Chapter 1470 The Feast Begins <TOC> Chapter 1472 The Time of Transformation
Translator: SumTLMan
A vast, unending ocean stretched to the horizon, seamlessly merging with the crystal-clear azure sky. In the afternoon, the golden sunlight shone brightly, casting shimmering spots on the water’s surface.
The sound of the tide, soothing and rhythmical, harmonized with the intermittent cries of seagulls, enveloping Angel in a sense of tranquility.
This was a coastal piece of land, complemented by a beach of fine white sand.
At this moment, Toby lay sprawled on the soft sand, snoring without a care for appearances.
A silent sigh escaped from Angel, who had entered Toby’s dream out of concern for his well-being. Now he found himself in the middle of that very dream.
Ironically, Toby, inebriated and passed out in reality, was also snoring away in his dream.
Since Angel’s Dream Entry was centered around Toby, he couldn’t wander around and could only observe the immediate surroundings.
But considering the current state of this dream, Angel felt relieved.
This was a far cry from the last time he ventured into his dream, where he had been entangled with oppressive, dark negative energies. Though Angel couldn’t see beyond the immediate sunny beach and surging sea, it was enough to fill him with calm tranquility.
It seemed Toby’s dream realm had undergone a change, likely distancing itself from the shadow of the Tribulation of Resentment, at least for the time being.
Moreover, Toby’s careless posture, lying on the beach with all four paws in the air, also indicated a level of trust in the safety of his immediate environment.
Since Toby continued to sleep, Angel, after observing for a bit, prepared to return to reality. Just as he was about to leave, however, a soft rustling sound reached his ears.
The first thing to catch his eye was a pair of bare feet, their ankles distinctly outlined.
Toby seemed to sense some activity around him. Stretching out a yawn, he lifted his head and found himself gazing at Ollie, who was dressed in a maid’s outfit.
Carefully cradling Toby in her arms, Ollie spoke: “Most esteemed Lord Toby, young master has requested the kitchen to prepare some small fish snacks. They are waiting for you in the dining room.”
Angel: “…” Most esteemed what now? Where did this bizarre title come from?
Angel internally rolled his eyes, but Toby seemed to revel in the honorific. He hopped along Ollie’s arm and soon found himself perched atop her head, exuding an air of looking down upon the world.
Ollie led Toby along a path further into the island. They moved through a thick forest of palm trees, finally reaching a path that felt eerily familiar to Angel.
This winding path looked very much like one at the end of Grud Town, leading to Pat Manor.
As it turned out, Angel’s intuition was spot on. Soon enough, the estate materialized before their eyes.
It seemed Toby had had enough of his perch on Ollie’s head; he flapped his wings and took to the sky. From his aerial vantage point, Angel gained a general understanding of the lay of the land.
It was a small island surrounded by the sea, with beaches along its periphery. Next was the impenetrable forest of palm trees, and at the very center was Pat Manor.
This arrangement was almost identical to the dream landscape where Toby had found himself trapped in the Tribulation of Resentment.
Angel furrowed his brows. According to Gloria’s previous analysis of Toby’s dream, the surrounding sea and the impenetrable palm forest symbolized walls Toby had built around his inner world.
At that moment, Angel saw Toby cheerfully chirp and dive down toward the second floor of the mansion.
Following Toby’s line of sight, Angel found himself looking at his own figure on the second-floor balcony.
Toby landed on the “Dream Angel’s” shoulder and affectionately nuzzled him.
In the dream, Angel was affectionately indulging Toby, saying, “Let’s go have some small fish snacks.”
Toby let out another joyful call, excitedly hopping back and forth on Angel’s shoulder.
Seeing this, Angel confirmed that the reason Toby had altered the dream’s imagery to be surrounded by the ocean on all four sides was due to his possessive desire.
And the object of that possessiveness was Angel himself, trapped in this secluded island estate.
As Frost had pointed out, even though the Tribulation of Resentment had been suppressed, it continued to affect Toby constantly, especially before he had fully overcome this ordeal.
Even though the dream’s environment had become much more peaceful than before, this series of symbols still reflected Toby’s underlying thoughts.
In the following dream, tranquility persisted. Toby and Angel went to the dining room to feast on small fish snacks that filled the entire room. Angel was also lying in the center of the mountain of snacks, eating one bite after another.
Observing his dream-self’s mad infatuation with small fish snacks, Angel’s inner desire to make sarcastic comments soared.
Angel thought that the upcoming dream wouldn’t hold any significant disruptions. But just then, Maid Ollie entered the dining room.
Toby glanced at her but continued eating without a fuss.
However, Angel frowned at that moment, saying, “When the master is dining, how can a servant just walk in? That’s very disrespectful!”
Upon hearing Angel’s irritation, Toby also angrily glared at Maid Ollie. Making her tremble in fear, Toby flew up and pushed her out of the dining room.
Angel then lovingly petted Toby’s head, saying, “You did well. Disobedient servants should be strictly disciplined.”
Toby also joyfully nuzzled the palm of Angel’s hand.
