The interior of the temple was empty and dark.
Only the strange gemstones embedded in the walls and pillars provided illumination.
The air was thick, damp, and cold, filled with an even stronger sense of mental oppression. Countless dark purple waves, composed of pure madness, surged from the darkness deep within the temple. They swirled and flowed within the temple as if they possessed a life of their own, eventually converging on a high platform at the deepest part of the temple. And on the platform...
There was a blurry figure.
The other party sat on a "throne" made of a huge seashell and twisted coral.
The figure was vaguely recognizable as Lina's silhouette, but taller and more indistinct, as if shrouded in a constantly shifting veil of light and shadow from the deep sea.
She was covered in a magnificent and bizarre robe that seemed to be woven from pearls, scales and living tentacles, and wore a Diadem on her head that resembled a miniature green nebula.
"Um?"
Ian squinted as he observed.
Lina's face was hidden in the shadows and could not be seen clearly, but in the place of her eyes, there seemed to be two cold, eerie lights flickering, as if they could see through the essence of the soul.
She sat there quietly, like the "core" of this bizarre city, like the "hub" connecting to the dark depths from which countless streams of frantic data poured forth.
The power swirling within the temple partially disappeared into the darkness behind her, while the rest seemed to be absorbed and processed by her, then subtly influenced the operation of the entire dream world in a more "orderly" way.
Yes.
She is the spokesperson for "God" in this dream world.
It was a projection of Cthulhu's vast, chaotic, and insane information, "personified" and "embodied" here, and also a manifestation of Lina's own consciousness being corrupted, distorted, and "appointed" here. Ian stood in an inconspicuous corner of the temple, quietly watching " Lina " on the high platform. "Found her," he confirmed in his heart.
To transform Lina into the " Raven Prophet," we must shatter this illusion here, at the heart of the place where she perceives her "identity" and "power" as their source, awaken her fallen self, and then cover and replace everything here with the mark of the " Raven."
But should we take direct action?
"Inappropriate."
Ian glanced at the seemingly endless dark purple currents surging from the depths of the temple, and at the obscure fluctuations emanating from " Lina " on the high platform, which were closely connected to the entire dream world.
He knew.
A forced attack could trigger a violent backlash from the entire dream world, and might even alarm the deeper entities connected to the dream, causing Lina's soul structure to collapse instantly.
"We need a more... subtle method." A thoughtful glint flashed in Ian's cold eyes.
He needs to first "awaken" the part of Lina's self-awareness that has been trapped here, even if it's just for a moment, so that she realizes that this is a "dream" and that her "identity" is false. As long as a "cognitive gap" is created, he can take advantage of the situation and plant the seed of " Raven ".
How to wake it up?
Ian's gaze swept over the swirling data streams within the temple, over the shimmering gems embedded in the walls, and over the hazy figure of " Lina " on the high platform...
A plan quickly took shape in his mind.
He moved silently, as if blending into the shadows, and began to place some "little things" in the vast, blasphemous temple.
It's not a magic circle, but something closer to "information disturbance" and "cognitive suggestion." Well, the inspiration, of course, came from Ian's favorite movies.
Inception.
Isn't he doing something similar right now?
"Let me try." Ian secretly embedded those cold and orderly "fragments of information" belonging to the concept of " Raven " in his consciousness, like sowing seeds, into some tiny "gaps" and "nodes" in the crazy data flow within the temple. These "seeds" will not take effect immediately; they will lie dormant, like a virus, subtly "polluting" the underlying information structure of this dream world.
It injects a discordant note into it.
This refers to the cold order and temporal rhythm belonging to the " Raven." While doing this, Ian was also looking for an opportunity to approach the platform and get closer to the fallen " Lina."
He did not rush to attack the " Lina " consciousness core on the high platform.
Like a patient hunter, and a calm sociological observer, he continued to linger and observe in this solid yet frenzied deep dream.
The seed has been planted.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Ian "left" the temple and reintegrated into the eerie city.
This time, he was no longer just a passerby, but began to observe more closely how this "world under the influence of Cthulhu " "worked".
