Chapter Fifty-Three: Dreamscape III

Watching this scene, Long Yu remained relatively calm. He understood now that what had happened in his dream was truly unfolding before his eyes—the mutated animals were undeniable proof. But then, a surge of worry for his wife and daughter overwhelmed him. “How are they right now?” The thought plagued him. At this hour, his wife had probably just dropped their daughter at kindergarten and was likely on her way home. But with the chaos and danger outside, there was no time to hesitate—nothing mattered more than their safety.

Yet, how could he possibly get past the gate guarded by the yellow dog? Long Yu’s mind raced for a solution, but no matter how hard he tried, he could think of nothing. If only he possessed the abilities he had in his dream. He recalled the spatial shift he could perform in the dream; if only he had that power, he could find his wife and daughter instantly. But dreams are only dreams—wishes like that never come true. No matter how desperate Long Yu was, he still couldn’t manifest any power.

“Do you wish to obtain the power you had in your dream? Do you want to save your wife and daughter?” A voice suddenly echoed in Long Yu’s mind.

“I do!” At that moment, Long Yu didn’t care who or what the voice was. Like a drowning man clutching at a straw, he answered immediately.

“Very well. As long as you promise to obey my commands in the future, I will grant you the powers from your dream,” the voice replied.

Long Yu didn’t hesitate. He agreed without reservation. Anxious to save his wife and daughter, he would have agreed even if it meant his own death.

“Relax your mind. Do not resist,” the voice instructed again.

Long Yu complied, ceasing all resistance. A wave of mental energy, palpable to him, seeped into his mind. Following the voice’s command, Long Yu made no attempt to stop it, forcing himself to suppress the instinct to fight off the invading presence.

The mental force broke through the defenses of his consciousness, delving deep into his mind, then contracted and condensed into a small core of psychic energy.

Long Yu was stunned to find that he now possessed the powers he’d wielded in his dream. Even his physical strength had reached the same level. What Long Yu didn’t realize, however, was that the invading mental force had embedded itself at the very core of his soul. Its owner could seize complete control of him at any moment.

Now empowered, Long Yu immediately set off to rescue his wife and daughter. Since he wasn’t certain of his wife’s location, he used his spatial shift to appear directly at his daughter’s kindergarten.

Inside, several mutated rats, each nearly half a meter long, were rampaging, attacking everyone in sight. In such a place, the strength of a few rats was more than enough to overwhelm any resistance. With so few adults around, the kindergarten stood no chance against the onslaught.

“Where’s my daughter?” Long Yu ignored the peril facing everyone else and searched frantically for his child.

“Not here!”

“Not here!”

“Still not here!”

Long Yu scoured every classroom on the first floor, killing several mutated rats along the way, but still found no trace of his daughter. The longer he searched in vain, the more frantic he became. He dared not even consider the dangers she might be facing; if something truly happened to her, he felt he might go mad.

When the first floor yielded nothing, Long Yu dashed upstairs, determined to search the entire kindergarten as quickly as possible.

The moment he reached the second floor, he was taken aback. The place was spotless compared to below—tables and chairs neatly arranged. But it didn’t take Long Yu long to realize the reason. There, on the second floor, was a massive creature—much larger than the rats below. It had herded everyone into a single room and was now devouring a child at the doorway.

The remaining people huddled together, trembling as they awaited their fate.

Among them, Long Yu’s eyes instantly found his daughter, and his heart settled somewhat.

“Thank goodness, she’s safe!”

Without delay, Long Yu surged forward like a streak of light, appearing before the giant rat in an instant. Newly mutated, the creature stood no chance against him. With a single punch—no skills needed—the rat died instantly.

“Daddy!” His daughter, seeing that her father had killed the monster, could no longer contain her fear and burst into tears.

Long Yu hurried over and scooped her up, gently comforting her. “Don’t cry. Daddy’s here. I’ll protect you.”

While soothing his daughter, Long Yu activated his spatial shift again, leaving the kindergarten behind. He still had to find his wife, and had no time to worry about the others.

“We’re going to find Mommy now. Try not to cry, or Daddy won’t be able to find her,” he said to his daughter.

She was a sensible child, and upon hearing her father’s words, she quickly wiped away her tears. “I won’t cry anymore. Daddy, please hurry and bring Mommy back.”

Based on the time, he guessed his wife must be somewhere between the kindergarten and their home. So Long Yu shifted only a short distance, appearing not far from the school. He would search from there, following the route home—if his wife had not met with any misfortune, he was sure to find her.

He had barely set out when several mutated cats attacked. With a few casual kicks, Long Yu dispatched them, deliberately holding back so as not to frighten his daughter. Otherwise, even their bodies might not have remained intact.

To avoid further interruptions, Long Yu released his presence fully. Instantly, every animal in his path fled in terror.

The journey was short—only a few kilometers—and Long Yu covered it in minutes. Yet there was no sign of his wife. The streets were empty of the living; everyone who had survived the mutant beasts had already fled. Only bloodied corpses remained.

He couldn’t even find someone to ask about his wife’s whereabouts. Desperate and anxious for her safety, Long Yu found not a single clue and had no solution.

“What should I do?” he wondered in anguish.

He paced the short stretch of road again and again, but it was always the same—no sign of her anywhere. Where could she be? Long Yu was at a loss, not knowing where to search next.