Chapter 54: Dreamscape 6

The images finished playing swiftly, and under the influence of a mysterious force, a crack appeared across the milky-white expanse. Dragon Feather, controlled by this enigmatic power, was suspended and drifted toward the fissure.

His soul left the Dreamshade Realm and ascended above the town, then crossed it, arriving at the room where his body lay. The soul returned to its vessel, and moments later, Dragon Feather awoke.

“Dragon Feather, you’re finally awake!” a young man exclaimed, his face alight with excitement.

“Who are you?” Dragon Feather asked, somewhat puzzled. After a moment, he finally recalled the man before him—it was the person he had saved alongside his wife during the battle with the mutant hounds days ago.

Seeing the young man’s excitement, Dragon Feather squeezed his hand, signaling that he remembered.

“You finally remember, Dragon Feather! Everyone’s been waiting for you to wake up!” the young man cried. “Come in, everyone! Dragon Feather is awake!”

At his call, more than a dozen people surged into the already cramped room, leaving no space to spare.

With a resounding thud, someone took the lead, and everyone knelt in unison.

“Thank you, Brother Dragon Feather, for saving our lives!” they said as one, their faces full of gratitude and joy.

“What is all this?” Dragon Feather asked, still confused.

Noticing his furrowed brow and the uncertainty in his eyes, the young man stepped forward to explain: “You don’t know, Dragon Feather. It was only because you risked your life to kill those mutant dogs that we survived. Without you, we would all be dead.”

“That’s right!” the crowd responded in agreement.

“From now on, you are our savior. We will all follow your lead, Brother Dragon Feather!” they declared in unison, their collective voice powerful enough to make the windows vibrate.

Just like that, he had become their leader? Dragon Feather felt something was off, but couldn’t quite pinpoint it. True, he had saved them, and now he had been resurrected; the townspeople had chosen him as their chief—everything seemed to make sense. Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing some vital part of life.

“Brother, come on! You’ve just woken up, and we’ve prepared good food and wine. Tonight, we must drink our fill!” The repeated address of ‘brother’ pleased Dragon Feather greatly. He was just an ordinary teacher, but now he was respected by all, their leader—a boost to his pride that felt more than enough for his life.

If he could find what was needed to resurrect his wife and daughter, bringing them back, he could simply live here in the town, content. What more could he possibly want?

“Let’s go—tonight, we won’t rest till we’re drunk!” Looking at the familiar faces around him, Dragon Feather’s spirits soared.

“Not till we’re drunk!” echoed the crowd.

Surrounded by the throng, Dragon Feather left the room. At the feast, everyone reveled, showering Dragon Feather with praise, which satisfied him deeply. Yet he found it odd—he had always loved drinking, never a meal without wine, but today, the wine tasted harsh and unpleasant. He reasoned that his body was still adjusting after awakening.

As everyone enjoyed themselves, a man rushed in—Dragon Feather recognized him but couldn’t recall his name. Blood still streaked his face, a sign of recent battle.

“Dragon Feather! Outside—mutant beasts are attacking!” he said urgently.

“What’s happening?” Dragon Feather quickly rose, ready to fulfill his role as leader and protect his people.

“It’s the mutant dog pack! They're coming from the east side of town, charging straight at us. Please, Dragon Feather, save everyone!” the man pleaded.

Without wasting another word, Dragon Feather sprang into action, using spatial transfer to reach the site of the mutant dogs, not waiting for the others.

His sudden appearance startled the mutant dogs, causing them to retreat instinctively, preparing to flee.

A low, guttural bark halted their withdrawal—the Dog King was stopping them. The mutant pack was well organized; under the Dog King’s command, they overcame their fear, stopped retreating, and began to surround Dragon Feather once more.

“Good, I’m not too late,” Dragon Feather breathed a sigh of relief.

He scanned the mutant dogs—fifteen in total. The leader’s physical strength was around 350, the others ranged between two hundred and three hundred. Their strength was just right, perfect for his beast-taming technique. The pack’s strong organization made things easier; control the Dog King, and he could command the whole group.

He targeted the strongest Dog King with his beast-taming skill. His spiritual power entered the Dog King’s mind, shattering all resistance in an instant. From that moment, the Dog King became Dragon Feather’s most loyal servant.

“Order your pack to stand down!” Dragon Feather commanded via their soul link.

The Dog King accepted, immediately issuing the command to its followers.

The pack responded with uncertainty, but none dared defy the Dog King’s authority.

“Give another order—make them protect the townspeople from this day forward, obeying my commands,” Dragon Feather instructed through the link.

This time, the Dog King hesitated, sending back through the soul link: “A few wish to challenge my authority. If I give that order, they may rebel.”

“No matter, issue the command. I’ll handle the rest.”

The Dog King obeyed, announcing the new directive to its pack.

Just as the Dog King predicted, two mutant dogs with physical strength around three hundred stepped forward, ready to challenge its rule. The Dog King growled menacingly, but the challengers were prepared—they had coveted the Dog King’s position for a long time, and now, with a controversial command, they saw their chance.

Ignoring the threats, the two mutant dogs launched their attack. For a moment, Dragon Feather was merely an observer, as none of the pack paid him any mind.

It was time to act. As the challengers lunged, Dragon Feather used spatial transfer to close in, dispatching each with a swift kick.

With the challengers gone, the pack no longer dared oppose the Dog King’s orders. Dragon Feather successfully subdued the entire group of mutant dogs.