I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

The Treant, cockpit.

After bidding farewell to that indescribable hotpot gathering, the Treant, guided by a glowing parchment (the yellow-robed mark), sailed into a seemingly empty, dark cosmic region.

There are no stars here, nor is there any gray fog.

There was only one kind of drowsy... tranquility.

"yawn--"

Er Gou lay on the floor, his eyelids already drooping.

"Boss... I can't take it anymore..."

"Why do I feel so sleepy..."

It's not just Er Gou.

Even Alice, who was now in a mechanical body, had her red light dimmed, and the system was running as slowly as an old-fashioned alarm clock.

"Warning... Forced hibernation field detected..."

"System...is...in standby..."

Sun Wukong and Nezha, these two energetic war gods, were now staggering and swaying.

Wukong held the golden cudgel, nodding his head as if he were fishing.

Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels had all gone out, and he curled up in the chair, his eyelids as heavy as if they were made of lead.

……

"That's right."

Jiang Li was not surprised by the reactions of the crowd.

He was holding the yellow pass that Hastur had given him.

"Dreamlands, as the name suggests, is a world of dreams."

"The physical body cannot directly enter."

"It must be done through...dreaming."

"And it can't be an ordinary dream."

Jiang Li stared at the void ahead.

"Ordinary dreams disappear when you wake up."

"What we're going to is a [physical dream universe]."

"If you're not careful, your consciousness will get lost in the abyss of chaotic dreams, and you'll never wake up."

"so……"

Jiang Li turned around and walked towards the kitchen.

"Before going to sleep."

"We need to have a meal first... [the guide's meal]."

……

【Dish Name: Yellow Robe - Dream of Three Thousand Immortals Chicken】

This is a medicinal dish specifically designed for "out-of-body experiences".

Main materials:

Void Flying Chicken (a kind of winged fleshy ball that I caught in the gray fog before). This creature travels between reality and illusion all year round, and its flesh has a "phase shift" property.

Additional ingredients:

Water lily seeds (dug out of Guanyin Bodhisattva's lotus pond... no, from the ruins of the Jade Pool in the Data Heaven).

Soul-Soothing Herb (a specialty of the Abyss; one whiff of it can put you to sleep for three days).

And the most crucial introduction—

Jiang Li threw the yellow pass directly into the pot.

"Use God's name as guidance, and follow the rules as the path."

"This pot of soup is the navigator to Qatar."

……

"Glug glug—"

The broth in the casserole had a peculiar amber color.

Steam rises, transforming into various mesmerizing scenes: fluttering butterflies, upside-down castles, winged cats...

"It smells so good..."

The group, who were about to fall asleep, were awakened by the strange fragrance.

"Here, have some soup."

Jiang Li served everyone a bowl.

"After you finish this bowl of soup, remember one principle."

"In a dream."

"Imagination is fighting power."

"If you dare to dream, you are invincible."

……

The group, still dazed, took the bowls and drank them down in one gulp.

The soup doesn't have a substantial texture when you swallow it.

It transformed into a warm current and rushed directly into the pineal gland (the eye of the soul).

"Thump."

Er Gou was the first to fall down, snoring loudly.

Next up are Alice, Tang Sanzang, Nezha, Wukong...

At last.

Jiang Li also drank the last mouthful of soup.

He found a comfortable position and lay down in the driver's seat.

Close your eyes.

"Good night."

"Dreamland...see you there."

……

[System notification: Loading the Dreamscape module...]

[Coordinates locked: The Enchanted Wood.]

Current SAN value: Stable.

……

I don't know how much time passed.

It may be a moment, or it may be ten thousand years.

When Jiang Li opened his eyes again.

The scene before my eyes has completely changed.

The Tree Demon has disappeared.

Or rather... it's deformed.

Because this is a dream, the subconscious determines the form.

The Tree Demon transformed into... [a giant, walking treehouse].

The base is a huge tree root, on which a cozy wooden house is built, with smoke still rising from the chimney.

And the surrounding environment.

It is a... [giant] primeval forest.

Every tree here is a kilometer tall, with a trunk as thick as a skyscraper.

Giant, glowing mushrooms grew like umbrellas at the base of the tree, emitting pink and blue fluorescence.

The air was filled with a sweet, cloying scent, like a mixture of rotten strawberries and musk.

"This is... the Enchanted Forest?"

Jiang Li pushed open the wooden door of the treehouse and stepped onto the terrace.

He looked down at himself.

The chef's uniform she was wearing had transformed into... an Alice in Wonderland-style dress (???).

What he was holding was no longer a lightsaber.

