C116 — The Collective Dream

Mu Sichen immediately became alert, glancing at He Fei. Using the power of his self-totem, he sealed off He Fei’s hearing.

He Fei had been following Mu Sichen’s instructions, preparing to sleep. Suddenly, after his hearing was blocked, he felt the world fall silent. Gradually, he became a little drowsy and closed his eyes, preparing to drift off to sleep.

“What level of item is this?” Mu Sichen finally asked.

“You’re being cautious,” Shen Jiyue said. “It’s naturally a Hidden Star level item, the same as the glasses you used before.”

“Isn’t the butterfly also just a Hidden Star?” Mu Sichen asked.

The gold-wire glasses left by the Big-eye were only found after its death. The butterfly, however, hadn’t died, so how could it possess a Hidden Star level item?

“Items and gods are different. Items don’t have divine status, and their harm is lower. You didn’t go mad when you saw the gold-wire glasses, did you?” Shen Jiyue said.

Mu Sichen asked, “Then how do you define the item levels?”

Shen Jiyue responded, “It’s based on their harmfulness. We generally define items that can harm a Hidden Star as Hidden Star level. So no matter how much you upgrade your weapon, how powerful its effects are, or how special its skills are, it can only be Hidden Star level or below, because it can’t harm a god. But the ‘Dreamcatcher’ can.”

Mu Sichen recalled that after the Big-eyed One’s death, its power was stripped away, but it left behind the gold-wire glasses. Neither Qin Zu nor Shen Jiyue seemed interested in it—at least, they wouldn’t waste energy trying to fight over it.

This meant that after a god-level monster’s death, even if its power was stripped, it would still leave behind some item-like objects.

For god-level monsters like Shen Jiyue and Qin Zu, who far surpassed Hidden Star, even if they didn’t die, if their body or power were split into pieces, these parts could still become Hidden Star level items.

The butterfly wasn’t a singular god-level monster. It was normal for it to possess one or two powerful items.

“Does the damage caused by the Dreamcatcher simply mean it takes away your dreams?” Mu Sichen asked.

Shen Jiyue replied, “Don’t underestimate dreams. Do you know what happens to people who lose their dreams?”

 

Mu Sichen asked, “They become irritable and easily angered, right?”

When he learned about Mengdie Town, he had looked up information about dreams and the experiments that blocked them. He knew that when dreams were deprived, it caused disruptions in the autonomic nervous system and often led to psychological issues.

“That’s just the consequence of not dreaming for a while,” Shen Jiyue said. “If you lose your dreams forever, your emotions gradually fade, and you become a walking corpse without the drive to live. Of course, gods who lose their dreams don’t suffer as much as humans, but they become incomplete.”

 

“What happens to an incomplete god-level monster?” Mu Sichen thought about Qin Zu, when he tried to recall the beautiful memories that had been lost.

Shen Jiyue said, “There’s nothing particularly bad about it. Losing a portion of their power and madness actually allows them to retain more of their humanity. But it’s still incomplete, a weakness that can easily be exploited.”

Mu Sichen looked at Shen Jiyue, he didn’t think this guy had retained much humanity.

Shen Jiyue read his thoughts and reminded him, “Think about the Big-eyed One.”

Mu Sichen was silent for a moment, then said, “…By this comparison, it’s true that you’re more human than that Big-eyed One.”

 

Shen Jiyue told him, “Let me give you a typical example. Do you know why the butterfly craves beautiful emotions so much? For these things, it even willingly stepped into a trap, lured by a little beauty, willing to risk falling into a deep sleep.”

“Because it’s incomplete?” Mu Sichen asked.

Shen Jiyue nodded. “Exactly. It betrayed the Deep Sea, severed its connection with the Deep Sea, and the Deep Sea punished it by taking away its happiness.”

 

“From then on, it became a pitiful creature that could no longer generate happiness. It deceived itself and the people of Mengdie Town with lies, claiming to build a happy kingdom, when in reality, it could only survive by relying on the goodness of others.”

