Dreamscape Inhabitants
*Bzzt bzzt!* The white rays that had lost their energy disappeared into the ground. One end was stuck in the floor, and the body of white light was still trembling, revealing the face of a poker card— The seven of spades!
On the white poker card, some traces of purple, as well as the fresh blood spilt by the fleeing figure ahead, was left behind.
Even with a heavily injured arm, the short black shadow seemed exceedingly strong, not stopping for even a second as it bounded into a gigantic pool of coloured balls to the side. The balls flew everywhere, some landing outside and bouncing continuously.
Countless streaks of white whizzed forth, each holding the face of a poker card within. These thin cards seemed to have been bestowed with a terrifying slicing ability, and whether it was the balls or the buildings, everything was cut evenly into halves. The coloured balls fell apart, scattering all over the ground, but there was now no sign of the black figure from before.
A pair of black leather shoes rubbed against the floor, producing crisp sounds.
The poker cards on the walls seemed to be drawn back by some invisible line, and automatically returned to the hands of a person to form a thick deck.
This person wore a well-ironed suit with a hat to complete the ensemble. Their features were obscured by a white mask, and they seemed similar to a dealer in a casino.
*Creak!* A robotic sound was transmitted from his body as his head turned a full 180 degrees, aiming at an area beside him. His body swayed wildly as he ran with motions that didn't conform with physics.
He collided with a steel railing, bending it out of shape even as the building crumbled down loudly. White streaks were sent forth once more, and the supporting rods of a tremendous Ferris wheel broke down as a gigantic black figure toppled down.
Amidst the flying dust, the thin little black figure crawled out pitifully. Turning back to glance at the dealer, fear arose in it as it began to run even faster.
*Boom!* All of a sudden, it crashed into a human body in front. This was someone in white protective attire, with a bloated form. A handsome face could be seen through the transparent glass.
"kakdgmoagkmlamgal…" The thin black figure said something hastily, but Leylin could not understand it at all. However, his soul force picked up a feeling in the general vein of 'The thing behind is dangerous. Run!'
"Don't worry, little fellow!" Leylin gazed at this intelligent being in front of him. It was similar to a human, with four slim limbs and a head on top. It looked like a human child, only that its entire being was black, and it was impossible to tell its features apart. It was wearing clothing made of a coarse sackcloth.
One other difference between it and humans was the fine purple patterns on its body. They were like tattoos, but emanated a demonic luster.
There was a wound on its arm, revealing purple musculature inside. Large amounts of dreamforce gathered around this wound, allowing it to recover.
Leylin's pupils shrank as he patted the head of the little creature, the peaceable undulations he emitted allowing it to calm down.
*Creak!* The figure that looked like a casino dealer from Leylin's previous world appeared before the two, the white mask still covering its face.
As it noticed the dealer, Leylin felt the little fellow next to him grabbing onto his clothes tightly, the uneasiness it was feeling peaking.
"Has he been chasing after you?" Leylin turned around, and then laughed involuntarily, "I forgot that we can't communicate!"
A few poker cards whizzed towards him, and Leylin dodged them easily.
"Fire!" He indifferently chanted a word. Though most of the laws in Dreamscape were different from those in other worlds, magic could still be used in other worlds. It was just a matter of how effective it would be.
A bundle of crimson flames engulfed the dealer opposite him, the tongues of fire spreading everywhere.
The little fellow beside him widened its eyes, evidently not expecting Leylin to be so powerful. Meanwhile, however, Leylin frowned.
"A rank 4 spell from the Magus World can only do so little in Dreamscape?"
The paths followed by the Magus World could be used in many worlds, but their effectiveness would vary. Evidently, the suppression caused by Dreamscape was at the limit. Of course, the common power here was dreamforce. Powers from foreign places would not have an advantage.
A black humanoid figure slowly walked out of the flames. Swathes of fiery tongues devoured the dealer's black suit, where the wounds festered and even caused terrifying injuries on its body. However, there was no emotion in its eyes.
"Another Conscient that has manifested… How troublesome!" Leylin's brows furrowed, the Scarlet Earring shooting out a blood moon that crashed into the opponent's poker cards.
*Buzz!* The light trembled, and the poker cards were separated into two. The crescent of scarlet light brought with it the energy of high-grade magic equipment as it swiped across the opponent's neck.
The dealer's body froze for a second, and then rumbled in continuous explosions.
"Let's go!" Knowing the opponent would not fall so easily, Leylin took hold of the little fellow's hand beside him and began to run at a rapid pace.
*Rumble!* Some red and white powder that Leylin had scattered suddenly fused, forming a complicated energy attack that caused the area behind him to be submerged in a sea of energy.
The scenery on both sides quickly disappeared behind them, and with Leylin's terrifying speed, he had brought the little fellow and fled from the scope of the theme park in the blink of an eye, appearing within a primitive forest outside.
Upon reaching this place, he could sense from the little fellow's breathing and pulse that it had regained its calm.
"Kalfgmaklmgalk!" The little fellow struggled and exclaimed.
"I forgot we can't communicate!" Leylin laughed, tapping a finger on the little fellow's head and sending a strand of soul force in.
Communication through soul force transcended language. With Leylin's current knowledge of the soul, he could grow proficient in a language in an instant.
"It's safe here now…" The little fellow repeated, and Leylin could now understand what it was saying.
"Who are you? You're amazing! How did you win against those monsters?" It gazed at Leylin, eyes sparkling with worship.
"Those monsters? Are there a lot of them?" Leylin asked.
Noticing that the little fellow still seemed slightly weak, he found level ground and passed over biscuits, white bread and the like over to it. It received the items with suspicion, first smelling them with curiosity and, as if it had seen some treasures, gnawing at them carefully.
What surprised Leylin was that it only consumed a small portion of the food and kept the rest well. Seeing what it was doing, Leylin nodded inwardly, now having a better understanding of the scarcity of food in Dreamscape.
Leylin did not waste any time as the little fellow ate. The A.I. Chip had constantly been sounding out as it scanned all the physiological characteristics of it, sampling it. The priority was the purple patterns on its body.
These patterns seemed to be naturally formed, possessing the ability to attract dreamforce. The wounds on its arms had already completely recovered, leaving behind a mere scar.
"Thank you for your this, Mister. You must be very wealthy." The little fellow seemed rather curious about Leylin, especially regarding his protective gear and the lack of patterns on his skin.
"Wealthy? Perhaps," Leylin chuckled, "What's your name?"
"Gillian, Mister, my name is Gillian," the little fellow answered.
Leylin laughed as he asked another question, "Alright. Well then, can you tell me what happened just now?"
Though Gillian was doubtful of Leylin's question, perhaps Leylin's smile had allowed her to lower her guard. It might have been some sort of bewitching spell which caused her to disclose all that she knew involuntarily.
...
After a long while, maybe tired after a day of running for her life, Gillian wrapped herself in Leylin's blanket and fell asleep. In the meanwhile, Leylin looked to be deep in thought.
'Is this what Dreamscape is about? Preposterous, bizarre, and even somewhat terrifying…'
Gillian said she was an inhabitant of Dreamscape. She'd been fleeing for her life along with her family since birth. It seemed like the area was filled with dangers, and even if they found a place to live in peacefully for a few years, it would still meet the ultimate destiny of being destroyed.
This seemed to be a common situation. The land and buildings had been wrecked in a night and her elders, accustomed to this as they were, continued their journey since they had been forced away from their home.
Based on what Gillian said, the theme park from before was a 'node'.
In Dreamscape, situations like these were common and nodes could appear at anytime, engulfing the surrounding people.
The items and buildings within were very strange. There were some they knew of, and some that were odd to the extreme. There might even be all sorts of living creatures.
Some of Gillian's elders had gathered immense benefits from the nodes, but others had died within. For them, the nodes in Dreamscape were places where risk met reward.
A node like this where a terrifying monster appeared was the most terrifying of all, and Gillian had been unlucky enough to be swept in. If not for Leylin's help, she probably would have wound up dead.
'Based on what Gillian said, her race is the bottom-most stratum of Dreamscape… She hasn't even left this region before…'
Help and Discovery
Leylin was slightly disappointed after listening to Gillian's story. It would be excessive of him to expect any good power system or training method from such a weak race.
'However, they are the natives after all. There should be some valuable items or information…' Leylin stroked his chin.
'Furthermore, Dreamscape can't be judged with common sense. Perhaps the next time I come, she'll have turned into a terrifying existence. Of course the chances of that are so meagre they're negligible, but even if she's more likely to die instead there's some hope…'
"No… No… Don't go…" Gillian seemed to be restless in her dreams, her hands clutching the blanket and her brows deeply furrowed. Her eyeballs were rolling around under her eyelids, and she looked miserable and pitiful.
