Arc 41The Dream’s Hidden Gods

Lumian and his allies uncovered the forces shaping Dream City while Franca confronted memories of her lost life and Emperor Roselle in the Mirror departed. As Zhou Shasha’s arrival drew near, Lumian assembled the group for an operation against the Celestial Worthy.

  • Lumian rescued Franca from Mushu Hospital’s underground area, where she had found herself cocooned in the gray-white fog, and the group began investigating the dream’s hidden influence.
  • Franca and Lumian connected Peng Deng, Grisha, and other dream figures to the Celestial Worthy and the five pathways associated with omniscience and omnipotence, while Franca decided to remain in the dream.
  • Lumian found Li Keji transformed into a rebirthing mushroom, encountered Madame Pualis with the infant Ombella, and escaped the collapsing Otherworld by invoking Mr. Door’s name.
  • Madam Magician theorized that the Great Mother had used the Divine Child’s birth and death to return Ombella, potentially making Lumian a medium for her arrival in reality.
  • Jenna and Ludwig recovered a dried mushroom from Mushu Hospital, and Ludwig developed healing spores after eating it.
  • Bernadette followed Emperor Roselle in the Mirror out of Dream City, where he warned her of possible merging and an early apocalypse and left Lumian a Blasphemy Card depicting him as the Primordial Witch.
  • Lumian warned Franca, Jenna, Anthony, and Ludwig that Dream City blended Mr. Fool’s and the Celestial Worthy’s subconscious and that speaking certain facts could awaken the Celestial Worthy.
  • After learning Zhou Shasha would arrive nearly two hours early, Lumian assigned the group their tasks and left with Jenna to begin the operation.
Chapters 1001–1025 Vol. 11 Read

Ch. 1001Choices

Rosanne asked Zhou Mingrui to save Luo Fu from beneath Mushu Hospital, leading him to suspect that he had a special role in the dream. On the second basement level, Lumian lit the Corpse Oil Candle beside the Abyss, while Franca entered a strange fog and found a cocoon containing her pre-transmigration self.

  • Jenna hid in the shadows and sent Rosanne to ask Zhou Mingrui for help because it was night.
  • Rosanne told Zhou Mingrui that Luo Fu was trapped beneath the hospital and said he only needed to stand on the second basement level to save her; Zhou Mingrui wondered whether he had a special power.
  • Lumian sent Lü Yong'an back to the maternity ward, then lit the Corpse Oil Candle beside the Abyss with his Flames of Destruction and declared that he had come to destroy the place.
  • Franca passed into grayish-white fog, found a Light Gate with people suspended in cocoons, and recognized herself inside one as the man she had been before transmigration.

Ch. 1002The answer to the questions

Franca discovered that the planet in the dream might be Earth and broke down in despair, while the women watching over her decided not to soothe her and opened a passage into the dream. In the dream, Lumian reached an ancient well, met a terrifying gaze from its depths, and awoke as a vortex appeared before him.

  • Franca saw the planet and recognized its continents, realizing that the dream world might be Earth.
  • Madam Judgement noticed Franca crying, and Madam Justice said her despair should be allowed to help her digest the potion.
  • Madam Magician opened a door toward the Dream City so Madam Justice could convey a message to Franca.
  • Lumian entered a strange tower and found an ancient well filled with a blood-red substance.
  • A terrifying will looked at Lumian from the well, forcing him out of the ritual as a vortex formed in the abyss before him.

Ch. 1003"Incantation"

Lumian used a ritual and a lightning-struck opening in the fog to reach Franca, then escaped with her through the Spirit World. Their arrival at Mushu Hospital coincided with Zhou Mingrui and Rosanne reaching basement level two, where the danger seemed to have vanished.

  • Lumian plunged through a ritual-created whirlpool toward Franca while mirrors shattered throughout Mushu Hospital.
  • Zhou Mingrui agreed to go to basement level two with Rosanne, while Jenna was forcibly expelled from the dream.
  • Madam Justice regained contact with Franca and instructed her to shout “Leodero” in Ancient Hermetic.
  • A tree-shaped bolt of lightning struck Mushu Hospital, opening a hole in the fog; Lumian entered and grabbed Franca.
  • Lumian carried Franca through the Spirit World as darkness pursued them, then emerged in the shadows of the hospital’s Emergency Center.
  • Zhou Mingrui and Rosanne arrived at basement level two and found the corridor normal, leaving Rosanne bewildered.

