Chapter 479

"I... I didn't want to be in this situation either, but it just happened to me. Now I don't even know which layer of the dream I'm in. Shen Gonglin, do you have a way to wake me up from the outside?"

Theresa could only swallow her anger after being mocked by Shen Gonglin. However, it was a good thing that Shen Gonglin was by her side. If she was dreaming, she could just be woken up by the outside world. For most dreaming situations, this was the simplest way.

"No, I've already tried pinching your cheeks or your butt, and nothing happened. Now let me try tickling your feet... By the way, Theresa, your feet don't smell, do they?"

Shen Gonglin's slightly troubled voice echoed in Theresa's mind, and the girl instantly froze. Even in this dream space, Theresa's delicate face turned bright red. Pinching her cheeks was tolerable, but what was with pinching her butt? And now he wanted to tickle her feet? He even asked if her feet smelled? How could they smell? The beautiful girl smelled wonderful all over. What on earth was this guy doing to her body?!

"It doesn't smell at all! But you're not allowed to take off my shoes. This isn't something that can be woken up so easily. You're not allowed to move around. I'll do everything myself!"

Theresa blushed and tried to stop Shen Gonglin's actions. At this moment, her determination to break through the dream was soaring. If she didn't wake up soon, who knew what Shen Gonglin would do to her body? Hearing Shen Gonglin's critical voice in her mind, Theresa couldn't hold back any longer. She turned to look at Otto, the embodiment of her subconscious. Now she could continue the topic from before.

"Let's continue with what we were saying. You want me to... use Vishnu's power to devour this entire illusion that shouldn't exist in St. Freya? And... even all the dreams above it?"

Theresa looked at Otto with determination. There was no time to lose, they should get started right away. The thought of what Shen Gonglin might be doing right now made Theresa feel uneasy all over. She had to wake up quickly to protect herself.

"Hmm? You seem to have suddenly become very motivated... Yes, do you think it's crazy? But if you ask yourself honestly, you'll find that... under these conditions, it is indeed possible."

Otto chuckled and spoke. Theresa wanted to retort, but in the end she remained silent. She roughly understood what was going to happen next and knew that nothing could be avoided; this was just one example.

Since it's a dream, I shouldn't hesitate at all.

Theresa's gaze hardened, and many of the powerful enemies she had seen before appeared around Otto. Devouring them would strengthen the Vishnu Gene within her, which should allow her to devour this dream that shouldn't exist!

Without further hesitation, the girl took out the cross from behind her and placed it in front of her. She was not afraid of her grandfather or any of the powerful enemies she had encountered before.

The outcome of the battle was obvious. Behind Theresa, the silhouette of a colossal beast loomed, and this was Vishnu, who could devour everything. Now it was ready.

"Well done, Theresa. It now has overwhelming power... Devouring dreams should be a piece of cake."

Otto stood up, looking at the behemoth behind Theresa with satisfaction. This level of completion should be fine. Theresa, however, looked at the man before her with a complex expression. Devouring dreams, and he was undoubtedly a part of that dream.

"And... what about you?"

"Hmm? Is there anything special about me?"

Otto chuckled softly. Theresa looked up at him. Her grandfather was exactly as she remembered him. If he were to devour this dream, he would cease to exist. Although Theresa's will was as firm as ever, she still hesitated when faced with such a situation.

"When any dream ends, the characters in the dream return to the dreamer himself. I am no exception."

"No, not in that sense. I mean... never mind. That's not important anymore."

Theresa shook her head. She hadn't felt that way back in Kolosten because she hadn't seen her grandfather one last time, and her parting with him was only recounted by Shen Gonglin. But now, Theresa felt like she could finally experience it for herself. The girl couldn't help but touch the sash next to her clothes. Shen Gonglin had sewn it by her grandfather, and she had worn it ever since he passed away.

"Heh. This is what it feels like to be separated from loved ones, Theresa. Although Otto Apocalypse is an incorrigible villain, there were times in your life when he did shelter you from the storm. At those times, he seemed so powerful and all-powerful... that you often wondered what would have happened if he had actually stood on your side."

Otto's figure gradually became transparent, and Theresa did not refute what he said. He was the individual born from all her understanding of Otto in her memory, and there was no need to lie to him. She had indeed fantasized about it, and she also knew that fantasies were just fantasies and could never come true.

What would happen if Grandpa stood with her and everyone else? She knew his abilities better than anyone. As long as he was there, all problems would be solved. But now that Theresa was in Otto's position, she realized how difficult it was for him.

"Theresa, that's how it is for everyone. When someone has elders, it's perfectly normal to hope that they will work together with them."

