The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 176 The Dreamer and the Starlight (7k2)

[Tang Qi's Dream Guide]

Most people are unaware that dreams and reality are connected yet distinct worlds.

A person's dreams often depend on their subconscious and are a reflection of reality.

When you fall asleep, the active parts of your cerebral cortex disrupt, reorganize, and process your memories and emotions, thus weaving together a series of seemingly real but actually unreal dreams in your mind.

It sometimes foreshadows reality. Because everything in a dream is derived from information you already know—people cannot dream of facts that contradict their own perceptions.

Therefore, you can sometimes glimpse your future from your dreams.

Everyone dreams.

Countless dreams intertwine to form the web of the dream world.

In that world, you can wander in anyone's dreams, see everyone's memories, and capture everyone's perception of the world.

This means you will see the world's past, present, and future.

Isn't that strange?
Why do I, a bard, know so much about so-called dreams?

Then I suggest you come to the 'Starlight Master Academy' in Longjincheng to attend a class. It has the most comprehensive 'Introduction to Dreams' course in the entire mainland.

It can answer everything about reality and dreams.

But what intrigues me even more is what if I peeked into someone's beautiful dream through the dream world and took a crazy bath in it?

Is this considered physical contact or a spiritual exchange?

After all, the feelings in a dream are real.

I tried to ask this question.

But Stella Starlight didn't give me that chance.

She chose to answer the serious questions from the serious students—

"How can we enter the dream world? Are there any corresponding spells?"

Sitting in the last row and corner of the lecture hall, watching the student in the dark purple sorcery robe ask a question in a loud voice, Tang Qi also stopped taking notes.

This is a classroom that makes you feel like you are in a deep purple starry sky.

Stars and intersecting constellations hang all around, and a fleeting shooting star occasionally flashes beneath your feet.

Tang Qi could feel himself sitting on a suspended chair, as if if he turned slightly to the side, he would fall into the deep sky and become part of a shooting star.

This made him nervous, causing him to sit up straight and even focus his attention more.

"Long ago, it was indeed possible to use magic as a bridge to connect the dream world. But with the erosion of history, we can no longer glimpse the true nature of that magic—"

However, in this world, there exists a race called the "Dream People".

They appear to be human, yet they are connected to the spiritual entities within the dream world.

So much so that one never truly falls asleep, but merely uses the form of 'sleep' to access the memories of the spiritual body in order to glimpse the truth of the dream world.

"So they're actually working while they're sleeping?"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't that mean there would never be a time to rest?"

"The memory of the spiritual entity is vast, spanning the past, present, and future of history, and changing with each individual, thus listing countless possibilities."

In the finite span of life, no one can completely absorb all their memories, and the act of absorbing memories is itself a never-ending task.

So what we consider 'awake' might be 'rest' for them.

"Jingle Bell--"

The crisp sound of bells echoed in everyone's ears. Tang Qi felt as if his body had been subjected to the [Feather Fall Technique], slowly descending with the tables and chairs.

After landing smoothly, a soft and warm feeling enveloped him, and the vast starry sky surrounding him disappeared without a trace.

He realized he was back in Stella's room—

Scrolls of varying sizes and glassware were scattered haphazardly on a large laboratory table.

The various constructs were piled up in a corner; some looked like scarecrows, some like tin guards, and some like clockwork boys with gear wings.

Most of them are not complete, so much so that various parts are randomly placed around them.

The only quiet corner was the round bed beneath me, so soft it felt like a cloud, with many plush toys on it.

The familiar sweet scent of irises filled his nostrils, a fragrance that had lingered ever since he arrived at the mage academy.

He looked around and found that opposite him on the bed was only a woman wearing a dark purple silk nightgown.

The nightgown itself was loose, and one of the shoulder straps slipped off her fair shoulder and hung on her elbow.

Fortunately, her striking figure made the loose pajamas extremely tight, as if they were constricted around her body, preventing them from being too indecent.

The woman's beautiful face was still sleepy. She rubbed her eyes, yawned, and then swept her long, curly purple hair behind her back, making her snow-white skin even more eye-catching in Tang Qi's eyes.

Considering that they are now sitting on large, soft beds.

Tang Qi muttered to himself with some doubt:

"Am I missing a piece of my memory?"

