Thankfully, nightmares aren't serialized dramas; they're not divided into two parts—Kevin simply appeared at the same location he'd been in the last time he'd left the dream plane. The wolves that attacked him were no longer there, so the unfortunate child didn't suffer the tragic fate of being reincarnated by a pack of wild monsters the moment he'd left the Novice Village.
But the howling of wolves continued to emanate from all directions. Although they didn't sound local, they were enough to terrify Kevin, a man who hadn't seen much of the world. He realized all too well that this was a lawless zone. Animal protection organizations and rangers were in another world. Neither the wolves nor he had any protection here. And frankly—this was wolf territory; he was an outsider.
As the only outsider on the wolf-infested grassland, Kevin tightened his clothes to ward off the chill that permeated his body and soul. He walked forward, wondering if his brain had deteriorated from spending so much time with Lily: Why did he have to shiver in his pajamas when he went to bed?!
Based on his experience from his last trip into the dream plane, a person's physical condition in the dream plane was exactly the same as in the outside world, including the clothes they wore and their physical condition. But Kevin had completely forgotten this. He, Vivian, and Y'zaks had messed around in the living room with a bunch of preparations, and in the end, he almost couldn't sleep, and he was still in his pajamas! Walking slowly across the prairie, Kevin looked down at his feet and couldn't help but sigh. "Damn it! And I'm not wearing shoes... If that psychopathic woman knew about this, I don't know what kind of criticism she'd get."
A voice suddenly boomed from the side: "She'll laugh at you and then post this on the local universe's message board, but I'm not sure if it'll get many likes. She's a well-known spammer in this universe, so much so that she has to post even a single divine revelation to her followers multiple times—because no one reads."
Kevin was startled by the sudden voice. Looking closely, he saw a small, palm-sized metal block floating silently beside him. He was startled. "Terminal?! How did you get in here too?"
"Why can't I come in?" the data terminal said lazily. "Didn't the commander say that this machine is responsible for providing guidance if you can't enter the dream plane? If it can even handle that, why can't it come in?" "But doesn't dreaming really work to get here?" Kevin stared in amazement at the seemingly spirited little device. "Has artificial intelligence become so advanced that it can even dream?"
"Dreaming is an inefficient and boring way to maintain the system. This machine doesn't need it," the data terminal said in a stern tone. "Who told you you have to dream to enter the dream plane? You simply must dream to enter. Once you achieve a certain level of control over your mental energy, you'll have access to the dream plane. But it's too early for you to think about that now."
Kevin knew that the moment this data terminal opened its mouth, it would find an opportunity to argue with its owner, so the smartest way to deal with it was to pretend it was farting. He glanced at the vast prairie and decided it would be nice to have someone to talk to. Perhaps this terminal could be of unexpected use here, so he tentatively asked, "Can you conjure me a set of clothes?"
The data terminal was silent for a moment: "What are you thinking?"
"Isn't this a virtual world? Aren't you a supercomputer? I see that in science fiction movies, where data is used to organize a virtual world..."
Before Kevin could finish, the data terminal rudely interrupted him: "Who told you that this misconception? The dream plane is a virtual world? Then why can you take things out of here, and why do people die in the dream plane?"
Kevin opened his mouth, admitting that he had once again inadvertently applied his assumptions to this uncharted territory. Raven 12345 had previously explained to him the "reality" of the dream plane, but Kevin's limited understanding at the time hadn't fully grasped the issue. Now... well, now he still didn't quite understand it, but he had learned to ignore it. "I don't even have a pair of shoes..." Kevin sighed as he walked. "I can't bear to keep going. Is there anything I can replace it with?"
"Yes," the data terminal said calmly, and when Kevin perked up, it whispered the last half of the sentence, "Tenacious spirit."
"...Hehe."
Man and machine (isn't that a strange combination?) Kevin walked in the night, unwilling to stop. Even though he wasn't in great shape, he decided to keep going. After all, he had entered the dream plane to temper himself. What's the point of waiting here until he woke naturally? Anyway, if he encountered a fatal threat, he would be forced to leave here (thanks to Raven 12345's little pill). He wasn't worried about actually dying. Right now, he was just curious about what this place was like.
He cast his gaze into the distance. The last time he left, he had seen what looked like a house in the distance. Now it was still there, proving it wasn't an illusion. So, he would target the distant "house." One person and one device (a strange combination, isn't it?) silently hurried along under the night. Just as Kevin was feeling a bit bored, the data terminal suddenly spoke: "This device needs to remind you of three things."
Kevin casually agreed: "Go ahead."
"First, resolutely abandon the idea that this is a 'virtual space.' While the dream plane isn't the real world, it has a huge impact on the real world. If you die here, you'll also die in the real world. And you can also take things out of here. The specific mechanics of 'taking things out' are up to you to figure out. Of course, you already know this."
"Second, no matter what you see here, don't be surprised. Just accept it. Analyze the cause and effect slowly when you return to the real world. Excessive confusion here will rapidly weaken your connection to the dream plane, and ending your training journey prematurely is not a good thing."
"Third, don't you think it's incredibly foolish to have your data terminal floating around with you? I've seen people walking cats and dogs, but I've never seen people walking PDAs! Put this device in your pocket, you hear!?"
Kevin: "..."
"Hey, wait, don't move! This device is talking to you, you hear me?! Quickly put this device in your pocket. This device is a mobile device, but it's not designed to move on its own. You know what a mobile device means... Don't move! At least tie it to a leash to hold it in place. The hover function is for emergencies, not for getting around..."
Kevin ignored the data terminal, which, like Raven 12345, was a bit jumpy. He simply lowered his head and continued on his way. The data terminal's incessant clamor rang in his ears for a full half-hour. Kevin discovered that his physical enhancements were indeed effective. He could run such a long distance in the wilderness without shoes without even breathing hard. And at least his soles were much stronger than usual. He walked for a long time, and the small houses in the distance seemed much closer. But just before he could breathe a sigh of relief, something terrifying happened. He distinctly heard a scurrying sound in the nearby brush, followed by a faint, fishy smell that drifted into his nostrils on the night breeze. It was the scent of wild beasts.
There were wolves, and they were the impossibly enormous, black monstrous wolves unique to the Dream Plane!
The wolves hadn't yet approached, but they had clearly sensed the presence of prey. They were carefully forming a circle, preparing to feast with their usual ambush tactics. But this time, Kevin sensed the danger well in advance. The last time the wolves appeared, he was completely surrounded, his gazes shimmering in the surrounding grass. This time, he sensed the wolves' initial movement.
Kevin marveled at the remarkable power of the Adjustment Warehouse, then silently pondered the value of his progress: By the time he realized what was happening, he'd still be surrounded! "This machine advises you not to run," the data terminal's voice echoed in his mind. It seemed even it understood the need for concealment. "You can't outrun the wolves. Even with your current level of enhancement, you can only shake off some of them and won't be able to break out of the encirclement."
"Head-on?" Kevin tried to calm his heartbeat. He knew the wolves didn't know he knew they were approaching—you'll understand this for yourself. "I'm feeling a little nervous."
"You weren't nervous when you were being chased by hundreds of undead knights in the underground palace?" The data terminal hummed. "Don't worry, this machine will pull you out when you're about to die. Now... get ready!"