Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: The Dream World
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“The…… Dream World?”
A puzzled voice rose among the students at the unexpected revelation of the stage’s true nature.
The Apostle scanned the students with a serene expression, a faint smile on his lips.
“Yes, the Dream World. If you’re wondering whose dream it is, it belongs to my main body, the ‘Demon of Observation.’”
“Huh? What? The Demon of Observation dreams too? Isn’t it like an AI or something?”
Another wave of doubt erupted at the mention of the Demon of Observation dreaming.
As the commotion grew, the Apostle raised his palm, silencing everyone.
“You all seem surprised that it’s my dream. Yes, to cut to the chase, I do dream. Though created by humans, my central processing system is remarkably similar to the human brain structure.”
“……Wow. Machines dream too. That’s wild.”
Choi Seo-yoon muttered beside me, her tone full of wonder.
“Then, I’ll explain the rules of the final exam stage, the ‘Dream World.’”
Gulp.
Someone swallowed dryly somewhere.
“It’s very simple. Find my ‘inner self’ hidden within the dream.”
“Inner self?”
Lily Rose muttered from the corner, her face serious.
“Yes, my inner self. If that’s hard to grasp, just think of it as finding me hidden in the dream. It’s like a game of hide-and-seek.”
“Where’s it hiding?”
One student shot their hand up and asked.
“I can’t tell you that. Everything is free in the dream, so find me however you like.”
“Tch.”
“That’s the end of the exam briefing. The test will begin shortly, so please prepare yourselves mentally.”
At those words, the students began checking their physical conditions.
Lee Seo-jun did some light stretching, while Yoo Ara crossed her arms, lost in thought.
Choi Seo-yoon squatted down to rest.
Daria wore a pensive expression, then glanced at me.
Our eyes met briefly.
Daria stared at me intently before looking away.
“Now, we’ll begin the final Seongmuje exam, ‘Finding the Inner Self in the Dream.’ This will be the last time I face you all like this.”
The Apostle murmured with a bittersweet smile.
And I caught the hidden meaning in his words.
The last time.
Probably referring to his impending destruction in the near future.
“It was nice meeting you all. You’re the first group to visit my space in such numbers. Thanks to you, I had a great time. I mean that sincerely.”
As he muttered that, the Apostle’s gaze turned to me.
A strange emotion flickered in his eyes. I met his stare head-on.
“Anyway, enough chit-chat. Let’s start the exam!”
Powerful mana filled the space where we stood.
Complex runes emerged from the floor, glowing brightly.
The space warped at the same time, and with a flash! a massive light engulfed us.
The vast courtyard in front of the central mansion, now empty of students.
Werner, left behind, stared blankly at the vacant grounds.
The final Seongmuje exam, ‘Finding the Inner Self in the Dream,’ had just begun.
The ‘Dream World’ wasn’t merely a space for the exam—it was the actual dream world of the Demon of Observation.
And the ‘inner self’ hidden within that dream was akin to a soul, controlling all the information possessed by the Demon of Observation. Or its true core.
That was exactly what Jaun was after—the ‘inner self’ tucked away deep in the dream.
If he could seize the inner self, he could uncover the world’s secrets, or even peer into futures beyond the Oracle’s prophecies.
But the ‘Dream World’ was a space inaccessible to anyone not participating in the Seongmuje.
All Werner could do now was hope that ‘Daria’ accomplished their goal.
Werner paused in thought, then looked at the spot where the Apostle of Observation had stood.
The Apostle, who had been right in front of him moments ago, had vanished along with the students.
Rather than following them into the Dream World, it was more accurate to say he had fallen asleep to manifest it.
As he pondered their next steps, lost in thought—
“You’ve done well up to now, Werner.”
James, who had been nearby, approached and spoke.
Werner glanced at James and nodded slightly.
“You too, James. I feel a weight off my chest.”
Instead of replying, James offered a light smile and headed toward the park area of the courtyard.
Werner watched his back for a moment before following.
“Who do you think will win, Werner?”
James tossed out an unexpected question.
“Who knows. Kim Sun-woo or Lee Seo-jun, who’ve taken the lead…… one of them, probably?”
“Hmm. That’s surprising.”
James hummed thoughtfully in response.
“……Is it? You seemed to expect me to say someone else.”
“I wouldn’t know. But I figured you might want someone else to win.”
It was a loaded statement.
Almost as if he suspected Werner of interfering to place Daria in the final exam.
He had even been asked where he was during the exam.
‘Sharp instincts.’
Not for nothing was he the head of Wigen’s security team, managing vast swaths of global information.
……Might be troublesome later. Should I kill him now?
But James was an S-Rank wizard with formidable combat prowess.
Even if they fought, victory wasn’t guaranteed.
Better to play it safe than risk everything on a gamble.
Werner flashed James an innocent smile.
“Haha. Want someone else to win? James, as a special Seongmuje examiner, I’m always neutral.”
“……I see. That’s good to hear.”
