V2: Chapter 35: The Rivals' Dreams

Sure enough, she had to let her tentacles experience it too.

Since I already enjoyed half of it, I can't just stop there, can I? This opportunity was hard-won; I have to seize it and cherish it. 

Thinking this, Liang Di let go and continued.

Anyway, she was still only doing (something) and not (something else), still a very upright person, right? She didn't completely kick someone when they're down.

Carol, who had been sleeping in bed, had already been placed on the sofa by Liang Di's tentacles. She was now awakened by the commotion and was watching everything with wide, curious eyes.

When Liang Di was completely finished, she turned her head and met her daughter's clear gaze.

In an instant, she felt so ashamed and guilty.

“Carol, why did you suddenly wake up?” Liang Di muttered, using her tentacles to scoop the child back onto the bed. “Luckily you can’t talk, otherwise, if your mother Liang Lin woke up and you complained, I’d get a beating and be disliked.”

Liang Di put Carol back in her original spot and covered her with a cute little blanket. “Just sleep here quietly and don’t disturb your mother Liang Lin.”

After saying that, Liang Di touched Liang Lin’s forehead, carefully wiping the sweat off her body and the stains on the sheets.

Once clean, she swaggered out the window again and disappeared without a trace, like an ancient flower thief.

When Liang Lin woke up again, it was already evening. She felt aches and pains in her back and waist, and she didn’t know why her nap had lasted so long. She felt uncomfortable all over afterward.

“Ouch…”

Liang Lin rubbed her aching back, feeling puzzled.

"Why am I even more tired after a nap? This shouldn't be..."

Though she said this, she had no memory of what had just happened. She racked her brains for a long time but couldn't figure out the reason, so she finally gave up.

She slept soundly that night, as did Liang Di, who had felt relieved.

Both slept soundly, but someone always has to stay awake—like Laura, who had just experienced heartbreak before even starting a relationship, and Natalie, who was too excited to sleep after just meeting her crush.

Natalie was already twenty-three years old, but she had never been in a relationship. Therefore, when she first had someone she liked, her heart was filled with romantic fantasies. She longed to meet Liang Lin again and embark on a beautiful love journey with her.

What you think about during the day, you dream about at night.

Well, Natalie wasn't asleep; she wasn't dreaming. She was having her own fantasy "daydream."

She wasn't asleep at all.

In her fantasy, her relationship with Liang Lin should begin with a dreamlike encounter.  

Perhaps it was amidst a sea of ​​spring flowers that she unexpectedly encountered the handsome and dashing Miss Liang Lin.

Perhaps it was at a castle ball that she was captivated by the elegant and charming Princess Sister Liang Lin. In either case, Liang Lin would be the protagonist.

Thinking about it, Natalie was no longer satisfied with a simple encounter; she even began to fantasize about what it would be like to be in love with Liang Lin.

She imagined strolling with Liang Lin along a country lane strewn with flowers, admiring the scenery. Or sitting on the castle terrace, sipping fine wine, sharing their innermost thoughts. These sweet moments filled her with happiness, as if the whole world was filled with the breath of love.

As their feelings deepened, would Liang Lin confess her love to her? She imagined Liang Lin making an eternal vow to her under the moonlight, promising to protect her for life. These vows would make her feel incredibly warm and secure, as if she had found a safe harbor to rely on.

Finally, they would have a happy ending. She would walk on weather life's storms hand in hand with Liang Lin, creating a bright future together. Whether living in a luxurious castle or a simple, warm life, she was willing.

The young girl, just beginning to experience love, blushed at the thought, burying her face in the pillow. She was lost in her own springtime dreams, unaware that her beloved was already married, even having children.

If she found out later, she would surely cry her heart out.

While Natalie was a lovesick young woman unaware of the truth, Laura was a heartbroken woman, devastated by heartbreak.

Her beloved, a year ago, was a pure and lovely young lady; a year later, she was suddenly a MILF with a child. No one could bear that.

Laura recalled her life before becoming a nun. Life was hard then, but there wasn't so much pressure weighing on her.

She wondered, if Liang Lin had been as capable as she was now when she was young, and had been by her side, would her family's tragedy have been avoided?

Laura tossed and turned, unable to sleep, while Gladys in the next bed slept soundly. The noise of Gladys's snoring bothered Laura, making it even harder for her to fall asleep.

Finally, in the early morning, Laura drifted off to sleep.

