novelraw Chapter 273: Dreams Within Dreams
Chapter 273: Dreams Within Dreams
Chapter 273: Dreams Within Dreams “I want to exist.”
The words parted from Soren’s lips as he descended into an infinity. The Main Branch had once again consumed him, leaving him at the mercy of its bottomless maw. As he lay there, suspended in mid air while the world raced past him, his final interaction with his beloved teacher continued to play across his mind.
“That is the decision I’ve come to, Mistress…”
Yarian’s script had already been altered by him once before, leading to the outcome he was presented with. And now, he had once again reframed himself as a character rather than a reader.
Sienna… She had truly shown him what it means to live to your fullest potential. To not waste the life given to you… Even in failure, one can still rise from the ashes.
“I can’t disappoint her. I can’t let her sacrifice go to waste…” He wiped his tears, watching as the surrounding darkness slithered its way up the chasm. The sound of battle chimed its way through the fissure—no doubt signalling the beginning of the end.
This world’s Divine Accord has truly been shattered. Its Celestial Fate could once more be influenced.
Sienna had always known this day would come. She trusted that he would correct his own past failures. That he wouldn’t allow Merlin to destroy the new era she had finally brought into being… As the only one in this world whose fate was not bound to any realm, it was his role to act.
“The Whispering Dream was right.” He whispered softly as the world spiraled around him. “I was never just a witness. I have always been the perpetrator. A person can’t interfere with the script once then pretend he was always only watching from a distance.
“Earth… Yarian… I can’t run away from the truth anymore. This world… It isn’t some far-away realm I happened to visit. And Earth… It isn’t a place I can escape from—it will always contain my origins.
“Both have always been my home… I can’t reject that any longer.”
Forgiving himself for the mistakes he made was one thing. But outright giving up? Deluding himself with fantasies? Squandering the advantages granted to him?
These… These were truly unforgivable. A scribe cannot guide anyone with the truths they record, if they cannot even guide themselves first. If he truly believes that he—Soren Andersen—deserves to exist, then he must live up to his true potential.
He had already proven his answer to Merlin.
It was now time to prove the same to Sienna.
With newfound determination, he turned to face the abyss below. His frown deepened the more he thought about the sequence of events that occurred moments prior.
Guntharion was waiting at the bottom of the Main Branch this entire time… Soren didn’t see Him pass by, but there was no doubting the facts. For whatever reason, this ancient Empyrean from the First Age has a grudge against Merlin, the Sleepless Guide.
From the dream sequence he obtained through Cassia’s memories, he knew that Gunther had been setting up everything in regards to the Holy Shrine Maiden’s inevitable capture. From the very beginning, He knew that Cassia would be used to restore the Hollowed Star fragments—that was why He saved Her from the Nagashi Tribe Massacre fifty years ago. Coincidentally, the place He sent her to—Celestine Citadel—was the very same place Sienna established her guild in….
Soren then recalled the words Guntharionspoke at the very end of the vision:
“Her role cannot end here.”
It now became obvious to him what ‘role’ He hoped she would serve…
Could Guntharion also be from the same myth? Is He a part of the Twelve Knights of the Round Table? He wondered but there was no way of confirming the truth. However, he did find it suspicious that Merlin possessed the Second Scroll that Soren had been seeking all along…
But in the end, Soren decided to discard these thoughts. There were other things he needed to focus on at the moment—namely, saving Cassia from Merlin’s enthrallment. This had been his goal ever since he left the Temple of the Stars, after all.
Although Guntharion did treat her as HIs daughter, Soren was no longer sure whether or not that relationship had been genuine. For all he knew, the old man could have simply been using Cassia for his own gain all along. He needed to free her himself.
Gritting his teeth, Soren expanded his Soul Realm. His Soul Weapon glowed brightly next to him, awaiting his orders.
“Biblion! How is my status?”
The pages ruffled on their own from an invisible wind before finally landing on a written passage:
“No hidden influence detected. Merlin’s anima signature has truly vanished.”
Soren nodded quietly. Because Biblion existed outside of this realm, he was certain that the Whispering Dream’s Pathkeeper affinity had no way of making him ignore the truth. His presence has truly been cleansed from his Three Layers.
“Discarding me that quickly after I accomplished what you needed…” Soren clicked his tongue. “You’ll come to regret that choice, Sleepless Guide.”
As he continued to fall infinitely within the dark chasm, Soren gave Biblion new orders:
“Contact Tazzith through the Anchor and let him know the situation. I’m sure you’re already aware of what I might be planning, so inform him of that as well..”
After a few minutes, the pages once again ruffled, depicting new text:
“Tazzith has tacitly agreed to your plan.”
