4.
-What?
There was nothing in front of my eyes except endless whiteness.
The Dream Demon in my head, no, in my mind, also made a sound of confusion. It seemed even the Dream Demon had noticed something strange.
-What are you doing… Are you trying to break into [Our World]? That's ridiculous. You don't have a 'terminal' to connect you to us. How the hell….
"Scared?"
I snickered. I felt the Dream Demon freeze. I didn't have a mouth with which to smile, but my emotions and intentions of provoking the other were still transmitted clearly.
-Insolent…!
"It seems that when you don't have confidence, your tongue becomes longer. Ah. Since you were a deer, I guess your tongue was long from the start." (TL: having a long tongue=talking a lot)
-For a species living in that filthy world, you are really arrogant. We have countless dreams in our world. I wonder if you'd even be able to maintain your sanity after taking a single step.
"So you're saying I can just go in?"
-You can go wherever you want!
Okay.
I smiled inwardly.
"I'll take that as your agreement, Guest."
My vision, which had been completely white before, suddenly changed.
My mind had been overlaid onto the Dream Demon's mind.
[Congratulatiions!]
[You are the first foreigner to enter the World of Dreams.]
[You are the first to gain this achievement.]
[You have been awarded 3000 race points!]
And the world before my eyes was quite strange.
The sky was pink.
It was a color that gave me a sweet taste in my mouth just from looking at it. It was as if some transcendent being had carefully modeled the sky after the painting of an adventurous child
"...! Hup!"
The pink invaded not just the sky but also my consciousness. My consciousness? No. I couldn't distinguish the outside of my consciousness from the inside. I had become my consciousness itself.
"Uh…."
My memories quickly began to fade.
The things that made me 'me'. The steps that Kim Gong-ja had walked so far were slowly being erased. Like footsteps on a sandy beach being washed away by the tide. The pink waves were quickly eroding my memories
"——."
I could hear the sound of children's laughter from somewhere.
An auditory hallucination.
And a visual hallucination.
Before I knew it, the sky turned from pink to yellow. The color of my mind also became yellow as well.
The sky turned blue. And my consciousness also became blue.
"Mm."
My very existence was transparent like water in a glass cup. And whenever a bit of color was added to the world, my water would turn red, yellow, blue.
It was a world where fleeting moments carried on endlessly.
This was the place where the Dream Demons lived.
"This… is a bit dangerous."
My past was gone. My memories fading.
And as my past disappeared, the breadth of my movement narrowed, and my shadow faded as quickly as my fading memory.
My consciousness felt blurred as though I'd been drugged.
Now, all I could perceive was the present.
It felt like I would lose my sense of self if I were to let down my guard for even a moment.
'If I were alone, I would have been helpless.'
But I wasn't the only one who contributed to my sense of self.
Feeling a bit impatient, I hurriedly called out.
"—Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation."
Suddenly, my shadow expanded.
[Your skill is being activated.]
My shadow was black. It wasn't translucent, it was just black. Pitch black, which did not allow any other color to appear within its influence, quickly spread out in all directions.
Swoosh-
The black swallowed the pink sky. It even devoured the yellow and the blue.
My shadow became like tens of thousands of fingers that scratched the sky. And this sky, which had been scratched by the black claws, shed colorful blood
"No. What the fuck?" (TL: Shibal?)
From the place where the pink paint melted and dripped down, my ghosts and my memories were gradually retrieved bit by bit, and the characteristics that made up my existence were revealed one after the other.
"What kind of bullshit mess is this?"
Flame Emperor.
A handsome man with a ponytail looked around moodily.
"...."
Hungry Ghost.
A girl, whose face was covered by a mask made of animal bones, looked up at the sky. There was a cool glint in her eyes. The Hungry Ghost was looking at this world like the corpse of a beast.
"No, I'll remake the tea immediately. I'm sorry, Duke! I will bring scented tea that will make you feel like you've been reborn immediately… Huh? Uh. What the fuck is going on? What is this?"
The Lady of Golden Silk.
A girl in a maid outfit raised her head sharply. She had been kneeling with her palms and forehead on the ground. For reference, the Lady of Golden Silk, Sylvia Evanail, was now working as a maid in our Duke's family.
'Raviel….'
It seemed that she had been summoned in the midst of being taken advantage of by our Duke.
I'm happy you seem to be enjoying your life, my love.
