Three Purple Traits (Third Update)

As Iver struggled to wake up, he heard a childish, painful scream coming from next door.

That was Daya's voice—

Iver immediately rolled over and started coughing as he was choked by the dust.

The bed he was lying on was covered with a thick layer of dust, which was stirred up and scattered as he moved.

This hotel has been abandoned for who knows how many years. The dilapidated, Haunted House- like rooms are the true Reality Layer.

As Iver moved, the Flame Butterfly that had been perched on his nose flew up on its own and landed on his shoulder.

But instead of rushing out the door immediately, Iver first reached for his waist—but couldn't find the gun.

Iver immediately rushed to the corner of the room, opened his backpack, and dumped out the haphazardly piled-up corpse clothes, pistol, and banknotes.

As he touched the gun, a long-forgotten light suddenly appeared before his eyes:

Demon Hunter +3

[Extraordinary Weapon (Light Purple)]

[Firearms: Revolver, 5-round capacity]

9mm Bullet (4/5)

[Special Feature: Significantly increases damage against demons, spirits, and evil spellcasters]

[Elven Style: Significantly lower failure rate, increased maintenance costs]

[Module - Vulnerable Focus: Accuracy gradually increases when no damage is taken within five seconds, reaching its maximum after fifteen seconds of no damage taken]

[Module - Elegant Aiming: Significantly increases accuracy]

[Mod - Rapid Draw: Significantly improves the accuracy of the first bullet]

This was the first time Iver had seen a weapon with such a pure module since he came to this world.

This mod even seems to have been deliberately farmed by players... and it's the kind of top-tier weapon that you could farm for months to get!

With this level of accuracy, you can basically hit stationary targets without even aiming after drawing your gun. Even if the opponent is extremely fast, as long as your hand can keep up, you can still hit them.

Just by holding this gun, Iver felt his will become more focused, and his hand holding the gun became more agile and swift.

But as soon as Iver pushed open the door, he was blown back by the turbulent air—

The door to Room 201 next door was lying face down in the corridor. A pinkish-purple storm howled and blew, and the surrounding walls gradually became transparent, like pieces of amethyst.

Iver tried to rush over—but as soon as the wind blew on him, Iver felt his body become numbed at a visible speed.

A golden flame butterfly emerged from the palm of his left hand... then it shattered suddenly, turning into a ball of golden flame.

The paralysis on Iver's body was immediately dispelled, and he was surrounded by golden flames as he crashed directly into Room 201!

Room 201 was completely different from Room 202; there was no dust in it, and it looked like it had just been cleaned.

Even in Room 201, the walls were cracked, revealing the reddish-brown bricks underneath—and under the constant blowing of the pinkish-purple storm, thick, dark red drops of blood were gradually seeping from them.

And the eye of that storm was Daya.

She was kneeling painfully on the bed—she had just been reading a storybook here, but the book had been blown away to the other side of the room.

Her body was covered in cracks. These cracks were no longer small fissures, but irregular fracture patterns thicker than her own fingers. Inside, a pink substance, resembling flesh and blood, or perhaps gelatinous material, writhed and churned, as if breathing out a storm. And purple liquid seeped from her entire body.

Her skin and flesh were being torn apart all over her body. The intense pain caused Isabel to scream as soon as she woke up, and she was now trembling weakly.

Tears streamed down her face from the pain—it was indistinguishable whether they were tears or purple liquid dripping from the cracks.

—That purple liquid is the Demon Blood.

As Iver rushed in, she couldn't help but whisper, "Help me... Daddy..."

But she quickly realized her mistake and changed her words, saying, "Kill me—"

--Bang!

Without hesitation, Iver fired a shot.

—But it didn't work.

Suddenly, the air in front of Daya saw cracks, like a windshield shattering while driving. She instinctively closed her eyes, but the bullet didn't hit her.

And Iver continued to pull the trigger—two shots, three shots.

Three shots were fired in quick succession, but the Sanctified Silver Bullet, specifically designed for demons, couldn't even touch Daya; they only shattered the world in front of her into even greater pieces.

Three shots were fired, and a piece the size of a head shattered from the world. Looking out the window through that gap, one could see the beautiful spring scenery of the First Layer of the dream, and Daya, who was terrified and had her eyes closed, but was completely unharmed.

If he hadn't been determined enough and had only gotten this far by chance, he might have hesitated at this point.

However, Iver simply opened his left hand again—two butterflies, one gold and one crimson, fluttered and flew toward Daya was kneeling on the bed.

All Isabel could do was endure the increasingly intense pain and try her best not to resist. Even so, the Dream Demon gradually awakening within her began to retaliate spontaneously—

Suddenly, "Agni" burst open all over its body, and a large amount of blood gushed out.