She dreamed of her childhood.

As dawn broke, Laura quietly got up and began her day's work. Before becoming a nun, Laura was the daughter of an ordinary family; her father was a priest, and her mother was a stay-at-home mom. Her first task each morning was preparing the family's meals.

In the simple kitchen, Laura skillfully lit the stove and cooked a pot of steaming oatmeal porridge.

At the same time, she also tended to the family's cattle and sheep, ensuring they had enough food and water.

In the afternoon, sunlight filtered through the treetops onto the country lanes, and Laura would work in the fields, her hands covered in mud, her life feeling so fulfilling.  

As she worked the fields, she chatted with her neighbors, a harmonious atmosphere prevailing as they shared their everyday stories.

As night fell, everyone returned home. Laura began preparing dinner, using vegetables she had grown and livestock she had raised to cook a sumptuous meal. After dinner, she helped her mother with the housework; together they cleaned the rooms and washed clothes, making the house look brand new.

That night, it should have been the same.

But that night, her eccentric priest father returned home excitedly, carrying a book. Upon seeing Laura, he loudly proclaimed that he had discovered the secrets of the world and had seen God.

Laura had never believed her father's words.

“Dad, if you want to tell me a story, do it before I go to sleep so I can get a good night’s rest. Now, go and eat your food, otherwise it’ll get completely cold.”

The father seemed quite displeased with Laura’s attitude, but he still sat down at the table, eating while rambling on about what he had seen.

“Do you know what that thing was? It was a tentacle, bright red, looking like a small, skinned, but still alive animal. It should have been on the beach, but someone brought it here and dumped it near the church, where our believers just happened to find it.”

Laura joked as she wiped the floor.

“You people are really something. Other believers worship God, but you don’t. You believe in other things, things we’ve never even heard of.”

The father shouted, food spilling from his mouth, “You’re all ignorant! God and all that doesn’t exist!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Laura replied dismissively, struggling to clean the dirt from the floor cracks.

“You’re always thinking about gods and tentacles. Look, you’re hallucinating! You even found a tentacle god! How could such a thing exist in the world?” 

“Why don’t you believe me? I’m your father! Would I lie? Would I bluff? Would I make things up?”

Her father’s voice grew louder, and he even tapped the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks.

“It’s just that I couldn’t bring it back. I was worried about your safety, so I didn’t dare take it. Otherwise, I would have brought it back for you to see!”

Laura stood up and pressed down on his hand that was tapping the bowl. “Okay, okay, okay, I believe you, I believe you, alright? Just eat in peace, Dad.”

Laura’s mother came out of the room at that moment, carrying freshly mended clothes.

“Don’t listen to your father’s nonsense. If those ghosts and monsters he talks about existed, this town would have been destroyed long ago.”

Laura nodded, agreeing with her mother.

A dark shadow was approaching from outside the window. But the people inside didn’t notice.

Knock knock knock~

Someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

Laura became alert. She quickened her pace to the door. Who would be knocking so late at night? A bad feeling rose in her heart.

"It's me, Sidney. Laura, is that you?"

"Huh? That sounds like Uncle Sidney's voice."

Laura wasn't sure and glanced back at her parents.

At that moment, her father, carrying bowls and chopsticks, also came to the door. He pressed his ear against the door, listening intently to the sounds outside.

"Sidney? What brings you here so late? Is something wrong?" Laura's father was also wary, gesturing for her and her mother to shush.

Outside the door, Sidney seemed to be rubbing his hands together. He smacked his lips for a while, and finally, with great embarrassment, he spoke, "Bradrick, I'm really broke lately. I wanted to borrow some Vitcoins from you. I'll go do hard labor for those noble gentlemen tomorrow, and once I earn the money, I'll pay you back."

Yes, Laura's father was none other than the eccentric priest—Bradrick.

"Ah..."

Bradrick reluctantly opened the door. He said to Sidney, "Tomorrow, wait until tomorrow. It'll be daytime tomorrow, and I'll deliver it to you when I go to church."

There was a two-second silence outside.

Then, Sidney began to cry. He pounded on the door repeatedly, "Brother, Bradrick, please help me! I went gambling! They're standing at my door right now, saying if I don't pay them back now, they'll break my legs today! I really had no choice but to come to you!"

Everyone inside paused.

Because of Bradrick's past gambling history, he believed him. He sighed heavily. "Sidney, how many Vitcoins do you owe him?"

