When the three girls appeared in the cabin, they saw Dream pondering to himself. Luna and Iris glanced at Alice before the three of them took a seat on the couch.
As they did, Dream was processing things in his mind space, blocking out the world around him.
'She's really back...'
He muttered inwardly. Because his mental faculties were far above a normal human's, processing odd, out of place, or sudden changes didn't take very long. For him, Alice had simply appeared. While that would bring about several changes, everything was quickly fleshed out in his mind.
However, the impact of her appearance was still great. Dream almost didn't want to believe it. But she was there. The same person that he knew.
Alice was a short woman, only a year younger than him at 22. She was only 5' 2", so both Dream and the girls basically towered over her. She had golden hair, crystal blue eyes, a cute but mature face, and a curvy hourglass figure. While there were subtle changes due to the fact that she was now very powerful, it was definitely the person Dream remembered.
"Sigh... Alright."
After taking a minute to accept everything, Dream sighed and turned around.
"Alice."
"Yea?"
"After you died, what happened?"
Dream asked, getting straight to the point. Alice answered simply.
"I imagine it was similar to your transfer. My soul was ported over to a different world. Except unlike you, I was brought to a Plane, a world in the inner realms of the universe."
"So you weren't kept in the outer cosmos."
"Correct."
"Now what are these realms?"
Dream asked. He only had limited information on what exactly the difference was between the outer cosmos he's heard about from people like the devil he fought and the inner universe he heard about in his letter. Alice would be a good eye opener.
"Think of the universe like a ball. Except unlike a regular ball, it's 4-dimensional. The outer skin of the ball is the universe that you know, full of stars and planets. Inside that ball though are what we call realms. Realms are like a bunch of really big bubbles. A single realm can be the size of a galaxy, though they can also be the size of a star cluster. And then there are planes, which is just another term for a world. There are many planes in a realm, not unlike planets to a star. Though, those worlds also function differently from planets like Earth."
"Interesting..."
Dream nodded his head as the image was created in his head. He was already interested in the working of these planes and realms.
"So you were brought to a Plane."
"Yes. But not just any plane. Hmm, I was told that I would be explaining this, but I guess it came sooner than I thought..."
"Explain what?"
"Your Title."
Alice spoke, garnering an eyebrow raise from Dream.
"First, let me explain the god that you now hate so vehemently. He's what's known as the founder of the Origin System. Technically, it's supposed to be a system that operates outside of the Record, but many people question the validity of that rumor. Anyway, there's a group of people under this system, known as Specialists. Putting it shortly, every single specialist is an expert in their field.
There are four types of specialists: First, the Raiders. They're people who specialize in combat of all types, and they make up the majority of the specialist population. Second, the Guardians. They specialize in defensive and support combat. Mainly healers and reinforcers. They often work in tangent with the Raiders. Third, the Artisans. They specialize in crafting, the sciences, and magic, basically anything non-combat-related.
Finally, there are the Seekers. There's no category they fall under, and that's usually because they're exceptional at everything. Putting it short, they're legends in the specialist community, and the god chooses them personally. Naturally there are very few because of this."
"I see... So are you a Seeker too?"
"No, I'm a Raider."
Alice spoke, not sure whether to feel good or bad about that.
"Anyway, this Specialist community has a few planes where we congregate. The plane I was taken to was one of them."
"I see."
"As for that connection between us, that's our titles. When in proximity, the titles resonate with each other, something unique to specialists. Also, you should have that intelligence with you too."
"Intelligence... Yea, I do."
Dream nodded as he thought of Sophia.
"I also have one. Every specialist has one. The one for Raiders is called Master. It can help with martial arts, combat, and many other things. This intelligence is one of the reasons specialists are so powerful. I believe yours is called Savant."
"Yea. It was."
"Was?"
"It was renamed. She is now called Sophia."
"You... A named intelligence..."
Alice went quiet, seemingly baffled. Dream just tilted his head.
"Is something wrong with that?"
"No, it's just that named intelligences are special. They operate more like normal people instead of a rigid AI. It's also considered nearly impossible to get one unless you're a class 5."
"Oh. Well, I've had her for a while. I don't think I was even a class 1 yet before I got it."
"Wha..? How?!"
