Chapter 16 – Fly Me To The Moon

Ｒｅ​ａ​ｄ ｏｎ ＫａｔＲｅ​ａｄｉｎｇＣａ​ｆｅ

“Father, did you have a good dream last night?”  

The factory in the afternoon. But the entire area was closed off, leaving it eerily silent.  

Under the pretext of surveillance, I was blankly staring at the vast factory grounds where werewolves were hiding.  

“A good dream?”  

“Yes, a good dream.”  

What’s a wolf? Wolves are canines. So, a dream where hundreds of wolves appear must be a good dream, right?  

After seeing a werewolf last night, it must’ve left such a strong impression that I started having those dreams from the very first night.  

“Plus, the dream felt so vivid. You know, like lucid dreaming. I remember it clearly.”  

“I don’t remember much since I was in a deep sleep, but I don’t recall having any dreams. Is there something suspicious?”  

“No, nothing. It’s just a good dream, a good dream. Yes. Even if someone said something in the dream, it wouldn’t mean anything. Let’s just say my imagination is rich.”  

I didn’t really believe that my imagination was that rich.  

Deep down, I was wondering if the dream I had last night—or rather, early this morning—was something like a “shared dream.”  

The werewolves there were spouting information I didn’t know, and they were living naturally as if that place was a second world.  

They seemed to treat it as some kind of “Idea,” a mental world, or something like that.  

I couldn’t understand why I was dragged into that place.  

“It’s a good dream, but don’t take it too seriously. It’s just a dream, after all.”  

“Believe in the soul. Believe that there’s always a soul that will return to the embrace of the Lord, young Vampire Lord.”  

Ah, yes. Fanatics never change, no matter where you go.  

But I should take the theory of the soul seriously. It somewhat aligns with what the werewolves said in that “dream.”  

I cautiously opened my mouth.  

“Last night, in the dream, the werewolves said something like this: They weren’t originally part of the White Wolf Faction but gathered here after hearing rumors about Cheong-an.”  

“They said that?”  

“Yes, so don’t interrupt and just listen. Anyway, there was a rumor among the werewolves of the ‘martial world’ that Baekmo Cheong-an, a white werewolf, had a potion that could awaken the ‘Mind’s Eye’ in anyone. They didn’t know how he obtained it, but they said he had a large amount of internal elixir from capturing some mystical creature. At first, they were skeptical, but they came here and confirmed the existence of the potion.”  

In other words, Cheong-an’s claim of being the leader of the White Wolf Faction was a complete lie.  

To put it more clearly, Cheong-an was more like a fisherman casting bait rather than the leader of an organization.  

“Honestly, it sounds like nonsense, right? Well, wolves are canines, so it’s technically canine nonsense, but anyway.”  

“I told you not to trust Cheong-an.”  

“Yes, I realized that after talking to the werewolf in the dream. Wait… why am I even talking about this seriously?”  

I glanced at the priest, worried I was being too serious. But seeing him listen with utmost seriousness, I realized my worry was unnecessary.  

…Well, even if he was just humoring me, I couldn’t tell.  

Feeling a bit more confident, I spoke a little louder.  

“Originally, the rumor was clearly nonsense. Awakening the Mind’s Eye isn’t something that happens magically by drinking a potion; it’s achieved through long training. That’s what the werewolf told me. Anyway, Cheong-an seems to have spread this rumor first among the White Wolves close to him. Then, it spread to the gray-furred werewolves… and so on. He probably planned to expand his influence gradually.”  

“Then what’s Cheong-an’s plan? Just expanding his influence?”  

“That’s the important part. I don’t know. But it seems the rumor was true. The werewolves in the dream believed that place was truly a mental world. A world that could awaken the Mind’s Eye. That’s why the werewolves, who were initially skeptical, started believing in Cheong-an. And that’s how we ended up in this situation. Cheong-an gathered the werewolves under the name of the White Wolf Faction and settled here.”  

Honestly, it’s like a faction reviving through abnormal means.  

Regardless, the fact that the internal elixir opened the mental world—or rather, the “shared dream”—is true.  

After listening to my long explanation, the priest said:  

“Shared dreams. Elixirs. The mental world is all a lie. In the end, Cheong-an just created a dream world. For whatever reason.”  

“So, there’s nothing we can figure out right now?”  

“That’s right. But there are some clues. Cheong-an’s goal wasn’t training but binding all the werewolves into one dream. That’s why the werewolves here lose their minds and go berserk every night.”  

Werewolves bound by a single dream go berserk every night. Even on nights without a full moon.  

After thinking for a while, I suddenly shouted:  

“So, the werewolves going berserk last night wasn’t because of me? It was because they were trapped in the dream?!”  

