“Though it looks clear, it still seems like a dream.”
There was a difference in image quality between SNS posts based on real-world data and those posted by drears. The forr were normal, but the latter were generally blurry, and in severe cases it was hard to distinguish shapes or text.
“On the other hand, anything directly related to , grounded in reality, appears clear.”
Data concerning and my party would of course be reality-based. Besides...
“...There’s no way anyone would dream of Seong Hyunjae and Director Song looking like this.”
How many people would imagine Guildmaster Sesung catching a cold and sneezing? If soone dread of Seong Hyunjae, it’d be of him hunting monsters heroically or driving a custom car in a suit. Him in ill-fitting clothes, coughing away, simply didn’t make sense.
So how did it end up like this? They said it was in Japan—did they sohow fall into the sea? Gasp—could Yuhyun and Peace be here too? They can’t use their skills to stop themselves from falling! Maybe I should buy so cold dicine. What foods are good for a cold again?
“Um—are there any posts about Yuhyun or Peace? Anything about people who encountered them in the past few hours?”
I was clumsy at searching this. Searching “Han Yuhyun” yielded multiple accounts of people with the sa na. “Peace” yielded even more.
“I’ll check!”
Before long soone presented their phone again.
“They’re in Russia.”
“In Russia?”
In unfamiliar scenery, I saw a tall handso man riding a Fla Horn Lion. Its crimson fur streaked with gold fluttered, and the straight back made for a weighty, cinematic shot.
“They asked in English for a place with a large helicopter. They said the adult Peace was terrifying.”
“Though he looks scary, he’s gentle.”
I was relieved Yuhyun could pilot a helicopter. They’d all arrive soon enough. I’d felt a bit guilty being stuck in Korea alone, but now it seed for the best—I can only drive a car. I should’ve learned helicopters.
“Thank you! Please co by the nursery soti!”
“Hey—didn’t you say you don’t have a license?”
“I got it~.”
In reality I don’t. And probably never will, unless regulations change. I climbed into the truck and headed for the nursery. Maybe a convenience store in the building has cold dicine. It’s cold in Russia, after all. I could pick up so chicken at the market—samgyetang would be good in the cold.
At last I recognized the building. I braked to a stop. Wow...
“...That’s .”
It was . Han Yujin walking with Yuhyun; Han Yujin snacking with Yerim; Han Yujin holding Peace; and soone in the middle of being kidnapped... huh?
“Yuhyun, eep!”
The black van’s door opened, and Han Yujin was being abducted. Well, I’ve been kidnapped many tis, but this was sothing else. Before I knew it the van sped away and blurred out of sight.
“More people dream of than I thought...”
Even if soone in Arica or Australia dread of , if the setting was the nursery I’d appear here. Dreams have no real-world boundaries. Seeing so many versions staring at gave a headache. And why was that one so scrawny, looking like it hadn’t eaten porridge? Of course I wasn’t alone—there were far more.
Kiiang!
Kyaauung!
Kyarrrung!
It was Peace. Adult and baby Peaces had taken over in front of the nursery. Most were in ethereal form, but I saw a couple full-grown adults. A little pack of Peace cubs rolled around in a group. How cute... Up on the building I also saw five Noahs patrolling. One was in prehistoric beast form. Maybe soone is dreaming of Soyeong.
“I wonder if the Haeyeon Guild has dozens of Yuhyuns running around.”
...That sounds like fun. Yerim’s dream-self would be dozens too. Nearby, I might sneak a peek. Guildmaster Sesung’s dream would have dozens of Seong Hyunjaes; the Breaker Guild’s dream dozens of Hyunahs; in each office dozens of Director Songs. Even if blurry, they’d flaunt variety.
Clearly it was a dream. Dreams are delightful—except for mine. Seeing them swarming like this felt creepy. I put on the sunglasses, mask, and hat I’d prepared and got out of the car.
“Hello~.”
A Han Yujin who t my gaze greeted with a bright smile. Far too sociable. I slipped past the purring Peaces, heading for the market. Two Han Yujins were shopping inside. They loaded ingredients, cold dicine, and other necessities into carts and rolled them out. Weaving between them, I reached the building’s entrance.
“...Huh.”
I saw a familiar back standing at the door. Familiar yet strange. It was Yuhyun, but taller and bigger than I rembered. Since it was soone’s dream, it wasn’t odd—but still, my eyes kept drifting.
“Yuhyun.”
My voice slipped out unknowingly, and Yuhyun slowly turned. Those dark, sinking eyes fixed on . A pale smile crossed his expression, then he vanished.
“...So it really is a dream.”
He was making a strange atmosphere with my little brother. People can dream whatever they wish, but please stop dreaming of my brother! Muttering, I pushed the cart into the building. Inside was...
“An SS-rank weapon for you.”
My comrades stood there. Myungwoo presented equipnt solemnly to each Hunter. The Hunter hugged their new weapon with a blissful face. Ah... these were scenes Hunters imagined in their dreams.
“Master! Please!”
I saw a foreign Hunter clinging to Myungwoo. Since the forge isn’t shown publicly, everyone convened in the lobby to see him. Poor Myungwoo has a hard ti.
“Make my SS-rank gear right away!”
anwhile, so brat was barking orders at Myungwoo. Are they doing in their dream what they’d never dare in reality? I tried to brush it off—after all, it’s a dream—but seeing Myungwoo cower made furious. I hurled a supplent bottle from my cart at the brat.
Thud!
“Oof! Who—”
I whipped off my sunglasses and said to the turned-around figure,
“Get out—now! You’re banned for life!”
“No—”
“Won’t leave? Huh? I’ll call the Haeyeon Guildmaster!”
