Survival Strategies of a Struggling Aristocrat

Dennis’s warning came too late. Enchanted by the mysterious humming sound, Roman and Tobias began to walk slowly in the direction of the sound.

At first, Dennis mistook the humming for a mere sound, but it turned out to be the language of the dryads. Their speech sounded like humming to humans.

“Hey, snap out of it!”

Dennis grabbed the shoulders of the two knights and started shaking them. However, they remained in their absentminded state. Roman and Tobias continued moving deeper until they reached a peculiar tree.

Upon closer inspection, Dennis noticed a face-like figure emerging from the trunk of that tree, resembling a beautiful woman, and it seemed like those humming words were emanating from her mouth.

Roman and Tobias pressed on, and as they did, wriggling roots emerged from the ground near the dryad, attempting to entangle the two knights.

Dennis sensed the humming sound growing stronger. Even his consciousness was captivated and drawn by the sound. And although he was also almost enchanted several times, his mind held two distinct consciousnesses which allowed him to barely maintain his sanity.

Dennis’s mind cleared ever so slightly. Seizing that moment, he instinctively conjured the Quaking Blade, which he now formed with ease. Holding the blade at the ready, Dennis leaped forward, charging toward the dryad.

The wriggling roots began to stir, targeting Dennis with swift movements. Swinging the Quaking Blade, he deflected the roots and drew closer to the dryad. With a decisive strike, he drove the blade into the face of the monster.

A piercing scream echoed through his head, searing his senses. Enduring the pain, Dennis struck again, and once more the scream pierced through his head, causing the Quaking Blade to vanish due to his lack of concentration.

However, even with that, Dennis was undeterred; he relentlessly pounded the monster with his bare Vajra Staff. The dryad’s face contorted, transforming into a ghastly visage reminiscent of a demon. There was no choice but to keep attacking.

Unbeknownst to him, the voice of the dryad had faded away. The squirming roots spasmed and twitched before finally falling silent. The once verdant dryad was suddenly blackened and reduced to dust before dissipating into the air.

A soft thud echoed as something landed on the ground. It was the Dryad Fruit. Simultaneously, Dennis sensed that he had gained a new true name. It was the true name of “sacred sound”.

“Even though I only defeated one… Was that dryad a special one?”

According to the knowledge Dennis had acquired from the books he read, dryads were described as troublesome creatures. However, they had not mentioned their incredibly potent charm abilities.

His head throbbed painfully from the dryad’s piercing screams. He stood still until the pain subsided.

On the other hand, Roman and Tobias regained consciousness.

“Ugh, my head hurts. What happened?”

Tobias groaned, his voice filled with discomfort.

“It was a dryad. We were under its control.”

Roman replied, seemingly able to recall his memories while being manipulated. When Dennis inquired further about the dryad, it became clear that it was no ordinary one.

“We, who were supposed to protect you, showed such shameful appearance. My apologies,” Roman said.

“No, it was a close call for me, too. It just so happened that I was able to hold out until the end.” Dennis replied.

“You have incredible will.”

Roman’s praise seemed genuine. Dennis felt pleased to receive such words from a distinguished knight like him. However, upon calm analysis, he concluded that his triumph over the dryad was likely due to the assistance of his second consciousness, Masaya, and thus not a fair evaluation of his abilities.

“Did you manage to obtain the Dryad Fruit?”

Dennis nodded in affirmation toward Tobias’ question.

“My congratulations.”

“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you guys help,”

Dennis’s humble demeanor earned him Roman’s favorable impression.

As Dennis made his way back to Cliff, he attentively listened to Roman and Tobias discussing the labyrinth. It was during this conversation that he acquired valuable insights about true names.

It appeared that acquiring true names became easier when defeating the same type of monster consecutively. In labyrinths like the Shadow Forest Labyrinth, where different types of creatures attacked, obtaining true names required more time.

On the other hand, labyrinths such as the Rock Mountain Labyrinth were known to be more conducive to acquiring true names. However, even in the Shadow Forest Labyrinth, although it was time-consuming, obtaining true names was still possible, so the explorers did not view it as a major issue.

Upon returning to Cliff, Dennis bid farewell to Roman and Tobias. After they watched him rush back towards Jerg’s mansion, Roman and his companion headed towards the Marquis’s residence. Entering the study of the Marquis’s estate, the two of them prepared to deliver their report.

“That young man, Dennis, seems to be a great talent,”

Roman reported Dennis’s achievements in the Shadow Forest Labyrinth. The Marquis, who initially listened with a smile, gradually adopted a stern expression.

“Hmm, so the successor to the Beneshof family is that exceptional?”

“My Lord, you have a serious expression. May I ask why?” Roman inquired.

“The successor to our Marquis house is Randolph. Between the two of them, who do you think has greater talent?”

