Dream Ghost

On the first day after returning from the Dream Continent, Lin Ye slept for a full sixteen hours.

He had no dreams. Or rather, he didn't remember any. When he woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day. Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, drawing a golden line on the floor. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was.

A rented room. The real world. Safety.

He raised his right hand and glanced at the mark on his palm. It was blue, a little lighter than before, but still clear. The crescent-shaped eye pattern lay quietly beneath his skin, as if asleep. The system notification interface had closed at some point; he tried to bring it up—

[System Online]

[Fragment Level: Chapter Level (3%)]

[Capabilities List: Perceptual Extension (150 meters), Fear Perception (150 meters), Rule Breaks, Shape Perception, Rule Interference]

[Residual consciousness: 2.1%]

Status: Stable

2.1% residue. This was left behind from forcibly devouring the gatekeeper across levels in the Dream Continent. Lin Ye closed his eyes briefly, trying to sense the residue—not pain, not fear, but a very faint, almost imperceptible… weariness. It was as if the gatekeeper had stood there for too long and could finally rest.

He sat up and picked up his phone from the bedside table.

Forty-three unread messages. Most were data reports from Zhou Zhou, indicating that Chen Xuan's vital signs had returned to normal, and his heart rate had risen from 45 to 68. Su Wanning sent three messages: "Are you awake?", "Dr. Jiang said you need to rest more," and "Call me when you're awake." Gu Yan sent one: "I'm at the association headquarters. I need to talk to you."

Lin Ye first called Su Wanning back.

"You're finally awake." Her voice held a sense of relief. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Just a little hungry."

"I'm at the headquarters cafeteria. I saved some food for you."

"Coming right away."

Lin Ye hung up the phone, washed up, changed clothes, and went out.

When Lin Ye arrived at the association headquarters, Su Wanning was already waiting at the cafeteria entrance. She had changed into a light gray tracksuit, and her long hair was tied in a ponytail. She looked much more energetic than she had in the Dream Continent. She was carrying a thermal bag, which she handed to Lin Ye.

"Braised pork rice. Dr. Jiang said you need to supplement your protein intake."

Lin Ye took the insulated bag, opened it, and glanced inside. A thick layer of braised pork belly, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, was spread on top of the rice. It was a rich, dark brown color and still steaming hot.

"Did you do this?"

"It was made by the cafeteria chef," Su Wanning said. "I was just responsible for bringing it over."

The two sat at a table in the corner of the cafeteria. Lin Ye ate quickly but not in a disheveled manner, as if he had been truly hungry for a long time. Su Wanning sat opposite him, holding a cup of hot water in both hands, watching him eat.

"Where's Captain Chen?" Lin Ye asked while eating.

"He's undergoing a full check-up in the medical room. Dr. Jiang said his body is severely overworked and he needs to be observed in the medical room for a few days." Su Wanning paused for a moment, "Gu Yan is also there."

"How is he?"

"It's not good." Su Wanning's voice lowered. "His consciousness was injured in the dream world, and after returning to reality, those injuries turned into real damage to his consciousness. Dr. Jiang said that his consciousness is only 60% intact, and it will take a long time to recover."

Lin Ye put down his chopsticks.

"Can it be restored?"

"Yes, I can. But it will take time." Su Wanning looked at him. "And you? How much of your consciousness remains?"

2.1%.

"It's not high. Dr. Jiang said you don't need to wash it; you can digest it on your own."

Lin Ye nodded and continued eating.

After finishing the last bite of his meal, he closed the lunchbox and leaned back in his chair.

"Su Wanning."

"Um?"

"What did you see in the Dream Continent?"

Su Wanning gently stroked the inside of the glass with his fingers, remaining silent for a few seconds.

"I saw my father," she said. "But not the real him. It was an illusion created by the Dream Weavers. They used my father's image to lure me to the Third Seal and then trapped me. I knew it was fake, but I followed them anyway."

Why?

"Because I'm afraid it might be true." Her voice was soft. "What if he really is there? What if he really needs me to save him? If I don't go, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Lin Ye looked at her.

