The Novel's Extra - Side Story 36 – Dream in a Dream (36)

A palace lobby lay beyond the door. Yoo Yeonha didn’t know if it was the Hampton Palace, but she didn’t sense any threats or dangers.

Was this the door that Marcus mentioned?

Yoo Yeonha briefly pondered and slowly walked in while holding onto Kim Hajin. She opened one of the bedroom doors in the lobby.

The room had creaking tiles, a desk, and a bed. Yoo Yeonha entered and placed Kim Hajin on the bed.

“Phew…”

She remained alert the entire time, but didn’t sense any hostility in the surroundings. It seemed she could finally get some rest.

Yoo Yeonha wiped away the sweat and dirt on her before analyzing the situation.

First, what was that monster in the underground bunker? Its blood looked like tar and it exuded an evil aura. She suspected that various spirits had been mashed together to form that monster’s physical body.

That could only mean one thing. Lancaster had captured those spirits of the dead.

“…”

Yoo Yeonha gritted her teeth. She found it despicable no matter how rational and calculative she acted. She was a hero, no, a human too in the end.

Just what in the world was Lancaster doing? Did he really believe he could change the past by doing this? Did he believe he was right to the extent that he would taint those souls?

Anger rose from within Yoo Yeonha.

“Haa…” she sighed to suppress her boiling anger and looked out the window. The sky turned dark as if ash covered the entire world.

Yoo Yeonha aimlessly looked around before heading towards the bed.

Kim Hajin peacefully slept there and she walked over to sit beside him. Then she switched on the walkie-talkie.

***

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Rachel and her party carefully walked through the passageway when a loud noise suddenly came from behind them.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

It sounded like something gigantic rushing towards them.

The party members immediately drew their weapons and turned around. They anxiously waited for whatever came.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Was it a monster or a human?

All of them waited in suspense when the thing charging at them shouted out.

“It’s me!”

“Ah!”

Rachel immediately sheathed Galatine after recognizing the voice. The rest followed suit and also lowered their weapons.

Chae Nayun popped out from the darkness.

“Phew…” Rachel sighed in relief.

The others recognized Chae Nayun and looked at her full of respect. Honestly, Chae Nayun became something like a celebrity among heroes. They naturally felt starstruck in her presence.

“Hey, why weren’t you picking up your radio?” Chae Nayun grumbled.

Rachel glanced at the person Chae Nayun was carrying covered from head to toe in a robe.

“My walkie-talkie got destroyed. Rather than that, who are you carrying? I don’t think that’s Hajin?”

“Oh, this guy is yours. Take him,” Chae Nayun replied as she threw the robed man.

The robe flung back and Marcus’ face came into view.

“Hey! T-That! It’s that bastard!”

“It’s that son of a bitch Marcus!”

The English Royal Court members surrounded Marcus lying on the floor. It seemed like they would start beating him at any moment.

Chae Nayun nonchalantly ignored them and took out her walkie-talkie.

“Hey, Yoo Yeonha. I’ve arrived.”

Bzzt… Pssh…

It didn’t take long for Yoo Yeonha to respond.

— Got it. I’m at some palace with him right now.

“Is that so? Where are you exactly?” Chae Nayun asked.

— I think… I think this is the Hampton Palace.

“Hampton?” Chae Nayun muttered.

Rachel reacted before a slight migraine struck her. The strange sensation felt as if hundreds of small needles had pierced her head.

— Yes. Marcus is with you, right? Can you ask him for me? I got in through a door, but can you ask him if this is the right door?

“Ughh…” Marcus groaned as he woke up just in time.

He looked around dumbfoundedly before gasping in horror and realizing the situation.

“You little bastard!” Fermin gritted her teeth and glared at him while cracking her knuckles.

Not just her, but the other guild members also expressed their hostility towards him.

Marcus raised his arms and tried to calm them.

“Wait a minute! I had my reasons for doing that!”

“What reasons could there be? Let’s hear it after pulling out your arms and legs first!” Fermin roared.

“Stop,” Chae Nayun interfered in Marcus’ judgment and stopped him from being executed. She managed to make the angry mob step back with just words. Then she asked Marcus, “Is there a door underground? Yoo Yeonha says that she entered through a door just now.”

“Huh? Ah, yes… that’s right,” Marcus replied with a nod. He proceeded to explain, “There’s a door at the end of the western underground passage. It’s a place that Lancaster treasures, so it’s always locked and hidden away from view. However, I snuck in last night and opened it. She’s probably at the right place if she found a door.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, but that place is filled with illusions. They better be careful over there.”

“Illusions?” Chae Nayun frowned.

“Yeah,” Marcus replied with a grimace. “That entire place is no different than a dream.”

