CHAPTER 223: [LILITH WANTS TO SLEEP] - SILVANUS’S PART (9)

Silvanus looked at the pitifully crying bunny in the distance. In the end, he raised his hand. Seeing this, the bunny blinked its eyes, then mustered up the courage to walk over and nuzzle its head against Silvanus’s palm. Silvanus could feel the softness of its fur—its drooping ears were especially adorable. Unable to resist, Silvanus gave it a few pats.

Like that, Silvanus was "carrying one in each hand," as if he had forgotten entirely that he was currently in a perilous dungeon.

Drake fought back the urge to kick Silvanus and said coldly, "We’re leaving now."

Silvanus waved his hand. "You all go on and keep looking for clues. I’ll stay here."

He acted so nonchalantly, as if he were certain that no danger would come his way.

Drake clicked his tongue. "Let’s go!"

With that, he took the lead and walked off. Leonard frowned, looking like he wanted to sit down beside Silvanus, but just then Silvanus looked up at him and said softly, "Go look for clues. I can afford to slack off, but you can’t."

Leonard pursed his lips at that, and in the end, could only listen to Silvanus and stand up.

Alice hadn’t expected things to turn out this way, but seeing the team leaders already heading forward, she could only hurry after them. Still, she didn’t forget to glance back worriedly at Silvanus—this was the first time she felt just how odd this priest was.

Silvanus paid no mind to the others’ gazes. He gently stroked the two creatures and asked, "What are your names?"

"My name is Meow, mew!"

"I’m Bunny, hu hu hu."

Meow and Bunny replied one after another. Silvanus suddenly asked, "Why do you keep crying?"

The two creatures only shed silent tears, saying nothing.

Silvanus asked again, "Does Lilith not want to play with you?"

Bunny sobbed, "Lilith doesn’t like sunflowers... she doesn’t like us either... hu hu hu..."

Just then, Bunny’s head suddenly moved. It kept nuzzling Silvanus’s hand, then moved up to his nose. Its little nose twitched—Silvanus could feel it constantly sniffing his hand. Its two protruding front teeth brushed against his skin, sending a cold shiver through him... then something wet... wet?

Silvanus frowned and pulled his hand back. His palm was now soaking wet—not from Bunny’s tears, but from its drool.

At that moment, Bunny was still sniffing nonstop, drool dripping from its mouth onto the ground, no less than its earlier tears.

"You smell so good, hu hu hu... You smell so good... I’m so hungry... hu hu hu..."

Bunny was still crying, looking more innocent than anything else.

Silvanus: "..."

Silvanus: "You want to eat me?"

Bunny widened its eyes and looked at Silvanus. "Can I? Is it okay?"

Before Silvanus could answer, Meow’s tail smacked Bunny across the face again, sending the bunny toppling to the side.

Meow leapt from Silvanus’s lap and scolded Bunny loudly, "You’re just as rude as that guy, Bunny, mew!"

Silvanus glanced at Meow, his expression hard to describe. "You’re drooling too."

Sure enough, Meow’s mouth was also dripping saliva—if anything, even more than Bunny’s. Perhaps it was because Meow was even closer to him.

Silvanus tugged at the hem of his cloak, suddenly thinking about the drool that might’ve gotten on it. He couldn’t quite stand the thought.

Hearing Silvanus’s comment, Meow panicked and hurriedly wiped its mouth, solemnly saying, "I’m a good kitty, mew!"

Rustle, rustle!

Just then, the sunflower field, which had returned to its peaceful stillness, suddenly echoed with loud rustling sounds—someone was coming through the plants.

Moments later, Drake appeared, looking murderous. Both Meow and Bunny jumped in fright at the sight of him.

Without saying a word, Drake walked up and hoisted Silvanus into the air—yes, hoisted, grabbing him by the back of his robe!

It was a complete blow to a man’s dignity! Silvanus shouted angrily, "Put me down!"

"You’re too slow!" Drake mocked, not the slightest bit apologetic. He glanced coldly at the two creatures still drooling away, and without hesitation, sent each one flying several meters with a kick before quickly dragging Silvanus away.

Back at Lilith’s candy house, Silvanus looked thoroughly miserable. Meanwhile, Drake still grumbled on the side: "Those two monsters drooled more than they cried. If I’d arrived a second later, he might’ve ended up in their stomachs!"

