Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 733 - 686: Dream Guardian

Will someone become addicted to the dreamscape and be unwilling to return to reality?

The answer is undoubtedly yes.

In a dream, I can eat whatever I want, buy whatever I wish for, and I don't have to face the extreme cold and hardship of the real world. Who wouldn't want to stay in this 'new world' of dreams?

Yet Perfikot possesses astounding self-control, and the difficulties she's faced have long numbed her to them. Because she deeply understands that if reality can't be saved, then no matter how beautiful the dream is, it's false; once you wake up from the dream, everything disappears.

So rather than creating a false dreamscape, it's better to strive to solve the problems of the real world, so that one day it can return to the way it was before the apocalypse.

However, as the two walked down the street, the old butler noticed that some people weren't in a dazed state. Instead, much like in the real world, they maintained their work and life.

Even though they can't perceive that they are dreaming, they appear much more aware in the dreamscape than others.

When Perfikot's dreamscape was invaded, she initially was in a similar state.

However, there were too many incongruous elements in the dreamscape, which gradually made her realize she was dreaming.

The people here were in the collective dreamscape of all the citizens of Beloburg, where inconsistencies were quite rare. Moreover, Perfikot had no intention to control them, making it nearly impossible for them to fully awaken and realize they are dreaming.

With Perfikot's abilities, she could certainly make everyone remain consciously aware, but that's really unnecessary, even less necessary than creating a dreamscape identical to the pre-disaster world.

The greatest significance of the Dream Bell and collective dreamscape is to provide dream protection for everyone, preventing their dreams from being invaded. It's pointless to add too many extravagant details.

Furthermore, keeping the public consciously aware might cause some chaos in the dreamscape.

So, to avoid unnecessary trouble, it's better to keep things simple where possible.

"Miss, how does this dreamscape world protect everyone's dreams from being invaded? Can the collective dreamscape really resist the invasion of a Dream Thief?" the old butler curiously asked Perfikot.

Although he understood the existence of the collective dreamscape, he still didn't grasp how it functioned.

"Dream Thieves invade dreams by weaving and altering them to influence your consciousness, making you reveal your inner secrets or implanting certain thoughts," Perfikot patiently explained to the old butler upon his inquiry: "Typically, Dream Thieves have a much stronger spiritual power than ordinary people. After all, as an Extraordinary, if the body isn't strong enough, the mind certainly needs to be stronger.

So they can forcibly alter other people's dreams using their spiritual power.

However, doing so comes with issues. For instance, if the alterations are too extreme or beyond the dreamer's understanding, it would make the dreamer feel incongruity, prompting them to realize something is amiss and wake up.

Therefore, an experienced Dream Thief usually avoids drastically altering others' dreams and instead weaves along with the dreamer's dream.

In a sense, they should be called Dream Makers, but they've misused their abilities.

Since the collective dreamscape belongs to everyone, it's supported by the total spiritual power of all the dreamers, and no one can have spiritual power stronger than the sum of all the people in a city.

Thus, they cannot make any effective modifications to the dreamscape, which serves to protect most people."

"I see, but from what you said, Miss, the collective dreamscape seems to have some flaws?" the old butler sensed Perfikot hadn't disclosed everything.

"Of course, the main function of the collective dreamscape is to protect the majority. Dream Thieves can't make large modifications, but if they target an individual for slight modifications or influence, it's not impossible—just like I can change the clothes on you and me," Perfikot explained to the old butler, emphasizing, "Of course, having such strong mental power as mine is an exception, and most Dream Thieves can't do that."

"Then how can a select few be protected from such influence and completely guard against the threat of Dream Thieves?" the old butler asked Perfikot with concern.

"That requires special protection for individuals, such as wearing mental amulets or similar artifacts to protect one's mind from invasion, much like Grandpa Fu, who can stay aware in the dreamscape," Perfikot gave a brief explanation.

She and the old butler could remain aware and act freely in the dreamscape, not due to exceptional innate talent, but because Perfikot had Foster wear a special alchemical tool beforehand. This tool could protect the old butler's mind and continuously suggest to him to recognize he was dreaming at the first moment.

This wasn't Perfikot's technology, but a trophy obtained from Kelin and the captured Dream Thieves.

After all, Dream Thieves also need to guard against being invaded by their peers, and since they can weave dreams, staying aware while dreaming to create a lavishly enjoyable dream for themselves is quite normal.

This special alchemical tool was designed for that purpose.

Perfikot conducted detailed research on it before giving it to the old butler, and its making was not complicated. Replication or mass production wouldn't be a problem.

Any Alchemy Workshop in the Northern Territory above the baseline could produce such items; it's just that the principle involves dreaming and the mind, which wasn't the focus of Victoria's Alchemists in the past.

Of course, the cost of such an alchemical tool is a bit steep for ordinary people. Even if Perfikot removed its function of awakening consciousness in the dreamscape and kept only its function of enhancing mental protection against dream invasion, it remains unaffordable.

So such an alchemical tool naturally couldn't be given to everyone, at most to be sold to those nobility, merchants, and affluent classes that need it.

Government officials, of course, should be equipped, as their minds contain quite important information, and if some confidential data are leaked, it could have severe repercussions.

And this is also the main reason why Perfikot developed the Dream Bell and built the collective dreamscape.