Chapter 13

013

The Dream-Eater. An A-Class pollutant.

Lu Yan had read the file on the forum.

Just like Awakened were categorized into Combat, Support, and Special types, pollutants also had different classifications. Broadly speaking, there were Mental Pollutants, Biochemical Pollutants, and Special Pollutants.

The Dream-Eater was undoubtedly a Mental Pollutant.

Dream-Eater. True form unknown. Upon appearance, generates a dense fog covering a certain area. Pollution levels are lower at the fog's periphery, increasing closer to the Dream-Eater. Range pollution value: peak 7200, trough 200.

The Dream-Eater favors terrified souls. Its feeding method involves dragging victims into dreams. Death within the dream equals true death. Research indicates the Dream-Eater's dreams are not fabricated from nothing, but are constructed from the real memories of others.

Abilities: Hypnosis, Dream Incursion.

...

The system choosing to go offline was a move of last resort. Strictly speaking, it too was a mental-type entity. As a mass of consciousness existing within another's mind, it would likely stand out like a beacon.

If it attracted the Dream-Eater's attention, Lu Yan's fate would be grim.

The monitor on Lu Yan's wrist was still working, displaying a value of 3.2.

It seemed his inner state wasn't as placid as his expression suggested; he'd experienced at least a 0.1 level of fright.

The ambient pollution value here was 270.

Lu Yan observed through the glass.

"Fatal wound is a gunshot to the chest. Clothing intact. No other visible injuries," he murmured to himself. "The way to break this is to wake the dreamer. But whose dream is this?"

He didn't know if this Lin Sinan was the real Lin Sinan. He hoped not.

Dawn had fully broken. Lu Yan debated whether to leave the vehicle, primarily wary of some 'door-opening' ambush. The dream might be false, but the danger could be real.

He didn't hesitate long. The monitor on his wrist suddenly vibrated.

He looked down. The numbers on the dial were spiraling wildly.

[Pollution value 3000... 4000...]

The value skyrocketed, finally settling on 9999—the device's upper limit.

Clearly, something was approaching.

The atmosphere grew palpably heavier, saturated with a scorching, sulfuric stench.

It was unbearable. Within ten seconds, Lu Yan's throat felt raw and painful.

This reading far exceeded the Dream-Eater's known data. Either the previous intel was wrong, the Dream-Eater had evolved, or this newcomer wasn't the Dream-Eater at all, but some other monster.

Lu Yan felt no curiosity. Curiosity, as the saying went, was what killed the cat.

He tightened his grip on the dagger, slowing his breathing, trying to make himself insignificant.

The pollutant did not pass by as he'd hoped.

It stopped right outside the car door.

From his angle, Lu Yan could only see a section of a suit jacket and a white shirt collar stained with blood.

The build seemed normal—an adult male.

A hand settled on the door handle.

Every muscle in Lu Yan's body coiled. The instant he heard the click of the latch, he shoved the opposite door open and threw himself out.

His struggle was futile against an unknown pollutant of this caliber.

A slender metal chain snapped around his ankle, yanking him backward.

The world spun.

He landed hard at the feet of the pollutant.

The sulfuric smell flooding his nostrils grew overpowering, so thick he felt he'd lost his sense of smell entirely.

He looked up.

A man, likely in his thirties. Exposed skin showed burns severe enough to char flesh, especially on his hands, where the skin had melted away, revealing raw, crimson tissue.

Ignoring the gruesome wounds, his face could even be called handsome.

This was not good news. Research Institute data indicated pollutants whose appearance closely resembled humans often possessed higher threat levels and typically had two forms.

Lu Yan was certain he'd never seen this pollutant before, nor any record of it in the databases.

That meant any Awakened who had encountered it were dead, unable to relay useful intelligence.

The man before him slowly raised a crimson, searing-hot hand.

Lu Yan remained kneeling, the suffocating sulfur fumes making each breath a labor.

Is this it?

The thought flashed, unavoidable. Surprisingly, he felt no fear.

To him, death was peace.

But then, that scorching hand touched his cheek with unexpected gentleness.

It was hot, but not enough to burn.

"Little sister," the pollutant asked, his voice strangely clear, like spring water striking stone. "Why did you run so far this time? I've been searching for you. It's a good thing you're safe. How could your big brother go on living alone?"

Lu Yan's expression froze. In that lightning-fast moment, he finally understood what the system had meant by "you're not some nameless schoolgirl."

In this dream, he was this pollutant's "little sister."

*

Lu Yan rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a student ID.

The name read "Lu Yan." The photo had been torn off, but the edge bore the embossed seal of "M City Third High School." The date was 2111.

Ten years ago. A significant year for Lu Yan as well—the year his father began his aberration.

He didn't know the pollutant's name. Since it called him sister, Lu Yan reluctantly assigned it the codename "Brother."