Leonard looked at Silvanus with worry, and Silas also added, "Those monsters are incredibly cunning. Don’t let your sympathy get the better of you."

"This is just the calm before the storm. You clearly shouldn’t have separated from us. Silvanus, this isn’t the outside world anymore," Cocona said seriously.

Silvanus felt that it was time for him to be serious, too. Expressionless, he looked at them. His green eyes under the moonlight seemed to glow faintly as he slowly said, "I already told you. I’m firm. I don’t need your concern. Just focus on doing your job. Don’t worry about me."

Drake sneered. The others only nodded as if they understood none of them believed what Silvanus said.

Silvanus: "..."

Seriously now, do I look that weak?

He couldn’t help but question himself deep down.

[Haha, look at Silvanus’s face—honestly, I’m a bit mad on his behalf too.]

[I mean, someone who can server-jump can’t be weak, right?]

[The problem is... no one believes in him!]

[Honestly, I’m a little doubtful too. This Silvanus feels different from the one in the previous dungeon...]

It may be because he was Priest Silvanus now—calm, mysterious, but not particularly strong.

From the beginning, Drake had dared to point his sword at him, which showed these team leaders didn’t really think a priest like him could be powerful.

How annoying, Silvanus couldn’t help thinking.

Just then, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Silvanus frowned and instinctively looked up. Through the chocolate-framed window, Lilith was staring down at him. Her eyes were fixed on him, and her smile curled into a crescent shape—something was terrifying about her in the dark.

She swayed her hand slowly, no longer resembling a person, more like a marionette.

"What are you looking at?"

Drake spoke up, instinctively following Silvanus’s gaze. But there was only a dark, empty window—nothing more.

Drake frowned. Silvanus said nothing and returned to his room.

They hadn’t gathered anything tonight. It was best to rest for now.

"I’m not sleepy at all."

As soon as she lay on the bed, Alice repeated this again.

Everyone fell silent.

Even though they were Espers with greater endurance than normal people, they should at least feel some fatigue or something similar after physical exertion.

But right now, none of them felt tired at all.

Drake suddenly sat up. One of his hands was already charred black, covered in scales, with nails that had grown long and razor-sharp. Without hesitation, he used that hand to claw at his other arm.

The skin was instantly torn open. Blood spilled out, and the muscles beneath were visibly trembling.

Blood dripped to the floor. In the darkness, its sound was disturbingly clear.

Alice immediately screamed, "Captain Drake!"

The others also sat up, staring at Drake in silence.

The faint moonlight filtered through the window, casting ghostly shadows across their faces—distorted and vague, almost eerie.

Drake lifted his injured hand and said indifferently, "It doesn’t hurt. You all try it too."

They were all smart people—clearly Drake had begun to suspect something. Even Leonard silently followed suit.

"It doesn’t hurt."

"Oh... it doesn’t hurt."

"I don’t feel anything either."

Silvanus remained lying on his bed, not joining them.

"So I’m the only one who does feel pain?" Alice asked uneasily.

She hadn’t done anything to herself yet but recalled the sting when the sunflower leaf slashed her skin.

Alice pressed her lips together and directly cut a small wound on her arm. The wound healed quickly, but the sting of pain was undeniably real.

"Then the problem lies here," Silas murmured.

"Ha ha ha, maybe you’ve been replaced, Alice?" Cocona joked, half seriously.

Alice replied softly, "No."

"Maybe we’re in a dream. That’s the only explanation that makes sense," Silas said. "Maybe our real bodies are somewhere else entirely—and in danger. The reason Alice still feels pain might be because her ability is trying to wake her up."

It was Silas’s speculation, but everyone there silently accepted it as the truth.

"We’re in a dream? Then that means Lilith is already asleep. Figures the dungeon wouldn’t offer an easy way out," Cocona said with a cold smile.

[Oh my god, how did things suddenly get this weird? This is unacceptable!]

[But learning the truth and finding the exit are entirely different things! Don’t forget—it’s only day one!]

[Yeah, so what if they realize it’s a dream? Their mission is to put Lilith to sleep!]

[Besides, no one ever said this was Lilith’s dream, haha.]

"Just kill the monster. Lock in the target. We either keep overthinking or go straight to brute force," Drake said from the side, like a lit fuse, ready to forcefully speed things up.