ryethenovel Chapter 2 The Master of Dreams
Chapter 2 The Master of Dreams
The excitement and novelty quickly faded, replaced by boredom or even tedium. After all, the essence of this dream was simply boredom and child's play.
I've already experienced the three abilities of this strange object: [Sleep Aid] and [Dream Control]. So, what about [Sharing]?
What would be the reaction of another real, independent consciousness entering this world and seeing these floating islands that defy the laws of physics and these legendary mythical beasts? Would they scream in terror, or would they be filled with excitement? Would their consciousness bring changes to this dream? For example, what if they thought this dream was fake?
But how is "sharing" triggered? "Sleep aid" is achieved through real-world contact, while "dream control" requires conscious intention.
Su Fan began to try, discarding all distractions and concentrating all his energy, no longer picturing specific scenes.
Instead, it calls inward for the essential principle of "sharing." Thoughts, like tendrils, reach into the depths of the dream's nothingness, carrying a clear and strong appeal: to connect with other consciousnesses.
At first, there was silence.
Then, change came in a way that far exceeded his expectations, and finally, change occurred.
He saw the sea of consciousness.
It is not perceived with the eyes, but directly with the mind—a vast and boundless "sea of consciousness".
Countless points of light, like stars, floated and scattered against the deep black background. They varied in size, brightness, and distance.
Some are like stable stars, radiating a gentle halo; some are like twinkling nebulae, their light flickering; and some are extremely dim, almost lost in the background, or as distant as dust on the horizon.
Is this... a projection of the consciousness of all living beings that can be connected during sleep? Su Fan guessed.
The "Shared Dream Pillow" feature can only connect a maximum of five people to enter the same dream, so theoretically Su Fan can choose to bring in four people.
Su Fan then randomly selected four stars, and four consciousnesses entered the dream.
The first consciousness to correspond with the cold, serene stars was a woman who appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She wore a well-tailored off-white knit sweater and trousers, had delicate features, and calm yet sharp eyes, giving the impression of a female teacher or cultural worker.
The second is Active Star. A sunny college student who looks about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a sports hoodie, with a clear-eyed naiveté.
The third is a dark red star. The light and shadow coalesce into a burly man with a rough skin, wearing a tank top, who looks like a construction worker.
Finally, the dim stars appeared. The figure of an old man with a haggard face and deep eye bags vaguely emerged, looking exhausted.
Su Fan quickly adjusted his posture and expression, making himself appear equally surprised and confused, and spoke first, his voice carrying just the right amount of hesitation: "You... also arrived here suddenly? What is this place?"
The birthplace that Su Fan arranged for them was a floating island. This island was shaped like a graceful lotus leaf, made entirely of warm, lustrous jade, and its surface was covered with exotic flowers and rare herbs that emitted a soft glow. In the center was a crystal-clear spiritual spring, and several naturally formed, shimmering white stone platforms were scattered around the spring. The scenery was ethereal and breathtakingly beautiful, unlike anything in the human world.
"Yeah, yeah! Dude, you just popped up here out of nowhere too?" The clueless college student immediately stepped closer, his eyes shining. "Did we all time travel? This place is so cool! It feels like a paradise! Did we somehow end up in a fantasy world or a martial arts world?!"
The worker nodded: "Amazing, it looks just like the real thing. I pinched myself and could feel it." He smiled sheepishly, "I work the night shift, and I was a bit sleepy today. I just took a nap before coming here, and then I don't know what happened."
Upon hearing this, the old man said, "What a coincidence! I was also sleeping in the hospital, and then I woke up here."
"The hospital?" The aloof woman keenly caught this information and turned to the old man. "Are you in the hospital? Are you feeling unwell?"
The old man waved his hand wearily: "It's an old problem, my heart isn't very good. My daughter insists I stay in the hospital for observation for two days." He looked around, his eyes revealing confusion and a hint of barely perceptible longing. "It's strange, I can't sleep well in the hospital, but here... I feel more relaxed."
Su Fan then guided the conversation, saying, "I was asleep before I came in, and from what everyone's saying, it seems like you all came here while you were asleep."
After he finished speaking, everyone paused for a moment, then showed thoughtful expressions.
"Me too, I was sleeping in my dorm." The college student scratched his head. "I opened my eyes and here I am."
The aloof woman frowned slightly. "I was taking a nap in the study, preparing materials for tomorrow's lessons." She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone. "So, the five of us all fell asleep in different places, and then appeared here almost simultaneously?"
This is indeed a fascinating coincidence. Five people from different places and backgrounds appeared in the same place during almost the same "sleep" period. This is difficult to explain as a typical collective dream or mere chance.