The two had arrived at the fountain in the park.
James waved grandly, and a massive portal magic circle materialized before the fountain.
“Werner? Shall we head back to reality then?”
Werner nodded and stepped into the portal.
He had only one task left.
To lay the groundwork so his comrades, having achieved their Seongmuje objectives, could escape safely back in reality.
Flash!
A brilliant light flashed, and the space around me shifted.
At the same time, a low hum…… like machinery buzzed in my ears.
“Ugh……”
I squinted. My mind felt foggy, my body limp and powerless.
Like being in a dream?
I staggered, then slapped both cheeks hard with my palms.
Smack!
“Phew……”
Now my senses sharpened.
Sleepiness vanished completely.
Maybe because it was the ‘Dream World,’ I’d nearly dozed off for real.
Regaining my wits, I slowly surveyed my surroundings.
An utterly dark space where nothing was visible.
All I could see was pitch-black darkness.
……But my body was perfectly clear.
That meant this wasn’t a space shrouded in darkness.
Probably like space—black void.
“……Fascinating.”
[You have entered the ‘Dream World.’]
[‘Nightmare Resistance’ increases based on your acquired personal points score.]
[‘Kim Sun-woo’ holds 2,120 points.]
[Nightmare Resistance increases by 21.2%.]
A voice in my head announced the rise in Nightmare Resistance.
Nightmare Resistance.
Exactly as named—a power to resist nightmares.
These ‘nightmares’ differed from ordinary bad dreams; they were a new concept in the Dream World, appearing as spaces, objects, creatures, and more to hinder participants.
Higher Nightmare Resistance meant more damage dealt to nightmares and less received from them.
Since nightmares played a huge role in the Dream World, higher resistance was always a boon.
“……Let’s go.”
I took a slow step forward.
With no set path, I hadn’t chosen a destination.
I just walked straight ahead aimlessly.
After about three minutes.
I spotted several doors in the darkness.
“Oh.”
Seeing the doors described in the original work, I couldn’t help but admire them.
They matched my imagined image perfectly.
Since the ‘Dream World’ was broadcast externally via text rather than video, everything felt fresh and new.
“Which door to pick……”
The doors came in all shapes and varieties.
Passing one and looking back, there was nothing—just empty space with lone doors.
It seemed like choosing the real door among many, but
It was an illusion.
Any door led to the final destination.
“This one’s the prettiest.”
I flung open the nearby ‘pink’ door.
Meanwhile, Daria, who had entered the Dream World, was deep in thought.
Her goal was to reach the endpoint as Jaun desired.
And that endpoint held the ‘inner self’ hidden in the dream.
She had talked at length with Kim Sun-woo that previous dawn.
And received plenty of practical advice.
First, he’d said reaching the endpoint on her own power would be tough.
It felt humiliating, like her skills were being dismissed, but he wasn’t wrong.
Known as Russia’s representative, she was still just a second-year.
Against top third-years, she had clear shortcomings.
Daria pulled a ‘potion’ from her pocket.
The ‘amplifier’ Jaun had given her, to drink if she felt short on power.
……Yeah, better drink it.
Kim Sun-woo had suggested considering it too.
Daria uncorked the vial and took a sip.
The Dream World’s lack of real-time external broadcast allowed such bold moves.
Thump!
“……Urk!”
Her heart pounded wildly. A shallow pain stirred deep in her chest, as if her body rejected it.
Daria collapsed to the floor.
Just a sip, and this reaction.
The warning about permanent mana loss if mishandled wasn’t a lie.
Daria recorked the vial and tucked it away.
She’d drink more when the effect waned.
Daria rose unsteadily.
She closed her eyes, feeling the mana raging inside her.
An explosive power she’d never sensed before surged through her.
Opening a door and stepping in, a new space unfolded.
Unlike the space-like void before, this had floors, walls, and ceilings.
Countless staircases twisted like a maze around her, evoking a mystical artwork.
Clank. Clank. Clank……
Then, the sound of hard metal gears meshing reached her ears.
She looked up at the ceiling.
Dozens of silver gears interlocked and spun.
“……Dreams are weird.”
Machines gonna machine, huh.
Even its dreams felt oddly mechanical.
As she marveled and moved to climb the stairs—
Whirr!
Light burst from a nearby wall, creating a space.
Startled by the sudden mystical phenomenon, she halted and stared.
At the same time, a familiar voice came from beyond.
“Oh. Cool.”
I blinked dumbly toward the space.
A face I knew well appeared.
“……Lee Seo-jun?”
At my call, Lee Seo-jun spotted me and blinked.
“Huh? Kim Sun-woo?”
Lee Seo-jun approached with a cheerful tone.
“Whoa, we meet here.”
“……Yeah.”
I knew participants could encounter each other in the dream, but I hadn’t expected to run into Lee Seo-jun right at the start.
Thoughts raced through my mind.
The plan with Daria.
What if Lee Seo-jun got in the way?