Otto wanted to say something more, but then Theresa finally spoke. The girl was as determined as ever, and her seemingly youthful face had already weathered many storms.

"But you... no, even that real grandfather, is ultimately just a mirror of me."

Hearing Theresa's words, Otto was very pleased; she had indeed grown up.

"Of course. I'm glad you have this awareness. And... to him, you are also a mirror. He reflects your potential evil, and you reflect his potential good. Family, friends, rivals, and even enemies can all help us understand ourselves more comprehensively."

Looking at Otto's increasingly serene figure before her, Theresa knew that farewell was inevitable. Being able to see her grandfather one last time under these circumstances was enough to make up for the regret in her heart.

Chapter 277 The Prepared Milk

As Otto's final words echoed in her ears, Theresa smiled slightly. This could be considered a way of making up for the regret of not being able to personally send her grandfather on his final journey. Saying goodbye to him here would make her feel much more at ease, knowing that she would probably never see him again.

"Ha, thanks, but the real grandfather would never say that."

Otto's figure had completely disappeared from sight, but his voice still echoed. This was the image of his grandfather that had been idealized in his subconscious. His real grandfather would never say such things.

"Of course. That person was ultimately just a complete fool."

After saying those words, everything vanished—the figure, the voice, everything disappeared. Theresa understood that he had never been real, merely a reflection in a mirror, idealized by her subconscious. Her grandfather remained that utterly wicked and selfish man.

That was the mad choice of some fool, a heavy and unchangeable leaden history. Now, that phantom has vanished with him. Theresa understands that from now on, Otto, in any form, will never appear in her dreams.

The girl sighed softly. Next, she would devour the dream and return to reality. Shen Gonglin was still waiting for her.

"Let me think... Ah, I've finally found it. Here it is, a great place to have a drink."

Meanwhile, Raven and Mei, who were traveling through the dream, also arrived at a new place. Unlike the golden beach in the old man's dream, the two were now in a technologically advanced metropolis at night. Looking at the slightly familiar buildings around them, Mei quickly remembered where she was: Shencheng Medicine, or rather, Sky City.

"To be precise, it is the Sky City some serpent followers are currently dreaming about."

I explained the current situation to Mei. Everyone's dreams are interconnected, or rather, they are merging. That's why they were able to jump directly from the old man's dream to this dream. He has never left the desert, so how could he dream of Sky City? The fact that they are in Sky City now is undoubtedly because some believers are having dreams related to Sky City.

You can't dream about things you've never seen before.

"The followers of the serpent... Jackal once boasted that they had infiltrated every industry in the world, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. It seems that this is indeed true?"

Mei remembered what Jackal had once said. Mei had thought it was just Jackal's threat, but now it seemed to be true. Had the World Serpent organization been planning this for a long time, planting such hidden pieces all over the world?

"I don't know the exact numbers. However, at least since the Lord's birth, the World Serpent has never had to worry about its informants. Some are happy to help us, but most are subservient to the so-called collective unconscious, especially when the power of the Stigmata and the weakness of the will are disproportionate to the individual."

Raven shrugged and brought up this slightly heavy topic, after which the mercenary lady took the initiative to change the subject, saying why bother with such things, that it wasn't something she was interested in anyway, and that she wasn't responsible for these kinds of things when she was in the organization.

"Alright, let's not talk about these topics that only Jackal and Gray Serpent would be interested in. Let's go to my old turf here and have a drink."

He invited Mei to have a drink with him again. After all, he would have to fulfill his duties as World Serpent executive after the drink. He had revealed so much information to Mei, and if he didn't do something productive, even Raven would look down on him. Even if it was just for show, he had to do something.

"... So you weren't joking after all."

Mei thought Raven's earlier excuse about finding a place to have a drink was just that—an excuse. She hadn't expected Raven to be serious. Was this the right time to have a drink?

"Huh? When have I ever given you that impression, please, Mei? When have I ever joked when I said I wanted something to drink?"

She rolled her eyes at Mei. When Raven made this gesture, it actually looked somewhat alluring. This guy clearly had a baby face but had such a figure and temperament. Mei was a little annoyed about it. She felt that Shen Gonglin would probably like this type. Maybe she could learn from him?

After Mei racked her brains, Raven took Mei to her small hideout in Sky City and gestured for the girl to sit down at the bar. Raven glanced at the wine cabinets that covered the back wall and thought, "Hmm, they're all my stock."

"Have a seat. What would you like to drink?"

Like a bar owner, Raven asked her only customer, Mei, who sat at the bar with her legs crossed and her chin resting on her hand.

