Chapter 218 – Name

After hugging each other for a while, Dream and his mother separated.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, mister."

"I'll be sure to tell you guys everything. Before that though, where is everybody?"

Dream asked as he scanned through the house. He didn't see the rest of his family.

"Your father and brothers are out hunting. They should be back later today."

"Mm. Now, what about the other aura I feel upstairs?"

Dream spoke as he looked toward a certain part of the house, his senses piercing the enchanted walls of the building. In another room he could sense another presence. It was an animal.

"Aura? Oh, you mean Ambush?"

"So it really is Ambush. Come down here, cat. You remember me?"

Dream spoke while poking his influence at the cat upstairs. As if it understood him, the cat made its way out and over to them. 

This cat was Ambush, one of the family cats. He had gray fur with black stripes, a pretty normal looking cat by any standard. However, after the appearance of the system and magical energies on Earth, Ambush evolved into an intelligent beast. Now, he was twice the size of a normal cat, making him as big as an average dog, and his presence was seemingly illusory like an assassin. 

After making his appearance, Ambush looked at Dream with wariness but familiarity, as well as intelligence. 

"Dream... I do remember, although my memories before my awakening are vague."

Ambush spoke with a monotone voice, which came as no surprise to Dream. With his experience in a world where intelligent talking animals were commonplace, he couldn't be surprised. Though, he was still a bit excited. After all, this was one of his pets from before he was transported, and what pet owner wasn't interested in the thoughts of their fluffy companion?

"Seems you're pretty fluent. What level are you at, class 2? Not bad for an animal that wasn't born a magical beast."

"You speak as if you have experience with magical beasts."

Melody spoke, surprised that Dream wasn't. As far as she knew, something like this was new for him who had been gone for a few years. 

"In the world I went to, intelligent animals were normal. In fact, there's an entire race of them in that city."

"The city?"

Dream's mom looked at him questioningly. Melody quickly jumped in to clarify. 

"Yea! Mom, Dream came back with the aliens that appeared. He's their leader! He created an army of robots that built those cities under Death Valley."

"What? The aliens? You're their leader?"

Shannon looked at Dream surprised. There wasn't anyone in the world who didn't know about the appearance of the aliens who built those 5 cities in California. To hear that not only did Dream come with them, but was their leader, was nothing short of shocking.

"I am indeed. I'll have to show you guys around so you can see some of the races. They've got demi-humans, elves, and dwarves. All of them are more powerful than the people here too. They were able to develop themselves to the class 4 level on that other world."

"Seriously?! Class 4?!"

Melody shouted, shocked. Earth was still trying to break past the class 4 barrier, but apparently some of the aliens already had class 4's. If that news were to get out, who knew how chaotic things would become. 

"Yup. There's a few dozen of them here, but there used to be over a hundred. At least, that was before the war."

"War?"

"There were demons on the world I went to as well, and they were much more powerful than here. I'll tell you guys about it later though. Why don't we go to where dad is? I'd like to say hi."

"They're at the hunting grounds right now, though I guess we could drive over there."

"Drive? You guys still use cars?"

"Uhh, yea? You don't?"

Melody looked at him weirdly as if forgetting that he hasn't been on Earth for a couple of years. 

"I haven't used a vehicle in years, except for a ship. But oh well. Can I drive?"

"Sure, as long as you don't crash."

"You severely underestimate me, you twinkie."

"Who're you calling twinkie?! I'm one of the strongest people in the world!"

"Hah! That was before I showed up. Don't worry, you'll understand just how weak you are soon enough. Now let's go. I'm driving."

Saying that, Dream walked toward the garage of the house as if he already knew the layout of the place. Melody huffed and followed behind, as did Shannon and Ambush.

The four piled into a car that was engineered with both mechanical and magical components. Dream scanned the entire thing before nodding. 

"Impressive. They were able to make something half decent."

"This car can surpass 300 miles an hour, and bullets can't even scratch the metal."

"Blocking bullets is the bare minimum. Though, I still wonder what the point is since you guys should be able to fly everywhere."

Dream spoke as he started the car. The vehicle let out a low roar, and he could sense the enchantments inside working. 

He smiled and rubbed the steering wheel. It had been a long time since he'd driven a car. 

"Let's ride."

..........

.......

"Oh my god! What is this idiot doing?! I'm driving a freaking tank dude! If you wanna die, then go ahead and cut me off!"

After only 15 minutes of driving, Dream was fuming behind the wheel. He finally remembered how much he hated driving, especially on the freeways. 

"I come back to this damn planet for an hour and I already want to leave!"

"Will you chill?! We only got 10 more minutes! I'm sure you can bear a little traffic for that long."

"Nope! That's it! We're just gonna fly there."

Dream spoke as he started enveloping the car with his influence. Melody thought he wanted to do something different though. 

"And leave the car in the middle of the road?! No! This thing costed a lot of money, and it's one of the best models!"

"Please! I make freaking spaceships in my sleep! You think this piece of scrap is impressive?!"