"DON'T LEAVE ME… Hah… Hah, it was a dream…" She suddenly sat up, looking bewildered. It was only after she saw the bonfire blazing constantly that she huffed out a long breath.
"Nightmares?" Leylin laughed and pushed a piece of roast meat in front of her. Grease and roast meat combined to present the most tantalising of scents, one that caused Gillian to swallow.
"This is… for me?" Gillian's stomach growled, much to her embarrassment, but she still questioned in disbelief.
"Of course!" Leylin's smile was very gentle. There had not been any unhappiness between them, and was giving her roast meat and bread considered a waste? This bit was nothing at all to Leylin, so he obviously wouldn't mind being gentle and kind.
Experience told him that such a pretence was very effective in concealing him in an unfamiliar environment. On top of that, Leylin didn't mind showing benevolence to stray cats and dogs.
"Thank– Thank you!" Gillian spoke in a low voice, and immediately grabbed the meat and began to bite at it ravenously. Halfway through, she suddenly sounded like she was choked with emotion and began to sob.
"There's no hurry, I still have a lot of food. Finish eating first, then I'll bring you to your companions." Leylin understood what she was feeling very well. He comforted her slowly, and the girl eventually calmed down.
...
*Ka-cha!* Withered branches snapped when stepped on. Leylin and Gillian carefully skirted the theme park, pushing through the primitive forest.
"Those terrifying monsters never leave the scope of the node. As long as we don't go there, there shouldn't be any problems…" Gillian was wearing the hunting attire that Leylin had given her, her cleaned face revealing a vigorous spirit that made her seem pretty.
"What's truly scary in Dreamscape are the wanderers and masters! They can cause tempests to descend at any time, destroying homes and crops, resulting in massive casualties on our end…"
Her voice became low. "If not for them looking down on us and treating us like ants, we would probably have all died long ago…"
At this point, she gazed at Leylin. From what she could remember, the methods Leylin used were very similar to those employed by the masters.
"No need to worry, I'm not anything like that. I've only just studied some other methods. Haven't any of you met with other intellectual lifeforms and interacted with them before?" In front of Gillian, Leylin did not conceal his identity as a foreigner.
"Yes! It's not just in the forest, but even in the nodes. There are existences that we can communicate with, but they seldom appear. Normally it's just monsters that only know how to kill.
Gillian tilted her head as she thought it over, "I heard from Father that long, long ago, a giant castle appeared at a node. An old grandpa with a white beard lived inside, and he was like the masters with the ability to control lightning and fire. He even passed down methods to manipulate these powers to Uncle Morin…"
"Hm?" Leylin's interest was aroused, for this sounded quite similar to a Magus, "And then?"
"And then…." Gillian's eyes grew dazed, "After grasping the tremendous power, he said he would take us away from the forest to see the outside world… and then, he disappeared… never to return…"
"What a sad story… Oh, my apologies!" Leylin had nothing to say in response to that.
"It's nothing!" Gillian seemed rather strong, and after seeing a sign by the road, she even cheered excitedly, "We're quite close to our camp!"
*Whizz!* A bone arrow landed in front of Leylin, the arrow's feathers still shaking.
"Who is it?" A deep voice sounded from the forest. Leylin laughed, not answering. He had actually noticed the other party long ago, but it was obviously better for Gillian to deal with him.
"Uncle Mark! It's Gillian!" She happily yelled into the depths of the forest.
"Little Gillian!" The trees on the opposite end began to shake, revealing a middle-aged burly man with sideburns. This man, who was clothed in animal hide, spoke out, "I heard that you'd fallen into a node. I thought you'd died! Do you know how much I cried for you…"
"Uncle Mark!" Gillian went forward and hugged him tightly, "I'm sorry for making you worry! Here, let me introduce you. This is Mister Leylin who rescued me from the node!"
Gillian pulled at Mark's hands and dragged him before Leylin. Evidently, the lack of purple patterns on Leylin's skin left the man on guard.
Leylin chuckled, not minding at all. It was fine as long as he found the place. After all, given his abilities, could the natives even block his attacks?
Of course, Leylin did not dare overstep his boundaries due to the mysteries of Dreamscape. It was best not to use violence when it could interfere with him obtaining any harvests.
After all, this was a world filled with the unknown. The warped reality and complexities in here far exceeded his expectations.
Perhaps the next time he came here, these natives would have undergone a tremendous change. If he were to invest some effort here and strike up a good relationship with them, it would be worth it in the future.
What happened next was obvious. After Leylin displayed his kind intent, and with Gillian's vouching for him, Mark brought Leylin to their camp.
Leylin took a look around. This was evidently a temporary base, with many wooden piles that had been cut down and were yet to be tidied up in the surroundings.
At the back of the camp were traces of a large fire, as well as a small plot with vegetables and the like.
'These farming methods are rather ancient.' Leylin shook his head, but he knew this was inevitable. These natives could find the next time they woke up that their land had lost all fertility, turning into an arid desert, a forest, a river, or even a volcano. There was no need for more effort than this.
Such simplicity extended even to the buildings. A wooden house was made with a few trees put together. Many of the natives chose to rest out in the open or found a hole in a tree. Leylin felt that the tent he had brought along could be considered a palace compared to this.
In the simple and crude wooden house, Leylin met Gillian's father. He seemed like a haggard middle-aged man, hard work over a long period of time making him look as if he already had one foot in the grave.
"Cough cough… thank you, guest from distant lands! Gillian is my everything. I really don't know what I can do to show you my gratitude. There's this food as well… this…"
The middle-aged man surveyed the white bread, biscuits and other food piled in front of him, a flush rising on his face. Such first-rate food was something he could not normally enjoy.
"Please don't mind it! Gillian is a very lovable girl. Nobody would want to watch her come in harm's way!" Leylin smiled gently.
"Please forgive my bluntness, but based on what Gillian has said, you… are a Magus?" The man coughed for a while before asking suddenly.
"Yes!" Leylin's astonishment was outweighed only by his curiosity, "Have you seen a Magus before? Where did you make contact with them?"
"Cough cough… It was Morin who told me this…" The flush on the middle-aged man became even more serious, to the point that Leylin sensed that the fires of his life were about to be extinguished.
"Morin was once viewed favourably by a Magus and studied under him for a period of time. We were told many epic stories, but unfortunately…" Leylin had heard about what happened after from Gillian before.
"May I know if the node where the castle was still exists?" Leylin was rather curious about his kind.
"No. On a certain day, the entire castle and the node completely disappeared. If not for Morin spending the night elsewhere that day, I'm afraid…"
The man shook his head, and seemed to think of something. Shivering uncontrollably, he produced a portion of animal hide and respectfully placed it in front of Leylin.
"This is what Morin left for me. Though I can't understand it, it's definitely got to do with the Magus. Take this gift as my thanks!"
"This…" After taking the skin, Leylin's pupils suddenly shrank.
Atop the animal hide were some brown designs and runes. It was no wonder that the man couldn't understand it; the real information was concealed by spiritual force within the hide.
[Beep! Discovered data interface. Information being transmitted!]
The A.I. Chip's voice was transmitted as well, and a look of glee appeared on Leylin's face.
'I am Morin, what Mentor calls an inhabitant of Dreamscape. If you see this information, please treat my clan members well. What you will see next is the path that Mentor has come up with after spending decades studying my body — A Magus…'
The information on the animal hide gave rise to a look of elation on Leylin's face.
Exchange and Consternation
'A Magus coincidentally chancing upon Dreamscape who was enchanted by the bizarre environment here and took in an inhabitant as his acolyte…' Leylin secretly made a guess about what happened at that time.
'To adapt to this environment, he even specifically targeted dreamforce and the acolyte's vitality, developing some kind of customised meditation technique and spells…
'And due to some external factors which could not be resisted, the castle of this Magus had turned into ashes overnight and that acolyte disappeared soon after…'
That should've been the gist of it. Leylin wasn't all that interested in investigating the incident. As long as he gained information, this expedition into Dreamscape would be considered a success.
'That Magus that was stranded here was at least a Breaking Dawn, and might even been a higher existence that comprehended laws…' The more he studied the information on hand, the more Leylin grew to admire that Magus.
The A.I. Chip's assistance was why he could make an analysis of dreamforce relatively effortlessly. However, other Magi did not have such convenience on hand, and this one had to have slowly worked out and perfected an energy system that suited Dreamscape using his own experiences.
To Leylin, obtaining this system of dreamforce was more important than anything else. The uses for it would aid him greatly.
"Thank you so much, this information is very important to me!" Leylin put away the animal skin with a cautious expression, interrupting the hesitant speech of the middle-aged man opposite him, "I have important matters and there's always great danger beside me. I'm afraid I cannot take reciprocate your kindness enough. These two documents contain methods to obtain strength. I hope you will accept them!"
Light shone in Leylin's hands and two rolled documents emerged. These were methods for the cultivation of knighthood and magic. Although each only contained a basic portion, that was already enough for these inhabitants.
