Green Shade Town, outside the East Gate of Royal Saint Crown University, in the Tivian North Suburb.
At night, inside Number 17 Green Shade Town, Dorothy, sitting in the living room, yawned widely after finishing a game of chess against herself, then looked towards the clock hanging on the wall, and seeing the time displayed, she murmured in her heart.
'It's almost eleven, time to sleep.'
Thinking this, Dorothy stood up from the sofa, stretched, and went to the second-floor bathroom. She took off her clothes and took a comfortable bath, then changed into her nightgown. She walked into the bedroom, pulled back the covers, and lay down.
'So, as usual, I'll go to the Dream World tonight... Although it's likely nothing will come of it, at least I can see if I can run into Little Fox and Grego.'
'I haven't found them since I last saw them. I guess the Dragon's image and status are too high in their eyes, making it difficult for them to approach me directly. Hiss... While the Dragon's mimicry is indeed imposing, it's also very difficult to strike up a conversation and ask for information when presenting oneself in this form...'
Lying in bed under the covers, Dorothy thought with some frustration. As she thought, sleepiness overcame her. After closing her eyes, she slowly drifted into sleep.
After entering the dream world with practiced ease, Dorothy woke up in her own bed in the dream. Without hesitation, she immediately chanted a spell, summoning the aura of blazing fire to surround herself in the dream. Breaking through the house, she transformed into a Dragon. With an upward roar, she opened the passage to the Dream World and spread her wings to fly in. As she flew out of her dream cocoon, an endless forest of dark giant trees appeared before her eyes.
Seeing the familiar scene, Dorothy spread her wings without hesitation and began soaring among the towering giant trees, experiencing the feeling of flight in the dream. The dream wind brushed past her scales and giant wings. Watching the rapidly passing scenery, her mood was exceptionally relaxed.
Although she gained nothing each day, Dorothy still went to the Dream World Woodland at the same time every day. This wasn't about trying her luck; rather, she was taking this opportunity to enjoy the feeling of flight.
As a human who walked on the ground, Dorothy loved the feeling of soaring through the air with her own body, even if it was only in a dream.
As usual, Dorothy spread her wings, propelling her massive Dragon body to fly among the giant trees. Just as she was contemplating which direction to fly today, a familiar sound echoed from afar, reaching her ears.
"Awooo woooo~~~"
Hearing this howl, Dorothy was slightly startled. She had heard this sound before; it was Grego's Black Dog mimicry howling in the Dream World. It was by following this sound last time that she found Grego and that Little Fox who had come to the Dream World. At that time, she also helped Grego by eliminating another Black Dog that was causing him trouble.
'Oh, is my brother in the Woodland again? And is he calling me?'
Hearing this sound, Dorothy immediately became interested. She quickly adjusted her flying direction and flew rapidly towards the source of the sound. As expected, after flying for not too long, she saw a familiar figure on the lawn beneath the giant trees – her Black Dog brother.
On the other side, standing on the grass, Grego, in his Black Dog mimicry, first breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the Dragon flying towards him from afar. However, after experiencing the increasingly oppressive and approaching majestic body of the Dragon up close again, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. This was his first time facing such a powerful ancient being.
Flapping her wings to slow down, Dorothy slowly landed on the grass. When her massive body touched the ground, it caused a tremor, making Grego, who felt the pressure intensely, swallow and take two steps back.
"We meet again, Little Dog of the Prit An Yin Bureau, were you specifically calling for me?" Assuming an ancient and profound demeanor, Dorothy spoke to the small Black Dog before her in a deep voice. Grego, steadying himself amidst the words that sounded like muffled thunder, respectfully replied.
"Yes, I dared to call upon Dragon. The reason is that I have encountered an extremely urgent matter and wish to consult Dragon. That is why I disturbed Captain's patrol of his territory."
Lowering his posture significantly, Grego bowed towards the Dragon before him. Hearing his words, Dorothy was startled. After a pause, she continued to speak unhurriedly.
"Speak... What is the matter?"
Hearing that Dragon was willing to listen to him, Grego was overjoyed and immediately began to recount his experiences on the train and after entering the dream. He honestly informed the Dragon before him about how he suddenly fell asleep on the train and couldn't wake up, his guess that he was currently being harmed by someone, and how Little Fox was making him sleepwalk to cover it up. Upon hearing this, Dorothy's heart immediately sank, and she began to efficiently process the series of information she had just received.
'Grego has already come to Tivian? Good heavens, he didn't even write a letter to inform me in advance so I could prepare. Could this guy still want to give me a surprise? How cliché.'
