In Alka's own room.
He was leaning against the headboard, thinking. This idea had been in his mind since he first discovered the dream of a human.
Awakening the person in the dream would yield more intelligence.
However, when Alka first saw the person's dream, he had no idea where he was, nor did he know his true situation.
But after a day of exploration, Alka had gained considerable knowledge of the island.
Through a complete map and the treasures it revealed, he had a clear idea of the island's danger.
While in the dream, he had also asked about the person's current situation, though he received no answer.
Upon waking, he would compile a final summary of this information and decide whether to awaken him from the dream.
The only negative consequence of awakening the enemy would be if the dream's owner was the culprit behind everything that had happened on the island.
In this case, Alka's awakening could very well reveal some information.
This could lead to unexpected consequences for their operations tomorrow.
There were risks, but for Alka and his team, they had absolute control.
Furthermore, they had the treasure hunting system to help analyze the information. Whether the information he was saying was true or false, Alka could decipher it.
And when the time came, these light spots would be accurately reflected.
Thinking of this, Alka immediately lay down and quickly sank into a dream.
Without stopping, he flew swiftly towards the dream bubble, and soon saw its presence.
The scene in the dream was exactly the same as when he had just left.
He landed on the deck, entered the central command room, and sat down next to the man again.
However, Alka did not immediately touch it to awaken it.
After a moment's thought, a mirror appeared on his face.
He reached out and tapped the mirror, and the mirror on his face instantly shattered. The resulting special effects completely obscured Alka's face.
A pink mist emerged from the crystal on his chest, enveloping Alka.
Then his clothing changed.
A black hat capped his head, a black formal suit slipped on, and a staff of civilization appeared in his hand.
No matter the identity of the man before him, disguise was essential.
After everything was ready, Alka stood beside him, wearing a pair of snug white gloves, and placed his hand on the shoulder of the dream master beside him.
As Alka touched him...
The man's eyes remained fixed on the deck ahead, but then a look of confusion appeared in his determined gaze.
The confusion quickly gave way to clarity.
The hands, once folded across his chest, naturally dropped. He turned his head and looked around.
"This... Iron Melody is intact? Am I dreaming?"
Then he suddenly jumped to the side, and whether due to weakness or some other reason, he fell to the ground.
He didn't immediately get up from the ground, but instead moved back twice, putting some distance between him and Alcala.
Then he looked at Alcala with a very wary look.
Looking at the strange person before him, if it was a human...
After all, Alcala's entire face was now a special effect made of shattered mirrors.
"Who are you? Why are you on this ship?"
Alcala folded her hands in front of her, supporting her staff, and turned her head slightly to look at him.
Seeing Alcala's turned face, the man shrank back again.
"This is your dream, and I... you can call me a magician."
"This is my... dream?" he repeated softly, then leaned against the wall and pushed himself to his feet.
After carefully eyeing Alka a few times, making sure he didn't make any extra movements, he turned to look out at the deck, then took in the surroundings.
He scrutinized his surroundings with intense attention, as if trying to discern truth from falsehood.
Alka observed the man before him.
Hands drooping, weak steps, a staggering body.
This man's condition in reality was far worse than he had imagined.
Being suddenly awakened from a dream revealed his physical condition in reality with remarkable clarity.
For example, his hands drooped. Whether he fell or stood up, he let them hang naturally, without the slightest intention of using them to assist in movement.
He didn't even reach for his hands, the natural reaction of falling, and simply slammed down onto the floor.
This behavior clearly indicated to Alka that something was wrong with his hands in the outside world; they were probably broken.
Just like Lucilia once was, she could walk normally during a normal dream, but once she regained consciousness, she would bring the real world into her dreams.
He collapsed to the ground.
Looking at the man's frail appearance and slightly bent body, it was a sign of hunger.
As Alka observed him, his companion also observed the ship, glancing at Alka from the corner of his eye.
Finally, he was certain that this was indeed a dream.
"You came into my dream and woke me up. Is something wrong?"
He was almost certain that it was the man before him who had woken him.
