"Omniver… what the hell is that?" Chino said.
"No, no, it's nothing. I was just saying it casually," Ayan said.
"Shall we go to the fight club?" Chino said.
"No," Ayan replied.
After a while, the two went their separate ways. That was when Ayan felt as if someone was following him. He quickened his pace, then entered the market for safety. After that, he took another route from the market and returned home without any trouble.
After reaching home, he went straight upstairs without saying a word to anyone and began to think, Why the hell was someone following me? Did I do something to anyone? Then he placed the bag to the side, flopped heavily onto the bed, and slowly ran a hand through his hair.
A few days later, on the day of the final exam, everyone was busy talking among themselves. Bullies from another section had gathered and were harassing Nicol. Seeing this, Ayan said to Chino, "So you really were right. You warned me to stay cautious."
Chino replied, "You're only saying that because bullies from another section have teamed up to pick on him while he's alone."
Ayan said, "Nonsense. If he weren't such a weakling, those bullies wouldn't be harassing him."
Chino said nothing.
Later, as Ayan and Chino were heading home, Ayan teased Nicol, saying, "What, are you going to become a thug?"
Hearing this, the bullies from the other section started laughing at Nicol.
Then Ayan put his hands in his pockets and started walking with style.
After parting ways with Chino, Ayan realized that someone was following him. He started running, and the person chasing him ran too. But then, someone appeared in front of him. Both of them surrounded Ayan, trapping him completely. The front man punched Ayan in the face and saw that Ayan had returned to that same mysterious realm.
So, was this all just a dream? Had I never really left this mysterious place?
The transmigration into Hobin's body had been a dream. The Omnivers, the fight club, the Omniver potions, the role I played as Mr. Null, and even the men who had been following me—none of it was real.
But I had heard that boy's prayer even before the dream and again within it. And the language I learned in the dream, does it actually exist?
The life Ayan had lived was nothing more than a dream. That dream had come to him after his eyes had turned black and then returned to normal, right after he saw that mysterious figure.
Ayan was lying on a slab inside that castle.
Can I do in reality what I did in the dream? he thought. Let me try making this slab vanish.
The next moment, his eyes widened. What… it actually worked.
Now let me try walking through open space and climbing upward as if there were stairs.
A moment later, he realized it had worked as well.
Now, let me go outside the castle and send it flying with a wave of my hand, so far that it can no longer be seen before my eyes.
To his amazement, it worked as well.
Wait a second… was this mysterious place guiding me through the dream?
Who knows, maybe it really was.
Alright, now I'll try to go back to my world.
Why… isn't it working?
So that means I can't do everything here according to my will.
Just then, Ayan heard the sound of someone praying. It was the same prayer he had heard before.