Chapter 1877 - 1876: Awakening from the Coffin

The girl in the white dress had also stopped at this point. She hid behind a massive pillar and glanced at Anke, who had run up behind her.

Anke understood what the girl in the white dress meant.

"Your turn to perform."

Anke turned his head and looked at the woman in leather boots, falling silent for a moment.

From the woman’s movements, he could vaguely sense that she was an expert.

An expert far above his level.

Only now did he suddenly realize that the people in this building all seemed much stronger than him; if he wasn’t careful, he could get beaten to death at any time.

So where exactly had he gotten the confidence to dare come into this building in the first place?

Anke could only feel that he’d really had some guts.

And now he’d ended up hanging himself out to dry here.

He shifted his gaze and looked from the other side of the pillar.

The wooden hut had both a door and windows.

The door was in front, the window at the back.

There were people guarding the door, but none at the window.

Anke turned his head and glanced around; not far from that window there just happened to be a pillar.

"Come with me." He raised his hand and beckoned to the girl in the white dress.

Then he turned and ran toward a pillar in the rear.

The girl in the white dress gave him a look, then followed after him.

Soon, they circled around from the back. After completely avoiding the line of sight of the woman in leather boots at the front, they slipped around to the rear window of the hut and hid behind the pillar near the back window.

Anke lifted his gaze. The rear window was a purely wooden frame, its opening sealed with a sheet of slightly foggy old-fashioned glass. Through that glass, he could only make out the vague shapes of tables and other furniture inside.

"That window looks like it’s sealed shut." The girl in the white dress, standing behind Anke, raised her head to glance at the glass and whispered.

But Anke acted as if he hadn’t heard her. He set a gun down behind the pillar, waved his hand to signal the girl in the white dress to follow.

He had already stepped forward, walking up to the window.

The girl in the white dress looked at his back, then quickly kept up with his pace.

Very soon, Anke reached the window. He pulled out the stun baton in his hand and gave the rear window glass a hard rap.

Thump, thump—

Accompanied by a clear, crisp sound, the rear window glass didn’t move an inch.

Anke tapped on the wooden frame beside it as well, but there was still no response, not even a quiver.

The wood and glass looked like wood and glass, but their actual strength was far beyond that of ordinary wood and glass.

They were more like some bizarre material disguised as wood and glass.

"Stay close to me."

After the second failed attempt, Anke let out a low shout, then immediately ran toward the other side.

The girl in the white dress instantly matched his pace.

In no time, they had reached the side of the house.

Meanwhile, behind them, the woman in leather boots had already walked up to the glass.

She lifted her head and glanced at the intact pane, then turned her gaze toward the pillar not far away.

The butt of a gun could be seen faintly sticking out from behind the pillar.

She frowned slightly and walked straight over.

By this time, Anke had already led the girl in the white dress around to the front door of the hut, coming to a stop before the wooden door.

He raised his hand, gripped the wooden handle, and gave it a push inward.

The wooden door swung open at once, and a faint floral fragrance drifted out from within.

Anke didn’t have time to savor the scent of the room. He waved to the girl in the white dress and stepped straight through the wooden doorway.

Once the girl in the white dress had entered, he pulled the door shut behind them, found the bolt on the back of the door, and slid it into place.

Then he peered through the rear window glass, took a look at the woman in leather boots who had stepped out from behind the pillar with gun in hand, and turned away to hide behind the window.

Only now did he finally have time to take in the furnishings of the room.

The layout inside was extremely simple: a long table, and a genuine leather sofa—wooden frame, stretched tight with exotic beast hide.

Beside the sofa stood a fireplace, in which a few embers still glowed faintly.

It looked very much like a parlor for receiving guests.

And one in an old-fashioned style at that—one glance and you could tell it belonged to some Old Geezer, indisputably old.

On the inner side of the parlor there was also a small door, apparently leading to a bedroom.

"Is there anything here we can use to wake those people up?" Anke turned his head and looked at the girl in the white dress.

Her face was slightly flushed now, her skin far rosier than when they had first met, as if from the recent burst of exertion.

This time, the girl in the white dress didn’t answer Anke. Instead, she turned her head and pointed to a Crystal Ball on the conference table that was radiating a purple glow.

