Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Before the two were completely immersed in the light of the Emerald Dream, Susanna rubbed Lyle's head.

"You're wrong about one thing, we're not parasites."

"I am a traitorous white blood cell."

"And you are a cancer cell."

Chapter 656 In the Dream

The Emerald Dream wasn't entirely green, nor was it mostly green—a far cry from Lyle's imagined natural sanctuary. However, its unconventional nature aligned with his expectations. Blue soil, red trees, and a deep purple river merging into a gradient from purple to red at its branching point. Palm-sized, rainbow-colored bubbles clung to the smooth bark of the trees. With Susanna's permission, a gentle touch to the bubbles caused them to burst easily, releasing shimmering gold dust. From the dust, a maple-red, long-eared rabbit sprang to life and hopped away.

"It's amazing, I would never have thought of such things."

Susanna stood beside Lyle, her tall body popping countless bubbles as she moved, creating a scene resembling a rain of small animals. Raccoons, squirrels, and koalas clung to the elven governor, emitting lazy or joyful sounds.

A groan echoed in the wind, the temperature plummeted, and deep blue, transparent arms materialized in the air. These ghostly arms cradled the fluffy ball clinging to Susanna, gently pulling it down and placing it in the grass. Several nearby hands grasped Nia's curious tentacles, pulled open Lyle's collar, and shoved the tentacles back in.

"Of course you couldn't have come up with these ideas, because normal people's thinking wouldn't be so bizarre. This is a dream scene unbound by morality and logic; this is Irason's dream zone. The Emerald Dream is a collection of dreams, jointly managed by dream druids, each responsible for different areas. The connection between here and the real world is linear. While you sleep in the crypts of the various dream druids, your consciousness will also descend into the corresponding area of ​​the Emerald Dream."

Lyle watched as the dark blue arms finished their work; some disappeared, while others remained to wrestle with Nia. Because of their sheer number, they looked as if Lyle had grown arms all over his body.

"But I remember we were sleeping in your cave."

“You think Irason has her own private crypt? Her Majesty the Queen only has a treehouse as her private palace. We share this crypt.”

“Isn’t this an abuse of power for personal gain? I highly doubt why Irason only got a treehouse. I used to think she was disliked by the dream elves, but now it seems that the dream elves still respect her…” Lyle stared suspiciously at Susanna’s back, the tall figure shrinking in his eyes.

"Kid, are you itching for a beating?!" Susanna's angry rebuke had barely begun when the dark blue arms surrounding Lyle clenched their fists. Five or six grabbed Lyle by the collar and lifted him up, while the rest rubbed their fists together, and some even brandished their fists at Lyle's forehead in a show of defiance.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry." It turned out that the dark blue arms were Susanna's imagination; no wonder the style was different from the surrounding environment.

Susanna led Lyle to the other side of Irasorn's dream. The scenery changed along the way, from a strange forest to a steel city, to a blurry, amorphous energy capital, to a waterbed, and then to a diamond desert. Each scene change caused eye strain and discomfort with the changing light, reflecting the instability of Irasorn's inner world. Her mind seemed to be divided into separate, unconnected sections. Lyle gradually understood why the Beginner hadn't suggested he enter the Green Dragon Priest's dream; for him at that time, such a dream experience was nothing short of a mental breakdown.

Susanna described these chaotic scenes in great detail, as if she knew them by heart.

"This place preserves every magical idea that comes to mind in Iran, and I've kept them all because they're so meaningful."

Lyle wasn't really curious, but Susanna's excitement was palpable around her, and the Iron Lady exuded a warm, sunny aura. Under such influence, Lyle had no choice but to bite the bullet and find some targets.

"That giant strainer that looks like it's covered in icing is..."

"Ah, that was Ilan's creation. Back then, she didn't know how to add seasonings when cooking, and mistakenly thought that the food became delicious because of some magical kitchen utensils... like a salt knife, a sugar strainer, a spicy pot, and the like."

Lyle pointed to the other side, "And this one, it looks like a moving oil painting splashed in the sky. Is it a human figure or a large tree with forked roots?"

"That was also Ilan's dream. During those days, she was struggling with the meaning of the existence of abstract painters, and what we would become if the creator of the world started to learn abstract painting."

Dreams are not all omens or hints of reality. Some are meaningless extensions or figments of imagination. They represent that life is not entirely concrete and measurable. All things that can think have at least a part that cannot be explained by data. This is probably the result of the fact that all things originated from chaos.

