Malphegor
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Ch. 167: The Dreamlands: Dreamer
🕑 Added 2024-12-02 15:33:54 +0000 UTC"Dreamland?"
This term was both unfamiliar and familiar to Orochimaru. During his time in the Nameless City, another Abdul had once mentioned the Dreamland.
At the time, however, the old man didn't have a chance to explain what the Dreamland truly was, and Orochimaru hadn't paid much attention to it.
But unexpectedly, while using Edo Tensei, he accidentally entered this so-called Dreamland.
"The Dreamland is a parallel dimension constructed from the subconscious and imagination of humanity. Although many aspects here resemble the real world, the physical laws here differ significantly. You could say this place is the 'mirror' of the universe."
"In this realm, the Earth is flat, and you can sail by sea to reach the moon. Life here is perpetually fixed in the medieval period of the First Era."
The old man's words didn't confuse him, as during his previous conversation in the Nameless City, he had already learned the meanings of terms like 'Earth' and 'First Age.'
Moreover, the old man from the Nameless City had mentioned these terms before, and now this elder was using them again. This only confirmed...
It proved that the previous elder hadn't been deceiving him. This was indeed the truth of this world. "Why, then, have I entered the Dreamland?" Orochimaru asked again.
"Hmm," the elder gently stroked his beard. "There are many ways to enter the Dreamland, but the most common one is through dreaming."
"Impossible. I am not dreaming," Orochimaru immediately denied it. He was certain he hadn't been asleep or dreaming just moments ago.
"Then could you describe how you got here?"
Orochimaru promptly recounted his experience of using Edo Tensei to enter the Pure Land, and then encountering a massive spiderweb.
"I think I understand what you mean," the elder mused. "In other words, you entered this place in your soul form."
"That's not entirely impossible. Another way to enter the Dreamland is when a dreamer dies. Their soul also enters this realm and permanently becomes a resident here."
Orochimaru was silent for a few seconds, then asked with a peculiar expression, "Are you saying that I've already died in the real world?"
The elder shook his head. "Not necessarily. I'm simply saying that souls can also enter the Dreamland. And besides, you are not a dreamer."
"A dreamer?" Orochimaru asked in confusion.
"A dreamer is someone with a vivid imagination who can embrace the various absurdities of the Dreamland, thus becoming a dreamer."
"Dreamers not only have their souls permanently remain in the Dreamland after death but also can use their imagination to create many things within it."
"And I am a dreamer."
As he spoke, the elder raised his hand and pointed to the sky. Orochimaru instinctively followed the direction of the elder's finger and saw a pink form materializing out of nowhere in the sky under the sunlight.
"A Mi-Go."
He instantly recognized the form—it was precisely the entity he had been seeking.
The elder's astonishing power captivated him. Such an ability, which completely transcended common sense, might only be possible within this realm, but Dreamland was still a world. The elder's capabilities were nearing divinity.
"That is the soul of a Mi-Go. In fact, Mi-Gos are entities capable of traveling freely between various parallel universes. They can also enter and exit the Dreamland at will."
"Consider it a gift, young friend."
The Mi-Go descended slowly from the sky and stopped beside Orochimaru.
Just as he was about to lift his head to say something, he noticed that the buildings around him had vanished. The clear sky and the elder were gone as well.
In their place was the Edo Tensei ritual array and the familiar surroundings of his laboratory.
In an instant, he had returned from the Dreamland to reality.
Orochimaru quickly turned to the center of the Edo Tensei ritual. There, the Shoggoth was undergoing rapid transformations and restructuring.
The chaotic, amorphous mass reshaped itself several times until it assumed the form of its intended host.
Before long, a living, breathing Mi-Go emerged.
This was the first stage of the Edo Tensei process. The soul drawn back from another world would take residence in a living vessel.
In this case, the Mi-Go's soul inhabited the body of the Shoggoth, causing it to recognize the Mi-Go as its master and reshape itself into the Mi-Go's form.
