Somewhere in the Dreamscape, Forest Realm
Amid towering trees in a vast forest, on a strangely colored field of grass, a snow-furred little fox listened as Black Hound Gregor recounted the situation in a small city in Cassatia. Once she heard the full story, she immediately gave her analysis. Upon hearing her explanation, Gregor couldn’t help but speak in confusion.
“‘False Cocoon’? …‘Caught’? Miss Fox, what does all of this mean? What exactly is that moth? And what does any of this have to do with the Blackdream Hunting Pack?”
Gregor questioned, and the little fox paused for a moment in thought, then made a decision and exhaled before speaking.
“Phew… It sounds like that detective fellow ran into one of the Blackdream Hunting Pack’s strongholds in the real world. As it happens, I’m not exactly on friendly terms with them either. If the detective is trying to get information on them, then I don’t mind helping out. A good chance to spite them, really.”
“But the problem is, this information involves a degree of cognitive poison. If I dump too much on you at once, I’m worried you won’t be able to handle it.”
She looked at Gregor seriously. But Gregor immediately replied.
“You don’t need to worry about that. According to Detective, I can perform a ritual to pray for a blessing from the Lord served by Lord Paarthurnax. That blessing can help ward off cognitive poison. I’ve already used it before—it really works. Detective also said that if you want, Miss Fox, I can share the method with you too.”
Gregor responded smoothly, and upon hearing this, the little fox was caught by surprise.
“The Lord served by Lord Dragon… that means Aka, doesn’t it? I didn’t know They could bestow blessings that defend against cognitive poison. Never heard of that before… And it can be shared with me?” “If I use such a blessing, I could probably digest even more Dreamscape knowledge… maybe even learn higher-rank mimicry spells.”
The little fox decided that she’d bring it up with her grandfather later and decide then whether to use it. For now, the priority was to pass on what she knew about the Blackdream Hunting Pack.
“If you’ve got that blessing, then I’ll just say it straight. Listen closely: the so-called ‘Panmoth,’ or just ‘the Moth,’ is a false and heretical god. It seeks to steal the authority of the true dream deity—‘the Butterfly.’ The Blackdream Hunting Pack is a hidden cabal that worships it. They’re the Moth’s claws and fangs.”
Gregor paused in surprise and asked again.
“Moth god… Butterfly god? What even is all this? Where did this Butterfly come from? Who’s really the one in charge of dreams—the Moth or the Butterfly?”
“The Butterfly, of course! The Butterfly is the god of peaceful sleep and dreams. She’s called the Carefree Maiden, the Butterfly Sprite, the Faerie Queen, the Dream Knight, the Moon’s Emissary. She shaped the current form of the Dreamscape, and is its guardian.”
The little fox answered without hesitation, her voice firm. Gregor, hearing that, blinked in astonishment.
“Butterfly Sprite? Carefree Maiden? These divine titles sound like something out of a fairytale… Like a lake fairy from one of those childhood stories, with faeries fluttering around her.”
Still processing, he asked again.
“You seem to know quite a bit about this Butterfly goddess… Are you one of Her followers? And if She’s the true dream deity, then where did the Moth god even come from?”
“A follower of the Butterfly? Hmm… I suppose you could say that. But I can’t really talk more about myself right now. What I can tell you is this: the Blackdream Hunting Pack used to be followers of the Butterfly too.”
“That so-called Moth god—according to them—is the ‘new form’ the Butterfly god took after undergoing metamorphosis. They claim they once worshipped the Butterfly, but one day they received a divine revelation, and declared that the Butterfly had transformed into the Moth.”
“They call the Moth the Eternal Dream God, the God of Metamorphosis, the True Carefree One. They believe that one day, the Butterfly will descend into the dreamscape in Her new moth-like form and grant all beings eternal and beautiful dreams—banishing pain and sorrow forever. Their mission is to hasten that arrival by any means necessary. That’s the goal of the Blackdream Hunting Pack.”
Sitting intently on the grassy forest floor, the little fox relayed all this with utmost seriousness. Gregor froze briefly, then responded.
