A massive island covered in dense jungle.
Two small figures darted quickly across the forest as if sprinting dolls.
The two of them panted heavily, but they kept running. The reason they couldn’t stop was simple.
A monster was chasing them from behind.
“Don’t stop—keep running!”
Seridan pulled Sedina by the hand.
The fact that the two of them had managed to meet here in the middle layer of Dreamland was nothing short of miraculous.
If either had been left alone in this empty world, survival would have been impossible.
But the problem was that the moment they ran into each other, some unknown monster had been dragged in along with them.
“What the hell is that thing!”
Trees cracked apart as the unidentified monster came barreling forward.
They couldn’t see it clearly yet, but judging by the crashing trees and overturned boulders, it was obviously no ordinary beast.
“I-I don’t know either!”
“Tch. If only I had my bombs, something like that would be...!”
Seridan bitterly regretted that this was the dream world.
It was bad enough that she had been dropped in here without warning, but even worse was that all her beloved belongings had vanished.
Normally, her suspenders bristled with small trinkets that packed tremendous explosive force.
If she had them, she couldn’t have killed that monster, but at least she could have driven it back.
“Can’t you use magic? You said you’d gotten stronger recently.”
“T-that’s easier said than done.”
Even though they were in a thick forest, Sedina still had to flee.
In the real world she could freely command the plants around her as a green-element mage.
But in Dreamland, it didn’t work the same.
This was a dream, and dreams twisted reality.
Unfamiliar with Dreamland, Sedina found herself unable to use proper magic.
In the end, all she and Seridan could do was run from the nameless monster.
“Damn it! Doesn’t that thing ever tire out?”
“We need to head to another island!”
“Another island? We’re floating in the sky! What, are we supposed to jump off?”
“There’s a waterfall. If we ride it down, we should land in a pond on a nearby island.”
“No choice then!”
If they didn’t escape, it was only a matter of time before the monster behind them devoured them.
And even if this was a dream world, being eaten still meant death.
The two of them broke free of the forest, and a wide-open vista spread before them.
A vast sky—and countless floating islands scattered beneath it.
Sedina and Seridan immediately spotted the stream flowing to the edge of the island and bolted toward it.
Crack! Crash!
The monster was closing in fast.
Thick trees toppled to either side, and through the jungle shadows a massive silhouette loomed closer.
“Jump!”
The instant they reached the stream’s end, they leapt without looking back.
The monster’s roar followed them as they fell.
Uwoooohhh!!
A shrill cry that made the whole island tremble.
Glancing back mid-fall, they caught sight of the creature’s outline at the cliff’s edge.
Backlit by the sun, its true shape was hidden, but its bulk was enormous.
For a fleeting moment, relief washed over them as another island and its waterfall basin grew nearer.
Splash!
Sedina’s judgment had been correct.
Thanks to the huge pond at the bottom, neither of them was hurt.
They flailed their limbs and swam ashore, gasping in relief.
“Haa... haa... W-we made it.”
“There’s no way even that thing would chase us this far, right?”
As Seridan spoke, she froze.
Above the pond where she had just fallen, a black shadow blotted out the light.
No way—
Both she and Sedina looked up.
The giant shadow dropped into the water, backlit against the sky.
Swoooosh!
The impact was so immense that the pond overflowed, creating a miniature tidal wave.
Caught in the surge, Sedina and Seridan were swept backward.
A geyser of water shot upward, followed by sheets of rain.
From within the spray, the black figure rose to its feet.
Without a word, the two turned and bolted again.
That monster clearly had no intention of letting them go.
* * *
“This is turning into a real pain.”
Alex scratched the back of his head as he gazed up at the beautiful galaxy spread across the sky.
If circumstances had been different, he might have admired the breathtaking view. But now was not the time.
“What do you all think?”
He glanced back at the others—Violetta, Bellaruna, Phantos.
They only traded looks, offering no real answer.
The only one to speak was Arfa.