The steps for cultivation were very easy to follow. Leylin even wrote it down in their language so that they could understand it.
"This… truly…" The middle-aged man looked to be taken back by surprise, but he still accepted the two gifts. After all, these things Leylin was giving him were way too important for his tribe.
This left Leylin slightly doubtful. Why hadn't that Morin spread the power system when he obtained it? Once he mulled over it, he thought it might be because the Magus left him with strict orders at that time. Either way, he had already disappeared, and this would probably remain a riddle.
Leylin's eyes sparkled upon seeing his gift being accepted, and he said with a smile. "I actually have more diverse types of food as well. I was thinking of a trade… are you interested?"
"Trade? Of what sort?" The middle-aged man was a little doubtful. What would this Magus from a world rich with products need?
"Various kinds of specimens, be they plants or animals. Also anything of unknown purpose. You can sell it all to me, and I'll purchase them with food." Leylin spoke without even blinking his eyes. He had many spatial artifacts with him anyway, and he'd grown into the habit of bringing piles of rations with him whenever he went out. As such, his supplies were extremely abundant. Moreover, even if there wasn't enough, he would have to make a trip home at the worst.
With the rich resources in the Magus World, who would be afraid of a lack of food?
"Specimens? That Sir from last time asked for the same thing as well… Please rest assured, I will definitely fulfil this request of yours!" The middle-aged man patted his chest as he made the guarantee.
"Then I'll be here waiting for good news." Leylin smiled faintly. He was a single person, with only so much time and energy. Matters like gathering ordinary specimens were best left to the inhabitants.
Moreover, the animal skin they'd given him had inspired him greatly as well, giving him hope that there were even stranger things on their hands.
Food was abundant in the Magus World, but it was scarce here. This gave Leylin a bargaining chip, and for the sake of his benefits Leylin didn't mind becoming an unscrupulous businessman. Compared to everything he had invested, those gains would only be insignificant.
Once this news was announced, the entirety of the temporary camp went wild.
Large amounts of plants, animal tissues, and even rocks were sent to Leylin. He welcomed it all; as long as it was a specimen he hadn't seen before he would give them a portion of food for it. Because they lacked manpower, even Gillian and her father were hired specifically to do this work. To these inhabitants, Leylin was a fool who used precious food to exchange for these items.
Unfortunately for Leylin, this kind of opportunity to make unrestrained purchases was quite rare. Given that the value of all this food added up wasn't even worth a few magic crystals, he was simply making a huge profit.
For now, both parties were very satisfied.
...
"Uncle Leylin, take a look look at this!" Gillian passed Leylin some bizarre flesh that looked like numerous eyeballs bound together, "I've never seen this thing before!"
"Hmm…" Leylin tried to analyse this bizarre material, a blue glow being emitted from his eyes.
[Detected unknown article, unable to scan!] The A.I. Chip immediately responded.
"Where did you find this?" Leylin glanced at the inhabitant behind Gillian. It was a youth, the purple pattern on whose forehead formed an odd flower bud-like shape.
When Leylin's gaze swept over him, the youth grew very tense, even beginning to stammer. "Near… Near the new node!"
"This is pretty good! You can get three pounds of black bread for it, or anything else of equal worth." The youth immediately laughed when Leylin nodded. Something that he'd casually picked up already had such value, it was simply a giveaway.
Leylin casually took the item from Gillian's hands and stowed it away. Truth be told, this bit of expense was nothing at all to him. Even if the items they handed over was worth nothing much to him, as long as Leylin hadn't seen them before he would basically accept it.
With such a high rate of accumulation, it was a short period of time before Leylin effectively controlled the surrounding geological and botanical specimens.
Plenty of strange, unknown items were now in Leylin's possession. Although most of it was junk, as long as even one bit had value he would profit.
"Uncle Leylin, the number of people is much smaller today!" Gillian came before Leylin, both eyes turning round and round. Her thoughts were indecipherable.
"That's obvious of course. I already have the basic specimens with me, and specimens from distant areas require time to collect…" On the contrary, Leylin had already guessed this long ago. He had the A.I. Chip after all. As long as things were already stored in his database, he wouldn't need a second copy.
"That… Uncle Leylin…" Gillian also had a hesitant look.
"I know what you want to say, little Gillian!" Leylin stroked Gillian's head, "But it's very dangerous beside Uncle, and also very troublesome. If you follow me, it'll be a disturbance…"
Watching Gillian lower her head, Leylin comforted her again with a laugh, "Hasn't your father found a batch of youths, preparing to pass down what I've taught him? You can go and learn as well…
"Also, I'm preparing to make a trip back home. I'll come back in a few days. You can hoard all the items you receive for now, and I'll bring even more food and supplies next time…" Leylin sent Gillian away and began checking the day's gains.
After the botanical and mineral specimens were sterilised, they were numbered by the A.I. Chip and kept away properly under their own categories in his waist pouch.
The resources in the Warlock Union were very abundant, and a Radiant Moon like Leylin could deploy some of them as long as he didn't touch the bottom line. He'd found himself a magic equipment pouch, whose capacity greatly exceeded his original storage pouch.
Even so, his food reserves were almost all used up. After all, he'd stored it with only himself in mind, and it was already a big thing for it to have lasted all this while.
'In fact, if not for the restrictions on astral gates, trading with other worlds would be the best!' Leylin's eyes sparkled, and he sighed. 'Trading, then colonisation, followed by complete dominance! Although other worlds have differences in power systems and other aspects, they still follow this principle. Of course, Dreamscape is different. This world is too strange, and any investment can cause us to lose everything…'
The next day, he bid farewell to Gillian and the inhabitants at the temporary camp. Loaded with specimens and strange items, Leylin embarked on a journey back home.
"Judging from the laboratory's energy waves, this space-time-travel can still be supported for a period of time. I'll have just enough time to get ahold of all the surrounding specimens and strange items littered throughout this camp!"
Leylin stroked his chin, "Moreover, that Gillian seemed to be leaning towards me. So long as I tempt her a little more, she will enter the Magus world willingly. At the same time, I could secretly capture some inhabitants, which would guarantee enough specimens in the future…"
The current Leylin was taking precautions in case he couldn't use his astral lab anymore.
"However, no matter what, the Magus' message on the animal skin is already a great harvest!" Leylin smiled in satisfaction.
[Warning! Warning! Astral laboratory under attack. Activating rank 1 runes, stored energy at 34.7%!]
At this moment, the A.I. Chip flashed a red warning, immediately making Leylin anxious.
Spider and Breakage
After all, if the astral laboratory was destroyed, not only would he lose his channel to Dreamscape, he would be trapped here, forever.
''Impossible! I set up a concealing technique and spell formation before leaving. I even left behind…''
Leylin's mind began to work rapidly. He was confident in his setup, but the warning from the A.I. Chip definitely wasn't false.
'Could it be some kind of unique creature that can see through my illusory spell formation? Or… is it demons?' The possibility instantly turned Leylin gloomy. He suddenly sped up, coming to the area where his laboratory was…
But the scene that came into his vision made Leylin's eyes widen gradually. "This…"
In his sight was a huge spider the size of a tall mountain, spitting out threads that wrapped up the entire laboratory.
The runes around the laboratory flickered continuously, rippling with a dazzling lustre. The defensive layer and spider web depleted each other.
On the spider's abdomens were large numbers of patterns, coming together to form a distorted male face. A whimpering sound echoed from its wide open maw.
[Warning! Warning! Formation genie energy reserves at less than 10%, approaching critical value. Immediate countermeasures recommended!] the A.I. Chip's red warning window shot out again.
"Is it possible to scan the opponent?" Leylin quickly asked.
[Mission established, attempting to scan. Beginning to break through opponent's force field.]
*Chik Chik!* Even as the A.I. Chip sounded out mechanically, the huge spider in mid-air seemed to be provoked by something. Its compound eyes turned, aiming directly at Leylin.
A forceful scan would release a feeling of a malicious invasion. It was likely to trigger the opponent's hatred, something Leylin expected long ago.
The male face on the spider's abdomen let out a sob, and terrifying sound waves swept past the area where Leylin was, tearing off the topsoil to reveal the thick bedrock.
Leylin had taken precautions the moment he commanded the A.I. Chip to scan. His body was covered in a layer of Kemoyin Scales, and a few blood-red shields emerged.
*Ka-cha!* *Ka-cha!* The blood-red shields and the sound waves came into contact, and it seemed to be unable to defend for much longer. Many cracks emerged on the surface of the shields, and they soon shattered.
The sound waves swept across Leylin, causing intense pain to be transmitted from his Kemoyin Scales.
"Argh… This power!" Weirdly enough, a hint of happiness emerged in Leylin's eyes. At the very least, he could confirm through this attack that his opponent had not comprehended laws. The opponent was not a regulatory existence. This was more important than anything else.