In the thoughts of Angel, who was attached to Toby, a significant emotional stir arose because of the scene unfolding before him.
The first time Angel entered Toby’s dream, the setting was the same, and back then Toby was not only affectionate toward the Angel in his dream but also extremely jealous and displeased with the maids in the mansion who were close to Angel.
But during this dream visit, Angel could clearly sense that although Toby still had possessiveness toward “Angel,” his attitude toward the servants had become indifferent. It seemed his possessiveness had lessened, and his jealousy was diminishing.
All of this was a positive development, which Angel was pleased to see.
What Angel hadn’t expected, however, was an anomaly in Toby’s evolving dreamscape! Specifically, the “Angel” within the dream was behaving in a way that didn’t align with Angel’s character. This dream-version of Angel wasn’t just treating Maid Ollie poorly but was also encouraging Toby to harshly discipline her.
Angel had once read Freud’s writings on the subject of dreams, which clearly stated: The images in dreams are based on reality but transcend it.
Regardless of how much they transcend, the dreamer’s perception of the dream images is certainly based on their real-world perceptions.
In other words, the way Toby shapes the character of “Angel” in his dreams must align with his real-world views of Angel.
In reality, Angel has never shown disdain for Maid Ollie, nor would he ever say the things that were said in the dream.
This means that something has changed within Toby’s dream.
It’s not that Toby’s perception has skewed; it’s that something is off with this dream-version of “Angel.”
Angel doesn’t believe Toby’s perception would be flawed, and the dreamscape itself was tranquil, so the only anomaly could be with the dream character “Angel.”
Turning his gaze, Angel focused on this dream-version of “himself,” whom he had previously found a bit awkward.
Whether it was a psychological effect or not, Angel couldn’t help but feel that this dream-version of “Angel,” standing quietly and smiling in the distance, exuded an inexplicably unsettling damp chill.
The once vivid blue eyes that should have been crystal clear now seemed tinged with an eerie darkness.
…
Angel stepped out of the Dream Bridge and opened his eyes in reality.
He was still standing on the high platform of the Black Castle, surrounded by the murmurs and whispers of wizards.
Gloria was looking curiously at Angel, wondering what he had seen in his dream. However, upon waking, Angel immediately fell into deep thought, his brows tightly furrowed.
This made Gloria’s heart skip a beat.
After a good while, Angel finally snapped out of his contemplation. Gloria eagerly inquired about Toby’s dream landscape. Felicia and Sanders also looked on with curiosity.
Given that the matter concerned Toby’s secrets, Angel did not speak outright but conveyed the details of his journey through the dream via a mental link.
He was particularly explicit about his performance as “Angel” within the dream and his strong doubts regarding that persona.
“Toby hasn’t changed, but the role it plays as you in its dream has shown a drastic contrast?” Gloria asked, her brows furrowed. “Something is definitely off. Although I don’t know much about dreams, what’s certain is that the dreamer is still the primary subject of the dream; all other images are merely manifestations of their personal will. Toby couldn’t have singled you out to portray such a contrasting role.”
What exactly was the problem here?
Felicia suggested, “I have a speculation. Could it be that ‘you’ in the dream, like the one who entered Toby’s dream earlier, is also an outsider?”
By “outsider,” she did not mean that someone else had invaded Toby’s dream. Rather, she was suggesting that this “Angel” within the dream might not be a product of Toby’s own will.
So, who would play the role of “Angel” in the dream?
“If you consider your previous dreams as a stage play, then the villain is undoubtedly the dream version of you,” Sanders mused for a moment before saying. “Think carefully, what traits does the villain possess in this play?”
“Negative emotions?” Angel replied.
“More than that, the dream version of you did something else,” Sanders said. “He was influencing Toby’s thoughts.”
Angel recalled the events in the dream——
When Ollie arrived at the restaurant, the dream “Angel” clearly showed anger towards Ollie. Upon seeing “Angel” angry, Toby attacked Ollie without hesitation. After attacking Ollie, “Angel” happily said: Disobedient servants should be strictly disciplined.
From this series of events, it was clear that “Angel” was noticeably guiding, even luring Toby.
But why would he do this?
With this question in mind, Angel pondered, what would be the end result of this guidance?
The answer was easy to deduce: A significant shift in Toby’s personality, plunging again into the abyss of negative emotions.
When he reached this conclusion, a moment of insight dawned within Angel; he somewhat understood what Felicia meant by “the outsider.”
Perhaps, it was the suppressed Tribulation of Resentment!
Although it was suppressed, it had not completely dissipated.
Frost had said that it would continue to affect Toby, and now it seemed to have manifested. In the dream, taking the form of “Angel,” the most profound influence on Toby, it was evident that “Angel” had the most sway over Toby!
With this realization, Angel actually breathed a sigh of relief.
The Tribulation of Resentment would sooner or later influence Toby; the fear was not knowing in what form it would manifest. Now that its embodiment was known, they could specifically address it, thus to a certain extent, mitigating or even preventing Toby from being eroded by this deep-seated resentment.
Chapter 1470 The Feast Begins <TOC> Chapter 1472 The Time of Transformation