"I... I don't know! But we aren't leaving Bessie here!"

Melody stuttered as she recalled the information she got about the massive satellite in space and the thousands of ship that flew to and from it. If Dream really did make all that, then it was obvious that he'd see the car as a toy.

Hearing the last part of her sentence though, Dream tilted his head.

"Huh? Did you seriously name your car Bessie?"

"Yes! Shut up!"

"...Whatever. Just sit tight."

"What are you- Whoah!"

Suddenly, the car they were in lifted off the ground, startling Melody and Shannon as well as all the cars around them. 

"Wh-what are you doing?!"

"I'm flying, you idiot! What does it look like, swimming?"

"Shut up, dickweed!"

"Enough you two!"

"He called me an idiot first!"

"I don't care! Don't call each other names!"

"Ugh!"

After getting reprimanded, Melody huffed out loud and crossed her arms. Dream just smiled and flew the car to the location, not caring about his sister's building rage.

.............

"Finally!"

Dream stretched as he stepped out of the car, feeling like he was an old man. After dealing with traffic, he vowed never to drive again. 

Flying the car to the destination only took a minute or so as well, surprising both Shannon and Melody. 

"When we have some time, I'll build you guys some flying cars. There's no reason to travel around in a piece of crap like that."

"Really? You can do that?"

"I transported an entire population of 300 million across worlds and built them cities to settle in, so yes, I can build some flying cars."

"...I still have a hard time believing you're the leader of the aliens."

"Then when we get the chance, I'll take you to see the cities and my space station."

"In space?"

"No, in the ocean. Dumbass."

"I will literally fight you! Right now!"

"Hmph. Sure. Anyway, if you wanted, I could bring you to the moon as well. Hell, even if you wanted to go to Mars I could make it happen."

"...Seriously?"

"Yup. In fact, we can make it a family trip. What do you say, mom? Wanna go find some martians?"

"...I'll think about it."

"Alright. Now, where's dad?"

Saying that, Dream released his influence and scanned the vicinity. They were currently outside a restricted area that housed a plot of land the size of a national park. The entire plot of land was either walled off or guarded, and only Supers were allowed access so they could go hunting for the dens of animals that lived there. It was a very controlled system, providing a steady supply of experience, and it was jointly controlled by some guilds. 

After releasing his influence, Dream was able to see every detail of the surrounding landscape, down to the blade of grass. He only paid attention to the people though, and he soon spotted his dad and two brothers who were walking around, searching for prey.

"Nevermind. I found them."

"Found them?"

Melody was surprised when he spoke. He didn't explain though and just activated his magic. 

"Let's fly there. Don't resist."

"Resist wha- hey!"

Suddenly, Dream's magic wrapped around Melody, Shannon, and the cat Ambush. Surprisingly though, it wasn't uncomfortable, only startling them. 

"Let's go."

Dream then took off into the sky and toward the direction of his dad. 

The distance was short though, and after only several seconds, they arrived above them. Dream set them down on the floor and released his magic. 

"...You really are powerful."

Melody mumbled, surprised about the fact that he could travel a mile in only a few seconds. The picture of the powerful being her brother supposedly was started to take form in her mind. Even Shannon was starting to reevaluate her son.

Dream didn't mind their daze though and just looked at his dad and brothers who were only 30 meters away. They were walking away from them, still searching, but not long after Dream landed, one of his brothers turned around. He saw them.

"Mom? Mel?"

The brother tilted his head, and the two others noticed. The dad and second brother turned as well.

"Babe? What are you..."

"Dad! Look who it is!"

"..."

Snapping out of her daze, Melody pushed forward her brother, showcasing him to the three. The two brothers and father looked at the man in front of them.

"No freaking way! Is that you?!"

"Yup. Hi Austin."

"Well shit! Back from the dead huh!"

One of the brothers, Austin, laughed and walked over. He and Dream gave each other a manly hug.

Austin was the oldest of the siblings at 26 years old, as well as the most extroverted. In fact, he was quite the playboy consistently bringing home girls. There were many occasions where Dream had been jealous of his uncanny ability to seduce women. Not only that, but he was talented in sports. The only reason he didn't shoot for the Olympics was because he didn't have the discipline to keep up with a training regime. 

"..."

Meanwhile, as Dream and Austing separated, the other brother came over.

"Hey Walter."

Dream smiled and put out his hand, prompting Walter to shake it. Walter was the exact opposite of Austin, a very introverted and quiet man. He was exceptionally smart though, and not unlike how Dream did, he studied all the time. There were many occasions where he and Dream would discuss science and physics. 

Walter nodded to him, a rare smile plastered on his face. In fact, after a few seconds of shaking hands, Walter pulled him in for a quick hug. 

Dream accepted it, and they separated. Then, Dream's father finally came over, his face solemn.

"Sylus."

"..."

Dream's father spoke his name, a name he hadn't heard in a long time. 

Sylus, Dream's real name. 'Dream' was a nickname that everyone called him, and it had been that way for so long that not many people knew his real name. It was derived from his last name, Dreamer.