"With this Crystal Ball, we can wake them from the Dream?"

Anke lowered his head and swept his gaze over the Crystal Ball on the table.

As his eyes fixed on the Crystal Ball, a faint pull spread out from it, tugging at his gaze.

In that instant, he seemed to see the streets of Vissen, the pedestrians coming and going, and his ailing mother standing at the door, waiting for him.

His mother hadn’t looked this spirited in a long time.

Behind her, his eldest brother was packing up his tools, apparently getting ready to go to work.

They were strong and healthy, smiles on their faces, just like when he’d been a child.

His footsteps "landed" on the ground, and everything around him was sharpening, becoming clear at a speed visible to the meat eyes.

Right then, something deep in his Soul seemed to give him a sharp yank.

He snapped awake; the entire scene around him shattered in an instant. The faint floral fragrance filled his nostrils again, and he found himself back inside the small, tightly shut hut.

"So this is the ’Dream’ they’re in?" Anke lowered his head to look at the Crystal Ball before him.

Countless lights and shadows rose and fell within the Crystal Ball—these were Dreams, one after another, carefully woven. Within them were splendid cities and wondrous Magic.

All the "fantasies" of the Dream’s owner would be "realized" in the Dream.

Anke stared at the Crystal Ball, and faintly felt a touch of drowsiness—not just ordinary sleepiness, but a weariness in his body as well.

Just that brief instant in the Dream had left his body a little weaker.

Although he quickly recovered, he also realized that sustaining these Dreams did not come without a price.

The longer one stayed in the Dream, the more the body would likely weaken.

But how were they supposed to end these Dreams?

Anke raised his hand, trying to touch the Crystal Ball.

Pa—

A slightly reddened hand grabbed his wrist.

The hand was much warmer than Anke’s, to the point that it even scorched him for an instant.

Yet before Anke could react, the hand let go.

Anke turned around, only to see the white‑skirted girl, her whole body faintly flushed, falling backward and sitting down on the floor.

At this moment she seemed to have lost all strength; she raised her head, looking at Anke.

Her skin was tinged with a faint blush, and her white teeth lightly bit into her crimson lower lip.

Anke stared blankly at this scene; he reached out and touched the white‑skirted girl’s forehead.

That scalding heat instantly burned the back of his hand.

"You have a fever?" Anke looked at the girl.

He pulled his hand back.

Pa——

But in that instant, his hand was grabbed again.

The white‑skirted girl raised her head; her beautiful, delicate cheeks were faintly stained with red, and a layer of crystalline dew had already gathered over her jet‑black eyes.

"It’s the medicine," the girl spoke softly; she released Anke’s hand, her voice low and drawn‑out, as if enduring and suppressing some kind of pain, "Madam gave me ’cold medicine’ to take."

"Side effects of the cold medicine?" Anke was slightly taken aback.

But very quickly, he realized what was in that "cold medicine."

That beautiful woman had probably added some kind of stimulating "excitant" into the cold medicine, in order to give the "man" in the room a better "experience."

According to that beautiful woman’s script, at the beginning the girl would fiercely resist and refuse, and then, once the drug took effect, she would turn from rejection to compliance.

And now, although Anke had rescued the girl, that "excitant" swallowed into her belly was still taking effect right on schedule.

"What should I do?" Anke looked at the scene before him, feeling somewhat at a loss.

"Don’t do anything," the white‑skirted girl laboriously propped herself up, "Don’t mind me, I’m fine."

She staggered toward the sofa to the side.

Anke reached out, wanting to support her, but she brushed him off directly.

Anke could only watch her walk to the sofa and slump against it.

At this moment the girl’s skin was growing even more rosy, as if a faint heat could be seen steaming off it, forming a stark contrast with the pure‑white hem of her skirt.

The floral fragrance diffused around them seemed to have undergone some kind of change, turning enticing, soul‑stealing.

The girl glanced at Anke, then turned her head away, propping her brow slightly, as if preparing to drift off.

Anke took a deep breath and simply turned his gaze away, looking at the Crystal Ball in front of him.

He forcibly wiped the girl’s image from his mind, lowered his head, and stared at the Crystal Ball before him.

