Chapter 00039: Dream Eater
# Dream-Eater
Chapter 39
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 39: Dream-Eater
On Monday, he left the house at five-thirty and returned home at midnight.
On Tuesday, he left at six and got back at eleven-forty in the evening.
On Wednesday, that rascal returned home, took a bath, then used the bathroom.
By four-thirty, he was already waiting outside the factory, banging on the door, urging Ye Chun to get up quickly…
And then there were Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
This rascal didn’t know what a holiday was!
He was completely disregarding labor laws!
A middle-aged man, his eyes bloodshot, peered through binoculars at the silent factory in the distance, his mind filled with thoughts on how to report him.
Are you even human?!
At first, he thought the young man was just enthusiastic and loved to show off.
Once he got used to things, he would surely understand the hardship of working and take things easy.
But then this rascal, starting from the second week, simply brought his bedding and moved in?!
He never left!
He didn’t even show his face anymore?!
Seriously, big brother, is there a mountain of gold and silver in there, or a bevy of beautiful people? Do you really love working that much?
If it weren’t for the fact that everyone in this factory was under Ye Xian, who was also a master unapproachable in Yacheng, the middle-aged man would have stormed in and slapped Ji Jue across the face: Wake up, idiot! You can at least go out and stretch your legs! Even if you won’t flirt with Wen Wen, at least show me if you are really the Chosen One!
Not only the stalker but also Ye Chun was about to cry.
No, she was already crying.
“Brother Ji Jue, you’re my senior, can you spare me? I’ll give you the keys; just go wherever you want and take whatever you need, okay? Don’t drag me into this mess.”
After noticing dark circles under her eyes from several days of staying up late, Ye Chun said, “Senior, I really can’t compete with your kind of madness! Seriously, go out and have a romantic date! If you can’t find anyone, I can introduce some junior girls to you…”
“What nonsense is this, Senior?!”
Ji Jue exploded with anger: “We must work hard together and make progress! How can you be so lazy? Do you remember Professor Ye’s earnest reminders before she left? You wouldn’t want Professor Ye to come back and find that aside from gaining weight, you haven’t progressed on your thesis at all, would you?”
Ye Chun was already unable to hold back and wanted to punch him.
Could you tone it down a bit!
Finally, she understood why her aunt didn’t give any assignments before leaving in a hurry… From the moment she let this dog into her home, she was destined to be caught up in this whirlwind.
“How many days has it been since you last showered, big brother?”
Looking at Ji Jue’s scruffy beard, bloodshot eyes, and unkempt hair, she just wanted to call the police: “If you’re going to work yourself to death, can you at least not die in my workshop?”
“Shower? Sleep? Date?!”
Ji Jue’s eyes widened, his pale face growing excited with a smile: “I love studying, alright? I love alchemy! The workshop is my home!”
Bang!
Inside the furnace, the broken sword blade rang out, like the roar of tens of thousands of troops coming from the crimson flames.
Within, a grand shadow woven from crimson and pale white emerged from the essence!
Just like that, amidst Ji Jue’s cackling laughter, after the transformations, entropy, and desolation, a fourth totem of disaster, strife, disharmony, and slaughter was born.
– Supreme Goodness: [Great Crowd]!
“Hahaha—”
Looking at the progress on his watch, which had reached one-third, Ji Jue placed his hands on his hips and laughed skyward: “Do you understand the worth of a dedicated worker? Heaven didn’t birth anyone like me, Ji Jue; I’m a dog who’s been slaving away since ancient times! Refining—”
In the midst of his maniacal laughter, he felt the world around him darkening, and his laughter gradually faded.
He fell back, staring at the sky.
Crunch, crunch.
After a sound of crunching chips, Ye Chun let out a deep sigh, her expression unreadable, “I knew it, someone like you will eventually work yourself to death.”
There’s no saving it; it’s done for; time to arrange for cremation.
I’ll book you the most splendid funeral and a choir to mourn at your grave, then scatter your ashes in Tianmen Lake, telling every new junior how this is the fate of a dedicated worker!
Murmuring like this, she reached into the cabinet and took out a sealed bottle, carefully drew 1 milliliter with a dropper, diluted it with 300 milliliters of water, and finally, poured the orange-red liquid down Ji Jue’s throat.
Immediately, his pale face showed a hint of color.
His eyelids twitched.
Ji Jue opened his eyes, confused, and saw Ye Chun wearing an exasperated expression.
His memory was still stuck a few minutes back and didn’t understand what had happened.
“The aftereffects of long-term spiritual essence deficiency, occasional consciousness lapses, and energy decline are just early signs. If you don’t rest soon, I’ll have to take the juniors to the mental asylum to see what you’ve become.”
Ye Chun pinched his face hard, indiscriminately squeezing: “Now go and rest, do you hear me?”
Ji Jue actually wanted to say he could keep working a bit longer, but seeing Ye Chun’s fierce eyes that mirrored Professor Ye’s sternness, he couldn’t help but swallow hard and nodded vigorously.
“Rest well, rest well! I love resting the most!”
It felt like a sharp prick on his back.
Following Professor Ye’s example, he didn’t learn anything good, only the worst parts!
So, grumbling and reluctant, Ji Jue hoisted his pack and finally crawled out of the workshop after five days, going home to wash up and sleep.
In the far-off distance, the stalker lay in his car, raising his head weakly to glance before retracting his gaze.
Damn it, I’m tired; just destroy this whole thing.
