Chapter 306: A Confirmed Hypothesis
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 306: A Confirmed Hypothesis
At this moment, the Dream Demon was lashing out like a madwoman, unleashing a frantic barrage of attacks. For some reason, these beings always felt like powder kegs—one spark and they’d blow. All I’d done was tease her a bit.
However, after several exchanges, I realized her most threatening moves were her melee strikes. Combined with her ability to phase between dreams and reality, her close-quarters attacks were nearly impossible to react to or defend against. It was a brutal test of my footwork and positioning.
While my physical stats were high, I had never systematically studied close combat or body arts. I was relying entirely on combat instinct.
On the other hand, she was clearly wary of my magical bombardment. I was starting to like this environment; compared to the Main World, spell effects were amplified many times over. This was true fire superiority!
Faced with my endless stream of tricks—Evocation Floating Spells, Explosive Traps, and even Summoning Spells—the Dream Demon was suppressed to the point where she could only struggle against the City Guard in reality.
When the guards' spears finally pierced her flesh, they realized that the monster they feared could be wounded just like anything else!
I had to admit, this Dream Demon was more troublesome than most opponents I had faced before. It wasn't that her raw power was overwhelming, but rather that her methods were nearly impossible to counter. In gaming terms, it was a case of "mechanics over combat power."
If I were the Dream Demon, I could have done so much more with that ability to hop between reality and dreams.
As the battle of attrition dragged on, she began to reveal a weakness: frequent phasing between the two realms was taking a heavy toll on her. Whether she was consuming physical strength, mental energy, or something else, her exhaustion was becoming visible to the naked eye.
"Damn it... damn it, damn it! Why is this happening? A bunch of small fry and a single Little Witch actually pushed me to this point!"
The Dream Demon let out a roar of indignant rage. Her aggressive stance shifted to a defensive one; it looked like she was preparing to tuck tail and run.
"You're not getting away!" I stayed hot on her heels. The Dream Demon beat her illusory wings, attempting to break away into the sky. I couldn't fly, but my spells could certainly reach a flying target.
"Haha! I'll admit you're a nuisance when you work together, but so what? This city is still a place I can enter and leave as I please!"
I watched as my spells passed through her body without dealing any damage. At this height, she was almost out of my reach. I instinctively looked toward Sister Bai, but then remembered she couldn't hit the Dream Demon while the creature was phased into reality either.
A sense of regret filled my heart. Letting this thing escape felt like letting her off far too easily.
Just as I was lamenting the missed opportunity, a roar thundered through the street.
In the next heartbeat, the Dream Demon’s body jerked as if the frame had skipped; she lost her balance mid-air as a blossom of blood erupted from her chest.
"Firearms?" I stared at the scene in shock, unable to believe my eyes.
"Reinforcements! Reinforcements are here! Quick! Capture the monster!" Ninglan Qiuyu reacted instantly, sprinting toward the figure falling from the sky.
I didn't hesitate either. Though I was surprised to find firearms in this world, any method that could stop the enemy was a good one.
"Don't move! Monster, you're under arrest!"
"Arrest?" The weakened Dream Demon struggled to push herself off the ground, her voice dripping with mockery, as if she couldn't believe she had been caught by these "natives." "Impossible! You'll never keep me!"
"Binding Spell. Well... how about now?" I walked over. Seeing that the City Guard had no way to truly restrain her, I slapped a Binding Spell onto her.
"You!"
"Your vitality is certainly impressive," I remarked, eyeing the hole in her chest. Her thoracic cavity had been completely pierced, yet she was still alive. Was the chest not a vital point for her kind?
"By the way, is that your Type III Beyonder Killing Weapon?" I turned to Ninglan Qiuyu and asked.
"Yes. I'm not at liberty to disclose further details... This monster is truly formidable. That strike only left a single entry wound. Normally, a shot like that would blow a Variant Beast to pieces."
"I see... but I still suggest you kill her. You might not be able to control this thing," I said, shaking my head. A Dream Demon was a Dream Demon, after all; they weren't something ordinary people could subdue.
At the same time, I realized the limitations of being human. A Dream Demon was just one type of Abyssal Demon. Were there even more incomprehensible entities lurking within the vast Void?
"This..." Ninglan Qiuyu hesitated. Having finally captured the monster, he naturally wanted to extract useful information or perhaps bring her before the City Lord for interrogation.
However, he also knew that without the help of these two outsiders, he never would have succeeded. He had to take my suggestion seriously.
"Don't you two want to find out anything from her?"
"That depends on whether she's willing to talk." My gaze fell on the pathetic Dream Demon. The heavy wound from earlier had stripped away most of her ability to resist.
Furthermore... my Binding Spell couldn't stop her from shifting between dreams and reality. Her constant "flickering" was a desperate look, but it was indeed causing us quite a bit of trouble.
"How about we seal off this area and interrogate her on the spot?" I proposed.
"Yes, thank you for your understanding. This... Dream Demon has bizarre methods. Could I ask you two to assist us with the interrogation? You likely don't have much experience in this area; we can show you the ropes."
"Interrogation? You lot think you can interrogate me?" The Dream Demon managed to squeeze out a sneer despite her struggle.
"Why not? Still acting tough? For all the trouble you've caused Ninglan New City and the guards you've killed, I'll make sure to pay you back in full!"
Ninglan Qiuyu seemed to vent all his pent-up rage onto her. It was my first time witnessing such an interrogation. To be honest, it wasn't as... impressive as I had imagined.
It was actually quite mundane. Whenever the Dream Demon tried to phase away to avoid the guards' tools, it became my turn to provide the "punishment."
