The three of them found a suitable spot to set up camp beneath a massive rock near the coast and finally settled down temporarily.
Here, facing away from the sea, a massive, gray-brown rock rose like a small hill amidst the bare rocks. A naturally eroded depression in its lower half served as a shelter, like a natural cave. Furthermore, thanks to the prime location, there was no need to worry about the chilly night breeze. The depression also faced the direction of the pristine jungle, making it easy to observe what was happening there. However, even there, there was nothing to be wary of. Y'zaks had ignited a circle of flames outside the camp using green demonic runes. These eerie, shimmering flames were enough to keep any wild beasts at bay. It wasn't until they settled into the small camp that Kevin realized how thoughtfully the vampire had packed their belongings. Inside each suitcase, he found a large piece of plastic sheeting and a vacuum-packed blanket, as if they'd anticipated sleeping on the floor. Seeing this arrangement, Kevin couldn't help but wonder: How on earth did a vampire manage to get so far with her life talent?
Near the small campsite, Y'zaks used a more normal magical flame to create a roaring bonfire to ward off the slightly chilly night wind on this planet. Under the night sky of this alien beach, the three of them had a quick bite and began to discuss their remarkable journey. Kevin was the first to express his feelings: He felt like an exile. "Honestly, I feel like I've been ripped off again," Kevin said, his expression aching. "We're working for the gods, after all, right? Any normal script would have some special perks. But how come working for Raven 12345 doesn't require travel expenses, and everything else has to be self-funded? It's a good thing Y'zaks came along, otherwise I'd even have to figure out how to make fire by rubbing two sticks together..."
Y'zaks smiled innocently. "So, I'm essentially a walking lighter, right?"
"Don't be so smug," the data terminal muttered, resting on Kevin's lap as it played a movie. "You're treated quite well. This machine has condescended to give you a TV, what are you complaining about? But can you have a bit more taste? Using such a high-end holographic projection system to show a low-budget detective film would put the machine's processor to shame. Oh, and that fat guy who's here is the second criminal."
Kevin felt that the machine had its own aesthetics and would bargain with its owner about the film's selection. And a PDA that casually gives away spoilers while playing a movie is simply inhumane. This damn data terminal has been using a red box to highlight all the masterminds from the very first scene. How can anyone enjoy watching TV?
"You're quite addicted to watching TV with your TV?" Nangong Wuyue had been watching Kevin and the data terminal with great interest. She felt that she had encountered countless interesting things since meeting Kevin, and the most interesting thing was the opportunity to take this alien journey. It made her determined to stay at Kevin's house forever.
"What are you doing?" Kevin asked curiously after noticing Nangong Wuyue fiddling with something by the firelight. "It looks like a conch, but unlike the ones on Earth, it has many air valves on its shell," Nangong Wuyue waved the off-white, conical object in her hand. "I'll try to open up the valves and use it as a musical instrument."
As she spoke, Wuyue had already prepared the conch, which she had found at some unknown time. She placed it to her lips and began to whistle. At first, it was just a rather chaotic whistle, but after adjusting the airflow a few times, the conch actually produced a rhythmic sound, almost like music.
Kevin watched this scene in amazement. With a new understanding of the sirens' musical talent, he simply turned off the data terminal and put it back in his pocket, lying on the ground and quietly listening to the strange and charming siren's voice.
It was late at night. The sound of waves could be clearly heard from behind the huge rock, the monotonous sound of crashing against the shore lulling one to sleep. The nearby jungle was completely silent. The roars of the strange beasts heard during the day had all subsided, leaving only the occasional rustling of trees and a strange, insect-like sound. Amidst all the sounds, the unidentified tune played by Nangong Wuyue was the clearest and most captivating. Kevin felt the chaotic cacophony around him gradually fade away, leaving only the humming sound of the conch shell flute growing clearer. It slowly seeped into his ears, into his mind, into his consciousness.
Finally, the entire world fell silent, the conch shell's melody echoing through the vast expanse of space. Nothing else.
A sudden sense of weightlessness overwhelmed Kevin, jolting him awake.
He snapped open his eyes. The conch shell's melody had faded into the distance, leaving only the whistling wind rushing past. The weightlessness and the whistling sound around him all suggested one thing: he was falling rapidly from a great height!
"Holy crap!" Kevin was stunned to discover that below him lay a grassland, and he was in mid-air. He only had time to let out a startled cry, "What the hell… BANG!"
Kevin fell hard to the ground. An ordinary person would have been either killed or severely crippled. Luckily, his only source of pride was his exceptionally strong frame, so he only felt as if his entire body was about to fall apart, without sustaining any real damage. He lay there for a moment, feigning death, before finally pulling himself up with a grimace. He spat out the straw in his mouth and looked around in astonishment: "This is… Oh my god, the Dream Plane?"
What he saw was the familiar prairie, surrounded by soft, wild grass, a completely different kind from Earth's. Kevin jumped up, staring blankly at the rising sun in the distance, his mind beginning to wander.
This was the Dream Plane's prairie, and judging by the time, it was early morning. This was the first time in a long time that he had seen the Dream Plane in daylight. "Looks like I accidentally entered the dream plane." The voice of the data terminal drifted in from beside him, instantly reassuring Kevin. Although his partner was often annoying, having someone familiar around at times like this was always reassuring. "How did I get in all of a sudden?" Kevin looked around in confusion. "Didn't they say I need special self-suggestion and spiritual guidance to get in?"
"A siren's flute," the data terminal floated in front of Kevin. "Although I don't know much about the siren race, the music played by that little girl does resonate with the listeners. That's probably how it happened. Somehow, she pushed you 'here'. Well, she probably didn't do it on purpose. She's still blowing hard in your ear, she didn't even notice you were asleep."
"Oh," Kevin said, unconcerned about Nangong Wuyue accidentally pushing him into the dream plane. He was simply curious about something else: "Why did I fall from the sky?"
"Do you remember the last time you left the dream plane?"
Kevin thought for a moment. "Uh, I remember being blown up into the sky by a prairie hurricane." "That's what happened. You teleported out a few dozen meters above the ground, and when you came back the next time, you were still there," the data terminal swayed. "Oh, great! We've discovered another rule about the Dream Plane..."
"Good grief!" Kevin wanted to slap the hopelessly nagging thing, but he was afraid his hand wasn't strong enough. Just as he finished speaking, the sound of brisk horse hooves suddenly came from behind him.
"Ah, there's someone!"
Kevin heard a very young voice from nearby. He quickly stuffed the data terminal into his pocket and turned to see a young woman on a "horse" looking at him curiously.
Humans, humans who live in the Dream Plane!
At that moment, Kevin didn't even bother to observe what the person looked like. He was most excited because he had finally met his first native local in the Dream Plane! Psychopath, this was his second big surprise in the Dream Plane after the last encounter with a pack of silly black wolves!