“Walk to the deepest place.”

The damp air and thick fog pressed in around us. Beyond it, water rippled faintly. Following the Sloth’s words, Mari stepped forward. Samir hurried after her. Splash—shallow water dampened their shoes as the fog enveloped them. Before long, wisps of shallow dreams began to gather.

“Wow, they really come.”

The most potent dream manifestation had entered the prepared Sea of Sleep. At once, people’s dreams were drawn here. The shallow dreams flowed like mist, formless yet glowing in many colors. Red, yellow, green, blue—they drifted like sparkling cotton candy, too thin to peer inside.

“Huh?”

A vivid pink light emerged. A small Fairy Dragon held its shape unmistakably. Floating among the dreams, it yawned softly.

“You—are you…”

– Uuu-ung.

Han-gyeol rubbed his half-closed eyes with a tiny forepaw. As a strong mental-affinity phantom, he retained his form even in dreams. His mouth stretched into another yawn, and his sleepy eyes opened halfway.

– …the one who almost married that person?

His golden eyes blinked slowly. Mari tilted her head in surprise.

“That? Seong Hyunjae-nim?”

– Mm, that one. Haa-ahn.

“Yes, it’s Mari. Han-gyeol?”

– I’m Han-gyeol. Hello.

Half-asleep, Han-gyeol bowed his head in greeting. His small body spun gently in the air.

“So in Han Yujin-nim’s world it’s night. Everyone will safely return home.”

– …Daddy? Home?

“Yes, Seong Hyunjae-nim too.”

– That’s not needed. But… I guess he wouldn’t harm Daddy. I hope so…..

As if fighting deeper sleep—or about to awaken—the Fairy Dragon’s form blurred.

– Byeol-ah! No! You already ate!

With that sleep-talking shout, Han-gyeol vanished. Mari waved her hand briefly and continued on. Samir took up position before her. Mari shot him an annoyed glance.

“You could still turn back. You don’t have to come.”

“I can’t leave you alone and let who knows what happen.”

Samir shrugged, and Mari crossed her arms in displeasure. She’d never liked him trailing her. She no longer needed a protector.

“Tch.”

At that moment Samir, who had been walking ahead, stopped. He stared at empty air—his status window.

“Is it called the system? Its effect seems to be fading.”

“Oh, you’re right.”

Because this was dream and not their system-infused world, the status window was half-erased. Even the inventory failed to function properly. Samir stepped back and drew a weapon from his invisible inventory.

“I wish my stats and skills stayed intact.”

“If you’re scared, go back.”

Samir strapped various weapons to his body and looked down at Mari. She met his gaze squarely.

“Even if it’s a contract, it can’t be that great, right? And truly, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Mari hesitated, then continued.

“I really am a dream. I didn’t even tell Hyunah-unnie in detail. That I’m someone’s—one person’s—dream.”

A fairy-tale princess born in a dream. Sweet and glamorous, it seemed. But—

“There’s a girl named Park Hayul, and I’m her dream. I embodied the princess that Park Hayul imagined. Just someone’s foolish, unrealistic fantasy.”

Indeed. Mari was Park Hayul’s dream. Mari-sa had told her that when Park Hayul fully awakened, Mari would vanish.

“…One person’s dream? Not a Transcendent like the Crescent Moon?”

“No! I thought she wasn’t ordinary, but I didn’t know. Anyway, she’s an airhead! She said she loved Han Yujin-nim and would save me or something. …I was similar then.”

Mari’s cheeks flushed. Samir refitted his weapons and resumed walking. Mari drew a sword and followed after him.

“Until Park Hayul awakens, I won’t die or anything. So you can turn back! You don’t need to worry. My mother knows I’ll disappear. I’ll have nothing left to do then. I’m just a pre-awakening dream.”

A strand of one person’s dream.

