C117 — The Dream-Hunting Beast

Even though he knew this was a dream, Mu Sichen still felt a surge of joy.

He could control the pair of wings as naturally as moving his own fingers. The moment he thought about flying, the wings began to flap, carrying him lightly among the clouds.

Before Mu Sichen could even smile, a line of text appeared before his left eye:

[Don’t be too happy. Remember, this is a dream. Take a look at your back—or your shoulder.]

The handwriting was elegant running script—each stroke powerful and clean. The overall impression was beautiful and pure, like the moon hanging in the sky.

But if one looked closely at the ends of each stroke, an unsettling sense of chaos would rise—your mind filled with the tangled traces of hooks and slashes. You couldn’t look too long, nor could you feel admiration for it.

This was a message from Shen Jiyue, who was hidden within Mu Sichen’s left eye.

Following the hint, Mu Sichen tilted his head slightly to glance at his shoulder and back—and his pupils shrank sharply. He almost grabbed his crossaxe and hacked at his own back.

There was something clinging limply to him, a creature that couldn’t be described as more like a spider or an octopus. Its head looked exactly like Mu Sichen’s, and its eyeballs swayed puppet-like from side to side, staring right at him.

Frankly, the sanity loss from seeing this thing far surpassed that of the Dependents he had met. Without the divine aura of the “Big-Eyed One,” this creature actually looked worse.

The most terrifying part was that it spoke in Mu Sichen’s own voice right beside his ear:

“Dreaming is fun, isn’t it? You can grow wings and fly. Flying feels good, doesn’t it? Lying on clouds as soft as cotton feels good, doesn’t it? Huh? Why aren’t you smiling? Don’t tell me you’ve realized this is a dream?”

As it spoke, those marble-like eyeballs rolled wildly within their sockets, as though observing Mu Sichen from every possible angle.

Another line of text appeared before his left eye:

[Ah, I almost forgot—don’t let it know you can see it. Only people who realize they’re dreaming can see it. Don’t make such a scary face—smile. You look so charming when you smile.]

Pollution from Shen Jiyue surged through the air; every word dripped with malice.

But calling Shen Jiyue’s message malicious wasn’t entirely fair. After all, He had reminded Mu Sichen of the Dream-Hunting Beast’s existence, allowing him to disguise his awareness and avoid being noticed as “awake.”

Still, to say Shen Jiyue had good intentions wasn’t accurate either. He knew perfectly well that Mu Sichen wouldn’t be frightened by such a small creature. He had deliberately reminded Mu Sichen, just to enjoy watching him suffer—wanting to scream but unable to, wanting to curse but having to smile instead.

The most ridiculous part was that before sleeping, Shen Jiyue had told Mu Sichen that Dream-Hunting Beasts could change their form based on personal preferences. Once you saw one, it would take on a shape that suited your tastes.

Mu Sichen had actually been looking forward to seeing what it looked like.

He knew that he had a soft spot for cute, squishy octopus plushies. When his little octopus wasn’t around, he would sleep hugging a knockoff version—it wasn’t the same, but at least his arms weren’t empty.

Shen Jiyue had also explained that Dream-Hunting Beasts followed people like shadow spirits. They constantly monitored humans to see whether they were conscious—and once they detected awareness, they would immediately spread their hunting nets and devour the person’s dream.

At the time, Mu Sichen had thought, If it’s a little octopus clinging to my back—even a fake one—I wouldn’t mind.

But now, looking at what was actually on his back…

What the hell was this thing?!

[I forgot to tell you earlier—the Dream-Hunting Beast’s original form is that of a spider. It only adds features you like onto its base appearance; it never completely changes shape.]

[Since the Dream-Hunting Beast has taken on your face, it means Sichen is someone who loves himself. That’s a wonderful trait.]

[But its eight spider legs have turned into limp tentacles… Sichen actually likes soft-bodied creatures? What an unexpected preference.]

The constant stream of words before his eyes made Mu Sichen feel an overwhelming urge to dig out his left eye.

[Oh, by the way—A butterfly’s dream is full of deceit. It loves to wrap ugly nightmares in beautiful illusions. But since you possess the Eye of Truth, you shouldn’t be deceived, right?]

As this line appeared, the wings on Mu Sichen’s back turned from pure white to blood red. Each feather grew a single eye, and the eyelashes were wriggling black worms.

