Chapter 2011: Chapter 2011

"If you want to destroy the dream in a short amount of time, based on the intelligence you've provided, there are three methods. First, actively enter the dream and severely injure or even kill the dreamer, or at least instill in it a powerful desire to escape. Second, attempt to awaken the dreamer in reality, for instance, by making it sense danger or by killing it directly—the dead don't dream. Third, since you said this entity can absorb the dreams of thousands and make them its own, perhaps we can usurp ownership of the dream once more. If we can gain complete control over that vast dreamscape, we can surely expel your target."

All three methods proposed by the followers of the God of Dreams sounded perilous. To voluntarily enter the Difference Engine's dream was to fight it on its home ground, on the spiritual plane. To awaken the Difference Engine, they would first have to find its current location. And to wrestle control of the dream away from it would be fraught with difficulty.

Fortunately, the followers of the God of Dreams pledged their full support to the Orthodox Church. After discarding the option of searching for the Difference Engine's physical body, the Church decided to attempt both entering the dream and seizing control of it simultaneously.

It was three minutes to one, but most people's attention had shifted from the negotiations to the coming battle. The Twelve Churches were moving as one, and the many pseudo-god cults that had gathered at the Legacy Sage Church also offered their full support. This was precisely the outcome Jenkins had hoped to achieve through his talks.

Although the Difference Engine was protecting its dream, the Church now had an entry point. With the help of the followers of the God of Dreams, they could send a maximum of ten people into the dreamscape. It was almost certainly a one-way trip, but there was no shortage of brave warriors willing to go, unafraid of death.

Jenkins, of course, was among them, and his request was, just as predictably, rejected. Even if the Difference Engine truly gained a soul through its dream and ascended into a Beast of Calamity, humanity might not be entirely powerless against it. But if Jenkins were to perish in this incident, the Church would have no cards left to play.

Jenkins was confident because he still had a drop of divinity in his possession, as well as the potion Sigrid had given him in the flowery Mysterious Realm, which could grant him a temporary surge in power. He was sure he could emerge unscathed, no matter what happened.

But he couldn't share these reasons with the Church. So, he made an excuse about needing to discuss something with Alexia, climbed the wall to leave the church grounds, and then returned in the guise of Candle Mr.

"What an exhausting day!" ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel⦿fire.net

Appearing before the Church as a Believer of Lies, he declared that he was aware of the situation and wished to enter the dream to investigate.

The Church wasn't overly concerned with the life or death of the Believers of Lies, but they were still an important combat force for humanity's side, so their request was also denied. Even if the Church wanted to reduce their numbers in the contest to become the Savior, they would never allow such a pointless sacrifice.

Seeing that he couldn't get into the dream no matter what, Jenkins temporarily abandoned his efforts and looked for something else to do. While he'd possessed an ability related to entering dreams for a long time, he had only ever used it as a tool for soul departure and had never studied dreams in depth.

Alexia didn't know much about dreams either, but she suggested Jenkins speak with the followers of the God of Dreams. Even if a ritual was now required to enter that massive dreamscape, talking to them might reveal another way in.

And so, while the Church was organizing its response, at twenty past one—forty minutes before the negotiations were set to officially begin—Jenkins found the followers of the Lord of the Phantasmal Dreamscape. Introduced by the Church, they knew he was the Sage's Saint and treated his visit with the utmost importance.

Aside from the high priest, who was busy assisting the Church with the dream-entry ritual and could not leave, all the other important members joined the conversation.

Instead of asking directly about how to enter the dream, Jenkins took a more roundabout approach, starting with the topic of dreams itself. Finding an opener was simple enough.

"It's nothing important, really, but for a long time now, I've been having a strange dream. The content isn't always identical, but the pattern is always similar—a giant black cat appears before me, we fight, and when I wake up, sometimes the details are crystal clear, while other times I only remember vague fragments."

On his shoulder, Chocolate seemed a little embarrassed and lightly brushed Jenkins's neck with the tip of its tail.

The dream followers listened to his words, taking them at face value, and began to ask for more details.

"For an Enchanter such as yourself to repeatedly have the same type of dream is certainly not normal. How long has this been going on? Does it happen often?"

"It's been happening for almost a year now. As for the frequency... it's not constant, but it occurs a few times a month."