Perhaps, just smashing this Crystal Ball directly would do.

Dong——

A soft sound rang by Anke’s ear.

He turned his head, and saw only a sweep of snow‑white skirt and jade‑like, translucent skin faintly flushed red.

That soft hand was tightly gripping his.

The white‑skirted girl who had been sitting on the sofa was now kneeling before Anke; her white bodice had been torn open, the tied skirt ripped, revealing reddened skin.

Her jet‑black eyes were now completely suffused with moisture, as if fine, slender threads could be drawn from them.

She looked at Anke, her voice very soft, very low, carrying hope and entreaty rising from the depths of the Soul, "I beg you——"

In that instant, Anke felt his mind go blank; all Reason was shattered in a single moment.

He reached out by reflex, pressing down on the girl’s shoulder.

And in that same instant, a calm voice, seemingly devoid of any emotion, rang out in Anke’s mind: "Run!"

This voice was like the tolling of a bell in some ancient city, piercing through Anke’s Soul, memory, and consciousness.

The memories he had long ignored and buried resurfaced once more; he suddenly remembered that he had not come here alone.

Old Geezer?

That was the first thought that rose in his mind.

"Don’t worry about anything, run!"

That aged voice sounded by his ear once more.

He turned his head, looked behind him, and, without the slightest hesitation, dashed toward the wooden door to the side.

The Crystal Ball on the table, the beautiful girl under the table, everything around him—those slumbering people—seemed no longer to be anything he cared about.

At this moment, his mind held only the agreement with that Old Geezer.

Run!

He yanked the wooden door open, and under the puzzled gaze of the woman standing before the door, rushed straight ahead.

Everything around him shifted in that instant, as if the world itself were twisting.

A long, narrow, and blurred passage unfolded before the youth; yet the youth seemed not to notice any of this, his head lowered, thinking of nothing at all, madly charging forward on his own.

He plunged into that passage, into that blurred world, and sped toward the outside.

And behind him, in the little wooden house with its door ajar, the white‑skirted girl who had been kneeling slowly stood up, patted her skirt, the gesture revealing a tantalizing allure, "No fun."

The woman outside the door turned her head, stepped into the room, looked at the white‑skirted girl, and said in some panic, "Miss!"

"It has nothing to do with you," the white‑skirted girl clapped her hands, then raised her hand, signaling for the woman outside the door to close it.

The rosy flush that had covered her whole body quickly faded, reverting to fair skin.

She turned her head and looked at the table ahead.

On that table, at some unknown moment, a small black Coffin had appeared.

Fine, dense patterns covered the Coffin, as if telling some ancient history.

And under the white‑skirted girl’s gaze, that pitch‑black Coffin suddenly swelled, growing with the wind, and in an instant was taller than a person.

Dong——

Immediately, a booming roar sounded from within the Coffin; its tightly shut lid was being pushed open from the inside.

Hong——

Thunder roared above the sky; some ancient and vast aura swept through the entire room.

The wooden boards of the little house, which had seemed indestructible, were ripped apart in an instant by that mighty storm, bursting into a skyful of splinters.

"Coffin of Time?" The white‑skirted girl looked at the pitch‑black Coffin, raised her hand, and lightly pressed down upon the void.

The Fierce storm that had been blasting in all directions was forcibly suppressed, dissipating within this space.

But by now, beneath the top of the huge attic, surging clouds and mist had already gathered; wild Thunder descended from above, wrapping around that pitch‑black Coffin like long, thin chains, coiling about it.

A faint violet radiance flared within the Coffin, binding it.

Dong——

Yet under the shroud of these Fierce forces, a withered hand stretched out from the gap where the Coffin’s lid had opened, gripping the lid and prying it ajar.

Hong——

Thunder in Heaven burst forth with a violent roar.

Streams of black light seeped out from the gap in the Coffin’s lid, continually converging in the sky, and eventually coalescing into a hazy human shape.

Then that black radiance drew inward, condensing, solidifying into the form of an Elderly with a tall, straight figure.

And the white‑skirted girl fixed her gaze on this Elderly; a trace of faint surprise flickered in her jet‑black eyes.

The Elderly lowered his head, looking at the white‑skirted girl before him. "Ai Luoti, long time no see."