"What are you talking about? A dream?"
I asked, totally confused.
'Why are things getting more and more confusing?'
I was already at my wits' end.
First, I died and was suddenly reincarnated into a novel's world.
Totally unrealistic, but I could deal with that, not a big problem.
Second, I was attacked out of nowhere.
But it was okay too, the opponent was manageable, and I actually enjoyed the fight.
Third, a master suddenly appeared and started slashing aura attack.
Totally ridiculous, I meant I just spawned, and you're already throwing a boss at me.
I hadn't even unlocked the aura pathways of this body yet.
Fourth, just as I was about to die... again, an ocean class spirit appeared out of nowhere and started spouting nonsense.
'A fucking ocean class.'
In Novara, monsters were classified into six distinct classes: Lesser, Greater, Elite, Ocean, Abyss, and finally, the Outer Gods.
A ranking very similar to Earth.
An ocean class possessed at least an S-rank mana core, but their most dangerous aspect was their domains.
Ocean class monsters were rumored to have destroyed cities, burning them until only their ashes remained.
But they never killed the people; instead, they kept them alive, feeding on their emotions and pain, slowly eating them away.
"Hmm, How Rude!" Orran suddenly spoke,
"I have never done such savage acts, don't lump me with those mindless monsters."
"...Well, that's how people see the monsters," I replied,
"More importantly, what were you saying? How was that a dream?"
Orran adjusted his expression and smiled again,
'Damn, did I use to look that creepy?'
"First of all, tell me what the last thing you remember?"
"The last thing I remember is of me being almost cut in half by a knight."
"No, no, the last thing before you enter that zone."
".."
Even if you ask me that, I just reincarnated at most an hour or two ago.
"I... was traveling on a train," I replied
"Hmm, and before that."
'Come to think of it, there is no recollection of that in Cale's memories.'
"I... I don't remember."
Orran nodded and asked again,
"Let's change the question: How long do you think you have been here?"
A strange feeling gripped my heart.
"...About a few hours."
"Hmm, just like I thought," Orran said sternly as he began to walk away.
"Oye! Where are you going?" I called out to him.
"Follow me," Orran said without turning his back.
'Should I or should I not?'
"Don't worry, if I wanted to harm you, you wouldn't even have known it."
I narrowed my eyes on him, but then sighed and quietly followed,
'What can the weak do except follow the strong?... Until they surpass them that is.'
"Let me tell you this first, you weren't traveling by train, in fact..." Orran continued to speak as walk deeper into the fog.
"You never left the gate you entered."
"!?" I was startled by his words as I continued to follow him, trying not to lose sight of him.
'What gate?'
It seemed like something had happened even before I took over Cale's body.
Orran suddenly halted his steps and looked at the fog.
"There it is."
"What is?" I asked following his line of sight.
"You said it's been only a few hours since you got here," Orran said,
I felt my chest tightening for some reason, which was strange because I wasn't in my physical form.
"So?" I asked calmly.
"Hmm, according to what I can see, it's at least been a week."
"!!!?"
Orran raised his hand as the fog parted, revealing a dark, rocky landscape that expanded endlessly.
The forest vanished, but the strange, dark, thick root veins were spread across the whole landscape.
The roots slowly traced back to a giant... tree? A Few paces away from us.
A chill ran down my spine as my eyes widened in horror.
It stood like a monument of nightmares,
The massive tree towered into the clouds, easily eight hundred meters tall.
Its trunk was dark and rough, covered in glowing blue veins that pulsed faintly, like blood flowing through flesh.
There were no leaves on its endless branches, only thin blue strings hanging down, swaying gently even without wind.
From the branches and veins hung thousands of glowing cocoons.
Every few seconds, a streak of blue lightning ran through the tree, racing up the trunk and across its limbs.
For a brief moment, the cocoons shone brighter, faintly revealing humanoid shapes curled inside.
Then dimmed again, returning to their eerie stillness.
_Kreeee!
At the top of the tree, the countless humanoid insect-type creatures revolve around the tree, letting out strange noises.
One of the cocoons began to shake.
The blue light inside flickered wildly before a sharp crack split across its surface.
Something pressed from within.
_Rip!
A thin, insect-like leg pierced through the membrane, dripping with glowing blue fluid.
_Thud!
The cocoon tore open, and a figure fell out, hitting the roots below with a dull thud.
It looked almost human, but its skin was black and thin, its arms too long, and its back covered with hard insect-like plates.
The creature slowly raised its head, two dim blue lights glowing in its hollow eyes.
_KREEEEE!
Then it let out a dry, rasping hiss that echoed through the landscape, while the strings hanging from the tree swayed gently around it.
Then the creature flew and joined the other creatures, revolving around the tree.
I unconsciously took a step forward, unable to take my eyes away from the sight.
There was only one thing on my mind,
'How beautiful...'
I slowly took another step forward, but suddenly all my senses screamed in alarm.
My body jerked once as I quickly snapped out of my daze and hurriedly took a step back.
I tore my gaze away from the tree and sat on my knee.
'W-What!? Another mind type ocean class!?'
"Hmm, just like I thought, you really are immune to some degree." Orran's voice reached my ears.
"The question is, why haven't you woken before? And why haven't I sensed you before?"
Orran's eye glimmed faintly,
"Hmm, how curious."
"W-What was that?" I asked in a shaky voice.
"That's the Dream eater, the monster that resembles your description of ocean class."
Orran paused for a second, then continued,
"Your main body is inside its belly,"