Is this considered incomplete pollution?
Ian discovered that although the inhabitants here were outwardly alienated, they seemed to retain a certain degree of social structure and emotions. They would fight for resources and gather outside the temple on so-called "festival days" to perform distorted rituals filled with slippery body dances and strange chants.
Although the content is about praying to the " Sleeping God " for "blessings," Ian felt that the fact that Lina possessed emotions was a reflection of her completely dormant soul.
"If that's the case, then it becomes simpler."
Ian moved silently among these "dream dwellers." Although the language here was obscure, Ian's powerful mental perception allowed him to roughly understand its meaning.
Well, how should I put it?
There was no meaningful conversation either.
Besides their daily survival, these people's conversations revolved around themes such as "evolution," "listening to Divine Decree," "awaiting the Stars Align," and "dreams of the deep sea."
They seem to view physical mutations as a "gift" and "evolution," with those who are more severely mutated often holding higher status and being seen as "closer to God."
There are also "scholars" in the city who study the naturally occurring blasphemous runes on the walls and interpret the nebula, which is the change of Cthulhu dream projection.
It is called "beautiful".
Take this opportunity to understand the will of the Supreme Lord.
They're all writing about mental illness; there are even "artists" here who create chilling yet bizarrely "beautiful" works using slime, phosphorescence, and living materials.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion under a distorted "logic." Madness was institutionalized here; blasphemy became common sense. Ian even witnessed a "dispute mediation." Two residents were arguing over the right to use a "spiritually rich" cave. Instead of seeking out a sheriff-like figure, these guys went together to the outskirts of the temple to speak with a "clergyman" whose grotesque features were particularly obvious, resembling a hybrid of an octopus and a human.
I think...
The clergyman closed his eyes and "listened" for a moment before making his ruling. The loser, though dissatisfied, dared not disobey, only muttering complaints about the "unfavorable position of the stars."
"A self-governing microcosm of society built entirely on the logic of Cthulhu Pollution," Ian thought to himself. "When constructing this dream, Lina's subconscious unconsciously referenced certain frameworks of human society, but completely replaced its core with Cthulhu's rules." "The part of her consciousness that has succumbed to this plays the role of the 'top designer' and 'messenger of divine will' of this distorted society, making her more deeply identify with this false identity and world." Ian continued to wait, while constantly sowing those cold " Raven message seeds." These seeds, like fine dust, quietly attached themselves to more places as the dream world unfolded: a brief erratic syllable in a resident's unconscious whisper; an imperceptible dimming of the light from a glowing gem on the wall; a trivial pause in a data stream within the temple...
Quantitative changes are quietly accumulating.
Finally, after observing for a sufficiently long time...
Having gained a deeper understanding of the "operating rules" of the entire dream world and the "way" by which " Lina's " core consciousness connects with this world, Ian felt the time was right.
He returned to the enormous temple. This time, he did not hide in a corner.
He stood inconspicuously on the outskirts of the temple, among the crowd performing some kind of daily prayer ritual, like an ordinary "resident" with some scales and webbed feet.
The surrounding "residents" prostrated themselves on the ground, chanting distorted hymns in a language filled with bubbly sounds, their eyes burning with fervor as they gazed at the hazy figure on the high platform. Dark purple data streams swirled above their heads, seemingly responding to their prayers, emanating a wave that shook the mind. " Lina " on the platform seemed to sense the believers' devotion; she slightly raised a hand covered in fine, pearly scales. With her movement, the data stream surging from the depths of the temple became more active, branching out into several thinner tributaries that, as if possessing a life of their own, meandered down, gently brushing past a few of the most prominently mutated worshippers in the front row.
The praying people, touched by the data stream, trembled violently, emitting whimpers that were a mixture of pain and ecstasy. Their alienated features seemed to become more pronounced and "splendid." The surrounding believers whispered envious murmurs.
At this moment when collective consciousness is highly concentrated, and the "rules" and "connections" of the dream world are most active and clear—
Ian moved.