The next step was the second stage of the Edo Tensei ritual. 'Impure Earth' would manifest from the ritual to reconstruct the host into its original, living form.
Gray-white fragments of Impure Earth appeared out of thin air, swirling like paper around the Mi-Go.
However, the Impure Earth merely hovered briefly and then fell back to the ground.
Because the Shoggoth, already guided by the Mi-Go's soul, had transformed itself perfectly into its original form, there was no need for the Impure Earth to alter its shape further.
Nevertheless, if the Mi-Go were ever injured, it would still activate to repair its form instantly, maintaining the functionality of the Edo Tensei technique.
Taking advantage of the moment when the Mi-Go had not yet fully adapted to the Shoggoth's body, Orochimaru swiftly leapt beside the creature. He plunged a kunai embedded with seals into the elliptical brain of the Mi-Go.
"This will implant the original host's personality, ensuring that it obeys me."
With that, the Edo Tensei ritual array disappeared, marking the completion of the summoning.
Orochimaru jumped back to stand beside Kabuto, both watching intently as this thrilling moment unfolded.
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Then, the Mi-Go's body slowly began to rise. The tendrils on its brain twitched furiously, seemingly scanning its surroundings.
Bzzzzz.
"This place is..."
A strange, high-frequency humming sound emanated from the Mi-Go before it spoke in a distinct human language.
Orochimaru did not respond, merely watching with a wide, twisted grin.
The Mi-Go was a species devoted to technological advancement, particularly in the field of biotechnology. Their capabilities far surpassed even Orochimaru's.
His intent was clear: to exploit the Mi-Go's racial talents and make it his experimental assistant.
He had considered using human researchers before, but their abilities were ultimately limited.
While Kabuto was skilled, his talents were more in replication and support. When it came to tackling truly advanced technological challenges, his contributions were less than a tenth of what the Mi-Go could offer.
Especially in areas involving ancient beings and the biotechnology of entities like Primordial Shoggoths, its expertise was unparalleled.
Recently, he had subdued a ninja clan known as the Fūma clan in the Land of the Rice Fields and was preparing to establish his own ninja village.
With a village of his own, the Mi-Go, and his mastery of biological modification techniques and samples, he could create a powerful ninja army.
With such an army, he could accelerate the realization of his grand ambition:
To collect all three Silver Keys, open the Gate of the Truth, and unlock all the knowledge and truths of the universe.
---
In the pitch-black hall, three shadowy figures knelt on one knee before a throne, delivering their report to the person seated there.
"Kojiro-sama, recently, Kiri has been frequently dispatching ninja to the neighboring countries we've already brought under our control, probing for information about our secret cult."
"Additionally, they previously sent one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen into the Land of Gods to gather intelligence and even abducted a Deep One. It seems they've already taken notice of us. They might already be preparing to make a move against us."
"I see. You may withdraw for now."
"Yes."
The three shadows vanished instantly, leaving Kojiro deep in thought.
Thanks to a substantial financial foundation and the spreading influence of the Cthulhu statues, the cult had been growing at an astonishing rate.
Currently, cult followers spanned across several island nations surrounding the Land of Water, even successfully manipulating some smaller nations and remote areas.
However, recently, Kojiro had received frequent reports of Kiri ninja infiltrating these regions to gather intelligence.
This was a source of great frustration for him.
Kojiro did not want to draw too much attention for now, especially from the Land of Water.
What's more, he was confident that his actions wouldn't attract their scrutiny.
The Land of Water, a nation surrounded by the sea, consisted of the main island and numerous smaller islands with diverse cultures and customs.
Due to historical reasons, the daimyō of the Land of Water had once decreed that the nation would fully respect the traditions of these neighboring islands and would not impose its power on them.
This policy had allowed the surrounding islands to coexist peacefully for a long time. However, the recent espionage activities by Kiri clearly went against the policies set by the daimyō.