If not, he could only have turned around and fled, abandoning the laboratory and wandering alone in Dreamscape.
[Beep! Target has resisted scanning, not all data has been obtained. Display what is available?] the A.I. Chip asked mechanically.
Of course, Leylin assented unhesitantly. The A.I. Chip responded immediately, projecting a data panel with many incomplete fields before him.
[Beep! Unknown Creature. Power: 200+, Agility: 100+, Vitality: Not enough information, Spiritual Force: 2000+(estimate), Abilities: 1, Detection: Has a keen perceptivity towards the energy waves in its territory, 2, unknown… 3, unknown…]
'That Detection ability should be why the opponent could discover the laboratory in spite of my meticulous concealment.' Leylin sighed. He was reminded of the saying, 'Man proposes, God disposes.'
He had observed this area for a long time. Only after ensuring that there weren't any terrifying creatures did he go out to explore with peace of mind. He hadn't expected that such a terrifying monster would be attracted when he was out.
'The opponent is a rank 6 creature at most, there's still a chance!' Leylin's figure twinkled endlessly as he dodged the snow-white spider web in mid-air. His thoughts were running endlessly.
Of course, the beings of Dreamscape did not follow the Magus World's rankings. Because of the inherent uncertainty of dreamforce, their rankings were very vague.
But through the A.I. Chip's detection and his own observations, Leylin could already confirm that the opponent was at least a rank 6 creature, ferocious and powerful/
'These kinds of creatures all occupy their own territories normally. Why did it come out for no reason?' Leylin immediately shook his head even as this thought came to mind, 'I'm too foolish! This is Dreamscape, why would it follow such rules?'
Right at this moment, the abdomen of the spider in mid-air suddenly bloated as it let out a cry, expanding and lastly exploding! Large quantities of densely packed spiders fell from the sky like raindrops. A translucent thread at all their tails connected them to the main body.
An even finer radiance flashed across these closely packed threads.
Terrifying amounts of dreamforce condensed with a bang, converging on that man's distorted face as he let out a horrifying growl in the sky. "kdalkgmalk!"
Terrifying dreamforce crashed down on Leylin's body, causing the defensive suit to begin cracking inch by inch.
"So powerful! Is this the power of rank 6?" As Leylin mumbled, a blood-red radiance burst out from his body. The power from his point mass had concentrated to an extreme as it boosted a spell, resulting in a new transformation.
"Radiant Moon Arcane Art— Kemoyin Transformation!"
Along with a terrifying hiss, an enormous serpent over a hundred thousand metres long suddenly appeared in the sky. The large bones at the top of its head formed something like a crown, the smooth and elegant lines of its scales emitting the aura of nobility.
This was the ruler of the ancient Giant Kemoyin Serpents— the rank 5 Kemoyin Emperor!
*Whoosh!* A huge phantom flashed across the sky. The Kemoyin Emperor suddenly flung its tail out, which struck the face in the sky and caused it to explode. Mysterious petrifying light short from the amber pupils that were like Morning Stars.
Many of the tiny spiders were petrified right in mid-air, turning into rocks and falling down.
"Innate skill— Devour!" Along with Leylin's soul force, the Kemoyin Emperor suddenly widened its serpent's jaw and a big black hole formed faintly before him.
The spider web in the sky was directly broken, disappearing into the terrifying black hole with the surrounding rocks, branches, and even light itself.
"Get out!" Accompanying Leylin's explosive shout, the enormous serpent suddenly crashed into the large spider in the sky.
With a mountain-cracking, space-shattering rumble, terrifying shockwaves of air swept out in all directions. The large spider that was hovering in front of the laboratory was struck some distance away.
*Chik chik!* This kind of attack obviously enraged the spider. With ear-piercing yells, a few blades of dark light suddenly burst forth, leaving deep scars on the Kemoyin Emperor's body.
Large scales fell down as blood splashed in all directions. Yet, under the effect of the innate Devour skill, the serpent recovered very quickly.
A poof sounded as countless black streams of air gathered together, restoring Leylin's true body. There was an unusual blush on his face as numerous black flames formed on his body making him resemble a demonic phoenix.
"Soaring Demonic Phoenix!" Together with an exalted phoenix cry, the blackfire phoenix tore open the layers of webbing that had wrapped around the laboratory and Leylin dashed inside.
"Go!" Various potions were thrown out from Leylin's body, forming a terrifying combination spell. It mixed with attacks from the Scarlet Earring, and they drowned the enormous spider that was rushing over.
He did not even look at the outcome of that, suddenly closing the door of the laboratory.
*Bang!* When he opened it again, the surroundings of the laboratory had already transformed into the scene of an ancient castle.
"I'm back!" Leylin murmured. His expression suddenly changed and a great amount of dark red dreamforce shrouded his body, forming the phantom of a huge spider.
"Indeed. I still can't resist the attack of a rank 6 creature…" He mumbled with a bitter smile on his face. Suddenly, his expression showed another drastic change.
*Rumble!* Glaring blue lightning bounced around the surroundings of the laboratory, even emerging in Dreamscape. A huge red spider spat out a large amount of thread from the other side that seemed to stretch across the void. With his Astral Vision, Leylin saw a large amount of thread twisting on top of the laboratory, aiming to drag it back into Dreamscape.
"No! If this goes on, no matter whether the laboratory is dragged over there or that thing gets access to the channel leading here, it isn't going to be something I wish to see." A rare look of hesitation emerged on Leylin's face, but ultimately dissolved into resolution. "I need to break the connection!"
Leylin had studied this space-switching of the laboratory extensively. Although he hadn't had many results, he'd still deduced how to stop this phenomenon.
Leylin's right hand dropped a little powerlessly. "A.I. Chip, command the formation genie to activate self-destruct procedures!"
[Beep! Authority confirmed, enforcing command.] Without human thoughts, the A.I. Chip only carried out his orders mechanically. As it sounded out, a slightly dark red gas emerged from the floor of the lab.
The dark red dreamforce grew more concentrated as it converged, eventually even forming a layer of dark red flames.
With a series of bangs, a great amount of webbing melted and broke apart. Even the laboratory itself began to melt slowly.
*Chik Chik Chi…* Leylin felt like he could hear the furious growls of the spider all the way from the distant Dreamscape.
The loud sound was originally very intense, but is soon softened as it gradually disappeared. The dark red flames then extinguished, leaving a big black hole where the laboratory had originally stood. It had disappeared without a trace.
Dreamscape Alteration
"Dreamscape…" Leylin sighed. He could sense that the unusual area that connected two spaces had vanished. From hereon, this place would completely lose its link with Dreamscape.
Though he had expected this day to come, Leylin was still dejected.
"This is only a temporary farewell; Dreamscape, Gillian…"
With large amounts of dreamforce and valuable information at hand, Leylin was confident that he could enter Dreamscape on his own. However, that would require a lot of research and experiments. He would not be able to make contact with Dreamscape in the near future, but he would eventually establish a connection between the two sides using his own strength, then return there.
"What a pity…" Leylin's eyes showed sadness within. With how things were, he could've continued interacting with Dreamscape, getting even more profits.
Still, Leylin would not regret his decision. After being discovered by a rank 6 creature, keeping a spatial node around was just irresponsible towards his own safety.
That gigantic spider had almost descended into the Magus World. If it attracted even more high-ranked existences, Leylin would be left with no option but death. It was worth losing this channel.
"Thankfully, most of the specimens and research materials from those surroundings are with me. Most important is the dreamforce system I obtained from the natives, and the runic structures on their bodies…"
Leylin's eyes flashed as he pondered.
"With all this, I'm more confident in deducing a dreamforce spell that's suited to me. I can use it as a fatal secret attack…"
Leylin had experienced the mysteriousness of dreamforce himself. It was a powerful force that was comparable to Laws, and it could even suppress them. Even existences at or above rank 6 would be troubled by it.
Hence, a spell that relied on dreamforce would be a terrifying issue for many rank 6 Magi, even though he himself was at rank 5.
'The information I got only details the usage of low-ranked dreamforce, and is specifically targeted at the natives. I'll still need a lot of time to alter it to construct a rank 5 spell model…' Leylin touched his chin.
At this moment, he suddenly jerked. Large amounts of dark red gas condensed to form various faces and spiders that crawled on his clothing.
"Boo hoo…" Wails crawled into Leylin's eardrums, causing him to go deathly pale.
"Go away!" His eyes immediately turned into amber pupils, a terrifying phantom of a Kemoyin Emperor appearing behind him.
*Boom! Boom! Crackle!* Large numbers of faces exploded, but the rest persevered on as they surrounded Leylin's body.
"Dreamforce! It's from the injury!" Leylin's expression darkened.
