[https://i.imgur.com/SZzMWpN.jpg]

Part 3. Lucid dream

"Listen carefully, the upcoming lessons will be of great help to you. Feel free to ask any questions, dream power transmission!"

Swoosh ~

The Wisdom Caterpillar blew out five colored smoke rings, quickly commanding them into a row with the pipe. The five smoke rings transformed into the words "Sight," "Sound," "Smell," "Taste," and "Touch." "Let's start with an explanation of the trials of the five realms. The reason I let you go through the challenges at the beginning was not just to test you. The trials of the five realms are the beacon that guides awakening within dreams, also known as 'lucid dreams.'"

"'Lucid dreams?'" the three of them were bewildered at the swirling smoke rings, even Mido happily attempted to bite them, only to cough.

"Exactly. Most people aren't aware that they're in a dream and tend to deny being in a dreaming state. So~" The pipe swayed again, and the text behind the five words dispersed, leaving only the first letter: "You must connect the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch to make the brain aware that it's dreaming. This is called the 'Five Aggregates Consciousness.' As you pass through each realm, your subconscious will gradually awaken to perception. When you have completed all five realms, you will possess the ability of lucid dreaming."

"So, we're really in a dream?" Amisa attempted to touch the smoke, recalling the unsettling feeling from what the Dark Feathered Man said about the 'collective dream,' which immediately made her uneasy.

"Even if I don't understand, we're going to have lucid dreams, haha!" Toosb hopped around, playing with the smoke.

"But..." The topic shifted, and Wisdom Caterpillar flew the five smoke rings towards himself and pointed the pipe forcefully at the three of them.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Each room in the five realms was meticulously designed through my experiments, but because you brought something with you, a force strong enough to interfere with the trials, the tense emotions between Sight, the electrical disturbances between Sound, the demonic symbols between Smell, the vanishing acts between Taste, and even the disputes outside the inverted house all stem from it..."

Finally, the pipe stopped at Amisa: "I think this might be why you couldn't answer who you are earlier."

"I..." Amisa pinched her earlobe and turned her face slightly, prompting Wisdom Caterpillar to spit out a familiar bird mask with no beating around the bush: "Amisa... You met the Dark Feathered Man, didn't you?"

"This is...!" Jasky and Toosb looked closely at the mask symbolizing the Black Death.

"You knew?" Amisa was slightly surprised that Wisdom Caterpillar knew about the Dark Feathered Man.

"Of course, I am a sage." Wisdom Caterpillar continued to ask, "Amisa, can you tell us what the Black Feathered Man said to you?"

'Don't trust anyone or anything here, as they are all products of the collective dream.' Amisa's mind echoed the words of the Dark Feathered Man, feeling her body tremble. Caught between trust and distrust, her emotions fluctuated: "He... didn't... say anything..."

"Amisa..." Wisdom Caterpillar personally used the smoke to turn Amisa's face back: "Do you know why you couldn't answer who you are?"

"I..."

"As you said between the realm of Sleep, you couldn't explain because you no longer recognize yourself," Wisdom Caterpillar said gravely, "Your consciousness is deeply undermined, which will lead you to be lost in the vast sea. You must rediscover yourself, understand who you are, believe in the rebirth you have gone through the trials of the five realms, regain your confidence! Remember the bonds of trust with your friends during the trials, bravely let go of those feelings of distrust, and you will gain more than you think!"

"Regain confidence..." Amisa looked at Jasky, Toosb nodding to her cheek, and Mido being affectionate, all of them were friends who trusted her. Perhaps influenced by Wisdom Caterpillar's guidance, the negative traumas in her mind were gradually replaced by the specific phrases: "The Law of Attraction, staying positive even in adversity, my dreams will be attracted by me."

Her bewildered gaze gradually became resolute. Amisa struggled to cast aside her doubts, slowly revealing the hidden truth in her heart: "Mr. Black Feathered said... this is a collective dream."

Upon hearing her answer, Wisdom Caterpillar shook his head calmly: "Yes, he was right."

The two playing individuals heard Wisdom Caterpillar's response and awkwardly stopped their actions. Amisa's eyes showed a sense of disappointment and pity: "Is that so..."

But the next moment, Wisdom Caterpillar showed a mischievous smile: "However, he deliberately omitted many important parts, which is why I say he is a cunning fellow."

"Important parts?"

"That's right." Wisdom Caterpillar pulled out a book from the nearby bookcase with the smoke: "What are dream tools? What is dream power? All the secrets of the collective dream, let's have a good lesson!"