The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 16: The Sleeping World
"You see, this is why I reveal the mystery to you."

Enid was delighted that Roland was so perceptive: "He could sense it the first time."

"You are a natural ritualist."

The more Roland listened, the more he felt something was wrong, as if there was a piece of paper blocking him from the "truth".

Just the thickness of a piece of paper.

"Excuse me ma'am, I don't understand where the hell we are—"

"It's exactly where you want it to be."

Enid put down the teacup, stood up, and pulled Roland up with her.

She pulled him to the center, then, mischievously, let go of his hand and disappeared.

The blind boy without a cane was left there alone.

It suddenly started snowing.

After the fountain froze, he ran head-on into the blowing wind.

Overhead, an eagle's cry appeared, whistling past the snow-covered triangular-roofed thatched houses, blowing snowflakes onto Roland's head;

The tall elk with strong horns and hooves ran out from the streets and alleys and danced around Roland.

There was a black cat drowsily sitting on the roof, with its head drooping. It played the violin in its hand lazily and in a disjointed manner.

The sun gurgled and bubbled, and the gray wolf beat the military drum swiftly and heavily;

Blue water droplets floated in the air, holding hands with the jade beads, singing to the music, spinning in circles and tap dancing with the deer.

'This is unique music!'

they said.

'You can't feel all of its expressions just by listening!'

They call.

'Roland!'

'Roland, come on!'

They sing.

'Jaw-dropping!'

'Soul-shaking!'

They shouted.

'It's thrilling!'

'That's it!'

Roland stroked the antlers, and the water and snow bounced and chirped on his skin;
Some annoying troublemakers even climbed up his ears rudely and shouted maliciously at his ears: "Ah——"

Then he happily rolled off his shoulders and ran away.

Roland touched the wings on the deer's back.

Soft feathers.

This is another world...

right in front of you.

"Yes, we are exactly where you think we are, Roland."

Enid said, "In a dream."

…………

……

The wheels squeaked.

Leaving the town, the carriage became bumpy.

It was at this moment that Roland was awakened from his dream.

His forehead hit the car window, and Enid placed a square cushion in his arms and on his back.

Slept well.

"This world is two-sided. The daytime, human-active world is called the waking world, while the night is when dreams take over."

“It is a turbid lake beneath the surface world, weaving the dreams of all living beings.”

"To mortals, it is just a life animation that is forgotten as soon as you open your eyes, but to extraordinary creatures..."

"It allows us to get closer to certain forces, so that we can control and change them..."

"Dreams exist beneath the surface of the interweaving of underlying rules and living things. Theoretically, they are infinite, and everything can happen in dreams. Everyone will enter dreams at least twice in their life—"

"The moment of birth, and..."

"The last dream before death."

"'My eyes penetrated the world of appearances and saw the reality beneath the surface.'"

"——The above is from the first volume of "Mastering the Ritual."

"Good afternoon, Roland Collins."

The plates on the table disappeared, and a flower basket was placed next to the oil lamp: inside were small cakes covered with cream and crushed nuts.

The teapot was also changed to cherry color, with a few drops of grape juice hanging on the spout.

The carriage swayed.

This gave Roland some sense of reality.

He touched his face, hugged the pillow and began to daze again. "According to the statistics of the vultures, almost all people who fall asleep for the first time will touch their face after waking up."

Enid made a small joke and opened the window on the other side, revealing a boring and dull scene: chaotically growing trees and crisscrossing branches.

This is reality.

"We're back, Roland."

she says.

"Just now…"

"That's something every ritualist can do easily."

Roland took a few deep breaths, raised his hand and fumbled around for a while, and finally grasped the glass of grape juice. The cold liquid passed through the glass and transferred its temperature to his palm, which finally made his uneasy heart settle down.

"Don't worry, eat some cake, no one can hurt you around me."

"Words are pale in the face of mystery. I think I should let you experience this feeling firsthand: the power of the ritualist."

"Roland, are you willing to believe in the Father of All Things?"

Roland could realize that this was not an easy choice.

At least that's what Enid calls 'belief'...

"I've always been a believer, ma'am."

As expected, Enid denied it with a smile:
"When I say 'believe', I mean choosing the 'Great Path' that is governed by the Father of All Things..."

"To put it simply, Roland, you will be able to do the same as me in the future."

"Even better than me."

Roland took a bite of the cake.

On the soft cake base, crispy pistachio crumbs and light cream that is not too sweet enter your mouth.

"Is it tasty?"

Seeing Roland puffing up his cheeks like a little hamster, she felt the urge to take one herself - but after pinching her arm, she held back.

"I asked Fernandez to prepare it specially."

"The evil bat seeking credit."

Roland blinked. "Yes, ma'am. It's delicious. There's nothing better than waking up from a journey with a glass of cool grape juice and a piece of soft, sweet cake."

"If there is, it will only be if I meet a caring, kind, beautiful lady who will put a pillow in my arms when I fall asleep."

Since Roland is blind from Enid's perspective, so...

She laughed unabashedly.

"A happy evil bat."
-
I don't want to give such an ugly nickname to a kind lady. What's more, I can see that she is very young and very beautiful.

Roland thought.

The characters soon changed as he wished.

"A cheerful, very young, very pretty evil bat with a not-so-bad nickname."
-
Change it back.

When the characters are long enough, they can easily block the face.

Roland picked up the tablecloth and wiped his fingers, his amber eyes staring blankly at the spoon, a little dazed.

He remembered the two choices Miss Nina gave him before she died.

A mortal life.

Or step into another world.

He did not resist fate, but he also did not forget what Miss Nina said.

All-Father, Lord of Mercy, Benefactor, First Light - these are the names of the God worshipped by the Holy Cross.

Most of the time, he would hear these names from people around him, and at the same time, they would be followed by various wishes:

For example, praying for wealth, health, longevity, wisdom, many children, eloquence, charm, and cursing one's wife's cat to grow teeth to bite off the adulterer's "scepter"...

some type of.

Although it’s not nice to say this, the other party has been very caring along the way, but…

In contrast, Roland trusts Nina more.

She saw the world differently than anyone Roland had ever met.

Enid lowered her eyes and thought, seeming to understand Roland's hesitation. She knocked on the table to attract the boy's attention:

"I know that your heart is full of doubts, uneasiness about the unclear future, and worries about your unknown fate..."

"Don't worry, I won't force you, Roland."

"In the three areas of His control: mercy, judgment, and wisdom, we are purer..."

"Therefore, only those with extraordinary talents can be with us."

"You are the right person, I think it's worth the wait."

"Of course, even if you take another path," Enid winked slyly, "you'll still work with us."

Mercy, judgment, wisdom.

Roland moved his lips.

Enid probably knew what he wanted to ask, so she changed her sitting position, crossed her legs, and looked at him leisurely.

The slender toes of the little boots poked their heads out from under the tablecloth.

She said in a playful tone: "You can guess."

(End of this chapter)