The gigantic spider was a rank 6 existence after all. Leylin had been extremely lucky to catch the spider off guard and enter the laboratory, but he had suffered an injury while doing so. Even though he'd devoured matter to make up for the loss in life energy, the dreamforce from the attack still lingered on.
The mysteriousness of dreamforce was something Leylin knew quite well. If not for him having done some research in the area and producing some antibodies, the backlash would not be so meagre.
'It looks I need to solve the issue with my body before I deduce any new spells!' Leylin laughed wryly, a dense layer of black air covering the surrounding masks and spider figures.
...
A few months later, within a laboratory.
White fog at boiling temperature caused a wave of hot air. Crimson light reflected off the wall, forming a projection of something like fire. In the middle of the laboratory, Leylin sat within a gigantic red pool, his eyes closed as if in thought.
Within this red pool, one could see a lustrous black ink-like fluid constantly oozing out from Leylin's pores.
After leaving his body, the black ink quickly dispersed and contaminated a large region. Faint sounds of wails were emitted from it.
*Skree—!* A large phoenix phantom appeared above the red pool, spreading its two flaming wings over it as scarlet flames arose.
"Wooh wooh…" The cries grew even more mournful as the black ink gradually became fainter within the red flames. It even began to evaporate, returning the pool to its original colour.
A few hours later, there was even more steam in the laboratory, practically becoming a fog that shrouded the entire area.
Within the scarlet pool, the thin threads of black that seeped out from Leylin's pores gradually turned brown, weakening completely.
"Malicious intent and hatred from a foreign world is truly difficult to deal with…" Leylin muttered to himself, grabbing at the towel on his face as he gazed at the red pool.
The injuries caused by the gigantic rank 6 spider in Dreamscape had been very serious. It took till now for the harm to be somewhat dealt with.
"Thankfully, that annoying resent has been completely expelled. All that's left is pure dreamforce, which I have other uses for." Leylin changed out of his loose robes and arrived at the other end of the laboratory.
[Beep! Retinal scanning passed. Brain waves verified. Unlocked through soul force. Opening.] With the A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounding, a wall section opened up to a crevice. The walls on both sides automatically withdrew, revealing a large, glossy door.
One could see two rows of shelves lined with precious materials upon entering, intricate runes carved into the wood like the most delicate of artwork.
*Thud!* The large door closed automatically, causing the light to dim. Once Leylin grew accustomed to it, he could see the many items on the shelves flickering with a dark red lustre.
Atop the shelves were a few leaves kept in glass bottles, as well as ores and the like.
"Thankfully, with the other dreamforce I collected before and the dreamforce the items themselves have, they can stay in this world for a large period of time…"
Leylin was very pleased. This was his dream laboratory, in which the A.I. Chip took care of central administration. The defensive measures here were especially strict. Most of the things he had obtained from Dreamscape previously were placed here.
'I've finally expelled all the malicious intent from Dreamscape. If not, I wouldn't dare meet Freya!' Leylin went past the shelves and came before a black metallic instrument. Seeing the results of the scans, he heaved a sigh of relief.
He had antibodies against dreamforce, and was a rank 5 Radiant Moon Warlock. The dreamforce in the attack before had merely caused him some troubles. However, things were different for Freya. She was still a rank 3 Warlock, and being contaminated by even a bit of dreamforce could have a terrifying effect on her.
Hence, before he was certain he had completely rid himself of all dreamforce, Leylin hadn't dared return to the castle. He'd stayed here instead. It was only now that the malicious intent that Leylin had on his body was completely expelled.
Leylin gazed at his arm. The skin now had a dense layer of red around it, filled with a type of energy.
This was not bloodline energy. It was the dreamforce that had been purified after the ill intent was eliminated.
"Great timing! I'd already determined that I'd need to alter my body to employ dreamforce. This dense dreamforce from a rank 6 being can help me build my foundations!" Leylin's eyes flashed with intelligence as he commanded, "A.I. Chip, begin!"
The A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded out, [Beep! Beginning Dreamscape alterations. Microscopic scanning used, searching database, affirming runes…]
Meanwhile, the large instrument in front of Leylin changed its shape. A few large metallic arms extended forth with crackling noises, all sorts of strange tools on them.
[Partial adjustment to host's body beginning!] With the A.I. Chip's voice, the skin on Leylin's arm first experienced some changes. A layer of dark red light appeared, forming fine patterns. These were very similar to those on the body of Gillian from Dreamscape, but even finer. They were more orderly and had a unique feel to them, with a beauty to this smoothness.
With the A.I. Chip in charge, and the large arms of the instrument helping, Leylin's body was branded with a layer of red runes.
'Why does this remind me of Branded Swordsman? There really is a certain amount of similarity here…'
After the modification was completed, Leylin snapped his fingers and a silver mirror immediately appeared in front of him. The image within was that of a human body filled with strange red runes. A demonic lotus pattern was on his forehead, and he looked very similar to the Branded Swordsmen he'd created before.
'It looks like no matter what kind of path one takes, there's bound to be some similarity somewhere!'
"A.I. Chip!" Leylin commanded.
[Beep! Beginning second procedure!] With the A.I. Chip's robotic voice, the demonic red runes abruptly emanated bright rays of light, completely absorbing all the dreamforce that the rank 6 spider had left on Leylin's body and disappeared into his skin.
Leylin called out in a low voice, feeling powerful energy flowing in his body. At this point, with the disappearance of the large amounts of dream runes, he had regained his original appearance.
Dream Spell
[Beep! Host's Dreamscape alteration has been completed. Dreamforce adaptability has increased. Host has absorbed the remaining dreamforce. Vitality and spiritual force increasing, recalculating data.]
Following the A.I. Chip's voice, Leylin saw his stats being refreshed.
[Leylin Farlier, Rank 5 Warlock. Bloodline: Kemoyin Emperor (Complete Form). Strength: 76, Agility: 62, Vitality: 155.7, Spiritual Force: 1821.5, Magic Power: 1821(Magic power is in synchronisation with spiritual force). Soul Force: 182 (New Moon).]
"I didn't expect the alterations from dreamforce to have so many benefits!" Leylin nodded, rather satisfied with the upgrades.
The most important thing about this alteration was that with the absorption of dreamforce, his body was beginning to get used to this strength. That was a prerequisite to employing dreamforce based spells.
Now, Leylin could see a strange red bar on the histogram that showed his elemental affinities, a third place below darkness and fire but still ahead of even his ice affinity.
"Affinity with dreamforce?" Leylin muttered to himself, knowing what this represented.
Elemental affinity, or the attraction of specific forces, was the prerequisite to Magi being able to cast spells. His affinity with dreamforce surpassed his expectations..
[Beep! Host body's dreamscape alterations completed. Gained dream ability— Illusory Dream! Might when casting illusory-type spells increased by 50%. Resistance to illusions increased by 35%. Host has a possibility of creating a dream forcefield around the body, bewitching intellectual creatures!]
The A.I. Chip called all this to his attention.
'It seems like this Dreamscape alteration had a lot of benefits. If not for dreamforce being too unstable, it wouldn't have been bad to focus on training it.…' Leylin stroked his chin.
Dreamforce was very powerful. If a Magus were to train in this area, the rise of their strength would definitely be very quick. However, Leylin was not going to consider this. There was the aspect of his own affinity to it, but more importantly the instability of dreamforce left Leylin unwilling to gamble on it.
Leylin's view was that the dreamforce would have restrictions when being used in a different world, and also had terrifying variance in the power. If other sources of power ranged from 1000 to 1500, then that of dreamforce would be from 1 to 10000! This meant that creatures in dreams might be frail little bugs a day ago, but could turn into a demon god the very next day.
Beings that were demons the day before could very well turn into creatures not even comparable to bugs due to the weakening of dreamforce.
More importantly, these changes had no pattern! They might never happen, but could also happen continuously, which made it seem like a fraud.
Hence, Leylin would at most use dreamforce as a tool, but not train mainly in it.
"However, with an affinity with dreamforce, I can now cast basic dream based spells…" Leylin came to the centre of the laboratory. A thick isolating glass there held within a gigantic ball of dark red dreamforce that was dense to the extreme within.
This was all the dream energy that Leylin had collected in this period of time.
With the push from a few incantations and soul force, an illusory spell model floated above his hands.
[Opening Sluice Gate No. 1.] Along with the A.I. Chip's voice, one of the channels on the glass revealed a tiny opening. Dark red dreamforce squeezed out like an earthworm, revolving around Leylin and seeming extremely lively.
Seeing that the dreamforce was enough, the sluice gate ruthlessly closed once more, leaving the dreamforce that had escaped outside.
"Rank 1 dream spell— Eternal Light!" A spell model that was complex and strange, with the energy node within constantly changing was sent from the A.I. Chip to Leylin's memories.
With the push from a few incantations and soul force, an illusory spell model floated above his hands.
