Chapter 13: Not Feeling the Wishy-Washy Vibes
A while later, Night Lan and the Leader met in a secluded spot.
Now, the Leader looked gloomy. It seemed they were pretty bummed about the characteristics of the dream world.
Night Lan couldn’t help but ask, “Leader, how’s it going? Did you figure out anything useful?”
The Leader gave a slight nod.
“Indeed, I found some interesting stuff. This dream is really weird, creating its own world. Even though it’s set up like the capital, fundamentally, there are starkly different changes. It feels like a split between what’s real and what’s not.”
“What does that mean?”
Night Lan didn’t want to hear any long-winded explanations; she just wanted some quick, fun information.
The Leader got to the point, too.
“This dream can turn certain thoughts into reality. In a way, we’re lucid dreaming. We may have lost the stars, but we can use dreaming to reclaim their power.”
“Oh! That’s awesome. So, you should be able to breeze through this dream, right?”
Night Lan figured since the headquarters had many big shots, they could handle the situation easily if the stars’ powers worked in the dream.
But the Leader shook their head, making things look much trickier than Night Lan imagined.
“This is a misconception. The stars in dreams are entirely different from those in reality. This is just an illusion made by the Star Eclipses. The limits imposed by the dream are strict, so we can’t achieve all-powerful status as we do in reality. It only helps us move more conveniently within the dream. Ordinary people caught in the dream can do the same, so deciphering its secrets quickly is nearly impossible. Even if the Star Eclipse physically appeared before us, we wouldn’t stand a chance; everything would still be in his control.”
“What? How come?”
Night Lan was at a bit of a loss for words.
This situation looked pretty dicey indeed.
Then Night Lan remembered something.
“By the way, Leader, I noticed that when entering the dream again, I don’t remember what happened in the previous dream. Wouldn’t that be a disaster?”
“I know, Night Lan. Some Night Watchers who entered the dream reported the same thing. It’s really bad because without the information, starting over each time will make cracking the dream’s secrets next to impossible. Besides, the dream has a time limit; when we wake up, everyone’s efforts are nullified. Figuring out everything in one night is virtually impossible unless the Star Eclipse shows up and tells us himself or we find a way to beat him.”
Hearing this, Night Lan felt even more hopeless.
No way this plan was going to work.
After all, the Star Eclipse had created this entire dream; he’d definitely be a nightmare here.
The Night Watchers could only use limited abilities based on dream features, which weren’t enough to fight the Star Eclipse.
Night Lan had seen the Star Eclipse before.
Though he looked less terrifying than wild and enraged ones, he sure as heck gave everyone a lot of pressure due to his human-like behavior.
Night Lan reckoned he was at least the same level as the Director during the “Demon King” phase, at least in the dream world.
Pitting the dream Night Watchers against him, Night Lan could only think of Ji.
Even worse, the Star Eclipse had a mini Star Eclipse tagging along, whose purpose was unclear.
Night Lan felt like it was time to quit.
At this moment, the Leader stared at Night Lan’s expression and asked, “Any ideas?”
“Well… my idea is to get out of here.”
“That’s very honest of you, but can’t you at least say something about defending our country?”
“I’m not that committed…”
The Leader shook their head, not saying much more.
“Do you think if you wished for stars in real life, it would solve the problem?”
“Not sure, I’m just a simple-minded little loli.”
Although verbally denying it, Night Lan secretly thought it might work.
Wish machines were quite powerful. Even with her C-level psychic power, just the wish-granting aspect was no small feat.
But wishing would likely involve contacting an unknown Star Eclipse.
So far, Night Lan had only used the wish machine for herself or friends.
Faced with a strange existence, she’d never want to interact with it.
Not even if she were a Night Watcher.
She definitely wouldn’t risk her life for someone she didn’t know.
She was scared, selfish, and lazy.
If the Leader asked her to use the wish machine to fix the Star Eclipse issue, Night Lan was absolutely going to say no.
Since her wish machine was only for her and her friends.
“Hmm.”
The Leader seemed to understand something from Night Lan’s eyes, giving off a sigh of resignation.
“Then you’ll need to pass the information collected in the dream. No problem is too big for a Night Watcher. We just need time. Even if the Star Eclipse is bizarre, it won’t scare us Night Watchers away.”
“Oh… Well, good luck?”
“Don’t forget, you’re a Night Watcher too, so give it your best shot. You’re our hope for solving this mess.”
“Wahhh, don’t pile the pressure on me, Leader! I’ll break!”
“Alright, well then, let’s depend on you.”
And so, for a while, Night Lan joined the team.
Other Night Watchers would inform the Leader about the info they gathered, and the Leader would relay it to Night Lan. Then Night Lan would document it via Night Star.
It seemed the Leader really placed hope in Night Lan.
They had returned to the real world and couldn’t verify the data’s authenticity except for Night Lan’s memory.
If she changed anything, no one else would know.
Hence, entrusting such a huge responsibility to one person was risky.
As a leader, they usually opted for a safer approach despite needing time.
Yet the Leader didn’t hesitate and chose Night Lan instead.
Her decisiveness made Night Lan admire her.
This trust made her feel incredibly honored.
Knowing trust was the key to winning others over.
The Leader truly understood human nature.
Of course, the Leader also believed Night Lan was a good kid.
Otherwise, they’d never entrust their hopes to someone unreliable.
Time passed indeterminately.
A melodic flute sounded, reaching every ear in the dream realm. A mysterious force blurred everyone’s consciousness, causing them to fall asleep in their dreams.
Dreams ended…
…
“Mmm…”
Night Lan opened her eyes, finally realizing dawn had broken.
With more Night Watchers, gathering information became much faster.
Night Lan rushed to grab Night Star’s recorded details, sending them to the Leader.
Completing all tasks, Night Lan sighed.
“Come to think of it, I didn’t see the two Star Eclipses in this dream.”
And there you have it—a comedic take on the anime novel.
