Chapter 530.
Chapter 530 Awakening
In the center of the forest clearing, Taran El’s mental entity, which had previously been in a state of stagnation due to “protective sinking”, suddenly blinked – it seemed that his self-awareness had finally returned to this lighter layer of the dreamscape, as the erosion of the creeping sunwheel disappeared.
Duncan and Lucrecia were the first to notice this, and in unison approached the elven scholar, who came to his senses a mere two or three seconds later, staring in dismay at the light before them.
Nothing was quite the same as he remembered – the sun-drenched forest had fallen into an eerie dusk at some point, the light of the sky mixed with vague, hazy shadows, while many new figures came into view, none of which he recognized (including Maurice, whom he hadn’t seen in decades).
After looking around just as blankly, Taran-El finally stirred and hesitantly spoke up to break the silence, “What’s so serious about this situation I’m in?”
Lucrecia, who had just walked over, froze at her words, “What are you talking about?”
Taran Ayer pointed at himself, and then pointed at Heidi, Vanna and Morris who had already sensed the commotion over here and were walking towards here, his face full of incredulity, “In just a moment’s time, how did it all develop into so many people consulting?”
Lucrecia’s expression momentarily trembled and she almost didn’t tense up.
Taran-El, on the other hand, still continued to speak, “If you guys really can’t wake me up, it’s better to let me try my own way, the ‘Sudden Death Method’ is actually still very useful ……”
Once Lucrecia heard this, she immediately opened her mouth and interrupted the great scholar, “Don’t think about your ‘sudden death method’, do you know what just happened?”
“Just now?” Taran El was at a loss, “What happened just now? I just froze ……”
“The minions of the Black Sun invaded your dream realm, and even brought a projection of a sun child,” Lucrecia said with a serious face while observing Taran-El’s change in expression, “and you didn’t perceive it at all? If it weren’t for my father’s timely appearance, the mental entity you left here might have been destroyed by the aftermath of the battle.”
Taran-El’s expression had followed the first half of Lucrecia’s words as she listened to them, but she was suddenly stunned when she heard the other party’s last sentence, and then gradually reacted, hesitantly and horrified as she slowly turned her head towards Duncan while speaking, “Your …… father? ”
Lucrecia nodded her head in silence, while Duncan put on a kind smile as much as possible and extended his hand towards this respectable great scholar, “You can directly address me as Captain Duncan.”
Taran El did not extend his hand in response, he seemed to have stiffened, only staring at the tall figure in front of him with wide eyes, and then suddenly inhaled a sharp breath, his whole body seemed to “shake” violently for a moment, and then his figure disappeared into the forest.
Duncan looked at this scene with a confused face, turning his head and asked: “What’s the situation?”
Lucrecia’s face was not much lighter, after hearing Duncan’s words, she froze for two or three seconds before finally realizing what had happened, and spoke with an odd expression, “…… ‘Sudden Death Law’ is working. ”
Duncan: “……?”
At this time Heidi, along with Vanna and Maurice, also happened to walk over, they wanted to say hello to the awakened Master Talan-El, but they only saw the scene of the latter disappearing into thin air, and heard Lucrecia’s last muttering, and suddenly had different expressions.
Heidi’s face was filled with amazement of “this can really work”, Morris had some regret in his eyes, and only Vanna’s expression was one of bewilderment – she was a physical education student, and didn’t quite understand the operation of these psychologists.
She’s a gym student and doesn’t know much about these psychologists. She’s had nightmares that she’s just cut through and run out of.
“I would have liked to say hello to Master Taran El,” Morris said regretfully, “we haven’t seen each other in years.”
“He wouldn’t have recognized you if he’d seen you,” Heidi shook her head, “He remembers you as a young man away at school, and can’t even imagine that you have a daughter now.”
Maurice thought for a moment and let out a soft sigh, “That’s just the way it is when dealing with elves.”
“Looks like you guys got the situation straightened out?” Duncan asked curiously as he looked at the atmosphere between the three in front of him.
“Got it straightened out,” Vanna nodded, spreading her hands again somewhat helplessly, “Been counting for a long time.”
Heidi, on the other hand, didn’t say anything, but couldn’t help but take another careful look at the “famous” captain in front of her, sweeping her eyes between the few people on the scene and wondering how many thoughts had gone wild in the last few seconds.
Lucrecia, on the other hand, did not pay attention to this side of the situation, she had been carefully observing the changes in this “forest” since a while ago, and only at this moment did she suddenly break the silence with a soft voice: “Just as I suspected, Taran El has awakened, but this ‘dream world’ itself still exists! ‘ itself still exists …… there are other ‘dreamers’ that are maintaining this place.”
Hearing her words, Duncan just nodded lightly.