The clouds beneath his feet became slabs of pulsing flesh—the softness he’d felt moments ago was not cotton, but fat.

Mu Sichen: “…”

At this point, he no longer knew whether this was the dream’s “truth,” or something Shen Jiyue had deliberately crafted to drive him insane.

The once-blue sky around him morphed into an endless sea of blood. If it weren’t for the fleshy ground beneath his feet and the wings dropping black worms yet keeping him aloft, he would have already fallen into the crimson ocean below.

And the Dream-Hunting Beast was still talking non-stop:

“Your expression looks strange. Don’t you like this dream? Did you see something scary? Do I look scary?”

Enough already!

The surroundings were terrifying enough, and yet he had to pretend to be enjoying a beautiful dream. The Dream-Hunting Beast, wearing his own face while desecrating the adorable image of his beloved little octopus, was unbearably grotesque—and it even expected him to smile happily at it! Keeping a straight face was already the best he could manage.

Now, Mu Sichen finally understood why his crossaxe had been named Moonbreaker, Dream-Shatterer.

That moon deserved to be shattered to pieces, and this cursed dream deserved to be torn apart and destroyed.

The crossaxe really was a genius at naming things.

Just as Mu Sichen was at a loss on how to deal with the Dream-Hunting Beast’s relentless questioning, someone came roaring across the sea of blood on a motorized airbike.

“Xiao Mu!” He Fei shouted, wearing a slick cyberpunk helmet. Riding a cool flying motorcycle, he spun stylishly before stopping atop the fleshy mass beneath Mu Sichen. Removing his helmet, he flicked his hair with a grin. “Your bro here looks cool, huh?”

It was obvious that He Fei had no idea he was dreaming.

He didn’t notice the creature clinging to his shoulder—a long-legged spider with He Fei’s face, dressed in a pink sailor outfit with a curvy figure. He even patted his shoulder cheerfully. “Hop on! Your bro’s taking you for a ride!”

His hand passed straight through the Dream-Hunting Beast without any resistance, landing harmlessly on his own shoulder.

The Dream-Hunting Beast on He Fei’s back had its eyes half-closed, looking drowsy and uninterested. Clearly, it didn’t suspect him of being awake.

With a genuine dreamer like He Fei here, Mu Sichen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He no longer had to deal with the Dream-Hunting Beast’s interrogation—he just needed to act normal, as if this were one of their usual hangouts.

After all, anyone who got caught up in He Fei’s aura would naturally become just as goofy and dreamlike as him.

So Mu Sichen ignored the Dream-Hunting Beast’s questions and pointed at He Fei’s wings. “Your wings are kind of in the way—it’s hard for me to sit behind you.”

“Oh, hold on, I’ll retract them,” He Fei said.

He twisted his shoulders, and the wings gradually shrank into a small decorative pair. He Fei plucked them off and tossed them aside, his back returning to normal.

“Hop on!” He Fei said with a grin.

Mu Sichen sat on the back seat of the hover bike, glancing at the Dream-Hunting Beast clinging to He Fei’s back. It was nearly impossible for him to lean against He Fei, so he kept a deliberate distance, leaving enough room for the pink-skirted monster between them.

Staring at the creature, Mu Sichen said calmly, “He Fei, so you like long-legged girls in pink sailor uniforms, huh?”

“Of course!” He Fei replied. “You’ve known me long enough—I’ve always liked anime girls like that!”

Mu Sichen thought to himself that it was a very good thing he hadn’t reminded He Fei about the Dream-Hunting Beast or woken him from the dream. Otherwise, He Fei might never again like pink sailor uniforms—or long legs—for the rest of his life.

 

He Fei tossed a helmet to Mu Sichen. It even had an intercom system built in.

“Bro, where to?” He Fei asked. “Tell me, and I’ll take you there.”

Mu Sichen thought for a moment before replying, “Let’s find Chi Lian and Ji Xian’an.”

If he could regroup with his teammates and find those still maintaining a link to the collective dream, they could uncover the chain of causality binding this world. Once the others severed their own “repentance–release” chains, he could use the Dream-Hunting Beasts to trace back to the Dreamcatcher web—and the location of the “Pillar.”

But before he located the core of the Dreamcatcher web, he couldn’t let the Dream-Hunting Beast realize he was awake. If it did, he would lose the dream entirely—his consciousness devoured, his body reduced to an empty shell.

