[Announcement:I merged a few shorter chapters into a single longer one, so the chapter numbers have been adjusted. The story content hasn't changed—only the numbering.Thank you for your understanding, and sorry for any inconvenience!]
Chapter 103: Fragment of Dream
"Haa… forget it. I should at least find out where the hell I am."
Selene's voice cracked with frustration as she pressed her fingers against her temple, trying to think through the haze of confusion. The air here smelled damp, heavy with moss and something faintly metallic.
A soft thump broke her thoughts. The black cat that had been trailing her suddenly vanished like smoke and, a heartbeat later, reappeared perched neatly on her shoulder. It licked its paw as though nothing were amiss, tail swaying lazily.
"I can take you back," it purred, "if you give me something."
Selene's brows drew together. "Give you something?"
The cat's lips—or what counted for lips—curled upward into a strange, unsettling grin.
"My spell can even turn a dream into reality. But to activate something that high-level, I need a massive amount of dream energy." It tilted its head and glanced sideways at her. "And it's not easy to gather."
Selene's eyes narrowed. "That's why you used that goblin to kidnap children? But why children of five to twelve?"
The cat's grin widened, eyes glinting like polished obsidian. "Hehehe… children of that age have the most nightmares. The scarier the dream, the more power I gain."
Selene's stomach tightened. "Y–You kidnapped kids for that?"
"I also used their souls to help Gacy gain a little strength." The cat spoke so casually that it made her chest clench.
She opened her mouth to lash out, but froze when the cat suddenly straightened and pointed with its paw toward the horizon. "Look. There seems to be smoke over there."
Selene followed its gesture. A faint, dark column rose between the trees in the distance. Her jaw clenched. She would question the cat later—right now, she needed to know what was ahead.
She began her descent from the mountain. The path was brutal; vines coiled around her ankles, thorn-filled plants clawed at her cloak, and gigantic trees pressed so close they turned the trail into a dim corridor. She pushed through gaps and narrow deer paths until, at last, the incline leveled out and she stood at the mountain's base.
The ground here was wet and spongy. Crops rose higher than her head—two meters at least—and the soil glistened with fresh moisture. Thin streams tumbled down from the mountain, merging into a broader ribbon of water that wound through the greenlands. Selene followed it in silence, boots splashing lightly.
Minutes later, she emerged from the wall of plants and caught sight of a small structure. It was made of straw, more like a hut than a house. Beyond it lay more huts—dozens of them—arranged across a wide plain. A jagged barricade of sharpened logs circled the settlement like a crude crown.
But it wasn't the settlement that made her stop cold.
Figures moved about within the walls. Humanoid shapes—shorter than human children, but moving with a lively energy. Some ran, some played, some laughed, their voices shrill and high-pitched. They were green-skinned with sharp ears and long noses, their clothes stitched from rough scraps.
Selene's eyes widened.
"Goblins?" she whispered.
"How are they living like humans?" She was shocked inside.
In her mind, goblins were nothing more than mindless beasts with no morals.
The black cat's tail flicked once, as though amused.
"Humph," the black cat scoffed, its tail swishing lazily. "Humans aren't the only advanced civilization in the universe. In fact, goblins are known for their superior intelligence and are the forerunners of technological advancement in many worlds."
Selene turned her gaze from the strange village to the cat on her shoulder. Its golden eyes gleamed with a strange light as it continued.
"The reason they're considered mindless monsters on Ivory Island is because of their fast growth. Their bodies become adult in less than a year, but their minds remain those of a baby. That's why they always act on instinct in the first few years."
Selene went silent at that. The scene before her—the laughing, chattering green-skinned creatures—suddenly looked different.
"What should we do now, Black Cat?" she asked finally, her voice low.
The cat turned its head and gave her a sideways glance. "It's Morpheus," it said flatly. "There is only one way. We will harvest the dream energy using these goblins."
Selene's face darkened. So the reason the goblin kidnapped children was to gather dream energy, huh? She pondered for a long moment before speaking. "What if I help you gather dream energy?"
Morpheus blinked, startled, its tail freezing mid-swing. "You can?"
Then, as if struck by a realization, its eyes widened. "Y–You… Are you a Dream Walker?"
Selene tilted her head slightly, lips curling at the corner. "What if I am?"
Morpheus's ears twitched nervously. It knew exactly what that meant. For an artifact like itself, there were only three ways to gather dream energy. One was through ritual sacrifice. The second, by slaying dream creatures and harvesting the stones they dropped. But the third—the rarest—was to gain the aid of a Dream Walker. The first two methods were crude and bloody. The third was nearly impossible. Encountering a Dream Walker in the Eclipse World was a miracle.
The black cat leapt down from her shoulder, its paws landing softly on the damp soil. "Let's form a contract!" it blurted. "No—become my owner!"
Selene blinked at the sudden shift in tone, baffled. A moment ago, the cat was cunning and smug; now it almost seemed desperate.
