Chapter 58 Asahi's Friend 1
I barely felt any interruption in consciousness; the process of entering the dream was so smooth it was almost like a gazelle leaping over a cliff. It was like arriving at school early on a certain day, with only a few students in the classroom, so I took out a book to pass the time, and when I looked up again, the classroom was already bustling with noise.
When I came to my senses, the living room was filled with a thick gray fog... No, this was no longer the living room. There were no walls or furniture around, only an endless expanse of fog. I was no longer sitting on the sofa, but had inexplicably found myself standing, and the backpack and empty can that had been in my arms were nowhere to be seen.
There was no floor beneath my feet, only layers upon layers of gray mist. I don't know why I was able to stand in this place; the feel of stepping on it was like stepping on a sandy beach.
My body also looked very strange. In terms of direct feeling and touch, it was actually no different from usual; I could even feel that I was still wearing clothes and shoes normally. But visually, my whole body appeared dark and hazy, as if it were formed by black mist.
This seems to be a dream. I was so exhausted that I fell into a deep sleep. I'm only just realizing it now. Perhaps I should have entered fire elemental form before falling asleep; then I wouldn't need to sleep. Right now, I must analyze and search for Ma Zao's whereabouts as quickly as possible; I don't have time to waste on sleeping.
Since I'm already asleep, I can only look forward. Having a dream shouldn't take up much of my real-world time. Besides, this dream is clearly unusual.
I've seen this gray mist twice. Once was when I came into contact with the black jade in the basement; the other time was recently when I had a dream about before I awakened my superpowers, and the gray mist appeared at the end of that dream as well. I always keep the black jade close to me, so perhaps the second time was also brought about by the black jade.
Am I being pulled into a dream again by the black jade?
This is a bizarre phenomenon no matter how you look at it.
My heart was drawn to phenomena that defied common sense, and curiosity and a desire for adventure took over.
I figured nothing would change if I stayed here any longer, so I started moving forward through the thick gray fog.
One minute, ten minutes, thirty minutes… I had no idea how vast this mysterious, misty dreamscape truly was. I walked for a long time without finding its boundaries, and even felt like I was going nowhere. Perhaps there are no boundaries here. I had no timekeeping device at hand, so I could only rely on a vague feeling to keep track of how many minutes had passed.
I don't know how long I walked. Although I consider myself patient enough, the monotonous space still bore me. I started to think about whether there was a way to actively escape this place. There was clearly no way out. The last time I was able to escape this gray fog space was because I regained my normal consciousness and emotions. Now I have that ability from the beginning, yet I'm still trapped here.
During this tedious period, I also tried to activate my superpowers. Unfortunately, my superpowers didn't respond to my calls. They weren't sealed away, nor were they prevented by any external force. I don't know if this description is accurate, but I believe many people have had the experience of suddenly forgetting how to write a word; my current feeling is similar. It certainly fits the style of a "dream."
This feeling of being "unarmed" is something I haven't felt in a long time.
I often imagine what kind of life I would have taken if I hadn't become a superpowered person.
Without superpowers, perhaps I would strive to become a war correspondent, an explorer, a mercenary living on the edge, or even a criminal disrupting social order. Of course, forgetting everything and becoming an ordinary, unremarkable person is also quite possible.
But after experiencing enlightenment in the cave and realizing my true self, I find it hard to imagine myself living an "ordinary life."
Compared to my past self as a war correspondent, explorer, mercenary, or criminal, I believe that the self I am now, possessing unparalleled "supernatural power," is perhaps the weakest version of myself. It's the self I am now, following the path that extends from the path I walked after uttering those weak words in my fourteen-year-old dream.
An adventure that transcends reality, yet it exists right in reality.
Knowing this, I still couldn't help but step into the world of fantasy...
Suddenly, the faint sound of unfamiliar footsteps came from the distant thick fog, interrupting my thoughts.
I raised my head alertly and looked in that direction.
The footsteps weren't my imagination. The footsteps in the depths of the fog grew clearer, sounding almost like my own footsteps, like walking on sand. Soon, the footsteps drew closer. A strange intuition rose within me.
—The owner of those footsteps is a “very terrifying” guy.
This is the first time I've ever felt this way about anyone.
Especially after awakening my superpowers, I have never felt "danger" or "terror" from anyone. It's like being in close proximity to a large carnivorous beast in real life, which is completely different from seeing it on TV. This difference is the "terror" I experience.
