The Righteous Player(s)

Chapter 512: Beyond The Dream World

Annan’s expression was a little complicated.

Hearing Dmitri’s words, it seemed Dmitri already knew that Annan was a transmigrator in his first life.

In s, things like this are usually hidden until the finale, right?

It is still expected to have upright deities like the Silver Sire, the Old Grandmother, and the Elegant Elder know that. How come even my siblings know that I am a world traveler?

Dmitri glanced at Annan and knew he was in deep thought, “Don’t overthink it, Annan.”

Even if he loses his memory, Annan is still Annan after all.

The man with long black hair and a cold demeanor said, “You were the first person we met.

“The most significant difference between Austere-Winter and other countries is that we don’t name our babies. The babies don’t get names until they grow up to be able to feed themselves, dress themselves, take care of themselves, and not starve to death at home alone.

“People who can’t take care of themselves are not worthy of having a name, let alone inheriting a surname. At best, they are just pets.”

In Austere-Winter, the line between “man” and “beast” was not that far off.

Those who could not be called adults would only be treated as “cubs”.

Similarly, if someone committed a crime or did something that a human being should not do, he would be deprived of his human name.

A precedent would be Grinznuha·Austere-Winter, deprived of the surname “Austere-Winter”.

In Austere-Winter Dukedom, this was a severe punishment under “family jurisdiction”.

If someone was deprived of his surname by his family, he was legally severed from all his kinship. This was not a matter of secretly stripping off the last name, but it must be reported to the local Austere-Winter Church. The declaration would be registered uniformly throughout the country every year.

For example, the right to bail with family members as surety, home surveillance, and the right to inherit or be inherited would be rendered void. The outcome was irreversible. It was like labeling the person’s identity as an orphan who “had no parents and no relatives”.

Other Austerians usually regarded the “outcasts” from the family as people who “disrespect tradition”, “have made major mistakes”, and “were deviant”.

If one’s name was stripped off, it was tantamount to depriving all rights as a human being.

If one had murdered “a nameless person”, he would not even be convicted of homicide. Instead, it was the “crime of destroying other people’s property” or “crime of destroying public property”.

Generally, criminals succumbed to imprisonment for more than 20 years, but it did not reach the parameter of the death penalty yet. Or, criminals with sufficient weight in terms of punishment would be sentenced to “name removal” by the Austere-Winter Dukedom.

It was not just delisting in the legal sense.

Instead, Idol Magic would apply to erase their name in this world under the mystical realm. With the contract he signed, all the rituals related to his name were also erased, and others could no longer recall his name.

In other words, they became people who the world had forgotten.

In the Austere-Winter Dukedom, where “you are born after you get a name”, names were vital. It was one of the “components of being a human”.

“However, you gave yourself the name [Annan].” While talking, Dmitri subconsciously put his hand into his inner pocket and touched the cigar packet.

But soon, his right hand froze as if reminded of something. He moved his hand out of his arms uncomfortably.

As if covering up something, he raised his voice slightly, “The person we know is ‘you’ from the beginning.

“You have lost many mystical memories. You may have forgotten… In this world, visitors from other worlds are common. Austere-Winter Dukedom is even more so—”

Near the Storm Tower, there were occasional living immaterial world creatures seeping out from the hole.

Immaterial world creatures could not obtain material bodies directly after entering the Mist World, which was the world where the Mist Continent was located. That was because the immaterial world was a world where [Phenomenon] was superior to [Existence], thus giving the name “immaterial world”.

The core power system of the Mist Continent was curse and oath.

The “elements” and the primitive form of the element, “Sage’s Stone”, were transcended power belonging to the immaterial world.

An example would be Father Flint, who stole fire, in Annan’s knowledge.

The Sage’s Stone in the immaterial world was equivalent to the spell energy in the Mist World. It was the root power of the world. After Father Flint stole the Sage’s Stone from the immaterial world, only then this world had this “elemental power”.

“The ‘element’ was the form of existence determined by the will and the strength born from the soul and mind. Therefore, it reflected the characteristics of the immaterial world.” Dmitri explained, “In other words, after immaterial world creatures enter this world, they must reside in the human body to survive. At least they need a sentient creature with a will.

“Also, the ‘mind body’ can be understood as the consciousness born in the dream world. The dream world is the link between many worlds. The volume of the dream world is the largest among the known worlds. It has no concept of time, and there are even other worlds at the end of it.

“In principle, it’s not just nightmares with the theme of ‘our world’s history’. It’s just that no one has ‘memories of other worlds’.

“I’ve heard that there is a special ancient profession called Dream Walker, who can enter the dreams of other worlds. It’s just that the Mysterious Lady buried this ‘secret’.

“It is not entirely impossible for a soul to fall into this world from the other side of the dream world. A powerful Dream Walker can forcibly capture a soul from another world to this world; if it is an unknown creature native to the dream world, it is said it allows the soul to enter other worlds without losing memory. As you said before, you should be the second type.

“As far as I know, among the deities, the Red Knight and the Bell Ringer Oik were born into this world from different worlds through the dream world. Lady Luck passed through the dream world in the form of flesh and came to us from an unknown world. This matter is no secret in the Papal Kingdom.

“A soul that can cross the dream world means that it is born with the ability to remain fully awake in nightmares. This guarantees that every soul that comes from the other side of the dream world must be able to become a transcender.

“Actually, this is the second time I’ve discussed this topic with you.”

Annan had teased “Suuankou’s Adventures in Wonderland” previously.

However, there came the other side of the story where it became ‘Annan’s Adventures in Wonderland’.

A world adjacent to the dream world?

Annan was lost in thought.

In other words, Annan’s original world should also be adjacent to the dream world.

If the Dream Walker could enter the dreams of other worlds, there might be a certain degree of knowledge of the dream world on Earth.

It was just that it was definitely not called the “Dream World” over there. Just like “Mist World” was not really called the “Mist World”.

Could it be a fantasy land?

Please not. In that case, my boss could be…

Annan had a complicated feeling.

He shook his head, dispelling the wild thoughts.

He suddenly noticed another detail, “Wait, did you say a born transcender?”

—If this is the case, why would I choose the path of ritual in the past?