NOVEL WEB Chapter 128
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I glanced sideways at Koit, who was sitting next to me. He was moving the crystal ball around, observing the scenes within it. Each time he lightly tapped it, the view shifted.
The crystal ball reflected Rumira’s image and then flowed towards the tower, gently skimming its insides. Koit circled through that dreamlike world, keenly watching for any abnormalities.
His serious gaze while manipulating the crystal ball gave him the air of a true master over dreams, with not a hint of laughter on his face.
I too quietly watched the landscape inside the crystal ball. As long as the dream flowed normally, there was little for me to do here. The dolls were the ones weaving the dreams.
If nothing special happened, I could just wait like this. I hesitated for a moment, thinking about how something usually went wrong in situations like this. A mild sense of foreboding crept into my chest.
It was a kind of premonition. I shook my head to dispel that ominous feeling. What was there to worry about with Koit around? He had manipulated dreams countless times. This dream theater was also a creation of his hands.
As the name “Dream Theater” suggested, Koit crafted dreams like a play, just like the view within the crystal ball. I folded my arms, noting that the shapes of my dolls were still not visible. It seemed their adjustments weren’t finished yet.
The first time I heard that name was at a gathering. When I heard about the “nightmare,” I mistakenly thought it was merely a place of entertainment.
Of course, such activities were possible in dreams. People seeking such dreams had come here before. One could build a paradise or interact with someone they favored in their dreams.
However, most mages tended to restrain their libidos. Only a tiny fraction indulged in such entertainment, and it was expensive to boot.
Thus, mages visiting this place sought to dream of something more valuable. Koit guided those individuals into the dream world, just like now, ensuring that their one-night dreams extended endlessly.
This was possible not only due to his magic but also because of the role of the dolls. Dolls could easily infiltrate the dreams of others.
Depending on the price of the dream, each doll that took charge of a dream had varying levels of quality. As mentioned earlier, the simpler dolls Koit crafted handled the entertainment aspect.
What were they called again? Ah, “Ace.” The dolls treated with special care, like Mira, did not engage in those low-level dreams. They only appeared when the dream was larger—when the dream’s owner couldn’t maintain it alone.
In the past month, I had seen various dreams while wandering this Dream Theater. As the crystal ball showed now, the owners of those dreams were asleep, weaving their unique dreams.
Some were pondering new magic. In the realm of dreams, they didn’t have to think about side effects, so they concocted spells as their hearts desired.
Some attempted to predict the future. They filled their dreams with various conditions existing in reality, hoping to receive some kind of prophecy. Whether or not it would come true was another story. Others dreamt of the past, in contrast.
The most striking dream was that of someone confronting their trauma. They repeated the moment of failure, turning it into success. They aimed to embed that dream in their memories to forget the trauma.
That person’s dream was successfully realized. They emerged from the dream with newfound confidence. Changing memories through dreams was a fascinating phenomenon.
Thus, dreams flowed in diverse ways. Everyone had their own unique dreams. As Koit said, it was like a kind of play. Dolls stood at the center of those dreams, leading the stories.
The reason I could observe others’ dreams like this was that Koit had opened all dreams. Therefore, any doll manipulator affiliated with this Dream Theater could confirm those dreams.
Of course, it was forbidden to disclose that to outsiders. Hence, for those who dislike others snooping into their dreams, a confidentiality option existed.
Besides Koit, no one else could see the dreams. The dream worth five million points occupying the largest room in this Dream Theater was a prime example.
I fidgeted with my hands. Because of that dream, Koit had left this request for me. I was genuinely eager to see what the landscape of that dream looked like.
Still, I could roughly gauge how immense that dream was. In this dream we were currently running, Mira could sustain its core all alone. And that dream was just as stable as the crystal ball displayed.
Even one Ace doll was enough to maintain the dream. However, it was said that all the Ace dolls Koit had gathered were tied into that five-million-point dream. Was it about fifteen of them, perhaps?
It had already been four months since that dream began. During that time, an entire world might have formed within it.
I stole a peek at Koit, suppressing my curiosity. For now, that dream was unrelated to me. I merely had to handle this request well.
With that, I casually placed a hand over my chest. Beyond it, I could feel the rustling of trees. Having seen various dreams before, what kind of dream should I dream up myself?
As Koit said, I needed to delve deep within myself through dreams. And within that process, I had to uncover the root of my obsession.