I bashed his head with a packaged green onion. Scram, scram, scram. Even in a dream, this kind of behavior ans you can’t enter my building. The terrified Myungwoo vanished, and the brat stomped off in annoyance. I wheeled my cart past a Hunter praising Myungwoo.
“How much do dreams influence reality?”
By now I was starting to worry. Though they’re just dreams, they could embed unconsciously—like dreaming of a huge fight with a friend and waking up uneasy. Usually we laugh it off, but there is so effect.
If good, it’s fine; if bad, that’s a problem. I took out my phone and ssaged Yerim: “It’s a dream, but please be kind to people—there are real people behind these dreams.”
Once I passed through the building, it suddenly beca quiet. Few can co here this way; I think it’s only ever been broadcast once. I hope I can et my kids even in dreams. Daddy’s doing okay...
“...What’s that?”
It was a castle. Where the nursery should’ve been stood a storybook-like castle of colorful ice cream, snacks, chocolate, and cotton candy. Cute as it seed, wasn’t this supposed to be my ho?
“...Is it Byul’s dream?”
I’d never seen the building itself change like this in a dream. Dreams set in non-existent backgrounds are common, but usually only the drear sees that changed scenery. This castle before was vivid and lifelike.
I approached the castle in confusion—and then was shocked again.
“...Seong Hyunjae?”
“Guarding the gate.”
“Guard, really, Xiao Jin.”
Seong Hyunjae and Hwangrim stood in guard uniforms before the gate. They were impossibly clear for a dream. Seong Hyunjae sneezing in Japan and a collared man from China wouldn’t appear here... but it was a dream, after all.
“How did you end up playing gatekeeper here?”
“I also cook and clean.”
said Seong Hyunjae. My goodness—soone actually dreams of hiring Guildmaster Sesung as a maid. That drear must be one of my kids... If it’s Gyeol’s dream, Hwangrim wouldn’t appear and Seong Hyunjae would be treated like a tiny toy.
Well, Gyeol must be quite close to them, especially to Seong Hyunjae.
“Keep... at it....”
Hwangrim, unable to hide his embarrassnt, stepped through the gate. Beyond lay a bright adow indoors. Under a sky as blue as the brightest day, baby monsters frolicked.
Baa!
Song-i hopped ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) and head-butted Sorok-i, who was already larger than Song-i and caught him lightly. In the pond, Maru swam while Yerim floated gently above. Everyone looked so vivid—perhaps because Gyeol was a psychic fairy-dragon.
“Oh? Sir?”
Yerim turned to with surprised eyes.
“You escaped again?”
“...Huh?”
Escaped? What—?
“Brother.”
Yuhyun’s voice ca from behind. I turned to see him looking down at with sad eyes.
“Why don’t you rest?”
“Huh? No.”
“That’s right, uncle. Rest a bit!”
“Wait, I—Oof, Yuhyun!”
Yuhyun scooped up and rode the elevator upwards. Wait—where was this? It felt like ho.
“Just rest, brother.”
The door opened to reveal a spacious room: a large bed, soft floor, armchair, a table laden with food, dolls, a TV, and beyond the big window a manicured garden and beach. And on the bed...
“...There are two of .”
Yerim murmured. I lay sleeping there.
“That’s because, well, I—”
“You were twice at one point. Sleep deeply like that one. Don’t co out.”
Yerim set on the bed and left. I ran to the door, but it was locked. What is happening?
“Hey, hey! Wake up!”
“Hmm....”
The on the bed showed no intention of waking. Gyeol—did you always want to put to sleep like this? I pounded on the door again.
“Gyeol! It’s Dad! I’m really Dad!”
Dad’s here! If I could use my inventory, I’d open this door in an instant. Instead, I grabbed a strawberry from the table and picked up a chair. I rained it down on the door.
Crash!
“Dad’s hereee!”
I never dread my children would lock up too. The chair’s tal legs left marks on the wooden door. I lifted the chair again and focused on the doorknob. The sleeping on the bed grumbled at the noise.
“My Gyeol, I’m sorry.”
For making you dream this. I drew a kitchen knife and widened the hole until my hand fit through. I unlocked the door from outside.
“The hallway’s our house?”
It was the sa layout but longer, wider, and taller. I hurried down to the living room where the kids usually played. A huge dragon stood there.
It was the sa round, little dragon, only the size of a car. In Gyeol’s arms, the black dragon and the creamy-furred beast slept. Seol-i and Byul-i. In the sunlit living room, their soft breathing resonated.
“...Gyeol.”
I gently approached and stroked Gyeol’s head. His round, large golden eyes slowly opened.
Daddy.
Gyeol shrank back to his usual small fairy-dragon form, half-lidded eyes drooping as he leaned into .
Daddy.
“Yes, Gyeol. It’s Dad. We’re ho.”
Though the house had changed sowhat. Gyeol yawned widely. He blinked a few tis, then gazed at with brightened eyes—then gasped in surprise.
Oh? This is Gyeol’s dream!
“It is. We’re in a dream. But I’m real.”
Ah, Dad? You’re real?
“It’s a long story, but we all fell into the dream world. Uncle and Aunt are on their way ho too.”
Gyeol looked startled but hugged even tighter.
“We’ll be ho soon, okay? You’ve been well?”
Uh-huh. Oh, I t the person I was supposed to marry in the dream!
“Marie-ssi? She created this world. And then I think she went back to reality...”
I think so. It feels different with her.
The fairy-dragon nodded, tapping his tail with a serious look.
It’s very different from usual dreams. And...
Gyeol hesitated, then frowned as he continued.
This world seems to be looking for Dad.
“What? For ?”
If Marie-ssa created this world, she’d be soone I was going to et soon anyway, so it wasn’t bad news. I just needed to see her before the system applied.
‘And bring Yuhyun back.’
Once I retrieve my brother, everything will be over. There really isn’t much ti left.
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