Chapter 854: An Unexpected Invitation in the Dream World
Practice made it easier. Roland had to admit that much.
Getting into the Dream World no longer required effort — eyes closed, a specific memory held in mind, the beam of light blooming, and then the natural morning of that other place arriving around him. He had learned the rhythm of it the way one learns to swim, by repetition until the body knows before the mind decides.
This time, the phone woke him.
He reached for it. Garcia.
“Do you know what time it is?”
“Half past six,” she said, cutting across him. “Not unreasonable. And before you ask — I have no way of knowing whether you’ve got another relative dropping by.”
He recognized the particular tone: she was still sore about being stood up. “What is it?”
“You’ve been asking about the Erosion. The Association has a new-member visit scheduled for this afternoon. After breakfast, come to Room 0827.”
“You said afternoon.”
“You’re not the only new member. We need time to collect people from other districts.” Her voice sharpened. “Don’t tell me you’re going out with a relative again.”
More than one, he thought, and did not say it — if he said it, she would come stand in his doorway. “I was up late. I haven’t showered. Give me time to get ready.”
A silence that managed to communicate contempt without a word. “Be quick.” The line went dead.
He dressed, walked into the living room. Zero stood at the stove frying eggs with the economy of someone who had been doing it for years, not someone who was ostensibly still in junior high school.
“Good morning. I’m going out, but I’ll be back soon.”
She looked at him with measured skepticism. “Morning exercise, Uncle?”
“Something like that. By the way — staff meeting this afternoon. Don’t wait on dinner.”
“Got it.” A small pout. He left.
Outside, the street was in full noise: steam from noodle shops, the spitting sizzle of a fried-bread stall, broadcast announcements, traders calling out to no one in particular. Late autumn, and most people were padded against it — but several elderly men and women circled the apartment block in short sleeves and sweatpants, running faster than they had any business running.
He turned into the alley a short distance away, stopped in front of a shuttered storefront with a large RENTED plastered across its door, and let himself in through the side entrance.
Twenty-odd witches knelt simultaneously. “Your Majesty!”
For a moment — a very brief moment — he was entirely back in Neverwinter.
Walking through the door was like crossing a border.
“Welcome to the Dreamland.” He nodded, and went upstairs.
“A special task today?” Phyllis looked at him steadily. She, Faldi, Ling, and Dawnen waited on the second floor — the first group of pioneers, who had learned enough of this world to serve as guides for those arriving after them. They knew how to enjoy it, how to hunt Fallen Evils, and their presence here had saved Roland a great deal of explanation.
He had hired an agent to rent this shop as a reward for the last hunting trip. It was larger and quieter than the warehouse before.
He explained: the Martialist Association’s invitation, Garcia’s mention of the new-member visit, the headquarters whose location remained unknown. “I want to locate where they keep the Force of Nature. I need your help.”
“My bug will stay with you,” Faldi said. She opened her Magic Bug Nest and selected one, and set it on his collar. It moved immediately into his hair, finding cover. He could feel it — a small, warm weight against his neck — but nothing showed.
He suppressed the discomfort. “Phyllis, Ling — you’re with me. Do you remember how to take a taxi?”
Phyllis: “Hail it, tell the driver to follow the car ahead, pay on arrival.”
Ling: “Don’t talk to the driver. No matter what he asks — silence.” She pressed her hand to her chest. “We remember clearly, Your Majesty.”
“Good. When you arrive, Ling tries to enter the headquarters first. There may be no God’s Stone of Retaliation in this world, but the Association may have other methods to suppress your power. If you can’t get in, don’t force it. The primary task is to stay hidden.” He looked at Dawnen. “You stay here and look after the others.”
“But I’m very good at —”
“That’s exactly why you’re staying.” He took ten hundred-yuan notes from his wallet and gave them to her. “Breakfast, lunch, dinner — covered. Entertainment plans postponed until tomorrow.”
“What…” Dawnen’s face fell. Then he added the promise, and she straightened. “Leave it to me.”
He had taught all four of them to order takeout food. They had learned it as they seemed to learn everything — quickly, with the seriousness of people who had been cut off from the ordinary world for centuries and were methodically recovering it. Dawnen would manage.
He was ready.
Chapter 854: An Unexpected Invitation in the Dream World
Translator: TransN Editor: Meh
…
They say that practice makes perfect and Roland was inclined to agree. He was now very adept at getting into the Dream World. As long as he thought of something specific from the Dream World with his eyes closed, he could quickly activate the huge beam of light and then wake naturally up in the morning of that world.
However, this time, he was woken up by cellphone’s ringtone.
Fortunately, this was not really sleeping and so he didn’t really feel tired. He sprang up and picked up the phone on the bedside table. To his great surprise, it was Garcia.
“Hey, do you know what time is it?”
“It’s 6:30 in the morning, which is not too early,” Garcia interrupted, “and how do I know whether you’ll have some other relative who suddenly came to visit?”
