Chapter 423: 423. Dream Walking - 3
As soon as William activated the Dream Invader ability, a strange sensation washed over his entire body. It felt as though every ounce of strength had suddenly left him, causing his senses to disconnect from the physical world one after another.
Before he could properly process what was happening, his awareness was pulled away from his body, and the familiar feeling of solid ground beneath his feet vanished completely.
When he regained some sense of orientation, he realized that he was floating.
The space around him felt thick and fluid, almost as if he had been submerged beneath a calm ocean. Every movement required deliberate effort, and the dense atmosphere resisted him in subtle ways. Looking down at himself, he noticed that his current form was much smaller than his original body.
His vision was slightly blurred, and everything seemed covered by a faint haze that made the world appear distant and dreamlike.
Even through the distortion, he could make out the figures of Tamsya and Selena sitting on the couch in the real world. Their forms appeared like silhouettes viewed through murky water. Although he could see them, he could not hear a single sound. The silence was absolute, making the environment feel even stranger.
William carefully moved through the dense air, adjusting to the unfamiliar sensation. Every motion reminded him of a fish swimming through deep water. He slowly turned his head and immediately spotted something unusual behind Sera.
A swirling vortex of blue and green energy floated just behind the back of her head.
The spiral rotated slowly, releasing faint pulses of light that spread through the surrounding darkness. It looked unstable and mysterious, yet William instinctively understood its purpose.
That vortex was the entrance.
If he wanted to enter Sera’s dream, he would have to pass through it.
Trusting his instincts, William gently floated toward the swirling portal. The closer he got, the more powerful the energy felt. The currents surrounding the vortex tugged at his body, pulling him toward the center. After a brief moment of hesitation, he allowed himself to drift forward and entered the heart of the spiral.
The instant he crossed the threshold, everything changed.
William felt himself being dragged through a narrow tunnel at tremendous speed. The walls surrounding him glowed with the same blue and green energy that filled the vortex. However, now that he could see them more clearly, he realized the tunnel was not made of stone or light.
It resembled a living organism.
The surface appeared to be formed from a strange fleshy membrane that pulsed rhythmically like a beating heart. Soft waves of luminescence traveled across the walls, illuminating the passage with an eerie glow. The entire structure felt alive, as though he were traveling through the veins of some enormous creature.
The experience lasted only a short while, but it felt much longer.
Without warning, the tunnel abruptly ended.
William was violently expelled from the other side.
His body shot through the air before crashing onto solid ground with enough force to knock the breath from his lungs. For several moments he simply lay there, struggling to regain his bearings as nausea churned inside his stomach.
"The fuck... cough!"
He rolled onto his side and coughed repeatedly while trying to steady himself.
Then a familiar notification appeared.
[Ding!! Absolute Adaptation Activated]
The effect was immediate.
The dizziness rapidly faded, and the nauseating sensation disappeared almost completely. William felt a wave of stability spread throughout his body. Whatever strain the dream realm had placed on him was quickly being corrected by his talent.
Within moments, he felt better than ever. Finally managing to stabilize himself, William pushed himself to his feet and surveyed his surroundings.
Only then did he realize where he had landed.
He was standing atop a grassy cliff.
The wind brushed gently against the endless field surrounding him, causing waves to ripple through the tall grass. Without giving it much thought, he walked toward the edge of the cliff and looked down.
[Nice. The view is good," Orion spoke.
William nodded in agreement before his eyes widened.
"Holy shit... is that Riverdale’s capital?"
Far in the distance stood a massive city.
At first glance, it was unmistakably the capital of Riverdale. The layout, the architecture, and even the positioning of the major structures were exactly the same as he remembered.
Yet something was horribly wrong.
The city was dead.
Entire districts had been reduced to rubble. Towering buildings lay collapsed upon themselves. Streets were buried beneath mountains of debris. Blackened ruins stretched as far as the eye could see, giving the impression that some unimaginable catastrophe had swept through the city and erased nearly everything in its path.
The once magnificent capital had become little more than a graveyard.
"What exactly is she dreaming about?" William muttered in confusion. There was no point standing around wondering.
He needed answers about who this dream entity was and what its purpose was.
Taking a deep breath, William stepped forward and jumped from the cliff.
The wind rushed past him as he descended, but before he could fall far, he adjusted his movement and propelled himself toward the ruined city.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the capital, the nightmare continued. Blood stained the streets.
Ruined buildings lined every road, and shattered remains of homes and businesses were scattered everywhere. The city was completely silent. No voices could be heard. No signs of life remained.
