Allowing Warden Selena to depart on her own, the Poet of Great Love did not interfere.
Seeing that Selena's mood had calmed considerably and she hadn't been overly affected by Gentle Land of the Fallen, her figure soon vanished from sight.
The Poet of Great Love then turned her gaze toward the three priests.
She walked over to each of them, entering their dreams one after another, and quickly woke them all up before long.
All three wore shaken expressions that soon turned to shame as they bowed in apology to the Poet of Great Love.
"Knowledge comes at different times, and different fields have their own specialties. You only need to remember this valuable experience and understand your own weaknesses. There is no need to blame yourselves."
The Poet of Great Love waved a hand dismissively.
"Thank you, milady."
The Domination priest bowed respectfully to the Poet of Great Love once more.
The Poet of Great Love looked over at Hyperion, who had remained deeply immersed in her dream for a long time without waking.
In truth, Lanqi could have awakened Hyperion very quickly.
However, provided there was no danger to her life, letting Hyperion rest a little longer was for the best.
In all the time since her father's disappearance, she truly had carried a heavy burden.
"Though reality may be cruel to you, I will do my best to make it a little brighter."
Murmuring to herself, the Poet of Great Love closed her eyes beside Hyperion.
...
The sun dipped in the west over Hutton Kingdom, its light filtering through thin clouds to drape over a leisurely sightseeing train.
This mana rail train cut through the heartland of Hutton Kingdom, connecting the royal capital with the border, culture with nature.
Inside the carriage, every detail of the wood paneling and carvings radiated a bright, light-toned aesthetic vastly different from the Northern Continent.
Outside the windows, the scenery unfolded like a painted scroll: lush green fields dotted with ancient villages, occasional vineyards, and centuries-old castles.
Passengers inside the train either quietly admired the views outside or conversed in hushed tones, savoring this relaxed journey. The afternoon air carried the faint aroma of coffee and red wine, which, together with the gentle rhythmic clatter of the tracks, created a serene and refined atmosphere.
By a window seat, an ordinary couple sat across a wooden table from one another, while a young girl sat beside the wife.
They looked just like an ordinary family on a weekend trip.
The girl seemed a bit drowsy, half-asleep and half-awake, leaning against her mother's side.
"Mother."
Hyperion clung tightly to Efatia's arm. She merely called out her name and fell silent, refusing to let go for the longest time.
"What is it?" Efatia asked softly.
Hyperion shook her head without speaking.
Yet she still did not let go.
The feeling of having her mother by her side reminded Hyperion that in a fleeting dream just now, there was a grey-haired lady whose face she couldn't quite recall, who had been just as warm and gentle.
She would protect Hyperion from assassins and tuck her in on cold nights.
Yet that nightmare had been bizarre and horrifying—her father had actually gone missing.
From childhood, she had always been certain her father was so powerful that defeat was an impossibility; how could he have vanished into thin air?
Dreams were truly absurd.
"Father, will you ever lose?"
Hyperion lifted her gaze to look at the figure sitting by the window across from her.
"No," Duke Mikhail replied with certainty, his eyes never leaving the book in his hands.
Looking at the reassuring, dark-haired figure of Duke Mikhail seated across from her, Hyperion was reminded of another person from that dream.
Though his demeanor was completely different, that person seemed to have filled the emptiness and anxiety in her heart, preventing that dream from becoming an absolute nightmare.
"Hyperion."
As these thoughts drifted through her mind, a voice suddenly interrupted them.
Hyperion looked in the direction of the voice and saw a black-haired, green-eyed youth sitting across the aisle from her on the train.
It seemed she had not noticed this passenger earlier.
Yet he was staring intently at her.
Hyperion met his gaze.
"Excuse me...?"
"Hyperion, it's time to wake up," the youth said gently, like a mother waking her child early in the morning, his voice tinged with a hint of reluctance.
"Who are you?" Hyperion asked, bewildered.
"I am your companion," the youth answered.
"And what does waking up mean?"
A haze clouded Hyperion's eyes. She felt that conversing with this black-haired, green-eyed youth was causing forgotten memories to stir uncontrollably back to life.
"It means you need to leave this dream world with me," the youth explained patiently.
"...?"
Hyperion froze.
"No... no matter what, just let me look a little longer. Just one more look."
Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. Like a child refusing to get out of bed, she wanted to indulge in it for even one second more.
"Phew..."
Lanqi lowered his eyes with a helpless smile. He hadn't expected Hyperion to sink so deeply into the magic of Gentle Land of the Fallen.
If possible, he too wished Hyperion could have sweet dreams rather than frequently jolting awake from nightmares in the dead of night.
However, he could not leave Hyperion unattended in such dangerous magic; at its core, it was a lethal spell.
"Hyperion, sometimes what seems like a brief hesitation turns into endless delay, until you give up entirely," the black-haired, green-eyed youth said slowly, not seeming to mind her behavior in the least, even showing deep understanding. "But if we don't set out now, we will never be able to embark. So trust me. Let's go."
His voice was steady as he looked at Hyperion.
He seemed ready to take her on a magical journey—or perhaps it was a promise made long ago.
At that moment, the sky outside the window, on the verge of turning into sunset, was painted in a golden pink, reminiscent of the colors of a dazzling dawn.
Hyperion stared blankly at the youth and the morning light behind him.
The sweet world gradually dissolved; heartbeats echoed across the sky, repeating incessantly in an instant, guiding the dream that refused to awaken.
Listening to her unmistakably clear heartbeat, Hyperion opened her eyes.
She was back on Basement Level 4 of Herrom Prison.
Before her was still the black-haired, green-eyed figure, looking at her with the same smile as in the dream.
"Welcome back," the black-haired, green-eyed Poet of Great Love greeted her as always.
"Mm. Thank you for always finding me." Hyperion nodded earnestly, a faint smile gracing the corners of her lips.
The Poet of Great Love was momentarily taken aback. In Lanqi's impression, Hyperion rarely smiled, and this smile felt subtly different from usual.
"By the way, where is the warden?"
Hyperion glanced around and then checked her bracelet, asking out of curiosity.
She noticed the three Resurrection priests had long since awakened.
A considerable amount of time must have passed since they arrived at Basement Level 4. The warden was nowhere to be seen, yet the notification on her bracelet already stated that they had received transit permission granted by the warden.
Just what had happened while she was dreaming?
"The warden is quite nice. She'll give us a top-tier evaluation, so don't worry," the Poet of Great Love said with a smug grin. "Next, we can visit the great demon with peace of mind. The great demon on this floor is the Antanas of Protection you've been looking for."
"?"
Hyperion knitted her brows tightly.
She had no idea what had happened on this prison floor while she was enjoying her sweet dream.
Yet it felt like while she was off enjoying herself, Lanqi had taken care of everything for her once again?
She was starting to wonder if she was the protagonist of some storybook, and Lanqi was her invincible cheat code?
Chapter 408