He remembered it clearly—

After reuniting with Chenxi, the two temporarily set aside their focus on the beastmen and headed to the mage academy in the upper city to seek true knowledge.

Perhaps someone had given them a heads-up, which allowed them to travel smoothly and easily to the academy, where they saw 'Starry Sky' through a door.

She gave a brief self-introduction:

“I am Stella Starlight. You can call me ‘Duchess,’ although I don’t like that title.”

This made Tang Qi understand.

The academy itself is named after her.

"So you orchestrated everything behind the scenes? You made Iu consume the magical item and hinted that I should bring it to you—what exactly is your purpose?"

"I will answer your question, but it will take a long time to explain."

"I can listen slowly."

"What I mean is, I still have classes."

"Then I'll wait for you?"

"Or come with me."

And so, with a snap of her fingers, she sat down in that starry-sky-like classroom...

Tang Qi sorted out all his thoughts after arriving at the Mage Academy.

But the scene before him filled him with utter bewilderment—

How did I end up in her bed?

Why is she still wearing her disheveled pajamas?
Most importantly, have you forgotten some of the most crucial and important memories?

"What did we do?"

Tang Qi tried to look at Stella and pointed to himself.

But then she found her body moving against her will, wiping away the corner of her eye—

Just like Stella's movements in front of me.

"Wait? There's a mirror in front of me? So I've turned into Stella?"

Tang Qi blinked, finally realizing the strangeness of the situation before him. But recalling the lesson he had just learned, he felt it wasn't so simple.
"So I was brought into Stella's dream and spied on her life?"

As he came to his senses, Stella seemed to begin her daily routine as well—

She first summoned a mechanical bird, which was made up of wooden gears.

The artificial life form flew to her side, picked up her shoulder strap with its sharp beak, and placed it back on her shoulder.

She then chanted a spell, using the [Floating Disc Technique] to summon a force field to support her body, before sitting on the floating disc, swinging her legs, and levitating off the soft bed—

Her skin was as delicate as a baby's, fair with a rosy glow and a slight sheen.

From the perspective of an observer, Tang Qi cannot know Stella's thoughts, but he shares her hearing, vision, and even touch.

This made it clear to him that the reason she used the levitation technique for transportation wasn't just because she was too lazy, but more so because there was simply no place to step in the cluttered room.

Stella's high status meant that she lived in the highest part of the college tower, enjoying a spacious room of 500 square meters.

But she managed to fill every square meter to the brim, even covering the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows with drawn magic circles and research documents.

"Workaholics and lazybones are not mutually exclusive."

With this thought in mind, Tang Qi followed her to the bathroom.

The huge bathtub was filled with scalding hot water.

But Tang Qi felt that what was even more intense was his gaze after he realized the silky texture of the satin had faded away.

After a while, Stella stood up. Amidst the swirling thin white mist, Tang Qi felt a heaviness in his upper body:
"It's no wonder she's lazy; she's so heavy, she's definitely a burden."

She sat back on the floating disc and used the force field to leave the bathroom. The wooden mechanical bird from before immediately picked up a thick robe and put it on her still dripping body.

Tang Qi felt the golden mask obscuring 'his' face.

He had seen this robe before.

Back when we were in the Red Scarf Gang's bunker, that shapeshifter was wearing the same clothes.

"As expected, she is also a [Masked Lord]."

Given her prestigious status at the mage academy, it would be even more surprising if she hadn't secured a lord's spot.
"So she's going to the Lords' Meeting now? Hey, rounding it up, I'm practically a member of the lords too."

Tang Qi was curious about what would be discussed in the meeting and whether there would be any intelligence about Iwu.

Through Stella's gaze, he realized that he was floating above a magic circle.

As the incantation was chanted, everything suddenly went white, forcing Stella to close her eyes as well.

When they came to their senses, they found themselves in a huge council hall.

Beside a wide round table, there were twenty black stone benches that resembled thrones, but looking around, one could only see a lion clad in heavy armor, slumped wearily in one of the seats.

He pinched his brow, as if troubled by something.

Tang Qi recognized him.

Some street artists in Longjincheng often sell their own portraits of public lords, but most of them are parody versions.

For example, everyone knows that he is a "sworn breaker" who breaks his vows.

