Chapter 47: Departure and the Dreaming Deity

Afterward, Bai Yu wasted no time, returning directly to the palace by the same route she had taken.

Following a delightful dinner in the dining hall, Bai Yu retired to her room and succumbed to a deep slumber.

The following morning, Bai Yu was once again roused from her sleep by Xiao An’s insistent cries.

“Woof woof!”

“Who’s there?!”

Rubbing her eyes, Bai Yu reluctantly sat up in bed, casting a speechless gaze upon Xiao An, who had settled herself by the bedside.

Xiao An circled beneath the bed, seemingly clamoring for food.

“Food? Do Shadow Beasts even need to eat?”

Bai Yu scratched her head, unsure if Shadow Beasts could consume regular sustenance.

“Speaking of which, where did that Shadow Wolf go?”

Bai Yu searched everywhere, yet she could not locate the Tier 1 Shadow Wolf that had accompanied her back yesterday.

Bai Yu had been utterly exhausted the previous day, for the Silvermoon Wolf King had proven far more formidable than she had anticipated; thus, upon her return, she had simply eaten and then promptly fallen asleep.

Consequently, she had paid no mind to the other Shadow Wolf.

As Bai Yu continued her search, Xiao An, however, began to exhibit an odd demeanor, her eyes darting nervously about as if she harbored a guilty secret.

Something was amiss!

Bai Yu instantly perceived Xiao An’s unusual behavior, swiftly dismounting the bed and rushing to confront her.

She firmly clasped Xiao An’s head—or rather, her wolf head.

“Tell me, where did you put your companion?!”

“Whimper… whimper…”

Xiao An slumped to the ground, adopting a look of profound grievance.

“You dare to look aggrieved? Tell me, did you eat her?!”

Bai Yu clenched her fists, incensed that she had so few Shadow Beasts left, only for one to be devoured. Damn it.

“Oh, never mind.”

Ultimately, Bai Yu lowered her hand. After all, these creatures were Shadow Beasts, governed by the law of the jungle; expecting them to possess a sense of morality was simply unrealistic.

“Next time, without my explicit permission, you are not to eat your companions!”

Bai Yu declared furiously, while Xiao An on the ground nodded her head frantically.

It seemed this creature did possess some intelligence, which would spare Bai Yu a great deal of trouble.

“What am I going to do? There’s only one Shadow Beast left.”

A sudden headache afflicted Bai Yu. She had consulted the map yesterday and noted that Cecilia’s army was slated to officially engage the demon race—the Shadow Beasts—at their border today.

She no longer had time to accumulate strength; she needed to depart immediately.

Her plan was to slay Shadow Beasts along the way, thereby amassing power as she traveled, ensuring she would be adequately prepared to assist Cecilia upon reaching the front lines.

Despite Xiao An’s gluttonous tendencies, Bai Yu sensed that her innate talent was considerable, likely making her a significant asset.

Bai Yu hurried to the rear kitchen, gathering a substantial amount of food, which she packed into numerous bags and bundles.

Along with a change of clothes, Bai Yu also procured some fire magic stones and water magic stones from the palace, items she had never encountered in the real world.

However, Bai Yu surmised that even if such items existed in reality, they would undoubtedly be prohibitively expensive and far less practical than scientific tools like lighters.

It seemed technological advancement remained paramount.

The water magic stone, conversely, held some utility; a mere sliver could resolve the issue of potable water, requiring only a small expenditure of spiritual energy for a perfect solution.

After meticulously packing all her belongings, she loaded them onto Xiao An’s back, enlisting her aid in carrying the burden.

“Whine… whine…”

Xiao An lowered her head, clearly displeased.

“Considering how enormous you are, it’s pathetic that you’re unhappy carrying a few things!”

Bai Yu felt an urge to punch her wolfish head, so utterly lazy and gluttonous was she.

Having prepared all the necessary arrangements, Bai Yu promptly mounted Xiao An.

Given Bai Yu’s weight, Xiao An bore her effortlessly, with scarcely any impact on her speed.

Xiao An’s reluctance stemmed solely from her inherent laziness—a creature of gluttony and idleness, nothing more.

“Go, go, go! Let’s depart!”

Mounted upon Xiao An, Bai Yu galloped at a breakneck pace away from the imperial city.

Based on her map calculations, Bai Yu estimated that at their current speed, they would likely catch up to Cecilia’s marching party before nightfall.

This estimate even accounted for the time she intended to spend casually eliminating Shadow Beasts along the way to augment her strength, rendering their schedule quite ample.

Though, perhaps it was more accurate to say that Xiao An’s speed was simply astonishing; if Bai Yu were to travel by horseback, it would undoubtedly take several days.

Even riding a horse would be impossible for her, as she possessed no equestrian skills whatsoever, not to mention her height would prevent her from mounting one.

Bai Yu’s figure gradually faded from view as she left the imperial city behind.

****

Reality.

Dragon Summer Nation, Xian City.

The entire city lay shrouded in a sanguine glow.

The entire sky was enveloped by a fantastical membrane of peculiar hues, and concurrently, a profound silence descended.

Not a single sound stirred; the city appeared utterly lifeless.

High above, suspended within the all-encompassing membrane, an elliptical, shell-like object floated in the air.

It was entwined by countless threads resembling nerves, the other ends of which connected to every living human in Xian City.

All of this was entirely controlled by the deity known as Morpheus; she held dominion over everything.

Within the shell-like object, a girl sat with legs crossed and bare feet, clad in a white dress, her blue-pink hair cascading down to her waist.

She gazed at what appeared to be a screen before her, though it more closely resembled a phantom projection, shimmering into existence directly in her line of sight.

Within this phantom, a silver-haired girl rode a colossal wolf, galloping at tremendous speed across a vast wilderness.

“Master… when will I truly be with you forever?”

The girl’s gaze was fixed intently on the figure within the vision, her expression a mixture of dreamy longing and an almost frenzied obsession.

“However, the time is not yet right. I will continue to wait, Master, just as you once instructed.”

Lily, who was Morpheus, closed her eyes, seemingly lost in a reverie. Even she, who commanded all dreams, possessed desires attainable only through fantasy.

With her eyes closed, the girl’s exquisitely delicate features seemed almost too perfect to exist in reality; though her frame was petite, she could only be described as flawless.

Just as she was deeply immersed in her fantasy, a disturbance from the outside world caused a subtle shift in her expression.

She appeared to have detected something.

Subsequently, the girl opened her eyes, her previously content expression instantly transforming into one of utter impassivity.

Beneath that serene facade, an almost imperceptible trace of fury simmered.

Though seemingly insignificant, this wrath was akin to a blizzard, freezing everything in its vicinity.

Rising from within the shell-like object, she watched as everything around her slowly retracted like threads, the entire shell-like form transforming into mere filaments in an instant.

The girl floated in the air, observing three figures approaching her from the distance.

She narrowed her eyes, yet she made no immediate move to strike.

Instead, she merely controlled the threads that hovered behind her, poised to lash out at any moment.