CHAPTER 126: DREAM [1]

’Cosmic Beam!’

Immediately, a silent black beam burst out of thin air above one of the dummies.

The beam fell upon it like a pillar from the sky, burning, melting, radiating and evaporating every part of it while pulling everything toward it with its strong gravity.

The power of the attack was simply unbelievable. Using even the gravity to make a strong pull like a black hole, I couldn’t help but look at it with wide eyes.

The dummy was no more as I couldn’t even describe its remains as ashes. The beam was just that overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the consumed aether was as great as its power.

’Glutton, are you interested in testing this spell on your body?’

Glutton, cutting a dummy in half, glared at me dangerously.

[Why the hell would I do this? I’m not doing that shit.]

’It’s for scie—’

[Fuck your science! I’m not your lab rat!]

I sighed in disappointment as I decided to stop for this day. That was enough training.

’I’ll go to sleep. It’s already night.’

*Flick!*

Glutton continued practicing his technique, not even glancing at me.

[Yeah, whatever.]

I gave him one last glance before going away.

With my spatial awareness, I knew that only Selene remained in the suite, so I wasn’t afraid of interrupting them again.

As I moved to the bedroom, I noticed the improvement in my spatial awareness.

With it alone, I could now sense everything in the space.

Let it be the smells, the colors, the sounds, the sizes and everything. I was getting used to all of them with time.

I even went a step further and could now sense under clothes. I could sense things like hidden items and injuries for example.

Of course, I wasn’t degenerate to use that on lewd things, but maybe Glutton would do that.

[Hey!]

*Click!*

With a soft click, I opened the bedroom’s door, seeing Selene waiting for me in the bed while humming sweetly and chatting with Liora using her bracelet.

Once she heard me, she immediately looked at me with a smile.

"Welcome back. We fixed the bed while you were training."

I examined the bed with curious eyes, looking at each part of it.

"You really fixed it perfectly! It looks even better and softer than before, as if it’s a new bed!"

"Y-yeah... thank you."

Selene’s face turned red immediately then she avoided my gaze before diving into the bed.

I stopped myself from chuckling as I teleported beside her and patted her head.

’She is really cute when she tries to hide something.’

Yeah, they bought a new bed. The former one wasn’t with us anymore.

I don’t know what was in their minds when they accepted Morgana’s plan to use acid to glue it together.

Like... seriously, how did she even think about that?!

As Selene started sleeping, I kept observing her every move with my spatial awareness.

Her breathing, heartbeats, movement and even her temperature, until she finally fell asleep.

’So those are the changes before and after sleeping. All that information could help me to improve.’

Satisfied, I closed my eyes and started sleeping as well.

Soon after, my vision turned into darkness...

’Wait, this isn’t right.’

But that wasn’t the darkness I expected.

I was still thinking naturally in the darkness. How could that happen?

’Is this how dreams work? Will I wake up and forget everything?’

That was possible. I didn’t know anything about dreams, after all.

"No, this isn’t how dreams work."

"...!"

All of a sudden, a calm man’s voice curled around my ears.

"Trust me, boy."

Following his voice, the darkness began to shake.

"No one in this world knows about dreams more than me."

I began to hear my heart thumping rapidly. Then colors began to paint the darkness.

"No one knows about their weight more than me."

The world around me changed, turning into a city with old, medieval style.

’What is happening.’

I was barely holding myself together as I found myself sitting on a bar suddenly. The smell of vomit and alcohol lingered through the air, while the sounds of laughter echoed through the bar.

"No one knows about the hope they provide more than me."

Suddenly, a silver-haired man appeared on the seat on the other side of the table.

He was wearing an elegant black robe with silver embroidery and a small silver necklace, with a long white coat on his shoulder and a pair of white gloves covering his hands.

His grey eyes looked at me calmly, carrying an air of quiet authority.

"And I know what happens... when someone’s dreams are shattered."

"...."

I didn’t dare to move. Didn’t dare to talk. Didn’t dare to think too much. Didn’t dare to do anything.

