Chapter 994
Key of Entering Dreams
Alice laid bare her original purpose and what she wanted to do in front of this powerful, terrifying, and evil Child of the Moon, who unexpectedly gave her a sense of inexplicable security. She even recounted the details of the birthday banquet. After speaking everything in one breath, she glanced at Arsen with some wariness.
Arsen merely offered a helpless wry smile… but he didn’t seem particularly embarrassed. There was even a hint of admiration in his eyes as he looked at Alice. It was clear he already knew how the Eagle Eye organization was using Alice—this was definitely related to her family’s tacit approval. The protective items Alice possessed were connected to these matters. Her family hadn’t chosen to sever Alice’s ties with the Eagle Eye organization, and the organization had persistently refrained from sending her to the front lines, instead allowing her to “play house” and even equipping her with defensive items… The answer was simple. They clearly had some kind of cooperation, with Eagle Eye repackaging more valuable missions into these simple, low-risk “play house” tasks.
It was obvious upon careful consideration—how could Eagle Eye, a clandestine organization that had been enemies with powerful entities like the Child of the Moon, who secretly manipulated the Irises, for so long without being eradicated? So many experienced veterans had been discovered and executed; how could they let Alice, a pure novice with a sensitive identity, act alone?
Arsen’s cooperation with the Eagle Eye organization was temporary. It was a good deed to let this child realize things for herself through this opportunity… and it had nothing to do with him. Even if investigated, he would at least have an excuse.
“I can swear… I checked every pocket thoroughly before packing them. There was absolutely no such key in here at that time.” Alice said, still shaken, disappointment and a hint of hostility flashing in her eyes. “There was only one possible moment it could have been placed in here… that was when I put my suitcase onto the carriage.”
Someone must have silently climbed onto the carriage and slipped it into her suitcase. If they could put this key in her pocket, they could have also placed contraband in her suitcase or even a bomb. If the Eagle Eye organization intended to assassinate her father, they could have simply and silently planted a bomb on her, creating an opportunity to kill the Duke.
At this point, a new doubt arose in Alice’s mind. “What exactly is this key?”
“This is the Key of Moonlit Night,” Alistair said softly. “Also known as the ‘Blade of Separating All Things.'”
“…They sound like two completely unrelated things,” Alice muttered. She had only recently entered the extraordinary world and had been constantly busy. Her knowledge of extraordinary matters was quite shallow… Furthermore, she had a Master Assassin as a mentor, so she could ask any questions she had on the spot, which led her to rarely process and retain information. However, even if she had diligently studied occult knowledge, she likely wouldn’t have known its value.
“Moonlit Night is just a metaphor, describing its ability to become invisible under moonlight. Just as ice hides in water, what can hide itself in moonlight like water is ‘frozen moonlight’ itself,” Ritualist Ibn stated, speaking slowly. “In occult studies, we believe the moon is a door, a lock. If one can find the door that leads to the moon, they can enter the Dream Realm. Just as there is an ocean between the land and the seabed… thus, from this perspective, moonlight is akin to seawater—to enter the Dream Realm, one must part the moonlight as one parts the sea. This key is indeed a blade of separation that can divide almost anything. It can even separate the Material Realm from the Dream Realm, thus it is the Key of Entering Dreams.”
Eivass spoke slowly. “Although this key is merely an Extraordinary Weapon, it is priceless. Because it possesses a special ability… that is to interfere with others’ dreams. For example, in the intermediate stage of someone’s Ascension Ritual, it can forcibly insert one’s own perspective, seize control of the dream, or add an NPC of one’s own… I mean, send one’s own avatar into the other person’s dream.”
It also had another identity. It was the blade used by a past Crown Heavenly Envoy when performing the severed tail technique, for self-severance. It had split the Crown Heavenly Envoy into the White Dragon and the Red Dragon. If separating oneself is considered the demise of an old self, then it can undoubtedly be considered a true “god-slaying weapon.” Its divinity stemmed from this. Just as the Banquet Master’s liver held special sacred significance after he became the Banquet Master, once the White Dragon defeated the Red Dragon and ascended to Crown Lord, it became the blade capable of severing all that is real and unreal.
In the game, it also held another significant existential meaning. It was one of the three essential items required to bring the sealed half-body of the Silver Crown Dragon—the Calamity Demon Dragon—to the Material Realm, used to slice open the passage between the Material Realm and the Dream Realm. Digging a tunnel from inside a prison is extremely difficult, as the prisoners’ actions and possessions are severely restricted. However, the possibility of digging inward from the outside exists.