When He Fei’s hand had earlier passed harmlessly through the Dream-Hunting Beast, Mu Sichen had confirmed they lacked any physical form. They couldn’t be destroyed by any power. As long as the Dreamcatcher web existed, even if a Dream-Hunting Beast were shattered, it would simply reform.

They also lacked self-awareness; their only function was to detect whether a human was awake.

For dreamers like He Fei, who were fully immersed in illusion, their Dream-Hunting Beasts were so relaxed they barely bothered to stay alert—like a computer in sleep mode.

But Mu Sichen’s Dream-Hunting Beast was like a computer running a constant antivirus scan—restlessly searching for the “virus.”

And that virus was Mu Sichen himself.

He had to hide his identity with extreme care to avoid detection.

The best way for a computer virus to evade a scan was to disguise itself as part of a normal file.

He Fei was that file.

Hearing Mu Sichen’s words, He Fei froze for a moment. “They’re here too?”

Mu Sichen nearly blurted out, ‘Where do you think we are right now?’—but he held his tongue, afraid such a question might wake He Fei.

The Dream-Hunting Beast’s eyes stared unblinking at him. One of its limp tentacles reached out and pressed against the artery on his neck, as if listening to his heartbeat.

Mu Sichen really missed his little octopus plush right now. Not all tentacles were soft and cute—some were just disgusting!

He could fake his expression, but not his heartbeat. His pulse quickened under the creature’s touch—until He Fei suddenly said, “Those two sisters can fly in the sky too? That’s awesome! I gotta show them my hover bike—it’s way too cool, hahaha!”

He Fei’s enthusiasm helped calm Mu Sichen’s nerves, his heartbeat steadying slightly. To distract himself, he asked, “Where’d you get this hover bike anyway? How come I only have wings while you get such a cool ride?”

He Fei grinned sheepishly and lowered his voice. “A beautiful angel gave it to me!”

Mu Sichen raised a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean? Tell me the story.”

He Fei began explaining. He said his sense of balance wasn’t great—he wasn’t very good at flying. While he was practicing on a cloud, a beautiful lady descended from the sky, riding her own cloud, and landed gracefully on his.

 

The moment the woman saw He Fei, she began both laughing and crying, then she murmured, “It’s my fault… thank you for saving me.”

Even in a dream, He Fei remembered the incident where he took the blame for a crime—but this beautiful woman? He’d never seen her before. She looked nothing like the murderer from the swimming pool dismemberment case.

And besides, the one who had taken the blame for that case wasn’t him—it was Mu Sichen.

He Fei said bluntly, “I don’t know you. When did I ever save you?”

The woman replied, “You’re going to die tomorrow anyway, so I’m not afraid to tell you the truth. I’m a resident of Room 3016. I found out that the beast living in 7015 was planning to assault me with his friends that night. I knew I couldn’t just wait to die, so I struck first and killed him, planning to frame his accomplices.”

“I didn’t expect you to accidentally pick up 7015’s phone. When you returned it, you somehow ended up taking the blame for me. I don’t know why you were so foolish, but while I felt relieved to escape punishment, I was also overwhelmed with guilt. Do you have any wish? I’ll grant it for you.”

As she spoke, the woman unbuttoned the collar of her blouse.

But He Fei said, “Any wish at all? You’ve got wings—you can fly—you’re an angel! Can I have a motorized airbike?”

The murderer, who had been ready to offer herself: “…”

“What, I can’t?” He Fei looked genuinely disappointed and pointed at his own wings. “I don’t even know why, but I can’t fly. I really need an airbike.”

“That’s… that’s all you want?” the woman asked, stunned.

“It’s not a small thing at all!” He Fei said seriously. “I’ve dreamed of owning a hover bike!”

The woman from Room 3016 sighed softly. “Since that’s your wish, I hope you can at least be happy before you die.”

She placed her hands on the cloud beneath her feet and whispered, “I wish for He Fei’s wish to come true.”

In the next instant, the cloud transformed into a gleaming motorized airbike. He Fei cheered in delight, leapt on it, and even offered his own cloud to the woman.

Curious, he asked, “Hey, miss, who are you? How can you make something this amazing?”

The woman from 3016 smiled faintly. “This is the Dream Nation. Anyone who feels a sense of release or relief can come here. It’s a world protected by the great Dreamweaver. Here, everyone is an angel—no matter what wrongs they’ve done during the day, they can be forgiven, and any beautiful wish can come true.”