Ch. 1004A solution

Lumian and Franca investigated the strange events at Mushu Hospital and suspected someone had coordinated them to force Franca to accept the Mother’s help. While the Major Arcana discussed Franca’s advancement and a way to keep her from losing control, Lumian spotted Grisha in a video of the hospital incident.

  • Rosanne told Zhou Mingrui that Mushu Hospital’s underground area seemed to have returned to normal, and she went to look for Luo Fu again.
  • Lumian found Jenna in the Emergency Center, brought her home, then returned with Franca to Mushu Hospital and questioned the timing of the events.
  • Franca recounted how she and Jenna had entered the hospital’s underground area in their sleep and encountered Rosanne’s psychological shadows before the corridor collapsed.
  • Lumian suspected a hidden power had influenced Rosanne and arranged events to make Franca accept the Mother’s help, while he wondered whether Lü Yong’an was an outside consciousness.
  • Lü Yong’an reported to someone in the Dean’s Office that Franca had refused the Mother’s help, while Madam Justice explained that Franca’s potion could be digested and her advancement could be reversed in reality if necessary.
  • Lumian searched videos of the hospital incident and recognized Grisha, Peng Deng’s roommate, at the edge of the Emergency Center.

Ch. 1005Checking for Hidden Threats

Lumian and his companions rescued Franca and Rosanne from the night’s events, then searched Rosanne’s apartment for hidden threats. They discovered that the Colorful-Feathered Parrot had been controlled by an unknown enemy, while Franca quietly took in the peaceful city night.

  • Lumian found that Grisha had appeared at the Emergency Center and sent Rosanne a message through the restored Mirror World.
  • Rosanne led Zhou Mingrui out of Mushu Hospital’s underground area, and Lumian reunited with them at Dechuang Garden.
  • Lumian and Franca searched Rosanne’s apartment, where magic mirror divination revealed the Colorful-Feathered Parrot as a threat.
  • The Colorful-Feathered Parrot tried to flee, then disintegrated before he could explain whom he served; Lumian concluded someone had controlled him.
  • Lumian photographed the apartment and asked Anderson Hood to check the images, while Anderson explained ways painted things could be controlled.
  • Franca gazed at the late-night city and said that a night like this was beautiful.

Ch. 1006Long illness makes a good doctor

Franca told Lumian how she advanced to Witch of Despair and discovered that her supposed transmigration had carried her across time, leaving her unable to return to her homeland. Lumian explained how he rescued her with the Corpse Oil Candle, and the chapter ended with Franca reflecting on how much she missed the world she had lost.

  • Franca recounted her escape from Mushu Hospital, her advancement, and her fall through the gray-white fog, where she saw evidence that her past self had been inside a transparent cocoon.
  • Lumian realized Franca’s homeland was likely the Western Continent thousands or tens of thousands of years in the future, and Aurora’s Soul Fragments shared his grief over what could never be recovered.
  • Lumian explained that Lü Yong'an had advised him to pray to the Mother to enter the illusory abyss, but he instead used the Corpse Oil Candle to break through and rescue Franca.
  • Franca recognized the lightning that struck the gray fog as an incantation Madam Justice had transmitted, while Lumian described the fusion of the mutated Blood Emperor aura with the Underworld Daoist’s seal and an unexplained sensation.
  • Franca agreed to resign from her company and remain in the dream until she had digested the Despair potion, then gazed out at the night and said she might wish to sleep in the beautiful dream forever.

Ch. 1007Important Information

Franca grieved for the family and life she had left behind, and Lumian stayed beside her until she fell asleep. After they turned to the mystery of Zhou Mingrui’s dream and Mr. Fool’s identities, Franca noticed that none of the dream’s important figures came from Zhou Mingrui’s life before transmigration.

