Chapter 786: The First Dreaming Experience
Trantor: TransN Editor: TransN
The woman had tawny long hair, her side-swept bangs clipping to one side, revealing half of her forehead. She had soft facial features, giving Rnd an impression that the woman had a gentle and delicate character. Yet under the current circumstances, her exquisite beauty did not strike Rnd but actually gave rise to his increasing suspicion of her being a ghost.
Apart from that, Rnd also noticed that her gown was a little too shabby. A few stitches wereing out, and the cuffs and corners of the garment were torn and ragged, as though it were picked up from a waste station.
"I, I heard you go out, so I wanted to check if the door was properly locked. When I turned around, however, I saw she was standing there!" Zero was ghastly pale, evidently terrified by the event.
The woman seemed to also notice themotion. As she raised her head and looked at the door, her expression changed abruptly.
Rnd curled his hand into a fist in secret. He was ready to take the blow.
But what the woman said nextpletely blew his mind. The woman uttered an exmation of surprise. "Your... Majesty?"
What?
Your Majesty?
"Um... you’re..." Rnd tried to figure out what had actually happened.
"I’m Phyllis, Your Majesty. What’s happened here?" The woman was as puzzled as he.
"Phyllis?" Rnd revolved a multitude of thoughts and questions in his mind rapidly "Is she the God’s Punishment Witch in the castle hall? Why would she intrude his dream? Is this dream world now opening up and connecting to the other world? Where’s Anna? Why hasn’t she appeared?"
"Hold on, you know each other?" Zero realized something was wrong here. "What does she mean by ’Your Majesty’... Are you role-ying now?"
"Ahem, she’s a... remote rtive of mine." Rnd suddenly realized that it was not the time for him to stand in a daze. "As to the way she addresses me, it was just a jape. We grew up together and it’s normal that shees up with some particr names."
"A rtive?" Hearing that the woman was not some random ghost, the little girl soon slipped back to her usual bold, defiant manner. She started to be more skeptical as well. "You just asked who she was."
Utterly unabashed, Rnd shot back, "Did I? I only saw a crying craven who almost wetted her pants."
Zero reddened to her temples. "You, you liar!"
"Didn’t you just shriek? Thisdy was in the room earlier. You were just too upied with your homework in your bedroom to notice her."
To Rnd’s dismay, the woman soon took the implication. "Sorry, I... I didn’t mean to startle you. I was in another room when His Majesty was leaving. I was about to say hello when you cried out and rushed out of the room."
Rnd put a final touch to their improvised show. "I guess that was it. She asked what had happened. The truth is that you scared her. If I find a little girl scream like crazy when I get out, I’ll be as confused as she was."
"I... I..." Zero groped for words that did note. She could not deny the fact that she did scream, for she was not in a habit of lying. Caught in such a dilemma, the little girl felt her eyes moist with tears.
Rnd realized that was a bit too much for the little girl to bear, so he bent over and ruffled her hair. "Anyway, it was a mimunication. Go back to study now."
He could not help feeling a twinge of guilt for Zero because he knew a child like her could not possibly see through the intricacies of guiles and subterfuges deployed by adults. Her life would only beplete after experiencing deception and lies of grown people, as this was an inevitable step, a ceremony she must receive, to inaugurate her adulthood and be mentally mature.
Rnd had thought Zero would run into her bedroom in tears, but she actually sniffed and dried her eyes quickly before kicking him hard in his legs. "Uncle, you such a jerk!" With these words, she rushed back to her room in a fury.
Rnd twitched his lips. Her reaction was a little different from what he had anticipated, but... overall, she had learned the lesson.
"Haha." The woman who called herself Phyllis burst intoughter. "It seems you aren’t thosemon people’s mighty king here."
"But I’m the creator and ruler of this world." Rnd gestured the woman toe in. "Let’s talk inside. I also have a lot of questions to ask you."
...
After half an hour, Rnd was finally convinced that the woman was Phyllis.
She not only talked about Taqu but also about what she had experienced in the castle, as well as the fact that she used to disguise as a guide in "ck Money" under the name "No. 76". Moreover, she further corroborated her story by disclosing some details Rnd had not been very clear about.
It was impossible to develop such a well-organized and logically consistent narrative by simply reading his memory. Rnd was thus certain that the woman was not a sentient being automatically formed in this world.
Plus, the current body presented to him was exactly what Phyllis originally looked like.
Then the question was very clear.
Why would she enter this dream world?
Phyllis shook her head. "I don’t really know either... It was prettyte at that time. The First Army just changed their shift. I was going to disconnect my body and have some deep sleep to restore my strength. When I woke up, I was here." She paused for a moment and then continued, "You call it... a dream world?"
"Correct. This is a world operating only in my dream, but I don’t know if this rule still applies now." Rnd felt there was no need to hold anything back from her at the moment, for he had to find out the reason why Phyllis could enter his dream as soon as possible. Although Rnd knew thisplicated world did not exist in his head, it was still... pretty shocking to see someonee uninvited. After all, he was positive that the dream world was created precisely ording to his memory. An intrusion meant somebody entered his memory without his permission.
Rnd unfolded thedder behind the door and put it next to the bed. "Perhaps we can do a small test to find out why you came here."
"What’s this?" Phyllis asked in surprise.
Rnd exined to her, "When I fall off the top of thedder, the dream wille to an end. You can try it first to see if you can return to the real world. I’ll terminate the dreamter. If both of us can sessfully get out of here, you then wait for me in the hall. I’ll be right back."
"Hang on... Your Majesty." Phyllis reached out her hand in an attempt to grasp him.
Rnd was astounded at her behavior. It was definitely an act of extreme insolence in Neverwinter. Could she havepletely abandoned all her manners and customs learned over the past hundreds of years aftering to a totally foreign environment? Rnd thought that was very unlikely.
Phyllis asked in a low voice, "Could you... pinch me?"
"What?" Rnd was stunned.
"With the greatest strength that you have, please." Phyllis rolled up her sleeve and presented her pale arm to Rnd.
"I’ve confirmed that pain won’t end the dream."
"I just want to experience some pains... Please."
"Experience?" Rnd soon thought of Agatha’s description of God’s Punishment Witches and immediately understood what Phyllis meant. After a moment of silence, he pinched the witch’s wrist with his right hand.
Phyllis clenched her teeth, yielding to an articte moan of satisfaction. She trembled in such excitement as a thirsty traveler who had a delicious drink once tasted and long since forgotten.
It was after a long time that Phyllis finally opened her eyes and exhaled a long breath.
"God almighty, I can feel pains again!" Phyllis looked like apletely different person, her radiant eyes fixed on Rnd, glistening with exhration.
Rnd spread out his hands. "You can do it yourself too."
Phyllis shook her head and suddenly went to her knees. "That’s different, Your Majesty. Perchance, this world is only a dream for you, but I would like to do anything just to stay in here. I’m afraid I would never be able toe back after I leave. Could you allow me to dream just a little longer, at least for now?"