Chapter 9

Lumian subconsciously looked around and saw the familiar desk, chairs, bookshelf, wardrobe, and bed.

This was his bedroom, but it was shrouded in a faint gray mist.

A lucid dream? Am I having a lucid dream? Lumian's pupils instantly dilated.

A lucid dream refers to a state where one is aware they are dreaming and retains their waking thought and memory capabilities. This is a relatively rare condition, and those who have undergone special training can trigger it with higher probability.

Previously, Aurore, to unravel the secret of Lumian's gray mist dreams, had tried multiple methods to create a lucid dream for him, but none of them succeeded.

And now, Lumian inexplicably regained his consciousness in the dream.

After a brief shock, Lumian regained his composure and thought of a possibility:

"Is it because of the Tarot card representing 'Seven of Wands'?

"That woman said this card would help me unravel the secrets of my dreams...

"So, its effect is to put me into a lucid dream state, allowing me to truly explore this mist-covered area?

"Hmm... compared to my previous impressions, the mist seems much lighter, much lighter..."

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Lumian turned his body and quickly walked to the tilted chair, placing his hands on the table that leaned against the wall, and peered out the window.

What he saw was not the familiar scene.

This dream did not replicate his home village, Cordu.

Under the pale and thin gray mist, the most striking feature was a towering peak, composed entirely of reddish-brown rocks and reddish-brown soil, extending twenty to thirty meters into the sky.

Surrounding this peak were layers of buildings, some collapsed on the ground, others charred black, making it impossible to discern their original appearance.

From where Lumian stood, they looked like damaged tombs, arranged in a somewhat irregular circular pattern.

The entire area was pitted and strewn with debris, with not a single weed in sight.

Additionally, the mist in the high sky turned denser and whiter, and Lumian could not confirm if there was a sun, only knowing that it was abnormally dark, like a night illuminated only by starlight.

After a careful observation, he muttered to himself:

"Is this the entire scene of the dream?"

This dream, which had troubled him for many years, actually looked like this?

After a brief daze, Lumian began to think about more practical issues:

"Where is the secret of the dream hidden?

"On that peak, or inside one of the damaged buildings?"

Lumian did not rush to leave the bedroom and explore the area. He remained where he was, examining every place he could see.

Suddenly, he felt a figure flash past the ruins surrounding the peak.

Due to the two-story height of the house and the presence of the mist, though it was thin, Lumian could not be sure if he was hallucinating.

After a while, he slowly exhaled and said to himself:

"Don't rush, be patient, don't rush, be patient.

"It seems this dream really has many secrets; it doesn't seem to belong entirely to me. Blind exploration could be dangerous...

"Alright, I'll go find that woman tomorrow morning and see if I can get more details, then decide what to do..."

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Lumian withdrew his gaze, preparing to leave the dream and sleep peacefully.

But in his lucid state, he didn't know how to wake himself up.

After several failed attempts at self-suggestion, he lay down on the bed, trying to make his thoughts hazy, simulating the state he was in when he fell asleep.

Unconsciously, after an unknown amount of time, Lumian suddenly sat up, seeing the pale golden sunlight seeping through the curtains into the room.

"Finally awake...

"Indeed, falling asleep in a dream restores that hazy state, allowing one to leave..."

Lumian sighed in relief, muttering to himself.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Aurore?" Lumian's heart tightened, worried about any bad developments.

"It's me." Aurore's voice came from outside.

Lumian got out of bed, walked quickly to the door, grabbed the handle, and pulled it open.

Outside was indeed Aurore, wearing a white silk nightgown, her golden hair gently flowing behind her.

"How was it?" She seemed very sure that Lumian had just woken up.

Lumian did not hide anything and told Aurore everything that had happened.

Aurore nodded thoughtfully:

"The effect of that card is to make you have a lucid dream..."

She then asked:

"What do you plan to do next?"

Lumian responded:

"After eating something, I'll go find that woman and see if I can get more information, to understand her true intentions."

"Alright." Aurore did not object.

She continued:

"I will also write to people to inquire about the dream you described, to understand what those things represent."

At this, she glanced at Lumian's suddenly nervous expression and smiled:

"Don't worry, I'll make some adjustments and won't reveal everything at once. The principle of gradual progress is something I taught you.

"Also, when interacting with that lady, don't be too pushy, try to be friendly. This doesn't mean we're afraid of her, but having more friends is better than having more enemies."

"Got it." Lumian solemnly agreed.

...

Cordu Village, the old tavern.

As soon as Lumian approached the bar, he asked the part-time bartender, the tavern owner Maurice Bane:

"Which room on the second floor is the out-of-town woman staying in?"

The old tavern was also the village's only inn, with six rooms on the second floor available for guests.