“That’s why I told you not to trust Cheong-an. No matter how strong a Vampire Lord’s aura is, werewolves only become more sensitive; they don’t lose their minds. I’ve had two chances to confirm that before, so I know.”  

“…Hah, really. I have no idea what his plan is.”  

“How would we know? Three days, just three days. Let’s take it slow.”  

The priest said that and turned his gaze back to the steel-frame factory where the werewolves were hiding.  

I watched him for a moment, then noticed the sun in the sky and realized lunchtime was approaching.  

I could go weeks without eating, just drinking blood, but the priest must be hungry.  

Since we’re both awake now, it should be fine for one of us to step away for a bit.  

I quietly left the factory to grab some snacks.  

Well, my skin tingled a bit, but it was nothing serious.  

The power of blood is truly the best. Especially for a vampire.  

* * *  

On my way back from the convenience store with a lunchbox for the priest.  

I encountered a werewolf. Walking boldly under the sun.  

Startled, I looked around, but thankfully, no one else was in sight.  

Well, this area is mostly closed off. If someone’s here, they must have business.  

Remembering my conversation with the priest, I approached the werewolf carrying a large sword on his back.  

He was a werewolf with pure white fur, contrasting with his black martial arts uniform.  

“If you’re here for the elixir, you should turn back. You probably won’t like what you find.”  

I wondered if I was being nosy.  

But I have a mission!  

Well, more like a request or a favor.  

Anyway, he wouldn’t be uncomfortable with me suddenly talking to him, right?  

I worried if my tone was too sharp.  

But judging by his response, it wasn’t.  

“This is not a matter for outsiders to interfere with. Thank you for the advice, but please stay out of this. From here on, it’s a fight among werewolves.”  

I felt relieved.  

Then, I turned my attention elsewhere.  

‘He wasn’t startled when I spoke to him from behind.’  

Instinctively, I realized this massive white werewolf was no ordinary foe.  

I quickly overtook the werewolf with long strides and faced him.  

It’s polite to face someone when talking.  

“Ahem.”  

Even though he’s a stranger, talking to him made me nervous, and my throat tightened.  

I cleared my throat and pretended to be calm, though my voice cracked a bit.  

“S-sorry, but from here on, this is an area we’ve been hired to guard. If you don’t state your business clearly, you can’t pass. Plus, it’s for your own good.”  

“…I am Baekrangdok. A swordsman. Who are you?”  

“I don’t know, I don’t have a name yet. But I have a codename: Strigoi.”  

Wow, that came out naturally.  

I gained some courage.  

I straightened my back a bit more and looked up at him.  

The werewolf who introduced himself as Baekrangdok looked at me with calm eyes.  

“No matter who hired you or what the request is, it doesn’t matter. If you’re here as a mediator, it’s unnecessary. This is a life-and-death battle. Outsiders have no place here.”  

“No, no, what are you talking about? Right now, there are only werewolves ahead who came here after hearing rumors about the elixir. They probably think it’s part of their Mind’s Eye training.”  

“What on earth are you talking about? I came here for a life-and-death battle…”  

“What are *you* talking about? Are you going to go in and kill them all? They’re just trainees! In the dream… well, anyway, I talked to them, and I can assure you they’re not an evil group. Cheong-an, though, I’m not sure about.”  

Baekrangdok’s face stiffened.  

It’s funny to judge an animal’s expression, but that’s how I felt.  

After staring at me for a while, Baekrangdok, now looking more confused than before, stepped back.  

“I’ll see for myself what’s going on. Don’t interfere in werewolf matters. We’re not desperate enough to need your help.”  

With that, he disappeared, leaving only the wind behind.  

Despite his incredible speed, there was no sound or trace of his movement—just a quiet leap.  

‘Am I misunderstanding something?’  

Calming my racing heart after talking to a stranger, I thought calmly.  

Yes, rationally.  

Let’s summarize.  

Baekrangdok didn’t come here for the elixir; he came for a life-and-death battle.  

Plus, he had a strong hostility toward outsiders. What’s going on?  

In the end, we’re outsiders, so we don’t know the details.  

We don’t know what’s happening in that steel-frame factory or the conflicts between the werewolf factions.  

‘Baekrangdok… he seems to be a White Wolf, but he’s hostile to the White Wolf Faction.’  

The way he introduced himself as a mere swordsman.  

The way he disappeared so quickly, almost too fast for my eyes to catch, shows he’s strong.  

Incredibly strong.  

In martial arts stories, those who introduce themselves as humble swordsmen are usually top-tier masters.  

Well, it’s a cliché, but still.  

“…Should I tell the priest?”  

I took out a juice box from the bag and sipped on it.  

There’s still about three days left.  

So, I’ll probably have two more dreams. If I can access that shared dream again, that is.  

I shielded my eyes from the bright sunlight and walked back to the factory where the priest was waiting.  

AlucardLovesFish