“I think this place is Dreamland.”
“Dreamland? So all those people who fell into that sleeping sickness... they ended up here?”
Arfa gave a concise explanation of what he knew.
“Dreamland is said to be a world woven from people’s dreams, unconscious minds, and spirits. Unless you’re a Dreamwalker from the Dream School, it’s almost impossible for an ordinary person to come here.”
“But here we are.”
“Yes. That’s what’s strange. I’m an automaton—I don’t even sleep—yet I’m here in this dream world. It must be because of that golden dust that engulfed us.”
“Well, whatever the reason, one thing’s for sure—we’ve been dumped into fairyland. Damn it. I never thought I’d actually see a childhood bedtime story come to life when I was grown.”
“So what do we do now?”
Violetta’s question hung in the air.
Originally, their plan had been to escape safely to Rederbelk.
But the golden dust had dragged all of Owens into Dreamland.
How could they ever face Ludger after this?
“Just sitting around here doing nothing doesn’t feel right either.”
Alex looked around.
All around them, people had gathered in clusters.
The number was staggering, and it was still growing by the minute.
It seemed safe to assume that everyone from Rederbelk had fallen in.
“Looks like Seridan and Hans got dragged in too. And our youngest should be ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) here somewhere as well.”
“From what I hear, people have been heading deeper down.”
Arfa, with his keen hearing, picked up scraps of conversation from nearby groups.
Apparently, Seorn instructors and others had all leapt into some lake.
“If Seorn instructors went, that means the Leader must be down there too, right?”
“Most likely.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.”
Alex’s words made Violetta frown.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going down there?”
“What else? Just sitting here twiddling our thumbs while the Leader’s below?”
“But you don’t know what dangers are waiting there. If you move rashly—”
“I get the concern, but what if right now, this very moment, they’re desperately hoping for our help? Are we just going to sit here?”
“Well, that’s...”
“And besides, if the Leader isn’t around, then naturally, I’m the next in charge, right?”
Phantos shot up at that, indignant.
“Who made you leader?”
“Well, I’m the smartest, the best-looking, the most charming, obviously.”
“The strongest one here is me.”
“P-please, calm down!”
As Phantos rose to his feet, Bellaruna frantically tried to stop him.
But Alex didn’t look away.
“Me! Me too! Please include me as a leader candidate!”
Arfa laughed innocently, gleefully pouring fuel on the fire.
Watching the ridiculous scene unfold, Violetta shook her head.
Men. Always the same.
If things continued like this, Alex and Phantos would end up fighting, so Violetta stepped forward to mediate.
“What do you think you’re doing? Are we really going to sort out our ranks here of all places?”
“Why not?”
“Oh? Is that a challenge? I’ll take you up on it. Looks like you’ve gotten stronger since your trip to the beastkin lands.”
“For crying out loud! Get a grip! Should I tell the Owner later that the two of you were about to start fighting here?”
Her eyes glinted sharply.
At the mention of Ludger, Alex and Phantos both backed down.
Still, their pride wasn’t completely swallowed, and a subtle tension lingered between them.
“For now, let’s at least find that lake we’re supposed to use to go down.”
“No need for that.”
A voice cut in—someone not from Owens.
It was a figure wearing a black hood.
“And who are you?”
“Someone who shares your purpose.”
“And what exactly is our purpose? Saying it like that just makes you sound more suspicious.”
“Believe me or not, it’s up to you. But you want to go down deeper, don’t you? I can give you real help with that.”
“......”
Violetta still looked unconvinced, so Alex answered in her place.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
“Wait a second! Who gave you the right to decide that for us?”
“They said they’ll show us the way. Then we’d be fools not to go.”
Alex tapped his finger against his forehead.
“Besides, my gut tells me this person will be useful.”
“Really?”
Alex had reached the level of Master.
His already sharp instincts had developed into something even keener after that—something one could only call intuition.
