You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Fufu gently slumped into Rein's arms, slowly opened her eyes, looked around, and said in surprise, "We...we're back?"

Rein stroked her hair, his voice gentle: "Yes, we haven't lost each other."

The church returned to its ruined state, with only the sealing magic circle silently emerging. Moonlight shone through again, bathing the three of them as if washing away all the dust.

-

Several days later, in the council chamber of the Magic Investigation Bureau in the royal capital, Elsie, Rein, and Fou reported the mission results to the director and Margaret.

"The dream core fragments have been purified, and the escaping dream erosion has been suppressed." After Elsie finished speaking, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’ve done a very good job.” Director Heran’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “However, this only stops the spread. The real forces behind it have yet to surface.”

Rein frowned: "The force behind the scenes?"

Margaret nodded: "We detected someone remotely manipulating the energy flow of the dream core fragments... attempting to create multiple dream source points in other areas."

Fufu hurriedly asked, "Should we still go?" Her voice trembled but was firm.

Rein looked at Elsie, then at Fou: "If we don't go, we can't get rid of those places from the Dream Core influencers. Not going is suicide."

The three looked at each other, and Elsie patted Fou's shoulder and smiled, "We'll go again, and we'll definitely win."

The director pondered for a few seconds, then slammed his hand on the table and sat down: "Then I will summon the Eighth Investigation Team and equip them with more lucidity-enhancing tools. You are the core action group; from dream sealers, you will become dream hunters."

Rein smiled and clenched his fist: "Alright. Now let's... win a resounding victory!"

Fufu blinked: "I've already decided on my next role—a Beastmaster, or a Dream Knight?"

Rein lowered his head and pinched her cheek. "As long as you don't sleepwalk."

Elsie chuckled helplessly: "We need to stay alert."

Beneath the pristine white snow, the sealing site of the Sleepy Path Ancient Church has come to a complete standstill.

This was a victory, but also a brutal reckoning. The dissipation of the Dream Core fragments did not restore peace to the land; on the contrary, the tremors emanating from the depths of the church foreshadowed an even greater danger awakening.

Rein leaned against the broken pillar base, his eyes calm. He hadn't felt his physical limits in a long time; the purification ritual had almost completely drained his magic and willpower.

Fufu leaned on his shoulder and fell asleep, looking just like a little girl who was finally free from nightmares.

Elsie rolled up the scroll and gently placed it in her bosom: "This is not the end; the flow of Dream Source has not completely stopped."

“Hmm.” Rein nodded, gazing at the distant edge of the snowfield. That silent, icy land was once the ruins of a village, but now it was shrouded in a deep blue mist—a typical symptom of the Dream Source's erosion.

They must go there.

After resting for two days, the three set off again for "Hillu Village," which had been swallowed by the Dream Source.

-

Hilllu Village was originally a border village southwest of the capital. It was abandoned ten years ago due to a mine collapse, but in recent years there have been repeated reports of "living people dreaming and unable to wake up".

Riding the Snowfield Swift Wolves assigned by the Investigation Bureau, Rein and his group quickly approached their target. The mountains and forests along the way were shrouded in blue mist, and numerous unnatural tracks were left on the ice and snow.

“Did you notice the footprints?” Elsie crouched down and pointed to a row of crisscrossing claw marks. “These aren’t wild animals. They’re on all fours, but their steps are synchronized.”

“More like… something is mimicking the way a creature walks,” Rein whispered.

Fou hugged her wand tightly and whispered, "I hate these things, imitating humans but not understanding them."

“We must find the source first.” Rein patted Swift Wolf on the back. “Hurry up, we need to get to the village entrance before sunset.”

Following the snow-covered mountain path, they finally entered the ruins of Hilllu Village before dusk. The setting sun cast deep shadows between the dilapidated eaves, and large areas of houses shrouded in blue mist stood silently, without the sound of wind or birdsong; everything seemed frozen in time.

“This is a high-density area of ​​Dream Source miasma.” Elsie took out the sensing stone, and a second later the stone was stained deep blue and cracked into several pieces. “The residual power of the Dream Core is still surging out.”

Rein squinted at the center of the village. "We need to cross the entire village to reach the mine."

Fufu grabbed his hand and whispered, "There's something there."

“I know,” Rein said gently.

The next moment, from the blue mist, a tall creature draped in a tattered cloak and possessing three pairs of arms slowly emerged. It walked on all fours, with only one hand carrying a broken iron hammer. Its head resembled a withered beast's head, with a faint blue light burning in its eye sockets.

“A construct of dreams.” Elsie drew her short sword, the runes on her hand glowing. “Ten times more dangerous than a dreamer.”

Rein raised his battle blade, and the moment he infused it with magic, the blade gleamed with a silver-blue light: "I'll draw it in, you two help suppress it."

Before he could finish speaking, the dream creature pounced, its iron hammer whipping up large swaths of ice and snow as it slammed down on Rein.