The moment he saw it, Eivass knew what stage the plot had progressed to. Perhaps because the top leaders were completely divided from the outset, the Irises’ various factions presented a diverse and flourishing landscape from the very beginning. Even the sworn enemies, the Child of the Moon and Eagle Eye, gave birth to the peculiar phenomenon of “love born from hatred.” Some Eagle Eye assassins inexplicably “understood the Child of the Moon’s predicament.” They believed that the Child of the Moon committed evil because they had no good gods to worship. In another timeline, the Child of the Moon had no choices like the Banquet Heavenly Envoy or the Envoy of Mist; Sister Sasha’s power was insufficient to lend to them, and Hengwo would not pay them any attention… Setting aside politicalstances, the Child of the Moon’s only choice was Blood Heavenly Envoy.
They did not become like demons and immediately “deflate” after the Fallen Heavenly Envoy was killed—the existence or non-existence of the Blood Heavenly Envoy fundamentally did not affect the life and death of these selfish Children of the Moon. The Child of the Moon’s faith in the Blood Heavenly Envoy primarily stemmed from “He gives me good things.” Therefore, when the Blood Heavenly Envoy was actually pulled down by the Ouroboros Ring and surrounded by players, these Children of the Moon scattered almost entirely, with no one choosing to stay and protect their “faith.” As he died, the Blood Heavenly Envoy deeply resented being betrayed. He used his last remaining strength to cast a triple curse on the Children of the Moon—he cursed them to never be loved in their lifetime, to feel pain when appearing in sunlight, and to have worse luck than ordinary people. The Children of the Moon took it in stride and did not become saddened by their god’s curse. They quickly found the method to break the curse—the “Key of Entering Dreams.” Through this key, they could find a way to rescue the Calamity Demon Dragon. It was the same logic as the northern Dwarves—they wanted a protective deity for the Dwarf race, so they chose to “create a new god themselves.” The Children of the Moon thought the same way… Since their father abandoned them, they wanted to find a “sugar daddy” for themselves. The Calamity Demon Dragon, a beast of love and transcendence, was perfect for the Child of the Moon to worship! Since there were no new Heavenly Envoys to protect them, they would create a new Heavenly Envoy themselves! This was like a student hoping their school would bring honor and achieve an instant promotion in academic prestige. Thus, some Children of the Moon wanted to release the Calamity Demon Dragon and create a subservient new father for themselves.
A portion of Eagle Eye, believing that the Calamity Demon Dragon was ultimately part of the Silver Crown Dragon, and that a Pillar God’s half-body was definitely stronger than a Heavenly Envoy… coupled with their belief that they could not completely eliminate the Child of the Moon, advocated for “managing the inflow rather than stopping it,” which meant guiding the Child of the Moon’s faith towards a new Heavenly Envoy. These two groups joined forces, quickly pooling the entire Irises’ resources, and found the “Key of Entering Dreams” … and released the Calamity Demon Dragon from the Dream Realm.
That was already the plot of version 4.0. …But now, the Blood Heavenly Envoy was not yet dead, and there were also the Banquet Heavenly Envoy and the Envoy of Mist. Why were the Children of the Moon still so aggressive? And why did Arsen need the Key of Entering Dreams? He also mentioned it was related to Sherlock… Could it be—
Eivass’s brow furrowed slightly, and he asked without warning, “Is Sherlock imprisoned in the Dream Realm?”
“That’s correct.” Arsen looked at Eivass in surprise, then slowly nodded. “I thought it would take many metaphors to make you understand the urgency of the situation… but since you understand the Dream Realm, that’s good. His body is still in the Material Realm, but his soul is confined in the Dream Realm. Because of this, even though he is in the Duke’s Mansion, I can’t steal him out… If he were moved from that dream entry ritual, his soul might completely sever its connection with his body. To rescue Sherlock, one must have a way to enter the Dream Realm. This key can protect the physical body of the dreamer from being instantly devoured by the Dream Realm… I reached an agreement with the Eagle Eye organization, and they are willing to lend me this key. The price is that I have to help them steal something.”
“—The Dream Reflection Mirror.” Eivass said with utmost certainty.
Arsen’s pupils contracted, and his throat bobbed. He then nodded in awe. “Precisely…”
“—Isn’t that a coincidence? Call me when it’s time to act,” Eivass said with a laugh. “I happen to have a suite in the Dream Realm—though unfortunately, I can’t let you in.” After saying this, he couldn’t help but laugh. Alistair, the moment Eivass spoke, had already burst into laughter. Although he didn’t understand the joke, Arsen felt a sense of relief. This Child of the Moon seemed to know everything, which put great pressure on him… but fortunately, the other party seemed to be an ally.
—Didn’t Sherlock write Eivass a letter asking for help? Why are these strange people showing up instead? Are these mercenaries hired by the Pope? Or perhaps… Arsen’s heart stirred, but he did not voice it. Instead, he felt much more at ease.
(End of this chapter)