Therefore, he is often depicted as a top-heavy, dwarf version of a lion.

After all, dwarfs are optimists who always act on a whim, and forgetting their promises is commonplace for them.

However, newspapers only publish realistic portraits of the lords, making them easy to identify.

It's safe to say that anyone who has ever been to Longjin City is bound to know about [Lion Lionheart].

Stella's voice was muffled and somewhat languid:
"Am I late?"

"It's over!" The lion slammed his hand on the table. In Tang Qi's view, he could rush over and strangle Stella at any moment.

"I'm leaving."

"Halt, Stella!"

"what's up?"

"...Could you please be a little more punctual!?"

"This outfit is too much trouble to put on."

She's lying.

It was just a piece of clothing on his body, and Tang Qi could even feel the friction of the fabric.

But he couldn't reveal the fact that Stella had overslept.

After all, this is a dream.

“Is this the point!?”

"'Meow,' your voice is so loud."

"Don't call me by that name—hundreds of years ago, I was already given the glorious name of [Lion Lionheart]!"

"Meow? Hundreds of years ago? They've known each other for so long? Wait—is Dragon Gold City really that old? And as a lion, his lifespan should be similar to that of a human, right?"

The sheer volume of information overwhelmed Tang Qi, leaving him momentarily unable to determine the relationship between the two.

All that could be heard was Leon's thoughtful remark:
"You can see everything Merad went through through that eye, right?"

"can."

"Among those who left Xingmei Town, did anyone discover the existence of the 'dragon egg'?"

"..."

Why are you silent?

"No."

Leon seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Tang Qi, however, tensed up completely:

"The ones trying to find the dragon eggs are open lords. Stella helped me conceal all of this, which is why I didn't feel any threat during my first month in Dragongold City?"

Their conversation wasn't over yet—

"The land and all its treasures shall belong to the local lord." This was the law she established when she founded Dragongold City.

“If you really cared about her that much, you wouldn’t have killed her.”

"..."

"I'm sleepy. Goodnight, meow."

Before the lion roared, Tang Qi found himself back in his room.

Stella returned to her workbench, opened each drawer, and tried to rummage through the odds and ends to find something.

But she clearly doesn't have the good habit of sorting and organizing.

After searching for a long time without finding anything, all I could do was sigh.

"Let's make another one."

Tang Qi watched as she casually found a black metal arm, cut off its fingers, and finally obtained a ring-like circle.

Thus, the carving knife pulls the magic net on the ring.

Until it was given a shine. At the same time, a more delicate ring in the corner of the cabinet suddenly shattered.

Stella then realized:
"It was originally placed there."

"Isn't this my [Mind Shield Ring]?"

Tang Qi never expected that this simple ring would come so easily.

Considering her three construct eyeballs, Tang Qi realized that this archmage who mastered gravity magic also possessed the skills of a [Mechanist].

Mechanists are like the stereotypical 'great inventors'; they can always change the properties of a seemingly insignificant item, giving it extraordinary performance.

But Tang Qi could tell from those messy 'failures' that her skills were not as superb as he had imagined.

At least in no corner did I see the dark muzzle of a cannon, faintly gleaming with the light of a magic cannon...

Is the lineage of the Golden Kingdom interrupted?

Tang Qi guessed that Stella had fallen into a deep sleep again.

When she opened her eyes again, a familiar fiery red figure was quietly walking in front of her.

It's Hope:
"If you've found most of your materials, shall we head back the way we came?"

Tang Qi roughly realized that this must be the scene of the Red Turban Gang "slaughtering the fat sheep" back then—

It was still on that suspension bridge connecting the second and third levels.

Seeing this, the cunning red weasel quickly raised its hands, fulfilling its 'guide' duty, and handed over its bundle as well:
“We’d better just do as they say. Otherwise, these scoundrels will be after more than just money—not to mention you’re a remarkable woman.”

After being urged, she needs to act as if she's been 'saved' and leave the dungeon first, waiting to divide the loot later.

As a result, they didn't see what happened next.

[Little Peyton] believed his intimidation was effective, causing Stella to obediently hand over a package of magical items—

[Magic Missile Wand], [Trembling Music], [Emoji Shield]...

They all looked more and more familiar than the last.