"I will help you investigate your father's matter."

Su Wanning raised her head, her eyes glistening with a thin layer of tears.

Why are you so good to me?

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"Because you were nice to me," he said. "The first night, you brought me coffee and sandwiches. I didn't know you then, and you didn't know me. But you were nice to me."

Su Wanning paused for a moment, then smiled.

"That's what Captain Chen asked me to bring."

"But you didn't refuse."

The two looked at each other for a few seconds before simultaneously looking away.

Lin Ye stood up and threw the lunchbox into the trash can.

"I'll go check on Gu Yan."

"He's in the observation room next to the medical room."

Lin Ye walked down the corridor to the door of the medical room. The door was ajar, and Dr. Jiang's voice came from inside: "Your mental impairment is more severe than I thought. You'll need at least two weeks of rest. During this time, you cannot enter a dream state, use any abilities, or even stay up late. Understand?"

"Understood." Gu Yan's voice was hoarse but calm.

Lin Ye pushed open the door and went in.

Gu Yan lay on the bed, his head covered in sensor patches connected to a device. The waveform on the screen fluctuated, but the overall trend was slowly rising. His face was pale, and the scar on his left cheek was particularly noticeable under the white light.

Upon seeing Lin Ye, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"You've arrived."

"How are you?"

"You won't die," Gu Yan said, "but I can't help you much in the short term."

Lin Ye sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"I don't need your help with anything. Just get some rest."

Gu Yan looked at him and remained silent for a few seconds.

"The Dream Weaver Club matter is not over yet."

"I know."

"You released the primal fear, but the Dream Weavers are still here. They won't give up easily." Gu Yan's voice was deep. "They spent three thousand years preparing for this, and they won't give up because of one failure."

"What will they do next?"

"I don't know," Gu Yan said, "but they will come looking for you. You are the third fragment. Although the seal has been broken, the power of the fragment still resides within you. To them, you are still a target."

Lin Ye leaned back in his chair.

"Let them do it."

Gu Yan glanced at him, and the corners of his mouth curved up a little wider.

"You and Chen Xuan are very similar."

"How is it similar?"

"None of them are afraid of death," Gu Yan said, "but none of them should die either."

The room was quiet for a moment. The hum of the instruments sounded like some kind of low background music.

"About your father," Gu Yan suddenly spoke, "Did Chen Xuan tell you about him?"

"I said a few words. Not enough."

"Your father's name is Lin Yuan. He is a descendant of the first generation of Night Watchers, and also the strongest among that generation of fragment holders," Gu Yan said. "He entered the Dream Continent before you were born and participated in the final reinforcement of the seal. After that, he never returned."

My mother said he died in an accident.

"For her, it was an accident," Gu Yan said. "She didn't know about the dream world. Chen Xuan wanted to tell you, but he couldn't find the right time."

Lin Ye remained silent for a long time.

"What does he look like?"

Gu Yan took his phone out from under the pillow, scrolled through it for a while, and then handed it to him.

A photograph appeared on the screen. A young man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wore the association's old-fashioned uniform—dark blue with an eye embroidered on his chest. His features bore a resemblance to Lin Ye's, but his lines were more defined, and his gaze sharper. He stood in a place Lin Ye didn't recognize, with a grayish-white mist behind him.

"The Misty Coast," Gu Yan said. "This was taken before he last entered the Dream Continent. Chen Xuan has kept this photo, waiting to give it to you."

Lin Ye stared at the photo for a long time.

He returned the phone to Gu Yan.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Lin Ye stood up and walked to the door.

"Gu Yan".

"Um."

Do you regret choosing to give up your fragments back then?

Gu Yan remained silent for a few seconds.

"I regret it," he said. "But if I hadn't made that choice, I might be dead now. If I were dead, I couldn't do anything. Now, at least I'm still alive and can still help you."

Lin Ye nodded and went out the door.

In the corridor, Chen Xuan leaned against the wall, wearing a hospital gown and holding a glass of water.

