"Fleeing because of fear? Does that mean there’s some particularly powerful Dreamscape creature over there?" In the forest, Gregor, in his black hound form, asks Thomas with a puzzled tone. Thomas, also in black hound form, responds.
"Possibly. After all, Dreamscape creatures in the Dreamscape have much stronger senses than we do. They can perceive things we can’t. Maybe they sensed something terrifying and fled here. That’s the most reasonable guess."
With a mysterious tone, Thomas murmurs softly, and Gregor nods in understanding, then sighs.
"Whatever could drive so many Dreamscape creatures to flee... what kind of creature is that? The biggest Dreamscape creature I’ve ever seen was just a wild boar."
"Who knows what it is. But thanks to it, the density of Dreamscape creatures in this area has skyrocketed, which works in our favor. This is my second time hunting here, and the last time was quite fruitful.”
"But you should be careful too. When hunting, remember to follow orders. Some of these creatures are very strong, and a single mistake could cost you your life. Also, stick close to the group. Don’t wander off into the territory of whatever that creature is."
Thomas continues to explain to Gregor, who now has a better understanding of the situation in this area.
After chatting with Thomas for a while longer and learning more about the current situation, Gregor notices a few more portals opening nearby, created by Dream Anchor Sigils. Two more black hounds emerge from the portals.
Shortly after, Frandi, the winged black hound who had been keeping watch from above, flies down to the grassy clearing where the black hounds are resting and announces in a serious tone.
"Time’s up. The hunt begins. Everyone, follow me!"At Frandi’s command, all the black hounds on the grass immediately stand up, gather in front of him, and set off together.
Under Frandi’s leadership, the hunting party of about a dozen black hounds marches deep into the forest.
Frandi, an experienced Dreamscape hunter, quickly spots prey from the air—a robust wild bull about three to four meters long. With Frandi’s guidance, a few of the most experienced black hound hunters ambush and take down the bull, securing a successful start to the hunt.
Afterward, Frandi distributes the spirituality extracted from the Dreamscape bull, primarily allocating it to the black hounds who participated in the hunt. The others, who didn’t get a chance to join in, watch enviously. Frandi, noticing their restlessness, reassures them.
"Don’t worry, those who haven’t gotten their share yet. Everyone will get a turn tonight. Next time, two different people will join me."
With this arrangement, Frandi calms the eager black hounds and leads the group further into the forest. After spotting a few Dreamscape deer, he rotates the participants again, successfully hunting the deer and distributing the spirituality to the new participants.
In this manner, Frandi leads the black hound team through the forest, hunting every creature they encounter. Each hunt yields results, and everyone in the group eventually receives a share of the spirituality.
Soon, Gregor also participates in two hunts. In one, he deftly dodges a sudden attack from a Dreamscape monitor lizard, countering with a bite of his own. As the lizard struggles, Frandi swoops down from the sky, helping Gregor pin the creature. Two more black hounds join in, tearing the lizard apart until it can no longer move.
The monitor lizard, covered in glowing green patterns, disintegrates into black specks of spirituality, floating in the air. Gregor and the other participating black hounds stand in an orderly manner, waiting for Frandi to distribute the spirituality.
Frandi, towering over the group, scans the participants and finally focuses on Gregor.
"Not bad, kid. You’re quite agile. Which branch are you from?"
"I’m Gregor from the Igwynt Branch, sir," Gregor replies respectfully. Frandi nods in recognition.
"Ah, Igwynt... I remember now. Hmm, you all look the same as dogs. It’s hard to tell you apart."
Frandi’s comment makes Gregor feel a bit awkward.
“What does he mean, ’you all look the same as dogs’?”
"Alright, kid from Igwynt. You did well just now. Take half of this spirituality as a reward," Frandi says, and Gregor is momentarily stunned before quickly responding.
"Thank you, sir."
As the others watch enviously, Gregor absorbs the majority of the spirituality from the hunt. This act improves his impression of Frandi, who has consistently upheld his role as the hunt leader, distributing the spirituality fairly and taking none for himself.
The hunting party continues to sweep through the forest, encountering an unusually high number of Dreamscape creatures. In the past, Gregor might have encountered one large creature like a wild boar in a night, but tonight they’ve already encountered seven or eight such creatures. On average, each member of the group has participated in two or three hunts and received two or three shares of spirituality.
Gregor, having performed exceptionally well, receives a significant portion of the spirituality. He feels that this trip has been incredibly fruitful.
As the hunt progresses, the number of available prey begins to dwindle. Frandi quickly notices this and halts the group to address them.
"Our presence has caused quite a stir. The Dreamscape creatures in this area are likely spooked. Maintaining such a large group will make it harder to find prey.”
"So, as usual, we’ll split into smaller groups from now on. Three people per group, spread out to search for prey. If you find prey and can handle it yourselves, go ahead and hunt. If not, howl to call for help. But remember, don’t wander too far, and don’t venture into dangerous areas, especially not to the east. That’s the direction these Dreamscape creatures fled from, and it might be extremely risky. Understood?"
After Frandi finishes his instructions, the black hounds begin discussing among themselves, forming groups. Seeing this, Gregor is momentarily at a loss.
“So we’re splitting into groups now? Who should I team up with? We all look the same as dogs. It’s hard to tell who’s who.”
Gregor is troubled. The mimicry used by the lower ranks of the Serenity Bureau makes all the black hounds look nearly identical, making it difficult to distinguish individuals. As he looks at the group of black hounds, he isn’t sure how to form a team.
