It must protest!
Even if it was what Miss Sharon said, it still had to argue its case!
It was the most loyal pen under its master's command, not some ominous object that brought disaster.
Hastur walked over and flicked the top of the pen case with his right index finger, knocking it back onto the table. "If you keep making a fuss, I'll really give you to that madman."
008 instantly fell silent, judging the situation had always been its strong suit.
Still, it trembled slightly twice, as if complaining about its grievances.
Hastur sat down at the desk, took out a sheet of paper, but didn't open the pen case holding 008. Instead, he picked up an ordinary quill pen and slowly began practicing his handwriting.
At first, 008 could tolerate being ignored. But after waiting for a while and seeing that Hastur truly had no intention of paying attention to it, it started bouncing around again, wishing it could immediately cover a blank sheet with its blazing strokes.
Unfortunately, Hastur still ignored it.
After finishing a page, he checked the time, it was past eleven. He yawned, stood up, and left the study, leaving behind the still-bouncing 008.
....
Late at night, on the streets of Puning Harbor, an elderly man with silver-white hair walked slowly past the entrance of a hotel. He was dressed neatly in a black suit, wearing round glasses and a silk top hat.
Just as he reached the main entrance, he stopped. Removing his silk hat with his right hand, he bowed politely to Madam Lisa, who had suddenly appeared before him.
"Honored madam, I mean no offense. I merely happened to pass by and, having some ties with the Church of the Evernight Goddess, lent a hand to those lost children. I hope you won't take it amiss."
Madam Lisa quietly watched his performance. Only after he finished did she speak calmly, "Dreamweaver, walking the world through a single avatar, weaving the dreams of countless beings, such transcendent ability makes you like a god within dreams, but also causes you to completely lose your reverence for other Beyonders."
The old man smiled. "Dreams are like life, and life is like dreams. Even death is nothing more than a deep sleep. When dawn comes and one opens their eyes, everything is as before, and life remains just as wonderful."
Madam Lisa shook her head and sighed. "Ignorant and fearless. If you were a Sequence 2 Seer, you would now have only one thought, flee with all your might and don't let fate catch up to you."
The old man frowned slightly and examined her more carefully, yet he still couldn't fully see through her.
"Your second mistake," Madam Lisa continued, "was talking with me here."
He didn't quite understand her words, but an inexplicable fear began to spread in his heart.
"Honored madam, it is already late. If there's a chance, we can meet again another time."
His figure shattered like a string of bubbles and disappeared.
Madam Lisa murmured, "To kill or not to kill… the divine envoy doesn't seem to like too much bloodshed here… I'll just give him an unforgettable lesson."
....
In a small town outside Puning Harbor, the old man stepped out of an alley. Seeing that no one had followed him, he let out a slight sigh of relief.
Just now, he had actually felt intense fear from that old lady, something he hadn't tasted in a long time.
"Better to be cautious."
His appearance shifted. His stature became slightly shorter, his silver-white hair turned black and white, the round glasses disappeared, a finger-width scar appeared on his left cheek, sparse stubble grew on his chin, and a silver-edged cane made of water-sinking wood appeared in his hand.
He now looked twenty years younger, and his temperament was completely different.
He had many identities, he was one of the Four Pirate Kings, the King of Black Throne, Barros Hopkins; he was also the well-known ascetic of the Central Sonia Sea, Eric Drake; he had even been the former chancellor of Backlund Medical School and the royal family's medical consultant.
He had too many identities, so many that even he sometimes forgot them.
A Dreamweaver weaves dreams, and can also weave his own. Within dreams, he could be anyone.
"I wonder which organization that old lady belonged to."
"Are you sure you want to know?" The old man froze mid-step, his expression darkening as a shadow fell over his previously relaxed mood.
Because that voice had come from his own mind. And it was very familiar, it belonged to the old lady he had just met.
Suppressing his shock, he chuckled and applauded lightly. "What an ingenious method, even I didn't notice it at first. Tonight has truly broadened my horizons."
