Chapter 54
It was Claudio at age three.
He looked at Linda, like he didn’t recognize her, then turned and bolted. Linda hurried after him, but in this dream, Claudio kept growing up with every step he took.
Linda witnessed Claudio’s whole childhood unfold before her eyes.
She saw Claudio as a little kid, all battered and bruised. Then as he grew into a teen, he fought his way through rivers of blood, battling on the front lines.
His journey was nothing like his previous life, but somehow, he was still marching straight toward death.
“Claudio!” Linda yelled.
Claudio didn’t look back. Linda’s gaze grew cold. “Did you mess with something?”
Dermot put on an innocent face. “It wasn’t me. He blew up the dream world, so now he’s running the show.
“Oh, and there’s something I forgot to mention.”
Dermot said errily, “If he doesn’t wake up, you’re stuck here too.”
Right now, Claudio was lost in his dream.
Linda had fallen right into it.
As long as Claudio stayed asleep, the dream wouldn’t end, and Linda would be stuck there forever.
Linda gave Dermot a piercing look, and its smile slowly faded. It didn’t dare to grin anymore.
She just watched Claudio run, calm and collected, making no move to follow.
Then, she simply stopped.
“Why aren’t you chasing him?” Dermot asked.
“Didn’t you say he’s looking for me? I’ll just wait for him to come to me,” Linda said.
She tapped the Spirit Locking Charm, and it shrank to the size of a lamp, squishing Dermot down into a glowing orb.
Linda fished out a stick from her inventory, holding it up and using Dermot’s weak glow to light her way, as she walked off in the opposite direction.
Dermot was speechless.
Dermot grumbled to itself, ‘Is she really treating me like a lamp?
11:51 Fri, Jan 23
Chapter 54
Hell no. I’m turning myself off!”
In just a moment, its glow began to dim.
(73)
– vouchers
Linda’s voice was icy. “Right now, the only thing you’re good for is lighting my way. Just try turning off your light and see what happens.”
Dermot was stunned.
It nervously flickered back to life, casting a glow behind Linda so she could get a better look at what was unfolding in Claudio’s dreamscape.
“Where’s the night when his whole family got slaughtered at age three?” Linda asked.
Dermot pointed straight ahead.
Linda said calmly, “I know you have a way to take us straight there.”
Dermot kept quiet.
Emmett climbed down from Linda’s shoulder and settled onto the red lantern.
He took a deep, hungry breath, drawing in a surge of powerful mana. Emmett’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “I can eat it!”
Feeling its strength being drained, Dermot shrieked in panic. “Hey, you little brat, what are you doing? How dare you consume me? Stop it!”
As it shouted, it hugged itself protectively, desperate to hold onto its remaining power.
Emmett, however, was absolutely ecstatic.
He’d only thought Dermot smelled tasty before, but now he realized it could actually make him stronger.
Emmett licked his lips. “My lady, if you don’t want it, can you let me have it? I promise I’ll be careful.”
Dermot was totally creeped out.
With a loud pop, it blasted out light like crazy.
The whole road lit up in an instant.
Like it was seriously protesting, it said, “Just tell me where you want to go. I’ll take you there.”
“The night the Gonzales family was slaughtered,” Linda said.
“Let’s go,” Dermot said.
Linda took one step forward, and a blue staircase appeared. Linda took a stride, and in an instant, she was inside a mansion. The floor was covered with corpses.
11:52 Fri, Jan 23
Chapter 54
15 vouchers
Claudio, only three years old, crawled out of the well. With bodies everywhere, he desperately searched for. his family, calling their names, but no matter how much he cried, nobody woke up.
So small and helpless, he tried to pull the grown–ups‘ bodies together, but the sounds from the front gate kept getting louder. As the gate creaked open, Linda and Claudio both froze.
Linda turned to look at the mansion’s gate.
But Linda didn’t notice that Claudio’s eyes were locked on her.
“Is someone from the First Unity Coven coming?” Linda muttered under her breath.
Her words seemed to reach Claudio’s ears. Without a second thought, he bolted for the well and jumped right in. Linda was left stunned by his move.
Suddenly, the scene fractured, splitting apart all at once.
“Dermot!” Linda called out.
“This is as far as his memory goes. I can’t keep this up much longer,” Dermot replied.
The dreamscape shattered like a spiderweb. Before Linda could even see who was coming through the door, everything collapsed. But in that split second, she saw a blood–red mist snatch Claudio away.
Linda’s eyes widened in shock.
She thought, ‘It was not white smoke. It was blood mist. The memory has changed.‘
Linda was thrown out of Claudio’s dreamscape, staggering back three steps before regaining her balance. Looking up, she spotted Claudio not far away.
“Why did things change?” Linda demanded, her voice icy.
