“Idiot… What on earth did I just say…”
After Xin Yu left, Xia Xue found an excuse to squat in the corner, lost in self-reproach.
Xing Luo slowly approached her from behind, concerned about what was on her mind.
“Senior Xia Xue, why are you squatting in the corner?”
The voice from behind startled her.
“N-no reason at all… Anyway, today is the day you all start your new training. Go gather everyone.”
“What kind of training?”
“Training on how to properly use dreamscapes.”
So, it was finally time to step into this mysterious field? Xing Luo felt a bit nervous.
The experience of entering such a wondrous space for the first time was unforgettable, and she was full of anticipation at the thought of entering a dreamscape again.
Once Xing Luo had gathered everyone, Xia Xue began to speak.
“Everyone, today we’ll begin training on dreamscapes. Dreamscapes are an extremely important ability for magical girls. I will gradually awaken your ability to use dreamscapes, and with this power, we can achieve communication of the heart.”
A white-haired girl asked, “What exactly is a dreamscape? I accidentally entered one before, and I felt like I’d entered another world, completely disconnected from reality. In such a situation, can magical girls in reality still communicate?”
Xia Xue smiled and explained, “That’s a good question. A dreamscape is, in fact, a spiritual space supported by a magical girl’s mind as the fulcrum. Within this space, magical girls can interact on both shallow and deep levels.”
“The shallow level is when your consciousness is half inside the dreamscape and you can still act in reality. At this time, because the dreamscapes of magical girls can connect, you can communicate heart-to-heart.”
“The deep level is when your consciousness is fully immersed in the dreamscape. In a complete dreamscape, the flow of time is different from reality—it’s another world altogether.”
“What happens if someone stays in a deep dreamscape where time flows extremely fast? What happens to their real body?” another girl asked.
“That’s a harsh question—but yes, there are such cases. Some magical girls have been trapped in dreamscapes where time flows at a tremendous speed.”
“These dreamscapes are generally called the Grave of Time. Once trapped, you’re no different from a vegetative state in reality, and if another magical girl tries to enter the trapped one’s dreamscape, she’ll be trapped too. It’s contagious…”
“That’s why we, your seniors, warn you again and again that dreamscapes are very dangerous things.” Xia Xue said solemnly.
“What about the opposite? What if the time in a dreamscape flows very slowly?” Xing Luo asked.
“Most dreamscapes flow extremely slowly. Being in these dreamscapes is the safest—your real body won’t die of hunger or thirst. These dreamscapes are the ideal ones.”
“In that case, couldn’t you just escape from this miserable world and live forever in a dreamscape…?” A depressed girl who usually wore a sullen expression actually smiled for once.
“No! That’s a terribly dangerous way of thinking. At its core, the dreamscape is virtual. Distinguishing between the virtual and reality is your first lesson—and also your most important!”
“No thoughts of escaping reality are allowed!” Xia Xue sternly warned.
“Hmph, so stingy…”
“I-I’m not stingy! I need to correct your mistaken ideas! What’s your name, let me see…”
Their bickering continued for a while, but with Xing Luo’s persuasion, it didn’t escalate further…
Xia Xue had everyone line up and personally guided each of them one by one.
For some reason, Xia Xue made Xing Luo go last, so all she could do was watch from the side.
Yet from Xing Luo’s perspective, each one-on-one dreamscape session seemed to end as soon as Xia Xue blinked her eyes.
“It’s your turn, Xing Luo. Qi Xing asked me to take special care of you, so that’s why I saved you for last,” Xia Xue said.
“So that’s the reason?”
“She told me your situation is a bit special, so she wanted me to check on you. Xing Luo, just relax.” Following Xia Xue’s guidance, Xing Luo relaxed her mind.
“Look into my eyes.”
Xing Luo did as told.
Xia Xue’s eyes were the same green as her hair, clear and crystalline like emeralds—beautiful. Xing Luo stared intently, as if she were about to be hypnotized.
“Um… What’s wrong, is it not done yet?” Xing Luo asked curiously.
“You’re… different.” Xia Xue averted her gaze, thoughtful.
“My ability is to pull people into dreamscapes through my eyes, but it doesn’t seem to work on you.”
“Why?” Xing Luo was puzzled.
“But I’ve entered a dreamscape before, so why not this time?”
“I don’t know either…” Xia Xue scratched her head.
Xing Luo was also troubled, but there was nothing she could do. She ended up not being able to participate in this round of dreamscape training at all.
***
The next day, Xing Luo had no training. Troubled, she walked through the streets of the underground city.
She came to a bridge, where an actual river flowed beneath it. Xing Luo found it novel—on the surface, rivers and lakes were always frozen.
Watching the flowing water, Xing Luo’s thoughts began to flow as well.
She recalled the first time she entered a dreamscape, as if she still stood atop a soft membrane, facing the mysterious Polyhedron.
Within that Polyhedron, perhaps there was a girl trapped in a Space-Time Prison, waiting for her to rescue her…
Once she started thinking this way, Xing Luo couldn’t stop. She always felt compelled to save others—whenever she saw someone suffering, she couldn’t help but step in.
That impulse was a part of her very nature.
If she could enter the dreamscape again, she would reach out without hesitation and rescue that girl.
On the river’s surface, her silhouette was reflected faintly, overlaid by a wavering black filter.
Living in this world really is full of worries…
Xing Luo thought about what Xia Xue had said about dreamscapes being a world of the mind. If she could fully master the power of dreamscapes, could she build a world far better than reality?
If she could gather other magical girls and live together in such a world, would reality even matter…
“No… There are still so many people in the real world who aren’t magical girls that need my help. I can’t give up just like that.”
Xing Luo immediately corrected her wayward thoughts.
“I still have my justice to fulfill.”
Xing Luo left the spot.
And then she ran into Xia Xue, who also seemed to be taking a walk nearby. She didn’t have work today either.
“Senior Xia Xue? What are you doing here?”
“Oh, Xing Luo, what a coincidence running into you here. I’ve been thinking about what happened yesterday for a long time and still don’t get it. Now that I’ve run into you, why don’t we test it again?”
Xing Luo nodded.
The two of them went to a quiet spot. Xia Xue once again had Xing Luo stare into her green eyes.
Xing Luo was drawn in once more—within Xia Xue’s green pupils, there seemed to be a small forest, and beneath that forest, a river flowed.
When Xing Luo came back to her senses, she realized that the river was actually Xia Xue’s tears.
Suddenly, Xia Xue collapsed.
Xing Luo hurried to catch her.
“What’s going on!?”
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