CHAPTER 1011: CHAPTER 204: ALTERNATION OF ILLUSION AND REALITY

The girl’s body stiffened due to the call, her abyss-black eyes appeared dazed, struggling to melt away, revealing human pupils.

"...Lu Li...? I’m sorry! I, I... didn’t protect Aunt Mary well." She apologized with tears, suddenly remembering something, unable to wipe away her tears: "Hurry..."

The pupils symbolizing awakening were once again engulfed by darkness; she reverted to the numb and dazed maid ready to serve.

"Jojo... Joanna... Oliver... Aunt Mary..."

Subsequent calls could no longer awaken her.

Lu Li didn’t cleanse his body. Leaving Jojo, he came to the corridor, locked the door behind him, and knocked on the other rooms.

No one responded.

"Where are the others?"

Lu Li asked a servant clad in bizarre human attire, bowing low.

"The Divine Envoys have already gone to the hall," the servant replied.

Frowning slightly, Lu Li followed the red carpet down the long corridor, reaching the end where he found people gathered around a long table in the hall.

"Mr. Luli, you’re washing so slowly." Puxiu, sitting on a carved wooden chair with a red bow tie on his chest, joked, the tail swaying beneath his tuxedo.

"Lu Li... after all... is... an adult." Ophelia’s charred body donned a deep pink evening dress, long lace gloves covering her unsightly skin, and a long flaxen wig, making it apparent she was previously unclothed.

Ophelia let out a crow-like shrill laugh, her first time laughing.

"How much time has passed?"

"Counting the time waiting for Mr. Luli, nearly an hour." Even Puxiu, freshly washed, seemed to have glowing freckles.

The timing didn’t match.

Lu Li recalled what had happened since they parted, the hallway being continuous, only perhaps losing his memory in the room.

It was also possible the room had a different time flow.

At that moment, a giant frog crawled in slowly, adopting a reverent and peculiar posture.

To it, whether Deep Sea God or fellow Divine Envoy, both were far superior in status, regardless of strength.

"I have a question," Lu Li said to it.

"Please complete the ritual first..." came a muffled voice from the unseen face buried in the carpet: "Please, Divine Envoy, take a seat at the table."

"I lost part of—"

"I said: sit down."

Like ripples stirred by a frog’s croak on the water, an indescribably obscure force pushed Lu Li forward, forcing him to sit and suppressing his thoughts.

"Mr. Luli, it’s natural to get upset when you probe into someone’s privacy," Puxiu beside him whispered with memories not belonging to Lu Li.

Lu Li glanced at those around the long table. The main seat’s Deep Sea God was indifferent, Ophelia was regretful because Lu Li sat opposite her.

Whether spirits or gods, all were unaware. Was it him who had a problem?

Ophelia and Puxiu’s clothes fit perfectly as if pre-prepared; twenty-four years later, Jojo, still identical to his memory of her, spoke first about Mary; each portrait and sculpture was recognizable by Ophelia; Puxiu’s dream attire... still devotedly believing in the Deep Sea God, to the point of fanaticism.

And Jojo’s anxious yet unfinished words.

"Would you like to start with the main course or the appetizer?" the giant frog asked the Deep Sea God, seemingly still respectful.

"Main course. I must quickly reclaim my missing body," the Deep Sea God whispered with authority.

"Very well..."

With a tremor-inducing voice, the giant frog raised its head, revealing a face neither ugly nor disgusting, but filled with human fervor and excitement.

The next moment, the Deep Sea God lay on the dining table, and the giant frog squeezed into the main seat, comically donning a napkin, clutching a knife and fork.

"I will savor you carefully, reverently, and respectfully."

The Deep Sea God was to become the imminent main course.

Attempting to intervene, Ophelia was suddenly restrained by an obscure force, she looked at Lu Li in panic: "Lu—"

The Lu Li originally in the seat vanished without a trace.

...

Whoosh—whoosh—

Far-off waves lapped at the shore.

Lu Li slowly awoke.

The wet, cold sea breeze blew across the deck, and Lu Li glanced around, seeing Puxiu, Ophelia, the Deep Sea God, all believers lying asleep on the deck, leaving only Merchant Anthony standing with a worn-out backpack.

"Have we reached the island?"

Lu Li turned to the island, no mist, the rocky hills and holes lay bare and exposed.

Why was the realm containing the Deep Sea God’s missing body intertwined with the dream power of his adversary, the Lord of the Deep?

"No. As we approached the island, everyone fell asleep."

"Andrea too?"

"Yes."

Jojo wasn’t saying to escape quickly.

But to wake up quickly.

Lu Li shook Puxiu, called out names that could wake him, even hurt Puxiu, but none had any effect.

The power capable of making gods slumber obviously couldn’t be awakened by external forces; Lu Li’s awakening was due to his Cursed Title [Beacon], and his affinity shared with dream power as [Dreamwalker].

The Deep Sea God’s power was slowly waning; it was being devoured within the dreamscape.

"Take the Deep Sea God and Ophelia aboard the wooden boat away from the island; if they wake up, have them find me."

Lu Li manually pushed the wooden boat from the ship’s side, waiting for it to hit the sea, he grabbed a hemp rope and instructed Merchant Anthony, then leaped into the wooden boat, rowing towards the rough brown beach.

Some footprints not yet washed away by the rising tide stretched into the distant town: two pairs of human footprints, small animal’s paw prints, and what seemed like shallow impressions brushed by seawater.

Those were their footprints.

Reality and dream were tightly intertwined at this moment.

[Plankal Town: Facing the Barren Lands, no longer lonely; backed by rocky mountains, like a small Belfast; beautiful environment, enjoying unique golden beaches; possessing shelter caves, no more fear of tsunami storms; neighbors... aristocrats, professors... scholars...]

Lu Li saw the wooden billboard, just like in reality.

Dreams also mirrored facts—some portion of them.

At least when Lu Li lifted the oil lamp, holding the Spirit-Calling Gun and stepping into the cave, once again treading upon the red carpet of the mansion-like corridor, nothing odd blocked his path.

The corridor was not as bright as in the dream, but still beautiful. Hanging oil paintings, erect sculptures, and the view outside the windows hinted at the fabric-covered flowers and plants of the underground garden.

Passing by a room, Lu Li pushed open the door; unfortunately, Jojo was not inside. Following his memory, he arrived at the end of the long corridor, crashing open the tightly shut hall doors.

The long dining table was thick with dust, the seats empty, the distant principal seat engulfed in darkness.

Clap, clap—

A pair of hands suddenly extended from the indelible shadows at the edge, softly clapping.

"You’re late... a kin barely escaped from the dreamscape..."

The owner of the hands seated at the head of the long table leaned forward, revealing a face and body similar to that of the giant frog.

What responded to him was the echoing roar of gunfire.