It was as if an invisible blade had pierced through his body; his clothes were undamaged, but his body was left with deep, bone-revealing wounds.

The golden butterfly flew slowly and had already arrived at that "shattered world".

It flew inside, then exploded—

A golden light suddenly shone—spots of light appeared in the air around Daya, as if clasped hands were covering a source of intense light. Yet, light still seeped out from between her fingers.

The next moment, the deep red butterfly also suddenly burst open.

A scorching storm of fire roared up, constantly sucking in everything around it.

Then, the fourth shot.

The gunshot rang out, and the bullet finally crossed the critical point.

Daya was hit in the forehead by a bullet, and the impact sent her flying backward.

And that was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Under the combined effect of the firestorm and the Purification Fire, Daya's illusory outer shell finally shattered.

To combat the flames, she continuously released even stronger demonic power from within her, causing the entire world around her to shake violently.

It's like when an ice-covered lake is pierced by an ice pick, the transparent ice suddenly turns white.

The "transparent" world around us gradually began to burst open with clusters of frost flowers.

But Iver remained fearless, pushing forward despite the shattered space.

Having regained some clarity, Isabel tried to shake her head, attempting to get Iver to leave. But her voice was no longer coming through—it was as if there was a bad signal, her voice coming from near and far, loud and soft.

The shattered space didn't tear Iver's clothes apart, but it did sever his flesh. Because it wasn't a shattering of space, but rather a blurring of dreams and the real world.

"I want to share a secret with you, Isabel."

Iver said softly, "I used this power to achieve victory when we first met... but I don't really know if this method will work..."

He was covered in blood, and like a blood-soaked figure, he struggled through the barrier and walked in.

Like walking naked through a thorny thicket, the injuries were so severe that they were unbearable to look at.

For some reason, the phantom within Isabel became increasingly quiet.

"But I believe that's the essence of Path of Dedication. Right now, I can try it, so I should try it."

He spoke softly, extending his bleeding right hand. His index finger gently touched the crack in Isabel's body.

As the blood seeped in, Isabel felt as if the world had become quiet.

"—Selflessness, sacrifice, dedication."

As Iver spoke in a low voice, he put his wrist into Daya's mouth.

"Eat in silence, my lamb."

"I am the Lord's Supper, this is grace."

With the words spoken, the sacred ritual was established.

Daya completely lost control of her body and frantically bit down on Iver's wrist. The countless tiny wounds on his wrist acted like suction cups, easily drawing out warm flesh and blood.

As she sucked up mouthfuls of blood, the purple markings on her body gradually faded.

Meanwhile, the eerie light gradually shifted into Iver's pupils.

Soon, after Daya fell into a deep sleep.

As she falls into a deep sleep, the world around her tries to change once again—

"Don't do this, Dream Demon."

However, at that moment, Iver raised his hand and stopped it.

The Dream Demon was very obedient, and the change stopped instantly.

At this moment, the Dream Demon had already flowed mostly into Iver's body through flesh and blood. Iver soothed it with his own flesh and blood.

"Six people are enough..."

Iver said softly, "It seems I don't need to go to the Negative First Layer myself."

"... But Topaz is a good guy. Let's bring him back too, shall we?"

His voice was soft as he looked at the other person beside him.

Even if we can't promote him, at least we shouldn't let him fail and be punished.

This ritual became so complicated because of Iver... Of the four people from the Theocracy, only Pure White understood what had happened. Topaz was completely innocent; this was an undeserved disaster.

Without Iver, he might have easily advanced to the next level given his strength. But now, not only has he failed to advance, but his soul might even be damaged as a result...

His future was bright, and he even had a girl he liked. Iver couldn't ruin someone's future for no reason; he had to take responsibility.

After gaining the vision of the Dream Demon, Iver was finally able to see what the Earthbound Spirit looked like.

"My mission is to kill those you possess. But you've never possessed anyone, Alice. Even though the Dream Demon found you a body—a beloved older sister—you never used it because you didn't want to hurt anyone..."

"I think you're a good kid. You just wanted your newest friend to stay alive, so you did everything you could to create a warm dream to protect her..."

Looking at the little girl's spirit with its bluish-purple face, Iver softly promised, "I will find you in reality and let you rest in peace. I will find you within a month... But for now, please return Topaz first. Or you can put him in a higher level of the dream."

"In its place..."

Iver opened his arms and said calmly, "If you have any grievances, pain, or hunger, then eat me first. I will exchange you for him."

Alice stared at Iver for a long time.

Her body suddenly became blurry and slowly floated over.

She entered Iver's body, and Iver felt as if some cold, sinister power filled his limbs and bones. Even the flames summoned by the Dedication Path could not dispel it.