Soren’s smile widened. Holding tightly to the Minor Silverlight Spire, he channeled his anima into the proper axioms, creating another sword that only he could see.
“Fairy Blades.”
While holding tightly to its pommel, Soren then glanced at the bottomless abyss he was falling towards and activated [Eyes of the Fairy]. Earlier, he didn’t have the chance to use his abilities due to the Whispering Dream’s influence. Moreover, the chasm itself was protected by the Shepherd of the Nameless Fold’s endless darkness, preventing him from prying into the Main Branch’s secrets.
Now that he was free of both of these things, his chance has finally arrived.
The loophole that bastard exploited… I need to find it…
Since his information target wasn’t to uncover knowledge regarding the Cathedral of Aeons or the Star Apostle itself, Soren was certain that the risk would be minimal. As long as he was cautious, there shouldn’t be any major backlash.
If he could discover that exploit, he would be able to bypass the infinite space!
And sure enough, he was right. Within seconds, the Beyond showed him what he wanted to see most.
A certain gap in history that only those who understood the truth could notice…
A gap created by Arthur’s usurpation of the Star Apostle’s heart!
His smile widened. Now, to recreate it… WIth his Soul Realm still expanded, he channeled a different set of axioms this time. Then, he glanced at The Records which had already shifted to a different page and reached for it, aiming to rip away the old parchment paper containing the information he just [Record]ed.
“Paper Fold Resurrection!"
The newly ripped sheets of paper rearranged themselves, forming an origami-shaped star that radiated in a dark and menacing aura. He clutched the newly formed talisman and smiled menacingly.
During his arduous journey of navigating the frozen caves, Soren tried experimenting with this spell in many ways—all of them failing miserably. However, from those failures, he was able to glean something fundamental.
Contrary to its name, Paper Fold Resurrection does not resurrect living things, but phenomena itself. Or, more accurately, it was a spell that manifests the projections of unknown history back into reality.
Anything that once existed and has been forgotten—information that contributes to this world’s history but none are aware of it… That was the very essence of Ephemera. An affinity that brings out the potential in what was once discarded.
Paper Fold Resurrection reflected these values completely.
Through a paper medium, one could resurrect a phenomenon from the past. The more forgotten the event was, the stronger the spell’s manifestation became. There were some limitations, however.
Firstly, the chance of manifesting a proper medium decreases the more forgotten the resurrected event was. This meant that the spell would have to constantly be recast over and over again until the talisman was created properly, wasting precious anima. Soren had simply gotten lucky this time, creating it on his first try.
Secondly, the power of the resurrected event was still limited by his anima. Even if the event he tried to resurrect as a talisman possessed some kind of divine power, it would at most display the symbolisms on a limited scale.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
However, the most important limitation was its usage. The created talismans only work once… Moreover, Soren could no longer resurrect the same phenomenon after using it.
This meant that he only had once chance. Since Soren resurrected the exploit Merlin used against that historical gap, he would have to wait for the correct mural to pass by that depicted that history.
And so, his long wait began. Or so he thought…
“It's here?!” His eyes widened as [Eyes of the Fairy] notified him of the passing mural. Gritting his teeth, Soren stopped hesitating and pulled out the Heartdrinker Sigil from his inner pocket—holding it tightly with the Paper Fold Resurrection Talisman in the same hand.
The mural swiftly raced in his direction—Soren quickly took note of its details. Unlike the other engraved historical carvings, this one was completely ruined by cracks and erosion. As if the Main Branch itself wanted to hide the truth…
With his target in sight, Soren aimed the talisman and activated it. “Here goes nothing…” In an instant, the folded star paper engulfed his hand and the surrounding area in darkness just like its past occurrence. Except now, the attempt yielded far less power—his anima couldn’t exactly replicate the Shepherd of the Nameless Fold’s abilities. Which meant… his one and only attempt had a far higher chance at failing…
Soren watched in anticipation with [Eyes of the Fairy] to analyze the changes. Much to his surprise, it did indeed succeed! And to a very high degree as well!
Without wasting another breath, Soren grit his teeth and threw the Heartdrinker Sigil into the bottomless abyss, allowing it to bypass the infinite space. He watched as the pulsing crimson jewel completely disappeared in the darkness. Then, just moments later, the talisman disappeared, and with it, the shadows he had summoned from the annals of history.
Soren watched helplessly, awaiting the result of his gamble. Everything now rested in the hands of the Heartdrinker Sigil. In that moment, he couldn’t help but reflect back on his strangely simple successes while conducting this plan.