"Where is this?"
"Look over there. The colors in the sky are very strange."
"This is too amazing to even be called Shangri-la. Goodness me, the young master really knows how to find interesting places!"
"Huh…."
The Four Demon Lords.
Elite members of the Demonic Cult dressed in fluttering black cloaks were summoned. The Four Demon Lords marveled at the scenery of a different world. By the time their cloaks stopped rippling, the one thousand strong army of the Demonic Cult was also summoned.
"Hoo."
Finally, I let out a sigh.
I was finally able to take a breath.
"Everyone, long time no see."
The ghosts looked back at me, and I also looked at them. As our gazes crossed, distant memories returned. My memory had become clearer. The outline of my existence was more defined.
To the Flame Emperor, I was an Enemy.
To the Hungry Ghost, I was a Ruler.
To the Lady of Golden Silk, I was the Man of her Love Rival.
To the Cultists, I was the Young Cult Master.
My revenge, my duty, my love, and my responsibility. Everything was contained within the eyes of the ghosts. Just as they had become reincarnated ghosts because of me, I had also become the current Kim Gong-ja because of them.
As long as they were here, I would never disappear.
"It's nice to see you all. Except for the fucking chimpanzee over there."
"Huh? Are you talking about me?"
Yoo Soo-ha frowned.
"You bastard, you called me away when I was going to work, shouldn't you speak more nicely?"
He was wearing a brown apron. The apron had [The Planetarium Cafe] written on it. Together with Kim Yul, he was making significant contributions to attracting customers to the cafe run by The Librarian, where he worked part time.
Yoo Soo-ha and Kim Yul both wore ponytails.
One of them was an asshole who cursed with every sentence. The other was a silent cool guy. Their hair colors were also black and white, so they were called the twins. The regulars all thought it was worth drinking a cup of coffee every day if they could stare at them until they became addicted.
"Am I some kind of barber who comes to give you service whenever you call me? Ha, this bastard is starting to get bad habits. It's unfair that I couldn't even get to E rank while I was alive, but now I even have to suffer after death…."
"Go dance over there."
"Fuck!"
On the other hand, while Yoo Soo-ha showed off his hip-hop skills, I explained the situation to the other ghosts.
"Heh. A race that lives by parasitizing dreams. How interesting."
After hearing my explanation, the young lady stroked her chin thoughtfully. I couldn't help but wonder where the young lady, who was praised as the 'The Flower of Imperial Society' had disappeared to. But even though she was wearing a maid outfit, her face seemed to be shining.
"This place is a dream in a dream… It is a dream where the succubuses live their dreams over and over again. It's similar to being eroded by a Constellation. Isn't it romantic? I'm sure you find it romantic, butler."
"I'm the Duchess' butler, not yours."
"Hey, there's no need to sweat the small stuff, butler. If you do that, you'll get hair loss. From my perspective, it seems like the butler might soon start to lose hair! I can feel it! Ah, I can just imagine. I can really imagine it! The sight of Duke Ivansia sighing while stroking the top of the butler's bald head…."
"Right. You go dance over there too."
"Fuck!!"
While the Lady of Golden Silk performed a waltz beside Yoo Soo-ha, I continued to discuss the operation with the normal people.
"As the blonde maid pointed out, the characteristics of the Dream Demons are similar to those of Constellations."
The Hungry Ghost spoke.
"If we had to classify them, they wouldn't be combat-type Constellations, but instead trait-type Constellations. The kind that project their thoughts into reality and create a type of distortion… They are not beings we can use force to defeat."
"That means these kids can decide the rules on their own."
"That is correct, My Lord."
Clatter.
The Hungry Ghost tapped her mask.
"In truth, dreams are the reproduction of experiences and the realization of desires. The act of dwelling on the past or grasping the future. Among these, I believe the latter would be more important for My Lord. If My Lord is able to fulfill those desires in a more satisfying manner than the Dream Demons, then you will naturally be able to repel this world....."
The Hungry Ghost closed her mouth.
Then, a slightly bewildered look appeared in the eyes of the Hungry Ghost, who usually remained indifferent all year round.
It wasn't just the Hungry Ghost that was confused.
-Ahahaha! Tell me who I am!
Paak.
From the other side, a young lady riding a majestic chariot appeared. It wasn't horses, but people that pulled the chariot. Naked people. The young lady swung her whip excitedly.
