Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 424 - 395 Dreams Begin, Dreams Fade 2

Chapter 424: 395 Dreams Begin, Dreams Fade 2

Just like I had done before, I stepped into the entrance of the basement of the fifteenth floor, then moved down along the stone steps, letting the surrounding floor pass over my head.

Soon, I reached the bottom. Looking back, the stone steps behind me and the entrance above had disappeared without me noticing, couldn’t tell exactly when they vanished. This is a dream, a place that’s ambiguous, such things are not surprising. I just continued moving my gaze, looking around.

Unlike the actual basement of the fifteenth floor, this one in the dream cannot be called a room; it is merely a mysterious space of endless darkness. There is no furniture, no lighting, yet somehow I can clearly see my own body, and also the bodies of others.

In the depths of this dark space, I saw a little boy dressed in a school uniform, sitting on the ground with his knees hugged. Should it be called "ground"? Although the ground was invisible in this dark space, there truly was a grounded feeling, and the boy opposite me—Chang’an—sat the same way.

Just like the last time I invaded the Spirit World of Yinyue, I once again saw this Ying Shen Silver Moon in the skin of Chang’an.

The last time Ying Shen Silver Moon appeared in the Spirit World in the form of Chang’an was because the Yinyue part within his soul had been severely damaged by my flames; and this time, although Ying Shen Silver Moon had initially healed, he still appeared as Chang’an. Sure enough, the previous resurrection ritual must have significantly impaired Silver Moon’s self-awareness.

As for the specific extent of the loss, whether it would prioritize Changan’s personal self-awareness, I’m not sure for now.

I first made a tentative call: "Changan."

"I am Yinyue." Little Changan buried his face in his knees, "I told you last time, didn’t I? Chang’an is just a dream I had, a void bubble... What are you doing here?"

"Of course, to rescue you," I said, "At the same time, I also came to kill you, Yinyue."

"You really don’t listen to others, how are you any different from Ying Lingyun?" said Little Changan.

"Ying Lingyun..." I pondered on what had happened before, "He was resurrected just now, as the real Yinyue, wasn’t he?"

"That’s right," replied Little Changan.

"But, why did Ying Lingyun negate that Yinyue?" I asked.

"Haven’t you already thought of the answer? Ying Lingyun wanted to revive the Me existing in his pleasant memories," Little Changan said, "He is destined not to fully realize his wishes. For humans always beautify their memories, adding extra value to the original things, calling it ’meaning’>

Yet that is merely an illusion existing in the human brain. The more meaning is added to things, the more they deviate from their true nature.

How many years has it been since he last saw me, and during those long years for humans, how much meaning did he add to those past memories? I fear at some point, what is imprinted in his heart is no longer the real me, but rather a beautiful illusion that overshadows the real me.

In the end, did he ever really understand the true me? Did he love the real me, or did he only love the me he imagined in his mind?"

Little Changan seemed to have seen through everything from the beginning.

Strangely enough, the things that Ying Shen Yinyue could see through, the real Yinyue who resurrected seemed unable to, astonished by Ying Lingyun’s rejection.

Perhaps this is also the difference in personality between Ying Shen Yinyue and the real Yinyue. Ying Shen Yinyue has the experience of living as Chang’an—a human, while the real Yinyue is a complete demon. The real Yinyue, never lived purely as a human, cannot understand the changeable human heart, and naturally cannot see the huge vanity in Ying Lingyun’s heart.

"Chang’an also made the same mistake; he assumed he understood you, yet the real you was completely different from what he imagined in his heart."

Little Changan slowly lifted his head, gazing at me expressionlessly, and said, "You have superpowers, so you firmly believed in the existence of strange things from the very start, entirely the opposite of the Changan who once tried to prove the existence of strange things and eventually gave up in despair. Changan, on the other hand, saw you as a stronger version of himself, how self-indulgent, and now his disillusionment is nothing but his own doing.

"You are the same, Ah Cheng. Don’t make me repeat it so many times, it’s time to let go of Chang’an. He’s just a fabrication of Silver Moon, nothing more than a castle in the air."

"So what?" I said, "You are the Ying Shen of Silver Moon, with the power to manipulate reality as if it were a fantasy and to turn fantasy into reality. So, stop using such meaningless terms as hallucination and reality in front of me.

"Although you say Chang’an is just a dream you had, in the mental world there are never absolute things; are you not also a nightmare that Chang’an had?

"Moreover, so what if Chang’an has disillusionment about me? We’ve been friends for so long; his perception of me is not always delusional, as he has seen more of my real side in our close contact. Interaction between people inevitably leads to self-indulgence, with occasional disillusionment and occasional inspiration being the norm.

"Let me ask you one thing, Yinyue, were you happy when you had the dream of ’Chang’an’?"

