Dream

Translator: Cinder Translations

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"I asked him if the aging, sickness, and death in the Blackstone Town, trapped in the black fog, were the same as in the real world," Jiang Cheng continued. "He answered, yes."

Chen Ran, who was sitting on the ground, squinted and looked behind the Fatty. He suddenly smiled and said, "I can testify to what Brother Hao said." He threw the extinguished torch behind him and patted the ash from his hands. "I heard it too."

The Fatty seemed to be trying to understand what they were saying. After a few seconds, his face darkened, taking on a grayish tint.

"So..." The Fatty stared with terrified eyes. "The town chief and them... they... already...?"

"They didn't temporarily escape from those things as the town chief said," Jiang Cheng said, then paused, as if thinking of a more fitting way to phrase it.

Chen Ran grinned. "Assimilation."

Jiang Cheng glanced at him before continuing, "That's right, assimilation." He looked at the Fatty and said indifferently, "They did not escape the assimilation of those strange, resurrected beings."

"They were probably killed once, and then their bodies were placed on the stone slab and mysteriously resurrected."

"The dead retain their memories from life, so they continue to live in Blackstone Town," he paused, "just like they did when they were alive."

"But the only difference is, they don't age. Each person's life is permanently fixed at the last moment before their death."

"They can't escape from this seaside city either." Su Xiaoxiao looked out the window and coldly added, "To them, it's like a prison on the sea."

The amount of information was overwhelming, and Fatty's mind seemed to freeze. After a while, he looked at the doctor, a bit dazed, and asked, "So, keeping the lighthouse flame burning won't help us escape the nightmare, is that right?"

"This is only beneficial to the people in Blackstone Town!" The Fatty said excitedly. "They've lied to us!"

"We can't determine if the flame in the lighthouse is related to us escaping the nightmare, but one thing is certain, it is beneficial to the things in Blackstone Town." Jiang Cheng tilted his head and glanced at the town on the dark sea, where the flames were burning, giving the appearance of a lively scene.

The word "things" instinctively made the Fatty feel uncomfortable.

The people who had talked to them, invited them to dinner, and chatted so casually... turned out to not be human. The entire Blackstone Town, floating on the sea, was a "dead city."

The "night" outside was as thick as an unshakable smear of ink.

After another exhausting day, Jiang Cheng returned to his old spot and rested against the wall.

The Fatty, showing good sense, came over and curled up beside him. He lowered his voice and said, "Doctor, you sleep well, I'll keep watch tonight."

"You sleep," Jiang Cheng laid his head on his arm, not even opening his eyes. "It's probably only two or three more hours before daylight. I'll sleep once it's morning."

"Then... thank you, Doctor."

The Fatty didn't waste time, obediently following the doctor's instructions. In this nightmare, only the children who listened to the doctor could survive with all their limbs intact.

Those who didn't listen to the doctor, or even tried to harm him, would have their graves overgrown with three feet of grass.

The Fatty chose a spot next to the doctor and lay down, ensuring he would be noticed by the doctor.

Especially his back and neck.

His outer coat had been torn into strips and wrapped around Su An, and now, he could only shrink himself as much as possible. Fortunately, the room was warm due to the flames.

To be fair, the Fatty didn't want the flames to go out.

He just lay down, facing Chen Ran's position. His body was half-hidden in the darkness where the firelight didn't reach. The Fatty wasn't sure whether Chen Ran had fallen asleep or was staring at him.

Why would Chen Ran be staring at him? If anyone was watching, it should be the doctor.

The Fatty swallowed nervously, then awkwardly turned his body to avoid facing Chen Ran.

But the next second, his peripheral vision accidentally caught another gaze.

Almost the moment he noticed this gaze, his body involuntarily trembled.

It was a primal reflex, like an animal's response to a higher-level predator, originating from the suppression in his bloodline.

In the darkness beyond the firelight, a face slowly emerged.

An old woman's twisted face, with bloodshot eyes, was staring at him. The next moment, a crimson tongue slithered out from her mouth and spun greedily around her lips.

That night, the Fatty ended up sleeping next to the doctor. He thought he understood why the doctor refused to sleep.

If he slept, with his current abilities, he was no match for the old woman, Chen Ran, or Su Xiaoxiao. If any of them used some tricks, he and the doctor's heads might be off by morning.

That night, he had many strange dreams, some even absurd. He dreamed of a giant white stone slab surrounded by countless people shouting something loudly.

Hot blood splashed onto the stone slab, its redness searing to the eye.

The stone slab had an odd carving, and the bright red blood flowed along the grooves, making the picture clearer. Gradually, he widened his eyes.

It was a creature he had never seen before.

Just as the picture was about to reveal its full form, the Fatty was slapped awake. Still immersed in the dream, he shivered violently.

The person who woke him up lay down right after.

"Wake me up in 2 hours," Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, resting his head on his arm. "Stay here, don't leave."

For the next while, the Fatty diligently stayed by Jiang Cheng's side. When he thought the time was close, he woke him up.

"Doctor," the Fatty gently patted him, "It's time to wake up."

"Doctor?"

"Time."

The Fatty called out three times before Jiang Cheng finally opened his eyes. After a moment, Jiang Cheng slowly sat up, stretched, and then stood up to move his body.

The Fatty suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the doctor.

He was clearly exhausted, and there were faint red blood vessels in his eyes.

"Where are the others?" Jiang Cheng glanced around and turned to look at the Fatty.

The room only had the old woman and Su An, who had woken up but still looked very weak. He was leaning in the corner, glancing at Jiang Cheng occasionally.

Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Ran were gone.

"Doctor," the Fatty whispered, "They said they went to search for clues nearby and told us to stay here to guard the flame, along with Su An and the woman."

(End of the Chapter)

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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.