She continued, “I’ll also write to some people to ask about the dream you described, to see what those things might represent.”

At this point, she glanced at Logan Smith’s suddenly tense expression and smiled brightly, “Don’t worry, I’ll make some modifications, and I won’t reveal everything at once. The principle of gradual progress is something I taught you.

“Also, when communicating with that lady, don’t force things. Try to remain friendly. This doesn’t mean we’re afraid of her—it’s just that having one more friend is better than having one more enemy.”

“No problem.” Logan Smith agreed solemnly.

……

Kordu Village, the old tavern.

As soon as Logan Smith approached the bar, he called out to the tavern owner, who also worked part-time as a bartender, Maurice Bennett, “Which room upstairs is that out-of-town woman staying in?”

The old tavern was also the village’s only inn, with six rooms available for lodging on the second floor.

Maurice Bennett wasn’t fat or burly; like most villagers, he had black hair and blue eyes. His most distinctive feature was his perpetually red nose, a result of frequent drinking.

He was a relative of the local priest, William Bennett, but not a close one—they were distant cousins.

“Why are you asking?” Maurice Bennett asked curiously. “Would a woman from a big city really be interested in a country bumpkin like you?”

His face showed obvious curiosity, with a strong interest in any unusual relationships between men and women.

“Aren’t you a country bumpkin yourself, a barefoot peasant?” Logan Smith sneered, then casually made up a reason, “That woman lost something last night. I found it this morning and came to return it to her.”

“Really?” Maurice Bennett was skeptical of Logan Smith’s honesty.

This guy makes up eight out of every ten things he says.

“What else? Do you really think she’d be interested in me?” Logan Smith retorted confidently.

“True.” Maurice Bennett was convinced. “She’s in the room near the square, across from the washroom.”

As he watched Logan Smith head toward the stairs, the tavern owner wiped a glass and muttered under his breath:

“It’s not impossible, though. Sometimes, people just want to try something new…”

His muttering was just loud enough for Logan Smith to hear.

……

On the second floor of the tavern, Logan Smith found the only washroom in the dim corridor, then saw a white paper sign hanging from the brass handle of the dark red wooden door opposite.

Written in Intis on it was: “Resting,

Please do not disturb.”

Logan Smith looked down at it for a few seconds, but didn’t rush forward to knock. Instead, he stepped back two paces and leaned against the wall.

He planned to wait here for the lady to come out.

His past life as a wanderer had taught him that when opportunity arises, you must act decisively and seize it without hesitation, without overthinking, without worrying about appearances, without cowardice—otherwise, the chance will slip away, and you’ll fall into an even more miserable vicious cycle. But when opportunity hasn’t appeared, you must be patient, persistent, and restrain all discomfort to wait.

Time passed, second by second. Logan Smith stood there without the slightest impatience.

If there had been an onlooker, and if not for his occasional small movements, they might have mistaken him for a statue.

Finally, the door creaked open.

The lady had changed into a light green dress with white trim, her brown hair loosely tied up at the back of her head.

She swept her light blue eyes over Logan Smith for a second, then glanced down at the paper sign on the doorknob and asked with a smile, “How long have you been waiting?”

She wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Logan Smith here.

Logan Smith took a step forward and said, “That’s not important.”

He tried to keep his tone calm, so as not to seem too eager.

“What do you want to ask?” the lady said quite directly.

“Right here?” Logan Smith looked around.

The lady smiled and replied, “If you don’t mind, I don’t either.”

Logan Smith had already observed that the others who usually stayed here, like Ryan Clark and Leah Carter, didn’t seem to be around at the moment. Other than himself and the lady in front of him, there was no one else on the second floor of the tavern.

He organized his words and said, “What secret is hidden in that dream?”

The lady burst out laughing, “That’s something you should answer, not ask me.”

She paused, then added, “All I can tell you is that you can obtain certain extraordinary powers there.”

Extraordinary powers… Logan Smith’s heart stirred, then he asked in confusion, “What’s the point of gaining extraordinary powers in a dream?

“They don’t affect reality.”

The lady smiled:

“In the extraordinary realm, anything is possible.

“Maybe it really can have an effect?”

The extraordinary power I’ve been desperately seeking has appeared in my life in this way? Logan Smith fell silent.

The lady restrained her expression and added seriously, “I must warn you, it’s full of danger there. If you die there, you will die completely.”

If something goes wrong while exploring that dream, will the real me die as well? Logan Smith couldn’t understand, but chose to believe.