Chapter 137 The Illusory Realm 3

Hearing footsteps again, Number Five remained somewhat wary. Perhaps it was because Xuan Ming had just appeared, and given their conversation about "people from the future," he had some strange expectations about the visitors to come.

Could it be the second small bowl this time? I looked expectantly in the direction of the sound source.

However, the reality did not meet my expectations.

The owner of the footsteps quickly arrived before us. The black figure emerging from the gray mist was not the petite figure of Number Two, but a tall and slender one. I recognized him at a glance; it was Number One.

"A newcomer?" Number One looked at Number Five.

Number Five was also observing the other person: "Hello, I am Number Five."

Number One nodded and gave his number: "Number One."

I stopped paying attention to their conversation and looked back into the depths of the fog.

The fact that the second small bowl was late was worrying me. Although it was possible that it was just late, I couldn't help but worry about her current situation.

Moreover, the more I thought about it, the more pessimistic I felt about the situation. The time flow in the post-apocalyptic world where Little Bowl No. 2 was located was uneven. Although she said she could only last for ten days at most, what if she entered an area where the time flow was very fast? Perhaps only a few days had passed here, but weeks, months, or years had passed there.

No, ultimately, comparing the flow of time between the "present" and the "future" is inherently unreliable. They're not two different locations, but two different periods of time. How can you assume that a few days have passed here, and a corresponding number of days should have passed there?

The operating mechanism of this Misty Dream is also full of mysteries. If the condition for entering the Misty Dream is sleep, then what if one of us hasn't slept, or even doesn't need to sleep at all? Or is it because some of us haven't slept in the past few days that the Misty Dream hasn't opened?

Considering that there may even be people from the future among us, is it possible that Xuanming No. 4, who was just talking to me, is out of sync with me in terms of time? For example, the real Xuanming is actually awake right now, while the Xuanming No. 4 who was talking to me was Xuanming who was asleep a few hours ago or a few hours later?

This is really intriguing, I want to find out more... No, no, we should focus on the number two bowl first.

"Has Number Two not arrived yet?" Number One asked me.

"Not there yet." I shook my head, while observing Number One.

He also seemed to care about Little Bowl No. 2. Perhaps it was because he and Little Bowl No. 2 were the first people he met in the Misty Dream, and in the past, one could vaguely glimpse his care for acquaintances beneath his indifference.

So, could it be Ying Lingyun?

Physically, there is no visible difference between Number One and the Monster Creator. Judging solely by personality traits is also difficult, and besides, the personality Number One displays in the Misty Dream may not be his true personality.

Number One stopped talking to me and moved away from Number Four, Xuanming. Number Four, Xuanming, also stopped paying attention to us and continued gazing at the giant. A silence fell over the room. Number Five seemed to want to ask Number Four something, but hesitated, perhaps out of fear.

Presumably thinking I might be easier to talk to, Number Five turned her attention to me, leaning closer and whispering, "Are you and Xuanming very close?"

"We only met once before and exchanged a few words. It was also in this place." I also had a question for him, "From what you said earlier, it seems that the two Great Impermanences who were attacked by Xuanming both possessed fragments of the Divine Seal? Are the Great Impermanences collecting fragments of the Divine Seal?"

Number Five said cautiously, "...I'm not very clear about it. In the past, I only had doubts. After all, the Divine Seal is just a legend..."

“Is that so? But I said before that you were pulled into this dream by the fragment of the divine seal, and you don’t seem to have any doubts about it.”

It was only then that I realized that none of the people gathered in this misty dream had ever doubted that the fragments they possessed were "fragments of the legendary divine seal." Even Number One, who had previously claimed that "the wish-granting machine that can grant all wishes is nothing but a pipe dream," had never questioned that he possessed a fragment of the divine seal.

The term "Divine Seal Fragment" first came from Number Four Xuanming's mouth. Number Two Xiaowan probably confirmed it with Asao even longer ago, but let's leave that aside for now. Number One accepted it immediately, and Number Five in front of us did the same. As for myself, I mostly saw the Divine Seal Fragment as a tool to keep Asao by my side, and I never had any expectations of its legendary power to change the world.

“Of course,” Number Five said. “After all, he has already used the power of the Divine Seal Fragment himself, so it would be hard for him not to believe it.”

Upon hearing this, I was momentarily stunned and instinctively glanced at the other two's reactions. Number Five had spoken these words openly and honestly; Number One and Number Four, Xuanming, had certainly heard them. Yet, they showed no reaction whatsoever, as if Number Five had uttered something utterly self-evident.