The corner of his mouth twisted, knowing that she was still sore about being stood up by him last time. “Uhm… is there anything I can do for you?
“Didn’t you always want to know what the Erosion is? The Association has set a time for new members to visit this afternoon. After you finish your breakfast, come to Room 0827.”
“Didn’t you say it’s in the afternoon?”
“You’re not the only new member. It takes time for us to go join the other new members from the other districts.” She raised her voice. “What? Are you going out with some relative again today?”
“Yes, and more than one,” he replied in his heart but did not dare to speak it out loud otherwise she would definitely come to stand in his doorway. More importantly, he was indeed very curious about the “Erosion”, so he answered, “Oh, I see, but I slept late last night, so… you know, I don’t smell very nice. Let me take a shower first. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“…” She was silent, but he somehow still felt her contempt for him. “Please be quick!” she shouted and then hung up the phone.
Now he had to hurry up.
He put on his clothes, walked into the living room, and found Zero busy frying eggs in the kitchen. She skillfully used the spatula in her hand, not looking like a junior high school girl at all.
“Good morning,” he said, “I’m going out now, but I’ll be back very soon.”
She revealed a suspicious expression. “Uncle, are you going to do your morning exercise?”
“Well, yes…” he replied casually, “by the way, there’s a staff meeting in the afternoon. I may come home late today so don’t wait for me to have dinner.”
“Got it,” the little girl pouted.
Outside the apartment building, the street was bustling again. Wisps of steam were coming out of the rice noodle restaurants and fried bread sticks were sizzling in the work at the stall. There was also broadcast sounds and traders’ peddling. It was late autumn and most people wore thick clothes, however, some elderly people, who wore only short-sleeved shirts and sweatpants, kept practicing in the morning. They were running as fast as young men around the apartment building.
Roland walked into an alley not far from the apartment building and stopped in front of a closed shop. On the door, there was an eye-catching leasing advertisement with a big word “rented” written on it.
He took out a key and opened the side door.
Inside the shop, more than 20 witches simultaneously knelt to him saying, “Your Majesty!”
For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to Neverwinter.
Walking into this shop was like entering another world for him.
“Welcome to the Dreamland,” he nodded and said.
…
“Do you mean to say that we have a special task today?” On the second floor of the shop, Phyllis, Faldi, Ling and Dawnen were waiting for him to give further orders. As the first batch of pioneers entering this Dreamland, they had known something about this world and would serve as guides for the rest of the Taquila survivors here. They could tell them how to enjoy the life here and could instruct them how to hunt Fallen Evils, which reduced the burden on Roland.
This store was one of his rewards for the last hunting trip and he had hired an agent to rent this place. Compared to the warehouse before, it was much more spacious and private.
He told them about the Martialist Association’s invitation. “According to Garcia, the association is planning to tell the new members the inside story. We’ll be taken to the association’s headquarters whose location has remained a secret so I want to take this chance to find out the base where they store the Force of Nature. I need your help.”
“Let my bug stay with you.” Faldi summoned her Magic Bug Nest and picked a bug. “So I can know where you are all the time.”
After he agreed, the witch placed the beetle on his collar. It quickly climbed into his long hair to hide. Though he could clearly feel a thing on his neck, he still looked the same from the outside.
He suppressed the feeling of discomfort and turned his head to look at another two witches. “Phyllis and Ling, please come with me. Do you remember how to take a taxi?”
Phyllis nodded. “Wave to stop a taxi and tell the driver to follow the car in the front. Then pay him when we arrive.”
“Don’t chat with the taxi driver and no matter what he asks, we’ll just remain silent.” Ling added, patting her chest, “Rest assured, Your Majesty, we remember it clearly!”
“Good,” said Roland, “when you arrive, let Ling try to sneak into the headquarters first. Although there’s no God’s Stone of Retaliation in this world, the Martialist Association may have some other methods to affect your magic power. If you can’t break in, don’t force yourselves. Your most important task is to keep yourselves hidden. Got it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the three witches replied simultaneously.
“So… Your Majesty, what about me?” Dawnen pointed to herself while eagerly looking at him.
“You stay here and take care of the other Taquila witches.” He took out ten 100 ￥ bills from his wallet and gave them to her. “Here’s the money for takeouts, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Let’s postpone the entertainment plans until tomorrow. ”
“What… But I’m also very good at sneaking into places.” Dawnen was disappointed.
“That’s why you have to stay here. If something unexpected happens, you’re the only one who can lead the witches to leave this place without being noticed.” He patted her shoulder. “Of course, if you successfully take care of everyone here today, I’ll choose a day to take you to a movie theater.”
“I… got it.” When she heard this special reward, she suddenly cheered up. “Please leave it to me.”
He had taught the four witches how to order take out food and all the quick learners had already mastered this skill. He believed that as long as Dawnen was here, they would be alright.
Now he was well prepared for his trip to the headquarters of the Martialist Association.