Beneath the floating island where the white castle loomed like a silent landmark, a lone figure strode through the streets of a civilization seemingly pulled straight from the depths of a dream. The figure’s hood concealed his features, blending them into the surreal surroundings as he moved forward through the crowd.

  The inhabitants of this place were an odd sight. Their bodies were squat and rounded, and their limbs were stubby yet fluid, which gave them the appearance of living puppets crafted from fabric and soft threads. Their large, unblinking eyes scanned their surroundings as they went about their incomprehensible tasks, speaking an unknown language. Some floated inches above the ground, while others waddled on stubby legs.

  The city itself was no less surreal. Towering spires of pristine white stone reached skyward, their jagged tips appearing to scrape the underside of the floating island above. Floating bridges of mist stretched across impossible distances, flickering in and out of existence with every step taken. Strange symbols appeared briefly in the air, only to dissolve into nothingness before they could be fully comprehended.

  This place was really like a dream.

  The hooded figure suddenly halted in front of a ladder that stretched endlessly into the sky. Glancing upward, he found that it reached the white castle nestled within the sky island above.

  “This ladder must be the one,” the figure murmured. Reaching up, he pulled back his hood just enough to reveal the sharp, calculating gaze of none other than Victor. His eyes darted to the peculiar inhabitants who passed by without so much as a glance in his direction.

  Victor had been exploring this dreamlike place for three days, and finally, his search had led him to the infinitely stretching ladder. In that time, another Temporal Riftstorm had occurred, transforming the city from a scattering of ruins into the thriving, surreal settlement it was now.

  Still, wandering this dreamscape had a way of leading his mind astray. “Ha, if Lillie’s the Alice in Wonderland of this world, then I’d be Oz the Great and Powerful.” He paused, smirking faintly. Though, to be honest, that player with the username “DigitalMagicianPatrick” would probably pull off that role better, at least appearance-wise.

  At any rate, there was a clear reason why Victor had spent so much effort searching for this ladder. The peculiar nature of the Dreamscape made flying to the floating island outright impossible. He’d tested it himself, only to find that ascending even a mere hundred meters consumed nearly half of his mana reserves. To reach an island hovering thousands of meters above would have been a futile endeavor, even if his mana reserves were five times greater.

  Who would have thought that I would be scaling a ladder this tall… Victor thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile. How absurd.

  Without further delay, he placed a hand on the first rung of the ladder. The metal felt cool and oddly smooth under his grip. With a steady breath, Victor began his climb. Each step felt strangely weightless, as though the ladder itself was lifting him upward. Yet, the higher he ascended, the more the world around him began to change.

  Victor glanced down briefly, catching a glimpse of the sprawling city shrinking beneath him. The surreal spires and flickering bridges now seemed like tiny ornaments in a vast, unending void. Furthermore, the voices of its puppet-like inhabitants had faded completely.

  “Dreamforce…” he murmured. He could sense the density of the dreamforce increasing as he climbed, thicker yet more stable than it had been on the ground. The presence of this mysterious energy pressed against his senses.

  Victor’s grip tightened on the rungs as he continued upward while breathing steadily. For someone like him — an extraordinary human whose physical prowess far surpassed mortals — even climbing an almost infinitely long ladder was like a walk in the park.

  Soon enough, the floating island was only a dozen meters away, stretching out before him like the edge of a new world waiting to be explored.

  “Huh, it’s actually bigger up close than it looked from afar…” Victor squinted as he gauged the distance. Effortlessly, he leaped from the ladder, landing on the soft, grass-like surface of the floating island.

  The ground beneath him felt strangely springy, as though the entire island was cushioned by layers of unseen energy. Victor straightened, brushing off his robe as he took in the sight before him.

  What he saw defied every expectation.

  A town sprawled out ahead, but it wasn’t like any town he’d ever encountered. The buildings were made of massive blocks, colorful and angular, reminiscent of children’s toys. Each structure appeared precariously stacked, yet they stood firm, as if held together by an invisible hand. The streets were similarly simplistic, painted in bright hues and arranged like the lines of a playmat.

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  Then there were the inhabitants — blocky figures about half as tall as Victor that resembled toy soldiers, complete with painted uniforms, rigid limbs, a wind up at their backs, and button-like eyes. Although their movements were stiff and mechanical, they marched in precise formations, able to perform salute and gesture as if they were alive.

  “Where the heck am I?” Victor rubbed his eyes multiple times and made sure that he wasn’t under any illusion spell. After confirming that it was all real, he sighed. Well, this is the Dreamscape, after all… Lillie’s fairytale land. What else should I expect?

  Victor had concluded that the realm of the Dreamscape he was in was inseparable from Lillie. It was highly likely that this place formed from countless storybooks that she read. That was why there were multiple themes mixed in, and most were sunshine and rainbow.

  As his gaze lingered on a group of the peculiar toy-like beings, they noticed his arrival. To his astonishment, one of them — a captain, judging by the plume on its helmet — stepped forward and spoke.