“Are you sure you don’t have any other wishes?”

“I do!” He Fei declared firmly.

The woman blushed, leaning gently against He Fei’s chest.

He Fei grinned. “My wish is to take my brother for a ride on this hover bike! That country bumpkin’s never seen anything this cool! Hahaha! Do you know where he is? Is he in the Dream Nation too? If not, can I bring him here?”

The woman: “…”

Her expression twitched several times before she finally said, “As long as he’s in the Dream Nation, if you think of him in your heart and fly in any direction, you’ll find him.”

“Got it! Thanks, miss!”

And with that, He Fei revved the engine and shot off into the sky, leaving a trail of exhaust behind—and leaving the woman, who had very much intended to repay him, standing speechless on her cloud.

After hearing He Fei’s story, Mu Sichen began to understand what this so-called Dream Nation truly was.

No wonder the residents of Shouwang Community and Repentance District sought relief in so many different ways during the day.

It wasn’t just guilt driving them to seek comfort—it was because anyone who experienced a sense of release could enter the Dream Nation at night.

They didn’t believe they were dreaming—just like He Fei.

They believed this place was real, believed in its beauty, and were utterly captivated by its illusion.

To escape their guilt and remorse, and to reach this paradise-like realm, they were willing to do anything during the day to achieve that feeling of “release.”

But the moment someone realized this place was only a dream—once anyone awoke and understood that all they had sacrificed to gain was nothing but illusion—the Dream-Hunting Beast would devour their dream. Their consciousness would be erased, leaving them as hollow shells, incapable of ever speaking the truth again.

In the Dream Nation, there was no place for the awake.

Through He Fei’s story, Mu Sichen finally understood how to act under the gaze of the Dream-Hunting Beast—to imitate the unguarded manner of a true dreamer.

In this world, one could create things simply by imagining them—like He Fei’s motorized airbike.

But only those unaware they were dreaming could shape such creations.

The awakened could not.

So, if Mu Sichen wanted to dispel the Dream-Hunting Beast’s suspicions, he had to use He Fei’s dream against it.

Pointing toward a patch of the bloody sea, Mu Sichen exclaimed, “Look! Over there—a beautiful dolphin flying!”

He Fei followed his finger and nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, it’s pink too! So pretty!”

Mu Sichen had just pointed at random—but because He Fei imagined it, a pink dolphin actually appeared, gliding gracefully through the blood-red waves.

It looked as though Mu Sichen himself had conjured it.

The Dream-Hunting Beast on his shoulder slowly lowered its eyelids, seemingly no longer suspicious.

Only then did Mu Sichen allow himself a small breath of relief.

At that moment, He Fei’s hover bike slowed slightly. “Xiao Mu,” he said, “I see Chi Lian and Sister Ji!”

Mu Sichen tilted his head, looking past He Fei—and there, standing atop a slab of flesh, were Chi Lian and Ji Xian’an.

Chi Lian’s expression was… strange.

Her face was deathly pale, her eyes darting toward her shoulder every so often. Ji Xian’an’s hand gripped Chi Lian’s arm tightly, as if reminding her to stay calm.

Mu Sichen immediately understood Chi Lian’s turmoil.

Both she and Ji Xian’an had learned about the Dream-Hunting Beasts beforehand. They already knew this was a dream—and because of that, they could see their own beasts.

According to Shen Jiyue’s earlier explanation, the team had originally believed that the Dream-Hunting Beasts would appear in forms their hosts found attractive—tempting them to admit they were awake.

Mu Sichen had even prepared himself mentally for the sight of a cute little octopus plush climbing into his arms, cuddling close, and sweetly asking if he knew this was a dream.

Instead, he got a grotesque spider-octopus hybrid with his own face—so ugly it nearly provoked him to attack it on sight.

Chi Lian’s situation was similar. She had expected to see a breathtakingly handsome man with eight-pack abs—something to make her swoon.

Instead, she was greeted by a muscular spider monster… wearing her own face.

She didn’t scream only because Ji Xian’an had reminded her not to.

Ji Xian’an, whose sanity level was much higher, remained comparatively composed. Even when faced with the spider perched on her shoulder—its face eerily similar to the portrait of General Qin—she managed to keep her expression steady and quietly warned Chi Lian to do the same.

