What’s happening here?
Annan was shocked.
He immediately stopped what he was doing. He manoeuvred his slender and flexible fingers swiftly like a magician and brought a silver coin in between his fingers from his cuffs.
The “Evelyn” in the lake was unfazed even after seeing Annan trying to attack.
She just chuckled as if listening intently to something else.
It should have been a very gentle smile.
However, when it appeared on her scar-filled face, it looked a little scary.
What is going on?
Just as Annan was becoming more confused, he saw the “Evelyn” in the reflection turning her head slightly, seemingly talking to someone else.
Although Annan couldn’t hear what she was talking about, he had an idea after watching this scene.
To test his hypothesis, Annan leaned forward and touched the lake’s surface with his intact right hand.
At first glance, the lake was shallow with the depth of half a cubit. However, he still couldn’t reach the lake bottom with his hand. Even when he inserted his whole arm, the lake bottom was still very far from reach, seemingly bottomless.
…As expected!
Annan had no reason to hesitate further. After taking a deep breath, he dived into the lake.
The icy lake water was like gushing into Annan’s mind, with the hymn becoming louder and louder.
Suddenly, Annan became unconscious.
Soon, he felt someone tapping on his shoulder gently.
“Evelyn? Evelyn?” It was the voice of a panicked youth.
The hymn reverberating in his ears had long gone.
Annan opened his eyes, feeling his mind a little dizzy. He tilted his body, retched a few times toward the lake, and coughed for a long time before slowly getting over the discomfort.
Only then did he realize that he was lying by the lake, drenched.
A panic-stricken youth circled him anxiously, like a puppy whose owner had suddenly passed out.
Only after seeing “Evelyn” wake up was he relieved, “OMG… why did you suddenly fall into the lake? You scared me.”
Annan didn’t respond immediately because he was worried that it might constitute a dialogue if he responded.
Annan looked at the youth with light brown hair beside him, having a hunch that he should have seen him from somewhere.
He had pale skin with callouses on his fingers. Judging from that, he shouldn’t have come from a noble family; at the very least, he’s not the favored child from the first wife. It seemed he was often involved with labor, but his accent seemed standard, unlike the militia of Freezing Water Port influenced by the local dialect. In other words, like Kafni, he spoke with a somewhat standard capital accent.
He looks like Benjamin Foster!
Am I close to the capital?
Annan subconsciously opened the mission panel.
Immediately, his pupils trembled for a moment.
His mission had changed!
[Main mission: Return to the dream.]
Immediately, brand new side missions appeared under this prompt.
[Acquire Benjamin’s trust.]
[Complete the sacrificial ritual.]
[Do not go home.]
Annan stood on the spot, dumbfounded. He had never encountered a peculiar main mission that contradicted the side missions.
Was the previous me in another world?
The dream world?
Or, rather, the world in the reflection?
What’s the actual mission here? I don’t get it.
Annan hesitated for a while and decided to take a gamble.
While sitting on the ground, Annan imitated a more helpless tone and said hesitantly, “Benjamin…”
“I’m here.”
The brown-haired youth, or rather Benjamin Foster, was unsuspecting. He sat next to Evelyn, holding her left hand, and asked, “What’s wrong, Evelyn?”
“…Nothing, I’m fine.” Annan shook his head.
Hmm, I’m safe and sound. It seems I didn’t fail my main mission, and I’m not kicked out of the nightmare.
Moreover, he was keenly aware that his left hand wasn’t injured, at least in this world. There was no trace of cuts inflicted by a blade.
Is this the correct reality?
So strange…
The storyline introduction mentioned that I was kidnapped after I woke up…
Annan paused slightly.
He realized the problem.
The nightmare introduction didn’t say that the other world was real. It just said, “After waking up, Evelyn realized that she was in the dungeon.”
Is there another possibility? After Evelyn saw the “Dancer Dancing Under the Moon”, she passed out and entered another world.
Annan thought of this and looked back subconsciously.
He wanted to see if he could follow where he had dived and returned to the church the same way.
At this moment, his pupils shrank slightly.
The church behind her wasn’t as brilliant and whole as before, it was without a doubt a tattered ruin!
Not to mention there were no inhabitants, Annan could even clearly see that there were spider webs attached to the edge of the window. There wasn’t anyone even cleaning the place.
“What are you looking at, Evelyn?” The Young Benjamin looked at Annan curiously.
Annan withdrew his gaze inconspicuously and appeared in deep thought, “I’m thinking about… It.”
—I don’t know what It is, but I’m thinking about It anyway.
Do you want to guess what It is?
“Are you still thinking about the Pale Princess?” Benjamin’s expression became a bit complicated, “Are you still going to search for Her?”
“How about you?” Annan asked back, “What do you think?”
“I’m willing to accompany you to this place. That’s already my answer.” Benjamin said firmly, “There must be clues in the Pale Princess Church, but going in alone is dangerous.
“Look at me! I have a weapon!” Benjamin said as he patted his waist proudly.
Annan noticed with some surprise that there was a gun hanging there.
How should I feel about this?
I’m telling you, Salvatore. This is spicier than magic wand.jpg
Annan realized all of a sudden.
Benjamin was only about thirteen years old at this time. He was still a little innocent, not as sly as a fox like he was in the future. At this time, he probably hadn’t embarked on the path of transcendence yet.
But…
Would Benjamin still retain his affections for Evelyn when she has a ruined face?
Annan saw the familiar and unobtrusive youth and affection in the eyes of Young Benjamin.
What a rare sight.
People at this age were often impulsive to judge people by their appearance. It was rare to fall in love with an opposite-gender with a ruined face.
“Let’s go. I’ll guide you in to take a look.” Obviously, Benjamin himself was a little afraid too.
He paused and repeated firmly, “I will take you in!
“Relax, I have a gun!”
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Credits to MindMatrix for editing this chapter and improving the readability.