Sylus Dreamer. This name appeared in Dream's mind, seemingly for the first time. In fact, when this name was acknowledged, a reaction occurred.

<Warning! Individual has undergone a Name change.>

<Reclassifying...>

<Reclassified. Individual is now Named: [Sylus Dreamer]>

Notifications appeared in his vision, but Dream only glanced at them before ignoring them.

"Hi dad."

Dream smiled and looked at his father.

His name was Douglas, and he was a tall man who stood equal to Dream at 6'2". Douglas was a lean man who had a nice face, beard, and long hair which made him seem like a certain prominent religious figure. Dream resembled him quite a bit as well, just without the same age and maturity. 

Dream knew Douglas as a very patient and gentle man, one who could make friends with anyone. He very rarely got angry, and was known to be quite philosophical. He and Dream would always discuss philosophy and such whenever they had the time. 

After Douglas approached Dream, he put his hand on his shoulder. After they looked at each other for a bit, Douglas smiled and pulled his son in for a hug. 

"I missed you, kid."

"Missed you too, dad."

The two patted each other on the back, looking like friends who reunited after a long time. 

"We've got quite a bit to talk about."

"Mom said the same thing."

"Hey dad! He's the leader of the aliens!"

"He's what?"

Douglas turned to his daughter who excitedly babbled out shocking pieces of information. Dream looked at her and rolled his eyes. 

"Will you shut up and let me explain properly?"

"You shut up!"

"Quiet, both of you."

Douglas interrupted before they could fight any further.

"Let's talk about everything at home."

"Right. By the way, should I be introduced to this little guy?"

Dream spoke as he looked at a cat that was standing behind his brother, Austin. Austin lit up and picked up the large cat. 

"Yea! This is Echo, remember?"

"I do."

"He hasn't grown as much as Ambush, but he's just as powerful. Say hi, Echo. Do you remember Dream?"

"Yes. Though my memories of you are hazy."

The cat nodded, giving the same answer as the other cat Ambush. 

"That's to be expected. And you're also around class 2."

Dream nodded as he evaluated the cat. Echo was very similar to ambush, only completely black. His eyes had also undergone a change, turning totally gold. He looked almost ethereal if one disregarded his treatment as an ordinary pet. 

"Both cats have been hunting with us. Ambush specializes in stealth attacks, and Echo specializes in illusions, like me."

Austin spoke proudly while hugging Echo. Dream rubbed his chin.

"Illusions huh? You'll have to try them out on me sometime."

"Oh yeah? How powerful are you?"

"I'm a class 4."

"A wha..?"

Austin's eyes went wide, as did everyone else's. Although Melody did have a feeling he was that powerful, hearing him outright say it was still surprising. It was even more so for the brothers and dad who hadn't seem him yet. 

"How the hell did you become a class 4?"

"The other world I was on. I'll explain later."

"Mm. I guess now's not the time to be hunting. Why don't we go home?"

"Oh! We should make a big dinner tonight!"

Melody jumped excitedly as they started walking out of the hunting grounds. Hearing her, Shannon and Douglas nodded.

"Maybe we should. Why don't we call the rest of the family too? We can plan a gathering tomorrow."

"Yea! It's been a while since we've had a gathering. And hey! Dream said he has a special someone!"

"Oh?"

Everyone looked at him after Melody spoke. Seeing them all turn their gazes to him, he got chuckled awkwardly, almost smacking his sister who couldn't keep her trap shut. 

"I may or may not have met some people."

"Girls?"

"Uhh, yea."

"Relationship?"

"Yea?"

"Haha! This guy actually snared himself a girl! And from another world no less! I'm proud of you guy."

Austin laughed loudly and smacked Dream's back. He just snorted at him though.

"Whatever. Actually, they wanted to meet you guys as well. The parents included."

"Where are they now?"

"In the city. I'll talk to them though."

"Haha! The first time meeting them and they have to survive a family gathering. Hopefully they don't get scared away."

"I think they'll be fine?"

Dream spoke unsurely. Luna and Iris, along with Riddick and Selene, were a very secluded family. It was understandable since they had troubles with being hunted for a long time, but all that led to them being more antisocial than normal. 

Dream wasn't sure how they'd fare against his family, who was quite the opposite of anti-social. They could get quite... rowdy.

"Hey, if they can't handle a true Italian party, then you should rethink this girl. Besides, the whole family is gonna be assessing her! She's gotta be able to handle herself if she wants to join!"

Austin laughed, though, none of what he said was false. Dream's family was rather tight knit, and they would definitely judge any of the girls or boys that would try and snag one of their own. 

Dream just smiled though. Although he knew they would be surprised, Dream wasn't that worried about them. He was sure the little reclusive family would get through things fine. He thought it would be good for them too. Maybe they would bond with his family and make some new friends.

Discussing different plans, Dream and his family made their way back home. If they wanted to have a gathering, there were many people to call, and many things to prepare.