I didn’t know what was happening, but I could only follow my instincts.

And from how my sense of danger was reacting, I knew only one thing.

’This is the most dangerous situation I was in so far.’

No, I couldn’t even compare it to anything else. I felt like I could really die if something went wrong!

"Tell me, boy. Do you have a dream? A dream you are willing to do anything to achieve? Even if you have to kill innocents to achieve it?"

"...."

I didn’t respond, but simply kept staring at him without blinking.

All of a sudden, a waitress came and put a cup of red wine for each one of us.

"Do you drink?"

The man grabbed his wine, took a sip, and smiled.

"You know, when I was your age, the legal age to drink was 21. Yet, I knew a girl that didn’t care about that and drank in secret."

My jaw almost fell as the place changed again, showing a young man with silver hair and grey eyes in luxurious clothes, looking with shock at a girl with short red hair and red eyes.

She was wearing poor, old, tattered clothes and hugging a big bottle of wine while looking at the young man with amusement in a dark corner of a street.

"Come on, Isaac. A small bottle won’t harm anyone, especially a mage like you! I even went so far to steal it just to drink with you~."

"Are you crazy! These aren’t nobles’ manners!! We can’t drink at this age, and definitely can’t steal!"

"I’m not a noble."

"But I am a noble! Give me this bottle, Maya. I’ll return it and apologize."

"No!"

The man suddenly jumped at the girl and kept trying to take the bottle from her, but she was holding it firmly.

’What is he trying to show me?’

It didn’t need a genius to know that was his young self. But whether this was one of his memories or a fake one wasn’t known to me.

Still, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was real. I couldn’t trust whoever that man was.

*CRACK!*

All of a sudden, the bottle hit Isaac’s head and shattered, leaving the red wine painting his hair.

Issac gritted his teeth and yelled:

"Are you happy now! Tell me where did you steal it from. I have to pay for it."

"Pfft."

A soft laugh escaped Maya’s mouth as she used her hands to stop it.

Isaac was confused, but when he saw his reflection in the spilled wine, seeing his red hair that matched hers, they both burst into laughter.

The older Isaac suddenly took a sip of wine and spoke:

"It’s strange how such small things can bring joy to you, isn’t it?"

’Small things?’

I squinted my eyes sharply as I repeated in my mind unconsciously, because what he called "small things" disgusted me.

He suddenly raised an eyebrow.

"You look annoyed. Don’t you like seeing someone having fun?"

I don’t know why, but I couldn’t stop my face from twitching.

’That girl just stole a wine bottle just to have some fun.

Even if Isaac was going to pay for it, why didn’t she think about how the real owner that worked hard for that bottle was doing now?

If I was there, I’d have punched her stupid face and cut that hand of hers.’

The old Isaac looked at me with even more confusion, holding his chin with his fingers, he muttered:

"Interesting. Truly interesting. Considering that you can’t lie here, I’m really glad you weren’t there back then."

’Wha— no, stop thinking.’

I had to hold myself together and stop thinking loudly. I didn’t know how he made me talk, but I couldn’t lose myself again.

All of a sudden, Isaac spoke again calmly, cutting my inner thoughts off.

"Before we continue, let me introduce myself first."

The scene around us began to blur and change.

"I’m Isaac Daemon, Third Seat, Dream of the Dark Order."

’What!’

My jaw fell instantly.

’Dark Order?’

I knew that I’d end up meeting them eventually, but as Tier-3? That was too fast!

I had to use all my willpower to stop my dark emotions from erupting.

Again, that wasn’t normal. I was supposed to have better control over my emotions.

"But considering your true identity, I think you will be more interested in my future title."

Isaac cut my inner thoughts off again, holding a polite smile on his face.

"Maybe you know me as: The Nightmare Shepherd."

"...."

All my emotions faded away, leaving only confusion on my face.

Seeing my reaction, he tilted his head and slowly repeated:

"The Nightmare Shepherd."

For the first time since I was brought here, I finally opened my mouth.

"Who?"