  • Franca recalled her family, friends, and plans for the life she had lost, then fell asleep against Lumian while he comforted her in silence.
  • After waking, Franca asked about Jenna and Rosanne, and Lumian said he had been monitoring Unit 2303 through mirrors.
  • Franca and Lumian discussed whether the night’s events had been arranged to make them investigate Mushu Hospital’s underground area and use the Corpse Oil Candle.
  • Franca concluded that Mr. Fool was a transmigrator like her and Emperor Roselle, and she and Lumian speculated about how Zhou Mingrui related to Klein Moretti and the other identities.
  • Franca examined the whiteboard and realized that none of the important dream manifestations, apart from Peng Deng and Zhang Yujia, had any connection to Zhou Mingrui’s life before transmigration.

Ch. 1008Daybreak

Lumian and Franca investigated why Zhou Mingrui’s real pre-transmigration connections were missing from Dream City and concluded that Peng Deng might be key to weakening the Celestial Worthy and awakening Mr. Fool. As dawn broke, Franca returned to Rosanne and Jenna and announced she was resigning to avoid being expelled from the dream.

  • Franca and Lumian reasoned that the Celestial Worthy may have created some of Zhou Mingrui’s dream connections while lacking knowledge of his life before transmigration, and they focused their suspicions on Peng Deng and his roommate, Grisha.
  • Franca and Lumian concluded that Zhou Shasha’s arrival in Yangdu on Wednesday could carry dangerous symbolic significance, so they needed to make progress with Peng Deng and An Xiaotian before then.
  • Franca planned to return to reality, ask the Major Arcana for information about the Ancient Sun God and the Aurora Order, and have Madam Magician examine her; Lumian planned to let Anthony probe Peng Deng while Franca stayed behind the scenes.
  • After daybreak, Lumian returned to Xinhong Community to speak with Anthony, while Franca went back to her apartment with Jenna and found Jenna preparing to visit Hall Film Company.
  • Franca told Rosanne she was resigning because being expelled from the dream would mean her death, and Rosanne revealed that she too would disappear without the dream.

Ch. 1009"Gift"

Lumian told Ma'am Justice, Ma'am Magician, and Ma'am Judgement about the power he received through the Mysticism Ritual and shared Franca's discoveries about the Celestial Worthy's influence on Dream City. The group recognized that the things the dream made them overlook might point toward the right direction, while Lumian learned more about Mr. Fool's humanity.

  • Lumian described his ritual and the new power fused with the Blood Emperor's residual aura beneath the Underworld Daoist's seal, and Ma'am Magician warned that the fusion had made the aura more active.
  • Lumian recounted how he used the Lord of Storms' name to call lightning and rescue Franca, then explained that he had been willing to risk death to open a passage to the Abyss.
  • Ma'am Magician offered ways to seek her help or escape Dream City by reciting Director Yagaitze's honorific name, while warning Lumian not to break the dream's rules without a clear loophole.
  • Lumian reported Franca's findings that Dream City seemed to make its inhabitants overlook clues, including Mr. Fool's transmigration and An Xiaotian's situation.
  • Ma'am Justice and Ma'am Magician recalled their past impressions of Mr. Fool and expressed greater admiration and sympathy for him, while Lumian asked what he had done.

Ch. 1010Interpreting the symbolism

Lumian and the others investigated the symbolism of Peng Deng and his connections, linking five dream figures to God and the Ancient Sun God's legacy. Anthony's encounter with Peng Deng reinforced Madam Justice's conjecture, raising the possibility that their living arrangements represented merging or resistance.

  • Lumian described the anomalies surrounding Zhou Mingrui's identity, Peng Deng, Zhang Yujia, and Grisha to Madam Justice and Madam Magician.
  • Madam Magician explained the origins of God and the Celestial Worthy, God's awakening within the Ancient Sun God, and the division of the Ancient Sun God's legacy.
  • Anthony met Peng Deng in Dream City and heard him claim that he was not only Zhou Mingrui's childhood friend but other people's childhood friend as well.
  • Madam Justice linked Peng Deng, Grisha, Nie Zhen, Zhang Yujia, and the Aurora Company's owner to the five pathways associated with omniscience and omnipotence.
  • Anthony returned after being expelled from the dream and reported that Peng Deng was likely the Celestial Worthy's childhood friend, supporting the identification of the five figures with God.
  • Madam Justice suggested that the Aurora Order's current deity could inhabit any of the five figures, and Madam Magician questioned whether their shared housing symbolized merging while moving out represented separation and resistance.

