Chapter 140: The Ultimate Move |
Who was the true master of this dream?
For Levi and Annie, this was a pressing question, simply because their answers were completely different.
Levi believed that Joe was the true master of this realm, whereas Annie leaned more toward Miss Godine.
While the possibility existed that it belonged to both of them, the likelihood was slim.
Moreover, judging by their respective responses, both individuals had ample motivation to conjure the other.
One could argue that Miss Godine harbored affections for Mr. Joe but lacked the words to express them, fearing he might reject her. Thus, she created this dream, yet her subconscious knew they were incompatible, which was why she deliberately imposed so many restrictive conditions upon him.
Alternatively, one could argue that Joe nursed a secret crush on Miss Godine, but knowing his own circumstances were inadequate to approach such a striking beauty, he conjured this nightmare specifically to force himself to give up.
At this moment, Levi found himself missing Sigmund Freud.
That man would society-wide have provided a crystal-clear explanation.
Regrettably, it seemed he would have to handle it himself.
Levi pondered for a brief moment before arriving at a decision. There was no other choice; it was time to deploy his ultimate move.
"Alright, you two, I have a solution."
Levi stepped forward to face the pair once more. Hearing him speak, both raised their heads and looked at him with curiosity.
"Since both of you harbor such deep dissatisfactions regarding this marriage, let us settle it this way..."
As Levi spoke, he stood at the bow of the vessel, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.
"Miss Godine, please come with me."
"Huh?"
"I love you with all my heart, which is precisely why I have come here to sweep you away. Come, beautiful lady, I shall take you to see the entire world! I will let you experience a wonderful life unlike anything you have ever known before! It will be a grand adventure far beyond your wildest imagination! Abandon this foolish wedding and leave this world with me."
Levi gazed intently at Godine, his expression solemn and his eyes meltingly tender. Beside them, the wedding guests appeared completely stunned by Levi's sudden declaration of elopement.
"..."
Faced with Levi's unexpected invitation, Annie blinked, remaining silent. Joe stood utterly dumbfounded before leaping up, frantically waving his hands in protest, while the other guests broke into a clamorous uproar.
"No, no, absolutely not! You two have only just met! Absolutely not!"
"I will! I will, you handsome gentleman!"
In stark contrast to Joe's desperate opposition, Miss Godine was blushing with excitement. Hoisting the skirt of her wedding dress, she ran onto the deck of the warship and came directly before Levi.
"Please, take me away!"
"Rest assured, young lady."
However, before Godine could finish her sentence, the muzzle of Levi's gun pressed firmly against her smooth forehead.
"I am sending you away right now."
Before the words could even echo, Levi pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
Godine's head shattered completely under the gunfire. Her silhouette began to distort rapidly, and accompanied by a piercing shriek, she dissolved into a formless shadow and vanished into thin air.
At the exact same moment, Joe, who had been frantically objecting just a second ago, suddenly shuddered violently.
He stood rooted to the spot. A brief moment later, a look of clarity returned to his eyes, and he blinked.
"What am I...? Wait, where is this? What am I doing?"
"We will answer those questions shortly, Mr. Joe. For now, please board the ship immediately."
"Huh? Ah..."
Due to the destruction of the nightmare, the entire church began to shudder violently as if struck by an earthquake. The ground fractured, and the surrounding walls began to crumble.
Clutching his head, Joe hurriedly rushed onto the deck. Almost the moment his feet touched the planks, the surrounding church vanished beneath the waves like Atlantis being swallowed by the sea, leaving only the vessel floating quietly upon the ocean surface.
"Clap, clap, clap..."
Simultaneously, the sound of applause rang out.
"Brilliant, truly brilliant, Dreamweaver."
The Cheshire Cat materialized once more from some unknown space, clapping her hands toward Levi.
"I truly did not expect you to discern that the young lady was a counterfeit born of a dream spirit. How did you perceive it?"
"It was actually a matter of luck... because at that moment, Mr. Joe and the other guests were all actively resisting."
"Oh?"
"A dream reflects the subconscious operations of an individual, but more importantly..."
"More importantly?"
"In my experience, whenever I speak earnestly to a woman, she generally enters a somewhat entranced state. That is to say, assuming Miss Godine were the master of this realm, the other guests and Joe should not have reacted when I spoke to her."
"...That lacks any logical foundation."
Not only was the Cheshire Cat dumbfounded by this claim, but even Annie knitted her brows, offering a low rebuttal.
"Such a phenomenon would never occur in reality."
"Then we shall conduct an experiment to see."
Levi chuckled softly, turning toward Joe, who remained entirely bewildered nearby.
"Mr. Joe, could you assist me with a small favor?"
"What kind of favor?"
"Just perform any casual action nearby, as long as it draws attention."
"Just any casual action? To draw attention?"
Joe frowned, contemplating the request for a moment.
"I will perform a couple of sets of squats."
"...Whatever pleases you."
"Oh, huff—ha—hey!"