'But let's put that aside for now. The key issue is that Grego was actually drugged unconscious in the carriage! And he can't wake up!? Which society has targeted him? He's just an Apprentice from a remote area going to the headquarters, he doesn't have much important value, does he? Has this train become a high-risk area for An Yin Bureau personnel?'
'And that Little Fox, I didn't expect her to be Black Rank, a Dream Eater Path who can steal others' memories in dreams and even make people sleepwalk... Quite interesting. But since this Little Fox is already Black Rank, why does she always use that terrifyingly weak Fox mimicry? Her Fox mimicry is even weaker than Grego's Black Dog mimicry. It should be normal for an Extraordinary of Black Rank to master a stronger mimicry, right...'
After listening to Grego's words, Dorothy's mind raced, and many questions arose, but she knew that the current situation didn't allow her much time to ponder these issues. Therefore, she chose the most critical question to ask Grego.
"Attacked on a train in the reverse side? Little Dog of the An Yin Bureau, tell me honestly, are you transporting any confidential cargo, or have you received any special mission?"
In the tone of a Dragon, Dorothy spoke slowly to Grego. Grego immediately answered with certainty upon hearing her.
"No! Dragon, I can guarantee that I am absolutely not transporting any cargo, nor have I received any secret mission. I was simply transferred from Igwinte to Tivian by the headquarters for a promotion."
Grego said with absolute certainty. Looking at his appearance, Dorothy could pretty much confirm that Grego wasn't hiding anything, as this was a life-or-death moment.
'Strange, no mission and no cargo... This situation is completely different from Sodod's last time. Grego is just an Apprentice now and hasn't officially reported to the Directorate General of Tivian yet. What value does he have that other secret societies would target him...'
Dorothy thought with confusion, but she also understood that now was not the time for overthinking. The immediate priority was to help Grego escape smoothly. According to his description, that Little Fox's sleepwalking wouldn't last much longer.
"I see. For the sake of our connection, I can lend you a hand." Dorothy continued to speak in a deep voice in the tone of a Dragon to Grego. Grego was overjoyed upon hearing the Dragon's response.
"Thank you for Dragon's kindness. If needed, I will definitely repay you with all my strength in the future."
'If you want to repay me, just treat me to a few meals after you arrive in Tivian...'
Dorothy replied this in her heart, but verbally, she responded by saying.
"Your current situation is somewhat interesting. While it's not enough for me to personally intervene, I can still help you overcome this danger through other means. I will now give you an honorific name; you only need to chant it within your dream cocoon."
"An honorific, honorific name?"
Hearing the Dragon's words, Grego was startled, and then responded with surprise after thinking of something.
"The honorific name Captain mentioned... Could it be Captain's own..."
"No..."
Responding to Grego, the massive Dragon stretched its wings. Its form appeared even more majestic and spectacular before Grego.
"This is not the honorific name used by this body, but that of the Lord this body serves. This body is merely that being's Dream World Apostle."
"Little Dog of the An Yin Bureau, you go pray to that one, and I will put in a good word for you from here. This will allow you to contact someone among the believers of that existence through prayer who can help you solve your predicament. After that, you just need to listen to him."
Dorothy continued to speak to Grego in a condescending but slightly respectful tone. Grego froze in place after hearing this, a wave of astonishment in his heart.
'Lord Dragon... the venerable name of the Lord he serves... A powerful and majestic Dragon, possessing such a vast territory, intimidating countless Dream World creatures... is not actually free, but is also serving some existence?
'To be served by Lord Dragon, and to have him as a Dream World Apostle, then that existence... just how high is his position?'
For a moment, Grego, who had frozen in place, fell into boundless contemplation.
...
In the Dream World, Woodland, inside Grego's dream cocoon, the little white Fox was squatting on the ground of the black space, wagging her tail boredly. Around her were several large floating screens. The largest one was in front of her, reflecting the scene of a dim train carriage.
The main screen reflected the scene that Grego's main body was currently seeing. Around it were many small screens, which displayed other scenes Grego had seen today, including the bedroom when he just woke up, the streets of Igwinte, outside the train station, and so on... The little Fox was wagging her tail and scanning these scenes with her head turned.
"Hmm... So this Black Dog is called Grego... He lives in Igwinte. Hmm, where is Igwinte? I've heard of it but can't remember the location. It looks like the environment is good. I'll check the map when I go back... It seems he also has a younger sister..."
The little Fox was boredly flipping through Grego's memories from the day. Just then, she suddenly pricked up her ears, as if sensing something. With a wave of her hand, she turned off all the small screens except the main one, then sat up straight. Then, a light door opened out of thin air inside the dream space, and Grego, in his Black Dog mimicry, walked in.
"Yo, Black Dog, you're back. That was fast. How was it? Did you see Lord Dragon?"
