Episode 534 Holy Library (1)
“What is it? “When did you come here?!”
Julia asked, rubbing her heart like someone who had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.
Clara just smiled and laughed.
Seeing that, Julia felt embarrassed and her face turned red.
This is Julia, who usually treats her master with courtesy and behaves calmly.
Then, when my true feelings were revealed, I couldn’t help but feel ashamed.
“Oh my. What about our youngest? “I’m also worried about Master.”
“It seems like it was just yesterday that I was a baby, but I’m all grown up.”
Julia bowed her head as the seniors around her spoke one by one.
Clara watched the scene as if she was amazed and then opened her mouth.
“okay. “Let’s stop joking here and move on to something more serious.”
The Dreamwalkers who had been teasing Clara’s words all nodded, saying they understood.
At the confluence point, those leading the people met.
“It is truly an honor to meet the famous Dream Master. “My name is Elisa Willow, the rector of Seorn.”
“Hol hole. I also heard about the beautiful young lady’s reputation. “My name is Clara Cowen, the master of the Dream School.”
“I’ll be blunt and get to the point. Do you think you can solve this situation?”
Direct question.
Instead of answering, Clara raised her wand and pointed to one side.
The dream flowing from the tip of the wand was shaped like clay and drew a rough map of Dreamland.
Everyone focused their attention on the scene.
“To be honest, I’m at a loss as to how to solve this.”
These words came from the mouth of the head of the dream school and a master-level dream walker.
Of course, the weight was bound to be great.
But no one could say anything to Clara.
In this atmosphere, it was important to acknowledge the reality we were facing rather than trying to force ourselves to cheer up.
“The upper floor completely collapsed. “The only thing left is the middle layer, but the island swallower ate up all of the upper islands.”
The island swallow was even coming down in real time.
Determined not to leave any islands above their heads.
Although we did get rid of a few on the way, it only gave us a little extra time.
“The number of victims is also significant. “Of those who fell into the middle class, many passed away.”
Of course, out of 100 people who fall, less than 5% are victims.
Considering the environment of the middle class, the survival rate was truly miraculous.
But even that 5% was not a small number.
The entire population of Lederbelk city was caught up in this incident.
5% of that means at least 10,000 people have died.
“Furthermore, monsters who introduced themselves as servants appeared. “No matter how we suppressed them, there’s no guarantee that those guys won’t appear again.”
There is no way to return, and there are real-time life-threatening dangers everywhere.
As I listed the situations one by one, I couldn’t help but feel this hopeless.
“In the end, we have no choice but to quickly resolve the fundamental problem.”
“An old man named Nirva… “Do you know anything about him?”
Clara nodded.
“It is recorded in the ancient documents of the Dream School. An old man with a meburo. A ghost who sprinkles golden dust to make people fall asleep. Another name is Sandman. Another name is Jorn Blunt.”
Although he had various names, his origin was always that of a hook-nosed old man with long limbs.
“The old man’s true identity is a demon that has existed on this continent for a very long time.”
“…devil.”
Stories about the devil are no longer just legends from the distant past.
Someone was saying that the recent incident that occurred in the capital of the Exilion Empire was the work of the devil.
To say that it was just nonsense, considering the testimony of eyewitnesses at the time, it was difficult to ignore.
Even so, that demon would do such a thing in Seorn.
“What on earth is the purpose?”
Elisha thought of Nirva.
The old man invited people to the world of dreams.
Why on earth do you make people fall asleep in their dreams?
Are you planning to keep yourself locked in a dream for the rest of your life?
However, that prevented him from sending his subordinates to eliminate dangerous elements.
Should I say that it is a bit incoherent?
“I’m not sure about that either. However, since this is what the dream devil does, it is probably something unusual.”
“….”
Elisa was lost in thought for a moment.
Nirva was blatantly leading people into the depths of Dreamland.
It seemed like the owner of the house went beyond inviting guests and was forcing them into it.
But that didn’t mean everyone was welcome.
Actions were also taken to explicitly eliminate dangerous molecules.
But why?
What is it that the Dream Demon, who wields absolute power in Dreamland, is worried about and would do something like this?
Suddenly.
A thought passed through Elisha’s mind.
“Sacrifice.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Elisha at those words.
“When you think of the devil, it’s human sacrifice.”
This is an answer I gave almost instinctively.
There were dozens of leaps of logic that had to be jumped through before inferring the correct answer.
In order to prove it, I had to retrace the entire process step by step.
A wizard had to do that.
But now it is an emergency situation.
Elisha decided to trust his intuition.
“Maybe that demon named Nirva wants to sacrifice us to Dreamland.”
* * *
“A sacrifice?”
Same time.
Sedina, standing in front of the huge door, asked Ludger.
“okay. What Nirva wants is a sacrifice. The goal would be to awaken a being sleeping in the depths.”
“The devil is trying to awaken. “Is he even a pagan god?”
“It’s similar. “I don’t know if he’s a pagan, but I’m sure he’s a being comparable to a god.”
The group’s expressions became devastated when they heard that the purpose of the devil offering sacrifice was the resurrection of God.
The scale was so large that it couldn’t seem realistic at all.
“Isn’t this a dream?”
“you idiot. “This is Dreamland, so it’s a dream.”
“I guess so.”
“no. But in fact, this is reality, right? “I don’t know.”
Hans and Sheridan exchanged meaningless conversation.
But no one could reprimand them.
I felt dizzy. If I don’t relieve the stress in this way, it becomes unbearable.
“Maybe Nirva will push us deeper into Dreamland. “That is why Dreamland is collapsing from the outside.”
“I guess we have to push in further so we can extract some kind of energy from people. Of course, that energy must be a human dream.”
