**Chapter 563: Dream Observation**
On the Conquer Sea, in the Moncala Islands.
At night, the main island of Moncala is still brightly lit, with bustling nightlife illuminating numerous streets, the city that never sleeps continuing its services.
On a quiet street, away from the noisy areas, a carriage moves forward under the dim street lamps, the hooves of the horse stepping on solid stones, arriving at its destination, a small, deserted square.
“Alright, we’ve arrived. Let this guy sit by the flowerbed over there. I’ll put him into the dream.”
Inside the carriage, a girl controlled by Little Fox, who was sleepwalking, spoke to Ed beside her, and Ed immediately responded.
“No problem, Miss Fox.”
That said, Dorothy controlled Roland, who was sitting in the seat of the carriage, to stand up, open the carriage door, and slowly walk to the location designated by Little Fox to sit down. From Little Fox’s series of previous requests, Dorothy also had some guesses about her current abilities.
‘Last year, this Little Fox could only steal memories while putting others into dreams, and her operation was quite clumsy. Now she seems to be very proficient and smooth in manipulating others’ sleep-walking, which is much better than before. Perhaps this Little Fox has made considerable progress in the past six months. It’s no wonder she’s often hunting in the Dream Realm relying on the territory of the giant dragon together with Gregor, accumulating spirituality rapidly. As long as there are no obstacles in the ritual, advancement is expected…’
‘This Little Fox should already be at the White Chalk level of Dream Eaters, it seems she possesses the ability to hypnotize others directly in the real world and invade their dreams without needing to go through the Dream Realm. However, it appears her ability has limitations; she must be within a certain range of her physical body, and the target must also be within her perception. This is somewhat restrictive…’
Dorothy thought to herself. Little Fox had just sent Roland to a specific location to sit because that place fell within Little Fox’s line of sight, and she needed to perceive her target to enter their dreams. Little Fox obviously could not invoke the dream invasion ability through her dream puppet; her consciousness had to return to her own physical body and then activate the ability.
Although Dorothy successfully implanted the Puppet Mark on Roland, she was cautious because Edward remained a “Cup” level Red Tier, thus she had never dared to directly manipulate puppets before him, not activating the Puppet Mark for information when meeting Edward in Roland’s area. Instead, she waited for Roland to fall asleep before using the Puppet Mark to control him out of the alert area and to Little Fox’s physical body, using her abilities to invade Roland’s dreams and steal memories to obtain information about Edward.
“The person is in position. Alright, I’m going to invade his dream now, wait here for a moment.”
After seeing Roland ready, the girl controlled by Little Fox said, while Dorothy prompted Ed to speak.
“Miss Fox, actually, if possible, I would like to know the scenes in Roland’s dreams in a more direct way.”
“The knowledge of what he’s dreaming… that won’t work; I can’t take you into the dream. Only I can enter his dreams. You just sit tight outside and wait for me to return.” Little Fox responded directly to Ed, and Ed continued to smile as he replied.
“Actually… I don’t need to enter the dream with you. I can know what you see in his dream by acquiring your senses…”
“What… acquire my senses in the dream? Is there such a miraculous ability? Wouldn’t that be dangerous…” Upon hearing Ed’s words, Little Fox expressed a hint of worry, and Ed straightforwardly spoke.
“There wouldn’t be any danger. You just need to offer a simple prayer to Akka before entering the dream. Through Akka, I will see what you see. You remember how to pray to Akka, right?”
“I only need to pray to Akka? I didn’t know Akka had such an ability… Alright, I’ll give it a try shortly,” the girl controlled by Little Fox muttered thoughtfully after listening to Ed, and then she leaned back on the carriage seat, closed her eyes, and soon fell deeply asleep. Dorothy knew that Little Fox’s consciousness had exited the dream realm of this girl, ending her sleepwalking state.
Around the small square, on the rooftop of a small building, a figure cloaked in a hooded robe, hiding her form—Little Fox Shalia—slowly opened her eyes. Soon, a black cat that had been waiting by her side hurriedly approached her. Little Fox wanted to say something to the black cat, but the cat shook its head to indicate that she shouldn’t speak to it, then glanced down at Roland sitting below, signaling Little Fox to get to business immediately.
Seeing the black cat’s stance, Little Fox also closed her mouth and stopped speaking, then looked toward the distant Roland, preparing to pray before invading the dream, though she hesitated slightly before praying.