Ch. 1011Entering the dream again

Lumian and the Major Arcana card holders analyzed the Aurora Order’s plans and the forces influencing Dream City, then shared more of Mr. Fool’s history. Lumian returned to Dream City by falling asleep, while the others prepared to assist him.

  • Lumian and the others considered whether Peng Deng, Grisha, or Nie Zhen was the Aurora Order’s current deity and concluded that Peng Deng was closely watched by Dream City’s subconscious.
  • The group debated why Franca had entered Mushu Hospital’s underground area, and Lumian suggested the Aurora Order’s plans might have become urgent because of a coming Dream City mutation or a hidden danger in the real world.
  • Madam Magician agreed to let Lumian use Li Keji’s mushrooms to treat An Xiaotian, and Lumian identified Emperor Roselle in the mirror as the force behind Rosanne’s dream and the trip to Mushu Hospital.
  • Madam Justice and Madam Magician recounted Mr. Fool’s history, including Klein Moretti’s death alongside Captain Dunn at the Black Thorns Security Company and the stories of his other identities.
  • Lumian returned to his bedroom, thought over what he had learned about Mr. Fool, and eventually fell asleep to reenter Dream City.

Ch. 1012A new round of hints

Zhou Mingrui learned that Luo Fu was resigning and grew more suspicious that supernatural forces were monitoring those around him. Franca and Lumian discussed the Celestial Worthy's influence, and Franca arranged to meet Bernadette to discuss Emperor Roselle in the Mirror.

  • Rosanne told Zhou Mingrui that Luo Fu had submitted her resignation and would return the next day to complete the formalities, but she avoided explaining Luo Fu's visit to Mushu Hospital.
  • Zhou Mingrui wondered whether Luo Fu's hints had caused trouble and considered how to detect surveillance and safely meet Luo Fu and Rosanne.
  • Franca told Rosanne to recommend the Terminator movies to Zhou Mingrui, who took the suggestion as a possible hint that he was the Savior.
  • Lumian told Franca that Jenna had been kicked out of the dream after Zhou Mingrui agreed to visit Mushu Hospital, prompting them to consider whether its underground levels could interfere with the Celestial Worthy's gaze.
  • Franca verified Bernadette's identity by asking her to name the Five Seas, then told her about Emperor Roselle in the Mirror and arranged to meet at a book warehouse at 15 Jinhua Street at two that afternoon.

Ch. 1013The Queen's Request

Lumian met with Bernadette, the Queen of Mysteries, and agreed to help expel the Emperor Roselle in the mirror from the dream. Bernadette warned him that Li Keji could be attacked, prompting Lumian to hurry to him immediately.

  • Franca arranged for Lumian to meet Bernadette in her place and warned him to keep his Security Guard Li Ming identity secret.
  • Lumian met Bernadette at a book warehouse and recounted the previous night's events, including Luo Fu's discovery of the cocoons and the parrot in the painting.
  • Bernadette said the Ancient Sun God might not have emerged from a cocoon and reflected on Emperor Roselle's connection to the dream's fairy tales and legends.
  • Bernadette asked Lumian to help expel the Emperor Roselle in the mirror from the dream, offered him five hundred thousand in advance, and agreed to act between three tomorrow afternoon and three the following afternoon.
  • Bernadette warned that Huang Jiajia, the others, and Lü Yong'an might target Li Keji, so Lumian decided to go to him immediately.

Ch. 1014Transfer to Another Hospital

Lumian learned that Li Keji had been transferred to Mushu Hospital and enlisted Franca to help protect him and Rosanne. On the ride there, Amon explained the symbolism of several dream personas and hinted at the fundamental difference between The Fool and the Celestial Worthy; Lumian then entered Mushu Hospital alone to find Li Keji.

  • Lumian discovered that Li Keji had been transferred from Crimson Moon Hospital to Mushu Hospital that morning, with his supposed mother handling the paperwork and Huang Jiajia vouching for her.
  • Lumian messaged Franca to bring Ludwig to Mushu Hospital and warn Rosanne to stay alert, then summoned a ride there.
  • Amon appeared as Lumian's driver, and Lumian shared Lady Justice's theories about the dream personas; Amon clarified how the True Creator, Adam, the Dark Angel, and the Ancient Sun God's personas were represented.
  • Amon revealed that Red Angel Medici could enter the dream with help from the original God Almighty, but told Lumian to find Medici himself to learn what He was doing.
  • Amon hinted that The Fool had never accommodated the Error and Door Uniquenesses, unlike the Celestial Worthy, then dropped Lumian off at Mushu Hospital and drove away.
  • Lumian entered the Psychiatry Department alone to look for Li Keji.

