Scene 1: The Power of Dreams and the Price of Help
Carter had been knocked unconscious by the masked man, who vanished into thin air. But when Carter awoke… he wasn't himself.
A dark, terrifying energy pulsed from his body—pure chaos. Everything around him was destroyed in seconds. He wasn't fighting the zombies anymore. He was obliterating them. Obliterating everything.
Even the planet trembled under the pressure of his raw, corrupted power.
Ron landed nearby and called out, "Carter!"
But Carter turned, eyes glowing a haunting purple, and lunged at him. Ron teleported just in time. The building behind him exploded into rubble.
Ron was stunned. "What is this terrifying power…?"
A hand touched his shoulder.
"He's gone berserk," said a familiar voice.
Ron turned. "DA?"
DA watched Carter tear through the landscape. "That's the Dark Faith."
Ron's eyes widened. He'd heard about it from Dr. Thomas—a forbidden force, almost mythical. "How do we stop him?"
"I'll handle it. You take care of the zombies," DA said.
Ron nodded and focused his energy. He unleashed Black Sorcery, blasting zombies into pieces, creating phantom soldiers from shadows, and crushing hordes with telekinesis. Within minutes, he'd cleared the area—again.
But the waves didn't stop.
"Fifth wave incoming," Ron muttered. "DA, could you hurry up?"
No answer.
Ron turned—and saw Carter unconscious on the ground. DA stood next to him, completely calm. He smiled.
"…How did you—" Ron started.
DA gave a casual wave and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Ron called. "Tell me how to end this zombie apocalypse!"
DA paused. "There are three ways to survive this ruined world."
"I'll do anything," Ron said. "This started because of me. I'll go back in time if I have to."
"Time travel?" DA raised an eyebrow. "You'd mess up the timeline even more. This loop… this version of events is different. If you mess with it, you'll create new enemies—worse ones. You already lost your memories because of earlier timeline interference."
Ron stepped forward and grabbed DA by the cloak. "Enough riddles! First, you say I have to find my wife. Then you feed me half-truths. Who even are you?"
DA didn't flinch. "If I were in your place, I'd be furious too. But listen—there are three options:
1. Kill the skelly dude.
2. Ask for help from Mr. Gonzalez.
3. Ask for help from a Beyonder—though it'll kill you."
"Mr. Gonzalez?" Ron asked. "Who's that?"
"You met him. At Bruce's first gathering—remember the guy in the food section?"
Ron thought back. "The quiet guy…"
"That's him. Track him down. He can help."
"What about the skelly? How do I kill him?"
DA laughed. "You can't."
Ron scowled. "Then who can?"
"You can confront him using the Power of Dreams. That'll make killing him possible. Or… you could reverse time with Dream's help. Black Sorcery could also do it—but not at your current level. Maybe Dr. Thomas could pull it off."
"How do I use the Power of Dreams?"
"You can't," DA said, slashing through a zombie. "But your lover can."
Ron flinched. "I don't have a lover."
"Your face says otherwise," DA smirked. "I'm talking about your wife. The one you keep telling people is just a guest. Dream is the one I told you to find. She's not just powerful—her abilities defy reality."
Ron stayed silent.
DA continued, "Forget pride. Accept who she is. But right now—find Mr. Gonzalez. Focus on his aura from Bruce's party, then teleport."
Ron closed his eyes. Energy shifted around him. "Found him."
He vanished.
Ron appeared in a place he didn't recognize.
No buildings. No people. Just barren flatlands beneath a green sky. Light gray fog hugged the earth. Two moons loomed above—one red, one orange. It was alien. Empty. Silent.
Then—movement.
A figure walked through the fog, slowly approaching.
Ron unsheathed the Blade of Vengeance, eyes alert.
The figure emerged—tall, 205cm, muscular, wearing a white shirt, black jacket, blue pants, and pure white shoes. His hands rested behind his back. He smiled.
"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Gravo Gonzalez, son of Mr. Gonzalez. State your purpose."
"I'm Ron. I need to speak to your father."
"Ah. Business with Father. Follow me."
They walked in silence for a while. Ron broke it.
"Where… are we?"
"The bottom layer of the multiverse," Gravo replied. "No one enters without my father's permission. He knew you'd come."
"How?"
"My father's power is '■■■■'. Whatever he says… becomes reality."
Ron blinked. The name of the power was censored. He couldn't hear it.
Gravo smirked. "Yeah. He censored it."
They talked along the way. A strange friendship bloomed.
Eventually, they reached a lone pillar with two chairs, a table with a chessboard, a PS5 hooked to a TV, a snooker table, and a fridge stocked with tea, water, and food.
A man sat on one of the chairs—nearly identical to Gravo, even taller. He looked up, placing a chess piece.
Gravo said, "Ron, meet my father—Mr. Gonzalez."
Mr. Gonzalez stood. Before Ron could speak—
> [GRAVO HAS USED HIS ABILITY: 'CHARACTER STATS' ON YOU.]
A crackle of lightning struck Gravo. He staggered back.
> [ABILITY BLOCKED BY 'THE FOURTH WALL']
Gravo was stunned. "The Fourth Wall…?! That hasn't existed in trillions of years."
Mr. Gonzalez, watching, spoke to him telepathically, "Interesting. I never thought I'd see someone carrying the Fourth Wall again."
Gravo looked at Ron, wide-eyed. "Who gave that to you…?"
Ron was speechless.
Mr. Gonzalez finally spoke aloud, "Welcome, King of the Mirror World."
He turned to his son. "Gravo, give us a moment."
Gravo nodded and left.
Mr. Gonzalez faced Ron. "What do you want?"
Ron gathered himself. This man can make anything happen by speaking it...
"I need your help," he said.
"To kill the skelly dude?" Mr. Gonzalez asked, sipping tea as Gravo returned with refreshments.
"Yes," Ron replied. "Please help me—just this once."
Mr. Gonzalez narrowed his eyes. "Then give me something in return. I want the Mirror World. You give me that—and I'll help you."