‘Praying to that Akka… shouldn’t be risky, right? No, it should be fine. That black dog has prayed many times and nothing has happened to him… The safety should be ensured…’
‘In this infinite world… Akka, the great one who records all things…’
While praying, Little Fox also activated her ability, focusing her consciousness on Roland, who was sitting alone in the darkness dozens of meters away, invading the dream of the already sleeping person. Meanwhile, Dorothy also began acquiring all of Little Fox’s perceptions through the consulting channel established just moments ago, including her perceptions in the dream.
Through the consulting channel, Dorothy watched as the newly sleeping Little Fox entered Roland’s dream. After a swirl of vibrant and strange colors, the surrounding environment gradually stabilized, revealing before Dorothy and Little Fox a scene on a city wall.
Equipped with numerous cannons, on the thick and sturdy city wall, the flag of Moncala, transformed from the pirate flag into a cross of two swords, fluttered in the wind. Countless city guards moved back and forth on the wall; one side of the wall faced the vast sea, while the other confronted the tall Junhai Fortress. At this moment, Roland stood atop the wall, peering through a telescope at the distant sea.
In the form of a white little fox, Shalia appeared on the ground of the city wall. After surveying the dreamscape, she found Roland standing not far away. Without hesitation, the little fox jumped onto the parapet of the city wall, standing before Roland’s telescope. The dream Roland, upon seeing this, lowered the telescope and said to the little fox before him.
“What a lovely fox! Such beautiful fur—if I skin it and present it to my father, he will surely be delighted.” As he spoke, Roland seemed ready to make a move, and Little Fox quickly interjected.
“Hey, hey… don’t move! I’m here to ask you something.”
“Ah… the fox can speak and ask questions? Interesting… Go ahead, what do you want to ask?” The standing Roland, having lowered the telescope, slowly replied, and Little Fox got straight to the point.
“Does Edward Gibbs have some powerful means of detection, a means even capable of locating an Extraordinary Being at the Red Tier level known as ‘Shadow’?”
“Yes, many of my siblings and I grew up hearing stories about my father. In those tales, when he adventured at sea, he collected numerous magical treasures, one of which was a basin obtained from a fog-shrouded island. My father could use this basin to discover some nefarious individuals around him; it is said he once used it to find and expel a powerful assassin. Whenever my father decides to search, there is no one on the island of Moncala that can escape his gaze.”
In response to Little Fox’s inquiry, Roland spoke calmly. Hearing Roland’s words, Little Fox’s spirit lifted, and she continued.
“So what does this magical basin look like? Where is it hidden now? How is it used?”
“I don’t know.”
“Huh? You don’t know? You must know at least one thing out of the three questions.” Upon hearing Roland’s previous response, Little Fox directly frowned and asked, while Roland answered in his unvaryingly calm manner.
“I don’t know; I don’t know anything. By the time I was born, my father had already settled in Moncala for many years. The tales of his pirate days are mostly legends for us. My father indeed has a treasury where he keeps the treasures from his adventures, but only he knows where that treasury is, and only he can open it. We, his children, can only occasionally receive some things that are bestowed upon us.”
“Ugh… you really don’t know, huh…”
Upon hearing Roland’s completely indifferent response, a trace of distress appeared on Little Fox’s face. After thinking for a while, she tried rephrasing her questions to ask Roland, such as whether anyone else knew the location of Edward’s treasury, but the answers remained the same; Edward seemed very secretive about his core secrets, even his most favored offspring couldn’t find out.
“What to do… This old pirate even keeps secrets from his own son… How can I probe for information about him…”
Little Fox said, sitting on the parapet with a troubled expression. Just then, Ed’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Try to show more of the deeper details of his memory, like what he talked about during meetings with his father. From that, you might find some details.”
“As far as I know, the Tenth Prince just recently had a meeting with Edward to report on the visit of the nun from the church. Since this was a recent event, he should remember it clearly; see if you can bring that out.”
Using the consulting channel, Dorothy communicated with Little Fox in this way, wanting to clarify Edward’s attitude toward the nun’s visit. If possible, she might find a breakthrough in Vania.
“During today’s meeting, right?”
Upon hearing Dorothy’s suggestion, a hint of doubt crossed Little Fox’s face, but she still spoke to the forward Roland.
“Show me the scene of your last meeting with your father to report.”
Hearing Little Fox’s words, the dream Roland nodded, and soon the surrounding environment abruptly changed. The original fortress and the sea twisted in an instant as if some force had stirred the colorful hues, turning them murky in mid-air until they slowly stabilized. Once completely settled, the environment transformed into a grand audience hall.
