dognovel Chapter 3 Chat Groups
Chapter 3 Chat Groups
"No need to doubt." Bai Ze's thoughts gently swept over everyone's hearts again, answering Su Fan's unresolved questions. "The way of words is not bound by form or sound. This wondrous realm directly reflects the mind, so communicating through intention is more direct." It seemed to be explaining why they didn't use their tongues to speak, while gently mentioning the special nature of "this wondrous realm".
Chen Yang was confused but also found it cool, and couldn't wait to ask, "Great God Bai Ze! Do you know why we came here? How can we go back? Can you teach me how to cultivate immortality?" He bombarded him with a bunch of questions in one breath.
Bai Ze's gaze swept calmly over the crowd, carrying a profound and compassionate meaning: "Drawn by fate, your consciousnesses have temporarily settled here. As for your return journey..." It slightly raised its head, looking at the Seven Treasures Tree that emitted a warm light, "When the time is right and the fate is fulfilled, your consciousnesses will naturally return to their rightful place and go back to where they came from. Forcing it is useless; simply experience it peacefully."
Without a doubt, Bai Ze was summoned by Su Fan. Now that it's confirmed that outsiders can't affect this dream world, it's natural to kick them out, but it shouldn't be too abrupt.
There was no other way but to summon Bai Ze. As for the so-called fate, it was naturally based on the wishes of Su Fan, the manager.
As Bai Ze finished speaking, Li Bowen's figure suddenly began to fade and become transparent without warning.
"Hmm?" The old man was the first to notice something amiss. He looked down at his illusory hands, a hint of surprise flashing across his face, but it quickly turned into a knowing calm. He raised his head, looked in the direction of Bai Ze, and then glanced around at everyone. "It seems my destiny... has arrived."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished completely from Qingyu Island like wisps of smoke scattered by the wind, leaving no trace.
"Grandpa Li... he's gone?" Chen Yang's eyes widened, somewhat at a loss.
Wang Jianguo was also stunned: "They... went back already?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt something strange about his body. Looking down, he saw that his hands and feet had begun to become somewhat transparent, undulating like a reflection in water being stirred.
"I...I..." Wang Jianguo paused for a moment, then his face showed a mixture of confusion and reluctance, which ultimately turned into a look of acceptance. "It seems my time has come to an end. Sigh, this wonderful place, I really wanted to see more of it..."
Chen Yang watched as Li Bowen and Wang Jianguo disappeared one after another, momentarily stunned, and stammered, "This... how can they just leave like that? What about the queue?"
He subconsciously checked himself and found that he was still "sturdy" for the time being, so he breathed a sigh of relief. But then a strange tension rose up, and he shouted to Bai Ze, "Great God Bai Ze! How exactly is this 'fate' calculated? I... I haven't even started experiencing it yet! I'm the protagonist! Can I stay a little longer? I promise I'll experience it properly, without making a fuss or asking any nonsense about cultivation!"
Bai Ze's gaze fell on him, his tone still calm and even: "Fate brings us together and fate separates us, it's all predetermined. Leaving now is in accordance with your current destiny. Perhaps the opportunity will arise again in the future."
Chen Yang was a little deflated, muttering, "I'm the main character, after all..." But he knew arguing was pointless, so he sighed resignedly. Then, he perked up and said to Su Fan and Jiang He, "Looks like we're not really meant to be!!"
He looked at Bai Ze again, waved his hand somewhat reluctantly, and said, "Goodbye, Great God Bai Ze! I'll definitely offer incense to you when I get back!"
After he finished speaking, Chen Yang's figure began to rapidly become transparent. He tried hard to maintain a handsome farewell pose, but his smile blurred on his face, and finally, like a faded portrait, he quietly disappeared.
On the floating island, only Su Fan and Jiang He remained. With Chen Yang's departure, the space seemed even more empty and silent, and Jiang He simply observed everything in silence.
Unlike Chen Yang, she didn't shout or scream. At this moment, she felt a faint but real sense of detachment emerging from the depths of her consciousness, as if the jade platform beneath her feet was becoming less real. She knew that her "destiny" was approaching.
"It seems I should go too." Jiang He's voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear in the silence.
As soon as she finished speaking, the feeling of being pulled away intensified, overwhelming her last resistance like a rising tide.
Jiang He's figure faded and became transparent rapidly, like a pencil sketch that was quickly erased by an eraser.
In the end, only Su Fan remained in the entire dream world. Seeing everyone leave, Su Fan's expression changed. As for the cleanup, there were two reasons: first, his experiment was complete, confirming that outsiders couldn't affect the dream world; second, he sensed he was about to wake up, and the guests should naturally leave.
……
Su Fan woke up in his bed in the real world.
The sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten, and the morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, narrow patches of light on the floor. The room was so quiet that you could hear your own heartbeat and breathing.
He lay on the Dream Pillow, not getting up immediately. The experience in the dream was as vivid as if he had just watched an ultra-high-definition holographic movie; every detail, every person's expression and words were imprinted in his mind.
These vivid memories reminded him that it wasn't all a figment of his imagination, but that he had truly gained superpowers—the ability to forge wondrous objects with his lifespan.
Su Fan sat up and rubbed his temples. The mental exhaustion was like the damp, cold sand left behind after the tide receded—clear and persistent. This was a deep-seated depletion that sleep couldn't easily compensate for. One of the costs of the [Shared Dream Pillow]—"persistent mental fatigue"—had begun to manifest.