"She received intelligence in exchange for a piece of my soul nucleus. Of course, I'm sure that god had a hand in it too, so it most likely wasn't all my doing."
"...Right... That's crazy."
"Mm. Anyway, so you're the apprentice of that Corvatsch guy, huh?"
Dream sat back in a chair as he thought about the words Corvatsch told him. He wanted Dream to take care of his apprentice. Turns out that was Alice.
"Corvatsch is my master. Or teacher. When I appeared on the plane, I went under his tutelage. I learned a few skills, leveled up through many hard battles, and was slowly but surely forged into what I am today."
"And what are you?"
"An assassin."
Alice smiled proudly.
"I specialize in the arts of stealth and burst damage. While I'm still only a class 4, I can hold my own against class 5's."
"Huh. So you're really strong."
"By Earth's standards, we're nothing short of demi-gods. That's not really the case for my standards though. I've met class 6's and... those guys are insane."
Alice shivered a bit as she thought about the demon lord she barely escaped from.
"I can imagine. So... You were brought to another world, trained, and sent back here to meet with me again. Honestly, not much different from my story, just without the master part."
"Yea. I both am and am not surprised that you've come so far as well. I've heard details of the world you were on from Corvatsch. To think you basically pioneered your own path. Man, that world's standards were really low."
"How so?"
"Where I come from, there are tens of thousands of class 4's. They're barely considered to be powerful, and are more thought of as the first step to being a true powerhouse. Plus, I've seen the class 4's in your city. Those guys don't even have spirit bodies. They'd be considered the bottom of the barrel."
"Spirit bodies?"
"Yea. Those two have one, though that's surprising enough considering that world didn't have aether."
Alice pointed at Luna and Iris. Dream nodded, realizing what she was talking about.
"Right."
"You also have one, though I'm not able to see it. I'm impressed by your level of control."
"Wanna see it?"
"Sure."
Alice nodded, and Dream quickly released his cosmic form. Alice's eyes went wide seeing that spectacular body, full of colorful stars and nebulae. He was like a window to the universe.
"Holy crap..."
"Pretty nice huh? I made it myself."
"We all make it ourselves... but yes, that's impressive."
She nodded as she continued to observe his body. She didn't even bother hiding her awe and leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm as she stared.
As she did that, Dream processed everything that Alice told him. The stuff about the realms, planes, the specialists. While it wasn't much to take in, it broadened Dream's views of the universe. It also gave him a little backstory about the origin of his title. Apparently it was a pseudo system. He had kind of guessed this though as it had influenced his evolutions quite a bit, from class advancements to skills.
Eventually though, Dream sighed. He was finally getting a bit of a bigger picture, but he was still only on Earth. Suddenly, he thought back to the letter and task he received. He was supposed to 'escape' the Earth and enter the boundless universe. The demon portal was one of the ingredients, as was 'a certain someone'. Dream now knew who this someone was, so he supposedly had everything he needed to move on into the wider universe.
'That reminds me. That guy said 'may the goddess of love be with you' at the end of the letter. He really is just toying with me, huh? This was planned all along...'
Dream shook his head. To think that everything that had happened was totally planned out. For all Dream knew, from the moment of Alice's death, this god already had everything mapped out. This was why Dream was so angry. He didn't enjoy being jerked around like that.
But he was conflicted. Regardless of Dream's inner conflict with this god, he now had definite knowledge of the universe, as well as a pathway forward. There was no way he was going to simply sit back on Earth and do nothing. His very being wouldn't allow him to. He needed to build his way out and discover more.
So although doing that would just be playing along with this god's plans, he decided that he was going to do it. Back when he had calmed himself from his rage, this was the conclusion he came to.
"Alright, I'm going to play along."
Dream spoke as his body reverted back to its human form. The girls perked up.
"I'm going to do everything I wish to do. I was given a task to tunnel a way to the realms, but I'm going to do it because I wish to, not because it's a task. Either way, leaving this planet for the realms is a benefit to all of us."
"Okay? Oh, that reminds me."
Suddenly, Alice took an item out of her inventory. She tossed a wristband to Dream.
"This is an item used for teleporting. I was also told to give it to you."
"This... Good god..."
