A dream is the manifestation of the latent subconscious.
Most human consciousness is monotonous. You sleep at night, wake up in the morning, eat, work, rest, and sleep again.
However, within this conscious flow, an immense amount of subconscious data is embedded.
The sound of the alarm in the morning, the fatigue just before waking, the refreshing sensation of cool water sliding down your throat, the texture of fabric brushing against your skin while dressing, the weight of a bag on your shoulder, the mindset as you step toward work or school, and the glimpses of your own and others' appearances and clothing as you walk down the street.
Vast amounts of information—not just the five senses like hearing, taste, touch, sight, and smell, but also personal emotions and social interactions—enter the subconscious.
Human consciousness only uses a tiny fraction of this. It’s like a computer hard drive having over a terabyte of space, yet the memory can only utilize a few dozen gigabytes.
For a sleeping person, a dream is the manifestation of that scattered information bursting out from the vast subconscious. Because it contains too much, the conscious mind cannot fully understand the subconscious.
The discontinuity, illogic, extrasensory nature, and lack of probability found in the imagery of the dream world are formed in this way.
—Gwaaaaaah!
“Keep it down. You’ll wake the baby.”
I shifted my gaze and looked behind me. A cradle wrapped in black cloth sat peacefully on a chair.
Because of this, I was confused. I couldn't tell if I was being rational or emotional. There was no logic or justification for it, but my body moved on its own.
I raised my hand and clenched my fist. I extended my other hand and swung it to the side.
A series of meaningless gestures.
However, the result that manifested in reality was quite different.
Beneath the sea, the deep ocean floor rose in a circle, trapping a massive natural disaster made of water. Dozens, hundreds of flying streams of water scattered powerlessly and were absorbed into the ground.
As the prison gradually tightened, the waterspout struggled, causing granite fragments to scatter in all directions. The thick scent of the sea stung my nose.
How did things suddenly end up like this?
I searched my memory. I was definitely playing with Nahida, and then after she fell asleep, I was talking to that lump of mass.
What did we talk about? Since I can’t remember, it probably wasn't anything important.
Was it about why I, who chose neutrality, met the Dendro Archon, and what that child is?
It feels like I'm dreaming.
Staring blankly at the moisture saturating the air, I grasped at the empty space.
Slide. Click.
A violet light sparkled beyond my fingertips. Even with only the moonlight, the triple-comma crest engraved on the metal shone haughtily.
Weapon Equipped: Mistsplitter Reforged
As the weapon appeared in my empty hand, power surged through me as if by magic. Does the Attack stat affect the physical body? Or is it Critical Damage?
‘Well, whatever.’
The scene unfolding before my eyes was too unrealistic to bother questioning such things.
Nine pillars of water, each the size of a small mountain, moved like living beasts—like the Hydra of ancient Greek mythology. A monster that would be absolutely impossible to face in reality glared at me with hostility, yet I was overwhelming it with ease.
Is this really a dream?
—Aaaah...
Even if it is a dream, isn't this a bit much? Usually, a dream involves running away if even a few zombies appear. It was like that just a while ago.
But has my subconscious grown this much in the meantime?
Thump—
Boom—
A massive body, large enough to reach the sky, collapsed onto the sea, and the shockwave created a colossal spray of water.
I slowly lowered my feet from the air. As if descending invisible stairs, I moved down toward the base of the sea cliff, step by step.
I stepped onto a tiny space, barely a rock, too small for even a child to stand on, and looked up.
A blue body, like a massive wall of backflowing water, filled my vision.
Water that had shot into the sky fell back down with a delay. For a very brief moment, it rained.
—Grrrr...
“What should I do with you?”
But dreams are not reality. A dream is ultimately just one part of a complex psychological process.
So, the words I’m saying now are likely just expressions of my deep subconscious.
Or not.
I raised my hand toward the edge of my translucent vision and read the mission once more.
[Archon Quest – Demon and God, Chapter of Hegemony: Act I]
You are currently the only neutral Demon God on this continent. Logos (λόγος) possesses a mighty power that no one can approach. Though he is a Demon God who loves peace and hates fighting, a persistent fate is forcing war upon him. Whether to continue choosing neutrality, to serve under someone, or to personally take one of the seven divine seats of Celestia is up to your choice. However, be warned.
Logos (λόγος) possesses a mighty power that no one can approach.
Unlike the sea serpent I knew from the game, the monster before my eyes had nine heads like a Hydra.
According to the lore, Osial during the Archon War should be an incredibly powerful being, yet his heads lying helplessly scattered were messing with my head.
‘Wait, is he like a son to me or something?’
“Now that I think about it... you, what was your name?”
—Grrr... It is Osial...
‘It really is.’
Sighing deeply, I plunged Mistsplitter into the sea. A violet shadow was briefly cast over the undulating surface.
‘The Archon War.’
Everything boils down to that term. A major event in Genshin Impact that stands alongside the Cataclysm.
The act of usurpation carried out by the Demon Gods of Teyvat to claim the divine seats of Celestia.
Whether to continue choosing neutrality, to serve under someone, or to personally take one of the seven divine seats of Celestia is up to your choice.
I tapped the end of Mistsplitter’s hilt with my index finger. The faint sound of leather echoed softly.
After finishing my thoughts, I dismissed the translucent window and spoke quietly.
“Hey.”
—Yes, Elder.
“Have you calmed down a bit?”
—Yes.
“Good. I’ll only say this once. I have no causal ties with the Dendro Archon you saw earlier, and everything you’re thinking is an illusion.”
—...I understand.
“Then get lost. You’re still able to move, aren’t you?”
Splash—
“...”
As if waiting for those words, the massive body vanished deep into the sea. Simultaneously, as that enormous volume disappeared, seawater from all directions poured into the suddenly empty space and collided.
Thanks to
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register