Chapter 1008  Dawn

Lumian easily understood Franca’s meaning: the dream city itself was constructed based on Zhou Mingrui’s memories from before his transmigration, but none of the relatively important dream manifestations close to Zhou Mingrui came from before the transmigration. They all originated from Zhou Mingrui’s experiences after transmigrating, except for Peng Deng and Zhang Yujia.

This was clearly problematic!

“We previously thought Mr. Fool was a resurrected great existence not belonging to this era. Well… he truly doesn’t belong to this era. Mr. Fool was really honest…” Franca suddenly understood the true meaning of a certain phrase in Mr. Fool’s honorific name.

After adjusting her mindset, she continued, “From our previous understanding, it was very reasonable that there are no dream manifestations related to the identity of Zhou Mingrui. As a former great existence, he should have been involved with great existences and fallen ancient gods. These were all restricted and couldn’t truly get close to Zhou Mingrui. Weren’t we wondering before who Peng Deng really was, and who he corresponded to in reality? We never considered that he might actually be Zhou Mingrui’s childhood friend.

“But if Zhou Mingrui is a transmigrator like me, and gradually became a great existence, that’s truly remarkable. To transcend to becoming a deity with a mortal body and dominate the spirit world…”

At this point, Franca’s emotional wound was once again torn open, with splinters piercing into it.

She thought about how even someone like Mr. Fool was shocked, saddened, pained and despairing when he learned the truth about transmigration. Even becoming a great existence couldn’t allow him to return home. And after he fell asleep, these things even formed strong psychological traumas.

If even Mr. Fool was like this, what about her? What about them?

Lumian could guess what Franca was thinking now, why she paused, because he had similar associations and the same emotions were stirring deep in his heart.

After a moment of silence, Franca collected herself and continued, “If Zhou Mingrui is a transmigrator and was an ordinary person before, then where are his parents, relatives, classmates, friends, and close online friends?”

Lumian looked at the ice board covered with photos, sketches and notes, and said thoughtfully,

“In the dream, Zhou Mingrui has parents, but they’re not in Yangdu. They live in a hometown that only exists in descriptions. Zhou Mingrui hardly contacts them, only conveying his greetings through Benson Zhou. Moreover, the setup of the dream parents clearly comes from Klein Moretti’s parents.

“Similarly, the real-world prototypes for brother Benson Zhou and sister Zhou Sasa are Klein Moretti’s brother Benson Moretti and sister Melissa Moretti.

“Among other relatives, friends, classmates, and online friends, perhaps only Peng Deng and Zhang Yujia are truly Zhou Mingrui’s childhood friends.”

Zhang Yujia was a mutual middle school and high school classmate of Zhou Mingrui and Peng Deng, and currently also worked in Yangdu.

She came from a well-off family and often traveled. She was currently on a so-called European trip. In the memories of the Major Arcana card holders, Zhang Yujia had never truly appeared. If not for her often sending postcards to Zhou Mingrui and Peng Deng, and occasionally chatting online, she could have been treated as a background figure like Zhou Mingrui’s parents.

Franca concurred succinctly, “Now there are two issues:

“First, why have Zhou Mingrui’s true relationships disappeared? Did Mr. Fool deliberately hide them himself, or did the Celestial Worthy tamper with them? If it’s the former, why would Mr. Fool want to hide them? Is this a key point? If it’s the latter, does this represent that the Celestial Worthy fears something?

“Second, given that other figures related to Zhou Mingrui haven’t appeared in the dream city, the existence of Peng Deng and Zhang Yujia is even more suspicious. Adding to that, we previously saw Peng Deng’s roommate Grisha appear at the emergency center. I think we need to shift our focus towards Peng Deng for now.”

Lumian put himself in Mr. Fool’s position and thought for a while.

“If I were Mr. Fool, and this dream city was the battlefield of my consciousness against the Celestial Worthy, my subconscious wouldn’t want my real parents, relatives, classmates, and friends to be involved, even if they were just false dream manifestations, just my memories.”

“Given the logic that Zhou Mingrui and Klein Moretti’s cognitions have merged, the dream manifestations corresponding to Benson and Melissa shouldn’t appear either,” Franca joined the brainstorming session.

Lumian smiled. “Who says they were woven by Mr. Fool’s subconscious?

“What if the Celestial Worthy deliberately created them?”

“The Celestial Worthy knows Mr. Fool’s experiences after transmigration, but has no way to investigate his relationships before transmigration?” Franca had a new guess based on Lumian’s rhetorical question. “So, the dream manifestations corresponding to Benson, Melissa, and Danitz had to appear, but some were arranged outside the dream city, and some only have a very shallow relationship with Zhou Mingrui. Is this a subconscious protection of these dream manifestations, an external result of Mr. Fool’s consciousness fighting against the Celestial Worthy?”

Lumian nodded. “If the Celestial Worthy isn’t really clear about Mr. Fool’s relationships before transmigration, doesn’t that suggest He hasn’t eroded and corrupted Mr. Fool’s core consciousness yet?”

