"W-what? When did you get here?!"

Julia asked, clutching her chest as if she had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.

Clara merely chuckled softly.

At that sight, Julia's face turned red with embarrassment.

Julia, who usually maintained a formal and aloof attitude even toward the Master, having revealed her true feelings, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Oh my. Our youngest here, huh? Even worrying about the Master."

"Feels like yesterday she was just a baby, but now she's all grown up."

Julia bowed her head at the senior members' teasing remarks.

Clara watched her endearingly before speaking.

"Alright. Let's end the teasing here and move on to more serious matters."

At Clara's words, the Dream Walkers who had been teasing nodded in agreement.

Thus, the leaders guiding people at the meeting point gathered for a conference.

"It's truly an honor to meet the famous Dream Master. I am Elisa Willow, Chancellor of Theon."

"Hoho. I've heard so much about the beautiful young lady that my ears hurt. I am Clara Cowen, Master of the Dream School."

"Let's cut to the chase. Do you think you can resolve this situation?"

A direct question.

Instead of answering, Clara raised her staff to point to one side.

The dreamforce flowing from the staff's tip molded like clay to draw a rough map of Dreamland.

Everyone focused their attention on the sight.

"To be honest, I'm at a loss about how to solve this."

These words came from the leader of the Dream School and a Master-level Dream Walker.

Naturally, their weight was felt heavily.

However, no one could say anything to Clara.

In this atmosphere, it was more important to acknowledge the immediate reality than to forcefully inject hope.

"The upper layer has completely collapsed. What remains is the middle layer, but even that has been devoured by the Island Eaters consuming all the islands above."

Even now, the Island Eaters were descending in real-time, determined not to leave any islands above their heads.

They had eliminated several on the way, but that only bought them a little more time.

"The number of victims isn't small either. Many of those who fell to the middle layer lost their lives."

Of course, less than 5% of those who fell were casualties.

Considering the environment of the middle layer, it was a miraculous survival rate but even that 5% wasn't a small number.

The entire population of Leathervelk City was caught up in this incident and 5% of that would mean at least tens of thousands of deaths.

"Moreover, monsters introducing themselves as servants have appeared. We managed to subdue them, but there's no guarantee more won't show up."

With no way to return and dangers threatening lives scattered everywhere in real-time.

Looking at each situation laid out, it couldn't be more hopeless.

"In the end, we have no choice but to quickly solve the fundamental problem."

"About that old man Nirva...do you know anything about him?"

Clara nodded.

"It's recorded in the Dream School's ancient documents. The hook-nosed old man. A ghost who sprinkles golden powder to make people sleep. Also known as the Sandman, and by another name, John Blunt."

Though he had various names, his origin was always as a hook-nosed old man with long limbs.

"The old man's true identity is a demon that has existed in this continent since ancient times."

"...A demon."

Stories about demons were no longer just ancient legends.

Even the recent incident in the Exilion Empire capital was rumored to be the work of a demon.

Given the testimonies of witnesses at the time, it was hard to dismiss it as merely far-fetched.

Even so, for that demon to commit such acts specifically in Theon.

"What could be the purpose?"

Elisa thought of Nirva.

That old man had invited people to the dream world.

Why did he make people fall into dreams?

Does he intend to keep them trapped in dreams forever?

But if so, his action of sending his servants to eliminate dangerous elements didn't make sense.

It seemed somewhat inconsistent.

"I'm not sure about that either. But since this is the work of a dream demon, it must be something extraordinary."

"..."

Elisa fell into thought for a moment.

Nirva was blatantly guiding people to the depths of Dreamland.

It went beyond a host inviting guests; it was more like forcibly cramming them in.

But he wasn't welcoming everyone.

He had also taken action to explicitly eliminate dangerous elements.

But why?

What could worry a dream demon with absolute power in Dreamland enough to do this?

Suddenly a thought flashed through Elisa's mind.

"Sacrifices."

That word drew everyone's attention to Elisa.

"Demons are associated with human offerings and sacrifices, right?"

It was an almost instinctive answer.

The logical leaps skipped to reach that conclusion would amount to dozens of stepping stones.

To prove it would require carefully retracing every step, that's what a magician should properly do but this was an emergency so Elisa decided to trust her intuition.

"That demon Nirva is probably trying to offer us as sacrifices to Dreamland."

* * *

"Sacrifices?"

At the same time Sedina asked Rudger as they stood before a massive door.

"Yes. What Nirva wants is sacrifices. The goal is likely to awaken a certain being sleeping in the deep layer."

"A being that a demon wants to awaken. Could it be some pagan god?"

"Similar. I'm not sure about it being pagan, but it's certainly a being on par with gods."

The group's expressions turned bewildered at the story of a demon's purpose being the resurrection of a god through sacrifices.

The scale had grown so large that it didn't feel real anymore.

"This isn't a dream, right?"

"Idiot. This is Dreamland, so it is a dream."

"That's right."

"No, but this is essentially reality too, isn't it? I'm confused."

Hans and Seridan exchanged meaningless conversation but no one could rebuke the two.

Their heads were spinning. The stress was so unbearable that they needed some way to relieve it.

"Nirva will probably push us deeper into Dreamland. That's why he's collapsing Dreamland from the outside."

"He needs to push people deeper inside to extract some kind of energy from them. Naturally, that energy would be the dreamforce that humans possess."