-Now! Hurry!
-Y-, you are the brightest moon in the Empire, Your Majesty Empress Sylvia Evanail, whom everyone looks up to!
-Aha, that's so nice to listen to! But your voice isn't good at all. Try saying it in a more emotional voice. Praise me in a voice that's as soft as a wet mop!
-Ahh, benevolent and beautiful Empress...!
-A little more!
It was the Lady of Golden Silk.
Or, to be precise, it was a dream being with the appearance of the Lady of Golden Silk.
"...."
"...."
Um.
In unison, we turn our heads to look at the side.
There, the Lady of Golden Silk was still showing off her waltz skills.
"Th-, That's not me! That's a fake illusion! It's a fabrication intended to instigate the ignorant!"
"No…. This is the world of dreams. In other words, [that] is your dream…."
"That's not very nice, butler! I will file a complaint to the Imperial Court!"
"Half of the Nobles in the court support our Duke Ivansia. You know that, right…?"
"Dammit! So that's why she's so powerful!"
The Lady of Golden Silk somehow managed to pull off a triple axle in her maid uniform.
Beside her, the Dream Lady of Golden Silk… so, the dream fragments that had been embodied by a Dream Demon, smiled as she whipped people.
As expected of the World of Dreams.
It was confusing as hell.
"Ah."
The Hungry Ghost finally regained her senses and spoke slowly.
"Umm…. This. It seems that our dreams are also beginning to be reflected."
"That seems to be the case."
"This is a different world, My Lord. The longer you stay here, the more distorted your knowledge and common sense will become. We need to find the core of this world as soon as possible, before we lose our minds… That way, the damage will hopefully be kept to a minimum."
The Hungry Ghost was probably trying to say 'Before I lose my mind', but I fully agreed with her.
"Where is the core? Do you have any ideas?"
"Specific locations seem to have little meaning in this place. Directions don't matter, it is the order and sequence that matter."
"Hmm."
"To paraphrase one of the common games in My Lord's world, it is linear progression, not sandbox type. If you endure the dreams that appear one after the other, eventually… you should be able to reach the Dream Demon's [First Dream]… at least… I think so...."
There was a reason why the Hungry Ghost's words stuttered at the end.
-Sir Yoo Soo-ha. The signature cocktail you ordered is here.
-Mm. It's not that good, is it? I could probably order this at a normal bar.
-I'm sorry. I deserve to die 100 times for defiling the great Sir Yoo Soo-ha's noble tastebuds.
-No, well. That's not necessary.
[getid]
-As expected of Sir Yoo Soo-ha… the riper a rice stalk becomes, the lower it bows its head*, but no stalk of rice can compare to Sir Yoo Soo-ha. (*: Basically the wiser a person is, the more humble they are)
-Hey. Hey. That's an exaggeration.
-I'm sorry. I'll stop. But I was only telling the truth….
-Well. Since you're so honest, it can't be helped.
The figure of Yoo Soo-ha, which had been embodied in the dream world, was walking in a sweatshirt and sweatpants.
And behind Yoo Soo-ha was an endless line of gentlemen dressed in fancy suits.
-Sir Yoo Soo-ha. This is the new watch our brand is planning to release. It would truly be a great honor on us ignorant people if Sir Yoo Soo-ha were to put this piece of garbage on your noble wrist.
-Huh? It's nothing special. Well, I'll use it for you. But I'll only use it for two days before throwing it away.
-I will remember those two days for the next 1,000 years.
-Sir Yoo Soo-ha. We've gathered all the famous chefs in the Tower and prepared a full course meal for you. If Sir Yoo Soo-ha's mouth were to enjoy any of these dishes even a little bit…
-Ah, you're so noisy. Just bring it here.
-He told me I'm noisy… I'm touched.
In the distance, the sky shone pink.
We all quietly turned to look at the 'real' Yoo Soo-ha.
Yoo Soo-ha swallowed slightly before finally seeming to find his tongue.
"What are you looking at? Fuck. Are you guys any better than me?"
"...My Lord."
The Hungry Ghost spoke up.
The eyes behind her mask became serious.
I looked into those eyes that said she didn't want to be treated like the other ghosts.
"I beg you, if you need to take someone under your command, please filter them multiple times before finally accepting them."
For some reason, I felt sorry for her.