Because he was temporarily unable to determine what kind of situation the ‘dreamer’ behind this dream was in, coupled with the fact that this dream seemed to be connected to many ordinary people, he did not set fire to this place, but since just now, he had been carefully sensing this place.
This forest, which looked incredibly real, was essentially a dream, and what was connected behind it should be the subconsciousness of the dreamer, and by intervening here through “spirit walking”, he could theoretically touch and even sense this “subconsciousness”, just as he had previously touched it in his spirit walking. Theoretically, he could touch and even perceive this “subconscious”, just like the emotions and shallow fragments of thought he had perceived when he touched the “starlight” in his previous spiritual walk.
However, here, no matter how much he extends his perception out, no matter how carefully he “listens”, he can only feel a huge …… emptiness.
There was nothing, no fear, no thought, the forest was still the forest, the earth was still the earth, and the personality of the dreamer was nowhere to be seen. …more like a chaotic fog.
The barrier was purposeful, but the mist, it was chaotic and spontaneous, neither purposeful nor aware, operating by some ancient rule. Duncan pondered what lay behind this empty and vast dreamscape, but just then a disorderly wind suddenly blew from the depths of the forest, and the chill that came with it interrupted his thoughts.
“…… This forest is starting to make us unwelcome,” Heidi frowned instantly, but there was something puzzling in her tone, “but why wasn’t there a reaction before?”
“Maybe it’s because Taran-El woke up,” Lucrecia said thoughtfully, “His awakening didn’t cause the dream world to disintegrate, but it was tantamount to closing an ‘entrance’, and us unwanted guests who barged in will naturally be ostracized.”
“It looks like it’s time to have to leave.” Duncan sighed regretfully, he instinctively felt that there were still many secrets hidden in this dream world, but he also knew that if he were to continue to stay here when the dream world had already begun to produce a reaction of rejection, he was afraid that the harm it would cause would not be much smaller than the “deformed sun” in the sky.
“Good, I have to return to the real world as soon as possible to confirm the current situation of Taran-El,” Lucrecia said, she actually looked a little relieved, “don’t really die on my ship.”
“Well, go ahead,” Duncan nodded to her, “More on that when we meet in the real world – I’ll be on my way to you soon.”
The expression on Lucrecia’s face seemed to tighten momentarily, but quickly recovered with a small smile, “Okay, but there’s no rush, it’s okay for you to slow down a bit – it’s a long journey from the Cold Cold Sea to the southern seas, so take care of your safety ……”
“I mean, I’ll be on my way to you soon – probably this afternoon,” Duncan waved a hand, “The Lost Country is already near Lightwind Harbor.”
The smiling expression on Lucrecia’s face froze momentarily, “…… Huh?”
Duncan had a calm expression on his face, “Perhaps it was some sort of effect after the sun went out, the Lost Country crossed a long distance in an instant, and now I’m here.”
Lucrecia froze, then her figure instantly “flashed” twice, and disappeared in front of everyone.
Duncan and Heidi were left staring at each other.
The awkward silence lasted for a few moments, but in the end, it was Vanna who spoke first: “She woke up scared?”
No one answered her.
“It’s time to leave,” Duncan shook his head to ease the sudden awkwardness that had descended upon him, “If there’s anything else you guys want to talk about, we’ll be in touch afterward.”
The time had come to say goodbye again for this brief reunion, and Heidi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of loss in her heart as she looked with mixed emotions at her father and best friend standing beside Captain Duncan, when something suddenly occurred to her, “Wait a minute, how am I supposed to get in touch with you guys? You’re on the Lost Country ……”
“Just write a letter,” Maurice said with a smile, “It can be sent directly to that antique store in the lower town, the Captain will forward it himself.”
“Huh? Just write a letter?”
Heidi froze, and before she had time to react, she heard Vanna speak up next to her, “If it’s just a simple message, you can also go to the cathedral, and Bishop Valentine will be able to help with the message.”
Heidi continued to look confused, “You mean the cathedral!?”
“Or it could wait until the ship is on vacation,” Duncan added right after, “It’s been busy, but there should be a vacation after that, and I can send them back to Prand.”
“There’s even a vacation on the Lost Country?!”
Yet none of Heidi’s questions were answered.
The wind blowing out of the forest had gradually taken on a distinctly cold and hostile flavor, and the repulsion of the dream was gradually arriving at its zenith, as the figures of Captain Duncan, her father, and Vanna faded into obscurity in her eyes.
At last, even her own consciousness became chaotic and hazy, and she sank into darkness with a sudden sense of weightlessness.
The next second, the darkness faded and she jerked awake from her dream.
Heidi opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on a bed in one of the medical facility’s rooms, and her original “patient” was nowhere to be found.
It seemed that after she had fallen into the dream, someone had noticed something unusual and sent her here.
Ms. Psychiatrist let out a deep breath.
This long and winding dream was finally over.
(End of chapter)