“And you?” Mu Sichen, knowing full well he shouldn’t delve too much into the affairs of these godly monsters, couldn’t help but ask.

Shen Jiyue clearly seemed pleased: “Sichen, it’s so nice that you care about me. As for me, I like beautiful things under the moonlight—beautiful people, beautiful animals, and beautiful emotions. Having humanity is an interesting thing, but over time, it grows weaker, and I must retrieve my dream.”

Mu Sichen still wanted to ask about Qin Zu, but after thinking about it, he decided not to. He could ask Qin Zu directly; there was no need to get answers from Shen Jiyue.

After losing his beautiful memories, Qin Zu didn’t feel pity for himself. He regarded it as a necessary price to pay. Even so, Mu Sichen didn’t want to hear Shen Jiyue describe Qin Zu with words like “pitiful creature.”

“What should I watch out for with the ‘Dreamcatcher’? I’ll take you into the dream, and in exchange, you need to tell me information about the ‘Dreamcatcher,'” Mu Sichen changed the topic.

Shen Jiyue replied, “I’m not sure what’s n the collective dream, but I know there must be Dreamcatcher Beasts. They have the strength of a favored one, capturing dreams for the ‘Dreamcatcher.'”

 

“You and your little friends need to be careful of the Dreamcatcher Beasts. Don’t let them capture your dreams, or you’ll become like the walking dead, losing the joy of life, leaving only the instinct to survive.”

“I don’t have to worry. I don’t have dreams, so they’re not interested in me. But you need to protect your dreams. Once they capture your dream, I won’t be able to stay in the collective dream.”

 

Shen Jiyue then went on to provide more details about the Dreamcatcher Beasts. Mu Sichen took notes carefully and, while Chi Lian and Ji Xian’an were still awake, he sent the key information to the game group so they could be cautious about the Dreamcatcher Beasts.

He didn’t want to bring his companions to such a dangerous place, but there was no other choice. From the moment they entered the “Pillars,” everyone had fallen into their respective causal chains.

 

Although Shen Jiyue’s mental manipulation could sever causal chains, it would inevitably cause some damage to the mind.

The only way to avoid mental harm was to stay awake in the collective dream, detect the causal chain on themselves, and follow it to find the person connected to the chain. By untying the chain first, they could avoid mental damage.

 

So, Mu Sichen had to take everyone along.

As for the next questions, Mu Sichen didn’t plan to ask Shen Jiyue; he knew Shen Jiyue wouldn’t answer him.

So, he asked inwardly: “System, are you there?”

Since entering the Repentance District, the system had been silent for a long time. The system was usually like this—it rarely appeared unless necessary. Especially after Mu Sichen discovered the system’s role in the battle to divide the deep sea, it became even quieter and wouldn’t speak on its own.

 

[The system is always here.] The system replied.

Mu Sichen asked, “If one of my companions accidentally loses their dream, is there any way to save them?”

Shen Jiyue wouldn’t answer him, and even if she did, Mu Sichen wouldn’t trust his words.

System: [The “Dreamcatcher” serves the butterflies. The dreams it captures are stored behind the Twilight Gate, waiting for the butterflies to return and savor them one by one. However, the system does not recommend that players go to the Twilight Gate.]

“I remember you told me before to capture the three ‘Pillars’ and occupy the dream space,” Mu Sichen said.

[The dream realm is woven from the “Dreamcatcher” and countless dreams. As long as one obtains the Dreamcatcher, they can control an incomplete dream realm, liberate Mengdie Town in reality, and awaken its residents — that’s enough.]

[Because the dreams caught by the Dreamcatcher are all stored within the Gate of Dawn, the system has always believed it to be behind that gate. I didn’t expect to find the Dreamcatcher’s location in the second “Pillar.” There’s no need to enter the Gate of Dawn anymore.]

“Is it because the Gate of Dawn is dangerous? I don’t mind conquering one more ‘Pillar,’” Mu Sichen said, hesitating slightly.

