The Dream Eater, classified as an A-tier Pollutant.
Lu Yan had come across its details on a forum.
Similar to how Harbingers are categorized into combat, support, and special abilities, Pollutants too have their divisions. They're broadly grouped into mental, biochemical, and unique Pollutants.
Undoubtedly, the Dream Eater fell under the category of mental Pollutants.
Its true form remained unknown, but its appearance would shroud an area in dense fog. The pollution levels decreased toward the fog's edge and spiked as one approached the Dream Eater. The range of pollution fluctuated from a peak of 7200 to a trough of 200.
The Dream Eater favored terrified souls, pulling them into a dream realm where death was real. Studies indicated that the Dream Eater's dreams weren't random; they stemmed from the genuine memories of others.
Mutated Abilities: Hypnosis, Dream Manipulation.
There was a remote border town that transformed into an 'orange pollution zone' due to its presence.
...
The system's decision to go offline was a last resort. Technically, it also functioned as a mental ability. As a concentrated mental entity within someone else's mind, Lu Yan would be as conspicuous as a flash or a gunshot.
If it attracted the Dream Eater, Lu Yan's fate would be grim.
The monitor on Lu Yan's wrist continued its operation, displaying a value of 32.
This indicated that Lu Yan's inner state wasn't as calm as his expression suggested. At the very least, he was alarmed by 01.
The pollution here stood at 270.
Observing through the glass, Lu Yan murmured to himself, 'Fatal wound: gunshot to the chest, clothes intact, no other injuries. The solution lies in waking the dreamer, but whose dream could this be?'
Lu Yan wasn't sure if this Lin Sinan was truly the Lin Sinan he knew. He hoped not.
The day had fully broken. Uncertain if he should disembark, Lu Yan's apprehension stemmed from the fear of encountering someone opening doors; dreams might be false, but people were real.
However, he didn't hesitate for long as his wrist device suddenly vibrated.
He glanced down to find the digits on the display rapidly escalating.
[Pollution level 3000... 4000...]
The value soared, halting at 9999, the maximum this device could register.
Clearly, something was approaching, and it was getting closer.
The atmosphere grew oppressively heavy, accompanied by a searing scent of sulfur.
It was uncomfortable; within seconds, Lu Yan's throat ached from the dryness.
This value far exceeded that of the Dream Eater. Either the previous data was incorrect, the Dream Eater had evolved again, or this wasn't the Dream Eater but some other creature.
Lu Yan wasn't curious about this; Xiao Ming's grandfather lived to be 100 because of this.
Gripping the dagger tightly, he tried to slow his breathing, minimizing his presence.
Yet, the Pollutant didn't leave as Lu Yan had hoped.
It halted in front of the car door.
From Lu Yan's viewpoint, only a glimpse of a suit and a blood-stained white shirt collar was visible.
Judging by the body size, it seemed like an average adult male.
Its hand rested on the car handle.
Lu Yan's mental state was taut; the moment he almost heard the door open, he flung open the opposite door and tried to escape.
But clearly, this struggle against the unknown Pollutant was futile.
A slender iron chain snared his ankle, dragging him backward.
Everything spun.
Lu Yan crashed directly at the feet of this Pollutant.
The sulfuric stench filled his nostrils so intensely that he felt he might have lost his sense of smell.
He looked up at the figure.
Male, probably around thirty. Burnt and charred skin was evident, especially on the hands, where the flesh had melted away, leaving raw, reddened tissue.
Ignoring the somewhat repulsive wounds, his face could even be described as handsome.
That wasn't good news. Research at the institute had shown that Pollutants resembling humans might have higher contamination levels, often existing in two forms.
Lu Yan was certain he hadn't encountered this Pollutant before or found any relevant information in the database.
This meant all the Harbingers who had seen it before were dead, unable to relay any useful intel.
The figure slowly raised its crimson hand, radiating an indistinct but palpable heat.
Lu Yan knelt, suffocating from the increasingly pungent sulfur odor around him.
Was this the end?
The thought involuntarily crossed Lu Yan's mind, surprisingly without inducing fear.
For him, death was serene.
But, the next moment, the hand was surprisingly gentle as it touched Lu Yan's cheek.
Hot, yet unexpectedly not scorching.
'Sister, why did you run so far this time?' the Pollutant inquired. Surprisingly clear, its voice resembled water crashing against rocks. 'I've been looking for you for so long. Thank goodness you're okay. Otherwise, how would I survive alone?'