To seek protection from one of the Five Great Nations, the smaller islands without ninja regularly paid tribute to the Land of Water as a form of protection money.
Even under Kojiro's control, these islands continued paying the tribute in full. After all, wealth was the least of his concerns.
The factory in the Land of Gods had been continuously operating since its establishment.
Moreover, the lords and daimyōs of these islands had either been converted into cult followers or discreetly eliminated. There was no one left to seek the Land of Water's aid.
First, there was no infringement on the Land of Water's interests.
Second, there was no one left to report the situation.
Thus, the Land of Water had no grounds to send shinobi into his domain. The decision could only have come from Kiri's upper echelon.
Kiri had two factions in power: one led by Elder Genji and the other by the Fourth Mizukage.
Only these two had the authority to issue such orders.
Elder Genji, being a staunchly cautious leader, would never go against the daimyō's policies and wishes.
This left only Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage.
Kojiro didn't have a deep impression of him, only knowing he looked exceptionally young, with a strikingly handsome, boyish face, though he was actually a few years older than him.
However, Kojiro was well aware of the bloody history of the Bloody Mist created under Yagura's reign.
From a certain point onward, Yagura had begun persecuting families with bloodline limits within Kiri, especially prominent clans like the Hōzuki.
The Hoshigaki clan, to which Kojiro belonged, had also suffered under Yagura's policies.
Young ninja from the Hoshigaki clan were frequently sent on suicidal missions at his orders. Thus, Kojiro's impression of the Fourth Mizukage was far from favorable.
There was even a time when he wanted to personally kill Yagura.
However, Yagura's strength was undeniable. As the perfect jinchūriki of the Three-Tails, he always held an advantage over Kojiro.
But now...
He looked down at his massive hand, glowing faintly with a pale green light, and clenched it into a fist.
At that moment, a strange presence emerged in the hall.
Kojiro quickly looked toward the source, spotting a dark silhouette flanked by two distorted air masses. Seeing this, his cautious gaze relaxed, for vigilance was meaningless before this individual.
"What brings you here?"
"Running into trouble recently, I see?"
"Just a small problem—like getting a fishbone stuck in my throat while eating."
"You mean Yagura, right?"
"How do you know?" There was a hint of surprise in Kojiro's tone.
"I know many things. For instance, I know that Yagura is actually being controlled."
This revelation shocked Kojiro even more. Striving to maintain his composure, he asked, "Controlled? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
"For a long time, he has been nothing more than a puppet. The Bloody Mist was established under the manipulation of someone else."
"Who? Who could possibly control the Fourth Mizukage?"
"He currently hides within Akatsuki."
"Akatsuki? Are they another cult devoted to some wicked god?"
The Black Pharaoh's reply fueled Kojiro's curiosity; he had never heard of Akatsuki before.
"No. Akatsuki is merely a typical war organization. They don't share your lofty aspirations. However, you've encountered members of Akatsuki before. Remember the three ninja who invaded the Land of Gods?"
"Two of them fought you—they were members of Akatsuki."
With the Black Pharaoh's reminder, Kojiro recalled the incident and narrowed his eyes. "So, it was them…"
Before the Black Pharaoh's explanation, Kojiro had been puzzled.
Why would Jūzō, a Kiri ninja, act alongside an Uchiha from Konoha?
But now it all made sense.
After ensuring Kojiro had digested the information, the Black Pharaoh continued, "Akatsuki is currently trying to recruit a ninja from Kiri into their ranks. If you want to uncover the mastermind behind Akatsuki, I have a plan."
"This plan not only places this ninja as your spy but also removes the fishbone stuck in your throat."
"Are you interested?"
After a moment of silence, Kojiro asked, "Who is this Kiri ninja Akatsuki plans to recruit?"
"Hehehe... It's someone you should be familiar with. After all, he shares your surname—Hoshigaki."