His complexion was better than it had been in the Dream Continent, but his eye sockets were still sunken, making him look like someone recovering from a serious illness.

"You heard everything?" Lin Ye asked.

"I heard you." Chen Xuan took a sip of water. "Gu Yan has said everything he could. I'll tell you the rest."

The two entered Chen Xuan's hospital room. The room was small, containing a bed, a table, and a chair. On the table was a stack of documents, with a yellowed photograph on top—the same one Lin Ye had just seen, only older.

Chen Xuan sat on the bed, while Lin Ye sat in a chair.

"Your father was my partner," Chen Xuan said. "We joined the association together, trained together, and went on missions together. He was stronger and smarter than me. But he had one flaw—he always wanted to shoulder everything alone."

"So he went to the Dream Continent alone?"

"Yes," Chen Xuan said. "He discovered that the seal was loosening and needed to be reinforced. But reinforcing the seal required the consciousness of the fragment holder. He didn't want anyone to sacrifice themselves, so he decided to do it himself."

He didn't come back.

"No." Chen Xuan lowered his head. "He reinforced the seal with his own consciousness, trapping himself inside. The awakening of the Primal Fear was delayed by twenty years. Without him, this disaster would have happened twenty years ago."

Lin Ye looked at the yellowed photograph.

Why did he do that?

"Because he feels it's his responsibility." Chen Xuan looked up at Lin Ye. "He's a descendant of the Night's Watch. His family has been guarding this seal for generations. For him, it's not a choice, it's a mission."

"And what about me?" Lin Ye asked, "Do I have a mission too?"

Chen Xuan remained silent for a few seconds.

“You didn’t,” he said. “Your father’s greatest wish was for you to be free from these burdens. He wanted you to live a normal life, go to college, find a job, get married, and have children. He didn’t know these fragments would attach themselves to you. If he had known, he would have found a way to stop it.”

"But he didn't stop it."

"Because he's already trapped inside the seal," Chen Xuan said. "He can't do it."

Lin Ye stood up and walked to the window.

The sky outside the window is very blue, with a few white clouds drifting slowly by.

"I want to go see him," he said.

Chen Xuan was taken aback.

"What?"

"Where is he? The seal has been broken, but his consciousness should still be somewhere." Lin Ye turned around. "The Primal Fear is gone, but what about those who sacrificed themselves within the seal? Where did they go?"

Chen Xuan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"They're still here," a voice came from the doorway.

Dr. Jiang stood at the door, holding a report in her hand.

"We detected that when the seal was broken, six streams of consciousness energy were released from the Dream Continent," she said. "Four streams were very weak, as if they had been dormant for a long time; two were stronger and still active. One of them matched Lin Ye's DNA."

Lin Ye's hands clenched slightly.

"My father is still alive."

"His consciousness is still intact," Dr. Jiang corrected, "but consciousness is not life. He needs to find a vessel, or return to his own body. His body... is no longer there."

Lin Ye fell silent.

"But at least he still exists." Chen Xuan stood up and walked to Lin Ye's side. "As long as he exists, there is hope."

Lin Ye nodded.

He walked out of the ward and into the corridor.

Sunlight streamed in through the window at the end of the corridor, casting a golden dapple at his feet.

He stood in that patch of light, looking down at the palm of his right hand.

The blue mark lay quietly.

"I will find you," he whispered.

At the end of the corridor, a figure flashed by.

Lin Ye's senses instantly detected the signal—it was fast, of a high level, and not from the association.

He chased after him.

The person disappeared around the corner of the corridor. But Lin Ye's form perception told him that it wasn't a person. It was an outer shell. Like the gatekeeper, someone had created a shell with a human form, containing something inside.

People from the Dream Weaver Society.

They are at the association headquarters.

Lin Ye remained silent. He withdrew his extended senses, pretending he hadn't noticed anything, and slowly walked back to the ward.

But the mark in his palm began to burn.

It's not dangerous.

This is a warning.

Dreamweaver did not give up.

They just used a different method.