Seeing Grego's arrival, the little Fox said nonchalantly. Grego, in his Black Dog mimicry, had a solidified expression and was somewhat dazed. The little Fox immediately responded and spoke again when she saw this.
"What's wrong? Did you not see Lord Dragon?"
"Ah, ah no... I did see him..."
Hearing the little Fox's words, Grego reacted and spoke. After organizing the information he had just acquired in his mind, he slightly organized his words and continued to speak to the little Fox.
"Thanks to Miss Fox's dream anchor portal, I successfully went to the Dragon's territory and met Lord Dragon there. Lord Dragon agreed to help me resolve my predicament. He gave me a venerable name, the venerable name of the existence he serves. He said I can use this to contact someone among the believers of that existence who can help me."
With a hint of disbelief still in his expression, Grego spoke to the little Fox. His words startled the little Fox, and all her fur stood on end at once.
"What! The existence Lord Dragon serves... Is there anyone else who can be served by Lord Dragon?!" Hearing Grego's words, the little Fox was directly startled. She had never imagined that the Dream World Dragon, who was so powerful in her heart, was actually serving other existences.
Then... what kind of existence can control a Dragon!?
Such a question arose in the little Fox's heart. Then, as soon as she thought of the other word Grego had just said, she immediately had the answer in her mind.
"Right, Black Dog, you just said believers... then doesn't that mean..."
The little Fox said in astonishment, while Grego slowly nodded, then spoke with serious affirmation.
"Hmm... Perhaps... this should be a divine existence from the reverse side..."
Grego said seriously. Hearing Grego's words, the little Fox froze in place. It took a long time for her mind to turn around.
"A divine existence from the reverse side, yes, only a divine being would be qualified to control Lord Dragon. I didn't expect... Lord Dragon is actually an Apostle of a divine existence... This is too incredible. No, I must tell Grandpa later. I actually witnessed an Apostle of a divine existence!"
The little Fox muttered to herself. The news Grego brought back surprised her greatly. Then, she immediately turned her head to look at Grego again and asked directly.
"Hey! Black Dog! What is the venerable name of that divine being Lord Dragon serves? Quickly recite it! Let me see if I've heard it."
Hearing the little Fox's words, Grego nodded. Then he looked at the darkness in his dream, lowered his body, and slowly spoke in a solemn tone.
"Above this endless world... the place where all destinies converge... the door and key to infinite truth... the great Aka who records all things..."
"I sincerely pray to you here, please build a bridge of information for me, guide assistance from afar."
Grego prayed and spoke, while the little Fox on the side also listened carefully to the content of his prayer, trying to get some information from it. But she was surprised to find that she didn't recognize the venerable name in the prayer at all.
"Aka... the great Aka who records all things... This, who is this divine being? I've never heard Grandpa mention him before... Is this, the object of Lord Dragon's service?"
The little Fox muttered in confusion. Just then, she suddenly twitched her ears, as if sensing something, and looked at Grego again.
"Hey! Black Dog!"
"Uh, what? Miss Fox."
"Information... Some information is being transmitted into your spirit through some unknown channel! And it's being transmitted directly into your dream!"
The little Fox said this to Grego, as if her understanding of Grego's dream was clearer than Grego's own.
As soon as the little Fox's words fell, in the dream space before them, a glowing text actually condensed out of thin air. The information transmitted through the newly established information channel was directly materialized in this form before Grego and the little Fox.
"Hello, you who are also praying to that great wisdom somewhere, I am instructed by Lord Paturnax to contact you through Aka and help you escape your current predicament."
Such Prit text appeared before Grego and the little Fox. After a moment of stunned silence, Grego reacted and spoke.
"Yes... Yes! I need help, you are... the Dragon... Hmm, the believer of Aka that Lord Paturnax spoke of, the one who can help me."
Grego said this. At this moment, he and the little Fox finally knew that the true name of that mysterious Lord Dragon was Paturnax.
Aka's Apostle from the reverse side—Paturnax!
At this moment, both Grego and the little Fox felt that they had a further understanding of that mysterious Lord Dragon.
"Ah... Praise Aka, it seems I'm right. Then... Mr. Hunter of the An Yin Bureau, time is pressing now, let's get straight to the point. Lord Paturnax has already conveyed your specific situation to me. You are currently in a state of limited sleepwalking but can't wake up, right? Then please follow my instructions next."
Before Grego and the little Fox, new writing appeared. Along with this writing, there was also a pattern, an inverted pentagram with a simple eye and an inverted triangle overlapping inside.
"Mr. Hunter, please have the Fox next to you draw this pattern on your physical body in the real world through sleepwalking. Anywhere is fine. It doesn't matter if it's a little messy or distorted, but it must be clear."