“But in order to do that, you have to call into your inner chambers. In order to carry out a certain ritual, one’s own weaknesses are also revealed.”
“That’s why we sent the limbs to remove dangerous molecules that could interfere with consciousness.”
Zantman shook his head as if he understood why Nirva did this.
Eliminating a few dangerous elements will be fine.
Because Dreamland now has the entire population of a large city.
There was no way that eliminating a few of them would make a difference.
If all these people were sacrifices, it seemed like they were gods and could be resurrected even if the old man came.
“Usually, it is a common belief that warlocks summon demons by making human sacrifices, but now they have gone one step further. The devil is trying to resurrect God by sacrificing humans. “Really, don’t do it.”
“Maybe this fight will be even more of a battle of speed.”
“It’s a race of speed… I guess we have to stop it before the ritual can be properly performed.”
“Nirva sent his retinue. But it failed. Because like this, we are alive and well. Next time, I will step forward myself.”
“I can’t believe the devil himself, who commands a monster like a giant god soldier, is stepping forward. “Just hearing it gives me goosebumps.”
“And we are getting into the tiger’s mouth faster than anyone else.”
The gist of Ludger’s words was this.
Is it okay to be in the most dangerous position?
Even Zandman did not know what it meant.
“Are you worried about me now?”
“When Rip Van Winkle was handed over, Mr. Sandmann’s role ended. “It would be a good option to go back and join the academy members.”
“Sir, I haven’t seen it like this before, but do you think you’re better at irritating people than I thought?”
Zandman grinned at Ludger.
The wrinkles around his eyes told his age, but his eyes did not.
Zandman’s eyes were burning brighter than any bright star.
“Hey, teacher. Why do you think we are a dream school?”
“Why?”
“Because they are people who chase their dreams. “We walk on dreams, explore dreams, and at the end, we chase our dreams.”
“That’s poetic.”
“That’s it. Poetic, romantic and unrealistic. “Who on earth pursues something like romance in this day and age?”
Zandman continued talking.
“Except us.”
Ludger gave an expression of surprise.
“Is it interesting?”
“To be honest, yes.”
“Fighting the devil and preventing the resurrection of God? Is there anything more romantic than this? It’s not just me. We all make the same choice. Rather, those kids will be jealous of me being at the forefront, right?”
Zandmann smiled like a child receiving a gift box.
For the first time, Ludger realized that people can smile like that even as they age.
I had no choice but to admit it.
These are people who fight for honor and romance, not for practical gain.
Is it because Ludger’s gaze towards him has changed?
Zandmann waved his hands in disgust.
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t have any personal feelings. “Do you remember the wooden statues you saw on the way?”
Ludger nodded.
A praying wooden statue. The demons of dreams that have encroached on Dreamland.
If something had gone wrong, I might have ended up joining their procession.
“Who do you think are the main people who have entered the depths of Dreamland and been encroached upon here?”
“…They are the previous Dreamwalkers.”
“okay. “In the past, when Dreamwalkers roamed Dreamland, they always had to face the danger of the unknown.”
Zandman looked down at the Siesta in his hand.
“There wasn’t anything like this back then. “I jumped into Dreamland with my bare body, purely believing in my own strong mental power.”
However, no matter how great a Dream Worker he was, he could not be free in a place called Dreamland.
As the number of entries increased, they gradually encroached on Dreamland, and the end was the Maw of Dreams.
“The people who gather and pray over there are people who have been crushed by their own hopes, but that doesn’t mean I can laugh at them. Rather, I respect it. “We are where we are today because of their efforts and sacrifices.”
Ludger also stared at the ‘Rip Van Winkle’ he was wearing.
How many dream workers were sacrificed to make this one thing?
The foundation was built on the countless data from Dreamland, but in the end, that data could only be what the Dream Walkers personally experienced.
“The previous Dream Walkers worked hard to even endure this situation, but it would be a loss of respect if the juniors got scared and backed out.”
Zandmann’s arrival was good news for Ludger.
“great. “After all, you need a good guide to get to the other side.”
“okay. “I’ll give you clear directions, so don’t worry.”
Zandman took a long stride.
The huge stone gate slowly opened.
Considering its size, it is not surprising that there was a loud noise, but there was no sound when the door opened.
The inside of the open door was filled with pitch black darkness.
I couldn’t see what was inside at all, so I felt a strong fear of the unknown.
“Keep your head straight. “If you don’t get your mentality right here, you will be eaten by your own mind.”
Hans and Sedina became very nervous at Zandman’s warning.
“Then let’s go.”
Zandman took a step forward and soon disappeared into the darkness of the door.
Ludger followed.
Hans and Sedina Seridan also moved with that bold action.
As the group disappeared inside the door, the huge stone door quietly closed again as if it had never happened before.
* * *
Dreamland’s middle floor occupies the largest portion of Dreamland.
And as you go down, the dream pressure increases and time with reality becomes distorted.
That is why it was divided into upper, middle, and lower parts.
If we group them into the same middle layer, the risk rises sharply as we go down.
Naturally, it was necessary to distinguish each area to some extent.
Among them, the area where the average person can endure as much as possible is the upper middle layer.
It is a world made up of a huge expanse and countless blue islands.
The place that capable dream workers can endure is the middle part of the middle layer.
It is a place where pure white worlds, black grass fields, and ghosts of dreams exist.
And the lower part of the middle layer, a place that only a few dream walkers can reach.
Surprisingly, it was a place that was familiar even to the public’s eyes.
“library?”
Ludger expressed such sentiments while looking at the lower part of the middle floor.
Hans and Sedina were equally surprised. Even Seridan let out an exclamation of “Wow.”
At that time, something that looked like black mud approached the group between the bookshelves.