“Eternal, painless dreams… Wait, are they trying to put the whole world to sleep? Forever? That’s… that’s definitely a true heretical god!”
“Mhm,” the little fox nodded. “But the Blackdream cultists think they’re saving the world. They believe that abandoning reality and returning everything to the dreamscape will create a carefree paradise.
“That’s why they worship the false Moth god and act in secret to bring about Its descent. But in the doctrine of the Butterfly, the dreamscape is only one of the pillars of the world. Dreams are reflections of reality—they can’t replace it. A dream without the real world to mirror is no longer a dream… it’s emptiness. That’s why I also call the Moth… the God of Void.”
Looking at Gregor, the little fox replied earnestly. Gregor found himself momentarily confused by the talk of emptiness, void, and dreams. After reorganizing his thoughts, he continued.
"So, in other words… it sounds like some kind of internal dispute between two factions within the same group… This really is complicated. Anyway, I think I roughly get what this ’Moth’ is about now. But what exactly was that ’False Cocoon’ you mentioned earlier? You said the Blackdream Hunting Pack uses it to ’capture humans’?"
"To be precise… it captures human Dream Cocoons."
With a serious expression, the little fox continued explaining to Gregor.
"A False Cocoon is a peculiar creature created by the Blackdream Hunting Pack through unknown means. According to them, these creatures were made by borrowing a sliver of the Moth’s power—they’re essentially imitations of the Moth. They’ve previously used these creatures to massacre worshippers of the Butterfly. Depending on its growth stage, you could refer to it as a False Larva, False Cocoon, or False Moth."
"The False Moth is crucial to the Blackdream Hunting Pack. When they wish to raise a False Moth, they’ll select an appropriate location and perform a complex and lengthy ritual to produce an egg."
"The False Moth is a creature that exists somewhere between the Dreamscape and the real world, so its egg also simultaneously exists in both the dream and reality. The Blackdream Hunting Pack feeds these creatures using ordinary people’s Dream Cocoons. Typically, they’ll secretly convert ordinary people into worshippers of the Moth by promising beautiful dreams. If someone genuinely believes and performs rituals to the Moth, they’ll form a connection with the False Moth. Once linked, their Dream Cocoon will be captured and bound by the False Moth whenever they sleep."
As she spoke, Gregor’s ears perked up anxiously at the idea of human Dream Cocoons being used as nourishment, and he immediately stood up in concern.
"Dream Cocoons used as nourishment?! Creatures like that actually exist? What happens to people in the real world if their cocoons become nourishment?"
"There are many Dreamscape creatures that exceed human comprehension…" the little fox calmly replied.
"If a Dream Cocoon is consumed as nourishment, naturally, the real-world individual won’t fare well either. I’ll explain—just sit down and listen carefully."
Gregor paused briefly, then calmed himself and sat back down, attentively awaiting her explanation. The little fox continued gravely.
"Under the capture of a False Moth, people truly do fall into painless and wonderful dreams, becoming hopelessly trapped within. The False Moth then draws out the spirituality from their Dream Cocoons as nutrients for its growth. The more Dream Cocoons it captures, the more nourishment it receives. That’s why the Blackdream Hunting Pack secretly establishes underground cults devoted to the Moth in different cities, quietly spreading this faith."
"They target people who struggle in reality or are suppressed by daily life, seducing them with the beautiful dreams offered by the Moth. Those enticed by these illusions become increasingly addicted. In their dreams, they have everything reality denies them. Gradually, they start loathing real life, escaping instead into their dreams. This makes controlling these believers exceptionally easy for the cult—desperate to continue receiving their nightly dreams, none would risk reporting anything. Thus, they obediently follow instructions, serving as nourishment for the False Moth."
"These followers, deeply entranced in beautiful dreams, have their cocoons drained every night. Their minds gradually break down, without their awareness, spiraling toward emptiness. Eventually, their real-world bodies become hollow shells—meaningless husks that the False Moth then converts into puppets."
