"Now, with the Eye Seizure Order, we can only manage Inazuma's internal affairs. It's less hectic, but the land feels lifeless, smiles scarce."
"The Eye Hunt is terrifying too. That cold Tengu… seeing her confiscate the God's Eyes, I dared not move. Luckily, she spared me… probably for Yae Miko's sake."
"Last time I climbed onto the Tenryou Commission roof, I saw her secretly weep. Perhaps she too is bound by necessity, following the Shogun's orders."
She twitched her tail, her voice softening under his touch.
"Oh, Miko taught me a new yokai repayment custom today. If the benefactor is ugly, serve them in your next life as cattle or horse. If handsome… then perhaps offer yourself… hmm, maybe someone like you."
Aiden froze mid-thought, bewildered.
Before he could retort, Kirara drifted off to sleep, her innocence intact. He smiled, cradled her, drew his sword, and resumed meditation.
One sword, one thought… he whispered with the wind.
Hours passed.
"Today feels… different." Aiden shook his head. His awareness seemed to stretch and expand in an unusual direction. Dazed, he ceased training and returned indoors with Kirara to rest.
As sleep claimed him, he returned once again to the familiar dreamscape.
"Here again… Why would I, a child of the Thunder-Bringing God, lose to Sumeru's seal? Why do I keep dreaming of this place?"
Aiden lifted his gaze. The sky here wasn't blue at all, but veiled beneath a vast green canopy of pure dendro light, etched through with intricate, ancient sigils that pulsed like a living script.
Far in the distance stretched a lush forest, vibrant and overflowing with life. At its very heart stood a colossal tree, its pink-gold crown soaring heavenward until it merged seamlessly into the glowing dome above.
Yet none of this had been here to welcome him at the start. This peaceful world was something he had clawed back through relentless effort.
When Aiden first arrived sixteen years ago, the entire region—earth to sky—had been drowned beneath layers of gray, suffocating malice. The green dome had been corroded with blackened veins; the forest below had withered into ruins, blighted by throbbing, scarlet dead-zone tumors spreading like a plague.
He still didn't know what bound him to this place. Ever since he crossed into this world, every two or three days he would enter this dream in the form of a Lannaro. And without fail, hordes of creatures tied to abyssal power—Beast Realm Hounds, Ruin Sentinels, Abyss Heralds—would spawn around him. There was never a moment to rest.
But through sheer stubbornness—ceaseless grinding, endless purging of dead-zone tumors—the land had finally begun to breathe again.
And, worth mentioning, his current record stood at 31,000 / 0 / 9. At this point, he could call himself a Lannaro General and no one could argue.
However—
This bizarre dreamscape was far from the "second cheat" he once naïvely hoped for. Though he'd slain more monsters than he could count, his true body had gained nothing. No sudden surge of power, no miraculous awakening. It was only this Lannaro body that had grown increasingly terrifying.
"To think I once fantasized about leveling up off mobs, mastering skills on the go, becoming a prodigy—seven-year jonin, eight-year shadow-level, ten-year ascension as I punch out Tianli in broad daylight. Classic wish-fulfillment trash!" Aiden muttered, still begrudgingly attached to those shameless cultivation clichés.
Even so, it wasn't all pointless. Although this was only a Lannaro body, he could still train the skills his true form knew, grinding proficiency mercilessly. Without that effort, how could he possibly "dual-cultivate martial and mystical arts" and accumulate such a ridiculous amount of battle experience?
And in the middle of this endless, frantic monster-slaying, he had also discovered a certain profound truth about life:
"Confusion only happens when you have time to sit around," he whispered.
And as if summoned by the sound of his voice, the remnants of abyssal power lurking in the forest stirred. They sensed him, surged toward him, and solidified into several snarling Beast Realm Hounds—along with a towering Abyss Herald: Wicked Torrents.
Claws howled through the air, carving arcs of deep violet light across the sky.
"Ever since I purified that large dead-zone tumor, the number of abyssal monsters has been dropping. This should be the last few waves." Aiden's expression remained calm as he sidestepped a hound's strike.
He vanished—reappearing behind one of the beasts. His small Lannaro hand tore outward in a vicious arc. A shrill, almost theatrical scream burst from the creature as he ripped it clean in half, its body dissolving into drifting black mist.
"Hmph. Spare me the act. Abyssal monsters don't even have pain receptors."
Cold and efficient, Aiden dispatched the remaining hounds within breaths.
Sensing the shift in tide, the Abyss Herald let out a rush of frenzied whispers, forcing itself into Ravenous Tidefall, its elemental shield flaring as surging waves roared around it.
Aiden didn't bother with words. In a flicker, he appeared before the Herald. The creature's expression twisted—an offended sort of "are you even fighting fair?" look—just as Aiden gathered every shred of dendro power in his body and drove a brutal kick straight into the core embedded in its chest.
A thunderous crack rang out. The Herald's rising momentum shattered instantly, its armor's blue glow guttering out. That single kick had interrupted its transformation outright.
Aiden followed through with a clean finishing slash. He had no intention of communicating. Sixteen years of bloodshed had taught him exactly how vicious the abyss was toward him. He had tried once, long ago, to communicate—only to nearly fall into its trap and die.
Since then, he had lived by a single principle:
"Once an enemy of the Void Realm, forever an enemy of the Void Realm."
No hesitation. No exceptions.
"At last… silence." Aiden exhaled a long breath—only to realize, a heartbeat later, that uncertainty was creeping back in.
Because—
Contrary to his expectations, that really had been the final wave. No more monsters spawned in this dream world.
The dream… had gone quiet.
---
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