***

Yoo Yeonha closed her eyes for a second while radioing Rachel and Chae Nayun. She yawned a few times as drowsiness overcame her. Then she shook her head awake, but found that the walkie-talkie had been disconnected.

“Huh? What happened?” she wondered and got up to leave the room.

The palace lobby was well-lit. It didn’t look extravagant, but preserved the period when this place was built. A few tiles and walls were chipped here and there, which showed the place’s old age. The candlesticks and plates added to the strong Renaissance atmosphere.

Yoo Yeonha took her time looking around before she suddenly felt a strange aura from somewhere. She spotted a strange shadow in one corner of the lobby. It looked like a human, but she couldn’t tell with its hands covering its face.

Yoo Yeonha fixed her gaze on the shadow as she slowly took out her whip.

The shadow suddenly showed its hideous face and charged at her.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Its bloody eyes and torn chin came inches away from her. The face looked even more grotesque from up close.

“Euk!”

Yoo Yeonha felt so surprised that she couldn’t even scream. She just stood there as her heartbeat stopped. The floor around her slowly turned black and her body slowly sunk into the dark floor. She couldn’t move a muscle as the hideous ghost flashed a smile.

A warm breeze blew from somewhere and burned the ghost away as Yoo Yeonha sunk into the black swamp.

“Kyaaaaaahk!”

The ghost screamed in agony as it turned into ashes.

Yoo Yeonha helplessly fell to her knees after the ghost died. A set of arms pulled her out from the swamp and asked, “Are you alright?”

Her eyes instantly shot open at the familiar voice. She immediately looked at the person without realizing she was drenched in her own sweat and tears.

Kim Hajin tried to suppress his laughter at Yoo Yeonha’s messy state. He had never seen her like this before.

“Hmm… You don’t look too good right now.”

Yoo Yeonha wanted to reply, I know that. However, she couldn’t muster her voice as her body uncontrollably shook.

“Pfft!” Kim Hajin finally let out a snicker after seeing Yoo Yeonha’s pale face trying to speak.

The way he laughed sounded quite mischievous for some reason.

“Where… W-Where are we? W-Where is this place?” Yoo Yeonha finally uttered, but she stuttered as her lips and body violently shook. “Ah… N-No… W-When did you wake up? Y-You could have… t-told me if you were awake…”

Kim Hajin gently wiped away her tears as he replied, “I didn’t wake up yet.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yoo Yeonha asked with a frown.

Kim Hajin looked around before telling her, “This is a dream.”

“…?”

Yoo Yeonha couldn’t understand what he just said.

Could a dream feel this vivid? Also, wouldn’t anyone wake up if they were shocked to this extent?

No, rather than that… Why did this guy speak so formally and gently all of a sudden?

“Anyways, why don’t you get up first?” Kim Hajin smiled and took out his Desert Eagle.

Yoo Yeonha suddenly felt killing intent from all around them. The hostility came from numerous evil spirits surrounding them.

“You’ll end up pissing yourself if you stay here,” Kim Hajin said with a mischievous smile.

“W-What?! W-When did I piss myself?!” Yoo Yeonha retorted, but Kim Hajin didn’t say anything as he pulled her behind him and pulled the trigger.

Bang! Shwooooosh!

A bullet flew in slow motion.

Yoo Yeonha suddenly opened her eyes.

“…!”

She found herself in a completely different environment after waking up.

Rachel and Chae Nayun sighed in relief.

“She woke up. Phew… I thought you got poisoned by that dream thing too…” Chae Nayun said.

Yoo Yeonha stared dumbfoundedly at them for a while.

“What zhe…?”

She noticed herself slurring and touched her cheeks to find them quite swollen.

Chae Nayun awkwardly laughed, “Oops, sorry. I think I struck you a bit too hard while trying to wake you up.”

“What…? Ack! It hurts! Why you little!” Yoo Yeonha screamed as she grabbed a handful of Chae Nayun’s hair in anger. The pain from both her cheeks came rushing all at once.

***

The situation slightly calmed in the Hampton Palace’s grand ballroom. Twelve individuals sat around a long table for a serious meeting.

“We know that this place is safe for now and we also know that this place has a mysterious power. Even Lancaster won’t be able to come here carelessly. However, that means we won’t be able to stop him if we don’t leave this place,” Marcus seriously said.

He couldn’t help but feel tense with so many sharp gazes from the English Royal Court members on him. He slightly tilted his head to avoid their gazes before continuing with his explanation.

