Chapter 75 The 'Sudden Death Method' Worked

In the center of the forest clearing, Talan Eyl's mental entity, previously frozen due to "protective subsidence," suddenly blinked – as if with the disappearance of the creeping solar wheel's erosion, his self-awareness had finally returned to this shallower layer of the dream.

Duncan and Lucretia noticed this at once, and simultaneously approached the elven scholar, who woke up in just two or three seconds, looking at the scene before him in astonishment.

Everything was different from what he remembered – the forest illuminated by sunlight had somehow fallen into a strange twilight, the light of day mixed with vague, hazy shadows, and many new figures had appeared in his field of vision, none of whom he recognized (including Maurice, whom he hadn't seen in decades).

After looking around blankly, Talan Eyl finally snapped out of it, hesitantly breaking the silence, "Is my condition that serious?"

Lucretia, who had just walked over, was stunned by his words, "What are you talking about?"

Talan Eyl pointed at himself, then at Heidi, Vanna, and Maurice, who had noticed the movement and were walking towards them, his face full of disbelief, "How did it develop into so many consultants in just a moment?"

Lucretia's expression twitched slightly, and she almost lost her composure.

Talan Eyl continued, "If you really can't wake me up, let me try my own method, the 'sudden death method' is actually very effective..."

Hearing this, Lucretia immediately interrupted the great scholar, "Stop thinking about your 'sudden death method', do you know what just happened?"

"Just now?" Talan Eyl looked blank, "What happened just now? I just spaced out..."

"The claws of the Black Sun invaded your dream, even bringing a projection of a Sun Spawn," Lucretia said solemnly, while observing the changes in Talan Eyl's expression, "You didn't sense anything at all? If my father hadn't appeared in time, the mental entity you left here might have been destroyed by the aftermath of the battle."

Talan Eyl's expression had become grave when he heard the first half of Lucretia's words, but when he heard the last sentence, he suddenly paused, then gradually reacted, hesitantly and horrified turning his head towards Duncan, "Your...father?"

Lucretia silently nodded. Duncan, on the other hand, tried his best to give a friendly smile, extending his hand to the respected scholar, "You can call me Captain Duncan."

Talan Eyl didn't reach out to respond; he seemed to be frozen, only staring at the tall figure before him, then suddenly taking a deep breath, his whole body seemed to "tremble" violently, and then his figure disappeared into the forest.

Duncan looked at the scene in confusion, turning his head to ask, "What's going on?"

The bewilderment on Lucretia's face was no less than his. It took her two or three seconds after hearing Duncan's words to finally realize what had happened, and she said with a strange expression, "...The 'sudden death method' worked."

Duncan: "...?"

At this time, Heidi, Vanna, and Maurice also happened to walk over. They had originally wanted to greet the awakened Master Talan Eyl, but only saw the scene of the latter disappearing out of thin air, and then heard Lucretia's last mumble, their expressions immediately varied.

Heidi's face was full of amazement that "this actually worked," Maurice's eyes showed a hint of regret, and only Vanna's expression was blank – she was a sports student and didn't understand the operations of these psychology experts.

Whenever she encountered a nightmare, she would just cut her way out.

"I wanted to say hello to Master Talan Eyl," Maurice said regretfully, "We haven't seen each other for many years."

"He wouldn't recognize you anyway," Heidi shook her head, "In his memory, you're still a young man studying abroad, and he can't even imagine that you now have a daughter."

Maurice thought for a moment, and sighed softly, "That's how it is when dealing with elves."

"Looks like you explained the situation clearly?" Duncan looked at the atmosphere between the three people in front of him, and asked curiously.

"Explained clearly," Vanna nodded, and then spread her hands helplessly, "Scolded for a long time."

Heidi didn't say anything, but couldn't help but carefully look at the "famous" captain in front of her, her eyes sweeping back and forth between the people present, not knowing how many thoughts were running through her mind in those few seconds.

Lucretia, on the other hand, didn't pay attention to the situation here. She had been carefully observing the changes in this "forest" since just now, and only now did she suddenly break the silence, "Just like I guessed, Talan Eyl has woken up, but this 'dream' itself still exists... There is another 'dreamer' maintaining this place."

Hearing her words, Duncan just nodded lightly.

Because he couldn't temporarily determine what the situation was with the "dreamer" behind this dream, and because this dream seemed to be connected to many ordinary people, he didn't "set fire" here, but from the beginning, he had been carefully sensing this place.