As this unfamiliar feeling arose within me, the owner of the footsteps seemed to sense something as well, and abruptly stopped moving.
Then, a very alert voice came from the other end: "—Who?"
It is the voice of an adult male.
I didn't respond rashly, and the man opposite me didn't continue speaking. The situation became awkward and tense. I stared at the direction of the voice through the thick gray fog, and the owner of the voice was clearly also wary.
For a moment, we were like hunters stalking a forest at night, guns at the ready, who had unexpectedly run into each other. We couldn't tell if the other was friendly or hostile, or even whether we should retreat or approach. Neither of us made a move.
After a while, I decided to go first and walked towards him. It seemed he had the same idea, and he moved at the same time. We met up quickly.
The other person's figure appeared in the thick fog. Just like me, his body also seemed to be formed from black mist, and could only be described as "a figure".
He was much taller than me, at least 1.8 meters. Judging from his physique, he must have worked out to build muscle, but he wasn't overly muscular; instead, he gave the impression of being tall and well-proportioned.
His scrutinizing gaze fell upon me, as if assessing my level of threat. I had no intention of threatening him, but after the scrutiny, his wariness towards me seemed to increase rather than decrease, and his muscles remained tense.
"Who?" he asked again.
“That’s my question,” I said. “Who are you, and why are you here?”
After I asked that question, for some reason, his tense muscles seemed to relax.
“I came to this dream through a fragment of a divine seal.” His voice suddenly became friendly. “Are you the same?”
Fragments of the Divine Seal?
I had no idea I possessed anything called a "Fragment of the Divine Seal." If I had to name it, it would be a black jade stone. I must have arrived here through that black jade stone... Is that the "Fragment of the Divine Seal" he mentioned?
I'd heard the term "divine seal" before; it was Ma Zao who mentioned it to me before we parted.
—I will prove to this society the existence of the apocalypse, or find the divine seal to directly end the arrival of the apocalypse.
Is the "divine seal" that Asaho mentioned the same thing as the "divine seal fragment" that the other party mentioned?
Should I pretend to know what the divine seal is and try to get information out of him, or should I just ask the person in front of me a question directly?
Before I could make a decision, the person in front of me seemed to have sensed the truth directly from my attitude.
“I see, you don’t know what the Divine Seal is…” he murmured.
Seeing this, I decided to ask directly: "The divine seal fragment you mentioned, is it something that looks like black jade? And what is a divine seal?"
He nodded first, presumably to confirm my first question, and then answered my second question: "The so-called divine seal is a legendary artifact that can grant any wish."
“Any wish?” I repeated in an unrealistic tone.
“Any wish,” he said. “At least as far as I know.”
That black jade stone... it's actually a fragment of the omnipotent wish-granting machine? I find it hard to believe. Assuming it's true, no wonder Asaho said that finding the divine seal would end the apocalypse.
But... since it's already broken into pieces, does that mean the wish-granting machine is unusable? Or does it mean that as long as the broken parts are collected, the wish can still be granted?
If Mazao's goal was to collect this black jade, then if I had shown it to her beforehand, would she not have left? However, at the time, I thought I couldn't let her know that I had encountered a strange event, so naturally I couldn't show her the black jade.
Moreover, all these speculations are based on the premise that "the black jade is indeed a fragment of the divine seal that Asaho spoke of." I didn't readily believe the words of the person in front of me. Perhaps such a wish-granting machine doesn't even exist.
Then, the other person spoke again.
"I wonder if you could trade me the fragments of the Divine Seal you have?" he asked in a very polite tone.
"You just said this thing can grant any wish, but now you're asking me to make a deal. Don't you think that's contradictory?" I asked.
“Only a complete divine seal can grant wishes, while fragments lack that power,” he patiently explained. “Instead of continuing to possess these fragments, wouldn’t it be better to exchange them for some tangible benefits? Don’t you think so?”
“I thank you for your kind answer to my question,” I said. “But I’m sorry, this fragment is still useful to me and cannot be traded away for the time being.”
If I find Ma Zao later, the black jade might be one of the bargaining chips to persuade her to stay. Although I don't know how this person intends to trade with me, I can't possibly sell it now.
"Is that so..." The other person stared at me, seemingly calculating something.
(End of this chapter)
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