Chocolate lowered its head, intently examining the fabric of Jenkins's shoulder.

"That's very strange..."

The middle-aged woman leading them spoke. She wore a veiled scarf and carried a scent of spices that seemed to have soaked into her very being. She looked like an experienced dream interpreter, a fortune teller, or perhaps a member of a circus.

She noticed Jenkins's cat.

"Saint Williamette, the black cat in your dreams, does it bear any resemblance to the cat you keep?"

"Are you suggesting that I dream of what I think about during the day? Oh, no. Chocolate and that black cat have no connection whatsoever."

Jenkins shook his head decisively. The black cat in his dreams was fierce and terrifying, while Chocolate was small and soft. The two were nothing alike.

"Then, what was the order of events? Did you start having these dreams before or after you got this cat?"

Jenkins had never really considered the question, so he had to think carefully before answering.

"I think... it was after I adopted Chocolate that I gradually started dreaming of that cat."

The woman nodded and exchanged a look with her companions. Jenkins had only intended to use this to broach the topic of entering dreams, but now his own interest in the black cat was piqued.

Thinking about it, dreaming of that cat so often was indeed highly unusual. The fact that he had never once thought to unravel this mystery before was, in itself, very strange.

"May I be so bold as to ask, what sort of extraordinary abilities does your pet cat possess?"

"Are you saying that the reason I've been having the same dream for a year—a dream where I fight this cat but never get hurt—is because it's Chocolate's idea of a prank?"

Chocolate let out a soft meow, as if to protest its innocence.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what abilities it has. So far, it's demonstrated invisibility and incredible physical prowess, among other things, but none of that is important. As for entering dreams, I, for one, don't think it's capable."

"Then is it possible that your cat has an unknown, unusual bloodline?"

The woman asked again, but Jenkins still couldn't say for sure. After all, Chocolate was a stray; he couldn't trace its lineage. From its appearance, it was just an ordinary cat with no noble pedigree. And with the intervention of the animal intelligence enlightenment potion during its growth, it was hard to say where Chocolate's uniqueness truly came from.

Since the known information was inconclusive, the followers of the God of Dreams suggested putting Jenkins under simple hypnosis to search for clues within his dreams. Unusual dreams always left traces, and finding those traces was their specialty.

Jenkins didn't think he could be hypnotized, but since they wanted to try, he was willing to cooperate.

They brought out a lounge chair. Jenkins placed Chocolate on a nearby table and lay down, drinking a clear green potion that smelled like jasmine tea as instructed. Then, rather than being made to watch a swinging pocket watch, he was told to listen carefully to the soothing music playing from a gramophone.

"What do I need to do? Just lie here?"

"Relax your mind, and hold this."

The woman pressed a lit candle into Jenkins's hand. The candle itself was a surprising blue, and it gave off a spicy aroma as it burned.

"This is B-02-5-3839, the Dreamlight. It is the most important numbered item in our order's collection. It will allow you to enter a dream smoothly. From there, we can guide you to seek the truth of your dream."

"Will I be able to wake up after entering the dream?"

"Yes. With the aid of this potion and candle, all you need to do to wake up is blow out the candle."

Jenkins nodded and, following their instructions, lay down quietly, cupping the candle. After closing his eyes, he felt no drowsiness at all, but as the strange music flowed into his ears, a drowsy sensation finally began to creep in.

"Impressive. You really can't underestimate anyone."

He thought to himself. He didn't resist the sleepiness and soon drifted off into a dream.

Because dreams are linked to the dreamer's thoughts, they can sometimes manifest in unusual ways. Upon entering the dream, Jenkins immediately realized he was dreaming. He looked at the surrounding streetscape and confirmed he was standing not far from Pops Antique Shop.

"This seems to be the same entry point from the Mysterious Realm last time, where I experienced those three consecutive possibilities."

He thought, then patiently waited for the followers of the God of Dreams to guide him. But after a while, nothing happened. He tilted his head, thinking, and opened his Eye of Reality. He saw the ground covered in a faint, black spiritual aura.

The act of opening his Eye of Reality felt as if he had pierced through an invisible membrane, opening more of the dream world's details to him. It was like a gauze being lifted from his eyes, and the barriers blocking his senses rapidly dissolved.