Inside the dream bubble world.
"What a very Rita-like little house."
At the witch's invitation, Elias and Ai arrived at her residence. It was a small flower shop in an uninhabited town, and the pleasant floral fragrance was intoxicating.
After the two entered the house, Elias sat down directly on the sofa as though he had already lived there for a long time.
He looked around at the furnishings and found them extremely familiar.
His own maid also liked decorating the coffee table with a vase of fresh flowers, placing a small bookcase beside the sofa, and keeping the house spotlessly clean.
All one could say was that although this bubble world's Rita was Rita, she was also not Rita. Yet sure enough, she was still extremely Rita-like!
Rita was practically becoming an adjective...
"Rita, I feel like eating egg tarts... Ah."
Having relaxed, Elias spoke without thinking. However, the moment the words left his mouth, he realized that the young woman before him was not his maid, and his face immediately reddened in embarrassment.
"Hehe, Rita understands. Please wait a moment."
However, the bubble world's Rita merely smiled. She neither took offense nor mocked him. Instead, she genuinely walked into the kitchen, took out some eggs, and began preparing egg tarts for Elias.
Elias could not help feeling his heart stir as he sighed inwardly that Rita Rossweisse was a perfect and wonderful woman no matter where she was.
Of course, she did not trust Elias and Ai yet. That much was obvious from the scythe she never allowed to leave her side and the trace of vigilance hidden deep within her eyes.
Even so, even if the egg tarts she brought out later contained a witch's secret potion that would turn him into a frog...
Elias felt that he would still eat them without the slightest hesitation!
Before that, he began organizing the information in his mind.
On the way here, Rita had already given him and Ai a brief introduction to this bubble world's setting. Elias could only think that the Sea of Quanta truly lived up to its reputation.
The sea was vast enough to contain every kind of unbelievable bubble world imaginable!
(First of all, this is a dream world jointly constructed from the consciousness of all living beings. It is tranquil and harmonious, seemingly destined to flourish forever. In this world, anything one desires can be easily realized.)
Elias pinched his cheek hard and discovered that he truly could not feel any pain. Then, instead of using a Herrscher Authority, he relied purely on his imagination and wished for a cup of black tea.
The next second, a cup of black tea appeared in his hand. It tasted exactly as Elias had imagined, and even after he finished drinking it, the cup automatically filled with fresh tea again.
(Hehe... Interesting. Anything can be accomplished in a dream. One only needs to make a wish to easily obtain whatever one wants. I wonder how far this can truly go, but one thing is certain. Anyone living in a bubble world like this must be extremely happy.)
As the saying went, dreams contained everything.
Although it was an illusory world, that was precisely why it possessed infinite resources. In this dream world, anyone could fulfill any desire.
The resources of dreams would never run dry.
Nor were there illness and suffering.
A world like this was more than worthy of being called a utopia!
"It feels... like a bubble world where Project STIGMA was successfully realized. Hehe, all right. Although it is fake, I have to admit that this truly is an incredibly beautiful world."
Elias chuckled as he sighed in admiration.
According to Rita's description, the people of this bubble world had abandoned their bodies in reality and allowed their souls to live within this dream world. Their minds gathered together to form a spiritual Adam, ensuring that their lives would never again be threatened.
The ugly world of reality would lose all meaning to those living within the dream. An eternal and sweet dream would become everyone's one and only reality.
Within the dream, people would even cast off the [Shackles] of time and achieve the miracle of Finality. After all, dreams possessed no concept of time. Thus... even if only one second passed in reality, that single second could become eternity within the dream.
This was a paradise of bliss, a world of beautiful dreams.
It closely resembled Project STIGMA from the game's original storyline.
Except...
In recent years, a problem had emerged within what should have been a flawless and eternal dream. Monsters known as [Nightmares] had appeared within the beautiful dream and were gradually eroding it.
Wherever a [Nightmare] passed, beautiful dreams shattered into pieces.
Anyone touched by a [Nightmare] would lose themselves.
In this beautiful dream world where death should not have existed, these [Nightmares] could bring about true death!
Furthermore, they could not be destroyed... Or more precisely, anything that also belonged to the dream could not kill a [Nightmare].
Elias: "I see. If the monsters Rita calls [Nightmares] are compared to fire, then everything in this dream world is gasoline to them."
Even if the people within the dream were omnipotent and could create cannons or even planet-destroying warships through imagination, those things would merely become fuel that allowed the [Nightmares] to grow stronger.
Therefore, whenever the people of this world faced a [Nightmare], all they could do was flee. But... fleeing endlessly would eventually leave them with nowhere else to run.
In fact, the twilight of the dream was drawing ever closer.
Over the past several years, the [Nightmares] had already contaminated more than half of the beautiful dream world. Countless people had been eroded by them, losing themselves forever and meeting their deaths.
"Mr. Elias, Miss Ai, the egg tarts are ready. Rita does not know whether they will suit your tastes."
