Her hands glowed brighter as she channeled healing energy into Satou’s body, specifically targeting specific organs in the body to stimulate consciousness. It was a technique she’d developed for treating warriors who’d been knocked unconscious in battle—a gentle magical shock that should have woken anyone.
Satou didn’t even twitch.
"It’s not working," Jessica said, panic creeping into her voice. "Lyra, nothing’s working. It’s like his consciousness isn’t even in his body. I can heal physical injuries, but this... this is something else."
Lyra tried next. She shook him harder, called his name louder, even tried the old method of splashing cold water on his face. Nothing produced even the slightest reaction. It was as if Satou’s mind had simply... left.
"This isn’t natural," Lyra said, forcing her voice to remain calm even as fear clawed at her chest. "Sleep doesn’t work like this. Even in deep sleep, people respond to stimuli. But he’s completely unresponsive. It’s like he’s..."
"Don’t say it," Jessica interrupted sharply. "Don’t even think about it. He’s breathing. His heart is beating. He’s alive."
"But for how long?" Lyra countered. She moved to the door. "I’m getting Cassius. He’s been around for centuries—if anyone might recognize what this is, it’s him. Stay here and keep monitoring his vitals. If anything changes, shout for help immediately."
Jessica nodded, her hands already glowing with diagnostic magic again as she continued examining Satou. "Hurry," she whispered.
Lyra ran through the settlement, her mind racing. It was early morning, and most people were just beginning their daily routines. She ignored the greetings and questions thrown her way, focused entirely on reaching the small building Cassius had claimed as his quarters.
She pounded on the door. "Cassius! Emergency! I need you now!"
The door opened almost immediately, the vampire already dressed despite the early hour. His crimson eyes took in Lyra’s disheveled appearance and panicked expression in a single glance. "Lord Satou?"
"He won’t wake up," Lyra said quickly. "We’ve tried everything. Jessica used healing magic, I used physical stimulation, nothing works. His mana is being drained slowly, and he’s completely unresponsive. It’s like his consciousness isn’t even there."
Cassius’s expression became grave. "Take me to him. Now."
They ran back through the settlement, drawing concerned looks from early risers who’d never seen their usually composed administrator in such obvious distress. Within minutes, they were back in Satou’s quarters where Jessica was still working frantically.
"His mana has dropped another three percent," Jessica ed immediately. "At this rate, he’ll be completely depleted within six hours. And if his regeneration requires mana to function..." She didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was clear.
Cassius moved to Satou’s side, his vampire senses extending. His eyes unfocused slightly as he examined Satou on levels beyond normal perception—reading energy flows, detecting magical signatures, searching for any hint of what might be causing this.
After a long moment, his eyes refocused and his expression darkened considerably. "Dream magic. This is dream assassination."
"Dream what?" Lyra demanded.
"A extremely rare form of attack magic," Cassius explained, his voice tight. "The attacker sends their consciousness into the target’s dreams and tries to kill them there. If the target dies in the dream, their body dies in reality. Heart stops, brain shuts down, mana disperses. It looks like natural causes—sleep that simply didn’t end."
"Who could do this?" Jessica asked, horrified. "Who has this kind of power?"
"Very few," Cassius replied. "I’ve only encountered it twice in my centuries of existence. It requires immense skill, specific training, and a particular type of consciousness that can separate from the body while maintaining awareness. There are maybe five people in the entire world capable of dream assassination, and I personally know only one of them."
"Who?" Lyra’s voice was sharp, urgent.
Cassius hesitated, old memories clearly surfacing. "Merc Assault. That’s not his real name—it’s the title he earned during the Great War when he worked as an assassin for the demon lord coalition. He could infiltrate enemy commanders’ dreams and kill them in their sleep, eliminating leadership without ever stepping onto a battlefield. I thought he’d retired after the war, went into hiding. But if he’s active again..."
"Then someone hired him to kill Satou," Lyra finished, her analytical mind piecing it together. "Someone with enough resources to find and afford the services of a legendary assassin. Someone who sees Satou as enough of a threat to warrant this kind of extreme measure."
"Can we wake him up?" Jessica asked desperately. "Force him out of the dream? Break the connection somehow?"
"No," Cassius said gravely. "Any attempt to forcibly wake him while his consciousness is trapped in the dream realm could kill him instantly. The shock of being ripped between worlds... his mind might not survive it intact. We need someone who understands dream magic. Someone who can help from inside the dream itself."
"Loki," Lyra said immediately. "He’s Satou’s sponsor. He has resources. Connections. If anyone can help, it’s him."
"We need more than just Loki," Cassius replied. "We need an expert in dream magic specifically. Someone who can project their consciousness into the dream realm to assist Lord Satou. That’s incredibly dangerous and requires specialized training."
"Then we get both," Lyra decided, her strategic mind shifting into crisis management mode. "Jessica, you stay here and monitor Satou. If his condition changes at all, send word immediately. Cassius, you’re coming with me. We’re contacting Loki and anyone else who might be able to help."
"There’s one more person we should contact," Cassius said. "Lady Seraphine. She gave Lord Satou a communication crystal, and she has her own network of specialists. Between her resources and Loki’s, we might find someone who can help."
Lyra nodded sharply. "Do it. Contact everyone. I don’t care how many favors we have to call in or what it costs. We’re getting Satou out of this nightmare."
As Cassius moved to begin making emergency communications, Lyra looked back at Satou’s unconscious form. Jessica was holding his hand, tears streaming down her face as she channeled what little healing magic she could to slow the mana drain.