He rolled to the side, his sword slicing through the air and slicing through his opponent's shoulder, sending blue mist flying. Mengying showed no sign of injury; instead, she let out a dry, piercing shriek, her body contorting as she flailed her six arms.

"Fou!" Rein shouted.

"Ready!" Fufu spread her arms and summoned an ice crystal-shaped phantom beast: "Ice Fang Bear Spirit - Manifestation!"

The giant bear roared deafeningly as it pounced on Mengying. Its limbs froze instantly upon landing, and the impact was so powerful that it sent Mengying flying five meters away.

Elsie seized the opportunity to dash forward, sliding along the ground to beneath Dream Shadow, her demonic blade piercing straight into his chest: "Heart-Splitting Strike!"

A large cloud of blue mist erupted from Mengying's chest, and he finally began to convulse violently. Rein dared not be careless; he leaped and flipped, gripping his sword with both hands and slashing vertically downwards: "Heavy Fall Severance!"

In an instant, the sword light, like the moon falling on the mountains, cleaved the dream in two.

The dream image transformed into countless shattered dream dust particles, scattering and dancing in all directions. The concentration of the blue mist began to decrease, and the three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“These are just the outer guards.” Elsie sheathed her dagger. “Deep within the mine, there must be the true Dream Source Core.”

Rein looked around, his gaze settling on a huge abandoned well: "We have to get in there."

-

The mine was bitterly cold inside, and the walls were inscribed with the prayers and inscriptions of ancient miners. Following the broken wooden ladders, the three descended deeper and deeper, finally arriving at a large cavern hall.

At the center, a huge blue crystal was slowly floating, pulsating like a heartbeat with dream core fluctuations.

"The core of the dream!" Fufu exclaimed, "It's actually complete!"

“This isn’t a fragment, it’s one of the main cores.” Elsie said gravely, “It must be destroyed immediately!”

But just before she took a step, a sharp female voice rang out from the crystal: "Don't touch me—you traitors, you are not worthy to touch the true source of dreams."

Beneath the crystal, a phantom of a woman dressed in an old aristocratic dress appeared. Her eyes were empty, and a mocking smile played on her lips: "I was once human, the last priest of this mine. But you stripped me of reality, forcing me to become a vessel for dreams. Now, this is my sanctuary."

“She is a remnant of consciousness assimilated by the Dream Core,” Elsie said calmly. “We cannot persuade her; we can only purify her.” “Then let’s not waste time.” Rein drew his sword, reigniting its blade: “Prepare for battle!”

The phantom spread its arms, and the core of the dream trembled violently, releasing more than a dozen dream-structured creatures that surrounded the three from all directions.

Rein charged ahead, his sword flashing like a meteor streaking across the ground. Fou summoned her twin spirit beasts as a shield, while Elsie guided the purification runes from behind.

"Star Shell Seal - Zero Type Deployment!" Elsie shouted, and eight silver rings appeared, beginning to rotate around the dream core, gradually drawing out the dream power within.

The phantom charged forward with a shriek, its magic transforming into a long whip that lashed out at Rein. He raised his sword to parry, but was sent flying, crashing into the mine's stone wall.

“Fou, help me!” he shouted.

Fufu leaped out, clasping her hands together: "'Frozen Torrent - Open!'"

Icy water gushed from the ground, instantly freezing the phantom's lower body. Elsie seized the opportunity to activate the sealing ring, its silver light scorching the core of the dream.

The phantom screamed, clutching its head with both hands, "No! This is a dream... I can't wake up again..."

"Dreams cannot replace life!" Rein thrust his sword forward, severing the connection between the illusion and the dream core.

With a deafening roar, the crystal shattered into countless particles of light, the illusion vanished, and the entire mine fell into a brief silence.

The blue mist receded, the Dream Source closed, and Hilllu Village fell into slumber once more.

The three of them slumped on the cave floor, looking at each other with eyes filled with exhaustion and relief.

"We won another one." Fou grinned. "Aren't we professional dream hunters now?"

“You’re the first person to call yourself a hunter,” Rein said with a wry smile. “But…maybe it’s a good title.”

Elsie nodded: "There should be new instructions from the capital. We need to be prepared. The next Dream Source... probably won't be in the country."

The three looked out of the cave entrance; the snow had faded, and sunlight was quietly streaming in.

As Exer's body slowly disintegrated in the afterglow of the shattered Dream Core, the surface of Snowdreams Lake finally returned to calm. Moonlight once again spilled onto the lake's center, and the silvery ripples reflected the three figures. Rein sheathed his broken blade and let out a long sigh, while Fou softly comforted Elsie, who was still not fully awake from her hallucination.

“Let’s go,” Rein said, looking toward the other side of the lake, where a path hidden by ice and snow was gradually coming into view. “There are deeper mysteries waiting for us in that forest.”

They crossed the frozen lake and arrived at the legendary "Ancient Church of Sleeping Path." Built of Dream Stone and Silver Snow Wood, the ancient dome reflected the stars, as if even the sky itself slumbered within this sacred realm. Fufu bit her lower lip and whispered, "Legend has it that this was once the last sanctuary for Dream Hunters, and the only passage to the 'Abyss of Eternal Sleep.'"