Roman’s face tensed. Randolph, the Marquis’s son, was a diligent young man. He graduated from the prestigious Royal Zelman Academy with outstanding grades and was currently studying territory management.

He’s not unintelligent. His martial arts skills are above average. However, he lacks any outstanding qualities. When comparing Randolph and Dennis, how would he fare? In terms of martial arts prowess alone, Dennis excels. His mental strength might be superior as well.

Roman answered as he thought, then added, “However, Sir Dennis mentioned that he hasn’t received a noble education. Normally, one would study at the Royal Zelman Academy, but due to certain circumstances, he was studying on his territory.”

“I see, so Dennis excels in martial arts and mental strength, while Randolph focuses on academic pursuits. If he becomes Randolph’s ally, it might be better to nurture him.”

A satisfied smile appeared on the Marquis’ face.

Meanwhile, upon returning to the mansion, Dennis handed the dryad fruit to the physician. Egmont placed his hand on his son’s head,

“Well done. I am proud to call you my son.”

He said that with a joyful smile on his face.

The medicine prepared by the physician had a dramatic effect on Jerg. The parasites in Jerg’s intestines perished, and his complexion gradually improved.

“With this, he should be fine.”

Elise, upon hearing the physician’s words, burst into tears of joy. She embraced Dennis tightly.

“Truly, you are my pride and joy.”

“Biw Brutha.”

Margot imitated her mother and hugged Dennis as well.

◆◆◇◇◆◆◇◇◆◆

Around the time Masaya returned Kozo, the arsonist and murderer, to his parents, before he mysteriously went missing, a sense of unease began to envelop a group of people in the United States.

This particular group consisted of individuals who shared the uncanny experience of lucid dreams. At the heart of this gathering was Burt Talcott, a famous actor.

Through their online interactions, the Cool Dreamers swiftly multiplied, attracting around fifty new members in a remarkably short span of time. Yet, troubling incidents of members vanishing became all too common.

Burt and the other key members realized that someone was targeting them. An emergency meeting was held to discuss the best course of action for self-defense.

As a result, they concluded that revealing the truth would serve as a deterrent.

Hence, one day, Burt announced a press conference and informed various media outlets. During the event, he publicly disclosed the existence of lucid dreams and the different world.

In the midst of his address, a newspaper reporter, visibly agitated, interrupted Burt on the stage,

“Mr. Burt, please hold on a minute. We’re not so idle as to indulge in jokes like this.”

“I have no intention of joking either. I understand that it may be hard for all of you to believe. However, the existence of a different world is indeed real, and through future research, we intend to prove that our minds are connected to individuals from that world.”

A reporter from a television station interjected,

“Are you saying that it cannot be proven at this moment?”

“That’s correct. However, those of us who have connected with individuals from the other world have gained abilities that no ordinary person might have. That is something we can demonstrate.”

The atmosphere in the venue grew restless.

“What exactly can you prove?”

Burt summoned a few individuals onto the stage, their faces concealed by goggles with mirrored lenses. This caused a stir among the audience.

“These individuals are also comrades who have their consciousness linked to people from the other world,”

After their introduction, Burt proceeded to explain the concept of true names and the Mana Art.

“We can prove the existence of Mana Art that is akin to magic.”

A reporter questioned,

“How will you do that? Are you going to demonstrate this Mana Art right here?”

Burt nodded in agreement. He singled out a man, around the same age as Burt in his thirties, with a slightly overweight physique. The man wearing goggles placed a water-filled plastic bottle a short distance away.

“This individual, whom we’ll address as Mr. G, possesses the true name “Freeze’ ” and can use Mana Art,” Burt explained.

Mr. G gazed at the water-filled bottle, extending his hand. At the tip of his outstretched hand, a transparent sphere resembling a soap bubble materialized before flying toward the plastic bottle.

The soap bubble-like sphere hit the bottle and then burst and disappeared. In that instant, the water inside the bottle froze, causing it to expand. Although the bottle didn’t shatter, it deformed and swelled.

To ensure that there were no tricks or gimmicks with the bottle Mr. G had brought, the TV crew repeated the experiment using a bottle they provided, but the results were the same.

The pinnacle of the press conference came with Mr. B, who possessed the true name of ‘Solidify.’ In a demonstration using the power of ‘Solidify’, he placed his hand on the table and allowed it to be struck with a hammer. The hammer, upon impact, rebounded forcefully.

On that day, in a venue that was broadcasted on live television, several instances of Mana Arts were showcased. Some members of the media dismissed them as mere tricks, but the footage was aired, and people worldwide became aware of the existence of the Cool Dreamers.

Subsequently, individuals from various countries began to declare themselves as Cool Dreamers, claiming to possess the same abilities as these people.