Thus, Joe began performing squats right beside the pair. Watching his massive physique continuously rise and fall, Annie's expression remained unchanged.
Yet, it had to be admitted that with such a large man executing movements right beside them, it was difficult to ignore him.
"Could you count how many he completes, Miss Branson?"
"Certainly. That is three now."
"Excellent."
Annie maintained her serene composure, fixing her gaze upon the squatting Joe while keeping a silent tally in her mind. Right at that moment, Levi's voice resonated once more.
"Now, Miss Branson, please listen to me..."
Levi's voice carried no outward alteration from before, yet it seemed to possess an alluring charisma, causing Annie to reflexively shift her gaze to look at him. She then saw Levi staring back at her, his eyes filled with such profound affection that they resembled a vortex, dragging her completely into their depths.
"I wish to be with you. I hope you can remain by my side, never to depart, alright? Promise me, are you willing?"
Levi's voice was gentle and melodious, almost materializing into a physical presence that slithered through Annie's ears and into her form. At that instant, the young woman felt an unbearable, tingly ache stir within her heart, and his gaze acted like an invisible fishing line, reeling up emotions she had never previously experienced.
In that fraction of a second, Annie felt her mind go entirely blank, as though all strength had drained from her body. She felt weightless, as if cradled by clouds, wishing for nothing more than to rest within this man's embrace and dissolve into him, becoming one...
"I am will—"
"Excellent, Miss Branson."
Levi reached out and snapped his fingers right beside Annie's ear. Instantly, the hazy world around her regained its absolute clarity. It was as though a veil of mist had just vanished from her eyes; a moment ago, everything except Levi had been blurred, as if obscured by fog.
Now, everything returned to its crisp reality.
"What did I just..."
"May I ask if you happened to notice how many squats Mr. Joe completed just now?"
"..."
Hearing Levi's inquiry, Annie finally snapped back to reality. She looked toward Joe again, who was still nearby, huffing and puffing through his squats. His sheer effort was almost pitiful.
"My apologies, I... I do not recall."
"So you understand now?"
"I understand."
Annie now comprehended Levi's meaning. If every woman experiencing Levi's performance felt a sensation similar to her own, then the dreamscape back then should have naturally shifted. Yet the reality was that while Miss Godine herself appeared captivated by Levi, the surrounding world grew increasingly resistant and assertive. This proved that Miss Godine was not the protagonist of that nightmare.
"...Does Mr. Levi frequently do this to young ladies?"
"Of course not. I have no desire to invite unnecessary trouble."
Levi shook his head. This technique was a double-edged sword; though it could make women absolutely compliant in the moment, the aftermath was exceedingly troublesome.
Years ago, when Levi was younger, a woman had cut in line ahead of him. Levi had used this method to admonish her, only for the woman to immediately break up with her boyfriend afterward, insisting on pursuing a romance with Levi. She claimed that because Levi was the one to stop her from cutting in line, he must surely harbor feelings for her... Her boyfriend had nearly challenged Levi to an immediate duel back then.
In this world, Levi was even more hesitant to employ this technique lightly. It was only because Annie appeared quite delicate, possessing the strength of an ordinary girl, that Levi felt confident he could restrain her even if she lost her composure, which was why he used it on her.
Had it been Katie, Levi would never have dared to try it. If that young girl lost control and lunged into an embrace, Levi would likely suffer entirely shattered ribs and a severe medical emergency.
As for whether this technique worked on men—Levi had never tested it. Nor did he wish to. And he certainly did not dare to.
On a side note, Joe had been performing his squats the entire time, completely oblivious to external matters and deeply focused.
It was only after completing fifty squats that a sweat-drenched Joe finally stood up with a look of immense satisfaction. Annie watched him, cautiously taking a few steps back toward Levi's side.
"By the way, Mr. Levi, I am still rather confused. What exactly is going on here? Why are we out at sea?"
"That is a rather long story..."
Levi provided Joe with a concise explanation regarding their current circumstances. Hearing this, Joe grew increasingly astonished.
"Such a phenomenon actually exists? Hold on a moment!"
With that, Joe closed his eyes, sinking into deep concentration for a brief moment before letting out a sharp shout. Along with his roar, Levi and Annie witnessed two dumbbells materialize out of thin air, hitting the deck with a loud thud.
"Haha, it is actually true! It really worked!" Joe snapped his eyes open, staring at the dumbbells before him as he shouted in excitement.
He then rushed over, grasping the two weights and hoisting them up with great force.
"Mm, this weight, this balance, this craftsmanship! Ah, as expected of Finod's premium goods! What a pity I could never afford this in reality. It makes all those trips to their shop, enduring the owner's glares just to try them out, completely worth it! Hahaha, this is grand! Even if I do not own them in reality, I can still use them in my dreams! For now, let us start with four sets..."
Watching Joe eagerly run off to the side with his dumbbells to continue his grand fitness regime, Levi and Annie exchanged a glance, silently shaking their heads.
This fellow would likely not be entertaining any thoughts of marriage anytime soon.