"Milk, sterile and skimmed, is perfect for feeding up underage pub patrons, as you yourself said."

When Raven mentioned the words she had been told to leave back then, which were exactly the same as before, Raven couldn't help but chuckle. These were indeed the words Raven had said to her back then, and she hadn't expected Raven to still remember them. As expected of a girl, she was really good at holding grudges.

"... Heh. You really hold a grudge. Just wait... Here comes Rainbow Children's Milk, made with all-natural pigments, and specially fortified with DHA and plant-based active calcium to protect your growth."

After bustling around the liquor cabinet for a while, Raven placed a glass of colorful milk on the counter. Looking at the strangely colored liquid, Mei was slightly speechless. This was truly special milk.

"Try it. This is Xiao Kong's idea. It's quite troublesome to make. Luckily, we're in a dream now, which has saved me a lot of effort."

In reality, it would be impossible to make a cup of milk like this so quickly, but there are also very convenient things in dreams, like right now.

Without hesitation, Mei downed the rainbow milk in front of her in one gulp. She had already resigned herself to accepting this culinary disaster, but to her surprise, the milk tasted surprisingly smooth and quite pleasant.

"How is it? It tastes great, right? Feel free to praise me a lot. Don't hold back. When you see something beautiful, you should express your feelings and joy. Don't hesitate to praise me."

Raven said with a hint of smugness, and her slightly "arrogant" attitude gave Mei a sense of déjà vu, as if she were seeing Shen Gonglin Mei. Had Raven also caught Shen Gonglin?

Chapter 278 It's Time for a Fight

She wasn't going to do as she wished. She wanted to praise Mei, but she wouldn't. Instead, she savored the milk in her glass. Mei found the experience quite subtle. She wasn't concerned about the taste of the milk itself, but rather about being able to taste it in this situation.

"But... Raven, is the sense of taste in this dream really an interaction between us and the creations of the dream?"

Mei's first concern was this question: this was a dream, yet she could clearly taste the milk. Was this experience truly something a dream could provide?

"... You're still so perceptive. Let me put it this way, Mei... the taste you just sensed was most likely my taste. Or... to be more precise, it was the taste I remember."

Raven knew she would notice this problem. This wasn't the first time she'd thought this way. She shouldn't be the Herrscher of Thunder, but the Herrscher of Reason, because she knew this taste and could share it with Mei in the dream. That's the wonder of this dream.

"I see, using dreams to share experiences and feelings. It's quite a novel experience."

Having understood the peculiarity of dreams, Mei was somewhat moved. Even the sense of taste could be shared. Could this be...? Before her thoughts could wander, Mei stopped thinking. This was not something she should be considering now.

"Yes, you see, Anran Rumeng... at least it can bring people a little surprise, right?"

Raven was quite surprised when she first learned that this was possible. Putting everything else aside, this dream could still provide a somewhat pleasant experience. Of course, she didn't think that this small benefit would make Mei agree to the World Serpent's plan, as could be seen from the way the girl put down her cup.

"Raven. You wouldn't be turning into a lobbyist for the World Serpent now, would you?"

What, is Raven trying to convince me to agree with World Serpent's plan by saying these things now? After experiencing what happened to those thirteen people and knowing Elysia's wish, how could Mei possibly do such a thing? The Stigmata Plan is completely contrary to Elysia's wish.

"How could that be? You overestimate me. But... this last glass is almost finished, isn't it?"

Raven quickly denied it, wondering how she could possibly have such thoughts. She knew perfectly well how resolute this girl was, and if she wanted to be a lobbyist for World Serpent, how could she possibly reveal so much information to her? However, Mei had her own stance, and she had her own identity. She was currently a member of World Serpent's leadership, and a member should act like one.

Mei responded softly. The girl understood what Raven meant. After finishing this drink, a battle would probably follow. Honestly, even at a time like this, she was still fixated on her identity as World Serpent executive. If she really cared about that identity, how could she have "inadvertently" revealed so much information to her?

Her traitorous brilliance is almost Mei.

Like savoring a glass of wine, Raven raised a cup of ordinary coffee milk and slowly drank it down. The bar was unusually quiet, as if the world's bells had fallen silent at this moment, until the cup was irreversibly empty, and both of them were ready for battle.

Leaving the tavern, the two arrived at a place that both of them remembered well. Raven took off his hood and took a deep breath. The two of them acted like friends chatting, showing no signs of an impending battle. Although they were well aware of the seriousness of the impending battle, they still had to put on an act.

"Speaking of which, this should be considered the place where we first met."