"Dreams usually defy the laws of physics, are logically disjointed, and are filled with hazy memories," the cool-looking woman continued, her tone more analytical. "But here, the environment is stable, the details are clear, the five senses are real, and we can even have a complete logical conversation. This is beyond my understanding of 'dreams'."
"Could it be that we're dreaming together?" the college student asked. "Could we be the chosen ones, the protagonists? And we're dressed as..."
The worker chuckled憨厚ly: "What main cast? I'm just a supporting character."
The old man sighed softly, "If it really is a dream, then it's a... good dream. As for why, who cares?" There was a hint of weary relief in his tone; at his age, he had basically seen through life and death.
These words caused a subtle pause in the atmosphere. The aloof Lin Wan's gaze lingered on the old man, Li Bowen, for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent. She turned to the others, resuming her analytical tone: "Whether it's a dream or not, since we're here, we have to face it. My name is Jiang He, a university lecturer. Let's get to know each other first; sharing information never hurts."
"Su Fan, a typical office worker," Su Fan said simply.
"Chen Yang! A sophomore at the School of Physical Education!" The college student immediately chimed in, waving his fist with an expression that said, "I'm the main character now."
"Wang Jianguo, he's the one who sets up scaffolding on the construction site." The worker smiled kindly.
"Li Bowen was a middle school teacher before he retired." The old man nodded slightly, his demeanor exuding the gentle elegance of a scholar.
After a brief conversation, the group quickly became much more familiar with each other and discovered that they came from all over the country.
Su Fan said, "Since it might be a dream, and normally we're in a lucid dream right now, do you think we can control this world?"
Su Fan wanted to test whether the will of an outsider could change the dream world.
"Control this world?" Chen Yang's eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up. "That's right! Can't we do whatever we want in a lucid dream? I'll give it a try!"
He acted immediately, closing his eyes, his brow furrowed, a look of extreme exertion on his face, and gesturing with his hands in the air: "Transform! Conjure up a lightsaber for me! The Star Wars kind!"
A few seconds passed, and there was no movement in the air, only the distant sea of clouds slowly churning.
Unwilling to give up, Chen Yang tried several more times, changing his target—imagining a stone floating in the air. But no matter how hard he concentrated, his face turned red, and everything around him remained motionless, as if his thoughts were just a small pebble thrown into a deep pool, unable to even stir up a ripple.
"That's strange..." Chen Yang opened his eyes dejectedly. "No reaction at all. This isn't the lucid dream I imagined."
Once Su Fan had ascertained the situation, a thought struck him.
"Look!" Wang Jianguo said, pointing to the distant floating island.
Auspicious clouds gathered, and a pure white figure gracefully and swiftly approached Qingyu Island, stepping on the misty clouds.
As the figure drew closer, its form became clearly visible: resembling a lion yet majestic, entirely white, with a pair of jade-like curved horns on its head, its four feet treading on clouds, its body radiating a soft and wise brilliance, its gaze gentle and profound, as if it could see into people's hearts.
"That's... Bai Ze?" Su Fan spoke up at the opportune moment, his voice carrying just the right amount of surprise and a hint of certainty in recognizing him. Meeting the questioning gazes of the others, he explained, "I usually enjoy reading books about gods, ghosts, and ancient legends. This appearance... is very similar to the divine beast Bai Ze described in the *Sancai Tuhui*, which is said to understand the nature of all things."
It was pure white, with the body of a lion and two horns on its head.
As soon as Su Fan finished speaking, the cloud-riding divine beast landed lightly on the edge of Qingyu Island, several feet away from the group. It didn't roar or cry, but a gentle, profound, and deeply penetrating thought clearly resonated in everyone's minds:
"A stranger from afar has come to this tranquil place. I am Bai Ze."
"It really is Bai Ze!" Chen Yang blurted out, almost jumping for joy. "The legendary, all-knowing divine beast, Bai Ze!"
Wang Jianguo subconsciously took a half step back, looking at the pure white and majestic figure with awe, his honest face filled with disbelief.
Li Bowen's cloudy eyes suddenly brightened, and his hand, which was supporting the stone platform, trembled slightly, whether from excitement or weakness, it was hard to tell.
Jiang He was the calmest, but her gaze was fixed on Bai Ze, and she was also incredulous. At the same time, she quickly whispered to Su Fan, "Are you sure? What's your basis? Besides appearance, are there any other characteristics?"
Su Fan answered quickly, his voice maintaining a hint of uncertainty but a strained attempt to recall: "The *Sancai Tuhui* says it's 'pure white, can speak, and understands the feelings of all things,' and other books say it rides on auspicious clouds and speaks human language… I like reading tales of gods and ghosts, and what I saw just now felt very similar." He pointed to the Bai Ze, which stood quietly, communicating telepathically, "And it does fit the descriptions of 'understanding all things' and 'comprehending reason,' only the way it communicates…"