The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

Her figure stiffened slightly, then she turned around—it was indeed Kelly Moore.

She clearly hadn't expected to run into George here, and a fleeting look of embarrassment crossed her face as she realized she'd been caught.

In the dream realm, her facial features were softened by the moonlight, appearing even more gentle than in reality.

The surprise and awkwardness in those light blue eyes were particularly clear at that moment.

"Mr. Delapor, please forgive me for trespassing into your family's spirit realm. I simply wanted to..."

She clasped her hands together, and George noticed that she was surrounded by a thin, silvery-white film that was the same color as the moonlight but had a different texture.

"Miss Moore, there's no need to apologize," George replied with a smile, his tone as if they had met by chance in the manor garden. "The Dream Realm is inherently free; there's no need to let some clichéd rules ruin it."

He took a few steps closer and stood beside her on the moonlit grass.

His composure gradually eased the embarrassment on Kelly's face.

"Thank you for your magnanimity. As you may have noticed, exploring the Dream Realm is part of my interests. This area... is completely different from the Dream Realm in downtown London."

"Oh?" George asked with interest.

"Lundun..." Kelly's gaze drifted to the distant horizon, as if she could pierce through the barrier of the dream realm to see that misty city.

"The Queen, the Anglican Church, the Anti-Suppression Bureau... all sorts of forces are suppressing, sealing, and controlling things there. But the more turbid the material world is, the more distorted the constraints and pollution projected onto the lower levels of the spiritual realm become."

She made a gesture of frustration.

"The dream realm there is chaotic and oppressive, filled with too many suppressed and unyielding obsessions, as well as deep-seated prying eyes."

She turned her gaze back to the tranquil manor where they were, and sighed.

"The spiritual protections set up by the Delabor family in this territory are quite excellent, so the shallow spiritual realm appears so peaceful and pure, like... a carefully guarded dream garden."

George nodded slightly, gaining a deeper understanding of the Viscount's methods.

"Your family has indeed been working here for a long time. So you've come here tonight...?" he asked gently.

"One aspect is to investigate—to confirm whether the spiritual traces of the disaster here have truly subsided." Kelly's answer was half serious and half casual.

"On the other hand, it's also a rare opportunity to find a quiet dream realm to relax. As you know, most of us specialists enter the dream realm on official business; leisurely exploration is a luxury."

The two walked slowly under the moonlight. Kelly talked about some of her experiences and judgments in the dream world. Clearly, her knowledge and experience far exceeded that of George, the "beginner".

George mostly listened, occasionally asking a question or two to subtly confirm the vague understanding he had gained from books like "Night Wanderings".

As they rounded a clump of quiet beech trees, Kelly suddenly stopped and pointed to the edge of a dark thicket not far away.

"Look over there, Mr. De La Porte."

George looked in the direction she was pointing.

In the shadows where the moonlight couldn't reach, a strange glow was slowly emerging.

It was not a continuous, stable light source, but rather, like breathing, it alternated between light and dark according to a certain pattern.

It starts as a soft silvery white, gradually deepening to an almost transparent blue, then brightening to a dazzling cool color, and then slowly dimming again, repeating the cycle.

"This is..." George whispered.

He knew that this must be the purpose of his coming out tonight—a condensation of some kind of spirituality or knowledge in the shallow realm of dreams, a gift on the path to transcendence.

"It was discovered within the territory of the Delaport family." Kelly looked at the cloud of light. "According to custom, the heir has the priority right to dispose of and acquire the spiritual resources within the family territory. Please, Mr. Delaport."

She took a half step back, her posture clearly defined.

George nodded slightly and walked towards the cloud of light, his footsteps making no sound on the grass of the dream realm.

As you get closer, you can feel a cool, spiritual energy emanating from the mist, like walking along a shady stream on a summer's day...

He extended his slightly ethereal palm, a faint spiritual light emanating from it, and gently approached with an attitude of acceptance, following the method described in "The Shocking Secret!"

The light mist seemed to sense a compatible connection, obediently wrapping around his fingers, like water flowing into a cup, swirling in his palm.

Finally, a disc, slightly smaller than the palm of his hand and resembling a piece of thin jade, lay quietly in his palm.

Immediately, the warm light in his hand quietly dissipated, and two cards appeared in George's field of vision.

The first card depicts a flawless full moon.

The Mysteries of the Moon

[Aspect: Planet 2, String 2, Influence]

The moon was calm and pale, its light humble and bright; a joyless eye gazed down upon the dark earth.

The second card depicts a mysterious path that stretches endlessly into the void.

[The Path to the Spirit World]

[Nature and Appearance: A Vague Path]

[Beneath the surface of the mundane world lies another world, a spiritual haven, a gathering place for countless beings, and the abode of the greatest.]

[Current Memory: Hazy Dream Realm, Shallow Dream Layer]

George sensed the information conveyed by the two cards.

The Mysteries of the Moon is a kind of accumulation of extraordinary resources, while the Path to the Spirit Realm excites him even more—he finally has a clear map of his current situation, even if it is a simplified one.

He looked at Kelly, who was not far away.

Kelly's face showed no surprise at seeing the card's unusual appearance, only a gentle smile that conveyed congratulations.

She couldn't see the card table or the cards.

George subtly "withdrew" his senses from the card table, and the cards vanished.

"Congratulations, Mr. De Lapol." Kelly took a few steps closer and offered her sincere congratulations. "It is a blessing to receive the pure gift of 'Crescent Moon'."

"Thank you," George smiled. "Your reminder was very helpful."

He knew that the so-called "pure blessing of the crescent moon" was just a polite way of putting it.

"It was just a coincidence," Kelly said, looking up at the huge moon in the sky.

"It's almost time. Although the protection of Delaporte Manor makes the spirits here exceptionally stable, we should still exercise restraint and not linger too long."

George also knew that the journey to the Dream Realm should not be too long, especially for someone like him who had just awakened.

He nodded. "You're right. We should go back."

Kelly smiled slightly. "Well then, that's all for tonight. May your future explorations be as clear as this moonlight."

"I wish you all the best," George replied.

Kelly's figure grew fainter in the moonlight. She waved her hand, turned, and disappeared into the silvery light and shadow, as if she had never existed.

George paused for a moment, took a deep look at the constant golden light at the top of the tower, and then walked toward the mansion.

When consciousness returned, the candles in the bedroom were still burning, and the fireplace was still warm.

George opened his eyes from his meditation, feeling a slight weariness.

He extinguished the candle, turned over, and went to sleep.