"And that alone surprises you? You're still too young."
His gaze flickered coldly. "I've said before, I had no intention of interfering in your affairs. I was merely passing by."
"The first time, I already let you leave. But you didn't, you lingered nearby. Since you like meddling in others' business, you'll have to pay a price."
"Heh, this is only one of my avatars."
"Who said this is your avatar?"
The moment those words were spoken, the old man felt himself completely lose control of his body. His consciousness condensed into a tiny point of light, imprisoned in a pitch-black, lightless world.
Only then did he truly realize, this time, he had kicked a steel plate.
"Barros Hopkins, Eric Drake, royal family's medical consultant… Pauli Derlau… you really do have quite a few identities."
As each identity was peeled away, his heart sank further.
He had tried to end the life of this avatar just now, but discovered that he was now merely a bystander, unable to influence this body in the slightest.
The old lady he had only met once was now the true master of this avatar.
He asked in a low voice, "Who exactly are you?"
"Isn't it a bit late to ask that now?"
"What do you want with my body?"
"Garden of Eden seems like a nice place. I'll go take a stroll."
"Heh, even if you occupy my avatar, you can't enter Garden of Eden!"
"Your avatar? Sigh… you still don't understand what you've lost."
Madam Lisa sighed, closed the avatar's eyes, and entered the world of the collective subconscious.
Eden existed within it. Finding the Garden of Eden in the collective subconscious was extremely difficult.
But for this avatar, his true body lay sleeping deep within the Garden.
Pauli Derlau, his true identity was the current chairman of the Psychology Alchemy Society.
He regarded the Garden of Eden as absolutely safe, so whenever he went out, he left his true body deep within it. The avatars he sent out were like bubbles, if they shattered, they shattered, without affecting his true self.
But now, he finally felt a suffocating sense of his fate being seized by the throat.
The Garden of Eden had been opened, opened by someone who had taken over his avatar!
She even moved through it unimpeded, arriving at the place where his true body was stored. Along the way, none of the council members she encountered saw through her identity, they all treated her as him!
She even deliberately stopped to chat with a friend he was on good terms with, recounting recent adventures.
His friend didn't notice that a different soul now inhabited the avatar. Everyone naturally regarded her as him.
His fate had been replaced! No, more precisely, the fate of this avatar had been stolen!
Pauli Derlau felt extremely heavy-hearted. If she could steal the fate of this avatar, then when she stood before his true body, she could steal that fate as well!
At that point, he would completely lose his own fate, his identity, everything he had would be entirely replaced!
If he could still sweat, he would already be drenched.
If he had known he would provoke such a terrifying existence, he should have left immediately after landing at Puning Harbor!
Instead of relying on the special abilities of a Dreamweaver and meddling in others' affairs.
Regret? Such emotions were unnecessary in the world of Beyonders.
"Sigh…" Pauli Derlau let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, waiting for his fate.
Deep within the Garden of Eden, the avatar had already met the true body.
Part of the consciousness within the sleeping true body awakened, looking at the suddenly returned avatar in confusion.
According to the schedule, it wasn't time for this avatar to return yet. Had it encountered some unsolvable problem?
"Why did you suddenly come back?"
"This is a warning for you." The true body was baffled, what was this supposed to mean? Was the avatar rebelling?
"Once some dreams are shattered, they are lost forever, never to be reborn with the next dawn."
After leaving those final words, Madam Lisa departed from Pauli Derlau's avatar, returning control to him.
Of course, since she had come, she took something with her, three of Pauli Derlau's identities, and even left a backdoor in his true body, making it convenient for her to come and go in the future.
Regaining control of his avatar, Pauli Derlau remained silent for a long time before sighing.
"People always have to pay for their choices, even if the price is very costly."
After regaining control, he knew he had lost something, but he couldn't remember what it was.
What was lost was lost forever, never to return.