A dream shared by everyone? Klein repeated the words of the "Star Admiral" Cattleya in his mind, vaguely understanding the current situation:
The night in this dangerous sea area connected the dreams of all creatures here!
And any creature not asleep at this time, because its spiritual body was not in this dream, would lack the necessary protection and suffer indescribable attacks.
As for why this kind of attack led to disappearance rather than instant death, Klein had never personally experienced something similar and really couldn't guess.
Amid the racing thoughts, Klein withdrew his gaze from Cattleya and looked again at the majestic city on the other side of the cliff, curiosity crossing his mind:
"If this world is really formed from the dreams of local creatures, then whose dream does this city beyond imagination belong to?"
He stared for a few seconds, then asked out loud:
"What is its name?"
What was the name of this city that could only exist in myths and legends?
"Star Admiral" Cattleya stared blankly ahead, speaking as if in a dream:
"I don't know... Every time I enter the dream here, I have a chance to see it, but I can never get close.
"She said it's somewhat similar to the Twilight Giant Palace in Forsak.
"She probably has her own guesses, but she never told me."
She? That "Mystery Queen"? The Twilight Giant Palace is the seat of the God of War Church... Klein looked around and said cautiously:
"I plan to take a look around."
He believed that the "Future" would not stay in this sea area for just a few days; he would certainly encounter more nights and enter this dream world more times. Therefore, to avoid accidents and gather information, some exploration was necessary.
And exploration definitely required companions.
Cattleya remained in the same posture with her knees hugged, her tone still elusive:
"Not interested."
...That's not something a mature pirate admiral should say. You could have been more tactful, Lady "Hermit". You're acting like a willful girl right now... Klein was stunned, almost suspecting he misheard. It was a bit contradictory to his impression of the "Star Admiral".
But thinking of how German Sparrow also had a side that wasn't afraid of getting dirty or tired when doing volunteer work, he quickly calmed down and formed a guess:
The "Hermit" Cattleya was not fully awake in the dream; she could recognize she was dreaming but couldn't effectively control it!
In other words, she would unconsciously reveal deep-seated emotions and parts of her personality that she normally suppressed.
No wonder she said she could never approach that miraculous city opposite; she simply lacked the awareness to explore... Klein thought for a moment and deliberately probed:
"We might find something here."
"No." Cattleya answered without hesitation, but didn't shake her head. "I want to wait here, just wait!"
Truly a half-asleep state... Klein judged from her reaction and tone.
He wasted no more time, turned around, and leaped from the boulder.
Slap!
Klein landed on the ground and instinctively looked back:
"Star Admiral" Cattleya still sat hugging her knees. There was no one else around. The frozen dusk light from the city opposite illuminated her, casting a long shadow that intertwined with the shadows of the withered trees.
A mountain breeze blew gently, the dark shadows swayed slightly, but Cattleya remained motionless, stubbornly waiting for something.
At times like this, a "psychiatrist" was needed to interpret dream emotions; it had nothing to do with divination revelations... Klein curled his lip, looked around, and sought a direction to explore.
He found that to the left, right, and behind were continuous black buildings of the monastery, with high walls separating them from the cliff. No matter where he wanted to explore, unless he jumped off the cliff, he couldn't avoid the monastery.
With no other choice, Klein went straight to the pitch-black gate of the monastery.
The gate was nearly ten meters high, seemingly not made for humans. Klein observed it for a few seconds, took a breath, and pressed his hands against both sides of the crack.
A creaking sound ensued. The weight of the gate exceeded Klein's imagination. His muscles bulged, his face turned red, but he could only budge it slightly, unable to push it open.
Fortunately, this was a dream; as long as one believed logically, one could increase strength without truly activating "Creeping Hunger"... Klein exhaled the breath he had held and let the glove on his left hand turn pale.
With a faint flicker of sickly green, he gained the strength of a "Living Corpse". His arms thickened, and his legs suddenly expanded.
Creeeak!
A heavy grating sound rang out, and the gate slowly opened, revealing the scene inside.
Two dim towers and black buildings were connected by covered bridges, surrounding a wide gray stone plaza.
The plaza was full of potholes, with huge arrows stuck in them, and several bonfires were burning, appearing to have been attacked.
Klein walked through the doorway into the plaza and, unexpectedly yet logically, saw Frank Lee, Nina, Ottolov, and others there.
Was this their dream? It didn't seem like it... Or perhaps each person's dream was confined to themselves, and they randomly appeared somewhere in this world? Klein guessed uncertainly.
Frank Lee was closest to him, holding a shovel and clearing rubble, while beside him lay white bread, toasted bread, pan-fried fish, and other foods that had fallen to the ground earlier.
Was he planning to use them as fertilizer to plant something? Even in his dreams, he's planting... Klein approached and casually asked: