The villagers began to spread out, tying ropes around trees and laying them on the ground, covering them with fallen leaves—just as if they were truly hunting.
Nolan had said before that they used to get their food from people's dreams. But ever since the Dream Wraiths appeared, they could no longer enter the dreamscape—it was too dangerous. A single misstep, and they might run into a Gray Wraith or something even worse.
So, with no other choice, they could only hunt low-level Dream Wraiths. Gray Wraiths were easy to kill and not very strong. Although there were many of them, as long as you didn’t let them attack in a pack, it wasn’t a problem.
Watching the villagers busy with their tasks, Nolan climbed up a tree, the curved blade clenched in his mouth. Ropes were strung in all directions, as if they were just waiting for the Dream Wraiths to come so they could hunt them.
I was still pondering how I could regain my strength. Like Nolan said, I only half-understood. I also didn’t know how to get back or how to contact anyone outside to inform them of our situation.
Just as I was thinking, I suddenly heard a series of beast-like whimpers. I turned my head quickly—countless Dream Wraiths surged in from the right. Although they had human shapes, they moved on all fours, nothing like people at all, and every one of them had a savage look in their eyes.
“Run! There are so many Dream Wraiths—we’re doomed!”
Nolan shouted. I looked over—the ground was shaking, and a huge swarm was coming from behind. In an instant, everyone started running toward the edge of the forest.
After leaping nimbly down from the tree, Nolan immediately yelled at me as he ran past.
“Apprentice, run!”
Without another thought, I dashed out of the woods with Nolan and the others. The ropes did help a little—dozens of Dream Wraiths at the front were tripped up. As I ran, I glanced back.
The Dream Wraiths burst out of the woods, and there were even more behind them—an endless, surging mass. The ground rumbled as they chased us, barely fifty meters away.
At that moment, I realized only Nolan and I were running a bit slower. The villagers—if this were the real world, every one of them would be a sprint champion. They were getting farther and farther ahead, and I was struggling to keep up with Nolan.
Just then, my lungs felt like they were on fire—the sensation was growing stronger. The horde of Gray Wraiths behind me was getting closer and closer.
I tilted my head back, forced my legs to move faster, and ran.
Damn it—if I could just get my strength back, I wouldn’t be afraid of you.
I shouted, trying to summon my Deathbane Aura, but there wasn’t even a hint of response.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Dream Wraith leap high and lunge at me. I clenched my fist, but suddenly Nolan raised his hand and hurled the curved blade. With a hiss, it pierced the Dream Wraith’s chest, and the creature instantly crumbled to dust, scattering with a soft plop as wisps of white smoke rose.
At that moment, I caught a glimpse of reluctance in Nolan’s eyes.
“Apprentice, run faster!”
I shouted back and ran with all my might.
The Dream Wraiths behind us kept up their relentless chase. As we neared a village, the sound of arrows whistled through the air—arrows shot from the village toward the Dream Wraiths. A chorus of wails erupted, and I turned to see a group of tall horses charging toward us. Leading them was a striking young woman with braided hair and clear, elegant features, wielding a crooked broadsword.
As she drew closer, I noticed the horse she rode—its legs were thin and spindly, though it was tall, its body was oddly chubby. It ran slowly, almost at a child’s pace.
“Susie!” Nolan shouted as he passed by me. The woman glanced at me, then leapt from Smarty, swung her broadsword, and with a roar charged at the Dream Wraiths.
With arrows flying from the villagers, the Dream Wraiths halted their attack and began to retreat, slowly withdrawing until they disappeared into the distance.
I collapsed on the ground, my limbs weak. The villagers who’d reached the village first looked exhausted but were still standing and laughing. Nolan seemed fine, but I was gasping for breath, struggling to recover.
“You’re from outside, aren’t you? Why didn’t you go to the city? Why stick with Nolan and the others?”
The woman—Susie—asked as she reached out a hand to me. I grabbed her hand and pulled myself up.
“Apprentice, listen up—in this place, the most important thing is being able to run. If you can run, you can survive.” Nolan laughed, and I saw some villagers heading out to collect the Dream Wraiths.
