Chapter 493: Do You Want to Hear My Master's Story?

In the dream world, when Lei Kedun's consciousness fully awakens, he finds himself again on the cliff edge in front of the Black Abbey.

He stared expressionlessly at the giant king's court shrouded in a solid dusk ahead, remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked toward the Black Abbey, this time intending to visit the dream that existed before the Ancient Sun God's fall.

Jia De Li Ya still sat on the boulder, hugging her knees, her eyes a bit dazed, not fully awake.

As Lei Kedun passed by her, she suddenly spoke:

"Do you know where she is now?"

The fragmentary sentence made Lei Kedun hesitate, stop his steps, turn toward the knee‑hugging Jia De Li Ya, and after confirming she was speaking to him, he said:

"On the ship? Or in the dream?"

"If it's on the ship, she should be in the third‑level cabin, the fifth room from the end on the right side of the stairs; if it's the dream, I don't know—I haven't seen her in this dream world."

After a brief pause, he continued:

"She is already an angel, able to clearly sense the bond between you, feel your feelings for her; until the issues with Luo Sai Er and Bo Nuo Wa are resolved, you are her most stable anchor."

"I'm her most stable anchor?" Jia De Li Ya repeated softly, her eyes a little bewildered, then buried her head deep into her arms, refusing to engage.

Lei Kedun shrugged, said nothing more, and turned to walk into the Black Abbey.

As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw the crew of the Future, their condition odd—Captain Ao Tuo Luo Fu seemed withdrawn into introversion, and Ni Na was quietly drinking on the side.

Walking a bit further, he saw Fu Lan Ke burying himself in the earth.

"What are you doing? Trying to asexually reproduce yourself?" Lei Kedun couldn't curb his curiosity, approached and asked.

Fu Lan Ke wasn't very lucid; he sat in the pit he had dug, burying soil over himself while murmuring as if in a dream:

"No, I'm just an ordinary druid; I can't bury myself in the earth to asexually reproduce—that must be done in a laboratory."

"My research hit a dead end; I want to bury myself in the soil to listen more deeply to the earth's voice, to comprehend the Mother God's doctrine."

Lei Kedun's mouth twitched slightly, and he sighed, "Your way of seeking inspiration is truly unique."

He shook his head, continued forward, passing the ragtag pirates engaged in all sorts of absurd deeds, passing Xi Si curled up in the corner's shadows, and Pa Si lying flat among the dried small fish, then pushed open the gate leading deeper into the abbey.

After walking a distance, he seemed to have left the building where the Future's crew were, entering a temple‑like place, where he saw Anderson hesitating at the gate leading deeper into the shrine.

Sensing someone entering the shrine, Anderson instinctively turned wary, and upon seeing Lei Kedun, he visibly relaxed, let out a light laugh and said:

"You scared me; I thought I'd unlucky‑ly run into a monster again."

"You indeed can move freely in this dream world, but do you know what's up with Ge Er Man·Si Pa Luo? Normally, the place you left the dream last time is where you re‑enter it, yet this time he didn't return here."

"He is a Bound One," Lei Kedun replied flatly.

Anderson, full of surprise, said:

"Bound One! That cold‑and‑crazy guy is a Bound One? Whose great being is he bound to? Their taste in choosing dependents is really inscrutable."

"An entity that can resolve the misfortune plaguing you," Lei Kedun interjected, cutting off Anderson's rambling, and stepped beside him.

"Uh," Anderson's words were cut off; he turned his head resentfully toward another direction, changing the subject:

"Aren't you interested in the murals here? They are the ones left by the Fate Angel Wu Luo Liu Si you mentioned; I've already activated their property, and anyone who later touches them won't be unlucky anymore."

Lei Kedun glanced at the mural on the right wall, then quickly averted his gaze; the thing that had interested him was gone.

After a brief silence, he turned toward Anderson and said:

"Not interested; Wu Luo Liu Si's lingering power has already dissipated."

"Are you still agonizing over whether to pray to some great being who holds the reins of fate?"

Anderson hesitated and said:

"Uh, besides praying to a great being, is there another method? Or, which one watches over Ge Er Man·Si Pa Luo?"

Lei Kedun's gaze calmly fixed on the shrine's depths, a deep blue gleam passing through his eyes; deeper within, he saw the figure of Beiernadai.

Further inside should be the final dream before the Ancient Sun God's fall. He mused silently, withdrew his gaze, and answered Anderson's earlier question:

"The demigods of the 'Fate' path, and the angels of the 'Thief', 'Diviner', and 'Insomniac' paths also possess the ability to dispel your misfortune."

"As for Ge Er Man·Si Pa Luo, he worships the 'Fool'; if you're interested, you can recite his revered name—after the Aurora Assembly's proclamation, you should be familiar with it."

"Or, would you like to hear my master's story? He is the eternal truth we pursue, the light that guides us forward, the symbol of experience and wisdom."

Anderson, who had been listening attentively, suddenly changed expression repeatedly, instinctively widening the distance from Lei Kedun, and, with a wary look, said:

"That doesn't sound like a description of the god of knowledge and wisdom; aren't you of the Knowledge Church? Have you turned away from the church and its faith?"