Lu Yan's expression was stunned. In a split second, he understood the system's cryptic phrase, 'You're not an unnamed female classmate.'
In this dream, he was the 'sister' of this Pollutant.
He fumbled in his pocket and retrieved a student ID from his clothes.
The name on it read 'Lu Yan,' the photo torn off, revealing a stamp from 'Third High School of City M.' Dated 2111.
A decade ago, it had been a significant day for Lu Yan, marking the onset of his father's mutation.
He didn't know the name of this Pollutant; addressing him as 'brother' was the best Lu Yan could manage reluctantly.
Judging from his burns and the lingering sulfuric scent, the brother's mutated abilities were linked to fire.
Additionally, there was a chain that seemed to serve as a specialized weapon.
Lu Yan was bound to the passenger seat, and remarkably, the Pollutant was driving quite humanely.
The ride was bumpy, causing Lin Sinan's body to jostle and tumble into a ditch, leaving Lu Yan sorrowful.
Perhaps, he had stared at Lin Sinan for too long; suddenly, the atmosphere around his 'brother' grew ominously heavy.
"Is he the one you've been chatting with online? Is that why you ran away this time, to see him?" With restrained anger, my brother floored the accelerator. "You're still in high school, shouldn't you focus on your studies instead of romance? When is it ever the right time for this, especially not when you should be studying?"
"I was preparing legal documents in H City, and the nanny said you were missing. I rushed back on the next flight to find you, even risking missing the court hearing. Why are you so reckless?"
"I admit, it was wrong of me to make your boyfriends transfer schools. But why can't you understand my good intentions? When will you start listening? You're causing a lot of worry for Mom and Dad underground."
Lu Yan: "..."
Didn't expect my sister to have such a colorful romantic history.
Lin Sinan's car was a modified one, performance maxed out. With the pedal to the metal, the speed was nearly taking off.
On the roadside, charred bodies struggled on the asphalt, seemingly reaching for something.
Lu Yan worked in the emergency department at the hospital, giving him some knowledge of surgeries.
Each year, he treated several burn victims. The most unforgettable was a patient from a tanker explosion.
The heat had cooked their bodies, skin melting, some swelling with pus, others with eyes burnt shut, leaving only raw red flesh.
What was most heartbreaking: even in such agony, they remained conscious.
His brother's revelations were sparse, but Lu Yan pieced together some things. His brother might be a lawyer or judge, orphaned along with his sister, taking on the roles of father, mother, and brother.
This led to an intense need for control and protection over his sister.
Their communication hit a wall in high school due to his heavy-handed displays of love, guilt-tripping the young girl into submission.
Whether his brother was the dream's master, Lu Yan couldn't determine yet.
He sorely missed his system now. With it, he'd know every detail about his brother, right down to the color of his underwear.
Being too close to the source of contamination, Lu Yan's wristband had warned him thrice.
His mutation was steadily worsening.
At this rate, he only had two days left in this simulation.
His psychic threshold was too low now. Even without pollutants being released, contamination was inevitable.
This was why Ji Wen's assessment report stated he was "unsuitable for contact with the tyrant."
After over an hour of driving, they finally halted in a semi-mountainous villa area. These houses, all gray and white, resembled tombstones in the mountains.
His brother's chain still bound Lu Yan's ankle. Luckily, it was long enough to keep pace.
Though it was morning, an eerie silence enveloped the area, not even a sound from animals.
The gate was wide open, then shut with a heavy thud.
The family seemed well-off, a two-story western-style house with a garden and garage.
Guiding Lu Yan by the chain, his brother took him to the second floor, to Lu Yan's bedroom.
As the door creaked open, Lu Yan couldn't help but frown.
The room was spacious, at least thirty square meters, with an en suite bathroom.
But the windows were barred, and large eyeballs spun in the corners, seeming alive. Lu Yan figured they were surveillance devices.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
The walls, once a pale yellow, were now smeared with fresh red blood.
At the center were bloody handprints, accompanied by crooked, blood-written words: "Save me."
The stench of blood in the room had surpassed even the sulfuric smell, but his brother seemed oblivious.
"Stay in your room and reflect," his brother locked the chain to the bedpost. "I have to go meet a client. I'll be back later."
He reached out, ruffled Lu Yan's hair gently.
Lu Yan didn't flinch.
His brother's mood visibly lifted, a smile playing on his lips.
However, at the door, his brother suddenly turned back, as if remembering something, casually saying, "Sis is acting strange today. Why hasn't she scolded me yet?"
Turns out, he's a bit of a sadist.