Chapter 105: An Emotion Named Shyness
“What’s wrong? You seem flustered, did you lose something important?”
For some reason, within seconds of losing her glasses, when Ye Wanjing looked at Irina, she felt that the mysterious face had somehow been replaced by Sumu’s gentle visage.
It really seemed that way.
“My glasses fell off, way over there…”
“It’s not a problem, you should be able to adapt to not wearing glasses in the dream realm.”
Ye Wanjing frowned; the double images before her gradually overlapped and disappeared. She then saw Irina’s enigmatic smile and those silver-gray eyes.
At that moment, Sumu, who had just surfaced from her consciousness, vanished completely.
No, it’s different; although the facial contours are somewhat similar and the hair color almost identical, the Wooden Mouse doesn’t seem so alluring.
Most importantly, the Wooden Mouse doesn’t always keep her face hidden in the shadow of her hat, whereas Irina often deliberately adjusts the brim’s angle to ensure her face is shrouded beneath it, as if not wanting to be seen by others.
“It’s okay, I can see clearly now.”
Though she said this, stepping on the soft belly of the Dreamfish made Ye Wanjing sway as if she might fall at any moment.
She had to carefully stabilize her form, like walking on a tightrope, raising her arms to maintain balance as she leaned toward Irina.
Seeing the flowing crimson-purple witch’s robe not far away, Ye Wanjing instinctively quickened her steps, but at that moment, a long, resonant call accompanied by a strong vibration came from beneath her feet.
It sounded like some kind of bird, crisp and sharp, with a penetrating quality that nearly pierced Ye Wanjing’s eardrums, momentarily leaving her dazed.
The call came from the massive Dreamfish; if the sky at the boundary of the dream realm could be compared to an ocean, then they were the grandest, most peaceful creatures of the boundless deep sea: whales.
They are often overlooked while being revered; after all, their sheer size makes their aggression seem so weak.
But when they inflate their throats, projecting waves of sound throughout the ocean and enveloping every small fish and shrimp, no creature can ignore their presence, just like now.
Those who heard the Dreamfish’s call instinctively looked up at the pitch-black sky, gazing at the immense beings that wandered tirelessly through the entire dream realm with either longing or fear.
Only powerful Extraordinary Beings dare to step onto them, while ordinary individuals seldom venture near.
Those who break through the boundaries to become B-rank often only manifest a conceptual body, equipped with the appropriate magical gear, then enter the dream realm to gather treasures left behind by the witches.
Even if they were to become immersed, they could easily withdraw without harm, but C-rank individuals do not have that luxury. Once they fall into the abyss, the price paid is their life.
Ye Wanjing wasn’t aware of this; if she knew, she would definitely not have boarded this theft ship.
And Irina, who brought her here, naturally didn’t intend for Ye Wanjing to meet her end here. On the contrary, she aimed to help Ye Wanjing swiftly break through to B-rank.
To ensure Ye Wanjing could leave unscathed, she summoned all five conceptual bodies, almost manifesting herself in a complete form in this dream realm.
While most witches dare to send out only three or four conceptual bodies, her presence felt like a dimensional strike. Even if those creatures attacked her, their efforts would only feel like a tickling, with her immense power ensuring she could easily protect Ye Wanjing, even clearing out all those who entered the dream.
However, Irina still felt guilty for bringing the unaware Ye Wanjing into such peril.
No matter how small the risk, if it exists, it cannot be overlooked.
But Ye Wanjing indeed needed such a high-reward adventure now.
Watching as the suddenly active Dreamfish caused Ye Wanjing to stumble, nearly toppling over, Irina quickly extended her hand forward, precisely gripping Ye Wanjing’s hand to steady her.
“…Thank you.”
Ye Wanjing instinctively wanted to pull her hand back to adjust her nonexistent glasses but found herself momentarily reluctant about Irina’s warm and soft hand, unable to snap back to reality for a while. When she saw the smile on Irina’s face, she hurriedly withdrew her hand, her cheeks involuntarily reddening.
It was puzzling; why was Irina always staring at her? Was there something on her face?
“It’s fine; did you see that group of Dreamfish over there?”
Following the direction Irina pointed, Ye Wanjing quickly noticed the large swimming fish coming from all directions, along with the Extraordinary Beings riding on them.
They differed in demeanor and magical energy intensity, but upon noticing Ye Wanjing’s curious gaze, they all stiffened and looked at Irina, then glanced down and cursed under their breath as if they had suffered a string of misfortunes, simultaneously shifting away to avoid continuing to stare at Irina.
“Are they also here for the Witch’s Dream Realm?”
“Yes, but we’re planning to leave midway. After all, we’re only here to satisfy your curiosity; it’s very dangerous in the dream realm, not suitable for a C-rank Magical Girl like you.”
Upon hearing Irina’s words, Ye Wanjing’s pupils suddenly dilated, and she stared intently at Irina.
“Y-You know I’m a Magical Girl? You wouldn’t be…”
A bad premonition resurfaced in Ye Wanjing’s mind.
“I not only know you’re a Magical Girl, but I also know many things you’ve experienced because I can read your thoughts and memories~”
Irina gently touched her smooth chin and smiled slightly; she quite enjoyed seeing Ye Wanjing’s surprised expression.
With wide eyes and slightly parted lips, Ye Wanjing looked as if she had just learned from her mother that she was picked up from a garbage heap.
Listening to Irina, Ye Wanjing momentarily froze, unable to form a complete sentence, only able to stammer while pointing at Irina, “Y-You—”
“Don’t be nervous; I won’t probe into someone’s thoughts without their permission. But I know you really need magic power.”
Currently, Ye Wanjing’s magic power almost entirely relied on Tang Nai’s supply. Although she was a Magical Girl, it was very difficult for her to gain enough magic power on her own. Very few people knew this, and besides her and Tang Nai, most of the others had already died.
And in the dream realm left behind by the witches, there happened to be a large amount of stray magic power she needed. If she could obtain magic in this way, perhaps she could quickly break through to B-rank and resolve her current predicament.
Staring at Irina’s face, which closely resembled Sumu’s, Ye Wanjing was momentarily taken aback.
Rationality told her that trusting a witch she barely knew for less than two days was extremely dangerous, but her intuition urged her to believe in the person before her.
Her intuition even told her that this witch named Irina had just evoked an emotion in her known as shyness.
“I might need to think it over.”
“It’s fine; after we ride the Dreamfish, I’ll take you to see the ‘Aquarium’ in Layer Three of the Dream Realm and answer your questions while we’re at it.”
