Under the crimson sky, in a barren land that stretched endlessly in every direction, a massive centipede was chasing after a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy. Its long, segmented body looked as hard as stone, and its sharp metallic forcipules gleamed dangerously under the daylight.
And the boy?
He was running for his life. His thin, frail body looked as if he hadn't eaten properly in weeks. His eyes were sunken, as though he hadn't slept for days. Everything about him looked worn out and ordinary — no, worse than ordinary.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he cursed while sprinting.
"I know this is a dream, but I still can't shake the fear of dying! And, why the hell am I seeing the same dream again and again?"
He muttered under his breath as he kept running.
The centipede attacked from time to time, its claws slicing through the air. He dodged as best as he could, but some strikes still grazed him, splattering blood across the dry ground.
"Is it normal for someone to have the same dream over and over? There's no way that's normal… right?"
The longer he ran, the weaker he became. His stamina was draining fast.
He had been seeing this dream... this nightmare not for just a few days but several months now. The exact same scene repeating every time, without any explanation.
Then his body finally failed him. A claw pierced straight through his back, its tip bursting out of his chest as blood sprayed everywhere.
"Arrrggghhh!" he screamed, the sound echoing across the empty land.
He collapsed on the ground. The centipede wasn't done. It slithered forward and bit his lower body in half.
"Crap… it really hurts…"
His vision blurred. But just before everything went dark, a figure appeared in front of him. The person looked strangely familiar, though he couldn't remember where he had seen him. And this was the first time in months that someone — anyone — had appeared in this nightmare before his death.
"How long do you plan to sleep, Jason? Wake up already… before you lose everything again."
The figure spoke.
'What?! Who is Jas....' Before the young man could finish the thought, everything faded to black.
-----------
Leon!
Leon!
LEON!
'Huh!'
The boy who had been running through the barren land suddenly jolted awake, sitting in the middle of a classroom with saliva dripping from his mouth.
"LEON! You've been sleeping through the entire class. If that's all you plan to do, then why even bother coming here?"
Leon slowly lifted his head from the desk. His blurry vision cleared just enough to see the teacher standing at the front, glaring at him. Around him, the other students were laughing and whispering as if they were watching a comedy show.
"Hahaha!"
"Hahahaha!"
"It's that sleeping monkey again."
"Look at you," the teacher said, trying hard not to shout. "Only a few months left before the final exam, and what do you do? Sleep, sleep, and sleep!"
The students burst into even louder laughter as the teacher continued scolding Leon.
"If you keep going like this," the teacher snapped, "you won't even get a job as a salesman at a small store."
"Let him sleep, sir," a boy from the back said mockingly. "What else can he do with that pathetic body?"
"Yeah. He's already eighteen and still can't cultivate. What a loser."
The class erupted in laughter again, each word stabbing deeper into Leon's chest.
The teacher sighed. 'He isn't even trying,' he thought. 'All he ever does is sleep.'
A moment later, the teacher turned back to the lesson. Time passed, and soon the class finally came to an end.
Students stood up, chatting and snickering as they left the room. Leon remained seated, slumped over his desk, looking defeated.
Then a familiar voice called out.
"Hey, Leon. Did you have those weird dreams again?"
Leon looked up. It was Henry, one of the few people who still treated him like a friend.
Leon nodded with a tired sigh. "Yeah. It was that barren land again… and the centipede."
"Maybe you should go see a doctor," Henry said.
"Yeah, I thought about that. It's definitely not normal to have the same dream over and over. And during the dream, I know I'm dreaming. Isn't that weird? Shouldn't I be clueless inside a dream?"
"You should go soon," Henry insisted. "You're already at the bottom. If this keeps going, it'll mess up your mind even more."
He paused for a moment, then added, "How about we play some video games later? That might help you relax."
"Nah. I think I'm going home."
"Already? It's still early. At least come to the cafeteria with me. A cold drink might help if you're not in the mood for games."
"No. I'm going to try cultivating again."
"…Alright," Henry said softly. "If that's what you want. But don't forget to see a doctor."
With that, Henry stood up and left the classroom, leaving Leon alone.
Leon slowly packed his things and walked out as well.
Outside the school, he headed down the street toward home, his steps slow and heavy.
'Who was that man?' Leon wondered as he walked. 'Why did he feel so familiar?'
He tried to recall the face he saw before waking up, but nothing came to mind. Frustrated, he let out a breath and quickened his pace toward home.
As he was walking, an LED billboard came into view.
On the screen, a woman in battle armor stood proudly, a massive greatsword in her hands. Beside her rested the severed head of a slain monster.
News reports flashed across the display:
> "The Fifth Military Unit of the Northern Continent has successfully defeated a monster wave that recently broke out and began rampaging."
"Monsters have been unusually active lately," Leon whispered as he watched the broadcast, then continued walking. "I just hope the military units can handle them before those creatures unleash hell in the cities."
But as he was walking, lost in his thoughts, he accidentally bumped into a man carrying a massive load on his head.
"Watch where you're going, boy," the man snapped.
"S–sorry, sir. I'll be more careful next time," Leon replied quickly.
The man didn't say anything further and went back to his work.
But Leon kept staring. 'So strong!' he thought. 'I wish I could become a cultivator too. A strong one.'
The man he had bumped into was carrying a heavy container that had to weigh at least two tons. Yet he handled it with ease. He was undoubtedly a cultivator. Leon couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.