[It’s very dangerous. It holds the memories of when the Butterfly split the deep sea. Anyone who enters could be torn apart and become incomplete. The player already knows how to avoid being caught by Dream Beasts; as long as you stay cautious, there’s no danger — no need to take unnecessary risks.]

Mu Sichen didn’t speak.

The system asked: [What are you hesitating for, player? Protecting your dependents is enough.]

 

“I know.” Mu Sichen sighed silently in his heart.

He had been overestimating himself.

When he learned that Qin Zu’s beautiful memories were stored behind the Gate of Dawn, he couldn’t resist the urge to retrieve them.

But deep down, Mu Sichen knew he wasn’t doing it for Qin Zu — he was doing it for himself.

The little octopus was Qin Zu’s self — the emotions Qin Zu didn’t want to keep.

The feelings Qin Zu discarded, Mu Sichen cherished deeply.

Yet since the little octopus vanished after saving Mu Sichen, Qin Zu had never given him another one.

Perhaps the fragment of self born from Mu Sichen’s feeble power had long since perished under Nie Yihai’s force — never to return.

 

He might have lost the little octopus forever… and with it, the last trace of Qin Zu’s humanity.

Mu Sichen wondered — if he could help Qin Zhou recover his beautiful memories, would Qin Zu once again be troubled by his overflowing emotions?

Would he perhaps split off another little octopus for him?

Even if not, that was fine too. Helping Qin Zu become whole again would still be worthwhile.

After all, Mu Sichen owed Qin Zu too much — repaying even a little might lessen his future debts.

He knew clearly: this desire came from selfishness.

And because of that, he wouldn’t risk everything for Qin Zu.

Since the system said he wasn’t ready to face the Gate of Dawn — so be it.

“I understand,” Mu Sichen answered in his mind.

 

After receiving Mu Sichen’s message, Chi Lian and Ji Xian’an said they understood and were going to sleep.

Mu Sichen returned hearing to He Fei, patted his cheek to wake him up and tell him about the Dream Beasts —

But to his surprise, He Fei had already fallen fast asleep, and no matter what Mu Sichen did, he couldn’t wake him.

So Mu Sichen could only enter the dream quickly himself.

Before that, he activated the “Eye of Truth,” imprinting Shen Jiyue’s image into his vision.

Shen Jiyue couldn’t dream — unlike others, He couldn’t enter the group dream through sleep.

But He could transform into a ray of light and temporarily dwell within Mu Sichen’s eyes.

 

Within the “Eye of Truth” was a fragment of golden wire glasses — not enough to confront Shen Jiyue’s true form, but sufficient to hold a fragment of His light.

 

As Shen Jiyue’s image reflected in the Eye, the person before him changed appearance —

He became an ordinary-looking man. Mu Sichen checked his body and found a moon-shaped sigil on his back, faintly glowing with life.

To be safe, Mu Sichen tapped the man with a crossaxe.

When the moon sigil faded away, he finally relaxed.

That way, there was no need to worry about the Moon’s devotee waking up and harming them during sleep.

To ensure he’d stay asleep longer, Mu Sichen gave his head a few more knocks — just to make sure he’d sleep soundly until dawn.

Then, Mu Sichen lay down and quickly drifted off himself.

He wasn’t too worried about He Fei being caught by Dream Beasts — because Dream Beasts only hunted those awake within dreams.

Those unaware they were dreaming remained trapped within the “web of cases” — the control of the Dreamcatcher — and thus were ignored.

The beasts only hunted lucid dreamers — clearing threats to the Dreamcatcher.

Since Mu Sichen fell asleep cautiously, the moment he gained awareness, he realized he was dreaming.

His first instinct was to find He Fei — but he wasn’t in the residential complex anymore.

He was lying atop clouds, floating in the sky.

Mu Sichen sat up, feeling something unusual on his back — as if something new had grown there.

When he tried moving it, his body lifted off the clouds.

He was flying — with a pair of pure white wings.

He looked like an angel.

 

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