Even if it wasn't him, it was definitely related to him. Alka turned to look at him, then quietly asked, "Do you know where you are in reality?"
The man looked at him.
After a moment's silence, he spoke, "On the Forward Path, probably on an island outside the Isolation Gate in the Ocean of Illumination."
He nodded.
Then he said, "I'm also on the Forward Path. Encountering a human's dream on such a path is truly bizarre, so I came in curious to take a look."
As Alka finished speaking, he saw the man before him begin to slightly raise his hands.
Did he notice? His hands were back.
He could regain some control so quickly, suggesting he hadn't lost them long ago. It was definitely not a congenital problem.
"You're also on the Forward Path," he muttered.
Then his brow furrowed, as if he were thinking. Alka remained unhurried, quietly waiting.
"You woke me up, surely hoping to learn something from me? Feel free to ask, if I know.
But if possible, I hope you can come to where I am and rescue me."
He looked at Alka and spoke sincerely.
Hearing this, Alka smiled faintly, though the shattering mirror effect obscured the smile.
This man was quite clever, understanding the situation so quickly. It seemed his situation outside was truly dire.
He might very well be his last straw.
"Very well, if it's possible, I'll come and help you when I pass by, assuming your words are okay."
"Of course, I should."
Alka nodded, then turned to look at him. "Do you understand your current situation? In reality?"
The man nodded and said, "I understand. I don't know the exact time, but I've probably been out there for many years.
I'm trapped on an island, unable to move in reality. I don't even know where I am. Due to special circumstances, I'm imprisoned, frozen in my current state."
Then his expression turned slightly dejected. "I'm still alive, dreaming, and feeling hungry, which means my team has met with disaster.
But my survival suggests the enemy's situation is probably not good either."
So, are the two ships on the island hostile to each other?
Arka nodded in understanding and gestured for him to continue.
"At that time, our team engaged in a violent clash with the enemy. During the conflict, I was severely injured and received temporary treatment, a kind of restraint.
This restraint immobilizes the person and prevents their movements. While extremely excruciating, it effectively preserves life, ensuring that I can hold out until treatment.
Our ship and the enemy's ship were transported skyward by some powerful spell and were falling downwards, and it was at this point that I lost consciousness."
At this point, without waiting for Alka to ask, he summarized the situation where he was.
"But now, since I'm neither dead nor released from this restraint, the situation outside is likely to be mutually devastated, or even completely wiped out."
This was a very reasonable assumption, unless his team deliberately left him in this state.
In his opinion, such a possibility was highly unlikely.
Alka nodded in understanding.
This meant that he was in a state where he could sense the passage of time and could feel hunger. However, due to some ability of his teammates, his state and actions were fixed.
It was like a soul trapped within a body.
The fact that he had no mental problems showed that his willpower was strong.
If he was telling the truth.
However, his words did align with what they had seen on the island that day.
Those two ships certainly looked like they had fallen from the sky, both in their shattered state and the impact on the surrounding environment.
"What's the name of your team? And who are your enemies?" Alka asked after waiting for a moment.
The man before him didn't hold back at all, answering the question without hesitation. He slowly said, "My team belongs to the Church of the Holy Machine, an excavation group affiliated with the church, called the Cross Hands. Our enemy is a group led by a saint from the Order of Flesh and Blood Sublimation, an apostate."
Apostate... It seemed that the scarlet evil spirit he encountered last time was also an apostate from the Church of the Holy Machine, and had also formed his own order.
Apostates are a characteristic of the Church of the Holy Machine?
Alka couldn't help but wonder, especially since both reports related to the Church of the Holy Machine mentioned the presence of apostates.
Regardless, if this information is true, the treasure information will surely be expanded.
"Does your team leader and this traitor possess the treasure?"
The man nodded without hesitation.
"They all have it. The artifact our team leader possesses is called the Ring of Light, and many people know it. As for its specific function, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."
Alka nodded in understanding.
After all, his former team leader might not be dead, so who knows the specific circumstances?
"Thank you for your understanding, but I can tell you about the apostate's artifact.