The deeper we went into the sea, the more the system window faded. The inventory would not open at all. Skills were unusable. Deeper dreams began to approach through the faint mists. Watching the fog thin as the water darkened, Samir said,

“You are still a princess.”

“You’ve always been a princess. But—!”

“I am a prince dragging a leash behind me.”

Samir smiled. Mari furrowed her brow.

“Why are you laughing?”

“When I first received the order to guard you, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. The daughter of Mari-sa, who kidnapped the Sesung Guild Leader and nearly married him, then ran away! Not something ordinary.”

“Proposing to Seong Hyunjae-nim is my life’s biggest shame! I haven’t lived long, but still.”

“I was most curious how long you’d endure.”

“Endure?”

“If you would willingly pursue marriage with a man you barely knew at your mother’s command, you cannot be independent. Even as an S-Rank Awakened.”

An S-Rank Awakened could go anywhere alone and live well. Yet Mari obediently followed Mari-sa’s instructions even on life’s most critical decisions. At Samir’s words, Mari clamped her mouth shut, then blurted out,

“I was born for that!”

“Yes.”

“From the start. That was the single role given to me. Could I refuse? And Seong Hyunjae-nim’s appearance was convincing! I truly believed that was my duty.”

A princess born in a dream. A wedding to save the world.

“But you are here now.”

She walked out by her own will and stayed to the end. Before Mari could reply—

– Grrr.

A nightmare appeared. Normally nightmares vanish like melting ice upon awakening, but here it took shape. A six-armed, sky-blue mass slithered up from below the surface.

– Kyaaah!

A scream like a crow’s caw echoed. The nightmare did not attack the other dreams—instead it rolled and flew with them, indistinguishable at first glance. Yet—

– Ah.

The nightmare’s eyes blinked, fixing on Mari and Samir. Ordinary dreams drifted by. Lucky dreams laughed and played. But the nightmare stared intently at the two of them, especially Mari.

– Me too.

The solidified negative dream hungered for possession. Slowly, greedily, it reached out.

Clang!

Samir’s sword cut it down. The pale, great hand scattered into mist. All nightmares turned to face Mari. Even the grand, colorful butterfly-like lucky dream halted.

“Shall we run?”

Mari nodded. Splash—they kicked off from the puddles in their shoes and began to sprint.

– Kerhng!

A massive, dark-hued hound bared its teeth. Spinning and skidding, Samir stopped short. Whoosh—the wave of water he kicked up obscured the hound’s view, then a curved blade cleaved through the water. Crack! Samir’s cut severed the hound’s neck in one stroke. Flowing with the momentum, he pivoted forward and chased after Mari.

“It seems your stats have dropped a bit.”

“I told you to go!”

“Milady, I don’t know how to undo a leash.”

A dagger at Mari’s thigh flew into her hand. A bat pierced by the blade plunged into the water. A wire looped from Samir’s wrist, coiling around a serpentine creature attempting to bite Mari’s gown. He yanked it taut, and the blade split the creature in two while it hovered in midair.

“I was trained that way.”

Since childhood, even upon awakening as S-Rank.

“Limb intact, S-Rank Awakened yet all so.”

Thunk! A formless mass struck him. Samir crossed his arms to catch it. His foot slid, sending ripples. Swish—a high-arched kick and the mass flew away. From behind him, an eel-like form dove then leaped upward, barbs shimmering.

“It can’t be helped!”

Mari’s sword sliced the eel. Swoosh—the vertically severed nightmare sank beneath the waves.

“If you live knowing that, then—even if pitied by others as pathetic—”

Why unable to break free when perfectly fine? Even surpassing ordinary people? Yet the lethargy bred by habit was heavy and frightening. When irrationality becomes routine, there’s no reason to will escape. Thud! A massive ox’s horns crashed down. Samir grabbed them. Mari leapt behind him and drove the blade into the ox’s head. Krak—nightmare smoke dispersed like mist.

“I couldn’t leave alone, either. At least, Seong Hyunjae-nim annoyed me!”