  “Welcome, traveler!” the toy soldier’s voice rang out, crisp and human-like, yet with a mechanical cadence. It saluted with a click of its heels, its painted eyes fixed squarely on Victor. “You’ve reached the Kingdom of Toymania. State your name and purpose!”

  Victor blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “I’m here to find Li— Princess Lillie who’s said to live in that white castle over there,” he replied, pointing at the castle on the hill. “As for my name… I am Victor.” I feel like jokingly introducing myself as Oz, but that wouldn’t help in this situation.

  If Lillie knew he was here, she would have come to meet him herself — assuming nothing was wrong. Hopefully, she hadn’t returned to Seraphia and left him stranded here with no way out. If that were the case, Victor wasn’t sure what he’d do…

  “Ohh! You mean King Lillie?

  “—Pfft!” Victor almost choked from his own spit. King? What the hell is going on here?

  The toy soldier tilted its head slightly. “Is something wrong, traveler?”

  Victor coughed lightly to recover. “No, nothing’s wrong. Just… surprised, that’s all.”

  The soldier nodded knowingly. “Ah, I see. His Majesty enjoys changing her role often. Sometimes she is a king, sometimes a queen, but most often she is known as Princess Lillie. It depends on her mood, and today she’s a king.”

  “O-Oh.” His Majesty? King? This really is her dreamland, haha.

  “I think it’s best if you see for yourself,” the soldier continued. “There will be a royal exhibition soon, and His Majesty will make an appearance.”

  Victor paused. “Royal exhibition?”

  “Indeed,” the soldier confirmed, snapping another salute. “It is a grand event where the ruler of Toymania showcases their magics and wonders to the citizens. It will be held in the central plaza before the Brightmoon Castle. You may join as an honored guest.”

  “All right. I’ll take a look.” Brightmoon Castle, huh…

  Victor asked the toy soldier a few more questions about this peculiar place. From its response, Victor learned that Toymania was a land of peace, untouched by the conflicts of the Dreamscape below. Since its establishment, there hadn’t been any recorded wars or uprisings. However, not everything was idyllic. Rumors had it that a “Toy Dragon” had been sighted near one of the kingdom’s outposts and had been wreaking havoc and destroying whatever that lay in its path.

  Victor arched an eyebrow at that, but what was most intriguing was what the soldier said next…

  “Unlike the lands below, this kingdom is protected from the Temporal Riftstorm and any foreign threats. That’s why Toymania has been able to enjoy peace for so long,” added the toy soldier.

  “I see.” Victor nodded. This meant that he didn’t have to worry about this place’s stability and about Lillie’s safety.

  After that, Victor asked the toy soldier, whom he had decided to call “Captain” to differentiate it from the others, to lead the way to the Brightmoon Castle.

  “Very well, traveler— err, I mean, Sir Victor. I shall escort you to the castle,” the Captain replied with a slightly awkward snap of its heels.

  Victor followed as the Captain marched forward, leading him through the vibrant streets of Toymania. Many similar toy figures that appeared to be the citizens of the kingdom were out and about, and the toy soldiers lining the way paused to salute as he passed.

  As they approached the towering gates of Brightmoon Castle, Victor couldn’t help but marvel at its sheer scale. Up close, the castle’s massive white walls were adorned with intricate carvings of stars and moons, shimmering faintly as though alive with dreamforce.

  “This is Brightmoon Castle — the heart of Toymania,” the Captain announced proudly, stopping just before the gates. “And over there is the central plaza where the exhibition will be held.” He pointed toward a wide, open area bustling with more toy inhabitants preparing for what appeared to be a grand celebration. Colorful banners fluttered in the air, and stalls decorated with an array of trinkets and food-like items lined the plaza’s edges.

  Victor nodded and thanked the Captain, gazing briefly over the plaza before returning to the towering gates of the castle.

  The Captain saluted once more. “It has been my honor, Sir Victor. If you need further assistance, feel free to ask any of the guards.”

  He watched as the Captain marched off, leaving him standing there alone. Now what should I do? Should I sneak inside to find Lillie or… No… If this is her dreamland, she’ll know I’m here sooner or later. Better to wait for an opening than taking unnecessary trouble.

  Still, Victor couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something about this place was off… It was too stable and peaceful for the Dreamscape, acting more like a complete world.

  Suddenly, a melodic chime echoed across the plaza that seemed to signal the start of the exhibition. The bustling crowd of toy soldiers and other toy citizens immediately fell into neat lines. A long red carpet was rolled out across the plaza, and above it, an ornate throne carved from luminous crystal blocks was slowly hoisted into view.

  “Make way for the king!” a voice bellowed, prompting the crowd to erupt into thunderous cheers.

  Atop the throne stood a regal figure — a young girl in an elaborate outfit of whites and silvers shimmering with dreamlike brilliance. A golden crown rested atop her head, and her mismatched eyes — one as blue as the summer sky, the other a deep green — seemed to gleam.

  Victor froze, locking his attention onto her. Lillie. Or, as the crowd roared in unison, “All hail King Lillie!”