As Dream caught the band, he was immediately mesmerized by it. Within, he could detect profoundly complex enchantments and extreme power, as well as high amounts of aether. He could already tell that the device was a construct of grand design.
"I was sent on a mission to nab that from a demon lord, a class 6. They use those to teleport to certain worlds. In fact, this demon lord was prepared to descend to the planet you were on with that device. Once that portal was activated, the two objects would've exchanged coordinates and created a portal."
"I see... Well, I'm certainly going to study this later."
Dream nodded in approval and put the band into his inventory.
"Now, let's talk about you three."
"Us?"
"Yes."
Dream smiled as he looked between them.
"With Luna and Iris, the relationship was manageable because you two are sisters, and also inextricably linked with each other as well as myself. But with Alice... well, things just got more complicated. At least, for you guys."
"Well, we already know what you want."
Luna smiled as she spoke to him. Dream nodded as a matter of factly.
"Yes. I'm just saying how I feel. Alice is back, and I'm not letting her go. Yes, it's sudden, but again, I'm not making this complicated. This woman was with me during my darkest times, so I'll be damned if I push her away now."
Dream walked over and put his hand on Alice's head, causing her to smile gleefully.
"And of course, you guys were there with me during our time on the other world, my support in a foreign place. My queen and my glutton. There's no way we're ever going to separate. So that means I just need to take you three as my wives."
Dream spoke as he stroked Luna and Iris's hair as well. With Alice's arrival, his love for her was rekindled, and the despair deep within his heart was driven out. But that didn't mean his love for Luna and Iris was any lesser. If anything, he was now more loving toward them than before. For him, loving them was now almost second nature. He was beginning to understand what Corvatsch meant by becoming simpler in his mindset.
Hearing his simple but bold statement, the three pondered. Before they could speak their thoughts though, Dream spoke again.
"However, a marriage isn't gonna happen today. You three need to get acquainted with each other. Also, Alice, have you gone to see your parents yet?"
"Yes, actually."
Alice nodded, and the recent memories of her appearing before her parents resurfaced. She smiled bitterly.
"My mom passed out from shock and my dad almost attacked me thinking I was some imposter. But after a few hours and some stories about magic and resurrection, I was able to convince them that I was me. That reminds me, I need to be there when they wake up in the morning, otherwise they'll freak out."
"Of course. Well, it's good that you've done that. How about this, tomorrow you can bring your parents over to my family's house, and we can all get together. Maybe seeing me will lessen their doubts, since I'm also supposed to be dead."
"Sure."
"Good. Anyway, you three need to get to know each other. And I think I have a good way to do that."
"What way?"
"A fight."
Dream answered simply.
"I know Iris is already itching for one. So how about we find ourselves a deserted area and fight a bit. Since you two have recently gotten a boost in power, and Alice here is apparently capable of taking class 5's on, it'll be a good opportunity to get a sense of where everyone's at."
"Okay!"
Hearing that, Iris stood up with an excited nod, already looking forward to it. Alice frowned though as she remembered something.
"Hold on, Dream, did you take care of the damage you caused in the ocean?"
"Oh, crap."
Luna's eyes went wide as she also remembered. Before she could portal down to Earth though, Dream spoke.
"It's fine. Sophia tasked some bots to take care of things. I kind of caused a tsunami and huge earthquakes, but it wasn't anything my bots couldn't mitigate. Although there will be a couple hundred million dollars worth of damages needing to be repaired along the coast, it could've been worse."
"...You really are just a walking natural disaster."
Luna shook her head, though it wasn't by any means an exaggeration. By this point, she wouldn't be surprised if he could crack the entire planet. A simple punch loaded with mana was enough to split the ocean and create fissures in the ground. If he really concentrated, what was he capable of? After all, his power was usually concentrated in a small area, looking at atoms. It wasn't very often that he handled anything on a macroscopic scale.
"Well, no need to worry about anything. So, let's head down, preferably somewhere more remote this time. Oh! How about Antarctica?"
"That's about as remote as it gets. Sure."
"Then let's head out."
Saying that, Dream enveloped himself in aether and tunneled down toward the planet. Each time he used the magic, he got more proficient at it.
The girls also quickly followed with their own magics, and soon, everyone had appeared above the south pole. It only took a matter of seconds.
