The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 26 Heart Anchor
"You haven't come to that, Roland."

Enid said: "We named the levels of ritualists "rings". And you, Roland, you are still a little distance away from the first ring... a little distance. Now, there is one thing you should do most."

"Prepare a heart anchor."

Heart anchor?

"That's right, Heart Anchor. I want to ask you a question, Roland, are you dreaming?"

"certainly?"

Enid looked at him, half smiling, "Then how do you tell whether you are dreaming or not?"

Roland opened his mouth.

He raised his hand and subconsciously placed it on the wooden table.

That was a very sticky table.

It's a piece of cake.

The room began to soften and the floor became muddy.

Wine dripped from the ceiling and hit Roland's nose.

He licked it and his throat burned with the spiciness.

Everything around him seemed just like the scene he had seen before, the carriage traveling on the lake.

…………

……

When he opened his eyes again, he was leaning on a recliner.

He was also covered with a wool blanket.

The heat from the fireplace made the house warm.

The walls were painted with a layer of green paint, and then golden patterns were outlined with a soft-tipped pen.

The carpet was dark yellow with an extra layer of animal skin on top.

In the center of the room was a huge square table, on which were laid steaks and waffles, and two bottles of sherry.

Enid was bending over, lighting the candles on the candlesticks one by one with matches.

"you're awake?"

She turned around and smiled at Roland, then walked over quickly.

Before Enid could say anything else, Roland lifted the blanket and frowned: "…Am I still dreaming, ma'am."

He couldn't figure it out.

The sound echoed in the empty house.

Except for the crackle of the burning wood in the fireplace - the smell of meat and rose incense that wafted into my nostrils was gone.

Roland touched his thigh.

The blanket was missing too.

Enid sat beside him, chin on her hand, glass of red wine in hand, watching him.

Wooden table, chairs.

Monotonous living room.

"Double dream, you noticed it quickly. Roland, this is the power of extraordinary creatures: ritualists, ghosts, or aliens."

"We can use the 'secrets' we learned from the sleeping world to perform spells that seem incredible to you;"

"At the same time, you can also connect to the sleep world by releasing a large amount of "secrets" and create a "field" - that is, the "dream" you just experienced."

She shook the wine glass in her hand and said slowly:

"Many rituals, special ones, or powerful ones, can only be performed within the scope of the "field". "

"Including, we use the "field" to isolate mortals and prevent the battle from affecting unrelated citizens."

She stretched out a hand and touched the back of Roland's hand with her fingertips.

"The waking world, reality, the material plane, the surface of the world, this is where you have been living for the past decade."

Then, he turned over and tapped Roland's palm.

"The world during sleep is the dreamland after falling asleep."

"This place is a collection of all human subconsciousness and fantasy. It is the resting place of gods, the birthplace of alien species, the center of chaotic storms, treasures, and..."

“The beginning of a great road.”

Finally, she asked Roland to put his fingers together and make a fist.

"Only those who can learn and master the "secrets" from the sleeping world can be considered qualified apprentices."

She told Roland about the "waking world" and the "sleeping world", and also explained why Roland needed a heart anchor.

"Powerful mysterious manipulators all have the power to create a "field."

"And if you want to become an apprentice and take the first step, you must enter the sleeping world repeatedly."

"So, how to distinguish dreams is the first step to embarking on the Great Road," Enid said coldly, scaring Roland: "You should have experienced the feeling of not being able to distinguish between dreams and reality."

That's right.

Roland thought. So he needed a guarantee, in order to be able to travel through dreams for a long time and many times...

Guarantee.

"This is the second time she has deceived me with dreams."

"Roland Collins was going to give her a big mouth to express his anger at being fooled."
-
You are so humorous.

Roland wanted to ask about the 'heart anchor', but Enid put a small cold object in his hand.

"The heart anchor I used when I was an apprentice is no longer useful."

Roland touched the object in his hand.

It was a brooch inlaid with polygonal gems, cold and hard.

"Amethyst brooch"

"Unknown purpose"

"Think about how I can tell reality from dreams."

This kid always surprises himself.

When Enid saw Roland quickly begin to rub the needle with his fingertips, she knew he had discovered the secret.

A very smart child, beautiful and elegant, with pure eyes and a beautiful voice...

Mainly smart.

Suitable for executive officer.

"The needle has no point, ma'am."

"Your brooch has no point."

Enid smiled: "In fact, for the ritualist, the "field" is not difficult to detect, and there is nothing special about it. It does not even require a heart anchor to prompt it."

“The true purpose of the so-called ‘heart anchor’ is not in the waking world.”

"It is used by ritualists as a talisman - a talisman for exploring dreams, exploring the world of sleep."

"It was a chaotic place with storms all over the place."

"And the 'heart anchor' can constantly remind the ritualist, so that they will not be trapped in the dream prison and never wake up."

She took the brooch and exchanged it for an apple in Roland's hand:
"Go back and think about it, Roland."

"Think about it."

"What is it that you carry with you and always have access to?"

“To tamper with something, to create some ‘incompleteness’ in the details, so that it can quickly remind you, tell you that this is not the waking world.”

Roland was concentrating on listening to Enid, but the words in front of him came to disrupt him.

"Anchor: No one would have thought that the handsome Mr. Roland Collins would wear a pair of women's pantyhose with the words 'Showtime' sewn on."

Roland: ...
-
I now strongly suspect that Miss Nina didn't want to live because of you.

"I can give you a few outdated examples."

Enid put the brooch away and said:
"It was used by an executive officer before."

"For example, a Queen, with a special weight, will always fall in the same direction; a dice will only roll the same number; a headband has metal woven inside..."

"And rings, glasses, even dentures."

"Think about it."

"You have two weeks to create your heart anchor."

"Then, I will test you again."

Enid stood up, took out a few coins from her coat and put them in his hand, saying it was a subsidy.

But Roland had more questions.

For example, what does 'the eternal sleep of the gods' mean, what is the birthplace of alien species, and whether ghosts are what you imagine.

How the path to greatness differs between different sects.

Including the dangers of the sleeping world, and why it is called the Treasure Mountain...

He had too many questions.

When the fire in the fog is lit, the one holding the fire begins to truly discover the unknown.

He was now like a man standing in a thick fog, seeing the real world for the first time by lighting a fire.

"I'll tell you slowly, Roland."

"Don't worry."

Enid looked back at the clock on the wall. "You should go. Tell Puhu Collins that you are going to join the Inquisition and have no time to waste on stupid matters."

Roland stroked the coin in his hand.

"Thank you, ma'am."

Enid's eyes were full of meaning: "This is not what I want."

"The Evil Bat wants Roland Collins."
-
Why didn’t I see you talking so much in my dream just now?

(End of this chapter)