Lei Kedun gently shook his head and said:

"Ha, no. I merely hold a position within the Knowledge Church; the more work I do, the more pay I get, right? My master and the god of knowledge and wisdom are secret allies, and that's permissible by both parties."

"Then, would you be interested in listening?"

Anderson was silent for a moment, then let out a light laugh and said:

"Anyway, there's nothing to do in a dream; if you're willing to speak, I'd be glad to listen."

Lei Kedun nodded, curled his mouth and said:

"My master is the guide for humanity's quest for truth, and truth itself; he is wise yet compassionate, able to embrace all of us, and day after day illuminates the path for the lost."

"He advocates seeking truth in silence and solitude, tasting the meaning of existence while wandering between day and night, black and white, justice and evil, feeling the vicissitudes of the world, upholding self, believing in wisdom and truth."

"He teaches us not to stubbornly cling to justice and truth, nor to indiscriminately deny evil and error; everything that exists is reasonable."

"Likewise, his faith is inclusive; he does not forbid followers from also worshipping other deities, nor does he care about the depth of devotion—so long as one walks the right path, he acknowledges it."

"In our understanding, he is the embodiment of knowledge, the brilliance of civilization, the ultimate answer to all mysteries!"

Anderson's expression shifted from careless at first to increasingly serious, as he began actively contemplating the overlap and conflict between these doctrines and his own ideas.

He took a deep breath, his expression earnest, and said:

"That doesn't conflict with some of my views; if what you say is true, I don't mind worshipping an additional deity or changing my faith—after all, my belief isn't particularly devout."

"As long as it doesn't involve studying and exams, that's important!"

A lingering effect of the Knowledge Church. Watching Anderson's earnest gaze, Lei Kedun couldn't help but sigh inwardly, then curled his lips and said:

"There are many ways to acquire knowledge; just as you search for treasure at sea and encounter many people and events, naturally your insight broadens."

"Exactly, exactly, that's how it is, a pity the Knowledge Church's blockheads can't understand these principles." Anderson nodded in agreement, overly familiar, he reached out and clapped a hand on Rexton's shoulder.

"I plan to go deep into the temple to have a look."

As he spoke, Rexton took two steps forward, subtly shaking off Anderson's hand resting on his shoulder.

Anderson's expression didn't change; he naturally slipped his hands into his pockets and said:

"I'm going too; I've always been curious about the temple's depths. High risk means high reward, and with a demigod accompanying us, I think our chances of success are great."

"You're underestimating the misfortune that clings to you," Rexton thought, but he still nodded and walked toward the temple's depths at an unhurried pace.

Anderson quickened his pace for two steps, matching Rexton's stride to stay abreast, and they walked forward for about a quarter of an hour. Ahead there was no passage, only a door fixed to the wall that looked somewhat dark and heavy.

"There's no road left; I haven't seen any forks along the way. Could it be that the people from my earlier treasure-hunting team who went ahead all went in there?"

"Should we go in?"

Anderson crossed his arms, thought seriously for a moment, then turned his head and asked.

Rexton shook his head and said: "The dream behind this door is very dangerous; it could overturn the entire dream world. Even if those trapped in the dream don't die from it, they will be forced to wake up and face the darkness of this sea area."

Anderson hastily waved his hand and said: "I was just joking. Since there's nothing worth exploring here, where should we go next?"

Rexton's gaze sank as he looked at the dark wooden door before him; his sight seemed to pierce the barrier, seeing the dream world on the other side.

After a moment, he withdrew his solemn gaze and said: "It's too late."

"'What's too late?' Anderson exclaimed in surprise."

As his words fell, the surrounding light suddenly brightened, and everything turned into a blinding white.

Sitting on the deck, leaning against the rail, Rexton woke in the warm midday sun, and instinctively turned his head to meet the gaze of Klein, who was leaning beside him.

"'Where did you go?' Rexton asked, a little curious. Leo Master, who should have been trapped here, has already been taken away by Sasilier, so Klein shouldn't appear in that person's dream anymore."

Klein rested his head against the rail, thought for a moment, then said:

"It should be the underground of that black monastery; there is a very sinister full-length mirror that can duplicate a nearly identical self. Because the battle was too intense, I was passively awakened."

"In the gap before falling asleep again, I vaguely saw a mist shrouding the sea surface; within the mist stood a very ancient-style spired church, entirely black, without a bell tower, surrounded by a lone pitch-black crow that seemed to be mourning something, grieving something."

"Around the church there were many other buildings, and the streets had slender pedestrians; it seemed to be an exceptionally ancient city."

Rexton nodded, not overly surprised, and said: "That is the Night Country, a place hidden by the Night Goddess. It should be the lingering aura of the Night Goddess in this sea area, and the special reaction brought by Her favor upon you."

"'Favor?' Klein chewed on the word."

Rexton rose from the deck, leaned against the rail, and while enjoying the sunshine and sea breeze, he mused:

"'She is the Empress of Misfortune and Fear, and she is closely tied to the magic wolf. Don't you think She has noticed you?'"

"'Want to guess why, after the Beckland Smog Incident, the Night Church didn't pursue the issues surrounding Sherlock Moriarty? Is it because your disguise was too good, they simply didn't notice, or was it suppressed?'"

"(End of Chapter)"