The withered flowers decayed like melting tallow, but their color more closely resembled squirming mud seeping into diseased, mottled earth. A massive beast arched its body, its hair erect like ghastly, pale moonlight, emitting a chilling white glow.

The human-sized body shattered, dense hair and explosively growing body extending fearsome claws that enshrouded Lyle in their shadow.

In front of him, Ralph had transformed into a werewolf with a mouthful of sharp teeth, its post-snout golden eyes emitting a wild and cruel light.

In Ralph’s dreams, this vision was many times more terrifying.

His lips twitched, revealing neatly aligned, sharp fangs beneath the skin.

"Lyle..." that huge mouth sprayed and smeared an odor of blood, like a small dark cloud settling on Lyle’s shivering shoulders.

Those erect white ears twitched, as the werewolf’s bloodthirsty gleam shifted to the other side.

Nia lay on her grandmother’s shoulder, stealthily watching this scene.

From that mouth, which seemed only capable of roaring, came a faint sigh.

Like a deflated balloon, the terrifying scene Ralph had created instantly returned to normal.

Lyle found himself once again sitting inside Ralph’s residence, although this time he was covered in cold sweat.

Ralph looked on coldly, glancing at Nia before the two figures embraced her and took her to the bedroom.

"You’ve got a chance to explain yourself, kid," Ralph’s eyes narrowed to slits, "don’t tell me, boy, you’re just asking for a beating."

Nia was amazing, with a sense of euphoric relief from narrowly surviving, Lyle divulged his ongoing research project in detail.

Of course, he omitted the part about the Liches, effectively turning the entire research project into a study on the stimulation of taste.

"So you must taste such revolting flavors... for the thoroughness of the data... This is serious work, right..."

Lyle nodded his head desperately, like pounding garlic.

Ralph snorted dismissively, "Can’t take it yourself, so you give your uncle a hard time, what a good nephew you are."

Waving his hand, a cloud of smoke appeared in Ralph’s hand, "Here’s the emotional feedback you wanted."

The Dreamwalker Ralph instinctively intercepted the cloud of smoke, "A dream within a dream." His excellent investigative abilities and talent let him easily see through its essence.

Lyle felt like he might have a chance.

Ralph, angry as he might be, was always a mature adult who understood the bigger picture. It seemed he might actually be able to obtain feedback from the dark matter.

Lyle openly placed his hidden Immersive Stone on the table.

"Uncle, this device collects feedback. It will absorb these vapors. Now I just need the last piece in your hand to start my experiment! Don’t worry, I definitely won’t let your sacrifice be in vain!"

Ralph slapped Lyle on the forehead, "This is persecution, you brat. Don’t flatter yourself, I’ve not finished settling the score with you yet."

Lyle employed the ultimate technique of the younger generation, acting spoiled.

"I know I’m in the wrong, uncle. Since it’s already happened, just be generous and forgive me, I still have experiments to do."

Ralph always had a liking for a stiff upper lip; he was a man with a cold face and... a chilled heart. But it was rare for the fiercely protective werewolf to refuse his nephew’s earnest pleading.

"Fine, then I’ll let you have it, serious business comes first after all."

On Ralph’s face, a mysterious smile appeared.

"I will hand it over to ’you,’ my dear nephew."

Ralph grasped the smoke, which contained an agonized phantom of himself, and it too bore a cold smirk, drawing nearer to Lyle.

"Just put it into the Immersive Stone, Uncle, into that sphere. That, Uncle, you’re going too far, you’re too close to me, Uncle! Not me! The sphere!"

"Lyle, hardship is a blessing. This is a rare opportunity, I have already endured it once, and you should appreciate my good intentions. This is my... love for you."

"No! Uncle! I’ve already suffered enough! Take it away; I don’t want to suffer!!!!!!"

However, Lyle’s struggles were in vain; he could only watch as the grinning cloud of smoke drew closer. Lyle knew what would happen once it touched his face.

He could endure suffering, the kind that was shared and deeply felt.

Lyle tensely closed his eyes.

In the darkness, something invaded his mind, an extra sensation. Clenching his teeth, Lyle braced for the bitter onslaught.

Light illuminated his world.

A simple house filled with candles.

"Lyle" pushed open the door and looked at the couple dancing in the log cabin, laughing with the small life in their hands, emitting joyful laughter.

The sunny man looked over, his gentle eyes like the dawn’s first light.

His voice emerged in Lyle’s memory.

"Welcome, my brother, little Lyle can hardly wait to see his dear uncle."

In the woman’s arms, the infant little more than a year old followed his father’s voice, and little Lyle turned to look at "Lyle".

This was a memory.

Ralph’s memory.

"That was our first meeting, my nephew. I never got along well with my brother; I was always the weirdo who didn’t like to be close to others. Your father and I were like two sides of a coin, never intersecting. I deeply despised him, and I suppose the feeling was mutual at one point."

"Until your birth, when my brother finally had his own family. He grew up, he began to go to great lengths to mend our relationship, but me, I remained an immature oddity."

"I watched them buried, watched you grown up getting drenched in the rain. It was then I finally realized what a cold-hearted monster I truly was."

"That day, you and I, were too alike. Frighteningly alike, so much so that it made my heart bleed."

"My nephew."

"I beg of you, do not become like me."

"Do not become a heartless monster like I am."

"Do not, like me, only use empty dreams to compensate for the loved ones I cherished."

Lyle opened his eyes; beneath the shadow of his hat brim, Lyle could not see his face.

"Uncle Ralph..."

He did not speak, but simply took out an Immersive Stone, one with a fully constructed taste system.

Lyle took the Immersive Stone and hugged the tall, thin figure tightly.

"Thank you, Uncle Ralph, for everything you’ve done for me."

"I will keep your teachings close to my heart."

Without a reply, Ralph sat in his own chair, gently swinging his arm.

Lyle bowed deeply to him and left the dream with Nia.

Within the dream, Ralph sat alone, the environment around him gradually blurring as he was about to awaken.

Just before the dream dissolved into nothingness, Ralph lifted his head.

His cold eyes sparkled with light.

He raised his arm, and the mist that made up the dream condensed in his palm into an orb studded with magical radiance.

It was a brand-new Immersive Stone.

"An artifact created with the power of dreams..."

"I can do so much more..."