Ch. 1015"Treatment"

Lumian infiltrated Mushu Hospital to find Li Keji, but a curse on the first basement level forced him to retreat before Li Keji completed his treatment. When Lumian checked on Li Keji afterward, Li Keji announced that he had discovered the essence, and mushrooms began erupting from his body.

  • Lumian entered the Psychiatry Department as a Shadow Creature and found that each patient’s emotions could infect him, but Li Keji was not in any of the rooms.
  • A nurse told Lumian that Li Keji had been taken to the first basement level for specialized treatment, so Lumian went to look for him.
  • On the first basement level, Lumian realized a curse was transforming unauthorized visitors into hospital orderlies, and he teleported away before it could change him completely.
  • Lumian saw Li Keji returned from the basement after treatment and told Franca he would inspect his condition and eliminate him if he could not be saved.
  • Lumian entered Li Keji’s room, where Li Keji woke, declared that he had discovered the essence, and sprouted large mushrooms from his chest and abdomen.

Ch. 1016The mushroom monster

Lumian fought Li Keji’s enormous mushroom form, but the monster escaped his curse through rebirth. Fleeing the Otherworld, Lumian found Madame Pualis in Mushu Hospital’s dean’s office, holding a baby named Ombella.

  • Lumian attacked Li Keji with the Sword of Courage’s Flames of Destruction after Li Keji revealed his plan to use rebirth.
  • Li Keji transformed into a gigantic mushroom that drained life from Lumian and the wilderness, then regenerated after Lumian’s attacks.
  • Lumian used a Witch’s curse to ignite Li Keji, but Li Keji rebirthed into a smaller mushroom and escaped.
  • Lumian tried to use the Eye of Calamity on Li Keji, suffered further corruption, and teleported toward the Otherworld’s edge.
  • Lumian emerged in Mushu Hospital’s dean’s office and found Madame Pualis holding a baby.
  • Madame Pualis confirmed the baby was hers and named her Ombella.

Ch. 1017Child

Lumian discovered that Madame Pualis's child was Ombella and realized his own bloodline tied him to a trap in Mushu Hospital. Trapped in a wilderness beneath a giant oak, he fought Madame Pualis and began invoking Mr. Door while using a mirror image to call Leodero; the chapter left him reciting the Honorific Name as the oak and its guardians were briefly stunned.

  • Lumian learned that the infant Madame Pualis had carried in Cordou Village was Ombella and questioned the origins of the other Ombella-related remains and bloodline he had encountered.
  • Madame Pualis revealed that she was Ombella's mother alongside the Great Mother, and that the Parish Priest was only her ostensible father.
  • The infant's cry drew Lumian toward her, but his Black Mark teleportation sent him to a wilderness where Madame Pualis, Ombella, and the mushroom-like Li Keji awaited him.
  • Lumian found that his Witch defenses and escape attempts were being countered, so he began reciting Mr. Door's Honorific Name to force everyone out of the dream.
  • A mirror image of Lumian shouted Leodero, bringing lightning that struck the giant oak and briefly paralyzed Madame Pualis and Ombella.
  • After his Mirror Substitute shattered, Lumian appeared near Li Keji and recited the third line of Mr. Door's Honorific Name.

Ch. 1018A "dying" struggle

Lumian escaped permanent expulsion from Dream City by appealing to Director Ya’s spiritual brands and accepting a reduced punishment. After sending Franca a warning about Li Keji and Mushu Hospital, he left the dream and found he could still return, though he chose to wait twenty-four hours.

