Chapter 78 Dream Eater's Rhapsody (1)

There were a couple of reasons for Lukas to not trust Rhea, and yet unlike all of the other Dream Eaters–she had shown herself to him. Stacy denied seeing anything or anyone like a Dream Eater.

"It was just me… just me in that dream." Stacy whispered quietly as she still tried to wrap her mind about what had happened.

"Normally, um, a Dream Eater doesn't do anything particularly strange or disturb the dreamer so that they don't wake up." Rhea's voice explained.

"And yet you did." Lukas said.

"Sorry?" Stacy raised her head and met Lukas' gaze. She was slightly confused and didn't seem to understand what he was saying.

"I guess I'm the only one who can hear you." Lukas realized.

"Of course, I haven't connected to the mind of your friend over here but if you would let me…" Rhea enticingly said.

"No. Just tell me where we need to go next." Lukas cut the girl off from giving him any more ideas and instead focused on saving the others. He then glanced at Stacy and smiled wearily.

​ "What's the problem, Lukas?" Stacy asked. "You said that everyone's gone missing and we need to save them, so… what can I do to help? There's not enough time, so if we split up, that might save our energy."

"What? Split up?" Lukas blinked.

"For some reason, you seem to know where to go next. Just tell me where to go and I'll meet you up with whomever I find. Time is of the essence right?" Stacy smiled weakly.

Lukas didn't consider that thought at all, not because it didn't cross his mind but because it seemed dangerous. What could Stacy do all by herself in the desert?

There were unknown dangers that lurked whatever and she didn't seem to know any self defense.

"It's a good idea." another voice spoke, but this time it wasn't Rhea's but Drusilla's.

Lukas' eyes widened. "Sanguise House Ancestor?"

"Hah. That's such an awful way of referring to me, but that Vardoken brat is right. If you try to go together with her, you'll run out of time–you won't be able to save all of them. It's better for you and her to go your separate ways." Drusilla said.

"W-wait, I think I can hear this old lady. She's from the blood world right? Hellooo!" Rhea spoke eagerly. "It's a pleasure to meet you! Please don't consume me into your blood world!"

Lukas realized that he not only had one but two consciousness communicating in his head. That was already one far too many than he wanted. Even one was already a complication.

Both of them had tried to kill him on separate occasions too.

However, an idea crossed his head. He quietly communicated with the Ancestor of the Sanguise House.

'Can you please accompany Stacy and make sure that she's safe from any danger?' Lukas asked.

"Are you out of your mind?" Drusilla exclaimed.

Lukas could almost imagine her stalking around in her blood world with the most infuriated look on her face.

"I did not ask to be held in your possession and I will not allow myself to babysit someone else. And if you leave me in your hands, will you not actually endanger yourself? That sand worm and scorpions could have killed you–"

'Give me a little more credit. I managed to survive your test and you already know that I'm special. Not your average Vampire–if this little thing could kill me, then I'm not actually worthy of wielding you in the first place, right? Let me prove to you that I'm capable.'

"..." Drusilla didn't say anything, but then eventually sighed. "I hope that you know what you are doing. In my opinion, you are already doing something quite idiotic by leaving yourself in the open."

'Don't worry, I've got something planned. Besides, I trust you more than I trust the Dream Eater.'

Lukas was confident that the Sanguise House Ancestor would have far more investment in saving a Vardoken than any Dream Eater would. So even with the complaints, the ornate dagger materialized in his hands.

"Here, take this with you." Lukas handed it over to Stacy.

"What about you?" Stacy frowned.

"Don't worry about me. I have all the intentions of staying alive to meet with you again." Lukas grinned. "Just worry about yourself and get back to me in one piece, okay?"

"That's quite demeaning." Stacy sighed and shook her head. "I have no intentions of dying out here either. I'll go where you need me to go and then meet back with you."

"Okay, I'll see you."

***

"Why did you give her that dagger?" Rhea asked as Lukas started running across the desert sands. He didn't seem to pay any heed or mind for the apparent dangers that they'll encounter as long as he was fast.

"You'd be hard pressed to believe it, but the lady in the dagger is a much better person than you." Lukas grunted as he leapt over a rock and then quickly dodged barbs from groups of cacti.

"W-what? That's not fair!" Rhea protested. "You said that she'd eat me and now you're saying that she's a good person–!"

"Sleep that one." Lukas pointed towards a figure in the distance. It was a huge rattlesnake that was moving in the darkness.

"That's so unfair!" Rhea protested, but it only took her a second for a melody to suddenly course through the air.

It was a beautiful and enchanting melody that might have led Lukas back to the dream world. It caressed his ears and soul, somehow taking all of his worries away, but before he could slip back–he dug his own nails into his skin.

The sharp jolt of pain kept him awake.

[ Song Of The Wandering Dreamer Encountered Again! ]

[ Lullaby and Melody Is Effective– ]

[ Charm Resistance Obtained–? ]

[ Path of the Seducer Archetype Obtained! ]

Lukas didn't want to say that this was all intentional for him to obtain or something, but he was finally able to obtain the Second Archetype. It seemed like he was capable of learning more than one Vampire Archetype which was thrilling news–but he had to concentrate.

"... You're still awake." Rhea said in wonder.

"You would have tried to pull this with Stacy if I trusted you with her." Lukas said as he continued running. Whenever the two of them encountered a night predator, Rhea's melody put them right back into the dream world.

"Um… but what about my companions though?" Rhea said.

"Based on my observation with the time I've spent with you, each of you can only enter a single person's dreams. It takes a certain process for you to consume the dreams and that's why it takes time–meaning that it leaves the Dream Eater defenseless from outside attacks. They won't be able to stop the person who'll arrive if they're too immersed in consuming dreams."

"That's… that's…" Rhea started.

"That's what?"

"A scary thing to even consider!" Rhea said. "What if you're wrong? What if we have other counters to that, huh–huh!"

Lukas clenched his fist at the thought, but then let out a deep breath. He focused on getting where he was supposed to be headed to, but carefully made his reply.

"In this world, there's no such thing as being a hundred percent certain–except for maybe something like math–but in situations like this, if you'll never take a risk because you're afraid? Then you'll only end up paralyzed and never actually achieve anything."

"So you're just doing your best?" Rhea's voice held awe. "Trying to beat the outcomes with what little you have to work with? That's amazing!"

"Now you're almost sounding like some kind of preppy cheerleader or something." Lukas chuckled. "You don't have to praise me, but thank you."

"Does that make you think of Rhea as a great Dream Eater now?"

"No."

"Aww…"

"Don't make yourself sound cute."

"Oh, does Rhea have that intrinsic charm that you like?" Rhea giggled. "I've seen your dreams and know that you like quite a lot of women. What if you add me to your group of beauties?"

"First of all, invasion of privacy is not really nice." Lukas grunted. "And second of all, the fact that you're willingly offering yourself up makes me want to decline you. It's not a good look on you."

"Do men like you always want the thrill of the chase and hunt?" Rhea asked.

"It's not really good lumping every single man in one category." Lukas sighed. "I guess staying in this crystal for who knows how long has made you too simple minded. How long were you stuck there anyway?"

"A man never asks for a woman's age–"

"We're near." Lukas stopped in his tracks and saw someone moving underneath the moonlight. The familiar oni-mask was on their face and they were not lying on the sands contrary to his expectations.

"Huh."

"Is Theodore actually awake? Did he manage to break through the Dream Eater's influence?" Lukas wondered aloud. He waved and called out to the man but received no response.

"Um, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Rhea had a tinge of worry in her voice. "T-that guy's still asleep!"