C8 Dream

Jie Mu lay in the carriage, his eyelids heavy with sleep. The day was blistering hot, and a morning spent practicing driving had left him utterly exhausted. Despite the dizziness clouding his mind, a tumult of emotions kept him from drifting off to sleep. Lately, he'd been plagued by an inexplicable sense of foreboding that clung to his heart.

With his increasing mastery of inner strength, he could go days without sleep. Yet, waves of drowsiness relentlessly washed over him now. He felt as helpless as a piece of duckweed adrift on the ocean, powerless against the tide. The urge to sleep loomed like a towering wave, threatening to shatter him, and he was devoid of any means to flee. The origin of this unsettling sensation eluded him, leaving his mind restless and uneasy. Eventually, without realizing it, Jie Mu's heavy eyelids succumbed to the weight of his fatigue.

...

Midway through the journey, a series of tremors jolted him awake—not from the carriage, but from somewhere else. Jie Mu's eyes snapped open, and he sat up immediately, without a second's delay. The intensity of the shaking had startled him; he feared an earthquake might be underway.

However, as he took in his surroundings, astonishment struck him. He was no longer in the carriage. Instead, he found himself in an odd, entirely gray world. A dense haze shrouded the sky, blocking out the sun and casting a heavy pall of oppression over everything.

Furrowing his brow, Jie Mu stood up, filled with bewilderment. Hadn't he just been in the carriage moments ago? How had he suddenly arrived in this bizarre place? Could he have been killed? Was this the fabled hell?

But this place bore no resemblance to hell, and he was certainly not in the spectral state of a ghost. He could interact with his surroundings, which meant he was very much alive. The gray haze enveloping him reminded him of tales from cities where severe smog rendered everything indistinguishable.

The scene was indeed terrifying, but Jie Mu was certain of one thing—this was not smog. He had never experienced smog firsthand, yet he knew instinctively that this was something else entirely.

The sky was enveloped in a gray haze, yet after a brief moment, it cleared up, restoring the crisp visibility of a typical day.

It couldn't have been just an overcast day; the peculiar grayness in the sky was unlike any ordinary weather pattern.

Filled with curiosity, Jie Mu began to survey his surroundings.

Initially, when he opened his eyes, the gray haze obscured his vision, but it had since improved significantly.

He needed to figure out his location first and foremost.

But the environment around him was startling!

Jie Mu felt as though he was standing in the midst of a demolition site, surrounded by rubble and debris. Not a single wall stood intact; his entire view was cluttered with ruins.

No matter where he looked, the same scene of devastation met his eyes.

How could there be such an extensive area of demolition?

Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but shattered remains. This was far from a typical sight.

Jie Mu had visited demolition sites before, and based on what he'd seen, the current scene resembled the aftermath of an earthquake he had seen on TV.

This realization brought some clarity. Indeed, collapsed buildings and a dust-filled atmosphere were common post-earthquake occurrences.

Jie Mu sighed deeply. Considering the extent of the destruction, how many lives had been lost? It was truly heartbreaking.

Despite not knowing why he was there, he was eager to get out of the area.

Aftershocks were frequent following an earthquake, particularly a major one.

With ruins all around, lingering in such peril was out of the question. He wasn't about to foolishly wait for death.

The pervasive grayness had disoriented Jie Mu, who usually had an excellent sense of direction.

He picked a direction at random and hastened along that path.

As he walked, Jie Mu took in the devastation around him.

It was a harrowing sight; the buildings were completely ravaged. How would the community rebuild and live here again?

Even with reconstruction...

At that thought, Jie Mu shuddered, a chill running down his spine as sweat quickly soaked his back and beads of perspiration formed on his forehead.

Yes, why didn't I think of this before? Even in the event of an earthquake, it's impossible for there to be no survivors here.

Even during the major earthquake my father talked about, the one that was 7.8 on the Richter scale, there were survivors. How can there be no one around?

Where are the original inhabitants? Where are the ordinary people who have just endured such a catastrophe?

How can everyone be gone? Could they have evacuated so quickly?

That's impossible!

Jie Mu stood frozen, feeling goosebumps rise all over his body. Even if the local residents had evacuated, what about the emergency officials?

How can there not be a single person in sight? They should at least be here to manage the disaster relief efforts. It's absolutely impossible for no one to be here!

Jie Mu spotted a tall wall nearby and climbed to the top. As he surveyed the area from this vantage point, he broke out in a cold sweat.

