Chapter 15

Several figures wearing dark coats or hooded robes were traversing the depths of the dense forest.

A faint black smoke shrouded them, and jet-black symbiotic chains extended from their bodies. Hideous and terrifying abyssal demons accompanied them. Richard and his "compatriots" had been operating in this dreamscape for some time, and according to the augury bird's perception, they were already very close to the "Silent Wall."

But the team suddenly stopped.

The atmosphere in the forest underwent a subtle change. From a certain moment, a thin layer of mist had appeared from nowhere, flowing in wisps and strands through the open spaces between the trees. And with the appearance of the mist, the entire dense forest was becoming even more..."silent" than before.

Du Meng frowned with a solemn expression. He remembered that when he first entered the Dream of the Nameless, he could still hear all kinds of sounds in this forest – the sounds of unknown birds flapping their wings and flying high, and the sounds of unknown beasts roaring in the distance. Although he could never see the figures of those "birds and beasts," the various sounds representing vitality were always present.

But now, those sounds had disappeared. All that remained in the forest were the occasional sounds of the wind and the slight rustling of leaves – which only made the place seem even more silent.

Any changes in the Dream of the Nameless had to be treated with caution.

"This fog is a bit strange," another Annihilation cultist said in a low voice. A jellyfish-like cloud of smoke and dust floated in the air beside him, and the tentacles extending from the bottom of the jellyfish were swinging wildly in mid-air, carrying a hint of reassurance, "Your demon has sensed panic and...it's the emotion released by that 'forest' itself."

"The Dream of the Nameless doesn't have emotional changes. It's essentially a vast mind," Chad said in a deep voice. "Its emotions suddenly changing could mean someone has reached the core area of that mind...Could someone have found the 'Chaotic Wall'?"

"Could it be your people?" the Annihilation cultist who coexisted with the smoke-dust jellyfish asked.

Chad began to seriously consider it again.

That should be "common sense" that every Annihilation cultist who advanced to the rank of priest knew, but for some reason, when Li Dumeng recalled those pieces of knowledge at this moment, he felt a strange sense of...novelty.

"Help us? How can you help us?"

Li Dumeng blinked, suddenly feeling a little puzzled. He felt as if he had just heard someone talking to him, and even remembered having a conversation with them, but just for a moment, the voice disappeared, as if...it was just an illusion.

The tiny, insignificant voice in his mind gradually faded away.

"...We'll set up marker points here," Chad didn't seem to notice Li Dumeng's gaze, and had already begun to assign the next tasks according to plan. "This place can indirectly affect Silantis's underlying mind. It's a suitable area for deployment."

"Yes, I'm fine," Li Dumeng immediately raised his head and patted the clothes he had messed up by scratching. "I just felt a little itchy. This fog is making me uncomfortable."

They went in pairs, carrying ritual daggers used to leave "marks," and headed in several directions towards the small paths in the forest where thin mists were flowing. Soon, they disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

"Don't you notice? His compatriots... their bellies are empty, not even cotton inside, how pitiful. No cotton, no coolness, no cotton, no soul, no cotton, nothing... You still have cotton, hateful rag doll, give them some cotton too, Rabi can lend you the cotton, just... remember to return it..."

Li Dumeng was stunned for a moment, then reached into his chest and felt for his bone shard dagger.

"Then let's begin."

Continuing to ignore or refute the other party's suggestion in this situation would make it seem as if he was deliberately targeting an experienced person – a mean and narrow-minded image would not be beneficial to leading the team.

Li Dumeng suddenly woke up and realized that he had been scratching the skin on his neck and waist for a while. He raised his hand with some doubt, seeing that there were many fine white fibers in his fingernails for some reason, looking like...

Li Dumeng frowned, slowly shaking his head, seemingly instinctively feeling that something was not quite right. He was still hesitating: "But... what should I do..."

Then, he could "help" them.

Chad had already begun to lead the team in the manner of a "leader." His self-righteous and arrogant attitude had always been very annoying... The team did need someone to give orders, but originally, that role should have been his...

"Isn't the most important reason because there are still many people in the way watching?" the voice in his mind said softly, with thoughtful concern and a trustworthy tone. "If no one's watching, then it won't be a problem at all..."

The Annihilation cultists immediately began to act.

Li Dumeng also walked towards Chad with a ritual dagger – but he was very cautious. He knew he had to wait a while, wait until the others were far enough away, wait until Chad focused his attention on setting up the marker points.

The surrounding cultists nodded in agreement, then each took out ritual props from their bodies – strange daggers with jet-black colors and curved blades.

"Of course," Li Dumeng smiled, seemingly very satisfied with the arrangement.

He shook his head, throwing the strange feeling aside, and looked at Chad: "We need to set up as many 'marks' as possible after this dreamscape begins. Splitting up might be more efficient."

"How pitiful."