When the three girls appeared in the cabin, they saw Dream pondering to himself. Luna and Iris glanced at Alice before the three of them took a seat on the couch.
As they did, Dream was processing things in his mind space, blocking out the world around him.
'She's really back...'
He muttered inwardly. Because his mental faculties were far above a normal human's, processing odd, out of place, or sudden changes didn't take very long. For him, Alice had simply appeared. While that would bring about several changes, everything was quickly fleshed out in his mind.
However, the impact of her appearance was still great. Dream almost didn't want to believe it. But she was there. The same person that he knew.
Alice was a short woman, only a year younger than him at 22. She was only 5' 2", so both Dream and the girls basically towered over her. She had golden hair, crystal blue eyes, a cute but mature face, and a curvy hourglass figure. While there were subtle changes due to the fact that she was now very powerful, it was definitely the person Dream remembered.
"Sigh... Alright."
After taking a minute to accept everything, Dream sighed and turned around.
"Alice."
"Yea?"
"After you died, what happened?"
Dream asked, getting straight to the point. Alice answered simply.
"I imagine it was similar to your transfer. My soul was ported over to a different world. Except unlike you, I was brought to a Plane, a world in the inner realms of the universe."
"So you weren't kept in the outer cosmos."
"Correct."
"Now what are these realms?"
Dream asked. He only had limited information on what exactly the difference was between the outer cosmos he's heard about from people like the devil he fought and the inner universe he heard about in his letter. Alice would be a good eye opener.
"Think of the universe like a ball. Except unlike a regular ball, it's 4-dimensional. The outer skin of the ball is the universe that you know, full of stars and planets. Inside that ball though are what we call realms. Realms are like a bunch of really big bubbles. A single realm can be the size of a galaxy, though they can also be the size of a star cluster. And then there are planes, which is just another term for a world. There are many planes in a realm, not unlike planets to a star. Though, those worlds also function differently from planets like Earth."
"Interesting..."
Dream nodded his head as the image was created in his head. He was already interested in the working of these planes and realms.
"So you were brought to a Plane."
"Yes. But not just any plane. Hmm, I was told that I would be explaining this, but I guess it came sooner than I thought..."
"Explain what?"
"Your Title."
Alice spoke, garnering an eyebrow raise from Dream.
"First, let me explain the god that you now hate so vehemently. He's what's known as the founder of the Origin System. Technically, it's supposed to be a system that operates outside of the Record, but many people question the validity of that rumor. Anyway, there's a group of people under this system, known as Specialists. Putting it shortly, every single specialist is an expert in their field.
There are four types of specialists: First, the Raiders. They're people who specialize in combat of all types, and they make up the majority of the specialist population. Second, the Guardians. They specialize in defensive and support combat. Mainly healers and reinforcers. They often work in tangent with the Raiders. Third, the Artisans. They specialize in crafting, the sciences, and magic, basically anything non-combat-related.
Finally, there are the Seekers. There's no category they fall under, and that's usually because they're exceptional at everything. Putting it short, they're legends in the specialist community, and the god chooses them personally. Naturally there are very few because of this."
"I see... So are you a Seeker too?"
"No, I'm a Raider."
Alice spoke, not sure whether to feel good or bad about that.
"Anyway, this Specialist community has a few planes where we congregate. The plane I was taken to was one of them."
"I see."
"As for that connection between us, that's our titles. When in proximity, the titles resonate with each other, something unique to specialists. Also, you should have that intelligence with you too."
"Intelligence... Yea, I do."
Dream nodded as he thought of Sophia.
"I also have one. Every specialist has one. The one for Raiders is called Master. It can help with martial arts, combat, and many other things. This intelligence is one of the reasons specialists are so powerful. I believe yours is called Savant."
"Yea. It was."
"Was?"
"It was renamed. She is now called Sophia."
"You... A named intelligence..."
Alice went quiet, seemingly baffled. Dream just tilted his head.
"Is something wrong with that?"
"No, it's just that named intelligences are special. They operate more like normal people instead of a rigid AI. It's also considered nearly impossible to get one unless you're a class 5."
"Oh. Well, I've had her for a while. I don't think I was even a class 1 yet before I got it."
"Wha..? How?!"
