Chapter 1095: Atlas the Hero

[PRESENT TIME]

GASP!

Zoren snapped his eyes open, his chest heaving heavily.

"Renren?"

Slowly, he moved his slightly dilated eyes to the person beside him. The moment his gaze landed on his wife’s worried face, his shoulders relaxed.

"Renren, are you okay?" Penny asked, wiping his forehead with the back of her hand. "You’re sweating a lot and have been groaning in your sleep. Is everything okay?"

Zoren didn’t answer and tried to stabilize his breathing, but then he noticed Atlas and Hugo standing in the aisle. Looking up, he immediately saw their confused and worried faces.

"Hey, man, did you just have a nightmare?" Hugo asked curiously. "You seemed like you were dying in your sleep."

Atlas didn’t speak, but his expression was solemn.

"Mhm." Zoren gulped, trying to clear the tension in his throat. He nodded. "I’m fine. Just... a weird dream."

He then cast his wife a glance, squeezing her hand. "I’m okay," he repeated, offering her a forced smile. "It’s just a bad dream."

"..." Penny pursed her lips, but even with her husband’s reassurance, the worry in her eyes remained.

---

Since Penny had no choice but to accept that her brothers were already on board, she didn’t want to let it affect her mood any further. Seated across from them were Atlas and Hugo, sharing a meal. She couldn’t help but glance at Zoren.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Hugo asked once more.

This time, Zoren had already calmed down and returned to his usual self. "Yes, thank you."

"Just what kind of dream did you have that made you act like that?" Penny mumbled, frowning. "I’ve never seen you have a nightmare before."

In the months they had been together and sleeping in the same bed, Zoren had never had a nightmare. Even if Zoren often woke up before her, Penny knew she would wake if something like that were happening around her.

This was the first.

"Well..." Zoren smacked his lips and looked up, pondering. "I was fighting a demon."

The three Bennets furrowed their brows and made a sound in unison. "Eh?"

"There was this fire-breathing dragon. It was so big, and it was wreaking havoc, burning and crushing everything in sight," Zoren explained in his usual calm voice. "I was trying to fight it, but the catch is I’m only about ten or so."

"..." Penny’s and Hugo’s noses crinkled, while Atlas’s deadpanned.

"I bet you didn’t win," Atlas said coldly. "I always win."

"Huh?" This time, it was Zoren and the other two Bennets who looked at Atlas in disbelief.

"Be it a demon, a monster, or a zombie, I always win no matter what," Atlas continued in all seriousness. "All you need is to control yourself in the dream."

"Con—control... yourself?" Hugo and Penny blurted out at the same time, their expressions growing more confused.

Atlas nodded. "When I’m fighting off a demon, I always think of myself as a soldier of light fighting against darkness. Then I counter the enemy. If it’s a zombie, I’m someone with a cure. So even if I get bitten, I overdose on the antidote. Though I feel bad for my comrades, since the antidote only works for me."

"I had to end them as well. It was tragic. I feel sorry for them," he added with a deep sigh.

"..." Penny and Hugo opened and closed their mouths, but no words came out. It was the same for Allen, who was seated on the other side of the group.

"Sir, can’t you just control the dream and wish that your comrades could be cured too?" Allen mumbled, but his comment didn’t reach anyone. His eyes remained on his boss, thinking, ’How could Sir Atlas speak about his weird dreams with such a straight face?’

Unbelievable!

On the other hand, Penny and Hugo had different concerns.

"First Brother, I didn’t know you were having such dreams," Penny blurted out, and Hugo nodded profusely.

"Not just dreams, but they’re the weirdest ones I’ve ever heard," Hugo added, imagining his First Brother fighting off enemies like a hero with a cape!

Atlas shrugged. "I don’t see them as weird. What I find upsetting, though, is that whenever I’m close to beating it, the dream changes scene. Then, I wake up."

Hugo, Penny, and Allen’s faces contorted, looking at the disappointed look plastered on Atlas’s face.

Was this the reason Atlas was often grumpy, especially in the morning?! Was it because there were no real demons, monsters, or zombies he could slay in real life? So, he opted to slay human morale and confidence instead?!

Zoren, on the other hand, studied Atlas’s disappointed face before the corner of his mouth curved up. Now, he felt better, surrounded by his lovely wife, the cool Second Brother, and the ever-serious Atlas. He felt safe. His heart and body were at peace. Their very presence was calming.

"I see..." Zoren nodded in understanding. "Next time, I’ll try doing that."

"Renren! Don’t listen to him!" Penny gasped, wide-eyed. She then glared at Atlas and harrumphed, "First Brother, stop with this nonsense! My husband is getting influenced here."

"My influence is much better than yours, Penny."

"Huh?!" The vein on her forehead protruded.

Atlas shrugged. "That’s the truth."

"First Brother, are you looking for a fight or what? I’ll give it to you if that’s what you want!"

Hugo shook his head mildly, as Penny was breathing fire while Atlas remained cold as ice. Yet, Atlas had willingly spewed his rebuttal in his classic flat tone, convinced that his dreams were not as weird as she made them sound to be. Besides, he was standing for the truth—Penny was a bad influence, not him.

"And to think we’re going to be stuck here for the next nine hours?" Hugo cupped his face, flinching when he earned Atlas and Penny’s death glares. "He... he... sorry. Please go on."

With that, Penny and Atlas set their eyes on each other, unwilling to back down. Electricity blitzed between the two. Zoren, who was seated beside Penny, chuckled but didn’t try to stop the ongoing debate.

As for Hugo, he raised his brows and took a peek in Zoren’s direction. Still cupping his face while Atlas, on his side, was still fighting with Penny, his observant eyes remained on Zoren’s.

’What was that about earlier?’ he wondered to himself, a little concerned. ’He’s not having that crap of a dream, is he?’