Instead, it was a... huge silver fork.

"It seems to be in my subconscious."

"Eating is indeed the most important thing."

Jiang Li gave a bitter smile.

……

Wow! What a huge mushroom!

"I, Old Sun, have turned back into myself?"

At this time, the others also woke up one after another and came out of the treehouse.

To Sun Wukong's surprise, his mecha disappeared, and he returned to his original form.

Moreover, the golden cudgel in his hand... turned into a giant banana (is this the power of the subconscious?).

"Damn it!"

Wukong looked at the banana in his hand and grinned angrily.

"Change back! Change back for me!"

He tried his best to think, and the banana barely transformed back into the shape of an iron rod, but it still had a banana smell.

Nezha transformed into a New Year's picture doll wearing a bib, and the Wind Fire Wheels under his feet became two large fireballs that made him play the role of a prince by lighting beacon fires.

Tang Sanzang...

He transformed into a... golden cicada.

It was perched on Er Gou's head.

And Er Gou.

It turned into a... Snoopy (walking on two legs and wearing a pilot's hat).

"Woof?"

Er Gou looked at his hands (paws).

"Boss! I've stood up!"

"I've evolved!"

……

"Shh-"

Just as everyone was amazed by her new image.

Jiang Li suddenly raised a finger.

"Don't make a sound."

"Something... is watching us."

Deep within this vast, bizarre forest.

In the shadow of the dense ferns and huge mushrooms.

There are countless pairs of... small eyes.

It was gleaming with a greedy and cunning light.

"Squeak squeak squeak..."

A series of soft, fragmented sounds, like mice grinding their teeth or insects flapping their wings, came from all directions.

"What kind of monster is it?"

Wukong scanned it with his fiery eyes (although he now sees things through a filter).

"A bunch of...big rats?"

……

The sound grew closer.

The creatures lurking in the shadows finally revealed themselves.

They do look a lot like mice.

It's not very big, only about the size of a cat.

Its body is covered in brown fur, but it has tentacle-like whiskers growing from its mouth.

Their eyes are an eerie red, filled with both intelligence and cruelty.

[Biographies: Zul'Gurub]

[Level: Dream Native (Social)]

[Description: An ancient race living in the Enchanted Forest. Though small in size, they are extremely cunning. They have made a pact with the gods of dreams and feed on "Dream Walkers."]

[Note: Don't be fooled by their cute appearance; they can devour an elephant to the bone in a second.]

……

"Outsider..."

The leading Zugu elder stood up straight.

Its whiskers trembled in the air, emitting sharp human sounds.

"You guys smell so good."

"It's... the smell of a nightmare."

"Or is it... the taste of a sweet dream?"

As the elder's words fell.

Thousands upon thousands of Zugu emerged densely from the surrounding grass.

They surrounded the treehouse.

Each one bared its sharp fangs.

"It looks like we've been treated like a buffet."

Tang Sanzang (Jin Chanzi) sighed on Er Gou's head.

"This body of mine is coveted by monsters in reality, and even rats in my dreams."

"What a miserable life."

……

"Want to eat me?"

Wukong was furious.

"You bunch of rats, you're not even as big as the monkeys from my Flower Fruit Mountain!"

"Awesome!"

Wukong raised his golden cudgel (though it still looked a bit like a banana) and was about to strike.

"Great Sage, stop!"

Jiang Li stopped him again.

"In dreams, fighting is the worst option."

"Because you can't kill all the monsters here."

"As long as they believe they are 'immortal,' they can resurrect indefinitely."

Jiang Li stepped forward and stood at the edge of the terrace.

Looking down at Elder Zugu.

Are you hungry?

Jiang Li asked with a smile.

"Hungry……"

Elder Zugu's whiskers twitched.

"It's been a long time... since I've had... a fresh Dreamer."

"Your souls... must be very fragile."

"The 'soul' is too dry, it's not tasty."

Jiang Li shook his head.

He tapped the railing lightly with his silver fork.

"Since you are the local bullies in this forest."

"Then I have something I'd like to exchange with you..."

"exchange?"

Elder Zugu looked at Jiang Li warily.

"We want...meat."

"There's plenty of meat."

Jiang Li waved his hand.

A huge... black pot flew out of the kitchen of the treehouse (a manifestation of the dream).

"I've heard that the Zugu clan loves to eat... strange things."

"The weirder the better."

"Perfect."

Jiang Li pointed to the huge Dream Mushroom next to him, which emitted a blue fluorescent light.

"I just saw this kind of mushroom."

"I just feel... it's a natural soup base."