The dreamforce around Leylin immediately disappeared into the model.
*Rumble!* The energy from a rank 1 spell caused dazzling white rays of light to fill the laboratory.
[Beep! Casting of rank 1 spell 'Eternal Light' is successful. Undulations and data has been recorded. Recording into spell database under dream spells, rank 1] The A.I. Chip quickly intoned.
[Eternal Light: A rank 1 spell that creates light for eternity. Estimated duration to be 50 years, 8 months. Power: 100 – 300 degrees.]
Following that, even more detailed information was shown on the screen of the A.I. Chip.
"A regular rank 1 spell should have a power between 20 and 80 degrees. The amplification from dreamforce is so terrifying…" Leylin touched his chin, gazing at the light on the walls that would not extinguish.
"Regular light magic and even Eternal Light can last for at most a few years… However, the
energy provided by dreamforce can last for 50 years…"
It had to be said that the great effects of dreamforce surpassed Leylin's expectations.
"Once I research and create an offensive rank 5 dream spell, even rank 6 Magi can only tremble under it!" Leylin's eyes flickered with a fervent heat.
The spell model of the rank 1 dream spell he had just cast had come from the animal hide of the natives that had come from Dreamscape. The anonymous Magus had spent decades and come up with a system suitable for natives of the Dreamscape to use. He had even invented a series of dream spells. Though they were only from rank 1 to rank 3, that was still astonishing to Leylin.
To be able to incorporate dreamforce into a Magus' path and then invent usable models meant that this Magus' attainments in spells could even surpass himself.
The information left behind by this person had allowed him to avoid detours, and even aided him in creating a good foundation, thus saving him much time.
Even with the foundations and systems, deducing rank 4 and rank 5 content would usually take Magi a long period of time, but for the A.I. Chip it was just a matter of how much power it allocated.
"With such sensitivity towards spells as well as knowledge of laws, the Magus who accidentally landed in the Dreamscape should at least be rank 6, or even a rank 7 Magus who grasped laws!" Leylin's eyes shone with yearning, and he threw himself into the nerve-wrecking experiments.
Time was fast approaching to fulfill the arrangement he had with Melinda. Before that, he had to constantly amass more strength so that he had enough to save himself, and even escape her schemes.
Whatever conspiracy there was, strength would be key. Once the difference in strength grew
insurmountable, any conspiracies or plots would be useless.
Whether it was dealing with the Blazing Flame Monarch or other dangers, dream spells could be
used as Leylin's hidden trump card and be the deciding factor of victory!
Hence, Leylin dedicated most of the A.I. Chip's operations into the experiment.
…..
'One needs to employ dreamforce for dream spells. Though I've done all I can to prepare some, I can't use it more than a few times. The energy needed for spells at and above rank 4 is terrifying…'
Leylin donned a large white gown, translucent goggles in front of his eyes. Watching the ball of
dark red dreamforce behind the wall, his eyes twinkled.
Dark red dreamforce constantly drifted from the ball. It was similar to a scarlet python that swept across the wall, but it was forcefully blocked.
This was the material that Leylin had identified to isolate dreamforce over many experiments.
In a situation where no people rigged it, just the instinctual attacks of the dreamforce could do nothing against the isolating reinforced glass.
'Based on my estimations and the A.I. Chip's calculations, this dream energy can only be used to cast a rank 4 spell 6 to 10 times, while a rank 5 spell can only be cast 3 times or less…'
Leylin's expression was dark. After breaking the connection with Dreamscape, gathering
dreamforce had turned into a large issue.
No matter how he tried to store them properly, dreamforce was constantly dissipating. While this was a slow process, the keen A.I. Chip had discovered it. Finding a way to store and transport dreamforce was another aspect that it was working hard on.
'Spells that use dreamforce as a base are most effective when related to illusory spells. Dreamforce and the illusory magic are extremely similar, and fusing them is the best option!'
The spell model that the A.I. Chip was calculating constantly improved by his conjectures, and gradually revealed its true form.
A spell model with numerous illusory runes flickering to and fro, emanating multi-coloured misty brilliance that all seemed like a dream began to take shape in the A.I. Chip's simulations.
[Remaining time till rank 5 dreamforce spell is deduced: 3h 41min 12s.] The A.I. Chip had now
given an accurate prompt.
"3 months and 9 days for the deduction of a rank 5 spell to be completed?" Leylin's excitement could not be concealed.
While he had been recuperating and altering his body, the A.I. Chip had not been idle, analysing and studying this area.
Now, the fatal dream attack that he had been anticipating was about to be completed!
While he was waiting, time seemed to flow incredibly slower. Finally, Leylin heard the prompt
from the A.I. Chip.
[Beep! Rank 5 dream spell deduction completed. Progress of construction of spell model: 100%!]
What had always been a robotic voice sounded incomparably gleeful in Leylin's ears.
"It's finally done!" Leylin clenched his fist and immediately read through the content given by the A.I. Chip.
Communication and Stealth
In the simulation space of the A.I. Chip, a spell model that was extremely intricate and had multi-coloured flowing runes had completely taken shape. The A.I. Chip's voice transmitted at this point.
[Beep! Rank 5 dream spell— Radiant Moon Dreamforce Spell — Distrait Dream. Type: Dreamforce. Illusory effect: Causes target to sink into their own dream realm and lose all senses with the external world. 90% chance of causing confusion to a Radiant Moon Magus' truesoul. Effects weaken slightly depending on number of times used.]
"An illusory technique that targets the truesoul, with a success rate of 90%!" Leylin's pupils shrank. He had experienced the mysteries and dangers of Dreamscape for himself. If not for the A.I. Chip and some luck, he might not have been able to escape at all.
It had such a high rate of success amongst those of the same rank, and could even bypass ranks even if the effects would be weakened. Still, the rate should be above 50% then as well.
In other words, the moment Radiant Moon Distrait Dream was employed, there was a 50% chance that even a rank 6 Breaking Dawn Monarch's truesoul would get lost in confusion.
A Magus who lost their truesoul was basically a piece of flesh anyone could take advantage of. Even as the creator of the spell, fear lingered in Leylin's own heart for the terror it held.
"It's a pity that I need to use dreamforce sparingly. I can't test the might of this spell in the real world…" A look of regret rose in Leylin's eyes, before he grew dazed.
"A.I. Chip, begin the simulation of a dream. Create a virtual world using the rank 6 spider as a standard…" This was a unique ability of the A.I. Chip. It could run simulations in virtual reality, and after its upgrades, it could simulate all existences under rank 7, under those that comprehended laws.
White light flashed, and Leylin appeared in Dreamscape once more. Not far away, a large spider with a strange male face on its stomach hovered in the air, countless webs shooting out and covering the laboratory. Every single thing was the same as it had been in Dreamscape.
Dense dreamforce continuously surged from around Leylin, causing him to almost feel suffocated. 'It can even imitate Dreamscape to this extent!'
Leylin gazed at his hands. There seemed to be no issue when he launched soul force, so he could not help but nod in satisfaction.
'Even a rank 6 existence was imitated flawlessly. There's practically no difference from the being I saw before!' Though this was all simulated by the A.I. Chip, everything had been reconstructed exactly the same as the scene from before.
*Chik Chik—* The gigantic spider ahead discovered Leylin and immediately began to snarl, its abdomen exploding to release a large amount of tiny spiders.
"Good, I can test this out against a rank 6 existence!" Leylin chuckled and darted forward, terrifying dark red dreamforce forming a tide around his body.
"Rank 5 dreamforce spell— Radiant Moon Distrait Dream!" Strange ripples spread with Leylin's voice, swirling around the gigantic spider…
In the real world, Leylin's pupils flashed and he regained his consciousness, though the amazement on his face did not decrease.
"A rank 5 dreamforce spell has such a frightful effect…" It had to be said that even though he'd already had a conjecture about it, the shock that came from watching it in a real test had rendered Leylin speechless.
"Very good. With this spell, there's a much greater chance of me surviving against a Monarch, and I'll even have a fatal attack!" Leylin touched his chin. He had always liked planning ahead, first considering the losses before the victory. With confidence that he could retreat unharmed, he was even more interested in the hunting scheme that Melinda had proposed.
After all, the Blazing Flame Monarch had never expressed any interest in letting him off. Even when Leylin had been hiding in the Morning Star area, he'd received a lot of intel regarding the Ouroboros Clan being spied upon.
Even Emma and Gilbert had met with danger several times. If not for the Warlocks from the Morning Star area lending a helping hand in time, the two dukes would probably have died already.
He evidently wanted to use the two dukes to lure Leylin out, but Leylin hadn't fallen for that at all, instead holing himself up. This had allowed him several months of peace.
Sometimes, compromising in the face of a threat would only cause the other party to become even more aggressive. Only when the enemy knew you didn't care for their blackmailing could the passive side grow active and gain the upper hand.
