Chapter 80: Dream
"Zera, show me my status."
A ripple of blue light appeared before Raven's eyes, forming a transparent screen that hovered in the air. Lines of text scrolled upward, presenting his character profile.
…
[Name: Raven Sillalus Jorvot
Age: 15
Nationality: Zenith Empire
Title: 66th Prince of Zenith Empire
Level: 8
Class: Acolyte Warlock (3rd Circle)
Soul Rank: Mortal (Soul Damaged 0%)
Life Pathway: Beginner Alchemist
Health: Normal
Attributes:
Strength: 8.0
Agility: 7.07
Vitality: 7.56
Luck: 2.5
Spirit: 19.9
Bloodline Spells: Iron Resilience, Poison Touch (Poison Immunity), Fortuitous Finder (Completed), Blood Control, Face Morph, Mind Eye, Cold Breath (Rank-1)
Additional Skills: Past Finder, Instant Memorize, Basic Spearmanship
Affinities: Life: Low, Ice: Genius]
…
Raven's eyes lingered over the numbers, his mind buzzing. "Spirit power… it's reached a new threshold. And my luck… increased by one?"
[Perhaps after killing that Acolyte Wizard? Whatever you do outside the World's influence alters the future. The Acolyte Wizard or Mia… they must have been destined for evil, leading to innocent deaths. After you interfered, the future shifted.]
"Outside the World's influence?" Raven frowned.
[From the moment I awoke… no, from the moment you were born, Casper's remnant will changed your fate. Every action of yours ripples through others' destinies. But fate is like a web—snap a thread, and it slowly reconnects.]
Raven chewed on the words. "If someone is destined to die, and I change that fate, they might still die again later?"
[Exactly. Take your sister. Casper's influence allowed her fifteen years with you, yet she still returned to the Royal Family and became engaged to a Duke's son in Vera Empire. Fate can be altered, but destiny is far harder to change—even for someone like you.]
"Destiny… versus fate?" Raven's brow furrowed.
[No. Fate is immediate—it's the next course of action, the small threads. Destiny is the major events: your aunt's imprisonment, your sister's future wedding, the crown prince's death. Those cannot be easily rewritten.]
"So… my aunt's destiny is impossible to change?" Raven ground his teeth.
[Yes. Unless a comparable power intervenes.] Zera's tone darkened.
"Comparable power?" Raven's eyes widened.
"Luck, isn't it?"
[Yes. Until now, you were a weak mortal. Your influence on others' futures was minimal. As you grow stronger, your chance of shifting fates increases. If we plan carefully, we might save your aunt. Luck will play a critical role. Next time we face an enemy, we must calculate how to increase this attribute.]
Raven nodded and stored the bloodied corpses in his spatial ring. He returned to Jacob's side, and together they headed east, drawn by the glow of lanterns. They boarded another carriage and returned to the Glory Wine Inn on Aurora Street.
Inside, Raven immediately spotted Stephanie and Selene seated at a table, enjoying their meal.
"You guys sure are enjoying yourselves," Jacob cleared his throat.
Stephanie and Selene jumped to their feet, bowing deeply toward Raven. The hall fell into a brief silence before whispers resumed. Raven ignored it, sliding into the empty chair and speaking to the server:
"Bring two more servings for us."
Turning to Selene and Stephanie, he added, "Sit down and eat, Mr Jacob. Let's eat first."
The server nodded and hurried away. Raven's gaze swept the hall, noting lingering stares before the crowd returned to their meals. He leaned back, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd held.
The recent battle left him with two pressing realizations.
The first: the Amell Family. They were working with the enemy, tracking them through the Vipers Syndicate and orchestrating ambushes. He had avoided injury this time, but next time… he wasn't so sure.
The second: his weakness with magic. Combat was his strength. Against an Acolyte Wizard, he'd been cornered and almost killed. If faced with an Artifact or a weapon like an Aether Rifle, survival seemed slim.
[Don't worry, lad. Your bloodline spells may appear weak now, but each has the potential to evolve. Iron Resilience will let you endure attack spells and regrow limbs instantly. Your other spells hold similar potential. Focus on the present.] Zera's voice was calm, reassuring.
Selene's eyes flickered. "My Lord, did everything go well?"
Raven's expression remained neutral. "It wasn't bad." No further explanation, no room for questions.
The server returned with food, placing plates before Raven and Jacob.
"So, did you finish constructing all three Dream Spell models?" Raven asked.
"Yes, My Lord. But I haven't dared enter the Dream World, per the spell books' warnings," Selene replied solemnly.
Raven nodded. "Good. Do you understand how the dream spells function?"
"Yes, My Lord. The Dream World is a separate realm, mirroring our present world, but composed of human memories. Entering one's dream allows influence over it, but it is dangerous."
"You mean all dreams coexist without affecting each other?" Raven frowned.
"That's correct. Death in the Dream World may leave a person comatose for months."
[More precisely, their original consciousness may vanish, leaving only a non-conscious soul. Recovery takes time and memory reconstruction. The Dream World is not just memory—it spans past, present, and future.] Zera clarified.
"Can I enter the Dream World?" Raven asked.
"I cannot directly due to my rank, My Lord. But I can bring two people's consciousnesses using Dream Walk. Dream Harvest lets me extract materials to the real world." Selene explained.
Raven's interest piqued. "What about Dream Alter?"
"This spell allows alterations of surroundings and appearance based on imagination, though it has limits."
"So… it's like an illusion?" Raven mused.
"If you cast it on me, I can change both my appearance and the environment, My Lord. But we won't know fully until tested," Selene said, nibbling at her meal.
'Hmm, this spell seems useful.' Raven's thoughts ran deep, impressed.
Dinner ended silently. Upstairs, Raven led Jacob and Selene to his room. Stephanie excused herself.
"Cast Dream Walk. Bring my consciousness to the Dream World," Raven instructed Selene. He looked at Jacob. "Guard us. Let no one enter."
"Yes, My Lord."
Selene seated herself on the ornate sofa. "Hold my left hand, My Lord."
Raven obeyed. Her palm warm in his, she leaned back and began chanting, casting [Dream Walk].
Dizziness struck. He blinked and remained on the sofa, watching Selene rise beside him.
"This is real… My Lord, we've entered the Dream Realm," she murmured. The room morphed: broken windows, splintered wood, cracked walls, gray shadows.
Raven's skin prickled. Black-and-white light washed the scene outside the shattered windows. The streets were empty… or so it seemed.
Figures wandered, wounded and grotesque: an old man dragging a leg toward a gate, a red-eyed woman ramming her head into a door, a small girl crawling across the street, gnawing on a rat.
"What… are they doing?" Selene's voice trembled.
[Zera, any guesses?] Raven's mind raced.
He tried opening his inventory. Nothing. His consciousness was trapped.
From a balcony opposite, a young man stared at them. He sniffed, then let out a wild, animalistic scream.
All figures froze, then slowly turned, locking eyes on Selene. Goosebumps erupted across her arms as the horde roared and surged toward the inn.
"No! We need to leave the Dream World!" Selene grabbed Raven's hand and dashed toward the broken sofa.
"Do not let go of my hand or open your eyes for the next few seconds, My Lord," she instructed, closing her eyes and recasting [Dream Walk].
Raven obeyed, focusing on sleep. Roars and pounding footsteps approached, colliding with the door. Panic surged, but dizziness overtook him, pulling his consciousness into a deep void.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back on the ornate sofa, holding Selene's hand. Silence. No roars, no chaos.
A bald, middle-aged man in a formal suit stood a few feet away, staring at him.