But almost the instant he handed over the magical item, Stella cast a [Suggestion] spell on him:
"Leave the [Mind Shield Ring] behind and go cause trouble at Golden Oak."

As a second-circle bewitching spell, it can last for 8 hours, which is enough for them to reach the tavern before dark.

This also allowed her to find the drow elf's trail and exert the same kind of influence:
"Hide in the cellar and wait for the right moment to strike."

This was intended to draw Tang Qi's attention and urge him to explore towards the underground city...

Tang Qi sensed that she had fallen asleep again—

When he opened his eyes again, his memories began to fragment.

In the beginning, it was a magnificent kingdom standing in the sky.

Like a falling meteorite, it crashed into the center of the continent.

Everything beneath the city was reduced to scorched earth amidst the roar and flames.

Sandstorms engulfed the country, turning oases into desolation.

The survivors emerged from the desolate desert.

People saw a young girl holding a crown standing at the forefront of the crowd.

As time passed, the girl transformed into a man, a dragonborn, a dwarf, a gnome, a spotted cat… and finally, she became a woman again.

They drove the rampaging orcs to a corner of the world and built a solid Great Wall.

It dispelled the shadows and darkness, creating a bridge connecting the fairy wilderness.

Finally, they chose to build a new and prosperous city from the dragon's bones.

The survivors became the cornerstone of the city, transforming into the twenty seats of the council—

In the Dragon Government Hall, Tang Qi saw a lion.

A young and majestic male lion.

He pierced the woman's chest with the sharp blade in his hand.

She took off her crown and put it on her own head.

As he grew older, his mane became etched with the marks of time.

Standing in the center of the government hall, overlooking the bustling city below.

Tang Qi saw him turn around, raise the gradually darkening sword blade, and cast shadows in the corner of the government hall, exuding a corrupt and evil sharpness.

The sword blade swung towards 'Tang Qi'.

It caused him a sharp, tearing pain in his chest.

Tang Qi realized that he had died in his dream.

He snapped out of his daze and woke up with a start from the soft bed—

"you're awake?"

Tang Qi turned around abruptly and found a woman in a silk nightgown lying on her side on an invisible floating disc. She was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open, and looked like she was about to fall asleep.

"What is that?" Tang Qi asked hesitantly.

“My past,” Stella answered calmly.

"Wait, 'your' past? Let me process this information..."

Tang Qi shook his slightly dizzy head.

"But in that memory, weren't you already... by Leon—"

He empathized with Stella's perspective.

This means that the person who was originally split in two was actually her.

"She died at his hands. That's right."

"So, who are you now...?"

Do you remember what I taught in class?

Stella didn't speak, but rather, like the dawn, lazily answered with her inner voice, without going into further explanation.

It seemed that repeating facts that had already been stated was a laborious and meaningless task for her.

Tang Qi looked back at the class and then understood her reminder:

"You are the [Dream Departure Person]? These fragmented memories, you learned them by reading the spirit body within dreams?"

Not entirely correct, but that's a fair assessment.

Stella yawned.

"The bloodline contained within this body is connected to a spiritual entity called [Starlight]. This means that as long as there is one person in the world who has this bloodline, [Starlight], and even this memory, will be eternally preserved."

However, in past studies on the soul, Stella merged herself with the starlight, which means that every newborn baby will eventually absorb memories of Stella.

This means that Stella herself has become an eternal and indestructible being.

Tang Qi felt that this approach looked familiar.

But she also came to understand what kind of being [Stella Starlight] truly was:
"So everyone who carries this bloodline will eventually become 'you'?"

Stella didn't even bother to nod.

The default is, in effect, an acknowledgment of Tang Qi's comprehension ability.

This, in turn, made Tang Qi ponder an ethical question:
"Can a clone that inherits all memories and the past still be considered 'yourself'?"

If you were to take a bath with Stella in front of you.

After she died, the new Stella inherited the memory and continued to bathe with Don Qi.

For Stella in the past, wouldn't that be considered wearing a hat?

Stella did not answer, but continued to ask in her mind:
"Is all you want to know who I really am?"

No, of course not.

Tang Qi put the philosophical question of 'existence' aside, thinking that such trivial matters could be left for later consideration.

