Chapter 926

Jiana and Anthony, neither of whom could drive, chose to take public transit with the child to Dream Tutoring Center, preparing a complete travel plan and setting aside spare change for emergencies instead of relying solely on mobile payments.

When they stepped out, Lumian helped Franca return to the master bedroom, glanced at the large ice blocks in the four basins, and chuckled:

“This is no worse than air conditioning.”

The only problem was that the water had to be refrozen periodically, consuming a certain amount of spirituality—but for “Witches,” creating frost was one of the least spiritually costly abilities.

Moreover, it effectively solved the issue of the refrigerator’s limited capacity.

“Yes, air conditioning bills are so expensive,” Franca leaned back against the pillow, sincerely remarking, “I never thought ‘Witches’ could be so practical in daily life.”

Lumian sat on the edge of the bed and asked casually:

“How do you feel now?”

“Much better—I couldn’t even walk slowly this morning,” Franca replied honestly. “Since becoming an Exalted, this is the first time I’ve been this ill. No wonder—it’s the negative effect of a Half-God-tier artifact.”

Lumian clicked his tongue:

“But Jiana told me you let her feed you breakfast, and even called for her to help you to the bathroom.”

Where was the slow walking?

Franca showed no embarrassment at being caught, grinning:

“Isn’t this just enjoying the treatment of a well-cared-for patient?”

Lumian pressed his own forehead, then touched Franca’s:

“The fever has indeed broken—you can keep enjoying being cared for until you’re fully recovered.”

“So I can order you around now?” Franca suddenly brightened.

She recalled her university days, when one lucky roommate was always assigned to fetch meals for the entire dorm—and she was the one who got lucky most often.

Seeing Franca’s eager expression, Lumian smiled and pulled a peach from “The Traveler’s Satchel”:

“You were a little nostalgic for the taste of peaches? I passed a fruit wholesale market on my way back and bought a bag.”

“I just said it offhand…” Franca was surprised, her eyes slightly curving.

Lumian shaped frost into a small fruit knife and swiftly peeled the peach over the trash bin beside the bed, then sliced off a piece, skewered it with the icy blade, and held it to Franca’s lips.

Looking at the tender, succulent flesh, the crystal-clear fruit knife, and Lumian’s slightly smiling face, Franca suddenly felt this atmosphere differed from Jiana’s care that morning.

That morning had been like a father watching his gentle wife scold a greedy child; now it was like a sick wife being tended by…

“Aren’t you eating? If you won’t, I will.” Lumian pretended to pull the peach slice back toward his mouth, speaking like a brother.

Franca “huh”ed and quickly opened her mouth to bite the peach.

She chewed and swallowed, speaking with deep sentiment:

“It’s the taste I remember.”

As she ate the peach Lumian fed her, she returned to their earlier topic:

“What do you think is hidden in the basement of Mushi Hospital?”

Lumian considered his words:

“My encounters with Naporedisli and other devils left me with a profound impression: the entrance to the Abyss isn’t just somewhere in the real world—it’s in every heart. We all might fall into the Abyss and become devils outside the Devil Path. So I suspect the Desire Mother Tree, standing atop the Devil, Wraith, and Little Love God Paths, used her control over the Abyss to turn Mr. Fool’s psychological shadows into Mushi Hospital.”

“Then, the one worshipped by the Great Mother and the End of All Things Cult used those shadows to seep a bit of her power in, gradually corrupting the dream—and since the Abyss’s influence spreads upward from the depths, outward from the heart, this manifests in Mushi Hospital as renovations moving from the lower floors toward the surface.”

“So you mean the lower floors of Mushi Hospital have become a small, more complex, more terrifying Abyss?” Franca asked thoughtfully after swallowing her bite.

Lumian nodded and sliced another piece of peach with precise knife work, holding it to Franca’s lips:

“So far, we can detect the influence of the Desire Mother Tree, the Great Mother, and the End of All Things Cult’s figure. Everything else remains unknown.”

“These false gods can only influence part of the dream, right? It seems they’re trying to help the Heavenly Sovereign?” Franca bit into the peach, frowning.

Lumian paused before replying:

“That’s true now—but not necessarily later.”

“The Magician Lady told me privately that these false gods don’t truly like the Heavenly Sovereign either. If given a choice, they’d instinctively want to use the Heavenly Sovereign to cross the barrier without letting him truly awaken. In this dream struggle, if Mr. Fool grows strong, they’ll surely aid the Heavenly Sovereign; but if the Heavenly Sovereign gains too much advantage, they might secretly sabotage his plans.”

“Besides, they’re inherently chaotic, mad, and capable of unpredictable actions. The fact that the supposed Puppet Master didn’t appear last night may be due to this. In short, the false gods most delight in seeing both Mr. Fool and the Heavenly Sovereign remain asleep, lost in this dream metropolis.”

Hearing this, Franca was suddenly moved.