"She received intelligence in exchange for a piece of my soul nucleus. Of course, I'm sure that god had a hand in it too, so it most likely wasn't all my doing."
"...Right... That's crazy."
"Mm. Anyway, so you're the apprentice of that Corvatsch guy, huh?"
Dream sat back in a chair as he thought about the words Corvatsch told him. He wanted Dream to take care of his apprentice. Turns out that was Alice.
"Corvatsch is my master. Or teacher. When I appeared on the plane, I went under his tutelage. I learned a few skills, leveled up through many hard battles, and was slowly but surely forged into what I am today."
"And what are you?"
"An assassin."
Alice smiled proudly.
"I specialize in the arts of stealth and burst damage. While I'm still only a class 4, I can hold my own against class 5's."
"Huh. So you're really strong."
"By Earth's standards, we're nothing short of demi-gods. That's not really the case for my standards though. I've met class 6's and... those guys are insane."
Alice shivered a bit as she thought about the demon lord she barely escaped from.
"I can imagine. So... You were brought to another world, trained, and sent back here to meet with me again. Honestly, not much different from my story, just without the master part."
"Yea. I both am and am not surprised that you've come so far as well. I've heard details of the world you were on from Corvatsch. To think you basically pioneered your own path. Man, that world's standards were really low."
"How so?"
"Where I come from, there are tens of thousands of class 4's. They're barely considered to be powerful, and are more thought of as the first step to being a true powerhouse. Plus, I've seen the class 4's in your city. Those guys don't even have spirit bodies. They'd be considered the bottom of the barrel."
"Spirit bodies?"
"Yea. Those two have one, though that's surprising enough considering that world didn't have aether."
Alice pointed at Luna and Iris. Dream nodded, realizing what she was talking about.
"Right."
"You also have one, though I'm not able to see it. I'm impressed by your level of control."
"Wanna see it?"
"Sure."
Alice nodded, and Dream quickly released his cosmic form. Alice's eyes went wide seeing that spectacular body, full of colorful stars and nebulae. He was like a window to the universe.
"Holy crap..."
"Pretty nice huh? I made it myself."
"We all make it ourselves... but yes, that's impressive."
She nodded as she continued to observe his body. She didn't even bother hiding her awe and leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm as she stared.
As she did that, Dream processed everything that Alice told him. The stuff about the realms, planes, the specialists. While it wasn't much to take in, it broadened Dream's views of the universe. It also gave him a little backstory about the origin of his title. Apparently it was a pseudo system. He had kind of guessed this though as it had influenced his evolutions quite a bit, from class advancements to skills.
Eventually though, Dream sighed. He was finally getting a bit of a bigger picture, but he was still only on Earth. Suddenly, he thought back to the letter and task he received. He was supposed to 'escape' the Earth and enter the boundless universe. The demon portal was one of the ingredients, as was 'a certain someone'. Dream now knew who this someone was, so he supposedly had everything he needed to move on into the wider universe.
'That reminds me. That guy said 'may the goddess of love be with you' at the end of the letter. He really is just toying with me, huh? This was planned all along...'
Dream shook his head. To think that everything that had happened was totally planned out. For all Dream knew, from the moment of Alice's death, this god already had everything mapped out. This was why Dream was so angry. He didn't enjoy being jerked around like that.
But he was conflicted. Regardless of Dream's inner conflict with this god, he now had definite knowledge of the universe, as well as a pathway forward. There was no way he was going to simply sit back on Earth and do nothing. His very being wouldn't allow him to. He needed to build his way out and discover more.
So although doing that would just be playing along with this god's plans, he decided that he was going to do it. Back when he had calmed himself from his rage, this was the conclusion he came to.
"Alright, I'm going to play along."
Dream spoke as his body reverted back to its human form. The girls perked up.
"I'm going to do everything I wish to do. I was given a task to tunnel a way to the realms, but I'm going to do it because I wish to, not because it's a task. Either way, leaving this planet for the realms is a benefit to all of us."
"Okay? Oh, that reminds me."
Suddenly, Alice took an item out of her inventory. She tossed a wristband to Dream.
"This is an item used for teleporting. I was also told to give it to you."
"This... Good god..."