Looking around, Raven sighed. It was here that she, as a mercenary, had her first encounter with the Valkyrie Raiden Mei. At that time, her target was that girl, but now... Raven never expected that the two of them would become friends.

"Probably. But at the time, neither of us was paying attention to the other."

Mei responded somewhat inappropriately, Raven rolled her eyes at Mei, thinking, "This girl is too vengeful."

"... I knew you'd say that, you unforgiving young lady. So, how have you been, Miss Mei, these past six months dancing with snakes? Have you been happy?"

As if it were an opening act before the battle, Raven took out her feather-shaped throwing knives and prepared them. In fact, she already knew the outcome of this battle before it even started. Even if it was just an "exhibition match," how could she possibly be a match for Miss Mei? She remembered that she had been beating Mei to a pulp half a year ago, but now... tsk tsk.

"It's hard to say. But at least I've made some friends. What about you?"

Slowly walking to the other side, Mei also asked Raven the same question. She was a friend that Raven acknowledged, and there was no problem with that.

"Me? Of course I'm happy. But since you've said so, then as a farewell gift for a friend, I should make sure you accept it properly... You should know what it is, right?"

Raven took a fighting stance. This was a battle with a predetermined outcome, but sometimes what matters is not the result but the process. He had tried his best to uphold his responsibilities as World Serpent executive, but it was normal for him to be "outmatched" by such an extraordinary enemy.

"No problem. The Conquering Lightning doesn't mind defeating its defeated opponent again."

Mei's words really didn't give Raven any face. The mercenary girl glared at Mei with sideways eyes. A defeated opponent? This girl really dares to say that.

"Is that so? This is a completely different illusion from the Elysian Realm... You'd better not be too careless, Mei, or rather, Herrscher of Thunder. You should accept this kindness with gratitude."

Mimicking Elysia's manner, Raven winked at Mei, signaling that she had finished speaking and it was time for a fight.

After saying this, both of them were prepared. Life is life, and work is work; sometimes, these pointless fights are necessary. Raven took out her throwing knife, while Mei drew her longsword from her waist, deactivating the power-saving mode that Shen Gonglin had mentioned. Mei displayed the full power of the Herrscher of Thunder, which was her way of showing respect to Raven.

However, Raven's lips twitched. Was she really giving herself too much credit? Before, she had a fighting chance against Raven's attitude, but now, did Raven intend to grind her to dust?

Chapter 279 Not a match of equal strength

"Wait, wait a minute... Seriously! Do you really want to kill me? Then I won't hold back!"

Before Raven could finish speaking, Mei had already launched an attack. After all, she had followed Raven here, and if she was discovered, she had to fight to make Raven give World Serpent an explanation. She was doing this for Raven's sake. However, the mercenary girl didn't seem to accept Mei's intentions. This woman really didn't show any mercy.

Okay, that way I don't need to hold back anymore.

Raven drew her Raven knife and began a sparring match with Mei, a battle whose outcome was predictable. Raven was not the type to fight head-on, let alone with Mei as her opponent, who was the Herrscher of Thunder, one of the most powerful people in the world. So it was normal that Raven couldn't beat her.

This can be considered an explanation to the World Serpent.

"Chidori, draw your sword!"

A horizontal slash forced Raven back, leaving a trail of red feathers on the ground. Mei seemed unharmed, but Raven already panting. Whether it was the power of the attack or her stamina, she was no match for Mei. This girl was being so ruthless to her now... She had to secretly tell Shen Gonglin and ask him to teach her a lesson.

After all, I've already given him such important information. Getting him to listen to me a little and teach Raiden Mei a lesson shouldn't be a problem, right? At worst, I'll just have to pay a small price... Wait, isn't this like killing eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of my own?

A world where only Shen Gonglin was unharmed has been achieved.

"Hoo... Raiden Mei, the path you've chosen has always been admirable. But perhaps you need to understand that from the moment you left World Serpent, they were all your nominal enemies."

Mei was given this advice. The mercenary had rested enough and it was time to move on to the second phase. Even if it was just to cope, she had to put in some effort, otherwise it wouldn't be fair. Although the outcome was already decided, Raven also had her own dignity. She couldn't be defeated by Mei in an instant; she had to hold out a little longer.

However, Raven never considered such a thought again after Mei unleashed her next move. The brute woman opposite her raised her sword to the sky, and a red dragon pierced through the clouds and appeared before Raven's eyes. Accompanied by Mei's angry roar, "Kalki..." Raven knew that her idea of holding out longer was destined to be nothing but wishful thinking.

Is this guy really planning to kill himself?

"I surrender! I surrender! I give up, okay?"