"... It's a deal."

A tender, ethereal voice rang out. "I will wait for you..."

Upon hearing this, Iver paused for a moment.

Why does this sound... not quite like a simulated soul created by the Pillar God?

It's just like the real-life Alice Earthbound Spirit...

"... Are you trying to help me complete my mission?"

Iver asked in return.

But the Earthbound Spirit Alice never responded again.

Suddenly, a strong suction force came from within Iver's body—he felt his life force and mana draining away rapidly, as if flowing into the void.

Is this a test? Or a price to pay? Or a helping hand? Or simply a case of craving something sweet? — Iver suddenly felt a little curious about Alice.

He wasn't lying, because he really did intend to go find Alice.

Earthbound Spirit are not Greater Phantom Demon and cannot become the great beasts of Iver.

But she could also be sealed into a card, just like the Shadow Fiend...

If she's still here, then when Iver goes to Mubay County, he'll find her in this dilapidated inn...

"Remember not to drag me into the Negative First Layer, okay, Alice..."

As sleepiness crept in, Iver murmured softly, "Even if I die, let me die in reality..."

"Take it, my flesh and blood. My life, everything I have... It's all yours..."

"Eat well... Eat... Be happy..."

Iver murmured softly, gradually leaning forward weakly, and fell unconscious by the bedside.

After an unknown amount of time, Iver woke up again.

He saw a pure white light appear before him.

A series of constantly changing images flashed before my eyes: a reporter gracefully playing the violin in the face of a storm, with everyone behind him bound and restrained;

Daya, her hands gripping the open window, her body drenched in the downpour, still stared unblinkingly at the starry sky; Daya, once again, plunged the gun deep into her throat and pulled the trigger with all her might; Iver pointed the gun at his own neck, tilting his head slightly, revealing a fearless and composed smile; the shot fell, piercing the shattered space, slamming Daya's head backward...

Then, the screen abruptly stopped and went black.

All footage of Iver using the Shepherding Method has been erased.

But from within this black screen, the sounds of sucking and swallowing, accompanied by crying, could be heard.

Finally, only a little girl's voice softly rang out, echoing:

"... It's a deal. I'll wait for you."

As soon as she finished speaking, the darkness before Iver's eyes was replaced by light.

A series of light screens rapidly descended before his eyes, displaying Iver's settlement points: [Necessary Task completed]

[The Mind is the Sanctuary: Instead of hiding in the room, actively engage with others and introduce yourself in each layer of the dream (Points: 300)]

[Rural Teacher: Continuing to play the role of teacher Agni Silva, trying not to be exposed (incomplete)]

[Sharp Eyes Like an Eagle: Seeing Through Everyone's True Identity (Incomplete)]

[My Unforgotten Nature: Guiding Six People Through the Ritual (Points: 1000)]

[Catch the Dream Demon: Kill Merlin at least once (Points: 1000)]

[Dream Demon Slayer: Kill "Merlin" in the Reality Layer (Incomplete)]

[Trial Restraint: Try to avoid wrongly killing anyone other than "Merlin" (Incomplete)]

[Free Will: Escape Daya's Mind Control (Points: 500)]

[Morality and Duty: Execute the out-of-control Daya before the Phantom Demon fully hatches (Incomplete)]

[The extra person: Kill the person possessed by the Earthbound Spirit "Alice" (Points: 1000)]

[The Source of Nightmares: Find the Qidian of the Dream (Points: Maximum 2000)]

[Total points: 5900, ranked first]

The next moment, Wei Zhe, whom Iver had never seen before, appeared from a distance.

It was a one-eyed man, about fifty years old, riding an eight-legged horse.

He was tall, with a long white beard, and his single, piercing eye seemed to see through all mysteries.

He was draped in a deep blue cloak like the starry sky, and in his right hand he held a weapon that shone like a spear or a staff.

He looked at Iver and let out a satisfied laugh. Then he hurled the spear in his hand—

It pierced through Iver's body in an instant, and everything before his eyes shattered like a dream.

Accompanied by three buzzing sounds, three beams of purple light shone forth simultaneously—

[Flesh Dedication (Purple): You are a master of self-sacrifice. And now you will be even more proficient.]

[Dream Walker (Purple): You walk through dreams, like wading alone across a river. You are no longer seduced by illusions and dreams.]

[Body of Light (Purple): Your mind is so clear. This allows every corner of your body to shine brightly.]

Iver paused for a moment.

... Didn't old man Wei Zhe give Container Entry?

Today's update is 10,000 words! (Sound)

StrongCat—(Cat Punch) has received feedback that the reader experience isn't very friendly (pondering). So, at least the next three stories won't be about strategy! Let's fight! (Cat Punch)