Chapter 60 Dream
“Little idiot, you’re asleep, aren’t you?”
“Eh?!”
Sensing a familiar presence, Lonis opened her eyes.
Immediately, she found Elus standing beside her with a mischievous grin, looking at her playfully.
“El, Elus!”
As soon as Lonis saw Elus’s figure, her mind went blank.
She wanted to rush forward and hug her, but her body wouldn’t obey, and her mind buzzed, as if some thoughts were echoing.
“Heh heh, it seems the little idiot is very worried about me? But this princess is invincible, so I wouldn’t disappear just because of a small setback.”
“!”
“For the rest of the journey, I’ll travel with the little fox. Don’t worry, with me here, you won’t encounter any difficulties.”
…
After speaking, Elus walked over somewhat “forcefully” and sat right beside Lonis.
After all, they were already lovers, weren’t they? The girl seemed to not mind physical contact with Lonis at all… Elus took Lonis’s hand, and they leaned against each other like this.
“Elus?”
“Shush, don’t move around, I’ll teach you how to do it.”
And so, under Elus’s brilliant leadership, Lonis finally understood how to pilot the ship, and how to operate the anti-gravity engines.
The previous confusions were all resolved one by one.
Lonis broke through the monster’s blockade like a strong wind and also sailed past the erratic asteroid belt.
At noon, Elus would also invite her to sit together for lunch.
“Little maid, what do you want to eat?”
“Ah, that…”
“Heh heh, this has an auto-heating function. It can make frozen chicken taste like new!”
…
And so, the two of them sailed forward together through wind and waves… Although the unknown journey was daunting, as long as Elus was by her side, Lonis felt no threat at all.
“Elus, you’re amazing.”
“Heh heh, of course!”
…
This time was truly wonderful and happy.
However, gradually, a hint of unease surfaced in Lonis’s heart.
Why was she and Elus the only ones on the ship?
Moreover, although the black-haired girl had been by her side, her smile and figure were becoming increasingly dim.
Could it be…
(Is this a dream?!)
Realizing this, Lonis looked at Elus again.
And the black-haired girl?
She didn’t dodge at all, but simply looked at her.
Looking at Elus at this moment, Lonis understood… The real Elus should still be in the depths of the vast sea, and not on the Time Shuttle at all.
Therefore, all of this was just her own delusion.
Just like her journey to become a hero back then, none of this was real, it was all her own…
“Little idiot, what are you thinking about again?”
“Eh, El, Elus…”
“Do you think this girl is unreal? But haven’t I appeared before your eyes?”
“Ah?!”
Lonis was stunned. She clearly knew it was just a dream, but Elus’s reaction was so real.
The upturned corners of her mouth and the disdain in her eyes were so vivid and lifelike, as if she had seen them countless times before.
So…
“Elus, I…”
“Pat your head.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll reward you with a head pat. Mm, the little fox has worked very hard, so it’s okay to rest for a while.”
Elus patted Lonis’s little head.
And that fleeting touch was so warm… The comfort was so great that Lonis didn’t want to wake up, as if she wanted to remain immersed in Elus’s touch forever.
(Elus, I really… like you so much?)
(I like your sly expression, I like your kind heart. I like your bright and delicate eyes…)
But…
Dreams, after all, must end, right?
Even with the utmost reluctance,
Even with the utmost unwillingness…
But the illusory will always remain illusory…
It was time to open her eyes.
When she woke up, Lonis was already in tears.
She slumped onto the pilot’s seat. It turned out she had been so exhausted and overwhelmed that she had finally fallen asleep.
And in front of her?
It was still empty.
Not only was Elus nowhere to be found in the cockpit, but the outside was also hazy, with no discernible changes.
(I’m still a coward, aren’t I?)
Realizing this, Lonis sighed.
How she wished the scene in her dream could become a reality!
But such a thing was simply impossible.
This was all her own delusion, just her cowardly self’s escape…
Unless she mustered enough courage, she would never be able to reunite with Elus.
Thinking this, Lonis prepared to start the engines and embark on her journey again.
But then…
Lonis’s eyes widened in surprise.
“H-how is this possible!!!”
Lonis clearly remembered that yesterday, she still didn’t know how to operate these buttons, and she was clueless about many of the system’s functions.
But now, everything seemed to have a built-in interpretation function, presented to her accurately and flawlessly… With just a glance, Lonis knew what each button did and what each instrument panel represented.
Lonis realized that she was practically cheating, and could now control the ship at will.
“Why is this… Ugh!!”
Lost in thought, the girl gasped.
It was the dream!!
In the dream, Elus had sat beside her and taught her how to pilot the ship!
The girl had guided her hand-in-hand through one difficult stage after another. She had also taught her how to counterattack when facing monsters.
But how could this be possible?
How could she possibly know things in a dream that she didn’t know before?
Unless…
…
“Ah?!”
Lonis clapped her hands. She suddenly remembered…
Didn’t she come all this way just like this?
Wasn’t her experience as a hero something she had gone through in dreams?!
And even though she had become a girl, that experience hadn’t disappeared, and it still occasionally helped her make many correct decisions.
So…
“Elus, was that you just now, helping me? Using that… illusion ability?!”
There was still no response.
But Lonis’s heart was no longer filled with sadness.
The girl gripped the steering wheel,
Because not only did she know that Elus was still alive, but more importantly, Lonis’s heart was filled with a persistent belief – no matter how far apart they were, Elus was by her side.
Because even if they were separated, that scheming girl would sense her joys and sorrows.
So…
To stop Elus from worrying.
She couldn’t be sad anymore, nor could she pretend to be strong.
Because the journey as a hero, although illusory, the reward at the end was real!
She would make Elus her wife!
She would wear a beautiful suit, and then marry Elus, who would be wearing a wedding dress!
“Hehe~~”
Lonis had just let out a silly laugh, but then…
“Eh, Eeeeeh?! My head hurts a little…?”
“Wuwuwu, Elus, don’t bully me anymore. Boohoo… I know I was wrong!!”