Even though I slept for a while, it felt like I had been up all night for several days, and I felt completely listless.
He looked at the seemingly ordinary pillow, which lay quietly on the bedside table, indistinguishable from the other clutter in the room. But Su Fan knew that extraordinary rules were embedded within it, connecting to the dreams of others and having consumed a year of his life.
Su Fan got out of bed, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains. The city was already awake in the early morning; the streets were gradually filling with traffic, and pedestrians hurried along, beginning their daily hustle and bustle. The sunlight was a bit dazzling, and he squinted, savoring the familiar air of the real world, carrying a hint of dust and the smell of car exhaust.
When I woke up, it truly felt like a lifetime had passed. In the dream, he was an omnipotent god; in reality, he was still just an ordinary person.
The rare item [Shared Dream Pillow] has also entered a cooldown period and can only be used again after seven days.
Su Fan sat at his desk with two barely noticeable but noticeably prominent dark circles under his eyes.
The numbers on the report screen resembled a group of tadpoles, sometimes gathering and sometimes scattering, making it difficult to focus. That weariness, originating from the depths of his consciousness, was like a persistent, insidious ailment, not intense, but continuously draining his energy, making every thought feel like wading through sticky mud.
"Brother Fan, did you go out to steal last night? Or did some vixen drain your energy?" Xiao Li, a colleague sitting next to me, leaned over and handed me a cup of instant coffee, teasingly saying, "You've been absent-minded all morning, staring blankly at an empty document several times. The way the boss looked at you when he passed by just now, tsk tsk."
Su Fan forced a smile and took the coffee: "Thanks. I probably didn't sleep well, I'm a little tired."
"It's more than just a little bit?" Xiao Li lowered his voice, "He's like he's lost his soul. He still needs to restrain himself!" He winked and patted Su Fan's shoulder, then hummed a song and walked away.
Su Fan smiled wryly. Moderation? He did want to. The aftereffects of losing a year of his lifespan seemed to be latent at the moment, but the price of the [Shared Dream Pillow], "mental exhaustion," was an immediate one.
This is much more uncomfortable than simply staying up late; it's a feeling of emptiness where one's vitality is completely depleted.
The lunch break bell rang, and the office instantly became noisy. Su Fan didn't have much of an appetite, so he simply lay down on his desk, closed his eyes, and tried to fight off the pervasive drowsiness. His phone vibrated a few times in his pocket, but he ignored it.
After a while, it started vibrating again. Su Fan sighed; it really wouldn't let him have a moment's peace. He took out his phone, and the notification on the screen made him pause slightly.
[New friend request]
[Nickname: Lord Bai Ze's most loyal servant]
[Verification message: Brother Su! It's me! Chen Yang! Accept immediately!!!]
"Lord Bai Ze's most loyal servant..." Su Fan's lips twitched involuntarily. This nickname, overflowing with chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur), did indeed match Chen Yang's behavior in the dream. He could almost picture the other person scratching his head, excitedly and eagerly sending the request on the other end of the phone. His fingers hesitated for a moment before clicking "accept."
Almost simultaneously, news from Chen Yang bombarded in:
Lord Bai Ze's most loyal servant: "Brother Su!!! You finally passed! Oh my god! I thought I remembered the wrong phone number!"
Lord Bai Ze's most loyal servant: "How are you? Did you feel particularly tired after waking up? Like you've been playing games all night for three days and then run a marathon?"
Lord Bai Ze's most loyal servant: "Most importantly, do you still remember? Those things from the dream! The floating island! The divine beast Bai Ze! And Sister Jiang He, Uncle Wang, and Grandpa Li!"
Su Fan took a deep breath and quickly replied:
Su Fan: "I remember. It was tiring. You too?"
Lord Bai Ze's most loyal servant: "Yes, yes, yes! It's that kind of exhaustion that makes your soul leave your body! I thought it was just me! Wait, Brother Su, I'll add you to the group, everyone's here! It's amazing!"
The group name is simple and straightforward: 【Bai Ze】. Initiator: Lord Bai Ze's most loyal servant.
Bai Ze's most loyal servant (Chen Yang): "@Everyone, brothers and sisters! We meet again. Wait a moment, I'll go and pull Brother Wang in."
Ning Jing Zhi Yuan (Li Bowen): "Hey, hey! Xiao Chen, your name... is quite unique. My body is still the same, but mentally... I'm extremely tired. However, in that dream, I felt unusually relaxed, and my breathing was smoother. When I woke up, the smell of disinfectant in the hospital was much more pungent."
Just then, another group notification sounded.
Chen Yang invited "Construction Site Brother Wang" to join the group chat.
Wang Ge (Wang Jianguo), the construction site worker: "Hey, finally I'm in! I was just added as a friend and then dragged in! Hello everyone! I just finished work!"
Bai Ze's most loyal servant (Chen Yang): "Brother Wang! You've finally arrived! Tell me, how are you? Do you remember what happened in the dream? Are you exhausted too?"
Wang Ge (Wang Jianguo) from the construction site: "I remember! How could I not remember? That big rocky island floating in the sky, and that white mythical beast, its words just drilled into my brain... It was so real! But something felt off after I woke up. With my physique, I've never felt this tired even after carrying steel pipes all day. My head is also dizzy today. The foreman said that my hands and feet were slower than usual today. I thought I caught a cold last night."