"But to do that, he needs to bring them to his inner chambers. To perform a proper ritual, his vulnerabilities would also be exposed."

"So that's why he sent his minions to eliminate potential threats that could interfere with the ritual."

Zantman nodded as if understanding why Nirva had acted this way.

Eliminating a few dangerous elements would be fine.

After all, the entire population of a major city was now inside Dreamland.

Removing a few people wouldn't be noticeable among so many.

If all these people were to be sacrifices, it seemed enough to resurrect any god or even their grandfather.

"Usually, the common perception is that black magicians perform human sacrifices to summon demons, but this takes it even further. A demon using humans as sacrifices to resurrect a god. Truly the end times."

"This fight might become even more of a race against time."

"A race against time...meaning we need to stop it before the ritual can be properly performed."

"Nirva sent his servants. But they failed. That's why we're still alive and well. Next, he'll come out himself."

"A demon who commands monsters like that giant coming out personally. Just hearing about it makes my beard bristle."

"And we're heading faster than anyone else into that tiger's mouth."

Rudger's point was this.

Was it okay to be at the most dangerous forefront?

Zantman understood that meaning well.

"Are you worried about me now?"

"Your role ended when you delivered Rip Van Winkle. Going back to regroup with the school members would also be a reasonable choice."

"Teacher, I didn't expect this, but you're pretty good at getting under people's skin."

Zantman grinned at Rudger.

The wrinkles around his eyes revealed his age, but his eyes did not.

Zantman's eyes were burning more brilliantly than any bright star.

"Listen here, teacher. Do you know why we're called the Dream School?"

"Why is that?"

"Because we're people who chase dreams. We walk on dreams, explore within dreams, and at the end, we chase dreams."

"How poetic."

"That's right. Poetic, romantic, unrealistic. In times like these, who pursues romance?"

Zantman continued.

"Except for us."

Rudger showed a surprised expression.

"Is it strange?"

"To be honest, yes."

"Fighting a demon to prevent a god's resurrection? What could be more romantic than that? It's not just me. All of us would make the same choice. If anything, those guys would be envious that I'm at the forefront."

Zantman smiled like a child receiving a gift box.

Rudger realized for the first time that people could still smile like that even at an advanced age.

He had to admit that these were people who fought for honor and romance rather than practical benefit.

Perhaps sensing Rudger's changed perspective towards him, Zantman waved his hand dismissively.

"That's not to say there aren't personal reasons too. Remember those statues we saw on the way?"

Rudger nodded.

The praying statues. The Dream Ghouls consumed by Dreamland.

If things had gone wrong, they might have joined those ranks.

"Who do you think are the people who came this deep into Dreamland and were consumed by this place?"

"...Previous generation Dream Walkers."

"Right. When past Dream Walkers roamed Dreamland, they always had to face dangers of the unknown."

Zantman looked down at the Siesta worn on his hand.

"We didn't have things like this back then. They just dove into Dreamland relying purely on their strong willpower alone, with nothing else."

However, no matter how excellent a Dream Walker was, they couldn't be free from Dreamland.

The more times they entered, the more they were gradually consumed by Dreamland, and their final form was the Dream Ghoul.

"Those praying there are people who fell to their desires, but I can't mock them. Rather, I respect them. It's because of their efforts and sacrifices that we exist today."

Rudger also gazed at the 'Rip Van Winkle' he was wearing.

How many Dream Walkers must have been sacrificed to create this one item?

While its foundation was built on countless data from Dreamland, that data ultimately had to come from Dream Walkers' direct bodily experiences.

"When our predecessors worked so hard even while going through this, it wouldn't look good for their juniors to back away in fear."

Zantman's joining was welcome news to Rudger.

"Good. We'll need an excellent guide to go beyond there anyway."

"Right. I'll definitely guide you well, so don't worry."

Zantman took a bold step forward as the massive stone door slowly opened.

Given its size, it wouldn't be strange to hear a thunderous sound, but the door opened without making any noise.

Inside the opened door was filled with pitch-black darkness.

The unknown terror strongly rushed in as nothing inside was visible at all.

"Keep your wits about you. If you don't maintain your mental strength here, your own mind will devour you."

Hans and Sedina tensed up at Zantman's warning.

"Well then, shall we go?"

Zantman stepped forward and soon disappeared into the darkness of the door.

Rudger followed after him.

At that unhesitating action, Hans, Sedina, and Seridan also moved together.

After the group disappeared inside, the massive stone door quietly closed again as if nothing had happened.

* * *

The middle layer occupies the largest portion of Dreamland.

And as you go down, the dream pressure increases and time becomes distorted compared to reality.

That's why it's divided into upper, middle, and lower parts.

Even within the same middle layer, the level of danger increases dramatically as you go down.

Naturally, there was a need to distinguish the areas to some extent.

Among these, the upper part of the middle layer is where ordinary people can endure at most.

It's a world of vast skies and countless floating islands.

The middle part of the middle layer is where capable Dream Walkers can endure.

It's a place of white worlds, black grasslands, and where Dream Ghouls exist.

And the lower part of the middle layer, which only a very few Dream Walkers can reach.

Surprisingly, it was a familiar place even from a common perspective.

"A library?"

Rudger voiced such an impression upon seeing the scenery of the lower middle layer.

Hans and Sedina were equally surprised. Even Seridan let out a "wow" in amazement.

At that moment, something like black mud approached the group from between the bookshelves.