She glared at him as if he were a puppet bereft of will, unworthy even of basic respect.

“And then Han Yujin-nim came!”

Mari ran. Samir ran after. The water tugged at their ankles, ever heavier. Slower than before, but still they pressed on.

“My sister is Isabella.”

Samir tossed one of his remaining daggers over his shoulder.

“The place we live severely oppresses women. Bella lived there her whole life. Yet upon awakening she immediately sought to escape.”

“That makes Bella amazing, I think!”

“I think so too.”

They were not blood siblings. They discovered each other only after Awakening. Yet Samir helped Isabella, who acted recklessly. He’d been wounded countless times and bound by disadvantageous contracts, but regretted nothing. He simply longed to see someone achieve what he could not.

“Milady, you have enjoyed yourself everywhere, giving your all.”

“I truly did enjoy it!”

“So I wished you would not return.”

Her gown trailed like petals. Above them, the water’s surface rippled like waves in the sky. Though they ran still standing in ankle-deep water, suddenly they felt submerged in the abyss.

“…I can’t go back now.”

In the ocean’s deepest depths, Mari halted. Around her, the sea began to shift. Distant skyscrapers rose. The reality remembered by people materialized, forming another world overlaying ours.

“So! I told you, you didn’t need to follow. It’s not a happy ending, is it?”

“As I said, I never learned to undo that leash.”

Unlike the other dreams melding into this emerging world, the nightmare persisted. Samir stepped before Mari to shield her. Mari watched his back, grinding her teeth. She would sleep here. Then what of Samir?

“This world’s dream isn’t yet complete. If you retrace your steps, you might escape!”

Instead of answering, Samir swung his sword. Clang—the long claw struck steel. He dropped to the floor, slicing the creature’s nape as he slid under it.

– Keeek!

A sharp beak grazed Samir’s leg and plunged him face-down into the water. He stamped the yellow, savage bird beneath his foot and vaulted upward. Splish! Three arms slammed into the spot he’d vacated. A snake coiled up them and lunged at Samir’s foot.

“Really!”

Mari stomped her foot. Though she felt she must not escape, she wanted to run. Wham! Samir evaded but his lithe form was struck squarely by a thick tail. Water splashed as he tumbled from sight.

There were too many. Endless, as long as people kept dreaming. Was there any way to send him out? Mari bit her lip again.

– What is this?

Then a whisper echoed.

– What are you doing here?

“…Who are you?”

– You all know me. You remember me?

Mari’s eyes flickered. The voice sounded familiar. Certainly, back then….

“Ruga Peya!”

At the Chatterbox party. The mist had laughed then, brushing Mari’s cheek like praise.

– Only the tiniest trace remained. But this place, I don’t know why, is where those traces gather.

“Have you come back to life?”

– No, I’m the dream-swirl. That’s what dreams are. Layers of memories. No real power. Many fragments barely forming a voice.

Then there was no hope for help. Mari’s shoulders sagged. Meanwhile Samir’s wounds multiplied. Left as is, he would never live.

“Is there no way out of here?”

She asked, hoping. Peya’s voice hummed as if pondering.

– You’re the one making it. Why ask me, little girl?

“I—I’m a dream, you see.”

Mari hurriedly explained her situation. Peya swayed in interest.

– Quite amusing. Simple. Get out of here.

“Pardon?”

– You needn’t sleep, right? Why must you sleep? Just wake up. You’re a princess. Heir to the throne!

Clang! Mari’s broken sword spun and fell on the water’s surface. Samir drew a spare weapon, but a fang bit into his arm first. A low moan escaped him. Mari stepped forward inadvertently. The water now reached her waist. Movement was difficult.

– You’re a princess in your world too, right? A hard-earned place.

“I…”

– Take it! All of it! This dream is yours!

The fog laughed. Mari’s face crumpled. She was a princess made for necessity. Nothing more.

