“Fighting in dreams?”
Lin Du looked at the doctor, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
“Yes.” The doctor nodded, then sighed. “But we haven’t done the final test yet. If we want to complete it… it might take more time.”
“There’s no time.” Lin Du frowned. “Just yesterday, during the first night alone, hundreds of people in this area were attacked by the dream demon.”
He thought of White Li with her dark circles under her eyes, and of those classmates who had already fallen victim. His fists clenched.
“If we keep dragging our feet, even more people will be in danger.”
The dwarf looked into his eyes and was silent for a moment.
“I understand,” the dwarf nodded. “We’ll begin tonight.”
They went down to the basement level.
Pushing open the heavy iron door, they were greeted by an empty room.
There were no extra furnishings, only a massive machine at the very center.
The machine was somewhat shaped like a CT scanner, but several times larger. Its milky white, curved frame was engraved with dense magical runes, some resembling characters, others like intricate circuit diagrams.
“The original purpose of inventing this machine,” the doctor said, walking over to it and gently tracing the runes with his rough palm, “was to let people who had suffered trauma find solace in their dreams.”
He turned and looked at Lin Du.
“So I included some secret dream demon potions as an aid. These potions make it easier to fall into deep sleep and also stabilize the dream.”
Lin Du silently examined the machine, nodding thoughtfully.
“When you fall asleep through this machine,” the doctor continued, walking to a nearby computer and typing rapidly, “I’ll adjust your dream signal to make your spirit fluctuations seem especially… delicious.”
He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
“The dream demon will have a strong reaction to that signal. She’ll think you’re a very tasty source of energy and come to you on her own.”
“And then?” Lin Du asked.
“Once you’ve caught her attention…” The doctor patted a tray beside the machine. “Put the wristband here, and I’ll send the Knight System into your dream through this device.”
His gaze turned serious.
“So even in your dream, you can transform.”
“Understood.”
“The dream demon can’t be captured inside the dream world,” the doctor added. “But if you defeat her there, her spirit will suffer heavy damage, and we’ll have a chance to bind her and pull her out.”
He walked over to the machine and pointed at the bed in the center.
“Now, lie down.”
Lin Du did as he was told.
The cold surface pressed against his back. In his ears came the low hum of the machine starting up.
The runes began to glow, the blue light growing brighter, flowing like water along the frame.
“Relax. Breathe deeply.”
The doctor’s voice seemed to come from far away, growing fainter.
A soothing scent filled the air. Lin Du slowly closed his eyes, his consciousness gradually blurring.
Light and shadow spun before his eyes, intertwining.
He felt himself sinking, through layer after layer of darkness, deeper and deeper, quieter and quieter.
Finally, he opened his eyes again.
All around him was pure white space, with no shadows, no temperature.
Lin Du stood up. The ground beneath his feet was soft and unreal.
‘Is this… a dream?’
He looked around. The white space stretched to infinity, empty of everything.
But he could feel something had discovered him.
—
The dream demon was floating in her own domain, yawning lazily.
Tonight’s harvest was good. The human spirits in this area were exceptionally rich; she was almost too full.
Suddenly, her pointed ears twitched.
A special scent drifted in from far away: thick, rich, like aged wine or the finest spice.
She jerked her head up and sniffed hard.
“This is!” The dream demon’s eyes lit up.
This feeling—this pure and powerful spirit—she had never encountered it before.
If she could drain this person dry…
The dream demon licked her lips. Her form flickered and she drifted toward the source of the scent.
In the pure white space, Lin Du stood still, waiting quietly.
Yoohoo~
A coquettish voice came from all directions, wrapping around him like silk threads.
“Who’s this little cutie? Big sister’s never seen you before~”
The dream demon floated in midair, propping her chin on her hand, sizing Lin Du up with interest.
“And a handsome boy, too.”
She chuckled and snapped her fingers.
—
Real world.
The doctor stared at the data flickering on the screen, his fingers flying over the keyboard.
“Preparing to transmit the Knight System… linking signal…”
Lines of code scrolled across the screen. The energy reading began to spike.
But soon, something went wrong.
Warning! Transmission blocked! Signal intercepted!
The doctor’s eyes widened in shock.
“What happened?”
He increased the power, but the screen only displayed a red prompt:
[Link failed. Target dream has been locked.]
“Damn it…” The doctor gritted his teeth. “The dream demon’s control over the dream world is stronger than we expected. She’s layered her own domain over it. The Knight System can’t transmit inside.”
He slammed the desk in frustration.
“Don’t worry.”
The director patted him on the shoulder.
“Trust the kid. After all, he’s our only Knight.”
“For now, he’s on his own.”
—
In the dream, the dream demon tilted her head, looking at the motionless boy in front of her.
“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Scared?”
She laughed, her form flickering.
A phantom suddenly appeared before Lin Du’s eyes, then gradually took shape.
Black short hair, blue-and-white uniform. It was the disguise White Li wore every day.
She stood before him, head tilted, a shy smile on her lips.
“Lin Du.”
Her voice was soft, gentle.
“You’re here.”
Lin Du was slightly taken aback.
‘White Li? No, this isn’t her.’
The dream demon, now in the form of White Li, took a step forward. She reached out and gently tugged on his sleeve.
“You know, I’ve actually been wanting to tell you something.”
Her voice was light, like a feather brushing against the heart.
“Actually, I—”
ROAR—!
Before she could finish, Lin Du shot out his hand and suddenly grabbed her wrist.
His five fingers tightened with precise force, clamping down like iron pliers on her slender wrist bone.
“I think you might have the wrong idea about White Li.”
Lin Du’s voice turned cold.
“She would never make such a sissy move.”
The dream demon’s smile froze on her face.
‘What the hell? Is the intel wrong? Is this form I took actually a guy? No, even if it were a guy, this reaction is too abnormal. A normal person seeing their crush about to confess would have a racing heart and be at a loss, right? How come this guy instead grabs her arm? Is he into BDSM?’
Lin Du tightened his grip further, pulling her forward while his other hand locked onto her shoulder. The movement was clean and precise—a textbook takedown.
BANG—!
The dream demon’s body exploded in his hands, turning into a puff of white mist.
Lin Du withdrew his hand in confusion, looking around.
“Sorry about that.”
The mist cleared, and a white-haired fox-eared girl stepped out gracefully.
Silver-white hair cascaded over her shoulders, her pointed fox ears twitching slightly, and her fluffy tail swayed softly behind her.
This was the form she should have copied in the first place.
She tilted her head, a playful smile curling at the corner of her lips.
“Let’s start over, shall we?”
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