“We also need to keep in mind that we’ll sink into our subconscious the more we try to move up to the surface. In short, we’ll fall asleep. The best thing would be to not fall asleep in the first place, but we’ll be dragged to the dream world if we doze off for even a split second. So…”

“That won’t be a problem,” Yoo Yeonha interrupted him.

Marcus turned around to say something, but Yoo Yeonha didn’t give him the chance.

“That person will be in our dreams,” she said while pointing at Kim Hajin sound asleep with his head on Rachel’s lap.

Rachel faked a cough after feeling awkward with all their gazes on her.

“Huh? What do you mean by that?” Marcus asked while tilting his head in confusion.

“I dreamt too and that person appeared in my dream. Not only that, but he also helped me,” Yoo Yeonha explained.

The Kim Hajin she met in her dream was quite powerful. He acted fearless too and didn’t even bat an eye against the ghosts.

How was it possible for someone to not even flinch and massacre those hideous ghosts?

“In your dream? He helped you?” Marcus frowned.

“Yes, and if we fall into a dream… then the one in a deeper slumber will be more powerful, right?”

“That sounds possible.”

“Well, this person is currently poisoned by the Empty Dream. That means he’s stronger than anyone else in the dream world,” Yoo Yeonha said as she pointed at Kim Hajin with her chin.

However, Marcus remained skeptical.

“That could be true, but… it’s not possible to appear in someone else’s dream. I dare say it was just a coincidence you met him in your dream or maybe your mind recreated him as a coping mechanism—”

“No,” Rachel cut him off. “It’s possible for Hajin. Rather than that, is what you just said true, Yeonha?”

She looked at Yoo Yeonha with a hint of jealousy.

Yoo Yeonha haughtily scoffed in response, “It’s true.”

“I see…” Rachel muttered.

Fermin and the other English Royal Court members looked at each other. All of them wanted to ask the same question whether that man sleeping on the vice leader’s lap called Kim Hajin was Xtra.

“Excuse me—” Fermin spoke out, but Rachel didn’t give them an inch and immediately cut her off.

“Have all of you enjoyed your meals?” Rachel suddenly asked her members.

The long banquet table in the grand ballroom was filled with food that Fermin and the others brought. They took everything out and everyone ate to their heart’s content. It would be quite ironic if hunger held them back at the most crucial moment later on.

“Yes, it was a delicious meal.”

“It was really good. I’m glad we brought all that with us.”

Sehit and Tilma replied while wiping their mouths with a napkin.

The rest of the party members wolfed down their food.

“We’re done too.”

“Then… shall we start moving, Marcus?” Rachel asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Marcus replied.

They left the grand ballroom.

“I’ll lead the way,” Marcus said as he walked in front.

They found themselves in front of a giant staircase at the center of the lobby. This staircase didn’t exist in the original Hampton Palace.

“This is the place. Everyone, please be careful,” Marcus warned them before climbing the staircase.

Rachel felt a strange sensation as she climbed the stairs. It felt as if time slowly became irrelevant and she grew lighter with each step.

Step… Step…

They continued climbing without a word until one of them suddenly collapsed. It was Dale.

“I’ll carry him,” Marcus said.

The rest of the party resumed climbing and they finally caught sight of the end after almost a hundred steps.

“It’s a door. Everyone, follow me…” Rachel said as she opened the door and entered.

The space beyond the door contained absolutely nothing.

“Rachel?”

A warm, gentle voice that sounded like a soft breeze called her from the other side of the room.

Rachel suddenly felt dizzy, but forced herself to look towards the voice.

“You’ve grown into a wonderful young lady,” the voice said.

Rachel’s heart sank.

The person she had only ever seen in portraits stood in front of her with eyes full of warmth.

“Come over here. Come to your mother.”

Rachel had never met this person before.

“You have truly grown into a wonderful person. Your mother is so proud of you.”

Rachel’s feet slowly walked towards her mother.

Her mother wore a blue dress and her voice and gesture calling for Rachel felt so affectionate for some reason.

Rachel began tearing up as she walked towards her mother as if bewitched.

“Don’t go there.”

Another voice suddenly spoke.

Rachel flinched and turned around to find Kim Hajin behind her.

How and where did he suddenly come from? Why did he tell her not to go to her own mother?

She found herself in a dilemma and didn’t even realize she was currently stuck in a dream.

“Come to me instead,” Kim Hajin said as he walked over and hugged her.

He hugged her as tight as he could so she wouldn’t leave for that illusion bewitching her.

“Stay by my side,” he told her.

Rachel looked into his eyes full of certainty.

“Stay by my side until you wake up.”

He took off his coat and placed it over her.

She felt her eyelids growing heavy as the coat’s warmth enveloped her. His scent tickled her nose.

This warm, cozy feeling felt so familiar in the foreign dream world.