Wait, what does this mean? Using the power of the Divine Seal Fragment personally? So the power of the Divine Seal Fragment not only pulls us into the misty dream, but also makes it impossible for us to get out?

Although I suspected that Ying Lingyun might have obtained some power by studying the Divine Seal Fragment, Number Five didn't even know what the Divine Seal Fragment was before. Could it be that the Divine Seal Fragment is a convenient magic weapon that allows one to use its power as long as they get their hands on it?

I wanted to ask him more questions, but I couldn't find the right balance. If what he said was common sense here, then I, who didn't know this common sense, was undoubtedly an anomaly. Although I didn't know what that meant, so rashly revealing my abnormality might arouse Number Five's suspicion, and I wouldn't get the answers I wanted.

"What's wrong? Did I say something strange?"

Number Five seemed to have caught something from my reaction, and he reflexively went to confirm the reactions of Number One and Number Four.

"Don't worry, you just said something perfectly normal."

I gave him a casual reply, and he seemed to have confirmed my words by the other two people's nonchalant attitude, as if he was temporarily relieved.

The next moment, footsteps echoed in the distance again. This new development drew my attention, making me look once more into the depths of the mist.

Will it be the second-best player this time? Or another newcomer?

Number One suddenly tensed up, turned his head sharply, and hissed, "Who?"

Number Five seemed to have gotten used to the sudden footsteps, but he was startled by Number One's strong reaction and became tense as well.

I don't quite understand why Number One reacted this way. But after recalling the past a bit, I realized that he seems to react this way every time someone visits. The last time Xuanming and I arrived together, and the time before that when I visited the Misty Dreamland alone, he suddenly turned around and gave a low shout.

Perhaps intimidated by the shouts, the footsteps stopped in the distance.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Number One stared intently into the depths of the gray mist, and after a moment replied, "You must also be careful; there are ghosts in this misty dream."

"Oh, a ghost?" Number Four Xuanming turned around and asked with interest, "This place?"

"Ghosts... do you mean spirits?" Number Five asked.

“I don’t know what it was either, I can only refer to it as ‘ghost’,” Number One said. “That happened before Number Three and Number Four entered this misty dream. At that time, there was only Number Two, Number Zero, and me here. That is, the giant.”

Without turning his head, he pointed to the giant in the distance and continued, "Zero once told me and Number Two that only he and the holders of the divine seal fragments he has chosen can enter this misty dream realm. There are a maximum of seven people in the latter category, and they are all human."

"However, after he fell into a deep sleep, strange things other than us inexplicably entered the misty dream world."

Upon hearing this, I became extremely interested: "Strange things?"

"That thing is invisible and colorless. Number Two and I can only sense its presence and gaze. It wanders in the mist like a ghost. Although it has only appeared once so far, its true form, origin, and purpose are unknown. It is probably a strange thing beyond Number Zero's control." Number One said with apprehension, "And here we cannot exert the power of the real world. If it is a dangerous monster, we are helpless."

"Is that so..."

After hearing the explanation, I became both apprehensive and expectant. I never imagined that such danger lurked within the misty dreamscape. I had been unknowingly traversing the gray mist, not even aware that I had brushed past that strange creature.

But wait, why does his description sound so familiar?

Formless and colorless, and it only appeared once?

The first time I entered the Dreamland of Mist, I was in a form without a body, like a ghost in a shooting game, and I have never entered it in that form since.

Could it be that Number One is referring to me?

"The other side seems to have stopped making a move?" Number Five looked into the depths of the mist with a puzzled expression.

"Hmm, it was the same when that strange thing appeared last time. As soon as I made a sound, it suddenly disappeared." Number One seemed to be listening intently to the sounds from deep within the mist. "But it doesn't seem to have disappeared yet; I can hear its breathing..."

I became increasingly certain of my theory, and then said, "The strange thing you mentioned should be something that makes no footsteps or breathing sounds, right?"

“That’s right…” Number One nodded.

No sooner had he finished speaking than footsteps echoed again from the depths of the mist. Number One and Number Five stood their ground, becoming even more wary. Number Four, Xuanming, seemed to sense something, shook his head, and turned away. I, on the other hand, took the initiative to step forward to confirm whether the newcomer was Number Two, Xiaowan.

The newcomer quickly revealed its form from the gray mist.

It was a black figure that looked like a little girl.

"Um..." said the second small bowl cautiously, "It's me."

(End of this chapter)