“Mm.” Franca suddenly had a flash of insight. “I understand now why Siatas became Zhou Mingrui’s roommate.”

She stood up, walked to an area near the window, and paced back and forth a few steps.

“We previously suspected that the elves were former transmigrators. Now it seems they’re more like descendants of the Western Continent bloodline who survived on the Northern and Southern Continents and the Five Seas.

“For Mr. Fool, these are the descendants of his fellow countrymen, so the relationship is very close, so he places them very near him.

“Similarly, the Intis Group where Zhou Mingrui works was founded by the transmigrator, Emperor Roselle, and the boss of the neighboring company is the heir of another transmigrator, the Ancient Sun God. These dream manifestations are all very close to Zhou Mingrui.”

The more Franca spoke, the more she believed her interpretation of these symbols was correct.

She shifted her thoughts. “We’ve cross-checked within our Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society. The time we transmigrated to the current world was 1352, seven years ago. And according to the information provided by the Major Arcana card holders, Mr. Fool also fell asleep in 1352.

“Before Mr. Fool entered his slumber and confronted the Celestial Worthy, did he release all of us from the ‘cocoons’?”

“It should be so.” Lumian felt Franca’s reasoning was sound.

He also stood up and said thoughtfully, “We’ll leave the matter of contacting Peng Deng to Anthony. He can make more aggressive probes now.

“If we can figure out Peng Deng’s true identity and the meaning of his existence, perhaps we can find a way to weaken the Celestial Worthy and awaken Mr. Fool.”

At this point, Lumian paused, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“If there are no major errors in what we just discussed, then Zhou Sasa coming to Yangdu for university probably has strong symbolic meaning, and not a good one for Mr. Fool.”

Logically, Zhou Sasa should be outside the dream city, not involved in this “battlefield”.

Franca was suddenly alarmed. “When is Zhou Sasa arriving?”

“Wednesday,” Lumian answered in a low voice. “It’s already Monday now.”

Franca hissed and said, “Before Zhou Sasa arrives in Yangdu, there must be substantial progress on both Peng Deng’s side and An Xiaotian’s side!”

Lumian nodded and said, “Yeah.”

The two discussed this matter for a long time.

“You should actively leave the dream and return to reality in the morning to inquire about more detailed intelligence from the Ancient Sun God and that individual from the Aurora Order. Since Grisha appeared at the arranged scene, and Anthony was scared by hallucinations and actively left the dream after contacting Peng Deng, I suspect Peng Deng and his roommate are related to the Ancient Sun God. We lack sufficient intelligence to accurately judge this point. Also, don’t forget to have Madam Magician check your physical condition,” Franca finally instructed Lumian.

With a grin, Lumian replied, “I’m only worried that the Major Arcana card holders don’t know enough, or that some intelligence is currently inaccessible to us.

“Afterwards, you should move to the background and switch positions with Anthony. Let him do the probing, and you shouldn’t appear.”

“Alright,” Franca answered, finally leaving the state of focused discussion.

She noticed that the window area had brightened at some point. Outside the glass, the morning sunlight fell, carrying a hint of golden yellow, clarifying the entire sky and tinting the green leaves of the trees.

Birds chirped as they flew by, and occasional human voices could be heard, relaxed and soothing.

Morning had arrived.

The sun had risen.

Daylight had come.

Franca stared at this morning scene, almost silently murmuring to herself, “It’s beautiful.”

Sunlight penetrated through the glass, shining on her and Lumian, as if a great existence was gently comforting their hearts.

…

After Lumian returned to Xinhong District to tell Anthony about probing Peng Deng, Franca took the elevator to the 23rd floor and entered the apartment she and Jenna were renting.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw that Jenna was already awake and busy getting herself ready.

“So early?” Franca blurted out.

“It’s not early. I need to carefully do my makeup. I have to walk around the company today. Who knows, I might be spotted by some film crew,” Dreamscape Jenna said without turning her head.

Oh right, it’s Monday, Jenna has to go to the Hall Film Company… But she’s a dream manifestation now, will there be any slip-ups? Franca couldn’t help but worry a little.

At this moment, Dreamscape Jenna went into the bathroom, and Luo Shan walked out of the bedroom, still sleepy-eyed.

Seeing Luo Fu, she greeted, “Nothing happened, right?”

She thought Luo Fu and Lumina stayed overnight at her place to personally confirm if there were any hidden dangers.

“Everything’s normal, for now,” Franca said, half reassuring and half stating facts.

She then told Luo Shan, “I’m going to resign.”

“Huh?” Luo Shan was stunned.

Franca showed a gentle smile.

“I have to move to the background now, because if I get kicked out of the dream now, I’ll truly die.”

Luo Shan suddenly remembered the conversation between Luo Fu and Jian Na she had overheard last night. Some words she couldn’t understand at the time now finally made sense.

She suddenly felt that she was no longer alone, and returned the smile.

“It’s about the same for me.”

Without the dreamscape, I would disappear too.

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