"Is... Is it over?" Ironhide still couldn’t quite believe it, looking around the ravaged but no longer hostile banquet hall.
"I think... I think it’s really over."
Clayton Quinn nodded, his voice, usually so quiet, carrying a hint of relief.
"So our mission... we passed, right?"
Joy Hughes asked softly. Her face was still pale, but her eyes were much brighter.
As if in answer to their question.
At almost the same instant, the familiar, cold, mechanical system notification sounded in everyone’s minds:
[Ding! Congratulations, Player, on completing Main Quest Two: Protect the Sweet Dream! You have successfully protected the Peach Kingdom Princess’s grand banquet from the assault of the nightmare forces.]
[Mission contribution is being assessed... Assessment complete. Calculating rewards based on Player’s performance in battle...]
[Ding! Congratulations, Player, on receiving the mission reward: Wish Treasure Box x1.]
[Ding! Detected that Player has completed all main quests in the current instance, ’Divine Kingdom of Sweet Dreams.’ Conditions for leaving the instance have been met.]
[Do you wish to leave the ’Divine Kingdom of Sweet Dreams’ instance and return to the real world immediately?]
[Yes/No]
The mission was complete!
The rewards were in hand!
They could finally leave!
Joyous expressions appeared on the faces of Ironhide and the others. They couldn’t wait to select "Yes."
To return to that cruel, yet real, world.
Seraphina Sullivan, however, didn’t make her choice right away.
She looked at the being who called themself Eureka, the divine incarnation of sweet dreams and fantasy, trying to discern more from their mischievous, smiling face.
"Why did you do this?" Seraphina Sullivan looked them straight in the eye, voicing her most central question.
Aside from the mission itself, Seraphina Sullivan always felt that this whole Peach Kingdom business was like a children’s game of make-believe.
But she had heard the black-haired Eureka say that they had already destroyed thousands of existences just like the Peach Kingdom.
So Seraphina Sullivan knew there was definitely something more to this.
Eureka blinked, their smile widening, full of a childlike cunning.
"It’s a secret! You’re always trying to get to the bottom of things. You have no appreciation for the romance of dreams or the beauty of fantasy. You’re no fun at all~"
They floated a little closer, lowering their voice.
Their tone took on a rare seriousness. "But... seeing as you really did help, stopping those annoying ’Nightmare Minions’ and keeping them from running wild on my turf, you can rest assured. The mission’s over, so go ahead and take your reward."
Eureka waved their little hand.
They added, "Oh, right, here’s a free tip for you. The [Desire Candy] is best used at night. Eat it when the starlight or moonlight is brightest, then make a sincere wish. If you do that... the probability of your wish coming true might go up just a tiny little bit, you know?
After all, nighttime is the best time for dreams and for wondrous things to come true~"
Seraphina Sullivan wanted to press for more answers.
Besides the God of Cuisine, this was the second divine being she could communicate with so calmly.
Of course, Seraphina Sullivan wanted to ask more about this apocalyptic Disaster Game.
Especially about the various divine beings and instances.
But Eureka clearly had no intention of giving her another chance.
"Alright, alright, question time is over!
Time to return to reality, with your ’sweet dream’ of a reward~"
The moment they finished speaking, Seraphina Sullivan felt a gentle yet irresistible Power envelop her consciousness.


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