He did not use any earth-shattering magic.
He simply stood in the crowd, slightly raising his head, his cold, calm eyes—eyes that stood out starkly against the fervent admiration of those around him—staring directly at the hazy " Lina " on the high platform.
Then, his lips moved slightly, without uttering a sound, but he uttered a "message" that contained the cold, orderly qualities of the " Raven " and directly targeted the soul's perception.
It was like the sharpest needle, precisely "projected" onto the core of the fallen consciousness on the high platform.
Look around you.
"All of this..."
"It was a dream."
Simple, straightforward, and without any frills.
But these words, coupled with the " Raven message seed" he had quietly sown for so long, now subtly "resonating" at the very bottom of the dream world, and his absolutely calm "presence" so different from the frenzied atmosphere of the entire world, were like a pebble thrown into a distorted lake. On the high platform, the hazy figure, like a representative of a deity, seemed... to tremble very slightly. The veil of light and shadow shrouding her face also showed a momentary disorder.
"Who is calling me?" For the first time, those "eyes," which seemed to be gathering a ghostly light, seemed to "focus," piercing through the dimness of the temple, crossing the crowd, and landing on the black-robed youth who stood inconspicuously, yet seemed to exist independently of the entire world.
A faint, pure confusion and bewilderment, belonging to Lina's true self, quietly emerged from the depths of her consciousness, which was filled with madness and divinity, like a tiny, unpolluted bubble rising from the bottom of the deep sea.
The opportunity to awaken has arrived.
" Lina Windwhisper."
Look around you.
"All of this..."
"It was a dream."
The words, cold, clear, and seemingly imbued with an undeniable force of order, pierced through the frenzied whispers and the buzzing of data streams that filled the temple, like a diamond thrown into viscous asphalt, precisely striking the deepest recesses of the consciousness of the hazy figure on the platform. "What dream?"
The veil of light and shadow shrouding " Lina's " face rippled and twisted violently, as if the calm surface of water had been broken. Her "eyes," which had been like a cold, eerie light, suddenly came to life.
All I saw was...
The Girl's body clenched suddenly, a fleeting, pure bewilderment and confusion—a quality unique to young girls—flashing deep within her. She... thought she heard her own name?
A name I haven't thought of for a very long time, almost forgotten.
"My name is Lina, yes, my name is Lina."
"But how long have I been here?"
Lina was whispering.
The distorted yet "harmonious" prayers all around, the damp, cold, and sticky feel of the air, the dark purple energy surging from the darkness and intimately connected to me.
In that instant, everything seemed veiled in an unreal mist.
"A dream...?" A faint, almost imperceptible thought struggled to emerge in a corner of her mind, a mind filled with divinity and madness. Ian caught this shift! Now!
Without hesitation, he focused his mind and activated the " Raven Message Seeds" he had quietly sown throughout the depths of the dream world. As if pressing an invisible switch, the blasphemous gems on the temple walls, which had been emitting a faint glow, suddenly dimmed, then began to flicker with extremely faint, yet cold and orderly, dark silver spots!
The chaotic energy swirling in the air experienced extremely brief "pauses" and "noises" at some crucial points in its flow, almost imperceptible to the native inhabitants of the dream world.
The noise carried the rhythm of time and the cawing of Raven!
Even on the prostrate believers below the platform, the edges of certain distorted features seemed to be swept by a fleeting, cold geometric light and shadow that did not conform to the aesthetic rules of this dream! These subtle changes, insignificant on their own, erupted simultaneously under the guidance of Ian's core awakening incantation, like countless fine needles piercing " Lina's " newly formed cognition!
"Yes, I also referenced the Matrix."
Ian knew it would be incredibly effective.
Because he referenced well-known classics.
They've never let us down.
No.
"No... no..." The figure on the platform spoke, no longer in that hollow and echoing Divine Decree tone, but with a dry and trembling hoarseness belonging to a young girl, "I... I am Lina... I am in... R'lyeh... Karg... Saruman..." The girl was almost waking up.
everything.
It seems to be going very smoothly.