“Nolan, what’s going on? Why go into the woods at night?”
“Susie, our village hasn’t met its Dream Wraith quota for this period.”
“This period?” I looked at them in confusion. Susie explained that during these times, Dream Wraiths become extremely active and attack often. The city sends defenders to villages based on how many Dream Wraiths they turn in, but the minimum quota is a thousand.
“Nolan, ever since your father...”
“Don’t say it, Susie. We’ll get enough tonight.”
Then Susie called out.
“Give these to Nolan’s village.”
The villagers from Susie’s village, who had just finished collecting Dream Wraiths, were clearly reluctant.
“Come on, Susie, that’s not fair. We killed them, and we saved their lives—how can you just...”
“Enough with the excuses!” Susie shouted harshly. I could only squat on the ground, helpless, staring off into the distance.
Later I learned that villages like Nolan’s and Susie’s used to be common, but most were wiped out by Dream Wraiths because they couldn’t meet the quota and the city didn’t send help. Now, only nineteen such small villages remain around the city.
(This chapter isn't over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!)
Nolan and the others decided to stay a bit longer, rest, and continue hunting Dream Wraiths. But after Susie sent people to check, they found that many Dream Wraiths were still lingering in the woods. So Susie suggested resting here overnight and going out again in the morning.
Tonight, they caught 23, but still needed 40 more to meet the quota. With only one day left to reach the 200 required, I saw Nolan smiling but could sense the anxiety beneath his cheerful expression.
Except for the night watch, the villagers went to sleep. Nolan and the others gathered under a small shelter at the village entrance. I couldn’t sleep, so I squatted alone at the gate and spotted Susie’s figure—she was still walking around.
The village’s only horse—Smarty—was tied at the entrance. I walked over, looking at him with resignation. He ran slower than a child, yet now he looked at me with utter disdain.
I pursed my lips and chuckled.
“Hey, you run so slow, but…”
“My Smarty may be slow, but in a short sprint, no one can outrun him.”
Susie’s voice sounded behind me. I smiled awkwardly. Thinking about it, she was right—when I first saw the horse, in just a couple of seconds, he’d come from a hundred meters away to stand behind me.
“So, this horse is a sprint champion?” I reached out to pat Smarty’s head, but suddenly he opened his mouth and bit my head. I blinked in surprise.
"What is it doing?"
Susie giggled.
"Smarty doesn’t like people touching his head!"
I explained why I’d come—that my friend was trapped in the dream realm, and I came in to find him.
Susie sighed and shook her head. She told me my friend might have already become a Dream Wraith. I didn’t know how to explain—after all, both Yin Choujian and Uncle Mo were so strong, how could they lose to these things? If I had my strength, I could wipe out Dream Wraiths with a single gesture.
Then Susie told me that Nolan’s village was currently the weakest. Originally, they were supposed to turn in a thousand Dream Wraiths, but they were powerless to reach that, so the city agreed to lower the quota to two hundred.
"I just heard Nolan say your name is Ethan Zhang, right? And you’re really strong—you shattered the dreamscape!"
I stared blankly at Susie, not understanding. She explained that Nolan saw me use Deathbane Aura to disperse the zombies around me—those things were the dreamscape itself. My power could shatter the dreamscape, so of course I was strong.
I didn’t know what to say to Susie. No matter how strong I was, without my powers I was useless. I thought about all the Gray Wraiths I’d killed back in the apartment block, and it made me angry—here, all I could do was run.
Suddenly, Susie grabbed my hand. At first I was surprised, then embarrassed—she placed my hand on the upper part of her left breast.
"Susie, you..." I stammered, my cheeks burning.
"We have heartbeats, we breathe—we’re alive. Just like you outsiders, we’re living, breathing people."
Susie looked at me seriously as she spoke. I pushed aside my stray thoughts and nodded at her.
"You can’t use your strength now because you still think this is just a dream," Susie said, letting go of my hand. I quickly pulled it back, but just now—I really did feel her heartbeat, thumping steadily.