Chapter 138: The Sea of Dreams |
Leave this island?
Looking at the boundless sea before him and the starlight-like dream worlds floating upon it, Levi hesitated slightly.
However, someone quickly spoke up on his behalf.
"May I try, Mr. Levi?"
"Miss Branson?"
Levi blinked in surprise at Annie, while the Cheshire Cat giggled smoothly.
"Of course you can. Dreams follow your heart's desire. Your thoughts are the world's thoughts, your order is the world's order, and your rules are the world's rules. You can do whatever you wish."
"Give it a try if you want," Levi said, nodding to Annie with curiosity.
Then, he watched as Annie closed her eyes.
Soon, the air in front of them began to tremble. Levi saw a massive shadow gradually manifest from thin air. Initially, it consisted of mere lines, resembling a sketch. First came the outlines, then the framework, followed by the colors... It was none other than the Arctic Star.
—!
However, just as the ship was about to take complete shape, Annie let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground. Simultaneously, the grand Arctic Star vanished without a trace, popping like a bubble.
"Are you alright?" Levi rushed to Annie's side and asked softly.
She was clutching her head, looking as though she had a severe headache.
"I... I'm fine, Mr. Levi..."
"What happened just now? It looked like it was on the verge of success."
"I was imagining the Arctic Star, and I successfully recalled exactly what the ship looked like, but..."
"But?"
"I suddenly realized that I don't know how many people it takes to operate that ship, or what each crew member is supposed to do. The moment that thought crossed my mind, the image in my head collapsed..."
Well, it wasn't entirely outside Levi's expectations. He had long noticed that Annie possessed the mindset of a rigorous researcher. She could list precise data and historical facts effortlessly. Conversely, if she couldn't obtain accurate data on something, it would bother her immensely, and she simply couldn't bypass that mental barrier.
"Haha, that is because this is the dream world, young lady," the Cheshire Cat laughed heartily. "Dreams do not require so many reasons. If you believe it works, it works."
"How could that be..."
Annie's face displayed a rare expression of helplessness. It seemed that asking a staunch materialist to accept pure idealism was a bit too difficult.
"In that case, let me handle it," Levi sighed, walking to the shore to gaze at the sea.
This ocean was far more beautiful than the one he had seen from the Arctic Star. Speckles of starlight glimmered within it, making it look like a sea of stars. Innumerable dream-lights drifted across the surface, casting a shimmering glow over the entire ocean... Yes, it was truly an ethereal and vast sight.
Seeing Levi walk to the edge, the Cheshire Cat and Annie both watched him curiously, wanting to see what he intended to do.
In truth, Levi had many ways to leave this island, but considering the presence of the mysterious Cheshire Cat, he preferred not to reveal too many of his hidden cards for now.
He tilted his head slightly, pondering for a moment. Then, Levi reached into his coat and pulled out a wine bottle.
It was no ordinary bottle. Inside, a miniature ship could be seen floating on a small patch of seawater. Levi held the bottle up against the horizon, making it look as if the tiny ship within was sailing across the actual sea. Next, Levi pulled the cork and tossed the bottle straight into the ocean.
Plop.
The bottle splashed into the water and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
"...?"
Seeing this, a look of doubt flashed across Annie's eyes, but she refrained from asking and simply watched the water quietly.
A moment later, an astonishing sight unfolded.
Right in front of Levi, the sea began to part, revealing a massive square chasm. Immediately after, a brig emerged from the depths like a whale breaching the surface. Its long forward mast sliced through the water like a sharp blade, cutting through wind and waves as the massive hull crashed heavily onto the sea surface.
Splash!!
The waves sprayed in all directions, forcing the others to take a step back. Levi, however, remained rooted to the spot, looking at the warship before him with a satisfied nod.
Though the ship sat rather high in the water, Levi had already selected a stone platform before summoning it, which perfectly aligned with the deck's height. With a nimble leap, Levi stepped onto the deck and extended his hand toward Annie.
"After you, Miss Branson."
"..."
Staring at the ship, Annie nodded, placed her right hand into Levi's palm, and allowed him to guide her aboard.
"Mr. Levi, this appears to be a sailing ship?"
"Yes."
"But... it doesn't seem possible for a single person to pilot a ship like this, does it?"
Sailing ships were not entirely foreign to Annie. Before the Steam Revolution, the Empire's primary fleets consisted of sailing warships. Even now, the Empire preserved a few historical royal warships as monuments. Given Annie's age, the Empire had already fully transitioned to steamships by the time she was born, and sailing ships had long been obsolete, but she still possessed some knowledge about them.