"A hundred! Brother! Please!"

Bradrick hesitated. "I'm sorry, Sidney, we don't have that many Vitcoins. Besides, we need to keep some for ourselves, so..."

"Laura, go inside and get fifty Vitcoins for your Uncle Sidney."

Laura's expression wasn't good, but she didn't say anything. She immediately turned and went back inside to get the Vitcoins. Laura's mother, however, glared at her husband with a resentful look, muttering curses under her breath.

“What kind of debt collector is this? He still hasn’t paid us back the fifteen Vitcoins he owed us last time, and now he wants fifty! He’s really asking for the moon; his appetite is getting bigger and bigger.”

Bradrick shook his head and whispered, “Let’s help him out; he’s our cousin after all.”

Laura’s mother sighed heavily upon hearing this.

At that moment, Laura, having collected her Vitcoins, emerged from the innermost room.

“Here, fifty Vitcoins.” Laura handed the money bag to Bradrick, her face full of reluctance.

The reluctance was understandable; these Vitcoins were enough for their family to eat for two months straight.

Bradrick took the money bag with one hand and gripped the doorknob with the other, opening the door.

Just as the door opened a crack, a dark shadow suddenly darted inside, moving so fast it was invisible to the naked eye.

Before Laura could scream, she saw her father fly out, landing heavily beside the table, knocking over the leftover food.

Crash…

Leftovers and soup were scattered all over the floor, a scene of utter chaos. A bowl was even upside down on Bradrick's head, and a small cabbage was still dangling from his hair. It was a comically absurd scene, yet Laura couldn't laugh. Her face was deathly pale; she was clearly terrified.

"Dad, Dad!"

Laura finally snapped out of it, screaming and lunging at her father.

Bradrick was completely disoriented from the fall, utterly disoriented. He tried to get up, but halfway up, his legs buckled, and he collapsed back to the ground, unable to stand.

Creak~

Click!

The door was pushed open completely, and a person, heavily disguised, entered, then slammed the door shut.

Laura's mother didn't even utter a sound; her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

This was also evident in Laura; after all, she was prone to fainting when frightened. This time, she didn't faint, but she was terrified, her face deathly pale, limp on the ground, trembling like a rag doll, sitting there.

The person wore a black mask, completely obscuring their face.

It was a man's voice, hoarse and grating, extremely harsh.

"Your name is Bradrick. You saw that tentacle, didn't you?"

Bradrick's mind, which had been in a daze after the fall, instantly cleared upon hearing this. He immediately shook his head. "No, I don't know. What was that? I've never seen it before. Sir, you've mistaken me for someone else."

"....."

"Liar!"

The hoarse voice suddenly became shrill, as if it could pierce eardrums, before slowly returning to calm.

"Hoo~"

"It's alright. I'm in a good mood today. I can grant you the happiest way to die."

The man spoke, taking steps towards Laura and Bradrick.

Laura retreated in terror, scrambling to her sides. A sudden urge to urinate nearly made her wet herself.

The man drew closer and closer, and Laura almost fainted several times. The man ignored her and instead grabbed Laura's mother, who had already fainted beside the door.

"Tsk, then you don't deserve this kind of pleasurable death."

As soon as he finished speaking, Laura clearly saw a blackish-red tentacle pierce through her mother's chest.

"Ahhh!!"

She finally screamed.

Immediately afterward, the man grabbed Bradrick by the collar.

At this moment, Bradrick kept pleading with the man, "Please, kill me, after you kill me, please don't hurt my daughter! She's just a child! She's only thirteen! Don't hurt her, please, you can kill me however you want, you can torture me however you want..."

The man let out a low laugh.

"Who told you to pick up that tentacle? Blame your own excessive curiosity."

The man removed the black mask from his face.

They were deep green eyes, with swirling vortexes within them, slowly turning, as if capable of sucking in one's soul.

Bradrick's pleading grew fainter, finally settling into silence. His eyes became vacant, the vortexes within them still swirling, creating a sense of disorientation.

Thump!

Bradrick was thrown heavily to the ground.

Now, in the room, only the man and Laura remained conscious.

Laura's lips trembled; she could no longer utter a word.

"Poor child, blame your father."

The man finished speaking and squatted down.

Laura finally saw the man's eyes clearly; the vortexes within them were swirling. Laura desperately tried to look away, but she couldn't control her eyes, which unconsciously followed the man.

She was about to fall into a hallucination.