I had to resolve this quickly to face Professor Ilian. Or else, I might cause some kind of accident again. The trees seemed to agree with my thought, lightly swaying their branches.
Of course, I needed to flawlessly handle this task before that. That was a prerequisite for my dream. Koit fiddled with the crystal ball, and I stared at it intently. Now, the crystal ball’s gaze was fixed on Rumira.
I could see her calmly inspecting her body. After some time spent checking her condition, she soon released a slight surge of magic. That magic created a significant wave, spreading out in all directions.
After scanning the surroundings and confirming there were no abnormalities, she lightly nodded. Then, she took a step forward, slowly making her way toward the tower.
The towering structure was so immense that it couldn’t all fit within the crystal ball. I rested my chin on my hand as I slowly observed the tower. This was the dream she desired.
Inside, my dolls and Mira would be waiting for her. I tilted my head slightly as I watched Rumira walk towards the tower, intrigued by a thought that popped into my mind.
“Why is the dream world so cramped?”
I turned to Koit. He had scored almost two million points in this dream. What could a dream like that possibly look like? I was quite curious about it.
I only had a vague knowledge of the dream’s content, having not experienced it firsthand. But contrary to my expectations, this world was incredibly small. Aside from the tower at its center, nothing else existed.
It was a bit shabby to say that this massive hollow was fabricated with the magical circles binding it all together. Koit chuckled lightly as he tapped the crystal ball.
“The dream’s capacity was gobbled up by everything else, so it can’t be helped. Creating trials requires a lot of magic. In that regard, your dolls are quite useful. Who would’ve thought they’d drain so much energy?”
He lightly patted his belly, then placed a finger on the crystal ball. He began to release magic beyond it.
“Hmm, still, looking at it this way, it does look shabby, as you said. Should I spruce up the path a bit?”
Koit’s magic seeped into the crystal ball. With a casual wave of his hand, that magic began to disperse into the dream.
As the scattered magic started to shape the path Rumira followed, the once-plain dirt pathway vanished, replaced by marble that softly glowed. Surrounding it were flowers and trees, making it resemble a garden.
The process of transformation occurred in an instant, proving it was indeed a dream. The dream’s owner, Rumira, glanced around and cautiously began to move along that path.
Koit had created a path leading straight to the tower. It wasn’t long before Rumira reached the tower by following that path. She opened the tower’s door and stepped inside.
With that, the crystal ball lightly trembled. It flickered a few times before revealing a wide hallway. The interior of the tower began to be captured within it.
Could it be that Rumira entered the tower? Inside, the layout had changed from before. The once-stably maintained corridor had vanished, and the walls began to twist and undulate.
Seeing that, Koit grimaced. After knocking his slightly chubby cheeks a few times, he scratched his nose.
“This one doesn’t seem deeply immersed in the dream yet. Is the stabilization lacking? I guess I should tweak things a bit. It might change when she meets the doll.”
Koit mumbled that while fiddling with the crystal ball. The magic began to disperse delicately. Simultaneously, the undulating walls straightened out.
The tower soon regained its intact appearance. Rumira confirmed that the walls were stable and slowly ventured inside. As she walked, lamps filling the walls lit up one by one, illuminating the path.
Koit lightly stretched. His face had become slimmer in proportion to the magic that seeped out. He rummaged through his pockets and took out a few orbs containing dreams.
He popped one into his mouth and swallowed it. Instantly, his body began to puff up once more. I watched that unfold, completely perplexed by how his body was structured.
After savoring the taste for a moment, he clutched the crystal ball again. He began to carefully adjust the dream. His actions exuded a high level of proficiency.
Under his guidance, Rumira ventured deep into the tower. Her face was deeply serious, likely due to what was to come. She slowly concentrated her magic, sharpening it like a blade.
And soon, Rumira came to a halt. She had arrived at the heart of the tower. In the center of a spacious hollow, something was spewing murky magic.
It was a creature that looked part wolf, part human. Upon noticing Rumira, it got up from its position and let out a low growl.
I nodded calmly as I observed that creature. It was one of the dolls I created at Koit’s request. It seemed the creature had adapted well to this dream.
Noticing the murky magic emanating from it, I scratched my nose. That wasn’t born from me. I had already severed all connections with it.
That magic was granted directly to the creature by the dream based on its role. The creature’s form, consumed by that magic, had changed quite grotesquely. The one head had split into two, and the two arms had multiplied into four.