She turned her gaze to the window, where brilliant sunlight streamed in, toward the distant skyscrapers, and murmured with a self-deprecating smile:

“If my dream were like this—if everyone I cared about were here—I might also become lost, unwilling to wake up…”

…………

Dream Tutoring Center, reception desk.

Jiana held Ludwigh’s hand and handed the black-skinned male receptionist the flyer issued by the Messenger Daniz:

“I’d like to learn more about your courses.”

The black-skinned male receptionist’s eyes lit up, his face beaming:

“Madam, what would your child like to study?”

“Could you first introduce all your courses?” Jiana hadn’t yet decided which class to enroll Ludwigh in.

The male receptionist blinked, muttering:

“I used to introduce courses first, then ask what the client wanted—until several customers complained and told me to ask their needs first, then tailor the introduction… Why is this wrong again?”

Without needing Anthony’s observation, Jiana began to think the receptionist was a bit dim, perhaps even foolish.

She thought a moment and said:

“Our child is only free on weekends. Tell me about the weekend courses.”

Records showed Mr. Fool had enrolled in this tutoring center’s weekend Business English class!

The male receptionist sighed in relief, pulled out materials, and gave a detailed overview of the center’s weekend offerings.

After listening awhile, Jiana found the only class with a schedule close to Business English was the Beginner English class.

She glanced at Ludwigh’s grimacing face, picked up the Beginner English brochure, and asked:

“Even after discount, it’s still 6,666? Can you make it cheaper?”

Even 6,666 was a huge expense for Jiana and the others—they’d borrowed more money via an app yesterday just to afford it, without disrupting daily life.

“Only our principal has authority to offer further discounts. I’ll go get her,” the black-skinned receptionist hurried down the corridor to fetch the principal.

She was a beautiful woman with dyed brown hair, an oval face, clear blue eyes like spring water, wearing an elegant blouse paired with a dark, pleated knee-length skirt that revealed pale, slender, straight legs.

“Our Principal Ai is exceptionally learned and talented—not only fluent in English and French, but also skilled in painting, antique appraisal, and various musical instruments…” the black-skinned receptionist gushed.

Jiana could see Principal Ai was slightly embarrassed and uncomfortable by the praise, and she noticed Ludwigh’s expression had changed—he looked as if he’d encountered his worst enemy.

“You want to enroll in the Beginner English class?” Principal Ai interrupted the receptionist and turned her gaze to Ludwigh.

“Yes,” Jiana nodded sincerely.

Principal Ai looked at Ludwigh and said:

Starting language learning at this age means you’ve missed the optimal window—but as long as you’re willing to learn, it’s never too late.

“Hmm. Five thousand. Minimum cost. Don’t delay the child.”

This should have been a standard sales tactic—but Jiana heard sincerity in it, sensing Principal Ai genuinely cared about the child’s education.

No wonder—she was the Great Church’s Grand Archbishop, former treasure hunter, ex-pirate general… Jiana recalled the records and nodded with sympathy:

“Alright, we’ll enroll in this time slot.”

Seeing the time Jiana pointed to, Principal Ai frowned slightly:

“Anderson’s class…”

“Is there a problem?” Jiana asked curiously.

“Anderson is excellent with young children, but he tends to instill bad study habits. If we weren’t short-staffed, I wouldn’t let him teach Beginner English…” Before she finished, a man emerged from the corridor.

He had golden hair and blue eyes, wore a white shirt and black vest, hands tucked in his pockets.

He smiled at Principal Ai:

“Ai Dewenna, you just mentioned my name?”

In the Dream Metropolis, Ai Dewenna was Principal Ai’s English name.

Principal Ai composed herself and pointed to Ludwigh:

“This child wants to join your Beginner English class.”

“Is that so?” Anderson stepped before Ludwigh, squatted without dignity, and asked his prospective student, “Do you like learning English?”

“No,” Ludwigh shook his head quickly.

Anderson continued:

“What about French?”

“No,” Ludwigh shook his head again.

“Mauritian Creole?” Anderson persisted.

Ludwigh shook his head once more:

“No.”

“What about drawing?” Anderson changed the subject.

Ludwigh shook his head without hesitation:

“No.”

“Then what do you like?” Anderson wasn’t discouraged.

“Eating,” Ludwigh answered honestly.

Anderson smiled, stood up, and said:

“Then learn cooking with me—you’ll at least become a chef someday.”

Anyone else would have thought Anderson was mocking the child’s lack of academic talent—but Jiana only thought he had sharp eyes, instantly seeing Ludwigh’s true nature.

“Can you cook?” asked the dark-skinned receptionist with clear hostility.

Anderson laughed:

“I’m excellent at roasting rabbits—Daniiz originally wanted me to teach him, but then…”

Here, Anderson sighed.

He was the roommate of the Messenger, the one who first discovered the Messenger’s disappearance? Jianna suddenly perked up.

PS: Recommend a book titled “The Martial Saint!” In this world, mystery and the extraordinary have never faded—those who shatter the bonds of life through a body forged by countless trials and an unyielding will, and who pursue the limits of humanity in the modern city, are called: Martial Artists!

(End of Chapter)