And with that intuition, Alex judged that the hooded figure was not an enemy, at least for now.
“This time, I agree as well.”
Phantos folded his arms and nodded solemnly.
He too had sensed something with his own sharp perception.
A moment ago he had seemed ready to fight Alex, but now he was supporting him. Faced with that, Violetta had no choice but to surrender.
“Fine. Let’s see where this goes.”
Her voice was laced with resignation.
* * *
The last nightmare construct was swiftly destroyed.
This one had taken the form of the First Princess Aileen.
Compared to the monstrous shapes before, it was actually weaker.
Of course, being a nightmare given flesh, it was still formidable, but not enough to stand against Ludger.
Yet even as he struck it down, a sour feeling lingered.
Even knowing it was fake, attacking something wearing Aileen’s face left him unsettled.
‘Good grief.’
He told himself to put it out of mind. Just as he did, someone approached him cautiously.
It was the Third Princess, Erendir.
When he looked at her questioningly, she spoke in a small voice only he could hear.
“P-please don’t tell my sister about this.”
“......”
“If she finds out what happened here, I’m dead.”
Would she really go so far as to kill her?
Ludger thought so for a moment, then corrected himself.
No, Aileen wouldn’t kill her.
But the torment she’d inflict would be close enough.
‘So that’s why she’s called a nightmare.’
Who would have thought that a princess would fear her older sister more than any imaginary monster?
“You’ll keep it a secret, right? Please?”
“...I’m not the type to run around blabbing. Don’t worry.”
At that, Erendir’s face brightened immediately.
Seeing her like this, Ludger could understand why Aileen tormented her “useless little sister.”
“All right, gather everyone.”
He called the group together.
Most were students, with Selina the only other teacher besides him.
It turned out Julia and Selina had fallen onto the same island.
Thankfully, many students had landed nearby, so they had reunited quickly.
But the large gathering had also drawn nightmare constructs down on them.
Without Ludger’s help, casualties would have been unavoidable.
“Some faces are missing.”
He checked through the students.
Quite a few of those swallowed by the sinkhole above were nowhere to be seen.
Aidan and his friends, Flora Lumos and Sheryl Wagner among them.
They had clearly been scattered elsewhere.
“W-what should we do?”
Selina couldn’t hide her worry that students might be in danger somewhere else.
“For now, considering how many people are around, they’ve likely run into others already.”
The students weren’t fools.
They knew that wandering recklessly among these floating islands was dangerous.
The problem was that large gatherings attracted the creatures of the middle layer.
“Julia. Aside from nightmare constructs, are there other threats here?”
“Not a few.”
“So you’re saying we need to move as soon as possible.”
But another problem arose.
If Ludger left, what would become of the students?
They could stay put, but if more nightmares attacked after he left?
He couldn’t take them back up either.
He had to descend.
But staying here waiting for rescue was no solution either. Who knew when help would come in a situation like this?
Just then—
[Are you all enjoying your dreams?]
An old man’s voice echoed through the sky-islands as if it were watching them in real time.
It rang from everywhere at once. The voice of Nirva.
“What? Where’s that coming from?”
“S-so scary...”
The sudden sound made the students tremble and huddle together.
[Quite the crowd gathered. But I see you’re all still dreaming shallow dreams. What a shame. Since you’ve come to Dreamland, wouldn’t it be better to dream deeper?]
“That bastard...”
The source of all this chaos—Nirva.
His voice was full of discontent, as though displeased with the situation.
And yet Ludger was certain his face was twisted in delight.
[So, to make it easier for you, I’ll lend a hand.]
With that, his voice vanished.
Wooooooong──!
Instead, a tremendous sound reverberated between the sky-islands.
“W-what was that?”
“It sounded like a horn... or a beast’s cry...”
The students realized it was a sign of disaster, and terror took hold.
“L-look up there!”
A student pointed to another floating island in the sky.
The massive rocky island was being devoured by something black—disappearing into nothing.