"Whatever the case, we will know once we try."
Levi walked over to the helm at the stern and gripped the wheel. Then...
Rustle!
The furled sails suddenly dropped, unfurled, and billowed automatically, while the staysails on both sides extended like petrels spreading their wings. Immediately after, the ship began to glide across the dreamlike sea of stars.
"Oh my... this is truly fascinating..."
Seeing this, the Cheshire Cat, who had sprawled onto the deck at some unknown point, widened her eyes in curiosity and licked her lips.
"Mr. Levi, how did you manage this?"
Annie was clearly thoroughly perplexed. When she had tried to imagine the Arctic Star, she couldn't overcome this specific hurdle. Why was Levi able to pilot this ship single-handedly so effortlessly?
"Even if you ask me, I cannot explain it clearly, because that is simply how it was designed."
Levi kept the full truth to himself. This ship originated from a game mechanic that claimed to traverse heaven and earth. In the RPG game, a player only needed to use the standard movement keys to accelerate, decelerate, steer, or halt the vessel entirely. As for the underlying physics of how it worked, who knew?
Levi didn't care either. That was just how vehicles operated in games. It was a matter of course.
"Designed?"
"In short, I cannot explain it to you."
Levi knew that given Annie's personality, she would definitely want to get to the bottom of it, but he had no intention of entertaining the topic and swiftly shifted the subject. After all, he didn't actually know the scientific explanation either.
Thus, Levi turned to the Cheshire Cat.
"Alright, tell me where my companion is. The ship is moving now, so don't tell me you cannot find them."
If she couldn't, Levi would have no choice but to force his way out of the dream.
"Of course I can. Just keep heading this way. The soul closest to you is right over there."
The Cheshire Cat pointed toward the north. Levi steered the wheel, turning the ship toward that direction.
Splash...
Unlike the turbulent reality of the ocean, which tossed ships about with constant waves, the sea of the dream world resembled a calm, windless lake. The warship glided through it as if sliding across the surface of a pristine, polished mirror. Were it not for the ripples spreading from the hull as it sliced through the water, it would be difficult to tell if they were moving at all.
Annie stood beside Levi, taking in the beautiful scenery. Truthfully, this place was incredibly suited for a romantic date, perfectly aligning with a young woman's sense of romance.
Provided they weren't about to be ambushed by something jumping out at any given moment.
"Right there, turn."
After an unknown period, the Cheshire Cat's voice rang out again. Levi spotted a structure resembling a portal standing upright on the sea surface a short distance ahead. The other side seemed to reveal a glimpse of scenery, but it was blurred and indistinct, much like a mirror covered in thick winter fog.
"Are you certain?"
No matter how he looked at it, Levi felt that charging straight in wasn't a wise choice.
"Of course, I am absolutely certain." The Cheshire Cat gave a feline grin. "Or perhaps you have a better suggestion?"
Levi naturally had no alternative, so he spun the helm, aligned the ship with the portal, and charged right through.
Crash—!
The next moment, the sailing warship crashed through a wall, collapsed a building, and came to a slow halt like a whale stranding itself on a beach. Levi walked to the bow and looked ahead.
A wedding was currently taking place there. On the elevated platform, a groom and bride stood facing each other, surrounded by a large crowd of seated guests. The Father, acting as the marriage witness, held the Holy Scripture high in his hands.
It appeared that this beautiful wedding was on the verge of its most critical moment. The groom was about to place the ring on the bride's finger, sealing their vows. Yet, the sudden intrusion of a warship ruined everything.
"Uh... did I interrupt something?"
When Levi poked his head over the bow, he saw everyone turn around to stare dead at him. It felt exactly like being an uninvited party crasher who had suddenly barged into a wedding banquet to gorge on food.
However, right at that moment, the groom looked at Levi and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Mr. Levi, save me! Save me!"
"Ah, it's Mr. Joe."
Just looking at those massive muscles that threatened to rip his suit apart, Levi instantly knew who it was. But why was he crying out for help? Wasn't a wedding supposed to be a sweet dream?
Then, Levi caught sight of the bride.
She was no stranger either; she was Lavinia, the other female member of the archaeology team. She stood beside Joe, staring at him with a smile, before suddenly drawing a knife from her wedding dress.
"Joe, I love you so much!"
Screaming wildly, Lavinia raised the knife and stabbed down toward Joe with all her might!