This loyal follower had already been killed by Lucian and Changli back then.
But in the timeline of Phrolova's dream, this follower hadn't yet volunteered to help Phrolova take Lucian, so he was still alive in this dream.
However, since the dead cannot be revived, this follower was merely a phantom, and the tomato paste on the ground dissipated within seconds.
Phrolova's delicate brows furrowed slightly. For some reason, the scene before her gave her a strong sense of dissonance.
It felt as though her plans and the course of events were completely out of her control and expectations.
"So, just like last time, you were taken by Phrolova?" Rover's voice came through Lucian's terminal.
Phrolova looked at the terminal in Lucian's hand with confusion. Just like last time? What did that mean?
Lucian chuckled. "Exactly. As for why we're back here, I'll explain once we're out."
Rover continued, "We're still on the sea, having veered off the original route. Is there anything we can do to help you?"
Lucian shook his head. "Not for now, but don't worry, I'll be fine. Once I deal with the trouble in front of me, we'll be out."
Hearing Lucian's confident tone, Rover let out a sigh of relief. "We'll wait for your good news."
The call ended, and Phrolova's heart was filled with unease. From Lucian and Rover's conversation, it seemed they had already experienced this scenario once before?
What was going on…?
Phrolova clutched her head in slight pain, her mind a chaotic mess.
Meanwhile, Lucian looked at Phrolova before him with only one thought—get close to her and capture her.
Last time, he let her escape due to his lack of understanding of her. This time, he absolutely couldn't fail…
But if they escaped the Somnoire, the dream would collapse, and they'd likely return to where they were before entering the dream.
He wondered if there was a way to keep her here.
As for whether she would affect their fight against the Black Gatekeeper, that wasn't a concern. Lucian had found a useful item in the system shop…
Lucian rubbed the handle of his giant hammer. Though he was confident he wouldn't fail this time, he still needed to be cautious, as this was Phrolova's dream.
Lucian smiled at Phrolova. "…So, you're here to capture me to be the 'bandit bride' of Fractsidus?"
Phrolova, hearing him speak, shook off the chaotic thoughts in her mind.
Ignoring his teasing, she said, "I do have that intention. Your abilities are impressive…"
"So, you have two choices: come with me to Fractsidus willingly, or…"
Lucian chuckled. "And if I say no?"
Phrolova nodded slightly. So far, Lucian's refusal to join Fractsidus was the only thing within her expectations.
"For someone like you, being a bystander isn't an option. If we can't be allies, we'll have to eliminate you."
Phrolova slowly raised her hand, gently swaying the Red Spider Lily in her grasp.
Her gestures were like flowing poetry, her fingertips light as the wind, tracing invisible melodies in the air.
Following this, countless Tacet Discords, glowing with eerie red light, slowly rose from the water's surface.
However, Lucian didn't wait for her to finish casting. That's something only villains would do.
Phrolova had already shown her fighting style in their previous battle.
It was summoning!
She continuously summoned and controlled Tacet Discords to block Lucian's attacks, and she hadn't displayed any close-combat methods before.
The newly acquired talent "Backstab" came in handy.
Lucian softly uttered, "Freeze."
With that, Phrolova's pupils constricted. Her casting was interrupted on the spot.
Her body… couldn't move…
Phrolova struggled fiercely, but it was futile.
In the face of a rule-level skill, all efforts were in vain.
In Phrolova's eyes, Lucian's figure suddenly vanished, his frequency fluctuation appearing behind her.
"You can't move now, can you?" Lucian said with a mischievous grin by her ear.
He had to admit, the Paralysis Technique was incredibly useful, though its cooldown was unfortunately long.
Phrolova shuddered. In this timeline, Lucian hadn't possessed such a skill or shown such methods before.
Phrolova closed her eyes slightly, thinking that the place meant to trap Lucian like a turtle in a jar had become her own burial ground.
But the expected darkness didn't come. Phrolova opened her eyes in confusion.
Lucian stood in front of her, grinning, holding a bundle of strange ropes glowing with red light.
In the next moment, Lucian bound her with the ropes…
He hadn't killed Phrolova outright because he wasn't sure what consequences that might have on the dream.
So, he redeemed an item from the system shop called "Immortal-Binding Rope."
Immortal-Binding Rope: A rope that can bind enemies, lasting for six hours.
Note: The stronger the enemy, the shorter the binding duration. If the enemy is too strong, the binding may fail.
Lucian had initially worried that the Immortal-Binding Rope might not hold Phrolova, but now he was relieved.
The rope displayed a string of virtual numbers visible only to him, reading "Remaining Time: Four Hours."
It seemed Phrolova's strength was considerable. Who knew the rope could also serve as a strength detector?
Lucian, satisfied, eyed the tightly bound Phrolova. For aesthetic purposes, he had deliberately chosen a red Immortal-Binding Rope.
The ropes left faint marks on Phrolova's soft flesh, and paired with her extremely unwilling expression, it created a rather intriguing scene.
At this moment, the Paralysis Technique wore off, and Phrolova, realizing she could move, struggled fiercely again.
Lucian watched the scene with interest, but just like the Paralysis Technique, her efforts were futile. The Immortal-Binding Rope even tightened with her struggles.
Seeing this, Phrolova stopped struggling and glared at Lucian angrily. "You…!"
She was furious but dared not speak out. After all, she now felt a hint of fear. If Lucian had attacked with a weapon, she might already be…
In the original timeline, Lucian hadn't had such strength, so Phrolova couldn't comprehend why her plan had gone so awry.
This was the result of an information gap.
And Phrolova still hadn't realized she was in a dream.
Lucian laughed. "What, you're not convinced?"
He reached out, took the Red Spider Lily from her hand, and crushed it into powder.
The summoned Tacet Discords around them instantly turned to dust, exploding into nothingness.
Lucian looked at Phrolova, who had turned her head away, and pinched her cheeks, forcing her to face him.
After sizing her up, Lucian clicked his tongue. "Let me think… what's the best way to deal with you?"
Phrolova glared at him coldly.