Maurice Bane was neither fat nor muscular, with black hair and blue eyes like most villagers. His most distinctive feature was his always red nose, a result of frequent drinking.

He was a relative of the local priest, Guillaume Bane, but they were not close, being distant cousins.

"What do you need to know that for?" Maurice Bane asked curiously, "A woman from the big city would never be interested in a country bumpkin like you."

His face showed a clear interest in abnormal relationships between men and women.

"Are you not a country bumpkin yourself?" Lumian sneered, then made up a reason, "The woman lost something last night, and I found it this morning. I'm here to return it."

"Is that so?" Maurice Bane doubted Lumian's credibility.

This guy made up stories eight out of ten times.

"Or what? Do you think she would be interested in me?" Lumian said confidently.

"True." Maurice Bane was convinced, "She's in the room near the square, opposite the washroom."

As Lumian walked towards the stairs, the tavern owner wiped a glass and muttered:

"It's not impossible, sometimes people want to try something new..."

His muttering was just loud enough for Lumian to hear.

...

On the second floor of the tavern, Lumian found the only washroom in the dim corridor and saw a white paper sign hanging on the brass handle of the dark red wooden door opposite it.

It read in Intis:

"Resting,

"Please do not disturb."

Lumian looked at it for a few seconds, then stepped back and leaned against the wall.

He planned to wait for the lady to come out.

His past life as a wanderer had taught him that when an opportunity arose, one must act decisively, seize it without hesitation, and not be swayed by pride or fear. Otherwise, the opportunity would be lost, leading to a more tragic cycle. When no opportunity was present, one must be patient, persistent, and wait calmly.

Time passed, and Lumian stood there without any signs of impatience.

If there had been an observer, they might have mistaken him for a statue, except for the occasional movement of his hands.

Finally, the door creaked open.

The lady had changed into a light green dress with white trim, her brown hair loosely tied back.

She glanced at Lumian for a second, then looked down at the paper sign on the door handle, and asked with a smile:

"How long have you been waiting?"

She was not surprised to see Lumian there.

Lumian took a step forward and said:

"That's not important."

He tried to keep his tone calm, not sounding too eager.

"What do you want to ask?" The lady said directly.

"Right here?" Lumian looked around.

The lady smiled and replied:

"If you don't mind, I don't either."

Lumian had already observed that his friends, Ryan and Lia, were not around, and the second floor of the tavern was empty except for him and the lady.

He organized his thoughts and said:

"What secrets does that dream hide?"

The lady laughed and said:

"You should be the one to answer that, not me."

She paused and continued:

"I can only tell you that you can obtain certain extraordinary powers there."

Extraordinary powers... Lumian's heart raced, then he asked with doubt:

"What's the point of obtaining extraordinary powers in a dream?

"It won't affect reality."

The lady smiled:

"In the realm of the extraordinary, anything is possible.

"Maybe it can affect reality?"

The extraordinary powers I've been seeking have appeared in my life in this way? Lumian fell silent.

The lady's expression turned serious, and she added:

"I must warn you, it's full of danger. If you die there, you will die completely."

Exploring that dream and encountering an accident would lead to my death in reality? Lumian couldn't understand but chose to believe it.

First, the gray mist dream that had troubled him for years seemed quite special. Second, his sister Aurore had said, "Better safe than sorry; it's better to overestimate the difficulty and consequences than to underestimate them."

After a few seconds, he asked:

"If I don't explore, what will be the consequences?"

"Technically, there won't be any consequences; no one is forcing you," the lady thought for a moment and said, "But I'm not sure if it will change over time. If it does, the likelihood of things getting worse is much higher than getting better."

"How much higher?" Lumian asked, "90% compared to 10%?"

"No, 99% compared to 1%," the lady added rigorously, "Of course, this is just my personal judgment, and you don't have to believe it."

Lumian was immediately torn, his mind racing:

"I've been increasingly feeling that the dream is a hidden danger, and leaving it alone is the worst choice...

"But if I do explore, the risk of an accident is very high, given that I know nothing...

"Should I wait for Aurore to gather information from her pen pals before attempting it?

"But if I do, Aurore definitely won't agree to me using the opportunity to gain extraordinary powers...

"Isn't my investigation into the legend's truth also about seeking extraordinary powers...

"But it's too dangerous, it could really lead to death...

"Maybe I should start with a preliminary exploration at the edge of the dream ruins, without venturing too deep? That would also be a way to gather information...

"Right, I can tell Aurore about the conversation, but not mention the possibility of gaining extraordinary powers..."

After these thoughts settled, Lumian looked at the lady and asked seriously:

"Who are you?

"Why did you give me that Tarot card, and why did you give me the opportunity to explore that dream?"

The lady smiled slightly:

"Once you unravel the secret of the dream, I'll tell you."

PS: Thank you, Zheri, for the silver alliance donation.