In the dim hall, only a few burning braziers provided light, and on both sides of the hall, numerous strange-shaped specimens of sea creatures adorned the stone walls. High above, a giant elongated skull, about seven or eight meters long, hung there—an unknown creature. Beneath the giant skull was a long red carpet, and at the end of the carpet sat an ornate wooden throne, upon which sat a figure.
Dressed in a naval general’s uniform in the style of the Main Continent, under the majestic attire sat a frail, emaciated old man. On his bony fingers hung over a dozen rings, each adorned with a different colored gem. His wrinkled face bore sparse wisps of beard reminiscent of older naval fashions. Hidden beneath an old naval cap, a skull-like head peeked through, its sunken eye sockets showcasing murky gaze, focusing on the figure standing respectfully a little distance away—Roland.
“This… is this Edward? Older than I imagined…”
Seeing the decrepit figure in the throne, Little Fox exclaims in surprise. Meanwhile, Dorothy, observing Edward’s image, realized that as an Extraordinary Being at the Red Tier level, Edward had approached the end of his life after over three hundred years.
Roland replayed the scene captured in his memory, and it soon unfolded as he recalled it. Dorothy witnessed a moment she hadn’t seen that night, where Roland was reporting to Edward about the earlier intelligence.
“Thus… Sister Vania has been arranged to stay at the Wind Song Hotel. According to the itinerary, they will hold a relic exhibition in the next days before leaving Moncala. Those involved in the human cup medicine business have been caught red-handed by the Hook Shark Gang, which we have handled, and we are now considering whether to pursue the responsibility of the Hook Shark Gang’s protector. Based on our intelligence, some city guards are highly suspicious.”
Kneeling in the hall, the Roland of memory reported to Edward about the events of the day and awaited his input. After a moment to breathe, Edward, speaking in a frail voice, said,
“Just capture one typical case… as a warning to others… No need to escalate too much…”
“Yes…” Roland nodded in acknowledgment, and then Edward glanced at his son, continuing to speak slowly.
“Additionally… that nun from the church… did she discuss anything else with you? Not just the exhibition, but other matters?”
“Uh… to report to Father, Sister Vania focused our conversation on the exhibition and Moncala’s development, nothing else noteworthy…” Roland pondered the earlier scenes before answering Edward, who then slightly opened his eyes to speak again.
“Did… she not mention anything regarding me? Did she not seek an audience with me? Or inquire about my news?”
“No, Sister Vania showed great respect when mentioning Father, without any discussion regarding you.” Roland replied to Edward, who sighed deeply upon hearing that.
“Well, you can leave now; let those waiting outside come in…”
“Yes, Father.”
Responding to Edward’s words, Roland turned and exited the audience hall. Upon stepping through the half-open grand doors, he saw a figure enveloped in a deep blue hooded cloak standing there. After Edward glanced at the man, he directly spoke.
“Go ahead; your father is waiting for you.”
“Ah, thank you, Tenth Prince.” After hearing Roland’s words, the cloaked figure smiled slightly, offered a somewhat dismissive greeting, and entered the audience hall, after which the grand door closed tightly.
“Who is he?”
Upon witnessing this scene, Little Fox inquired of the dream Roland beside her, who responded.
“That is a guest of my father, but I don’t know who specifically he is.”
“Guest?”
“Yes, a guest who suddenly appeared in Moncala more than a week ago. For some reason, he possesses a token from my father’s pirate days, which he used to bypass multiple barriers to meet with my father. Since then, my father has summoned him almost daily to discuss matters.” Roland continued to answer Little Fox’s questions, while Little Fox pressed further.
“Do you know what they are discussing?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know. Each time they talk, they request that no one else be present—not even myself or my siblings. It seems that since meeting this guest, my father’s condition has become rather unstable, which makes us curious about what they are discussing.”
Roland replied candidly to Little Fox, and upon hearing this from him, Dorothy furrowed her brow and continued to guide Roland’s questions.
“Then… have you seen what this token looks like?”
“I have.”
After Roland answered, an object abruptly materialized before him—it was a tangled strand of hair, a matted, dirty braid that had been cut off; intertwined within it was a dead snake, which clung tightly to the tip of the hair. On the snake’s head, a simple mark of a “Cup” was engraved.
A cup and a snake… Upon seeing this token, Dorothy’s brow twitched, and she immediately prompted Little Fox to ask.
“Where is this guest right now?”
“He’s in a secret prison outside the castle. After the first meeting with him, my father ordered him to be locked up there, instructing us to monitor him closely; he can only be brought into the fortress through secret passages when needed for a meeting. My father seems very wary of him.”
“Then… do you know the location of his cell?”
“Of course.”