Soon the architectural style of the dream changed to another one. Lyle looked around at everything, a mocking smile on his face.

"This entire area is a figment of Irason's imagination, isn't it?"

"……right!"

"Is this huge sculpture of the green dragon priest reclining on her side also her own figment of her imagination? Is it her own image of herself sleeping?"

“...That’s right, this is one of Ilan’s fantasies.”

"So this loli-sized Irason is also something she imagined, used to recall her childhood?"

"……Uh-huh."

Lyle looked at the next woman, his pupils contracting in astonishment. Moonlight shimmered behind her veil, and the woman, her eyes closed, rested in the moonlight. Her white dress was adorned with hazy, star-like light, a perfect blend of divine mercy and feminine beauty. Petals fell from the enormous bouquet she held, and her slightly forward-leaning body seemed to be both a greeting and a recounting of a solemn vow.

The fantasy was so intense that Lyle felt he was saying something that Susanna would definitely go berserk.

Skipping over this one, Lyle noticed the next humanoid figure that resembled Irason. She stood there, looking at Lyle, her bright eyes seeming to speak volumes, her joy palpable.

This doesn't seem like a big problem.

"Irason's life-size doll has nothing unusual about it except for its realism. Ms. Susanna, could this also be Irason's fantasy?"

No, that's not it.

Lyle's eyes curved into crescents as he let out a loud exclamation, pointing at Susanna with a smug look of having discovered the truth.

"Finally out of reasons, huh? You're such a die-hard fan of Ira Songn, you're finally not hiding it anymore. This doll, this whole area, is all your fantasy!"

“This is Claudia, you idiot.”

Lyle shuddered as he watched the "doll" before him come to life. His initial joy at seeing a familiar face was replaced by a somber expression. The green dragon wore a smile, but the twitching corners of its mouth made the smile all the more terrifying.

"Long time no see, Brother Lyle."

"You're very good at making us angry, just like before, dear Dragon King Priest."

Chapter 657 The Green Dragon's Weariness

“Oh, so the dragon’s humanoid form is just a kind of chameleon-like mimicry, which is why you transformed yourself into the likeness of Irason… I thought it was a unique trait caused by bloodline genes. Claudia, I’m a little surprised.”

Emerald Dragon put her left hand on her hip, feigning anger on her youthful, cute green dragon priestess face, her expression carrying a cleverness that Irason had never possessed. The clever girl exhaled and picked up where Lyle left off.

"Just as you thought, we can adjust the appearance of humanoid forms. I haven't seen Pol's disguise yet, but Al and Christo both made some subtle adjustments to their father's appearance. You can probably tell their blood relationship from their faces. As for my appearance... the stupid dragon priest's face is also quite beautiful, isn't it?"

When young dragons mimic their surroundings, they choose the best camouflage based on their environment. Other young dragons don't have these considerations and can choose their appearance freely. However, Claudia has a godmother with extreme sexual orientations, and having that face seems to be the best choice. Moreover, Claudia doesn't seem to care about her humanoid appearance; perhaps using such an appearance to please Susanna is her wisdom.

Claudia raised her hand to pinch her chin and squinted at Lyle.

"Haven't you met Immelt? Why do you still have misconceptions about the dragon's appearance? She hasn't changed her appearance."

Lyle then remembered the red dragon's red-haired dwarf form. He hadn't paid attention to this because he was too concerned about the consequences of the dragon teacher's rampage. In fact, he should have thought of it earlier, because Immelt had two forms that he could switch between at will.

Claudia tilted her head to look at her toes, placing her hands behind her back. "Lyle, how's Immelt doing? We haven't been in touch for a while."

"She's become a national idol among the dwarves. She went a bit overboard and acted recklessly a while ago. Your father should probably send her a letter of apology by now." Lyle smiled smugly. "I think Immelt is doing pretty well."

And you, Claudia?

The green dragon's lips parted slightly, but its voice stopped before it could even form words. Claudia glanced behind Lyle, then lowered her head and remained silent.

With a light chop to the back of Lyle's head, Susanna turned around like a dancer, leaving the two of them with her back to her.

“I’ll go see why Irason hasn’t come back yet. Lyle, you take good care of Claudia and don’t even think about bullying her. Oh, I forgot again, in the dream, she’s the only one who could bully you.”

Only Lyle and Claudia remained in the dreamlike section filled with Irason sculptures. Lyle smiled knowingly at Claudia and walked to the edge of the white stone base of an Irason fountain.