The Blazing Flame Monarch found that Leylin had no intentions of making a move, and didn't care for his side's lives. Hence, any plans he had along those lines were dismissed, and the harassment the Ouroboros Clan faced was reduced.
If Leylin had made the wrong choice, the situation would've turned worse and worse.
"The Blazing Flame Monarch! A Breaking Dawn Magus who is like a blazing sun, eternally illuminating the entire Magus World from the horizon? Hah," A cold smirk appeared on Leylin's face as he stroked his chin, "Even a star will lose its light and warmth one day, turning into a black hole. You're merely a rank 6 Magus…"
The underlying tone of his words lay a boundless bloodlust.
Having thought this through, Leylin placed a call through a secret imprint, on the encrypted channel Melinda had given him before. "Melinda? It's me."
"You've finally made up your mind!" Melinda's voice sounded from the other side. It was a mature female voice, not the voice of the small girl.
"Yes. I cannot stand an opposing organisation constantly eyeing me from the shadows like a vermin. I believe you feel the same way!" Leylin's voice was low.
"Hehe… a mouse? I like your metaphor." Melinda's cheerful laughter came from the other side. She was just like Leylin, caring little for law and having no natural morality. Hearing the meaning in his words, she grew excited as well.
"I know all the weaknesses of the Blazing Flame Monarch. Sometime in the near future, his strength will be at its lowest. With a few other helpers I've found, we can definitely kill him in one go!"
"I hope things are as you say they are." Leylin began to tap the table with his finger subconsciously. He expressed his tentative support of Melinda's plan, but not so much so that he would involve himself in some trap.
In all honesty, even if he was cooperating with her, he would not let himself become a leader. When working together with a sly old fox, just a slight blunder would result in him falling into a trap.
Leylin was very cautious about this. What he wanted to make use of was her knowledge of the pathways and the opponent's weaknesses. Once he gained all of that, he would come up with a plan of his own.
Melinda then tossed out some bait, "The items we get afterwards will definitely be able to satisfy you…"
"I'm anticipating it." Leylin's voice was extremely calm. After agreeing on a time and place with her, he ended the communication.
"Rank 6…" Only Leylin was left in the room. He sunk deep into thought for a long while, and then rubbed his temples, 'Time is scarce. I'll need to start preparing a lot of things…'
In the central continent, rank 6s were at the top of the pyramid. They were emperors among Magi.
The current Leylin didn't have any hope when dealing with them, but even he had little confidence. Other people would even think he was crazy.
However, Leylin and Melinda were both clever. They possessed battle strength at the peak of Radiant Moon, and if they found a few other helpers at the same rank who would fight with their lives on the line when the opponent was weak, there was a huge chance of success.
With ample preparation, Leylin could practically be in an invincible position, something which made this transaction acceptable.
...
Silver spatial turbulence streaked around outside the Morning Star area, bringing a dark silver lustre to the pitch-black galaxy.
A bit of faint light appeared in the distant starry skies, like that from a firefly. Black light flashed at the edge of the space, and Leylin's figure appeared.
His eyes were bright as they scanned the area, his thin and nice eyebrows furrowing before they relaxed. "Come out!"
It was tranquil in the void, with no sound at all.
Leylin snorted, and two streams of black air converged to form a double-headed snake that pounced on an area not far away, the space there fluctuating, "Your Highness Bevis, did you think I was playing with you?"
*Crash!* Space was pulled apart as if it was a door, leaving behind a bundle of fog.
Large amounts of this fog converged to form a human body. The face was that of Bevis, who had previously visited Leylin and left with the two on bad terms.
"How did you see through my innate 'fog'?" Large amounts of white fog emanated from Bevis' body, drowning the double-headed snake. Bevis' expression was dark as he stared at Leylin with malicious intent. It seemed like he was quite miffed at being discovered.
"Why should I tell you?" Leylin gazed at Bevis as if ridiculing him, causing the latter's face to flush red.
"Leylin Farlier! On behalf of the organisation, I'm here to stop you. You act wilfully as if the resources you obtain from us are a trifling matter!" Bevis yelled.
"Hmph! Representing? Who are you representing? Offa? Wayde? Or Jeffrey?" Leylin glared at Bevis as if provoking him, "Where are they? Did you think you alone could represent the Warlock Union? Even if you ascend to Breaking Dawn you won't possess that kind of authority!"
In the Morning Star area, Offa and the other two Radiant Moons were huddled together, watching the scene through an old stone basin.
Multiple scenes and voices were transmitted through the basin, of the confrontation between Bevis and Leylin.
"Everyone… Isn't how we're treating Leylin and Bevis a little…" Jeffrey spoke slightly anxiously.
"This is a matter between the two. It's not right for us to interfere. Besides, there's one thing that Leylin said that was absolutely correct!" Offa spoke coldly.
Fog Giant
"The Warlock Union isn't the personal property of a single Warlock. It's an alliance between all Warlocks, each of whom have their own wills and requirements for benefits," Offa's voice was icy, "Even when Bevis reaches Breaking Dawn, he still won't have the authority to represent us all!"
Wayde and Jeffrey did not refute out of their desire to protect their own interests.
"Furthermore, Leylin wants to raid the Blazing Flame Monarch in his own name, and Bevis is trying all he can to stop this. In principle, neither of them are wrong. Hence, let's give them a chance to sort it out among themselves. We'll appear later to adjudicate. Isn't that appropriate?" An intelligent glint flashed in Offa's eyes. As the oldest and most powerful Radiant Moon Warlock, his might in the Warlock Union could not be underestimated.
"That's true. They're young people after all, they need to be hot-blooded sometimes!" Wayde exclaimed from the other side. Completely golden, he looked like a god of battle.
"But… Bevis is someone who can advance to Breaking Dawn. If some enmity arises between the two Warlocks because of what happens today, the future of the Warlocks of our union…" Jeffrey was slightly worried.
"Bevis has yet to attain Breaking Dawn. Besides, how are you so sure that he will be the one to become a rank 6 Warlock?"
"How can I not be sure? He has…" Jeffrey instinctively retorted, and then saw Offa's expression that was somewhat like a smile but not quite. He immediately went mute, sinking into deep thought.
Though Offa kept saying he wanted to be impartial, one of the two involved was a Warlock with a rank 5 bloodline and the other a Warlock with a rank 6 bloodline. Letting the two fight out a personal battle was already unfair to some extent.
'Perhaps Offa has great expectations of Leylin?' Jeffrey suddenly understood this fact.
Seeing his look of sudden realisation, Offa nodded in gratification, "The prophecy didn't indicate who it was that would reach Breaking Dawn. Although Bevis being the one is most probable, Leylin still had hope as well. Even you and I, as well as all the Warlocks limited to Morning Star, have a chance. That's why we need to make some bets when we need to, that is how we can maintain our influence. Although we're putting a lot of our hope on Bevis, we can't reduce our support towards other Warlocks…"
"I understand!" Jeffrey nodded solemnly.
Offa beamed as he spoke, "Good. No matter who wins or loses, you just need to express goodwill to the loser and show our kindness…"
"Could it be that Your Highness thinks Leylin has a chance of winning?" Jeffrey gaped, "Not only has Bevis reached Half Moon, he has a rank 6 bloodline…"
"Hehe… Someone who can become a rank 5 Warlock with his own abilities isn't a nobody!" Offa laughed, as if hinting at something. He pressed in closer, his eyeballs that were glazed over glinting with a strange light, "Leylin is someone who can create miracles. Nobody can tell the results of this fight, but whatever it is, it's pointless to speculate further. Let's watch!"
Hearing Offa say this, Jeffrey and Wayde watched the battlefield grimly.
...
Leylin had long since noticed the concealed Bevis with the A.I. Chip's scans. The other Radiant Moon Warlocks weren't around, something Leylin found strange.
'Offa and the rest didn't come with him to put pressure on me… Are they maintaining a neutral stance? Rather unexpected.' Leylin's eyes flashed with intelligence, 'Their meaning is quite clear. If I don't exceed Bevis, there's nothing else to say, but if I achieve victory over him or breakthrough I can do as I like?"
'Their placing their bets on both of us… What a bunch of sly old foxes indeed!' Leylin lamented.
Immediately after, his gaze towards Bevis turned piteous. No matter how talented he was, he lacked experience. He evidently hadn't pondered over this, and was still frustrated by the previous events.
"Aaah! Leylin Farlier, I won't let you off. Come back with me obediently!" Bevis roared, a large fog surging from his body.
"Just as well. I'll play with you as a warmup. Besides…" Leylin laughed, and large amounts of demonic black flames suddenly emerged from his body. High-pitched phoenix cries sounded from within.
All of a sudden, the flames flew into the sky, gathering to form a devilishly enchanting blackfire phoenix.