Rein did not respond; his gaze fell on the relief on the church door—a saint with a bow was fighting a three-headed wolf with a six-pointed star seal carved on each head.

“The Dream Hunter Gods' Consecration Diagram.” Elsie looked up at the relief, a hint of awe in her eyes. “It’s a relic left from the Dream Hunter Holy War a thousand years ago.”

They pushed open the doors, and a slumbering magical aura rushed out. The church interior was filled with floating white feathers and eerie blue candlelight, as if time itself had stood still. In the center of the altar, a figure in silver hunter's armor knelt silently, behind him stood a massive moon bow, its string still taut, as if awaiting the next attack of the nightmare.

As Rein slowly approached, about to touch the bow, a dreamlike figure suddenly rose from the armor.

"This road...is not for ordinary people to tread."

It was an ancient guardian of dreams, its illusory form composed of moonlight, wielding twin blades in a whimsical dance. Rein instinctively drew his sword, while Fou swiftly chanted an ice spell, "Frost Barrier: Dancing Cold Light!"

An ice shield swirled around the three, instantly blocking the phantom's first attack. Elsie reacted immediately, drawing her silver staff, "Awakening Dew - Ring of Dreams!"

As the Ring of Purification was unleashed, the phantom's movements slowed slightly. Seeing this opportunity, Lei leaped forward, and the broken blade clashed fiercely with the phantom's longsword, sparks flying everywhere. The Dream Guardian's combat technique was not a physical entity, but an extremely unpredictable dream combat skill, seemingly neither shadow nor reality, each strike seemingly piercing through the boundaries of consciousness.

“His very existence is a nightmare…” Fufu gritted her teeth, continuously releasing ice magic at the edge, while summoning “Snow Fox Spirits” to help disrupt the enemy’s perception.

The moment the Dreamblade pierced his body, Rein shouted, "Elsie, provide support!"

"Starlight Blessing: Swift Speed!"

A beam of starlight surrounded Rein's body, greatly increasing his speed. He instantly passed through the Dream Guardian's phantom structure and thrust his sword straight at the heart core against the odds!
"Boom-"

A low, bell-like tinkling echoed throughout the church. The dreamlike image wailed and crumbled, transforming into a shower of white feathers that fell from the sky.

Ray knelt before the altar, holding in his hand the "Dream Bow Star Ripple" that had slumbered for a thousand years.

“This bow is the key to the abyss of dreams.” He stood up and looked at the crowd.

Fufu smiled gently, but her eyes were full of worry: "Do we... really have to continue like this?"

Rein didn't answer, he simply nodded. He knew that the path to the "Abyss of Eternal Sleep" was just the beginning.

Several days later, the three left the Sleepwalker's Ancient Church, passed through the dense Silver Tree Forest, and arrived at an area on the southwest shore of Snowdreams Lake that was shrouded in mist year-round. This place was known as the "Graveyard of Sleepwalkers," where countless dream hunters had disappeared.

“If the map is correct, the entrance is here.” Elsie took out a crystal compass, and the pointer slowly pointed to a stone tablet covered by vines.

Rein drew his sword and severed the vines, revealing an ancient inscription on the surface of the stone tablet—

If you can traverse the dream with your undiminished faith, you can enter the dream beneath the dream.

Fufu murmured, "A dream beneath a dream... isn't this the legendary Realm of Deep Dreams?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the stone tablet emitted a faint light, and a deep, dark hole appeared beneath it. The wind ceased, the snow stopped, and the three of them seemed to have entered another world.

“Let’s go.” Rein took a deep breath and was the first to jump into the portal.

-

They fell into a dream within a dream, landing in an eternally dark snowfield. There was no moon here, but there was a giant crystal floating in mid-air—the "Heart of Dream Origin".

In the snowy plains, countless "Dream Beasts" roamed. These monsters were not real beings, but rather the materialization of human nightmares, their appearances twisted and terrifying. Suddenly, a unicorn with the head of a child charged at Fufu, emitting a sinister laugh.

"Get out of the way!" Ray flew over and severed its single horn with a sword, only to find that the wound healed instantly.

"Normal attacks are ineffective?" He frowned, while Fufu raised her hand to unleash "Surrounded by Frosty Spirits - Sleeping Flower Rain".

The falling petals exuded a dreamlike fragrance, slowly weakening the dream beast's will. Elsie took the opportunity to sprinkle starlight powder on the beast's forehead.

"Soul Sealing Technique - Return to Dreams"

The dream beast let out a mournful howl and vanished into specks of light.

"These monsters are the nightmares we must face the deeper we go into the dream realm."

Ray gazed at the Heart of Dreams floating in the distance: "That's our goal."

He turned to look at Fou and Elsie.

"But I promise you, no matter what we encounter next, I will not let you fight alone." (End of Chapter)