"You've entered the dream, haven't you?" I watched as the guards' tools passed through empty air. I smiled and walked toward her, a whip of concentrated fire element crackling with intense heat in my hand. This wasn't going to be a joke.
"You! Stay away from me!"
After the previous bout of torment, the Dream Demon finally knew the meaning of fear.
In reality, the City Guard had professional Beyonder interrogation devices, but in the dream, I provided the most direct form of agony.
Especially when the flaming lash struck her exposed skin, I felt a strange surge of satisfaction. The sound of her screams following each strike was oddly melodic.
I think I might be awakening some rather questionable preferences...
Eventually, under our combined efforts, the Dream Demon looked completely broken, reduced to incoherent babbling. Yet, throughout the process, she hadn't uttered a single plea for mercy. I had to admire her stubbornness.
"Is there anything else you want to ask her?" I turned to Ninglan Qiuyu. They had already asked plenty: why she attacked Ninglan New City, why she targeted outsiders, how many more like her there were, and even her relationship with the Nightmare.
Clearly, her answers hadn't satisfied Ninglan Qiuyu. Perhaps she truly didn't know, but at this point, there was no more value to be squeezed out of her. It had devolved into pure retribution.
After all, this Dream Demon had killed many guards and drained their essence and Soul Essence. This was a debt that had to be settled.
"Oh, thank you for your help. We were so focused on our own questions—do you two have anything you need to ask?"
"Yes, I do have a few questions," I nodded.
"Please, go ahead. If you need any cooperation from us, just say the word." Ninglan Qiuyu nodded back. He was curious about what these two outsiders would ask. Their perspective was different, and they might catch something the guards had overlooked.
"Dream Demon, let me ask you: do you know where this is?"
"Ugh... heh... Ninglan New City... what a stupid question..." The Dream Demon glared at me with hatred, spitting out the words.
"You know that's not what I'm asking. What world is this?" I repeated.
"World... haha... you're actually asking me that..."
"Is there a problem?" I frowned. Her expression was one of pure mockery, as if she were laughing at my ignorance.
"This place... isn't it... your Main World? You don't even recognize the world you live in? Hahaha... cough..." The Dream Demon laughed so hard she choked on her own blood.
"This is also the Main World?" This answer finally confirmed my hypothesis, yet it didn't seem to surprise me at all.
"Over a thousand years ago, the transcendent races launched a massive invasion, reducing everything to rubble. Those beings built their transcendent academies on the ruins of your world... and you... you're still slaving away for the invaders! Hahaha! You even want to become one of them! It's pathetic! You've forgotten your own ancestors..."
"I see..." I restrained the urge to use a Silence Spell on her. If the truth she was speaking ever reached the Main World or the other transcendent academies... it would cause a massive upheaval. It might even shake the very foundations of the academies' existence!
Of course, the academies wouldn't allow such a narrative to spread, but this truth would be a devastating blow to the people of the Main World!
"You... why aren't you..."
"Why aren't I what? Hating the transcendent academies? Naive..." My indifferent expression was the final blow. She had expected me to collapse or at least show a hint of panic—anything that would have given her a shred of satisfaction. But she saw nothing on my face.
Finally, she drew her last breath. Her body dissolved into uncontrollable bubbles and dissipated. It was over. The Dream Demon was truly dead within the dream.
"Sorry, I asked some questions that were a bit out of bounds. It seems she... committed suicide. I assume you don't have any more questions for her?"
"No..." Ninglan Qiuyu looked at us with a complex expression. He had heard the questions and answers, but even he needed a moment. The information density was a bit too high.
"Phew... Sorry, let's leave it at that. If you see the City Lord, tell him we need some time to process things. We'll just be wandering around the city." I shook my head and spoke to Ninglan Qiuyu.
I walked over to Sister Bai. I could tell from her expression that the Dream Demon's words had been a massive shock to her.
After all, finding out that your entire civilization was conquered a thousand years ago, that the current masters of the world are invaders in disguise, and that you are working for them—it was a lot for any normal person of this world to handle.
"Sister Bai, let's go." I took her hand. Her skin felt slightly chilled. I squeezed gently and gave her hand a little shake. It took a moment for her to react.
"Sister Bai, let's go explore somewhere else."
"Oh... hm? Okay." Bai Yu snapped out of it and instinctively gripped my hand tight, nodding in agreement.
"Safe travels, you two. Ninglan New City will remember your contribution." Seeing us leave, Ninglan Qiuyu instinctively gave us a formal City Guard salute.
I looked back at them and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Ninglan Qiuyu then began directing the guards to clear the battlefield. They had to restore order; the evacuation couldn't last forever, especially in a high-traffic area like the Ninglanxiang Hotel. The disruption to the residents was significant.
Furthermore, the Ninglan Township Castle would have to issue a public response to such a major incident. The real headache was just beginning, but that was for City Lord Ninglan Qiuyun to worry about.
I accompanied Sister Bai away from the site of the battle, avoiding the crowds and the reporters with their cameras. Even after we left the cordoned-off area, Sister Bai remained quiet.
I knew this wasn't something that could be rushed. She had to process this and find her own way out of the shock.
However, the impact of the truth seemed even greater than I had anticipated. Perhaps it was because I lacked a sense of belonging to this world to begin with, making it impossible for me to truly empathize. Or perhaps it was the influence of the Ley Line Shackles.
The fact that my Ley Line Shackles hadn't been severed meant I still had a connection to the original world.
Perhaps I finally understood why so many Graduated Witches in the academy never broke through to the transcendent level to leave this world. Maybe it was because of this sense of belonging?
As for whether that belonging was a masterpiece of the World Consciousness—a way to keep its children from escaping its control—that would require further investigation.
"Sister Bai, are you feeling any better?"