This area, spanning several miles and as large as a city district, was completely deserted!

In other words, Jie Mu was now standing in the midst of a true ghost town!

With that realization, his hair nearly stood on end. He instinctively looked up at the murky sky. Everything around him was so eerie, including the sky itself.

Jie Mu's heart pounded furiously. No wonder he had felt so uneasy since his arrival.

Though it bore the appearance of the Federation world, there was not a trace of life to be found. Not a single breath of life.

It was terrifying to the core!

Despite the fear gripping him, Jie Mu was acutely aware that he was still in reality.

His father had repeatedly assured him that the fantastical scenarios of time travel found in those chaotic novels simply didn't exist in the real world.

So, even though he was consumed by fear, he couldn't comprehend what was happening.

Jie Mu stared blankly at the sky, the surrounding oddity frightening him. He stood motionless, taking deep breaths in an attempt to quell the terror within.

He struggled to steady the fear in his heart, yet his blood raced faster, and his heartbeat quickened.

He could distinctly feel the abnormality coursing through him, but he was powerless to stop it.

He understood that his overwhelming anxiety and nervousness were to blame, yet he was unable to soothe the intense unease and tension gripping his heart.

Jie Mu had already developed a significant level of internal energy, so ordinarily, he wouldn't be so consumed by fear.

Yet in this place, it didn't matter if his current level was a whole realm higher; he would likely still be petrified, unable to take even a step.

Jie Mu stood motionless for quite some time before he abruptly took action.

He lifted his right hand and delivered a fierce slap to his own face.

This slap, infused with his internal energy, was excruciatingly painful.

He believed he was in a dream, hoping that by slapping himself, he might awaken.

Unfortunately, his plan failed. He ended up being knocked to the ground, a sharp pain radiating from his cheek.

Despite this, he did not wake from what he thought was a dream!

Biting down on his teeth and wincing, Jie Mu caressed his aching cheek. The pain was real. Could it be that he wasn't dreaming after all?

But that seemed impossible!

Just a moment ago, he was in a car. How could he suddenly find himself in such an odd place, one he had never visited before?

Hold on, he thought, a surge of shock hitting him. Had he never been here?

He paused. Had he truly never been to this place before?

Jie Mu surveyed his surroundings, glanced back, and then gazed up at the sky once more. A strange sense of familiarity began to well up inside him.

Just then, a wave of intense dizziness emanated from deep within his brain, causing him to instinctively shake his head.

Gritting his teeth and balling his fists, Jie Mu pressed on.

He didn't try to control his body; instead, he let it move forward as he willed.

The overpowering dizziness prevented him from controlling his actions.

It was a terrifying experience, one that Jie Mu had never faced before, and it was one he found utterly irresistible.

He continued to walk forward without looking back or hesitating, the sensation of dizziness persisting, refusing to leave his consciousness.

Thus, Jie Mu was compelled to walk for a full hour.

He didn't pause for a moment during that hour, and the dizziness didn't subside in the slightest. He felt as though he might pass out at any second.

Yet, he didn't faint; instead, he was trapped in a relentless, uncomfortable cycle.

As time ticked away, the anguish in Jie Mu's heart grew, and his eyes became increasingly bloodshot, the vessels stark against the whites of his eyes, creating a sight that was deeply unsettling.

He felt a searing pain in his glasses for some unknown reason.

Jie Mu reached out a hand, instinctively going for his eyes.

With great effort, he extended his left hand, intercepting his right.

Though he couldn't understand why he was losing control, he was certain that if his right hand made contact with his eyes, they would be irreparably damaged.

Just as Jie Mu was on the verge of succumbing, the dizziness in his mind abruptly eased.

A beam of golden light, from an unknown source, bathed his head.

In an instant, the sensation of vertigo vanished as if it had never existed, completely erased from his mind.

Had it not been for the lingering burn in his eyes, he would have doubted the ordeal he had just endured.

Then, a peculiar noise reached Jie Mu's ears.

"Whoosh, whoosh," it sounded like the rush of water.

Looking ahead, Jie Mu noticed a stream had appeared in his line of sight without him realizing when.

This stream was unlike any ordinary stream; it wasn't the usual color of river water.

It was a vivid red!

The hue was as if red paint had been spilled into it.

This wasn't particularly alarming; Jie Mu had seen streams tainted to such a degree before.

But there was something truly unusual about this stream – its scent!