‘If I’m not mistaken, Claudio should’ve been rescued by the First Unity Coven. So why did the blood mist snatch him away this time?‘ Linda wondered.
Claudio looked at Linda. “You.”
Linda frowned, puzzled. “Me?”
Claudio slowly walked up to her. “I’ve been looking for you forever.”
Linda was taken aback.
Suddenly, Emmett jumped up. “Watch out!”
With a flick of her fingers, Linda summoned five Gilded Cores that whirled around her, forming a protective barrier.
The illusion shattered like glass, and Claudio disappeared. But Linda’s heart was anything but calm.
11:52 Fri, Jan 23 04
Chapter 54
Linda thought, ‘No, I need to figure this out:
Was that just part of the dream, or was it real?‘
Linda asked, “Do I change reality by entering this dream?”
(73
Dermot and Emmett were both caught off guard. “No way, this isn’t like traveling to the past. It’s just a dream.” Dermot replied.
Dreams were just spun from whatever people were thinking or craving inside, made to satisfy their own desires.
Dermot didn’t think it could mess with reality.
Linda murmured softly, “So what does Claudio really want?”
Linda carried the lantern, following Claudio’s path step by step.
Watching him claw his way up from the chaos of the mortal battlefield since childhood, she found herself seeing him in a whole new light.
This time, Claudio’s path seemed to have taken a different turn from his previous one.
After walking for what felt like ages, the mist finally parted. Linda saw Claudio just sitting there.
Linda held the lantern, staying perfectly still.
Claudio slowly opened his eyes, bloodshot and unstable, like he was barely holding it together.
Still, he flashed a teasing grin, his voice laced with mockery.
“Linda, do you really care that much about my past? You’ve watched it so many times,” he joked.
Linda sized him up, her voice cool. “I’d rather not watch, but I can’t get out.”
Claudio lifted his hand, twirling a blue thread between his fingers. “Why not? If you wanted to leave, you totally could. After all, you’re so powerful.”
Linda wanted to roll her eyes, but she held back.
She hated hearing him talk to her like that.
Dermot shivered. “That blue thread he’s holding is dream thread, woven from everyone’s emotions and desires in this place. If he breaks it, anyone caught in it will lose their mind.”
Linda paused, her eyes landing on the thread between his fingers.
“Whose dream thread is that?” she asked.
Claudio propped his chin up with a lazy smile. “Take a guess, Linda.”
11:52 Fri, Jan 23 M
Chapter 54
Linda thought, ‘No, I need to figure this out.
Was that just part of the dream, or was it real?‘
Linda asked, “Do I change reality by entering this dream?”
D
Dermot and Emmett were both caught off guard. “No way, this isn’t like traveling to the past. It’s just a dream,” Dermot replied.
Dreams were just spun from whatever people were thinking or craving inside, made to satisfy their own desires.
Dermot didn’t think it could mess with reality.
Linda murmured softly, “So what does Claudio really want?”
Linda carried the lantern, following Claudio’s path step by step.
Watching him claw his way up from the chaos of the mortal battlefield since childhood, she found herself seeing him in a whole new light.
This time, Claudio’s path seemed to have taken a different turn from his previous one.
After walking for what felt like ages, the mist finally parted. Linda saw Claudio just sitting there.
Linda held the lantern, staying perfectly still.
Claudio slowly opened his eyes, bloodshot and unstable, like he was barely holding it together.
Still, he flashed a teasing grin, his voice laced with mockery.
“Linda, do you really care that much about my past? You’ve watched it so many times,” he joked.
Linda sized him up, her voice cool. “I’d rather not watch, but I can’t get out.”
Claudio lifted his hand, twirling a blue thread between his fingers. “Why not? If you wanted to leave, you totally could. After all, you’re so powerful.”
Linda wanted to roll her eyes, but she held back.
She hated hearing him talk to her like that.
Dermot shivered. “That blue thread he’s holding is dream thread, woven from everyone’s emotions and desires in this place. If he breaks it, anyone caught in it will lose their mind.”
Linda paused, her eyes landing on the thread between his fingers.
“Whose dream thread is that?” she asked.
Claudio propped his chin up with a lazy smile. “Take a guess, Linda.”
11:52 Fri, Jan 23 N
Chapter 54
Linda frowned, a guess forming in her mind. However, she really didn’t want it to be true.
Wait, Laura and the others got pulled in too? Linda thought.
30
“Linda, you weren’t always this cold to me,” Claudio said, his voice low and playful.
That deep voice cut through the air, and Linda’s eyes went wide. She stared at Claudio, totally stunned. “You…”
Claudio said, flashing her a faint, teasing smile, “I’m still alive too. Does that make you happy?”
Linda was stunned into silence.
She turned and bolted.