Although I don't know the artifact's specific name, it was once in the possession of the Church. It's said to have a significant bonus in creating spell constructs."
Hearing this information about the artifact, Alka's eyes narrowed slightly.
Spell constructs... He instantly thought of the undead monsters he encountered on the island yesterday, and the constructs that supplemented their limbs. The connection between the two seemed a bit too strong.
Could it be that this artifact was responsible?
"Then do you know this apostate's main attack method?"
This was a very easy question, but the man before him shook his head awkwardly.
He explained, "The day we clashed with the apostates was my first encounter with them, so I'm not very familiar with their offensive methods.
Especially the leading saint. I was already on the verge of death before he attacked. My position on the ship was just a mechanic, part of the logistics department."
Hearing this, Alka nodded.
A mechanic... what kind of profession is that? Is it unique to the Ocean of Delusion?
"A mechanic?"
Hearing Alka's question, the man immediately knew that the person before him must be from another sea area.
Although he had previously suspected this, it was now almost certain.
After all, the profession of mechanic was well-known in his own sea area and a very common one.
Thinking of this, he spoke, "A profession that constructs intricately crafted objects. It can be considered a branch of the Caster, or an advanced profession.
Compared to the Caster, it requires more profound knowledge and a more refined technique."
Hearing this, Alka nodded. While it was slightly different from what he had imagined, it was pretty much the same.
It seems that constructs and similar technologies are very advanced in the Ocean of Delusion.
"If I came to the island you mentioned to rescue you, what would you suggest?"
"Well... I don't know the conditions out there, but it's certainly not safe, so be careful."
Alka nodded in understanding.
"After all this, I still don't know your name. What is it?"
"Simon, Simon Publan," Simon replied quickly.
Alka nodded, then extended his hand, shook it, and said, "Okay, Simon. I hope you're lucky enough for me to rescue you."
Then, Alka arrived on the deck right in front of him and soared into the sky until he disappeared.
He left with a decisiveness, not giving Simon a chance to speak.
"This unknown gentleman's questions seem a bit strange," Simon muttered to himself.
All the questions Alka had just asked seemed insignificant.
So what had he woken himself from his dream to find out?
Or, as he said, had he simply woken him out of curiosity after seeing a human dream appear elsewhere?
Either way, he could tell from Alka's answers and questions that the unknown gentleman wanted to save him.
All the questions he had asked were centered around his current situation.
That was enough.
This finally eased his nerves a little. He had been nearly driven mad by his external circumstances.
Regardless of whether the man would save him or not, at least he would wake up from his dream. This would be the best day he had ever had in years.
With this thought, he sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall.
From here, he could see his surroundings, no longer in darkness, though he still felt hungry.
But it was enough.
At least he could move.
He lay there for a while.
He looked up at the azure sky, his brows suddenly furrowed.
Now the question arose.
How could I get out? How could I wake up?
Although this state was quite good.
…
Alka had already returned to his dream.
"I wonder if Simon, knowing he couldn't leave the dream, would think I did it on purpose. Anyway, I'll bear with him for now."
He had deliberately not told Simon how to wake up, nor had he helped him do so.
Alka had already proven this with Lucilia and Sofia.
Waking up on his own was difficult, especially with Simon's soul and mental state in such a state.
Additionally, given his frozen state, no one could push him to wake up.
Although Alka felt that with his strength and willpower, he might be able to wake up on his own after a while,
But it would certainly take a long time, and that time was exactly what Alka wanted.
This time was enough for Alka and his companions to move and explore the island.
That way, whether Simon was friend or foe, he wouldn't be easily disturbed.
This was just a small safety net for Alka.
After a brief rest, Alka awoke.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and it was still a long way from dawn.
After a quick wash, Alka took the map from his desk.
Looking at the dot of light on it, he reached out and clicked on it.
He was now about to conduct a final check of the information. After last night's conversation, more information should have emerged.
This expanded information would greatly aid their exploration today and would also allow them to determine whether the person was lying.
Thinking of this, Alka reached out and swept his hand across the map, first clicking on the most important golden dot.
Come, let me see whose treasure was left there.