Chapter 094: Encounter in Dreams!

The room Novak found himself in appeared to be a normal one. However, it was definitely not his own villa but an ordinary unit within a residential building.

In front of him stood a rather plain-looking girl.

She had a simple ponytail, large black-rimmed glasses, and wore a modest school uniform that did little to stand out. Her appearance could only be described as that of a sweet first love—pure and unembellished.

However, despite her ordinary appearance, Novak, who had met countless women, could tell that beneath her plain exterior was a girl with great potential. With the right makeup and styling, she could easily rival someone like Aria.

Yet, this seemingly unremarkable girl was the possessor of a rare SSS-level talent—one of the most powerful abilities on the entire Kepler!

As Novak opened his eyes and locked gazes with the girl, her face flushed bright red in an instant.

Though they had often chatted casually in the group, boasting and laughing together, the face-to-face meeting was making her more shy by the second.

It was clear that she was feeling nervous.

But unlike in the group, where no one could clearly see his face, here Novak was standing in front of her with no mask or makeup to hide behind.

Seeing Novak's real appearance seemed to overwhelm her. Her face grew redder and redder, her mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out.

Even in this dream world, her blush was as intense as a freshly cooked crab!

Novak was well aware of the power his looks held. He smiled warmly and said, 

"Hello, Meimei. My name is Novak. I'm the 'White Emperor' from the group..."

Seeing his outstretched hand, the girl seemed even more flustered. She stammered, 

"I know... No, I mean... I don't know, uh, I'm Meimei! I'm sixteen... My ID number is—"

Novak interrupted her with a smile. 

"Nice to meet you Meimei."

Her face flushed an even deeper shade of red, and she didn't know where to place her hands.

Novak chuckled, his warm demeanor easing the tension between them. 

"Well then, should I call you Mei or Meimei?" he teased.

After a few more words, the atmosphere relaxed. The two began chatting more naturally, and soon Novak learned a lot about Meimei's background.

She was a young cartoonist and web novelist, like him, an orphan who grew up in an orphanage.

Her imagination was vivid, and before her awakening, she had been writing non-stop, going two days and nights without sleep. When she finally did fall asleep, she remained unconscious for three days and nights. It was during this time that she awakened to her powers.

The sheer difference between their experiences left Novak speechless.

'Some people fight against zombies and face life-or-death situations to awaken their powers, and then there's her—falling asleep and waking up with this incredible talent.'

As he looked at Meimei, he couldn't help but ask, "Meimei, can you explain more about your talent and abilities?"

By now, Meimei seemed to feel more comfortable around him. Her initial nervousness and wariness had faded, so she nodded and explained, 

"My power is related to dreams. By drawing a 'Dream Stealing Totem', I can link my dreams to other people's dreams. I can also use my spiritual energy to forcibly enter someone else's dream. In the dream world, I experience a setting that reflects the other person's circumstances. Each time I explore someone's dream, I grow stronger.

Additionally, I can develop my own dream world, where it feels just like reality—complete with monsters. If I kill those monsters in my dream, they die in reality, too.

In my dreams, my strength grows based on my spiritual power. For example, my current real-world spiritual power is 24 points, but the rest of my attributes—like agility and strength—are only at six or seven points. However, in the dream world, all my attributes are set to 24 points.

I can also adjust the drop rate for items and the experience I gain, but if I raise it too much, it takes a toll on my mental strength, and I get thrown out of the dream!"

'!!!'

Novak pressed his lips together. Only now did he fully grasp how powerful SSS-level talents were. Her ability was just as formidable as his 'Virus King' talent, possibly even more versatile.

But there was a major weakness: her physical body in the real world was still too frail.

If someone knew how to avoid confronting Meimei in a dream, her talent would be rendered useless.

Novak looked at her flushed cheeks and big glasses and advised seriously, 

"Meimei, from now on, never tell anyone about your talent in real life. Don't mention it to anyone."

Meimei nodded obediently.

Novak realized that in his previous life, he had never heard of any SSS-level talent user like Meimei making a name for herself in the future. Perhaps she died prematurely.

Meimei was just too vulnerable in reality. A few evolutionaries could easily end her life before she even had the chance to fully develop her abilities. Without the ability to defend herself in the real world, she was at great risk.

It would be a tragedy if she died young, especially considering how much potential she had.

Novak looked at her thoughtfully. He knew that if he understood these risks, others who knew about her talent would likely understand them too.

'Never overestimate humanity during the apocalypse,' he thought grimly. 'It's always the most fragile thing.'

Novak's mind raced as he considered a crucial question—could Meimei's dream-exploring ability be shared with others? But he decided against asking. It was too personal and core to her power.

Instead, he smiled and said, 

"Alright, what do you want me to teach you? Just say the word."

Meimei wanted advice on how to fight zombies. Using techniques Novak had honed in his previous life, he quickly identified areas where she could improve.

And his theories were soon confirmed.

During the actual training session in the dream, Meimei opened a door, and they went out to kill some zombies together. In this dream setting, she was able to gain experience for the kills!

Novak didn't say much at the time, but after waking up from the dream, he sat in deep thought.

He realized that Meimei's talent was highly adaptable. Was it possible that, through her ability, the members of Chat Group No. 001 could team up in dreams? Maybe they could even conquer dungeons and secret realms together in the dream world?

The light in Novak's eyes brightened as he pondered this idea.

He didn't hesitate any longer. Opening the chat interface with Meimei, he decided it was time to discuss these possibilities with her further.