But in the next second, the rage like poisonous fire suddenly extinguished, replaced by icy rationality. Li Dumeng was surprised that he could be so calm –

Listening to the voice in his ear, Li Dumeng felt a little sullen in his heart.

He raised his head, looking at Chad in front of him, as well as his other compatriots.

"Cotton," he said softly.

"Let's begin, Chad," Li Dumeng said.

"Okay, then we'll go in pairs and set up marker points along the edge of the mist," Chad nodded, quickly making arrangements, then looked at Li Dumeng. "Li Dumeng, you're with me."

They didn't even have cotton.

Chad seemed to just be seriously reminding him, without any mockery or contempt in his words, but Li Dumeng felt a hint of sarcasm in the other party's eyes, and immediately felt rage rising in his heart like a poisonous fire.

"It's so unfair," Li Dumeng's mouth opened and closed slightly, muttering in a low voice that only he could hear, "But this is the saint's arrangement... and Chad is indeed capable..."

Chad was also satisfied.

"...Gathering means safety," Chad seriously considered the suggestion for a moment, and shook his head, "Don't forget the failures you encountered before – compatriots acting alone have almost no power to resist when facing 'Him's' leaders."

The sincere expression on Li Dumeng's face and the calmness in his tone had an effect.

"Of course we can't act alone. I mean two to eight people per group, which can ensure mutual support and complete the task as quickly as possible – and to be honest, even if we really encounter those 'leaders' and fall into a disadvantage, we can quickly evacuate this dreamscape. According to my previous observations, those 'leaders' don't seem to be able to come and go freely in the dreamscape like we do..."

"Cotton? What cotton?" Chad frowned. "Your condition doesn't seem right."

Li Dumeng remembered that the raw material of this dagger was the bones left behind by the abyssal demons who failed in the summoning ritual – not all summoning and symbiosis rituals could succeed. Failures would become nourishment under the altar, and those Annihilation cultists with poor talents would wash the altar with their blood. The demons who died due to ritual failure would leave behind some bone shards, which could be used to make props.

So pitiful.

Chad had already begun to lead this team in the manner of a "leader." His self-righteous and arrogant attitude had always been very annoying... The team did need someone to give orders, but originally, that role should have been his...

"Let's begin, hateful rag doll," the voice in his mind said.

Chad felt that he should accept this suggestion – as a new, tacit leader, accepting suggestions was also part of consolidating authority.

Anyway, if something really happened, the responsibility would be Li Dumeng's.

This was a small carving knife, only the size of a palm, made of jet-black bones, with strange and complex patterns covering the surface, exuding an ominous aura.

Li Dumeng covered his forehead, hesitant: "But I can't... they're all my compatriots..."

He felt that he had been greatly humiliated.

Chad nodded, without doubting anything, and turned his attention to the others: "We should have entered the influence range of the Chaotic Wall. According to those 'missionaries,' this place is Silantis's 'mind-gazing zone.' If you see or hear anything that hasn't appeared in the forest before, be sure to tell the others."

A cult comrade with multiple dream exploration experiences – although his condition has not been very good since the last exploration, his suggestion has obviously been carefully considered, is trustworthy, and every reason is justified.

Li Dumeng was holding a ritual dagger and walking towards Chad – but he was very cautious. He knew he had to wait a while, wait until the others were far enough away, wait until Chad focused his attention on setting up the marker points.

"So unfair," Li Dumeng's mouth opened and closed slightly, muttering in a voice that only he could hear, "But this is the saint's arrangement... and Chad is indeed capable..."

Chad was also satisfied.

"...Gathering means safety," Chad seriously considered the suggestion for a moment, and shook his head, "Don't forget the failures you encountered before – compatriots acting alone have almost no power to resist when facing 'Him's' leaders."

The sincere expression on Li Dumeng's face and the calmness in his tone had an effect.

"Of course we can't act alone. I mean two to eight people per group, which can ensure mutual support and complete the task as quickly as possible – and to be honest, even if we really encounter those 'leaders' and fall into a disadvantage, we can quickly evacuate this dreamscape. According to my previous observations, those 'leaders' don't seem to be able to come and go freely in the dreamscape like we do..."

"Cotton? What cotton?" Chad frowned. "Your condition doesn't seem right."

Li Dumeng remembered that the raw material of this dagger was the bones left behind by the abyssal demons who failed in the summoning ritual – not all summoning and symbiosis rituals could succeed. Failures would become nourishment under the altar, and those Annihilation cultists with poor talents would wash the altar with their blood. The demons who died due to ritual failure would leave behind some bone shards, which could be used to make props.

So pitiful.

Listening to the voice in his ear, Li Dumeng felt a little sullen in his heart.

He raised his head, looking at Chad in front of him, as well as his other compatriots.

"Cotton," he said softly.

"Let's begin, Chad," Li Dumeng said.