“It’s been so many days, and you haven’t found anything? What are you doing?”
The old voice on the phone was full of indifference: “Do you know how urgent it is over there? You’ve done nothing for so long, not even keeping an eye on things. If you don’t consider switching employers, how about it?”
“Don’t, don’t, boss, I’ve made some progress.”
The middle-aged man was sweating profusely: “I’ve contacted the Dream-Eater; I’m just waiting for that kid to show himself. By tomorrow at the latest, I’ll find out if he’s been looking at someone with the surname Wen!”
“It better be like that! Otherwise, you can go explain it over there yourself!” The impatient elder, Jiang Jin, hung up the phone.
Only the middle-aged man in the van, drenched in sweat and too afraid to turn on the air conditioning to save gas, was left, finally beginning to dial another number after much hesitation.
“The boss doesn’t want to wait anymore,” he said. “You need to come over.”
“Would have been better if you said that earlier! Why the delay?”
The person referred to as ‘Dream-Eater’ mocked from the other end of the line: “A dead kid, and you’ve been trembling to watch him for so long, not daring to plant a bug; what kind of results do you expect?”
“I’m still not sure if he’s the Chosen One; what if? Better safe than sorry with these things.”
The middle-aged man looked up at the distant disappearing figure, feeling suddenly cold for no reason: “You should be careful too; that kid is definitely not normal. I sense something eerie about him.”
“Alright, alright, send the money over first.”
Dream-Eater sneered: “I can dig up what you want, but if he ends up a fool, don’t blame me… you know my style, it can be a bit rough.”
“Don’t leave any traces or clues behind, understood?”
The middle-aged man reminded him one last time: “The boss doesn’t like mistakes when others are working. If…”
“Don’t worry; it won’t involve you. I’ll be heading to the Empire tomorrow. No matter how powerful the security bureau is, do they have wings that can fly to Rhine Harbor and catch me?”
Dream-Eater’s smile turned strange: “Didn’t expect to have some fun before leaving.”
The call was cut off.
The middle-aged man silently smoked his cigarettes, no longer speaking.
For some reason, he suddenly started considering retirement.
But after all these years, following that Jiangs, doing so many unspeakable things… would his luck really last until retirement day?
Let’s not even mention retirement; without their protection, he would probably be found dead floating in the sea by tomorrow afternoon.
Under the afternoon sun, looking at his scruffy appearance in the rearview mirror, he suddenly envied the figure riding off on a motorcycle, humming a song.
No matter how foolish he seemed, at least he could still live in the light…
On the other end of the disconnected call, soft music and prompts echoed from the broadcast system.
In front of customs, Dream-Eater hung up the call, strolling through security and checks, entering the first-class lounge.
“Sir, please enjoy some tea.”
The waiter presented tea with a bright smile, inexplicably fond of this unfamiliar traveler.
“Thank you.”
The man known as Dream-Eater put down his briefcase, looking like an ordinary business traveler, leaning back on the sofa in the private lounge, appearing tired: “I want to rest for a bit; please don’t disturb me, alright?”
“Of course, sir.”
The waiter took two steps back, thoughtfully closing the door for him.
So, in the silence remained only the man and the steam curling up from the teacup.
Outside the large glass window was the busy scene of the airport tarmac.
Airships, resembling buildings, rose and fell, traversing the sky in all directions.
He wasn’t going to the Empire tomorrow; he was leaving tonight, and only after completing this deal, would he leave quickly.
And he wasn’t heading to the Empire but to the islands beyond Central Earth.
Just as his employer’s subordinates told him, safety came first.
No one knew if that bunch would silence him for knowing too much, trying to use this ‘last deal’ to shut him up.
In doing anything, one always had to keep a hand behind.
In the many years spent in Haizhou, he had amassed a good sum of savings in a nameless account at the bank, enough to buy a mountain and a fishery, then hire a few employees to fish and surf in comfort until he died of old age.
This sudden business he had taken on was just to level up his future yacht configuration.
Should he add a karaoke system? He wasn’t really fond of singing, but the island girls were famous for their beautiful voices…
In this scattered train of thought, he raised his teacup, pulling out the documents that had been handed to him long ago, looking at the photographs and records, and couldn’t help but sigh regretfully.
Initially, he had thought it was possible to catch a big fish, a Chosen One, and if sold, it might bring in a windfall, but he didn’t expect him to be just a clueless kid.
A cursed one with a much higher probability of mutation than an ordinary person.
That old fellow Jiang Jin really was getting feeble-minded or was in a desperate bid to treat a sickness?
That had nothing to do with him.
At least, he could still enjoy himself.
From a long-lost thirst, he leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and gradually slowed his breathing, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
And just before his eyes closed, the strange gleam in his pupils vanished first.
At this moment, in this place, only an empty shell remained.
The Dream-Eater set off from the realm of dreams, heading for a new playground.
Meanwhile, Ji Jue, freshly bathed and back home, couldn’t help but yawn, and suddenly, the drowsiness that had been bearable surged like a tide.
So much so, he didn’t have time to dry off completely.
“Wait, something doesn’t seem…”
Right?
He staggered forward two steps, half-leaning on the bed, but before he could climb in completely, he sank into a deep slumber.
The sound of snoring erupted.
Long-term deficiency and weakness left him unable to even respond, and before he could react, he had already fallen into the dream woven by the Dream-Eater.
Without a shred of power to resist.
Then, in the void, endless nightmares rose like a tide!
(End of chapter)