I rested my chin on my hand. Although it would return to its original form once this dream ended, seeing my doll transform like that was quite an intriguing sight.
Koit wore a huge smile. Inside the crystal ball, Rumira was weaving circuits and inscribing magical circles. Koit clapped lightly at her actions.
I too stared at the crystal ball. My dolls, just like the creature inside the crystal ball, were set to appear as Rumira’s foes. Should I call it the Trial Tower? That was the theme of this play, after all.
The doll began to slowly writhe. As it did, the murky magic seeped from its body.
The reason Koit scored one million eight hundred thousand points was none other than this: through this dream, she could ascend to the seventh floor.
Considering that, this level might actually be a bargain. If that’s how one could ascend floors, I would have invested that score as well.
Taking care of dreams was essentially taking care of one’s inner self and soul. In that sense, Rumira wished to embody what resided within her through the doll.
Thus, those dolls encapsulated her hesitation, rage, and doubts. Therefore, binding that doll could be seen as a kind of magical heart Rumira had hidden within herself.
By fighting against it and personally overcoming that magical heart, she aimed to fortify her resolve. That was indeed the reason for progressing through this dream.
In this Dream Theater, it was possible to artificially bestow enlightenment through dreams. Naturally, it would only work for those already prepared, like Rumira. Yet, just laying this groundwork was an enormous achievement.
I nodded quietly. This was a fascinating methodology. Who would have thought magic could be utilized in such ways? I glanced at Koit, gaining a clear understanding of why he was positioned at the upper echelons.
Koit seemed to catch on to my gaze, glancing toward me. He flashed a grin and gave me a thumbs-up.
“Very good. I suppose having a bit of my self mixed in has helped, as the doll has adapted well. Most others wouldn’t be able to create such a doll.”
“You flatter me.”
I let out a light, wry smile. As he said, the method I used to form a doll’s self was somewhat different from others. Most typically took great care in awakening that self.
Expensive materials and complex magic were employed to create a single doll. But I didn’t need such convoluted processes. I merely had to carve a part from my wood and implant it into the doll.
If Koit were to hear about my doll-making process, he would no doubt consider me a madman. Other doll manipulators would likely think the same. After all, who would carve wood and implant it into a doll?
I placed a hand on my chest. Indeed, even I thought it was a crazy act. Yet, because of that, I could surpass my own limits. Despite lacking talent, I had managed to achieve a swift rise to the level of young trees.
Acquiring enlightenment is immensely difficult. Therefore, this must be flowing in accordance with Koit’s intended direction. I glanced at the crystal ball and nodded slightly.
“If the process of defeating a magical heart were simple, the enlightenment gained would undoubtedly be shallow. So, you crafted the story in such a manner. I didn’t expect my doll could move like that.”
At my words, Koit tilted his head slightly. He gestured toward the crystal ball, indicating for me to take a look. The content was undoubtedly so intriguing.
Inside the crystal ball, Rumira was drawing magical circles and unleashing all sorts of magic. However, the doll opposing her devoured all her spells. The doll let out a low growl before lunging at her.
Rumira quickly cast protective magic, but that magic was shredded beneath the doll’s claws. She was caught and had her neck snapped.
Simultaneously, her eyes became glazed over. She had experienced a death, made possible only by dreams. To gain enlightenment, one must transcend such pain.
The doll flung her body aside. Her form, bouncing off the ground multiple times, began to blur. Like mist, she soon found herself standing at the tower’s entrance.
Inspecting her throat, Rumira sank to the ground. She coughed dryly, and witnessing that, Koit blinked.
It took Rumira quite a while to collect herself. She took another deep breath and re-entered the tower. This time, she unleashed even stronger spells stacked with magic against the doll.
Again, her neck was snapped by the doll. Her magic did not adequately penetrate the doll. Koit’s expression hardened as he observed the scene.
He slowly turned to look at me. I could see that his eyes were shaking without mercy. It was clear that he was unsettled.
“Why is that doll so strong? Normally, the first floor is just a breeze.”
At his words, I also blinked. So that wasn’t what he had intended? I stared at the doll in the crystal ball. It was again tossing Rumira’s body aside. She was sent back to the entrance of the tower.
With a long howl, it released a sound. I scratched my head lightly. It seemed my assumptions had been off. If that wasn’t something he intended, it was certain that some incident had occurred. No wonder I felt a bad premonition.
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