Chapter 1: Dream

Walking through the silent steel jungle, I couldn't help but think this way. However, unlike the ruins I had imagined, everything here shows no signs of damage. At least on the surface, these cold steel exteriors bear not a single scar. They do not seem to have been abandoned due to severe destruction, but rather appear to have entered a state of dormancy. A sleeping giant—this is the term I have come up with that better suits it

In fact, they are indeed getting closer to the ground. When they first arrived here, they were merely three small black dots high in the sky. However, each time I enter this world, they come a little closer to the ground. Sometimes they approach significantly in one go, while other times the change is so subtle that it is nearly impossible to discern whether they have moved at all. Yet, I know they are continuously descending. Perhaps one day they will touch the ground; I wonder if this world will undergo any changes then. I am quite looking forward to it, as I find it rather boring.

The entire process resembles a poorly crafted infinity, where one cannot derive any useful plot from the nonsensical fragments. In any case, I still do not understand the meaning of the elements within this dream.

... ... The above sentence can be ignored ... ...

It is too late, so I will leave first

Gray is the dominant color of this world, with gray towering buildings, gray alloyed ground, gray vehicles, gray skies, and the three immensely large gray spheres suspended in the sky at m.hetushu.com.

In my boredom, I found myself staring at the three planet-like massive metallic spheres in the sky, until the sense of oppression they brought compelled me to look away.

A metal world that has already perished

At that moment, a crowd that had suddenly gathered not far away caught my attention

The eerie and distorted sky appears particularly terrifying at this moment

While I was still contemplating whether last night's dream was any different from usual, my sister's voice rang out from outside the door: "Ajun, are you up? It's getting late!"

Monday... I mumbled, extremely reluctant to crawl out of bed. The early winter weather made me shiver involuntarily. However, I ultimately succeeded in resisting the allure of the warm blankets, because if I didn't hurry, I would be late for class

I am one of the students here. Although my sister and I come from a relatively affluent background, it still pales in comparison to the wealthy young masters of Canglan.

"A Jun!" A crisp voice sounded from behind me. I turned around and saw a petite girl with short hair running towards me.

Canglan Private High School is a veritable elite institution. In addition to its exorbitant costs, the quality of education it provides far exceeds that of typical public schools. This has led to its reputation as a prestigious school becoming a place that ordinary students can only dream of. Students who are able to attend here are at least the offspring of billionaires or children of the powerful, or they are super geniuses who can rank among the best in the nation. After all, for a school to thrive, mere wealth is insufficient; it also requires outstanding students who can enhance its reputation. In summary, this school is a sanctuary that perfectly embodies the standards of prince and Cinderella storylines found in various youth idol dramas.

Oh, I am introducing your situation to the readers

K City Second Middle School, this is the school I truly attend

"Ajun, what are you thinking about?" Xu Qianqian quickly walked over, shaking her small hand vigorously in front of me, and then said with dissatisfaction

No matter how one looks at it, this is an ordinary school, so ordinary that it cannot be more so. Compared to the Canglan Private High School across the street, which resembles a royal garden, it is as if one is in a city and the other in the countryside. The students here are also quite ordinary; most of us cannot even name the clothes worn daily by the students from the school across the street. This stark contrast between the two schools, separated by just one street, has become one of the famous sights in this area.

Ah, it's nothing, I was just thinking... Well, I'm off to school!

I do not know when it started, but I have been having this strange dream for a long time. In the dream, I walk alone in a silent metallic world, surrounded by scenes reminiscent of a futuristic landscape. The desolate atmosphere of the apocalypse serves as the main theme of this world. However, despite the oppressive surroundings, I feel no panic in the dream, as if everything is a familiar sight. Each time the dream ends, a voice always emerges, seemingly disappointed, saying: "Not found yet..."

There are indeed reasons for this; after all, when the other person is a girl who you know has wet the bed a few times in her childhood, it becomes quite difficult to regard her as a potential romantic partner

Oh, here it comes! I replied, quickly getting dressed and opening the door. Outside stood a beautiful girl with long hair—this is my adoptive sister, Chen Qian, a girl who appears delicate but is actually very strong. Although she is only five years older than me, I always find a sense of warmth in her presence

Xu Qianqian, she is one of my closest friends, the kind of childhood sweetheart that one hears about, having grown up together and even bathed together as children. However, after she moved to another part of the city when we entered middle school, the opportunities for us to meet became significantly fewer. Nevertheless, this did not affect the bond between me and Qianqian. Upon arriving at this school, which encompasses both middle and high school levels, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that we had both chosen this school in our city. It felt as if we had returned to the days of attending school together. Although our chances to meet have diminished, this has not impacted our relationship. Following the typical narrative development, a childhood sweetheart like this has about an 80% chance of becoming my romantic partner, and in fact, we both believe this to be true. However, for some reason, we have never been able to progress further, maintaining a relationship that hovers between that of best friends and romantic partners. As for the reason—could it be that we are too familiar with each other?

The reason I am providing so much information about this school is that I am currently studying right across from it at this very school

This should be a ruin

Hey—wait a moment, you haven't eaten yet

What is this sound ultimately searching for? Or is it hoping that I will search for something?

This text appears to be incomplete or consists solely of symbols. Please provide a complete sentence or text for translation.

I have never mentioned this dream to anyone, and although I do not know what it signifies, I have always intuitively felt that this dream holds an unusual meaning, and recklessly sharing this secret with others would bring me great trouble

Unfortunately, the answer has never been found in dreams

It will take a little more time to leave here. In my boredom, I began to gaze once again at the three enormous metallic spheres in the sky. They are so massive that they occupy almost one-third of the entire sky. On their surfaces, one can faintly see countless sharp protrusions and a grid-like texture, giving the impression of a colossal planetary fortress from a science fiction film—truth be told, everything in this world is more fantastical than any science fiction movie.

"What’s wrong with my face, is there something on it?" Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed from my gaze, my sister's face flushed, and she asked in a somewhat flustered manner.

This sleeping world is so silent that the sound of footsteps has become the only sound in my ears. After walking for an unknown duration, I finally began to feel somewhat fatigued, so I found a place that appeared to be a landing platform for some kind of flying vehicle and sat down.

"Not found yet..." A voice suddenly echoed throughout the sky, and then the entire world began to shake violently; the time to leave had come

A strange dream

I, Chen Jun, a senior high school student, have been an orphan since childhood, without parents or siblings. I was adopted by a couple of merchants, and after my adoptive parents passed away, I was left with only an elder sister, five years my senior, with whom I share no blood relation. Life has been as bland and tasteless as a glass of plain water. The only consolation is that my sister and I inherited a considerable fortune from our adoptive parents, which has spared us the hardships faced by other orphans. My sister, who has been managing the household alone since a very young age, treats me well, allowing me to at least feel the warmth of home.

It feels as though they are closer to the ground.

The urgent ringing of the alarm clock jolted me awake from a deep slumber. I struggled to open my eyes and shook my groggy head vigorously. The objects in my field of vision swayed for quite some time before finally stabilizing. After a long while, I finally emerged from the inexplicable strange dreams that had plagued me throughout the night