Only the faint sound of breathing disturbed the eerie stillness. Hidden beneath the debris of a collapsed tavern, a small elven girl crouched in terror.
She pressed herself against the rubble and did everything she could to remain unseen.
Dirt covered her face. Dry blood stained her clothes. Her brown hair was tangled with mud and dust, making her look even more miserable than she already felt.
Every breath came with difficulty. Every movement carried fear.
Her entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Grrrrrrr...
A low growl echoed through the ruined street.
The little elf froze.
Several monstrous creatures slowly emerged from a nearby alleyway.
Each of them possessed enormous wolf-like features combined with the size and physique of giants. Their massive bodies crushed stone and debris beneath their feet as they searched the area.
They were hunting. The elf desperately held her breath.
She placed all her hope in the damaged roof still hanging above the rubble. It was fragile and barely standing, but perhaps it would be enough to hide her.
Deep down, however, she already knew the truth. These were monsters.
Predators. Their senses were far beyond anything a normal person could evade.
A huge pillar by her side was suddenly crushed to dust under the massive feet of a monster.
The faint noise was enough to make the elven girl gasp. That single sound sealed her fate.
The monsters reacted instantly.
The damaged roof above her exploded apart as enormous claws tore through it. Splintered wood and broken stone scattered everywhere, exposing the terrified girl beneath.
"Arhhhhhh!"
Seraphine screamed. Without wasting a second, she turned and ran.
The gigantic wolf-titan chimeras immediately gave chase.
Despite her fear, she somehow managed to navigate through the ruins. She squeezed through narrow gaps, climbed over broken walls, and slipped through spaces far too small for the massive beasts to follow comfortably. For a brief moment, it seemed she might escape.
Then another monster landed directly in front of her.
Sera froze.
The creature towering over her was even more terrifying than the others.
It possessed the burning wings of a phoenix fused with the monstrous frame of an enormous ape. Its twisted body radiated power and cruelty, making it look like something born directly from a nightmare.
Sera’s heart sank. It was over; her life was over.
Those massive limbs would crush her just as they had crushed the other children from the slave house.
She shut her eyes tightly and waited for the impact. But it never came.
The surroundings suddenly fell silent. Confused, Sera slowly opened her eyes.
The monsters were gone.
In their place, only drifting gray ashes remained. The wind carried them away across the ruined street until nothing was left.
"You are safe."
A calm voice reached her ears. Sera quickly turned around.
Standing a bit close to her was a young man with blue hair. The moment she saw him, her guard immediately rose. She hurried backward, creating distance between them.
"Who are you?" she shouted.
Meanwhile, William stared at her in confusion.
"What the hell is this?"
Well, for some reason she is 12 years old in her dream.
William rubbed his forehead and frowned. The sight before him finally reminded him of something important.
Slowly, he raised both hands in a non-threatening gesture and carefully approached her.
"Sera, I want you to calm down. I am not a stranger. I’m William, the one who comes to meet you every night."
[Gosh, that sounds so wrong.]
Ignoring Orion’s comment, William focused on convincing her that he really was the same person she knew.
Fortunately, it was easier than expected. He brought up details from their meetings; he talked about their secret spot under the maple tree or about the chocolates.
As he spoke, Sera’s suspicion gradually disappeared.
Before long, she realized he was telling the truth. Relief immediately appeared on her face.
"William... thank God you’re safe."
She rushed forward and threw herself into his arms. William smiled and hugged her back.
Then his smile slowly disappeared. His expression became increasingly strange.
"Wait. Was she this tall when she was 12?"
[Well, girls mature faster than boys.]
"Hell no! Impossible!"
[No need to be shocked it’s just a biological fact]
"I’ve turned into a twelve-year-old!" William immediately pushed himself away from Sera and began inspecting his body. His eyes widened in shock.
His muscular frame was gone. In its place was the body of a 12-year-old child.
"Fuck! Even my clothes changed!"
[Interesting]
William checked himself from head to toe in complete disbelief. Fortunately, a nearby puddle of blood reflected his appearance.
After examining it carefully, he finally relaxed slightly. At least he still looked like himself.
He had become his younger self rather than transforming into some random person.
"How did this happen?"
William’s thoughts raced as he desperately searched for an explanation. Fortunately, Orion had an answer.
[We are inside Sera’s dream realm. The moment Sera realized who you were, you transformed into the exact image she remembers of you. This could mean that Sera managed to unconsciously change your form, and there is a very good chance that Seraphine has managed to lucid dream.
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