First, I was able to obtain information on the exploit relatively easily. I expected to face at least some mental backlash from it… And then there’s the fact that the mural arrived exactly when I needed to arrive. Not to mention the success of the talisman in successfully exploiting the loophole left behind by that gap in history.
Why have I gotten so lucky?... It felt strange to say it, considering the fact that his circumstances were anything but fortunate. However, with all his interactions with fate, Soren had grown sensitive to such matters.
Suddenly, The Records began to glow brightly once again. He glanced at the radiant flame-like pages as new words appeared for him to read:
“Contact was successful. The Heartdrinker Sigil utilized [Bloodrune Catalysis] on the Star Apostle.”
Soren was completely stunned. That quickly?!
Soren’s plan was relatively simple. From the conversations he had previously with Merlin, it became obvious to him that the Whispering Dream intended to kill the Star Apostle completely after freeing the nine fragments. This was his ultimate plan for accelerating the total annihilation of this world.
No doubt, Arthur and the Twelve Knights had sealed the great being within its own nest during the end of the Age of Mythologies. This was likely due to the Hollowed Star fragments which were once its heart, still holding a connection to it. If the Star Apostle were to completely cease to exist, then so would the Hollowed Star fragments disappear, plunging this world’s fate into total jeopardy.
Therefore, the logical conclusion became this: help the Star Apostle avoid the danger! No doubt, Guntharion had also anticipated this and blocked Merlin from interfering in the Main Branch for now. This was why he could operate so safely at the moment.
Even if Guntharion’s motives were self-serving, they were still in alignment with his own, at least for now. He decided it was best to take advantage of the situation.
Of course, protecting the Star Apostle alone was utterly preposterous. This entity has existed since before the First Age itself and has direct ties to a deity named the Orbits of Fate. Furthermore, all of its enemies were currently either at the Ascended Grade or close to reaching that threshold—there was no way for him to compete against such forces.
“The only way to beat an Ascended Grade is by employing the abilities of another Ascended Grade…” Soren’s smile widened in anticipation.
Like an art exhibition, Merlin moved from one painting to the next. Minds upon minds layering like paints on a canvas. Each its own distinct world.
“[Dream Hop].” The collapse of one mind consumed by absolute erasure forced him to move to another.
Then another. Then another…
There was no end to the mind realm’s collapse. Each of his wondrous imaginative worlds have been forcibly erased. The exhibition was slowly running out of art to showcase!
“How utterly boring…” His illustrious figure stood plainly above a Dulvali street sign that read “Love Makes Right,” with his distinct silver hair waving softly in the cold breeze. The darkness above was chased by the nightlights below as countless drunkards, prostitutes, and other shady figures prowled the streets without purpose.
The Tower of Sin’s first floor: Twilight Zone.
Next to him, the illuminated windows of a love hotel came into view. Merlin smiled as he watched the tall Easterner thrust the bed passionately. Over and over again… Moans filling his ears.
[So you’ve stolen even dreams like these. Truly, there is no end to your debauchery.]
The voice beamed from everywhere and nowhere, prompting the Sleepless Guide to twirl a few of his hairstrands in embarrassment. “Stolen? Of course not! Inherited would be a better word to use here…”
Suddenly, the countless perfumes and other scents disappeared from his mind. He glanced up to see colossal shadowy cracks creeping into the dream realm. Shaking his head with a sigh, Merlin bowed toward the man passionately making love with a prostitute and said:
“Apologies. It seems fulfilling your dream will be impossible now.”
And with that, [Dream Hop] was once again activated. He landed in a strange and mystical space, filled with clouds made of candy, rivers of syrup, and forests carved out of chocolates. All around him, edible creatures lived and thrived, made from popular deserts seen all across the continent.
Merlin chuckled and picked up a golden apple from the nearest chocolate tree, not wasting a second to savor its taste.
“It's useless, Gunther.” He said while munching. “My existence isn’t even in the Cathedral of Aeons. I exist in all whose dreams have been shared with me. All you are doing is wasting their lives.”
[Even if I have to kill half of this continent’s population to end you, I will still do it.]
The Sleepless Guide couldn’t help but sigh. “How selfish. And here I thought you had altruistic intentions with this… collaboration with Sienna. I should have expected it, given that this world isn’t originally your home…”
Suddenly, the golden apple lost its taste in his mouth. He watched as a strange mist rolled across the forest, hoping to consume it all in darkness.
“[Dream Hop].”
Appearing before him now was a colossal city of floating shelves, all racing in differing directions. Magi of all kinds utilized strange contraptions powered by wardstone magecraft to maneuver the dense forest of scrolls and tomes.