  • Lumian watched the mushroom monster and the enormous oak tree disintegrate as he tried to escape the collapsing Otherworld.
  • His attempt to teleport to Yangdu Prison instead brought him to Director Ya’s office, where the dream’s rejection began turning him into a marionette.
  • Lumian invoked his ties to the Abraham Family, Alista Tudor, the crimson moon’s corruption, and Amon, then said he had come to fight the destroyers and evil gods; Director Ya’s rejection weakened.
  • Director Ya judged that Lumian’s punishment could be reduced, and Lumian accepted imprisonment while asking to notify his family.
  • Lumian messaged Franca about Li Keji’s claim, the hospital wards, and Mushu Hospital’s dean, then left the dream when Director Ya called Dunn.
  • Back in Trier, Lumian confirmed that he had not been blocked from Dream City and decided to wait twenty-four hours before trying again.

Ch. 1019Who was the father

Lumian recounted his latest visit to Dream City, where his interaction with Director Ya helped awaken Mr. Door’s mental imprint. Madam Magician theorized that the Eternal Blazing Sun was the true father of the infant Ombella and that the Great Mother had used the resulting symbolism to bring Ombella into reality; the group decided to alert the Eternal Blazing Sun’s Church.

  • Lumian described his agreement with the Queen of Mysteries, Li Keji’s ordeal, and his conversation with Amon, then explained how he had prompted Director Ya to react to the Abraham Family and threats to Dream City.
  • Madam Magician guessed that the infant Ombella’s true father was the Eternal Blazing Sun, linking Madame Pualis’s affair with Guillaume Béné to the later Divine Child born to Lady Moon.
  • Madam Magician theorized that the Great Mother used the Divine Child’s birth and death to let the long-deceased Ombella inherit its symbolism and be reborn, with Lumian now serving as a potential medium for her arrival in reality.
  • Madam Judgement said they needed to alert the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, and Madam Justice suggested a discreet account that would let Red Angel Medici make the connection himself.
  • Madam Magician agreed to pass on the information and remarked that everyone who tried to use the Great Mother ended up being used by her.

Ch. 1020Preparations

Lumian decided to test a conjecture by launching an operation in the dream to weaken the Celestial Worthy and awaken Mr. Fool, while withholding his ideas from Madam Magician. In Dream City, Jenna searched Mushu Hospital for Li Keji’s healing mushroom until a bandaged figure dropped its dried corpse to Ludwig.

  • Lumian told Madam Judgement he expected to encounter the Great Mother’s attendants again, despite trying to avoid them.
  • Director Yagaitze explained that Lumian-na had been released on bail because evidence cleared her of Zarathustra’s murder, and ordered Dunn to prioritize investigating Mushu Hospital.
  • Lumian told Madam Magician he planned an operation to weaken the Celestial Worthy and awaken Mr. Fool, and she agreed to cooperate while keeping the plan secret from those who might be observed.
  • Jenna used an Ice Talisman to search two wards for Li Keji’s healing mushroom, but Ludwig found nothing edible in either one.
  • As Jenna and Ludwig left Mushu Hospital, a bandaged face appeared in an upper window and dropped a dried, jellyfish-shaped mushroom, which Ludwig caught.

Ch. 1021After a Night Had Passed

Jenna and Ludwig recovered a withered healing mushroom from Mushu Hospital, while Franca decided to wait for Lumian before letting Ludwig eat it. After checking on An Reid and comforting Lumian-na, Franca collected her wages and encountered Zhou Mingrui, who seemed intent on speaking with her.

  • Jenna took Ludwig from Mushu Hospital with the withered mushroom, and Franca suspected it was Li Keji’s final healing mushroom but urged them to wait for Lumian before testing it.
  • Jenna checked An Reid’s apartment and confirmed that he was asleep and appeared safe.
  • Lumian-na woke from a nightmare about her arrest, and Jenna and Franca comforted her before arranging for Miss Huang to take her in.
  • Jenna went to work, Anthony returned to Dream City to watch Ludwig, and Franca completed her resignation and collected 3,500 yuan.
  • Zhou Mingrui met Franca outside the Technology Department and asked whether she was resigning, leaving her anxious about what he might ask next.

Ch. 1022Preparations in Full Swing

Lumian and the Queen of Mysteries prepared an operation against Emperor Roselle, while Jenna learned that Great Pirate 3 was nearing the end of its theatrical run. Bernadette discovered that Huang Tao planned to leave the Dream City rather than put her in a difficult position.