Gregor’s expression grew increasingly grim. He had encountered many evil cults, each using varied methods to manipulate people. The one he was most familiar with was undoubtedly the Crimson Eucharist, who used Chalice Elixirs—addictive substances that manipulated deep human desires. His former colleague Brandon had been corrupted by these elixirs, becoming a mole within Igwynt’s Serenity Bureau. Now, there appeared another cabal employing dreams to control others—a method even more insidious.
"These people… They’re feeding ordinary people’s Dream Cocoons to raise False Moths… All just to create weapons?" Gregor asked seriously.
"Not just weapons," the little fox replied plainly.
"False Moths form the very foundation of the Blackdream Hunting Pack. Unlike normal mystical organizations, they don’t have conventional Beyonder paths for inheritance. Their power doesn’t come from accumulating spirituality or progressing through ranks—it comes directly from cultivating False Moths."
"They lack an inheritance path? Their abilities come from cultivating False Moths? What exactly does that mean?" Gregor asked in confusion.
"Simply put," the fox clarified, "their mystical ranks originate from the False Moth—not themselves. According to our conventional classification, most members are merely Apprentice-rank Shadow-path Beyonders. Their powers and ranks are derived entirely through connections with the Moth."
"They’re connected to the False Moth too?" Gregor asked, surprised.
"Indeed," she affirmed.
"Just like those ordinary believers captured by the Moth, their cocoons are also bound—though even more deeply. You could say their Dream Cocoons directly parasitize the False Moth. However, unlike regular believers, their cocoons are not drained. Instead, they draw power from the Moth. This method is quite similar to my own Dream Devourer Path, both heavily involving dreams. Through this special connection, they can even control the False Moth’s actions."
The little fox patiently concluded her explanation, as Gregor carefully digested her words.
"So… you’re saying their mystical powers don’t even originate from themselves… Everything is siphoned from the Moths?"
"Exactly. A single False Moth can establish this special link with multiple members of the Blackdream Hunting Pack. Depending on the False Moth’s stage of growth, both the number of possible connections and the maximum level of powers that members can draw from it will increase. In other words, the more mature a False Moth becomes, the stronger the linked Blackdream members grow."
"Certain members can acquire abilities from the False Moth similar to those of the Dream Devourer Path, with ranks depending on its developmental stage. At the egg stage, powers go up to Apprentice rank at most; at the larva stage, Black Earth rank; at the cocoon stage, White Ash rank. It is said that a fully matured False Moth can even provide a single linked member with the potential to reach Crimson rank. Through certain rituals, a deep connection with the False Moth is established, creating a Beyonder who closely approximates a Crimson rank."
The little fox explained all this carefully. After hearing so much mystical knowledge far beyond his comprehension, Gregor stood silently in place for a long moment before quietly speaking again.
"Incredible… Such a method of enhancing mystical abilities actually exists in this world? It’s completely different from the Beyonder path we follow…"
"Of course it’s different," the little fox responded.
"According to my gra— … well, I’ve heard that in ancient times, there were various ways to step onto the Beyonder path, including methods like this one—achieving extraordinary power through symbiosis with mystical creatures. The spirituality-accumulation method we commonly use today is just one particularly stable and refined approach, adopted by most mystical organizations. Due to some special circumstances, the Blackdream Hunting Pack can’t use the normal advancement method, so they’re forced to rely on this ancient symbiotic path."
"Special circumstances? Like what?" Gregor asked curiously.
The little fox shook her head.
"I’m not entirely sure about that. Because of cognitive poison, I don’t know everything about the Blackdream Hunting Pack, either. However, I believe I’ve already told you enough."
"The little city that your detective friend encountered was likely chosen by the Blackdream Hunting Pack as a breeding ground for cultivating a False Moth. It’s very dangerous there. You can tell that detective that if he doesn’t want to run into trouble, he’d better leave as soon as possible."
The little fox earnestly instructed Gregor, who nodded thoughtfully after hearing her words.
He had already gathered plenty of information about the Blackdream Hunting Pack. After waking up, it would be time to relay this intelligence back to that detective.