“Also... Frandi said not to go east, but there’s no day or night in the Dreamscape, and no landmarks. I can’t even tell which direction is east.”
Gregor, who has only recently started hunting in the Dreamscape, lacks experience and doesn’t even know how to determine directions.
Just as Gregor is feeling lost, a familiar voice calls out to him.
"Are you Gregor from Igwynt?"
Hearing this, Gregor turns and sees two black hounds standing nearby. One of them is Thomas, who had greeted him earlier.
"You’re... Thomas from North Calde?"
"Yeah, that’s me! I’m glad you remember my name. Hey, Gregor, want to team up with us? We’ve got an experienced senior leading the group."
Thomas speaks directly to Gregor, who looks curiously at the other black hound beside Thomas. The other dog politely introduces himself.
"I’m Jed from Cannott. Nice to meet you, Gregor. I’ve been hunting in this area for a few days now, so I have some experience. If you don’t mind, would you like to join us? You’re quite skilled, Gregor. I think we’ll have a successful hunt together."
"That sounds great. I was just looking for someone experienced to guide me. Joining you would be perfect," Gregor says, relieved. As a newcomer, he was worried about finding a team. Jed smiles in response.
"Then let’s wish ourselves a successful hunt."
With that, Gregor, Jed, and Thomas form a team and set off into the forest, separating from the main group.
Since Jed has more experience navigating the Dreamscape and can determine directions in the forest, he naturally takes the lead.
Under Jed’s guidance, Gregor and Thomas venture deeper into the forest, occasionally encountering small prey along the way.
After absorbing the spirituality from these hunts, Gregor feels that his gains tonight have been incredibly rich. In just one night, he’s collected more spirituality than he would in over a week of hunting. This fills him with joy.
“After tonight, once I digest and accumulate the spirituality from the hunt, I’ll be one step closer to filling my spiritual capacity.”
As Gregor thinks this, he and Thomas continue to follow Jed deeper into the forest. The surroundings grow quieter and more secluded.
"Hmm... it’s been a while since we last encountered any prey. Have we hunted everything in this area?"
Walking through the eerily quiet forest, Thomas glances around and speaks up. Gregor also voices his concern.
"Yeah, it’s been a while since we saw any prey. It’s so quiet here. Jed, have we been walking in this direction for too long? Are we too far from the others? I feel like my Mimicry is about to run out."
"Don’t worry, I assure you we’re not too far from the others. The more we hunt, the harder it is to find prey. Let’s keep looking. I think I’ve found some tracks."
Jed, leading the way, picks up the pace and starts jogging forward. Thomas quickly follows.
"Wait up, Jed!"
Hearing Jed’s words, Gregor frowns but follows suit when he sees Thomas running after Jed.
The three of them jog through the forest until they reach a relatively open grassy area. As soon as they arrive, they spot a small white figure in the center of the clearing—a tiny white fox.
"Found prey! Over there! Don’t let it escape!"
Seeing the white fox, Jed shouts. Gregor and Thomas immediately assume hunting stances and charge toward the fox.
The white fox, startled by the approaching black hounds, quickly tries to evade. It nimbly dodges Thomas’s pounce, but Gregor anticipates its movements and pins it to the ground.
Just as Gregor is about to deliver the killing bite, something unexpected happens. The fox beneath his paw suddenly speaks.
"Let me go! Let me go! Release me, you stupid black dogs!"
The fox’s voice is distinctly feminine, and both Gregor and Thomas are shocked. Dreamscape creatures don’t usually speak. In the Dreamscape, only those in Mimicry form can talk.
“This fox is a mimicry?”
Realizing this, Gregor looks closely at the fox beneath his paw and notices that it lacks the glowing green patterns characteristic of Dreamscape creatures. It is indeed a mimicry.
"Are you a Beyonder in Mimicry form?"
"Of course I’m in Mimicry form! Can’t you tell, you idiots? Just like my grandpa said, black dogs are all fools! Absolute fools! Let me go!" (T/N: Ouch, the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Fact)
The fox struggles and shouts, but Gregor doesn’t release her. He continues to pin her down and interrogates her in a stern tone.
"Tell me, which secret society are you from? What rank are you? Why are you here? Speak!"
"Why should I tell you stupid black dogs anything? What I do here is none of your business! I should be asking you—are you all out of your minds coming to a place like this? Even Dreamscape tigers avoid this area. Are you black dogs here to die?"
The fox continues to shout, and Gregor is momentarily stunned. He suddenly realizes something and asks the fox.
"What do you mean, ’even Dreamscape tigers avoid this place’? Explain—"
"Ahhh!!"
Just as Gregor is about to press the fox for more information, a scream erupts behind him. Gregor turns around and his eyes widen in shock.
Thomas, in black hound form, is lying on the ground with a large wound on his neck. His body begins to disintegrate into spirituality. Beside him, a dark shadow lunges toward Gregor, aiming for his back.
Still holding the fox, Gregor quickly dodges, but the ambush still grazes him, leaving a deep wound. Gregor rolls on the ground and gets back up, glaring at the attacker. It’s none other than Jed, who had been leading him and Thomas.
"Jed! What are you doing?!”
Gritting his teeth, the injured Gregor shouts at Jed, who calmly walks over to Thomas’s disintegrating body and watches as it turns into black specks of spirituality.
"What am I doing? Isn’t it obvious? I’m hunting…”
"Before your Mimicry returns to your dream and takes the spirituality back with it, I’ll hunt you all down. The spirituality collected by one of you is worth several Dreamscape creatures."
Jed murmurs as he absorbs the floating spirituality that once belonged to Thomas.