As Dream caught the band, he was immediately mesmerized by it. Within, he could detect profoundly complex enchantments and extreme power, as well as high amounts of aether. He could already tell that the device was a construct of grand design.
"I was sent on a mission to nab that from a demon lord, a class 6. They use those to teleport to certain worlds. In fact, this demon lord was prepared to descend to the planet you were on with that device. Once that portal was activated, the two objects would've exchanged coordinates and created a portal."
"I see... Well, I'm certainly going to study this later."
Dream nodded in approval and put the band into his inventory.
"Now, let's talk about you three."
"Us?"
"Yes."
Dream smiled as he looked between them.
"With Luna and Iris, the relationship was manageable because you two are sisters, and also inextricably linked with each other as well as myself. But with Alice... well, things just got more complicated. At least, for you guys."
"Well, we already know what you want."
Luna smiled as she spoke to him. Dream nodded as a matter of factly.
"Yes. I'm just saying how I feel. Alice is back, and I'm not letting her go. Yes, it's sudden, but again, I'm not making this complicated. This woman was with me during my darkest times, so I'll be damned if I push her away now."
Dream walked over and put his hand on Alice's head, causing her to smile gleefully.
"And of course, you guys were there with me during our time on the other world, my support in a foreign place. My queen and my glutton. There's no way we're ever going to separate. So that means I just need to take you three as my wives."
Dream spoke as he stroked Luna and Iris's hair as well. With Alice's arrival, his love for her was rekindled, and the despair deep within his heart was driven out. But that didn't mean his love for Luna and Iris was any lesser. If anything, he was now more loving toward them than before. For him, loving them was now almost second nature. He was beginning to understand what Corvatsch meant by becoming simpler in his mindset.
Hearing his simple but bold statement, the three pondered. Before they could speak their thoughts though, Dream spoke again.
"However, a marriage isn't gonna happen today. You three need to get acquainted with each other. Also, Alice, have you gone to see your parents yet?"
"Yes, actually."
Alice nodded, and the recent memories of her appearing before her parents resurfaced. She smiled bitterly.
"My mom passed out from shock and my dad almost attacked me thinking I was some imposter. But after a few hours and some stories about magic and resurrection, I was able to convince them that I was me. That reminds me, I need to be there when they wake up in the morning, otherwise they'll freak out."
"Of course. Well, it's good that you've done that. How about this, tomorrow you can bring your parents over to my family's house, and we can all get together. Maybe seeing me will lessen their doubts, since I'm also supposed to be dead."
"Sure."
"Good. Anyway, you three need to get to know each other. And I think I have a good way to do that."
"What way?"
"A fight."
Dream answered simply.
"I know Iris is already itching for one. So how about we find ourselves a deserted area and fight a bit. Since you two have recently gotten a boost in power, and Alice here is apparently capable of taking class 5's on, it'll be a good opportunity to get a sense of where everyone's at."
"Okay!"
Hearing that, Iris stood up with an excited nod, already looking forward to it. Alice frowned though as she remembered something.
"Hold on, Dream, did you take care of the damage you caused in the ocean?"
"Oh, crap."
Luna's eyes went wide as she also remembered. Before she could portal down to Earth though, Dream spoke.
"It's fine. Sophia tasked some bots to take care of things. I kind of caused a tsunami and huge earthquakes, but it wasn't anything my bots couldn't mitigate. Although there will be a couple hundred million dollars worth of damages needing to be repaired along the coast, it could've been worse."
"...You really are just a walking natural disaster."
Luna shook her head, though it wasn't by any means an exaggeration. By this point, she wouldn't be surprised if he could crack the entire planet. A simple punch loaded with mana was enough to split the ocean and create fissures in the ground. If he really concentrated, what was he capable of? After all, his power was usually concentrated in a small area, looking at atoms. It wasn't very often that he handled anything on a macroscopic scale.
"Well, no need to worry about anything. So, let's head down, preferably somewhere more remote this time. Oh! How about Antarctica?"
"That's about as remote as it gets. Sure."
"Then let's head out."
Saying that, Dream enveloped himself in aether and tunneled down toward the planet. Each time he used the magic, he got more proficient at it.
The girls also quickly followed with their own magics, and soon, everyone had appeared above the south pole. It only took a matter of seconds.
