I Am Your Natural Enemy

”If you can dream, you can learn it. Plus, since you don’t have a soul, it’s actually even easier and a bit safer.”

”Grandma, what do you mean by that?” Wen Yan was getting more and more interested.

”Some people mess around. After they learn dream communication, they pretend to pass messages in dreams, but actually use it for Yin God invasion.”

The reason they can do this is because, when dream-walking, it’s really easy to bring in the power of the soul.

And if soul power is involved, dream communication starts to get invasive and triggers the other person’s instinctive resistance.

But if there’s no soul power, it’s super safe for both sides.

So, when you dream-walk, you can only talk about things—nothing else can be done.

Likewise, even if the other person tries anything, if you die here, you’ll just wake up in reality, that’s all.

In the same way, dream-walking without soul power doesn’t have that invasive bite—so it’s the easiest to pull off.”

Grandma laid everything out in detail, clearing up all Wen Yan’s worries, pointing out both the pros and cons.

Wen Yan also understood—his situation had upsides and downsides: the upside is, learning is much easier for him than others; but the downside, it’s really just saving phone data, basically like a video call.

”But there’s always exceptions—when you’re dream-walking, don’t do it near Dream Tapirs, or stuff might happen that you really can’t predict.”

”Like what?”

”You might get eaten.”

”Uh...” Wen Yan jumped. Was that what you call an ’unpredictable situation’?

”Not a big deal, just call its name, it’ll be fine. Most Dream Tapirs don’t randomly eat stuff anyway.”

”What if I don’t know its name?”

”Oh, you silly kid, how could there be any Dream Tapir in the Scorching Sun Department whose name you don’t know by now?”

...

Wen Yan was speechless. He knew, back in Yu State, there was a Dream Tapir who ran an insomnia clinic, and business was booming.

He kind of got it—maybe these kinds of demons were the first to cozy up to the Scorching Sun Department.

He made up his mind to ask Cai Qidong for access later, and memorize the names of every single Dream Tapir.

”Dream-walking is super easy for you, all you need is an introduction.

Last time, since you could find me, it proved you won’t ever get lost—that’s the hardest part already done.”

Grandma stood up, stuck out a finger, and poked Wen Yan on the forehead. Wen Yan immediately bent down, leaning his head closer.

Grandma grinned, happily saying,

”And from now on, don’t just mess around with soul summoning. It’s dangerous.”

As she said that, Grandma swapped from her index to her middle finger, pressed her thumb against it, and with a pop, flicked Wen Yan right on the forehead.

Wen Yan felt like his whole body was flying backwards, everything around him was whizzing past, everything turning into streaks of light as he flew backward.

The next moment, he sat up with a start, staring at his own bedroom, rubbing his forehead.

He couldn’t help overthinking it—his head actually did hurt a bit, as if someone had really popped him on the forehead.

Guess he really shouldn’t randomly use Soul Summoning anymore. It’s fine for normal people, but with the weird ones…probably better not to.

His grandma knew he’d used Soul Summoning. Even flicked him for it.

The more Wen Yan thought about it, the more he figured—if it had been some other elder, he probably wouldn’t have gotten away with just a flick. Might’ve even gotten a good beating.

He got out of bed, checking carefully with all sorts of tricks, double and triple checking, until he was absolutely sure he was actually awake this time.

Because his Natural Enemy Profession had given him new notifications.

”First Fixed Ability: I Am Your Dad.

Extra Fixed Ability 1: Scorching Sun.

Extra Fixed Ability 2: Calamity Protector Water Official Talisman.

Extra Fixed Ability 3: Nevermore Lost (Passive).

Extra Fixed Ability 4: Dream Communication.”

He had all the basics—soulless, plus Nevermore Lost—the toughest part of Dream Communication, he already had it. Grandma just gave him an intro, and that was enough for him to get started.

He took a careful look. For Dream Communication, you need a ’beacon’. But for people you’re super close to, you don’t even need that.

If it’s someone else, you need something of theirs, or something they’ve touched, as a beacon—safest way to do it.

But because he can only dream-walk, and can’t actually do anything more dangerous, the risk really isn’t high.

Wen Yan glanced at the sky—still pitch black—so he climbed back into bed to sleep.

Once asleep, when he reopened his eyes, he was already standing in his own yard.

Everything around was hazy and shrouded in fog—this was the safest method, using the environment you know best, seen and touched a lot as your path, which massively lowers the risks on the way.

He sprinted toward the east, and, when he hit a wall, kicked off and leapt over ten meters high, his body floating up, caught by a gust of wind. Soon, he soared upward, vanishing into the clouds.

He sped up faster and faster, until all around was just clouds and mist—and then, before long, his body began to fall, the breeze carrying him down from above.

Below him, a jumbled cluster of hazy buildings came gradually into focus.

The words on the shop signs by the street all became sharp and clear.

He kept flying, his body passing right through a building, dropping into one of its floors.

He phased through the wall, saw someone sleeping on a single bed, and couldn’t help laughing.

He just wanted to find someone random to practice on, but somehow, the first one he sensed turned out to be Cai Qidong.

So when he fell out of the clouds just now, he’d dropped right into Cai Qidong’s dream.

This Minister Cai—seriously—even his dreams are exactly like his real life.

He crept up behind Cai Qidong, muttering softly,

”Cai Heizi, careful you don’t get shot from behind! Pia!”