The world shimmered back into focus as Jimmy and Lana emerged from the Dreamwalking portal, stepping out onto a secluded hillside overlooking the city of Venon. The stars were still out, though the horizon hinted at dawn.
Lana collapsed to one knee, still breathless from the intensity of the Dream Realm.
"Master... that place... it felt like we were drowning in thoughts."
Jimmy remained silent for a moment, silver eyes scanning the land below. He was changed now. Inside his mind stirred a presence—not hostile, but hungering. The Dream Parasite had taken root.
"We're on the edge of something big," he muttered. "The world doesn't know it yet... but I'm not just a player anymore."
He looked at Lana and smiled. "I'm the dream they won't wake up from."
---
Back in Venon, as the sun began to rise, Jimmy and Lana returned to the Adventurer's Guild. The same receptionist from before looked up, visibly surprised to see them alive—and different. There was something unnerving in Jimmy's smile now.
He handed over a tattered Dreamborn mask as proof of completion.
"Wailing Mire?" she asked, examining the eerie relic.
Jimmy nodded. "Cleaned."
> [Quest Complete: Haunting at the Wailing Mire]
> Reward: 4 Silver + Bonus (Rare Item Delivered)
> Rank Advancement: F → E
"Impressive," she said, reluctantly handing over the reward. "That Mire took a squad of B-Ranks last time."
Jimmy shrugged. "Maybe they weren't dreaming big enough."
He winked at her. She flushed and quickly looked away.
---
Instead of leaving the city, Jimmy decided to remain in Venon for a few more days. He needed to grow stronger, gather more tools, and plant more seeds.
Each morning, he took up new quests—beast exterminations, minor bandit hunts, magical artifact recoveries. He rarely fought directly. Instead, he used Mind Wave and Dreamweaver to disorient enemies, allowing Lana to finish them with deadly precision.
> [Quest Complete: Goblin Encampment Clearance]
> Reward: 6 Silver
> [Quest Complete: Bandit Leader Capture]
> Reward: 1 Gold + Equipment Looted
> [Level Up! Current Level: 4]
> [Dreamweaver: Lv. 3]
> [New Trait Acquired: Dreamstep – Gain brief invulnerability while shifting through dream space during combat. Cooldown: 10 seconds]
---
At night, he practiced refining his Dream Parasite. Using shared rooms at inns or brushing past merchants, barmaids, and local enchanters, he spread latent implants across the city.
> [Dream Parasite Targets: 9 (Latent)]
Among them were:
* A mid-rank adventurer named Corsa
* A wealthy merchant's daughter with latent psychic sensitivity
* A retired mage with memory degradation
Each night they slept, Jimmy whispered into their minds through the Dream Realm, crafting illusions of him as savior, hero, or lover. The lines between fantasy and reality blurred.
---
Lana's training advanced as well. With her mind now fully under his influence, she practiced new formations and dual strikes. Jimmy even fed her minor dream fragments to increase her mental resistance and sharpen her killing intent.
One evening, Jimmy activated a deeper link.
> [Dream Synchronization: Lana Rose - 92%]
> [New Bond Effect: Shared Vision - Temporarily link senses during missions.]
"Master," she said breathlessly, her body twitching from the echo of his aura. "You're becoming... divine."
He chuckled. "Not yet. But I will be."
---
Five days later, Jimmy sat atop the roof of the inn, the entire city spread beneath him like a chessboard. Fog rolled in from the nearby rivers, cloaking Venon in dreamlike haze.
> [Dream Throne Evolution: Progress 7%]
He smiled to himself. "Soon. But not yet."
For now, he would enjoy his little kingdom-in-the-making, and harvest every mind worth bending.
Tomorrow, he'd claim the mayor's dreams.