Chapter 2: Paradise

Hey, you only ran 20 laps! That's not even close to what I can do!

Has it ever occurred to you that you're too good?

Well, that is one of my many strengths!

But I will say that you're good, ${playername}. I didn't think you could keep up.

The incident yesterday was small, but surprisingly troublesome. We didn't have to train that hard this morning.

No, that's Anna practicing her new song!

Come back! We need you! The game can't be played without you!

She wasn't calling out to you, calm down!

She does work very hard. No wonder she is the most popular singer these days.

... If we record it, can we make some money from it?

[Bloom, flowers that have been sleeping in the dark. Even though there is no light, I am by your side.]

[Smile and sing a sad song to the ocean. Sing again to save my dream and my life.]

Hey, guys! Thanks for the support. How do you feel after resting for a day?

Well, Mr. Berial did make you the Leader for a reason. Maybe you're the only one who can control its power?

Just let him doubt himself some more. The lyrics are great! Did you write them?

No, Jasmine the hopeless romantic wrote it!

Oh! She wrote the story to the game "Dream Paradise" as well! She's the head writer!

And I'm one of the VIP players that's friends with her in the game! We're also going to the Amusement Park together!

You're not going anywhere before you finish your homework.

Saya, please...

Don't think I don't know how much you have left!

I trusted you!

Finishing all the multiple choices doesn't mean you've finished all of it.

Let me copy it later.

Make sure you do your homework. Don't let your grades affect your missions.

Good morning. Did you sleep well?

By the way, you haven't forgotten about our daily tasks, have you?

Yes, your duty. Or your...wishes, in a way.

We would love nothing more than keeping humans away from the Nightmare threat.

To achieve this, we work with Eileen's Detective Agency, a professional organization who investigates and collects information for us. The recent Bloomsea City Supernatural Phenomenon is a request from them.

And you, as the Leader, will take Nina, Saya and Victoria to complete the last part of the job...

Accept the request, go into the Dream, and kill the Nightmares to eliminate the threat!

And here's one such request.

Let me see...

Nina! Where is this Amusement Park that you're supposed to go with Jasmine?

Huh? What?!

Victoria, you don't mean...that can't be, can it?

It is a strange address. There shouldn't be an Amusement Park there...

Sounds like it should be investigated.

Are you coming with me?

Aren't you the Great Hero that's afraid of absolutely nothing?

${playername}, I knew I could trust you as our Leader!

We are ready whenever you are.

May we have our orders?

Warm breezes and happy smiles. Joy is so sweet and wonderful that it tastes like ice cream. What a paradise!

Jasmine! Is that you?

Ah, you must be...The Great Barbarian Charlemagne?

Um, now that you've said it, that username is incredibly embarrassing. I am Nina.

You're a funny one! I thought I would see an eagle, but a bird showed up instead.

I guess I will take that as a compliment!

This park is amazing! I want to try everything.

Sure! Take me into the sky with you!

Carousel, bumper cars...I guess Nina really is here to have fun in the park.

The report said more people have been lured into this "Amusement Park", to the point where both the police and reporters have mobilized to look into it...

We need to find the Nightmare Lord before it gets worse.

Yes. Even though the Dream and Reality look like two different worlds, they affect each other.

The Dream absorbs the desires of humans from Reality and amplifies them. Even an innocent wish becomes incredibly greedy and ugly when amplified.

If the owner of the Dream is unstable, they might become corrupted and fall victim to their desires, then the lens will twist the Dream.

What's worse, the twisted Dream will affect the Reality and open up linking points, dragging ordinary people into the Dream.

The Nightmare Lord is the one that twists the Dream.

Hold on, Nina just sent me a message.

Anyone there?

I made a huge discovery! This Amusement Park is very similar to the one in the game! Dream Paradise!

Maybe the Nightmare Lord is a developer there?

So...we have to investigate the developers first?

I just talked to two people that passed by. They had no idea they were in the Dream.

But could they understand Saya's questions?

My guess is that she asked something like, "Hi there! Has there been strange things inside the park? Nothing? Really? Were you paying attention?"

Is something wrong?

Oh, nothing! Everything is peachy!

But Jasmine, did you notice that...

If you mean that this place looks like the one in Dream Paradise, then yes!

This is almost the same as the game I designed! The sunshine, the Ferris wheel, the carousel...everything is as romantic as it can be!

I wasn't told about this and I'm a bit sad, but at least I didn't miss it. It's nice to see all the smiles!

Don't think about it too much. You're here already, so just enjoy it! It makes me happy to see you having fun.

I know this sounds weird, but...is it alright if we don't take action for now?

I want to spend a day here with Jasmin.

What? Do you know what you're saying?

I understand that there are a lot of innocent people here. And we have no idea who created this Dream.

But Jasmine is also one of them! She just wants to enjoy this place. After all, it looks so much like the world she created in the game.

I mean...it's not her Dream. I just want to ask you to deal with this a little later. Would that be okay?

...Let's ask Leader.

Wait, a new message!

We have investigated the game company. It is highly possible that Jasmine is the Nightmare Lord.

Eh? That's...

Jasmine: A new and upcoming poet. Novelist.

She is good at constructing romantic worlds that are full of fantasies. She is currently the head writer of Dream Paradise, an online game.

Jasmine doesn't look like someone who's addicted to games...

Maybe she just wants her world to be seen.

The Dream will amplify one's desires endlessly. What may start as an innocent wish will end up being a Nightmare.

For now, it looks like Jasmine created this unconsciously. We can guide her back to Reality.

Maybe he can do it.

Nina, what's up? Are you not having fun?

No, I am really enjoying this place! Thank you for inviting me!

Everything here is just like the Dream Paradise.

"Touch the purple horse to get a coupon for catching the goldfish." I never told anyone about this system. How did they know?

This...feels like a dream.

What are you talking about?

You don't think so? This feels like a dream that you've dreamt up.

A dream? No way! I mean we're both here and having fun...

Alright, let me ask you some questions and see if you can remember...

When was this Amusement Park built?

I...I don't know.

If it's so great, how come I've never seen any commercials for it?

How would I know? Nina... Let's just have fun and forget about the details.

And you, how did you know about this place?

No, I...

Has it...been inside your mind this entire time?

I don't know...I don't know...I don't know anything.

But...

Hm?

I'm glad you invited me. I've never seen a Dream as beautiful as this.

I will be with you all day today. We'll think about the other stuff tomorrow.

Nina...

Thank you. This will be a wonderful day for us.

This is my ideal place to be!

We'll leave it like this for now. It's rare that Nina discovered the Nightmare Lord herself. Let her do the work.

We had a chance to take her out of the Dream!

It's alright. I mean, it's rare to see one that's so...heart-warming. Let's give them a day.

I...I suppose...