Chapter 285: Later

A week—A slow, and agonizing span.

This otherwise short period of time had crept by since the events that unfolded in Japan, feeling like an eternity.

Since Lorien's appearance and the introduction of his power system, the world had swiftly plunged into unprecedented chaos.

Such chaos was mainly caused by two factors—the spread of Lorien's Dream Path and the increase in the number of devils.

For the first factor, everyone had basically seen it coming, after all, Lorien made sure of that with his loud and wide announcement about the launch of his power system.

However, contrary to the widespread anticipation of this power system being a source of chaos, with individuals wielding newfound power using it for their own selfish purposes, it unexpectedly emerged as a suppressor of such chaos.

After all, the 'filtering' system implemented by Lorien on the Dream Path ensures that only individuals of kindness and moral integrity are selected as carriers of this path.

The sole exception to this rule encompasses certain characters endowed with a notable abundance of [Luck], prompting Lorien to grant them access for the purpose of siphoning some of it away.

So, under such preparedness, the majority of individuals who awakened the Dream Path promptly embarked on their journeys as devil hunters, while a select few chose to take on the role of vigilantes, targeting corrupt and malevolent humans.

It's just that with all of this in mind, a question finally manifests itself.

However, with all of this in mind, a question inevitably arises.

If the Dream Path Walkers are functioning as devil hunters, vigilantes, and heroes, how could they possibly be a source of chaos?

Well, to answer that, we have to look at the second cause behind the chaos which is the sudden surge in the number of devils worldwide, with devils of all types and strengths appearing seemingly without end.

So, with the second cause clarified, the situation becomes quite clear as the simultaneous surge in human power and the abrupt increase in devils could only lead to one outcome—more battles, more death, and more chaos.

Moreover, to make matters worse, this was only the beginning as more Dream Path Walkers were being born every hour and every minute, while stronger devils continued to infiltrate the human world.

This madness, combined with the devils' rebirth prowess, has turned the conflict into an unending war that could last for eons if no one intervenes.

However, this is, after all, just a concern for the future.

A concern that no one truly cares about in this chaotic world.

Moreover, Lorien typically refrains from intervening in conflicts between supernatural beings, even if one party emerges due to his Dream Path.

The only times Lorien truly intervened were to reduce the casualties among ordinary humans in the JJK; Otherwise, he remained virtually nonexistent.

However, in this world where he is physically confined to a 19km radius, Lorien cannot afford to interfere too extensively with the outside world, as it would trigger the world's vigilant will.

So, all he can do now is focus on what truly matters to him which is the spread of the Dream Trees within the inner consciousness of myriad beings.

'Sigh...'

'It's progressing quite well, though slower than I initially anticipated.'

'At this rate, it will take about two years for the dream trees to fully proliferate throughout the world.'

'However, I'm running short on time.'

'It's just that fortunately, that's just the initial estimate as the spread of these dream trees will accelerate as more of them take root.'

'It's akin to a snowball effect."

Thinking of this, Lorien couldn't help but shake his head, feeling somewhat helpless, knowing there was little he could do to hasten the process.

'Welp, it seems that all I can do is wait...'

Shaking his head, Lorien decided not to think about this anymore, and instead, he turned his head in a certain direction as an amused smile slowly spread across his face.

"Hmmm..."

"I didn't anticipate having guests so soon."

"HAHAHAAH."

"This is quite interesting."

-

Meanwhile, just as Lorien was preparing to interact with one of his favorite characters from the original timeline, the consequences of his earlier actions were finally manifesting in full force in Japan.

First, it was Makima, who immediately began fully utilizing her authority to collect devils in order to fulfill her deal with Lorien.

Ever since she returned from Lorien's domain, she was semi-forcefully pushed into absorbing the Dream Path seed.

As she did so, she was quite surprised to discover that her ability had been strengthened to an unbelievable level.

This caused her, a control freak, to redirect most of her attention towards fulfilling her deal with Lorien, even setting aside Chainsaw Man for a while.

After all, now that she was about to put a leash on the wild dog she picked up, there was no reason to rush things.

Secondly, there was Kishibe, who, after being teleported away, wasted no time and immediately began absorbing the Dream Path seed.

Moreover, unlike Makima, who was semi-forced into taking such actions, Kishibe's actions were entirely voluntary.

Achieving this, Kishibe swiftly converted to the new power system, allowing him to awaken a new ability as he entered the [Awakening] Stage of the Dream Path.

However, it seemed that Kishibe didn't care much about this newfound ability as instead of practicing it, he focused his attention on becoming familiar with the new power system and its characteristics.

This was primarily so he could target the devils he already had contracts with, break free from their control, and even turn the tables on them to restore his organs and devour them.

It's just that while this was happening, and just as everyone seemed to be taking small bites from the Dream Path, it appeared that some people were being left out.

Primarily, it was the devil hunters' group that Lorien encountered upon entering this world, a group that included a member with the highest amount of [Luck] in the world.

"Hey, what's with all this crap about a Dream Path or whatever it's called!" Spoke Denji, while picking his ear with his pinky finger.

"For the hundredth time, it's a power system that allows humans to gain power without relying solely on devils." Replied Himeno, exasperated.

"Oohhh..."

"Can I get it? Can I get it?" Power chimed in eagerly, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"..."

"It's enough; This power is simply random; It'll appear if you're lucky and won't if you aren't; It's time to focus on our mission." Aki suddenly interrupted as he walked forward, leading the group.

"Eeeh, then what power did you get Aki?"

"..."

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---Author---

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