This seemingly real forest was essentially a dream, and the thing connected behind it should be the dreamer's subconscious. He could theoretically touch and even sense this "subconscious" by intervening here through "spirit world walking," just like the emotions and crude fragments of thought he had sensed when he touched those "starlight" during his previous spirit world walks.

However, here, no matter how far he extended his perception, no matter how carefully he "listened," he could only feel a huge... emptiness.

There was nothing, no fear, no thoughts, outside the forest was still forest, deep in the earth was still earth, the dreamer's personality was completely gone. Rather than saying that this was a "barrier" created by the subconscious to protect the deep dream, the forest felt more like a chaotic mist to Duncan...

A barrier was purposeful, but a mist was only chaotically and spontaneously gathered here, without purpose or awareness, running only on some ancient rule.

Duncan was thinking about what was behind this empty and huge dream, but at this moment, a chaotic wind suddenly blew from the depths of the forest, and the cold that came with the wind interrupted his thoughts.

"...This forest is starting to not welcome us," Heidi frowned suddenly, but her tone was somewhat doubtful, "But why didn't it react before?"

"Perhaps it's because Talan Eyl woke up," Lucretia said thoughtfully, "His awakening didn't cause the dream to disintegrate, but it's equivalent to closing an 'entrance'. We uninvited guests who broke in will naturally be rejected."

"Looks like it's time to leave." Duncan sighed regretfully. He instinctively felt that there were still many secrets hidden in this dream, but he also knew that if he were to continue to stay here against the dream's rejection, the harm caused would probably not be any smaller than that "deformed sun" in the sky before.

"Well, I have to return to the real world as soon as possible to confirm Talan Eyl's current situation," Lucretia said, she seemed to be relieved, "Don't really die on my ship."

"Yeah, go," Duncan nodded to her, "More things, let's talk when we meet in the real world – I'll come find you soon."

Lucretia's expression seemed to tighten for a moment, but quickly recovered, and revealed a smile, "Okay, but no hurry, it's okay for you to be a little slower, it's a long journey from the Frigid Sea to the Southern Sea, be careful of..."

"I mean, I'll come find you soon – probably this afternoon," Duncan waved his hand, "The Ghost Ship is already near Light Wind Harbor."

The smile on Lucretia's face instantly froze: "...Ah?"

Duncan said calmly, "Perhaps it's some kind of influence after the sun went out, the Ghost Ship instantly crossed a long distance, and now I'm here."

Lucretia was stunned, then her figure instantly "flickered" twice, and disappeared out of thin air in front of everyone.

Leaving Duncan and Heidi looking at each other.

This awkward silence lasted for a moment, and finally Vanna spoke first, "Did she wake up from fright?"

No one answered her.

"It's time to leave," Duncan shook his head, alleviating the sudden awkwardness, "If you have anything else to say, let's contact each other later."

This short reunion was coming to an end again, and a trace of loss couldn't help but rise in Heidi's heart. She looked at her father and friend standing beside Captain Duncan with complicated feelings, and suddenly thought of something, "Wait, how am I going to contact you?! You're on the Ghost Ship..."

"Just write a letter," Maurice said with a smile, "It can be sent directly to the antique shop in the lower district, the captain will personally forward it."

"Ah? Just write a letter?"

Heidi was stunned, and before she could react, she heard Vanna say next to her, "If it's just a simple message, you can also go to the Cathedral, Bishop Valentine can help deliver the message."

Heidi continued to look confused, "You mean the Cathedral!?"

"Or you can wait for the ship to have a vacation," Duncan added immediately, "It's been very busy during this time, but there should be a vacation later, and I can send them back to Pland."

"There are even vacations on the Ghost Ship?!"

However, none of Heidi's questions were answered.

The wind blowing out of the forest had gradually taken on obvious coldness and hostility, the rejection of the dream was gradually reaching its peak, and in her eyes, the figures of Captain Duncan, her father, and Vanna were gradually becoming blurred.

Finally, even her own consciousness became chaotic and hazy, and sank into darkness in a sudden sense of weightlessness.

The next second, the darkness faded, and she woke up abruptly from the dream.

Heidi opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on a bed in a ward in the medical facility, and her original "patient" was nowhere to be seen.

It seemed that after she fell into the dream, someone noticed something was wrong and sent her here.

The psychiatrist took a deep breath.

This long and tortuous dream was finally over.

(End of this chapter)