Chapter 165: Chapter 165:Ranking Up [1]

Reopening my eyes, I realized that I was no longer in the cave... or anywhere for that matter.

In front of me sat a system menu that I stared at, shellshocked.

[You and your party have completed the Dream!]

[Calculating Completion Rate [--*--] ] ---> [Error: Value cannot be calculated]

[Your rewards will be handed out accordingly!]

A dream...

You're telling me that was all a dream!?

Around the system menu, I seemed to be in a pitch-black void as everything around me was covered in darkness.

Still lying down on the floor, I looked upwards at the never-ending abyss of black darkness above me.

I was too tired to be angry...

As my surroundings distorted once again and the system menu promptly disappeared, a sudden jolt coursed through my body.

Closing my eyes due to the pain, I felt my surroundings adjust as I was no longer lying down but somehow sitting down.

...it really was all a dream.

Keeping my eyes closed for a second longer, I contemplated just manifesting a crow and swapping bodies to avoid this current situation.

A very peculiar word was mentioned in my congratulations for completing the dream.

"you and YOUR PARTY"

...my party?

Wasn't I just fighting against them to kill the spirit and Zach, not only a couple of minutes ago?

One could say the main cast should get down on their knees and thank me for killing the spirit and allowing us to complete the dream.

However, that one would most definitely be wrong.

After all, in their eyes, I had just attempted to kill one of their friends, even going as far as to threaten them as well.

Misunderstanding upon misunderstandings...

That was my entire life at this point.

Of course, it was mostly my fault as I had never bothered to clear up these misunderstandings. Sёarch* The Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Realizing that I couldn't muster the energy to use my corruption to manifest a crow, I sighed before listening to the conversations around me.

I really had no choice here...

Though, since I was still pretending to be passed out, I could not see who was talking; it was very easy to identify people by just their voices.

Somewhere to my right, Liam screamed out.

"ZACH, ZACH, WHERE ARE YOU?"

As soon I dismissed the corrupted figure, they must have been blinded by the sudden light before receiving the system message like me, so they didn't end up seeing me kill the spirit and not Zach.

From beside me, I felt a pair of shoulders slump against mine before a warm and soft voice spoke.

"hah...I'm right here. Liam, what's all the c-commotion for."

Before Liam could reply, Kevin's voice spoke from my far right as he tried his best to remain nonchalant while responding.

"Oh, we're not surprised or anything after watching you come this close to death? I knew your self-awareness was terrible, Zach, but this is simply astounding."

From in front of me, Lily's distressed voice immediately replied.

"Really, is this the time for sarcasm, Kevin?"

"Oh, so I can't use sarcasm when we're in a near-life death situation, AND when we're just sitting in a carriage? Tell me, when am I su-"

*CRASH*

From all the way in front, a deep and elder voice spoke.

"KEEP IT DOWN BACK THERE!"

"..."

"..."

Time...time... how much time had passed in the real world?

Around three days had passed in that dream... but since the main cast and I were still inside the carriage, that would have to mean less than half a day had passed here.

Trying to confirm my theory, I slightly opened my eyes for a brief second before staring out the window.

The lush-green grass and the leaves of the several trees in the distance swaying in the wind, the orange sky shining over anything, and last of all, a sense of familiarity with my eyes.

We were indeed still on our trip back to the Celestial Academy.

Closing my eyes once again, I stayed completely still and continued listening in.

After a couple more friendly words for their reuniting with Zach, Lily finally asked from across me.

"Zach...what exactly do you remember?"

After a moment of silence, Zach replied hesitantly.

"The last thing I remember is being shown a system menu... and before that, when we found... Ren and Lily together."

It seemed that the spirit had not manipulated or done anything to Zach's memories, so he remembered everything correctly except the portions of his memory when the spirit had possessed him.

Irene, who had been quietly chatting with Ruby until now, asked from my far right and across the carriage.

"So...I'm guessing we all saw that system menu, then... right?"

After a moment of silence, where I guessed the others nodded their heads, Irene continued.

"Does that mean... all of that... those last four days were all just a dream..?"

Breaking the unbearable silence that descended from Irene's question, Alya looked behind her, ensuring the carriage driver wasn't listening, before replying.

"But...how can that be possible? The last time we entered a dream, all of us had to agree...this time, we were just hurled in..."

From beside Alya and Irene, Ruby curiously asked.

"I did my first dream alone, but Zach, Kevin, Lily, and Liam...you four did it together, right? Maybe it had something to do with that?"

After a moment of silence, Liam replied.

"Yeah... when the four of us entered our first dream, only one of us had to click the button... then the rest of us were just teleported like magic."

..?

So, I was dragged into this scenario because some idiot here decided they wanted to enter a damn dream at this very moment?

...Also, what are these mechanics?

Is there no consent?

I can be teleported into a dream just because I'm sitting in the same carriage as the person who clicked the button...?

What kind of bullshit is this?

*BANG*

From my far right, the sound of a fist hitting the wood of the carriage reverberated throughout the area.