Hearing this, Little Changan fell silent.

"...How could I be happy?" he said, "Father doesn’t care about me at all; he only sees me as a living sacrifice to resurrect his lover. Grandfather despises me, has no affection for me at all, only sees me as a weapon and shield to protect the family. Jiuxing must also curse me in her heart; it’s because of me that she has to bear the responsibility of guarding the family, stepping into the dangerous, bloodshed world of demon hunters...

"Looking back, my life is filled with disappointment and failure, and the humiliation of powerlessness... such a nightmare..."

I continued: "But... there must have been times when you were happy?"

"..." Little Changan looked at me silently.

A stone collar appeared in my hand, a sealing tool obtained after killing the Ancient Moon God, capable of sealing Silver Moon with the same properties as the Ancient Moon God, now repaired by Mazao to a functional state.

Holding this stone collar, I said to Little Changan: "Yinyue... no, Chang’an, this time I ask you, will you be my friend?"

"Wouldn’t a normal person put out a collar when making friends with someone?" Little Changan retorted, "All that reasoning and seemingly touching words you said earlier were completely wasted by this action of yours, don’t you know? Saying things like the norm of interaction is occasional disillusionment and inspiration, this action of yours only scares me."

"Sorry, although I said it was a request just now, your and Chang’an’s opinions are irrelevant. Whether you agree or refuse today, you must continue to be my friend, and this stone collar you must wear around your neck." I stepped closer to Little Changan.

Little Changan hurriedly released his arms around his knees, got up from the ground, then suddenly thought of something, laughed, and said, "Almost forgot, this dark area is the mental space formed by Chang’an’s knot, symbolizing his fear of the basement on the fifteenth floor, and the regret and shame of finally meeting the strange event of his dreams but not daring to step into it...

"Unless he can overcome his fear of this place himself, you can’t take him away from here. And as long as I’m here, his self-awareness cannot float, let alone overcome any fear."

"Is this the level of obstacles?" I nodded, "This is easy."

As I spoke, I gestured to the surrounding space, and a Fire Sea instantly unfolded here, dispelling all darkness and revealing a space about two-thirds the size of a classroom, surrounded by unrenovated concrete walls, without doors or windows, and desolate gray shelves like those of a closed convenience store...

This scene depicted the basement of the fifteenth floor as it should be.

"Impossible?" Little Changan was stunned, "Even if you have a replica of the Water Moon, you don’t have the technical skill to manipulate dreams, you cannot create this scene from thin air to amend the space formed by Chang’an’s knot.

"Unless this is not created from nothing, but you... no, it can’t be... could it be...?"

He seemed to realize something, his expression uncertain.

"I seem to have not told you before. Although Chang’an didn’t dare to enter the basement of the fifteenth floor, I secretly went in. The interior layout I know very well." I said, "And with the experience gained in the independent reality space of Dr. Silver Mask, I also learned one piece of information.

"When a new person enters a dream, that person also becomes a dreamer supporting the dream, their spirit becomes material to fill the dream, and if the spiritual power is strong enough, they can even influence some settings of the dream.

"The time flow in this dream is synchronized with the speed of my consciousness, which is evidence. And since I have the memory of the scene in the basement of the fifteenth floor, and you don’t, then my memory naturally can become material here, filling this unsightly darkness."

I came up to Little Changan, grabbed his wrist, and then pulled the distracted person to my side.

"Are you very afraid of this place?" I asked, "I came to rescue you."

"How... how did you know?" he was at a loss.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He said in confusion, "At that time, it should have been your first encounter with strange events, how did you know you could come back after going down..."

"I didn’t know," I replied.

He repeated dully, "You didn’t know..."

The stone steps to leave the basement of the fifteenth floor appeared not far away.

I held Little Changan’s wrist, led him upwards, pushed open the closed wooden lid above, and returned to the living room of the fifteenth-floor room.

Little Changan looked around in disbelief, "It’s really... came out just like that..."

"The secret lies in the English letters on the carpet," I said, "After entering the basement of the fifteenth floor, the entrance and stairs disappear, and the basement becomes a Different Space from which no means can exit. But as long as you draw the English letters from the carpet corresponding to the position on the ceiling, you can complete the missing lines of the Array on the floor of the living room.

"At that time, I spent a very long time finally solving this puzzle, now I’m telling you the answer directly. How is it? Not afraid anymore?"

After hearing it, Little Changan was silent for a long time, then nodded, "...Yes, not afraid anymore."

After saying this, he exhaled a long breath, as if having let go of something.

Then, he showed a relieved smile.

"Ah Cheng... you are indeed remarkable," he said.

With those words, the dream seemed to release its phantom light as if signaling the end.

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