Based on the severe burns and the lingering sulfur, Brother's aberration was fire-related.

Additionally, he possessed a chain used as a weapon.

Lu Yan was now fastened into the passenger seat by that chain. The pollutant beside him was driving with unsettling normality.

The road was bumpy. Lin Sinan's corpse jostled and tumbled out, landing in a ditch. A pang of regret shot through Lu Yan.

Perhaps he'd stared at the spot for too long. The atmosphere around Brother suddenly grew heavy and oppressive.

"Is that the bastard you met online? Is that why you ran away this time?" Brother's voice was tight with suppressed rage as he slammed the accelerator to the floor. "You're still in high school! You should be focusing on your studies! All you think about is dating! Can't that wait? Does it have to be now?"

"I was in H City preparing litigation documents! The nanny said you were missing. I took the first flight back to find you—I might even miss the court date because of this. Why are you so thoughtless!"

"Fine, I admit forcing those little boyfriends of yours to transfer schools was wrong. But why can't you understand I only want what's best for you? When will you learn to listen? Mother and Father would be heartbroken."

Lu Yan: "..."

So little sister had quite the romantic history.

Lin Sinan's modified vehicle had excellent performance. With the pedal floored, it felt nearly airborne.

Along the roadside, they occasionally passed figures—bodies scorched to brittle charcoal, crawling feebly across the asphalt as if grasping for something.

Lu Yan had worked in the Emergency Department. It meant he was familiar with the basics of many surgical procedures.

He'd treated his share of burn victims over the years. The most memorable were those from a tanker truck explosion.

Those patients, cooked by intense heat, had their superficial skin melted. Some were swollen grotesquely, oozing pus. Others had eyes burned shut, leaving only a raw, red membrane. To ensure they could breathe, tracheotomies were often necessary.

The most heartbreaking part was that even through such agony, many patients remained fully conscious.

Brother hadn't revealed much, but it was enough for Lu Yan to piece together a sketch.

Brother was likely a lawyer or judge. Orphaned, he and his sister relied on each other. He played the roles of father, mother, and brother all at once.

Consequently, he'd developed an extreme need for control and overprotectiveness.

He was also the archetypal Chinese parent. By high school, a severe communication breakdown had erupted with his rebellious sister.

The love he offered was a suffocating weight, constantly reiterating "all I've sacrificed for you," heavy enough to crush a teenage girl with guilt.

Whether Brother was the dream's architect, Lu Yan couldn't yet determine.

He missed the system intensely. If it were here, he'd probably know the color of Brother's underwear by now.

Being in such close proximity to the pollution source, the monitor on Lu Yan's wrist had issued three warnings.

His aberration index was rising at a steady, alarming rate.

At this pace, he had two days to live inside this... scenario.

His current spiritual power threshold was simply too low. Even if the pollutant wasn't actively releasing contamination, he was inevitably being affected.

This was precisely why Ji Wen's assessment had concluded he was "unsuitable for contact with the Tyrant."

After over an hour, the car finally halted in a hillside villa district. The houses were uniformly grey-white, standing like rows of tombstones against the mountain.

Brother's chain remained fastened to Lu Yan's ankle. Brother walked swiftly, but the chain was long enough that Lu Yan could keep up without being dragged.

It was mid-morning, yet an eerie silence blanketed the area. Not even the sound of an animal broke the stillness.

The door swung open, then shut with a heavy, final thud.

The house spoke of wealth. A two-story villa, complete with a garden and a garage.

He led the way, the chain in his hand tugging Lu Yan along, up the stairs to the second floor.

To Lu Yan’s bedroom.

The moment the door creaked open, Lu Yan’s brow furrowed.

The room was large—at least thirty square meters—with an ensuite bathroom.

But the windows were barred with thick iron grates. In the corners of the room, several large eyeballs were embedded in the walls, their pupils rotating ceaselessly, watching. It took Lu Yan a moment to process; they were surveillance devices.

Yet that wasn’t the worst of it.

The pale yellow wallpaper was smeared with great, violent strokes of crimson.

At the center were several bloody handprints, and above them, scrawled in a shaky, desperate script, a single line of words:

Save me.

The metallic tang of blood in the room was so thick it almost overpowered the ever-present sulfur stench. Brother seemed utterly oblivious.

"You’ll stay in your room," Brother said, his voice flat as he padlocked the chain to the heavy bedframe. "Think about what you’ve done. I have a client meeting. I’ll be back later."

His burned, searing-hot hand came down, gently ruffling Lu Yan’s hair.

Lu Yan didn’t flinch.

Brother’s mood visibly lightened. A faint, satisfied smile touched his ruined lips.

But as he reached the doorway, he paused. He turned back, as if struck by a sudden, idle thought.

"You’re being so quiet today, little sister," he murmured, his clear voice laced with a strange curiosity. "Why haven’t you screamed at me yet?"