CHAPTER 1015: CHAPTER 208: ENTERING THE DREAM

Puxiu’s pain gradually eased as they sailed away from the shattered Lennon Islands.

The dark Mist of Strangeness engulfed the sea as night descended.

Lu Li and the others stayed in the Captain’s Cabin while the Believers sheltered in the upper deck’s suites,

cleaning the area around Puxiu’s wounds. After drying them, Lu Li bandaged the wounds. Once they left the Lennon Islands’ waters, the wounds became ordinary and would scab and heal within a few days.

Lu Li also bore a mark around his waist, like a fine line that could be ignored.

Their stay on the island was short, and the power of The Shattered Islands did not have a profound impact on them.

"I’m fine now! Mr. Luli can come into my dreams tonight!"

To show his health, Puxiu climbed onto a wooden chair and jumped down again.

Because they were testing Lu Li’s Dreamwalker abilities, both Puxiu and Ophelia went to bed early.

Leaving Merchant Anthony on night watch, Lu Li entered the realm of dreams amidst the tranquil voyage.

Since he consciously activated the Dreamwalker, Lu Li did not sleep deeply as usual. In the indescribable, fantastical chaos, he sensed two points of light, one dim and one bright, quietly floating around him.

Determining their locations, Lu Li’s ethereal consciousness approached the dim light representing Puxiu, passing through the thin membrane of light to enter inside.

Like a window covered with fog, the fantastical colors suddenly became clear: a rocky mountain cave hall, where a giant frog was preparing to feast on the food lying on a long table.

It was a scene that had really happened, but now the one lying on the dining table, instead of the God of the Deep Sea, was Puxiu.

"Mr. Luli? Please save me! It’s alive again and wants to eat me!" Seeing Lu Li appear, Puxiu began to struggle uselessly.

The giant frog stared coldly at the appearing Lu Li:

"I’ve been waiting for you for a long time... Lu Li. Now, let’s start the second round."

"Puxiu."

Lu Li ignored the returning giant frog and said to Puxiu on the dining table, "This is a dream you constructed, a projection of your subconscious fears and worries, not reality."

"What... it’s fake? Then why am I being grabbed by it..."

"Because this is a dream. The stronger your self-awareness, the weaker its power, and vice versa."

"I’m fake? How is that possible!" The giant frog growled anxiously, more like Puxiu’s deep-seated doubts expressed through it.

"’You’ don’t know what happened in the first layer of dreams," Lu Li answered it, or rather answered Puxiu’s dream consciousness.

Puxiu’s self-awareness gradually strengthened, reflected in him transitioning from being tied to the table to crouching beside Lu Li’s feet.

"It’s really a dream!"

In joyful realization, the one lying on the table became the giant frog, its emotions reduced to the stereotypical anxious screams endowed by the dream.

In the trumpet of dream retaliation started by Puxiu, Lu Li quietly withdrew, merging into the bright dream.

Purple drapes shielded the pink bed in the rosy bedroom, and under the flickering candlelight, a figure lay side by side, legs arched on the bed.

"Dear, I’ve been waiting for you for so long."

Ophelia removed the glasses symbolic of intellect from her nose, revealing the same face as the woman in the photo frame.

The next moment, Lu Li left Ophelia’s dream.

Soon after Lu Li woke, Puxiu and Ophelia also awakened, Ophelia remaining tight-lipped about the events of her dream, while Puxiu excitedly recounted his dream to Lu Li. Unfortunately, shortly after Lu Li left, his dream reverted to chaotic disorder.

This proved that Lu Li could enter their dreams, and the next step was to see if he could draw others into the dream realm—if this ability could only be used while the fantasticals were asleep, the Dreamwalker’s power would be greatly reduced—after all, many fantasticals do not dream.

This time, Lu Li spent a long time entering the dream. Rather than thinking it due to a time gap between dreams, Lu Li believed it was because the now awake Puxiu had made it more difficult to drag into a dream, or waking up multiple times within a short period made it hard to fall asleep again.

But the result was good news: In the dream Captain’s Cabin, Puxiu’s silhouette appeared.

"Did I just fall asleep?" He looked around suspiciously. "Where is Miss Ophelia?"

"This is the dream realm now." Lu Li said.

"Dream... You did it, Mr. Luli!" Puxiu wagged his tail.

"Only halfway."

Next, we have to see if Ophelia can be dragged into the dream while conscious.

The results showed that the Cursed Title bestowed by the Lord of the Deep, the Dreamwalker, was more effective than expected, possibly strengthened by absorbing the Lord of the Deep’s power—even Ophelia could not refuse the dream’s invitation.

It only took an exceptionally long time, almost till dawn, for Ophelia to fall into a deep sleep, partly because she did not resist the urge to sleep.

In battle, or when an enemy is vigilant, the dream ability may not be timely enough to do anything.

"Use drugs... as an aid." Ophelia suggested.

The alchemical materials in Midnight City and its sewers should contain something to make fantasticals drowsy, enabling the dream ability to be utilized.

Outside the Captain’s Cabin, a faint glow in the misty light appeared. Contacting Midnight City was added to the agenda, but for now, Lu Li needed to recover from a sleepless night.

"By the way, what dream did Miss Ophelia have?"

Puxiu curiously asked, remembering something.

Nobody answered him.

Even long after, Puxiu still did not know what Lu Li experienced in Ophelia’s brief dream that day.

The journey from the Lennon Islands back along the shores of the Barren Lands took three days.

When the desolate, dark land emerged at the horizon, Ophelia set aside the unease brought by the deep sea—different from when they came, when they had an ancient god accompanying them.

Sailing along the coastal waters, they made a brief stop at Luo Kou Town. Lu Li, now more trusting of the local church group, commissioned them to deliver a package containing a dozen eyeballs and a letter explaining their use to Klein Manifested University, thus forming a link between the Merchant and Midnight City.

Once they accepted the commission, Lu Li returned to Andrea with a two-weeks-old newspaper, fresh news here, issued by Midnight City, and continued their voyage.

"Everyone in Midnight City is speaking for Mr. Luli... and even the citizens want to believe in you!"

Puxiu exclaimed repeatedly as he stared at the back of the newspaper, drawing Ophelia in as well.

"Midnight City... friendly... and safe, why... don’t we... go there?"

"The Ailen Peninsula is friendlier and safer," Lu Li replied.

The Shadow Marsh of the Ailen Peninsula belongs to the Mother of the Marsh, Belfast has the Twisted Vine Church, the Eternal Dreamer seems to know everything, and the runaway sect’s ocean-going ship is nearing completion.

In Midnight City, political whirlpools churn around, with everyone wanting to leverage Lu Li’s presence.

Only when the old systems are completely dismantled will people abandon their pitiful political struggles.

While Lu Li and the others rushed toward the Ailen Peninsula, the returning Knight Vino stepped onto the port of Vena Ice-Free Port.