“I am not that kind of princess…!”

Yet she was a princess. Mari shut her mouth tight. She stepped forward once more. Because she was a princess. And—

“…This is my dream.”

She was someone’s dream. But Mari was Mari. Her time alive had truly existed. She smelled blood. Splashing water, Mari ran. She had had fun. She’d tried many things and found new hobbies.

“I walked out, I joined in.”

She reached out for the fallen Samir. Nightmares watched her.

“I can dream too.”

A dream within a dream. Her green eyes closed and opened deep. As Peya said, the way to escape a dream was simple: wake up.

“Even if I vanish upon waking, I will—now in reality—dream.”

Feeling the dream world complete, Mari awoke.

“There’s still no news?”

Mari-sa glanced at Park Hayul’s complaints. Park Hayul sighed as though the ground had opened beneath her.

“Where on earth is Yujin-hyung! He suddenly showed up in London, then returned to Korea, then vanished again! London was so dangerous. Why do S-Ranks do this? Yujin-hyung is ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) F-Rank!”

Murmuring when she’d see him, Park Hayul’s eyes grew distant.

“Hyung was the brightest, most radiant person I’ve ever seen. So cool. Ah, I want to meet him quickly and bring him back.”

Mari-sa had noted many oddities about Park Hayul. Poor sense of reality was not uncommon; rookie hunters often suffered harm while feeling invulnerable. Park Hayul was the type who never feared for her life.

And it was true.

Park Hayul did not die. She survived situations that should have killed her. Then she dismissed it as a scary dream.

Her skill was peculiar too. High-tier mental skills were difficult to use, even for seasoned Awakened. S-Rank skills barely affected mid-tier Awakened unless they met strict conditions. Upper-tier hunters were almost immune.

Yet Park Hayul’s skill harmed indiscriminately. Even three overlapping A-Rank targets required almost no setup. It affected Han Yujin, who ought to have strong mental resistance.

‘She can’t really be only A-Rank.’

Softly ignoring Park Hayul’s plea to find Yujin, Mari-sa mused. The Crescent Moon had brought Park Hayul and created Mari from her. Park Hayul was half-asleep, dwelling in dreams, and from her Mari was born.

Something strong, S-Rank or higher, deeply connected to the Crescent Moon and mental powers dwelled within Park Hayul. Mari-sa was certain, but could only watch over her.

“Doesn’t my sister listen to me at all?”

Park Hayul shouted at Charlotte, who was entering the drawing room.

“If I help, hyung—”

Her voice cut off abruptly. Park Hayul blinked.

“Huh……”

Her body wavered.

“Sleepy, right……”

Then she collapsed onto the carpet. Charlotte hurried over to check her condition and looked up at Mari-sa.

“She’s fallen asleep.”

“Fallen asleep?”

“Yes. No other abnormalities so far…”

Slap—Charlotte struck Park Hayul’s cheek. No response. Several more strikes, still nothing. Mari-sa gazed calmly at the sleeping Park Hayul.

“Let’s put her to bed in the annex.”

Charlotte left to fetch someone. In the sudden moment, Mari-sa recalled the girl who’d long since departed.

“…I do not know.”

Yet at this moment, she felt certain that the girl had slipped further from her grasp.

“Ah!”

Mari’s mouth flew open. The sky overhead was bright blue. Glass windows reflected sunlight on tall buildings. Passersby under familiar English signs stared in surprise at her and the man collapsed in her arms.

“Oh, he’s…okay!”

It was reality. Mari had not vanished.

Her relief was brief as the scent of blood thickened again. Hastily, Mari drew a potion and cried out,

“He’s Samir-nim! Hey, 911! No, contact the Hunter Association! Healer!”

Her voice rang clear and bright.

When the princess opened her eyes, the seeds of ruin fell asleep. The sprouts the Crescent Moon had sown among the Transcendents lay sunken in the Sea of Dreams.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep