The "dream lessons" from the "Dream Speakers" had miraculously changed Kai. Now, whenever he opened his eyes, the world in his view was no longer a frightening maze, but a vibrant textbook.
In that dream, Kai entered a world that perfectly simulated the ruins of Earth.
There, a strange interface—something he felt more than saw—appeared in his mind, listing the "skills" he needed for survival with a percentage progress bar:
Stealth & Movement: 9%
Identifying Herbs & Toxins: 0.2%
Hunting & Trapping: 5%
Close Quarters Combat: 3%
Ranged Combat: 0.9%
First Aid: 15%
Every night, he spent hours repeating those motions in his dream: learning to shift his weight when stepping to make no sound, training his eyes to identify plants in the dark, or drawing a bow to shoot virtual targets.
Each time he completed an exercise, he felt the progress bar inch up a little, perhaps only 0.1-0.2%. It was a slow process, requiring patience.
Upon waking, the knowledge was etched into his subconscious. He knew what he had to do. And then, he stepped into the real world.
The differences began to show.
He recognized rust-colored mushrooms as a sign of underground water sources. He knew how to apply sap from a special vine to his body to mask his scent, making it harder for the Hungry Ghosts to sniff him out.
His method of hiding rendered those who were hunting him useless, which made them increasingly hot-tempered and caused them to lose control of their behavior more and more.
And most importantly, he had replaced the dirty bandage on his hand with an anti-inflammatory leaf he found in a wall crevice, causing the wound to heal with astonishing speed.
But it was the knowledge of combat that truly changed Kai. In his dreams, he wasn't just taught martial techniques; he was also instilled with a philosophy: "True victory isn't about defeating the enemy, but about surviving. Sometimes, a wise evasion is more valuable than a foolish confrontation."
He began to apply this. Instead of panicking and running at every sound, he learned to quietly observe, assess the threat, and choose: fight, hide, or retreat. He spent more time modifying his hideout, creating multiple escape routes and small ambush points.
His iron knife was no longer just for stabbing and slashing; he sharpened it into a multi-purpose tool and learned to throw it with surprising accuracy.
One afternoon, while rummaging through the rubble of an old junk shop, Kai found something that made his heart race: a broken sports bow, missing one tip, and beside it, a bag of arrowheads that were relatively intact. As if a gift preordained, in last night's dream, he had been "taught" how to repair and use a similar bow.
Two days later, with patience and his newly learned skills, the bow was fixed using scrap wire and wood. Using Ravener tendons for the bowstring, he used its sharp teeth to make more arrows, and its venom sac to coat the arrowheads.
The bow was no longer perfect, but it was functional enough for shooting and hunting. Kai drew the bow, aiming an arrow at a piece of broken glass in the distance. He took a deep breath, recalling the feeling from his dream, and released.
Whoosh!
The arrow flew and struck the target with a satisfying thunk. A rare smile bloomed on Kai's lips. Now he could hunt small game from a distance, minimizing confrontation risks, and more importantly, he had a ranged weapon to deal with threats.
Aboard the Garbage-Dragon, Celeste couldn't hide her joy as she observed the Essence Prism. It now glowed brightly with a green light of survival and a cold, calculating silver. Images of the bow, of silent footsteps, and Kai's sharp, observant eyes constantly appeared. She knew she had done the right thing.
"He's not just stronger," she whispered to Echo, "but smarter. Look, he's like... dancing with the shadows."
One evening, while scavenging for canned food in a collapsed supermarket, he discovered fresh footprints belonging to Lom and his gang. Instead of fear, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
He knew the confrontation was inevitable. But this time, he wouldn't run. He would choose the time and place. And he would turn his territory into a death trap for the predators.