I knew this cat wasn't normal… Haa, Lord Thomas might have known about this being, she thought grimly.
Unfortunately, she was stranded in a strange land, surrounded by unknown creatures and a cat with hidden motives. She had no clear way back to Ivory Island.
"I'll think about it," Selene said at last, her voice steady.
Morpheus's ears twitched again, but it said nothing.
Selene turned her attention back to the goblin village, the smoke curling upward, the strange green-skinned beings moving about their lives. Her mind churned with questions and possibilities. She would decide soon—but first, she needed to understand this land, and the cat at her side.
Selene crouched at the edge of the clearing, her eyes glimmering faintly as shadows rolled off her skin like smoke. Wraith Form muffled every sound of her breath, leaving only a drifting silhouette that clung to the night.
She hadn't entered the goblin village. Instead, she slipped through it like a phantom. For two nights, she glided past crude wooden gates, between straw huts and towering fences of sharpened stakes, unseen and unheard.
And for two nights she watched.
What she saw unsettled her. The green-skinned creatures didn't shriek or brawl like the feral goblins of Ivory Island. They spoke in a fluid, alien tongue. Sparks hissed from forges. Goblins carried tools, and the elders shaped black iron into spears, intricate locks, even strange lenses that caught moonlight.
But the greatest surprise came from the center hut. There, robed in stitched leather and bone charms, stood a goblin chief who traced glowing runes in the dirt while chanting to the night sky—a shaman.
Selene drifted back to the trees and dissolved the spell. Her body solidified, breath misting in the cold dawn. "Will there be any humans in this place?" she murmured, scanning the alien horizon.
A familiar weight settled on her shoulder. The black cat reappeared, tail curling like a question mark. "If you can become my master," it purred, "I can help you in many ways."
Selene shot it a suspicious glance.
'The reason I chased after the goblin was due to Lord Thomas's order. But he never mentioned anything about this strange cat.'
At first, she had not dared form a contract with this strange being. But days had passed in this strange world, and the choice gnawed at her. Alone, she risked capture. With the cat or whatever it was, she at least had a chance.
"Let's do it then," she said finally.
The cat's grin widened. A dark ray of energy burst from its forehead, lancing into Selene's chest. She staggered back, gasping, as the creature's body blurred and shrank, folding into light.
When her vision cleared, a golden ring with an obsidian gem lay in her palm, still warm.
I can talk to you telepathically from now on, a voice echoed in her mind.
"You're… the ring?" Selene whispered.
I'm an artifact called the Fragment of Dream. Though I've lost my memories of my origin, I am a powerful artifact—capable of even changing reality.
"…This is the first time I've heard of a talking artifact," she muttered.
'No. This is also the first time I see a talking cat, too.'
'You'll get used to it,' Morpheus replied smoothly.
Selene tightened her fingers around the ring, about to ask more when a strange tugging sensation seized her consciousness. The world around her wavered and folded.
…
Faraway, on the Eclipse World, Ivory Island.
October 30th, Year 1428 — Rune Era.
Raven awoke in his manor, steam curling off his skin from a hot bath. He ate quickly, his movements precise and practiced. Then he went to the bedroom, withdrew the Frozen Ender, and stepped into the illusionary world.
Unlike ten days ago, he lasted against the blue-skinned knight for more than two minutes. Bloodline spells—[Instant Regeneration], [Blood Control], [Past Clone]—helped him greatly during the battle, but even so, holding his ground for that long was a feat. His progress had leapt from 4.5% to 18% in barely over a week.
The knight's spear finally pierced his throat, and Raven jolted awake in his bed. He rose, descended into the underground basement, and practiced spear forms until sweat slicked his palms. Two hours later, he teleported back to his room and lay down, eyes closed.
A faint vibration pulsed from the black compass in his inventory. He drew it out, brows knitting.
"What happened?"
He entered the Throne Hall in a ripple of black mist. A new seat glowed silver along the right side of the circle. Changing into his original appearance, he focused on it.
A moment later, an image resolved: Selene, standing amid tall grasses, her expression startled. Two strange suns burned in the sky above her.
"Where the hell is she?" Raven muttered.
'Could it be? Her destiny changed like I saw in the prophecy?'
He extended a hand and pulled. Her consciousness folded into the hall.
The silver seat flared. Selene appeared in her illusionary form, the black cat-turned-ring flickering at her side. She slowly opened her eyes, taking in the hall of pillars, a round table along with chairs, and an elevated iron throne in the front like a throne.
Morpheus stiffened. Recognition flashed in its gemlike eye. "Ruler's Throne?" it whispered.
Raven lounged back on his seat, crossing his legs, his right hand resting against his chin. "Welcome to the Golden Wheel, Dreamer." He paused; his gaze sharp. "Or should I call you 'Selene' instead?"
Selene's wariness sharpened.