Descending rapidly through the strange space, Merlin found himself in an area distant from the rest. A strange floating room that seemed to contain its own subspace. Inside, piles of scrolls and other items could be seen—a woman with platinum hair sat amidst the chaos, reading the documents carelessly.
Behind her, another woman stood—her short ginger hair sliding softly behind her ears. She watched her Mistress with keen eyes, leaning against the wall without…
No, the woman seems to have already vanished. Only a projection of her existence remained—its form slowly unraveling like sand.
“Ah, I seem to have forgotten you, Tina Graywood. Your dream of protecting your mistress has sadly already collapsed.” He shook his head while frowning. “That world’s dream has superseded yours… Such is the contradiction of desire—the poison of guidance."
He waved his nebulous hand, letting [Dream Hop] activate once again. By now, he could no longer tell how many times he had used it. Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? It was becoming hard to track.
Every dream world he would visit would subsequently be taken over by the Nameless Mist, erasing itself from existence. The people whose dreams he was possessing would inevitably perish in the process as well. No doubt, chaos has already spread across the continent.
Eventually, He arrived inside the dream world of a Yadrian Saint who wished for the expulsion of all Unblessed. Across the distant horizon of Moving Homes, an exodus of thousands could be seen—all of them forcefully leaving behind the lives they had once carved within this city…
Before he could observe the dream any further, the illusory Feylith Forest began to shake, the ground rumbling from an approaching horde of Spirit Void Husks, all of them eager to consume the place that had once forsaken them.
Watching this, Merlin once again sighed. “Enough already. It won’t wo—” He suddenly felt his mind turning sluggish. Glancing up at the colossal Spirit Blossom Willow, he noticed its leaves had shifted into a jet black color, melting into a horrifying shadowy mist.
[It won’t work?] Guntharion scoffed. [Who do you think you are?]
“.....”
[You who have forsaken your status as a Monarch are no match for me. The dreams you’ve shackled yourself to have only served to deprive you of your autonomy.]
After saying this, Guntharion activated His Soul Weapon once more, erasing even the activation of [Dream Hop] itself.
The world around him shattered like glass. Merlin once again found himself amidst an endless reflection of the world he hoped to destroy resting beneath his feet. Above him, an infinite cosmos spread across the sky—illustrious yet fractured in more ways than one.
On one side, a colossal Silver-Eye appeared through the shattered dimension, glaring at him menacingly. Silver spears rained down from within, collapsing into strange metallic shapes that folded infinitely upon themselves. A sense of impending doom filled his mind upon witnessing his reflection on their radiant surfaces.
On the other side, he witnessed the descent of a dragon—the Dreamfire Lord Himself—trailed by a horde of [Unreal Wyverns]. The violet colored flames caused his nebulous form to melt slightly upon noticing them.
Then there was the massive cauldron of darkness that existed behind him. A strange shadowy mist poured out from within it, coalescing into monstrosities that were each more terrifying than its predecessor. All of them were either Ascended Grade Spirit Beasts or former Phantasms corrupted by the Nameless Mist from previous Ages... There were even Daemons and Fae spirits who were twisted far beyond their original governing concepts.
Battling against the army of darkness was another army of darkness. The Shepherd of the Nameless Fold continued to manifest Her Soul Skinners who rushed into the fray, all of them unafraid of whatever fate awaited them. Beside Her was Cassia, who was continuing her role of influencing the Hollowed Star fragments.
No matter where Merlin looked, he could no longer find a single aspect of this space that had retained its normalcy. Storms of dreamfire raging wildly, oceans of ever-shifting silver that weighed the sins of man, a dark mist that erases anything it touches… Not even the foreign influence leaking from the Astral River above remained safe—many of it had suddenly turned into gold and other material treasures that made him desire to hold them… There were even strange roots blooming with flowers that were growing inside the reflections of the world beneath his feet.
Every section of the Cathedral of Aeons had turned into a battlefield of divine figures…
And he was at the center of it all.
“Divine Authorities cannot be restrained by dimensionality… I tend to forget this aspect sometimes…” He shook his head then smiled, “But that doesn’t mean this world holds no value to Them.”
Just as he said those words, the air across the entire Cathedral suddenly shifted, turning heavy and oppressive. As if the Beyond itself was crying.
Something… Something was trying to break into this realm forcefully…
The Silver-Eyed Moon stirred as it glanced in the direction of the Main Branch. Somewhere above the grand chasm, another fissure had appeared… The surrounding space was vibrating endlessly, as if the world was in pain from the newly opened wound.
“It seems I was able to stall for enough time, after all!” His laughter echoed across the devastated space.
“The Vynasian invasion has begun!”