Now he wants to know the answer to a question about Iu:

"So that crown represents the monarch of the Lionheart Lord, right? He buried his own monarch and became an Oathbreaker in order to gain power."

I can understand that he did this to comply with the rules of Longjin City and to legally claim ownership of the dragon egg—this may be some kind of obsession and pursuit of his.

But why is he so fixated on that dragon egg? It's just a dragon egg, isn't it?

"He wanted to prevent the birth of his monarch."

"What do you mean?"

"[Eve Edel], the last princess of the Golden Kingdom—"

Whenever she felt her life was coming to an end, she would use the power of arcane magic to inscribe her soul into suitable fetuses that had not yet been possessed by her soul.

So that when life comes to an end, one can change bodies, be reborn, and restore the glory of the Golden Kingdom.

This is different from the connection of the Dreamer; it requires each new magical network to be as compatible as possible with her soul.

It's not easy to find, but there's always a chance.

"what do you mean……"

Tang Qi looked around but couldn't find any trace of Yi Wu.

But Stella's answer clearly implies a fact—

She drew her soul into the dragon egg.

'Eve' is the same as 'Iu'.

"Leon chose 'regicide' so that she could be reincarnated into a dragon egg?"

Tang Qi shook his head as he made his deduction.

"Then there's no need for him to go through all that trouble."

Stella provided the answer:

"Because he believed that Eve Edel at that time had not yet been able to inscribe the ritual of soul migration."

"So he discovered the source was the dragon egg? But if he didn't want the past kings to be born, why should he care about laws and rules?"

"Perhaps it's because he believes Longjincheng can become even more prosperous under his leadership—"

'Eternal co-governance leads to prosperity, while eternal autocracy leads to destruction.'

The lion is eager to prove himself, but Eve possesses power and strength far exceeding that of the others.

As for the twenty families, some accepted him, while others still hoped for the princess's return.

Stella's tone was uncertain, but she seemed to know the lion's character very well.

"But no matter what, if even the rulers cannot abide by the established rules, then laws and regulations are nothing but a piece of waste paper and empty talk."

"So he wanted to stop Eve's resurrection, but you chose to stand against him—you want the princess to be resurrected, right?"

Therefore, the moment I discovered the dragon egg, you began to observe me through your construct eyeballs.

"I need to ascertain what kind of adventurer you are. If you are unable to protect the princess's safety, I will choose another suitable candidate."

"So you want to test my strength by passing the trial of the [Dragon's Treasury]?"

"You can say that."

"So, is my performance satisfactory to you?"

"You are not enough. That's why you need the Sword of Dawn."

Tang Qi looked around but couldn't find Yi Wu and Chen Xi.

"You know her?"

"I heard her name when the Golden Kingdom was still standing in the sky."

Was it really that long ago?

"And then?" Tang Qi couldn't help but ask.

"It is said that he died in the north."

"You don't know the truth either?"

Stella offered no explanation.

Tang Qi knew that this meant she had already given the answer before.

After a brief moment of thought, he realized the truth:
Ultimately, you are neither Stella nor Starlight. You can only access memories through dreams, not accept all memories.

This also explains the fact that the surrounding area is mostly filled with strange and defective products.

She learns and studies knowledge by accessing memories.

Rather, it was not omniscient and omnipotent from the beginning.

Silence means consent.

Tang Qi then finally understood what was going on:

"Does Lord Lionheart know you're stopping him?"

"He could guess it."

"But he realized he couldn't eliminate you, so he could only acquiesce to your obstruction of him?"

“He also knows that Long Jincheng still needs me.”

As a high-level spellcaster and a cornerstone of the Starlight Mage Academy, Tang Qi believed she deserved this confidence.

The only thing is that the one whose oath was broken was split in two...

It's difficult to accurately assess their skill levels.

"Now that we know who is targeting me, and that they are seeking to resolve the issue within the framework of 'law' and 'rules,' things become much easier."

Tang Qi analyzed the current situation.

"Before he resorts to the law, let's leave Longjin City first. As long as we get far enough away, we can avoid being caught..."

Stella interrupted Tang Qi's reverie:
"You don't think he's the villain from those awful fairy tales called 'The Ballad of the Bard,' who tells you what he's going to do before he actually does it, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Targeting you? It started as early as two weeks ago."

(End of this chapter)