"Your godmother is a gentle person, at least she's very gentle with you."

Claudia sighed and sat down next to Lyle.

“That’s why there are some things I don’t want them to hear, I can’t let them be sad.” A heartbreaking maturity appeared on Claudia’s face, her eyebrows furrowed, and the surrounding dreamscape turned a melancholy deep blue.

"Ha, so I'm fine just because I heard it, right? I don't care if I'm sad!"

Claudia rolled her eyes, but the upturned corners of her mouth indicated that Lyle's joke was working.

“Yes, because you are Lyle.” Claudia stepped onto the stone steps, buried her face in her knees, and spoke in a voice softer than the wind. “Lyle, I’m tired of the work of a Dream Druid, and of my own mission. I’m sorry, but that’s how I feel. I was given a mission from birth, I have to work hard to fulfill my godmother’s expectations, and I bear those expectations, but I just find it boring. The work of a Dream Druid is easy for me, and I haven’t been ostracized by my tribe like Immelt once lamented, but… I’m just tired of it.”

Claudia raised her head slightly, revealing a pair of eyes, slightly red-rimmed and glistening with moisture, peeking out from between her long, disheveled hair. Her voice trembled. "Are you very disappointed? Will Father scold me? You gave me so much, so much grace and nurturing, and you supported me with all your might, but I... I let you down. I didn't have the face to say these things to Susanna... I didn't intend to say them, but when I saw you, my mouth just started drooling... I'm so sorry for saying such disappointing things."

"..."

Silence fell. Lyle's profile became a terrifying door in Claudia's eyes. She was afraid of what he would look like when he turned around, and even more worried about what he would say next.

In reality, Lyle was replaying other images in his mind, images of his past before he was admitted to medical school.

A dark and cramped room.

A wooden table.

Lyle sat on the only wooden chair, facing Ralf, who looked down at him. The awkward, uneasy atmosphere almost made Lyle breathless; Ralf's presence made Lyle feel like he had entered an interrogation room.

I opened the door.

"Thank you so much."

A light rain was still falling outside, and the autumn air was unusually chilly. Lyle, bewildered after attending his parents' funeral, was still processing his memories when he followed this man who called himself his uncle back home. His family members, whom he only vaguely remembered, were now standing before him, and this man named Ralf exuded a terrifying aura that was definitely not that of an ordinary person.

Lyle's terror was interpreted by Ralph as the blow of his parents' death, and the wolf moved slowly, as if gently stroking a bubble.

"Would you like to move to my house? I have a house on the other side of Cassandra."

"No...no need, it's fine here." Who would go to the lair of demons?

"...What are you planning to do in the future, Lyle?"

At this moment, Lyle was only thinking about getting rid of Ralf, and without thinking much, he said those words according to the original owner's memories.

"I wanted to study medicine; my father had high hopes for me."

“Medical school…” Ralph recalled the documents he had reviewed at the police station earlier, some of which seemed ominous about medical schools. He didn't pay much attention to them. “You like medicine?”

“My father said I’m suited for this, and I’ll like it in the future.”

"Stop learning, Lyle."

"Eh?"

“If you don’t like it, don’t force yourself.” Ralph took off his hat, and for the first time, Lyle looked directly into those bright eyes that were hiding in the shadows. “My brother has expectations for you, but that shouldn’t be a burden. When you were still an infant, I saw my brother’s love manifest as his first expectation of you.”

"I hope you are first and foremost a happy and joyful child. This is your brother's first wish... and mine as well."

“…I will consider it carefully, Uncle Ralph.”

"Ah."

……

Lyle almost forgot that the five baby dragons were actually less than six months old. Their rapid development made it easy for everyone to forget that they were still children. No matter how fast their intelligence developed, their emotional growth came more from the accumulation of time.

So Lyle smiled and turned to look at Claudia.

"Alright, then we won't be the guardian dragon of the dream elves anymore. If you don't want to be it, then we won't do it."

"Eh?!?!" Claudia's scream nearly shattered Lyle's eardrums. "That's not a good idea!"

"If you don't like it, we can switch to another race. There may be quite a few hidden dragon-kind races, and we can always find one that interests you. To be honest, I also think it's a bit too heavy for you to bear the expectations of your race from birth. Your boredom is partly our fault. I will go back and talk to the dragon teacher. Believe me, that dragon-doting father will understand you."

"That stupid dragon priest will cry..."