  • Franca put off Zhou Mingrui's questions, promising to explain things over a meal after she dealt with matters at home.
  • Jenna learned from Jiang Yue that Great Pirate 3 was finishing its theatrical run and that a stage adaptation was being planned.
  • Lumian-na told Bernadette she missed having her parents guide her, and Bernadette fell silent.
  • The Queen of Mysteries explained the restrictions Lumian faced after being expelled from the dream and said they would act that afternoon; Lumian rented Magic Mirror Arrodes for the operation.
  • Lumian and the Queen of Mysteries discussed their plan to restrain Emperor Roselle, with the Queen expecting to be expelled from the dream alongside her target.
  • Bernadette visited Huang Tao's study, where he told her he was leaving and said he was glad she had hesitated for several days.

Ch. 1023Three Sentences

Emperor Roselle in the Mirror escaped into the deep Mirror World after warning Bernadette and the others that the apocalypse might arrive early and that people inside and outside the mirror could merge. His departure revealed a possible Celestial Worthy plan involving the Special Mirror World, prompting Lumian and his allies to hurry their operation; they also found his gift, the Blasphemy Card of the Primordial Witch.

  • Huang Tao lured Bernadette into pursuing him through the Mirror World, while Franca, Anthony, Lumian, and Ludwig followed.
  • At the edge of a region bordering the Special Mirror World, Emperor Roselle in the Mirror told Bernadette that he had achieved his purposes, warned of possible merging and an early apocalypse, and said he had left her a letter and Lumian a gift.
  • Emperor Roselle in the Mirror entered the profound darkness and was permanently expelled from the dream; Bernadette hummed their familiar melody as he vanished.
  • Lumian and the others concluded that Roselle’s presence may have caused the Special Mirror World to form and helped the Celestial Worthy’s plan, so they agreed not to delay their operation.
  • Bernadette opened a desk drawer and found the gift for Lumian: a Blasphemy Card depicting Emperor Roselle in the Mirror as the Primordial Witch.

Ch. 1024An obscured ritual

Lumian examined the Witch Blasphemy Card left by Emperor Roselle in the Mirror and learned the Witch pathway’s sequences and rituals, though its Sequence 0 ritual was obscured. After Ludwig ate the mushroom and developed the ability to produce healing spores, Lumian asked Arrodes whether its origin was connected to the Celestial Worthy’s plans, and the mirror answered no.

  • Lumian activated the Witch card with Bernadette’s name and read its pathway information, including the rituals for Witch of Unaging, Calamity Witch, and Witch of Apocalypse.
  • Bernadette could not discern the obscured Witch apotheosis ritual and agreed to join Lumian’s operation the next day.
  • Lumian had Franca leave before Ludwig ate the mushroom, then watched Ludwig develop healing spores and grow mushrooms from his body.
  • Lumian postponed taking Ludwig to Crimson Moon Hospital to treat An Xiaotian until the operation began.
  • Lumian asked Arrodes whether the Celestial Worthy’s exploitation of the People in the Mirror was connected to Arrodes being born as a mirror, and Arrodes answered, “No.”

Ch. 1025A Sudden Turn

Lumian explained that Dream City was formed from the subconscious of Mr. Fool and the Celestial Worthy, and that the Celestial Worthy was weaker and more restricted than they had assumed. After Zhou Mingrui unexpectedly took leave to meet his sister early, Lumian assigned the group their tasks and launched the operation.

  • Lumian recognized Arrodes's warning that the group might soon encounter the Celestial Worthy, then gathered Franca, Jenna, Anthony, and Ludwig at the rented apartment.
  • Lumian concluded that the Celestial Worthy's mental imprint was severely weakened and that Dream City's surroundings, like its inhabitants, blended Mr. Fool's and the Celestial Worthy's subconscious.
  • Lumian warned that directly stating certain facts could awaken or stimulate the Celestial Worthy, while everyone in the dream was exposed to the two beings' corruption.
  • Rosanne told Franca that Zhou Mingrui had taken leave, and Zhou Mingrui later revealed that his sister Zhou Shasha had changed her ticket and would arrive nearly two hours early.
  • Lumian assigned the group separate tasks and told Anthony to brief the Major Arcana card holders in the real world before taking Ludwig to Crimson Moon Hospital.
  • Lumian and Jenna left the apartment to begin the operation.
Arc 41 of 48
Arc 41 of 48