Chapter 246: The Dream Demon
Chapter 246: The Dream Demon
Ailen was a maid at the City Lord's Manor, sold to human traffickers by her parents when she was only six years old.
Her exquisite looks eventually led her to the manor, where she served guests.
Now, at the age of twenty, she has always been busy, flattering and struggling for food, drink, and survival.
Reflecting on her short life, it seems there were never any good times in her brief sixteen years of memories.
Even more so, she didn't understand the meaning of 'happiness.'
Until now!
Walking briskly through a familiar corridor, Ailen's face involuntarily broke into a smile.
'What is happiness?'
'No worries about food and drink, no fear of bullying or exploitation, with an endless supply of delicacies and luxuries to enjoy. I can have water to drink when thirsty and a soft bed to sleep on when tired, just like the people I used to serve. I can even play and frolic with handsome youths.'
"This is the Spirit Dream Realm!"
"Entering this realm, one can retain eternal youth and immortality, indulging in the splendor of the mortal world."
A vague voice echoed from ahead:
"Entering here, the troubles of the mortal world will leave you, and only endless pleasures await."
"Wow..."
At the end of the corridor, a water curtain appeared.
Ailen quickened her steps, allowing the water curtain to wash over her as she stepped into a grand hall.
Her coarse hemp robe had somehow transformed into soft silk, clean and smooth.
The callouses on her hands and the mud stains on her feet had disappeared, and her skin was as smooth as a newborn baby's.
The floor beneath her feet was paved with golden jade, and the walls on either side were adorned with pearls. Not far away, a stream flowed with nectar wine, and the fruits on the trees were soft bread and delicious desserts...
The sky was azure, and the air was fresh.
Comfortable couches were everywhere, and dates that were once out of reach were now within arm's reach.
"Ailen!"
Several handsome young men hurriedly approached her:
"You're here! Come, we've found a great hiding spot for hide-and-seek in the rear hall, and we're just missing you."
"Hehe..." Ailen giggled and approached the young men, who took her hand and ran towards the rear hall. Her graceful figure was full of joy.
A small, transparent squid, the size of a palm, dropped onto her back, its tentacles covered in eyes and serrated teeth, as if deep in thought:
'Spirit Dream Realm?'
'This is a created dream, and all the sleeping citizens of the City of Death have been brought here?'
'What a clever method!'
He also had the ability to create illusions with mental energy, and he had set up a soul cage around the Divine Realm Fragment.
However, he couldn't make the illusions feel as real, nor could he accommodate so many people.
'Dream Demon!'
'No wonder Lady Mewaya couldn't handle it. This thing hides in others' dreams, and if the main body isn't found, it can never be killed!'
Karl muttered to himself, then waved his tentacles and plunged them into the ground, extending them like roots.
His tentacles expanded from the hall, connecting to everyone in the dream.
'Seven hundred and sixteen people!'
'Seventeen palaces, over two thousand illusion servants, and accommodating seven hundred people in dreams. This guy's mental energy must be over rank forty.'
Karl muttered to himself, his tentacles waving rapidly:
'Upper Rank Devotee?'
'What a loss!'
An Upper Rank Devotee specializing in dreams could be dangerous, and even he might not escape unscathed if he wasn't careful.
If he had known this, he would never have agreed to Lady Mewaya's request.
"Who's there?"
Suddenly, a cold voice rang in Karl's ear, accompanied by a piercing sensation in his mind.
"Hmm!"
Karl grunted, and his tentacles trembled.
In an instant, the floor of the dream realm shook, causing the revelers inside to pause, their faces showing concern.
"Seeking death wish!"
A figure, Barn, appeared abruptly in front of Karl, raising his hand to cast a spell.
"Barn?"
Karl's heart trembled, then he quickly regained his composure.
The Dream Demon had captured a fear-inducing image from Karl's thoughts and manifested it as Barn.
Of course, Barn couldn't have come back to life; the Dream Demon merely borrowed his appearance to confront Karl.
Mind-Shattering Spear!
Bang!
Karl's head instantly shattered, blood splattering everywhere, the excruciating pain overwhelming him.
In the dream, injuries were just as real, and the pain was no different from that of the physical world.
Fortunately, Karl's unique constitution meant that even with his head shattered, he wouldn't die instantly.
"Wake up!"
With a mighty roar, his tentacles flailed wildly.
Boom!
The entire Dream Realm trembled violently, and the sleeping people were startled awake by the deafening sound.
Without dreamers, the realm lost its authenticity.
"Stop!"
Dozens of blades sliced towards Karl's tentacles, severing his connection with the dreamers.
Although most people woke up, many still remained in the dream.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
"Hmph!"
The Dream Demon scoffed, his fingers dancing as he unleashed a barrage of Mind-Shattering Spears, and said disdainfully, "Are you the helper Mewaya asked for?"
"Useless!"
"As long as there are dreamers, I can leave at any time. You'll never catch me."
"Hmm..." Karl waved his tentacles to block the attack, but he seemed less anxious, "So, you're just a Middle Rank Devotee. The dream's reality is borrowed from the dreamers' energy."
"No wonder!"
"But dreams are still dreams, and there will always be a day to wake up."
"Hahaha..." The Dream Demon laughed, "Foolish! The real world is cruel, even deities have their worries. Only in dreams can a perfect world be created."
"Mewaya blames me for creating illusions and giving people unrealistic fantasies, but she doesn't consider the shortcomings of the real world?"
"My Dream Realm satisfies their imagination of an ideal life and enhances my strength. What's wrong with that?"
"What's the point of saying this?" Karl dodged and pounced, a Buddha aura appearing as he pressed down.
Ten Thousand Buddha Hands - Bodhimanda Seal!
Bodhi represents wisdom, capable of dispelling all illusions, making it the perfect counter to the dream's disturbances.
Bang!
The palm seal shattered a side hall, but the Dream Demon's figure had already vanished.
"Useless."
The Dream Demon reappeared above a distant hall, "As long as there are dreamers, I can enter any dream, and I'll never die."
"Then don't dream!" Karl scoffed, and the Buddha aura behind him rose, transforming into a wrathful Vajra, its mouth roaring, "Awaken!"
"Awaken!"
The massive Vajra head filled the dream, and the fear aura startled the dreamers awake.
However, two or three dozen people, trembling in fear, refused to wake up.
"My physical body in the real world has endured decades of pain. Even if I die, I want to die here."
"I know this is a dream, but what does it matter? As an ordinary person, I can only dream of the impossible here."
"From birth, I've been a laborer, a slave. I don't want to continue this life. Let me die here!"
"..."
"Great Dream Master, I offer everything I have to you, just let me live here forever."
"Hahaha..." The Dream Demon laughed, "See! No matter how strong you are, you can't satisfy everyone's desires. This is the eternal flaw of the real world."
"Hmm?"
Before he finished, his expression froze.
In the Dream Realm, one person after another collapsed, shattering like bubbles.
This was...
The dreamers' physical bodies were dying in the real world!
City of Death.
Mewaya stood tall, her eyes fixed on the crowd below.
Over a thousand Death Knights went door-to-door, knocking and entering houses to inspect. Upon finding anyone asleep, they'd swiftly decapitate them.
"The real world is cruel, but unavoidable. Even I, as an existence like this, must struggle for survival..."
"Escaping is futile!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