Still, their horror was too obvious. Their stiff faces and trembling gazes quickly drew the attention of the Dream-Hunting Beasts.

The creatures whispered ceaselessly into their ears—sometimes speaking in the seductive voices Chi Lian found most alluring—driving her to the brink of a breakdown.

Ji Xian’an wasn’t faring much better. She had always revered General Qin. Though she’d never met him in person, his portrait was plastered all over Xiangping Town, and the townspeople worshipped him daily.

Now that very portrait had turned into a spider monster, clinging to her shoulder and constantly moaning, “Help me… save me…”
The fact that she hadn’t already torn the spider apart was proof of her incredible mental fortitude.

“Are they sick or something?” He Fei asked. “What kind of illness do you think it is? Maybe I can create some medicine to help them?”

 

Mu Sichen replied, “No medicine needed. Just ride the wind over there, wave to them enthusiastically, and tell them how wonderful the Dream Nation is!”

“OK! No problem!”

He Fei twisted the throttle, and the engine of his hover bike roared to life with a buzzing hum. In a flash, he zoomed straight toward Chi Lian and Ji Xian’an.

As always, he pulled off a flashy spin before stopping in front of them, dramatically removing his helmet and shaking his hair like a movie star. He gave them a cheeky wink and said with a grin, “Hey, beauties—want a ride?”

Chi Lian: “…”

Ji Xian’an: “…”

Maybe He Fei was just too irritating—both women stepped forward together and punched him square in the face.

The tension instantly broke. Their fear seemed to melt away, and even the Dream-Hunting Beasts on their shoulders no longer felt so terrifying.

Mu Sichen took off his helmet too, smiling. “Finally found you two. Welcome to the Dream Nation.”

“It’s so good to see you,” Chi Lian said with a relieved smile.

He Fei, clutching his face, groaned, “Why’d you hit me?! Fine, I get it from Chi Lian, but sister Ji, you know how strong you are, right? My handsome face!”

“Sister Ji’s just showing her enthusiasm,” Mu Sichen said consolingly. “Don’t be upset. Look—she’s holding a bouquet of flowers. Those lilies have magical healing power. Take them, and your injury will disappear.”

“Really?” He Fei glanced at Ji Xian’an’s hands—and sure enough, a bouquet of white lilies had appeared there.

Ji Xian’an noticed them too. Her expression didn’t change much, but a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes.

“Sister Jie,” Mu Sichen prompted, “after hitting him that hard, aren’t you going to give him the flowers?”

“Take them,” Ji Xian’an said flatly, tossing the bouquet into He Fei’s hands.

He Fei pressed the flowers to his face, and instantly, the lilies vanished—and the bruises on his cheek disappeared with them.

Chi Lian and Ji Xian’an both blinked in surprise.

Mu Sichen pointed at He Fei meaningfully and said, “Remember—this is the Dream Nation. In the Dream Nation, every beautiful wish comes true.”

He emphasized the word dream.

Chi Lian and Ji Xian’an understood immediately.

 

Chi Lian stepped forward and said to He Fei, “Don’t be mad. I was just jealous because you’re too handsome. Let me show you a magic trick, okay? What do you want to see?”

He Fei blinked. “If you could make a cake appear, that’d be awesome—I’m starving.”

“Alright,” Chi Lian said, holding out one hand. “See? Nothing in my hand, right? Now, I’ll cover your eyes—when you open them, there’ll be a cake here!”

“Really?” He Fei asked, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Chi Lian covered his eyes with one hand, not very confident, then slowly lifted it away.

When He Fei opened his eyes, his face lit up. “Wow! There really is a cake—my favorite tiramisu! Thanks!”

Chi Lian stared at the cake that had appeared in her palm, her facial muscles twitching slightly.

As He Fei happily dug in, the Dream-Hunting Beasts perched on Chi Lian and Ji Xian’an’s shoulders half-closed their eyes—apparently convinced that the two women were completely unaware they were in a dream.

Mu Sichen, Chi Lian, and Ji Xian’an all exhaled in relief at the same time.

Ji Xian’an even reached out and affectionately patted He Fei’s head.

 

All three of their dreamscapes were being held together by He Fei’s imagination alone—he truly was working overtime keeping their cover intact.

 

---

TN:

Those dream beasts are extremely creepy, I was editing at night and it was like I was watching a horror movie 😂