……

【Dream Cooking - Begins】

Cooking in the dream world requires neither fire nor water.

All you need is... your will.

Jiang Li stared at the large mushroom.

"You... are a pot of thick soup."

"You want...fresh and delicious."

"You need...thickness."

hum!

The giant mushroom, which was over ten meters tall, melted instantly under Jiang Li's "God of Food Will".

It turned into a pot of blue, bubbling mushroom soup with a strange, hallucinogenic aroma.

But that's not strange enough.

"Add some spices."

Jiang Li took out some... Nightmare Fragments from his backpack (Dream Backpack).

Those were some scattered nightmares he casually grabbed when he entered the dream (such as the dream about insects that Er Gou had just had).

"Sprinkle it in."

Black fragments of nightmares fall into blue mushroom soup.

In an instant, purple flowers burst open.

[Dish Name: Enchanting Nightmare Mushroom Soup]

[Taste: Drinking it is like tap dancing on your tongue, with both the sweetness of a beautiful dream and the thrill of a nightmare.]

……

"Want to give it a try?"

Jiang Li used his mental power to scoop out a small bowl and presented it to Elder Zugu.

Elder Zugu twitched his nose.

That flavor was a mixture of fear, sweetness, and the chaos of the unknown.

For them, who feed on dreams.

It's simply... the kind of temptation that catnip provides.

"Gurgle."

The elder extended his whiskers, rolled up the bowl, and drank it all in one gulp.

"squeak!!!!"

It let out a scream.

All the hair on its body stood on end.

A dreamy light flickered in his eyes.

"This is...this is so weird!"

"It's...delicious!"

"Again!"

"More!"

The surrounding Zugu went crazy when they saw the elder in this state.

They flocked to it, eager to get a piece of the pie.

……

"You can have some if you want."

Jiang Li did not stop them; instead, he lowered the huge black pot.

"Enough is enough."

"but……"

"After finishing the soup, I have a question."

Jiang Li watched Elder Zugu frantically licking the bowl clean.

"I'm looking for a... mouse."

"A... a very large rat that came from outside and stole something."

……

The word "rat" was mentioned.

Elder Zugu, who was drinking soup, suddenly froze.

It raised its head, and a hint of...fear appeared in its red eyes.

Yes.

These monsters dare to eat even humans.

He was actually afraid of a mouse.

"You...are you looking for it?"

Elder Zugu's voice trembled slightly.

"That... [Star Thief]?"

"That... [Devourer]?"

"right."

Jiang Li nodded.

"It seems you've seen it before."

"Squeak squeak squeak..."

Elder Zugu dropped his bowl, seemingly wanting to run away.

But it resisted the temptation of the delicious food.

"It...passed by here."

"It's terrifying."

"It ate... half the forest."

"It even...wanted to eat the moon."

"moon?"

Jiang Li looked up at the sky.

In the dreamlike sky, a huge, pale moon hung.

But that wasn't an ordinary moon.

That is... the lair of the Moon-beasts.

"It went to... [Ulthar]."

Elder Zugu pointed to the end of the forest.

"It said... it was going there to borrow something."

"Borrow what?"

"Borrow... [the cat]."

……

"Borrow the cat?"

Jiang Li was stunned for a moment.

A mouse goes to the city of cats to borrow a cat?

What kind of operation is this?

Suicide attack?

It said…

Elder Zugu said, his voice trembling.

"The Great Old Ones' chopsticks... are too slippery."

"It needs... [a cat's whiskers]."

"Used to make... [anti-slip mats]."

"Only the beard of that 'Cat God' in Usa City... is worthy of those chopsticks."

……

"puff--"

Er Gou (Snoopy version) couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Using cat whiskers as a non-slip mat?"

"This mouse... it's quite particular."

Jiang Li smiled too.

"interesting."

"It seems this mouse is more than just a thief."

"He's also... a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder."

Jiang Li put away the empty pot (which had been licked until it was shiny).

Thanks.

"This meal is on me."

He turned and went back to the treehouse (Tree Demon).

"Great Sage, Second Dog, Sanzang."

"Get in the car."

"We're going to... [Ussa City]."

"Let's go check it out..."

"Those cats... that can't be killed."

……

The treehouse rose from the ground.

With huge strides, they walked toward the edge of the forest.

Behind.

Thousands upon thousands of Zugu are still savoring the taste of that bowl of nightmare mushroom soup.

They watched Jiang Li's departing figure.

For the first time, I felt...

This outsider is perhaps even more... than that moon-eating rat...

Even more terrifying.

Because of him...

The nightmare... was cooked into a soup.