At that moment, a beautiful voice interrupted Elias' thoughts. Rita approached while carrying a plate of steaming egg tarts, and Elias impatiently picked one up and ate it.
He was immediately overwhelmed by nostalgia. There was no mistaking it. This was Rita's flavor.
Recently, all he had eaten aboard Hyperion was instant noodles. Elias was not Kevin. He was already on the verge of vomiting from them. By comparison, the egg tarts personally prepared by Rita tasted even more delicious.
Ai also grabbed one in each hand and began eating with large bites.
"Hehe, it appears that they suit both of your tastes."
Rita maintained her mysterious and elegant smile.
"Yes. They're as delicious as ever. Thank you, Rita. But... this really is like you. In a world where anything can be accomplished through imagination, there's no need to prepare food personally, yet you still chose to do so."
She could clearly have done what Elias had just done. After all, since a single thought could create an inexhaustible cup of black tea, it could naturally create an endless supply of egg tarts as well.
"...Indeed. What do you think, Mr. Elias? Does such a Rita seem foolish to you?"
"No... I don't think so. I only think it suits your style. However... a Rita like you must seem rather strange in the eyes of the other dream residents."
She had been fortunate enough to be born into a perfect world capable of fulfilling any wish, yet she still chose to make her life so troublesome. Elias was certain that Rita would be rejected by the other residents of the dream.
Rita froze for a moment before nodding with a bitter smile.
That was indeed the case. In this dream world, most people imagined magnificent castles to serve as their homes.
For example, a man named Otto Apocalypse had even created an enormous floating island.
Yet Rita had created only this small flower shop for herself and enjoyed a life that outsiders considered "troublesome."
"Because this is the life Rita wishes to live. I want to run a small flower shop. Furthermore, precisely because we live in an omnipotent world, we must never forget these kinds of troubles."
Something for nothing.
Living in a world where everything could be gained without effort, without even needing to surrender a quarter of one's lifespan to a demon, humanity would probably degenerate at the speed of light.
Should they return to reality now, Rita might be the only person in the world who still remembered how to cook.
"That is a truly admirable way of thinking. Hehe... Perhaps you could be called the only person still awake in this dream world, Rita. Thank you for the meal. The egg tarts were delicious."
Elias rubbed his satisfied stomach and revealed a contented expression.
He now very slightly wanted to abduct the beauty before him and bring her aboard Hyperion as a local specialty of this world.
"Is Mr. Elias thinking about something naughty?"
"Uh, how did you know?"
"A woman's intuition. Still, you admitted it so honestly. You are even more sincere than Rita expected."
"Because I hope to remain true to my [Ego], just like a certain Miss Pink Elf. All right... let's get down to business. There is something you want us to do, correct?"
As Elias spoke, he picked up the cup of black tea that could never be emptied and took a sip. He then imagined two sugar cubes and dropped them into the cup. Across from him, Rita revealed a look of surprise.
"Oh? How did Mr. Elias know?"
"A man's intuition."
Elias smiled faintly as he spoke.
In truth, it was because he understood "Rita" far too well. Even if the person across from him maintained a perfect poker face, Elias could still determine what she was thinking from the slightest changes in her expression.
"...Hehe, you truly are an interesting person."
Rita froze for a moment before covering her mouth and chuckling softly. Her beautiful eyes studied the white-haired youth before her, and she found herself growing increasingly interested in him.
"Rita does indeed have a request. I recall that the two of you said earlier that you were travelers from beyond this world. Since Mr. Elias and Miss Ai do not belong to our world, then... perhaps the two of you might be capable of dealing with those [Nightmares]."
"Mm-hm... Although I haven't fought them yet, I doubt they'll be a problem. As long as something is alive, I can kill it for you, even if it's a god. So... Rita's request is for us to eliminate those [Nightmare] monsters?"
"That is correct. Rita hopes that the two of you can defeat the [Nightmares] and save our world. I understand that this is both dangerous and difficult, but if the two of you can complete this request, Rita is willing to offer everything she possesses as payment."
As Rita spoke, she pressed one hand against her full chest.
Her wine-red eyes, brimming with hope, looked at Elias as though she were gazing upon a savior.
"What admirable self-sacrifice. Very well. We accept the request. Leave the subjugation of the [Nightmares] to us."
"Truly?!"
Rita was somewhat astonished. She genuinely had not expected Elias to agree so readily.
"Mm-hm... To tell you the truth, saving the world is practically routine for me. No one understands salvation better than I do."
Elias planted both hands proudly on his hips and decided to accept the request. It was absolutely not because he coveted the long-haired Rita before him, nor was it because he wanted to abduct her and bring her aboard his ship.
A breathtaking smile then appeared on Rita's face. However, at the same time, a trace of anxiety surged deep within her eyes.
Her right hand tightened around the lantern she was holding.