"Soaring Demonic Phoenix!" With the high-pitched buzzing of flames breaking through space, the arrogant phoenix spread its wings, spurring on immense tides of black flames. Space itself was melted down, and the fog that Bevis emitted was devoured and absorbed.
After acquiring the devouring ability of the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor, Leylin found that the same ability of his black flames had been upgraded as well, the two seemingly complementing each other well.
"Is that what you're so confident in? A black phoenix? What kind of bloodline ability is that?" The vigorous fire energy and the demonic devouring ability caused Bevis' expression to change slightly.
"Whatever it is, in front of my bloodline, all odd abilities need to bow down!" His eyes immediately turned crimson. A powerful and profound force from an ancient bloodline emanated from his body, even suppressing Leylin to some extent.
That unique aura that came from an ancient rank 6 bloodline was something regular rank 5 beings did not dare offend. Just this alone gave Bevis a huge advantage when battling Warlocks with bloodline sources of a lower rank than his own.
However, Leylin was different. As the ruler of a race, the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor had a high resistance to the pressure from a rank 6 being, and the suppression was far lesser than what Bevis had expected.
[Beep! Host affected by opponent's bloodline suppression. All statistics have decreased slightly.] Leylin was speechless as he saw his stats. The only decrease was in the unit place.
"Is the suppressive ability of a rank 6 bloodline so weak? Or is the Kemoyin Emperor too overbearing?"
*Chirp~!* Under Bevis' disbelieving gaze, the blackfire phoenix flew before him without being affected in any way. Two wings that were like long flaming blades crossed each other, and terrifying black flames instantly devoured him.
"How is this possible? My bloodline is… rank 6. How can't it suppress a mere rank 5 bloodline?" After the wave of black flames passed, Bevis looked to be in a sorry state. There was a thick layer of fog armour wrapped around his body, resulting in him receiving very slight injuries. The blow to his ego, however, was incomparable.
"Isn't it just the bloodline of the Misty Fog Giant? It's not as if it was the peak of ancient rank 6 beings or something… Is there a need to conceal this?" Leylin snickered disdainfully, and Bevis froze up, "How— how did you find out?"
"What do you think?!" A look of satisfaction hung on Leylin's face, which only made Bevis want to vomit blood.
His bloodline had the innate ability of concealment, which was one of his trump cards. Even those other Radiant Moon Warlocks had not seen through this, and yet it was nothing in front of Leylin.
Fear of Leylin rose in Bevis' heart. It grew increasingly intense, and much of it transformed into hatred.
"You must die. You MUST DIE!" Bevis howled.
*Rumble!* Large amounts of fog exploded, forming the figure of an immense giant.
This giant had four thick and sturdy arms, and a vertical eye at the top of its bald head. Its skin was coloured in the green of marble, large amounts of grey fog being produced from its pores. Its body seemed rather misty.
Since Leylin had seen through it, Bevis had nothing left to hide.
*Awoo…* The gigantic Misty Fog Giant's four large arms were held high as it began to howl fiercely. The dense dog spread to form a large grey fog space.
'It really is the Misty Fog Giant!' Leylin's pupils flickered.
Now that they were fighting, Leylin had nothing holding him back. He immediately ordered the A.I. Chip to forcefully break through the opponent's force field to obtain the correct information on his bloodline. Everything about the Misty Fog Giant was presented to him in detail.
[Appearance of Misty Fog Giant, rank 6 being: Ancient times. Habitat: A wetland with dense fog, or in abandoned Magus Cities. Rumoured to be the descendants of the ancient Thunder Giant, with the ability to manipulate fog. Likes eating plants like green algae. Gentle nature. Special ability has been concealed.
Innate talents: 1. Fog Concealment: Covers up one's aura and information about their bloodline.
2. Grey Fog Space: Creates a subspace that can be maintained for a short period of time.]
"AAAHH. Leylin! I want to kill you. Kill you!" Bevis snarled, the insanity in his eyes growing even more obvious. " Arcane Art— Giant Transformation!"
His body crackled as his body grew larger, fusing with the phantom behind him. Two extra arms grew underneath his ribs, and with the execution of the Arcane Art, he turned into a real Misty Fog Giant.
'Mm! It's a head shorter than the one in the database. It should only be half-grown at rank 5.' Leylin laughed, red rings of light fusing behind him. He dissipated, turning into large amounts of black gases that reformed into a terrifying Kemoyin Serpent Emperor. "Innate Arcane Art— Kemoyin Serpent Transformation!"
*Rumble!* Within the grey space, a giant serpent with a body over a hundred thousand metres long collided with a four-armed giant. Much of the void shattered under this power, the stray undulations causing the Morning Star Area nearby to shake slightly.
Drawing Blood
"What's the matter? Didn't we agree before that he'd only stop his opponent? Why has it gone this far?" Jeffrey was a little stunned at the side. "This isn't good. I'm afraid Bevis' extreme personality has led to an emotional breakout at rank 6. Quickly, go and stop him! If not, His Highness Leylin…"
Even if the Warlock themselves weren't as strong, metamorphosis to a rank 6 creature was definitely more powerful than that to a rank 5. Jeffrey was worried that Bevis would harm Leylin, which wasn't good for the Warlock Union. After all, Leylin was in the Radiant Moon realm and was one of their executive members.
"That's a rank 6 bloodline growing emotional. I'm afraid it will affect us as well…" Wayde, standing at the other side, grew very worried instead.
"There's no need for that. His Highness Leylin is still there," Offa waved his hands, seemingly very relaxed, "Not only he did see through his opponent's bloodline, he even forced Bevis to fall into his own trap step by step. His Highness Leylin is truly growing more and more amazing… Perhaps he'll give us many more surprises…"
"What?" Jeffrey and Wayde exclaimed involuntarily, "Does His Highness still have more strength remaining?"
"I cannot say," Offa waved his hands as he watched the battlefield with more concentration.
The Misty Fog Giant growled, and large amounts of grey fog seeped out of its pores, forming armour and a weapon. It's destructive power was great enough to shatter space itself with every attack.
Bevis' heart was already filled with anger, and he even wanted to directly kill Leylin. This was very different from his previous intention of just teaching him a lesson.
His shame and anger at being discovered and irritation at his pride taking a blow had erupted. Especially after seeing Leylin's unexpected and incredible strength, the flames of jealousy and insanity in the genes from his bloodline mixed together to form something even more terrifying.
The result was that Bevis' rationality had all but disappeared, and he was prepared to kill Leylin here regardless of the consequences.
"What a pitiful child," Leylin's voice was transmitted from the enormous body of the Kemoyin Emperor. Layers of black runes constantly emerged from its scales, easily blocking even the Misty Fog Giant's fog attacks.
Leylin watched the four-armed Misty Fog Giant in front of him attentively, and it seemed as if a mysterious radiance was shot out of his pupils.
"Eye of Petrification!" The Kemoyin Emperor's gaze turned the four-armed giant sluggish. A layer of ash-grey stone instantly emerged on his skin.
"NO, how can my bloodline lose to this low-ranked creature?" Bevis growled frantically as large amounts of blood-red light burst forth from his body, forcing the petrification out.
However, the Kemoyin Emperor had taken this time to rush directly in front of him, its huge tail sweeping across the horizon. A power that seemed like Armageddon burst out from it.
An explosion sounded as the Misty Fog Giant was swatted away. The large amounts of fog in the surrounding area shattered, exposing the original starry sky.
"This rank 6 Misty Fog Giant bloodline, I'm taking it!" A whisper sounded in Bevis' sea of consciousness. Before he could even figure out the situation, the Kemoyin Emperor had already opened up its maw, its two fangs ruthlessly piercing into his neck.
A terrifying attractive force was transmitted from its fangs, causing Bevis to shriek hysterically. Large amounts of fog shattered with a bang, and the Misty Fog Giant began cracking up inch by inch. Light flashed within the grey fog, and Bevis' true body appeared once more.
Only, the current him had two large bloody holes in his neck, and looked battered and exhausted. His gaze towards Leylin was as if he'd seen some sort of demon.
"Ah…" When he gazed at Leylin's pupils, Bevis seemed to receive a great deal of shock. He let loose a weird shriek as his body transformed into a ray of blood-red light that rushed back to the Morning Star Area with extreme speed.
"Indeed… small and weak…" Radiant flames emerged and Leylin returned to his normal form as well. The lack of battle experience and willpower was a shortcoming that had caused Bevis great losses.
With a card like the A.I. Chip up his sleeve, Leylin had abundant experience and strategies that were shrewd and ruthless.
"It's more or less enough, time to go!" He sneered, looking at a point in space with a dazzling radiance in his eyes.
Soon after, his entire body turned into black flames that disappeared in the sky.
...
Within the Morning Star Area, Offa and the other two Radiant Moon Warlocks looked at each other in dismay. "His Highness Leylin actually discovered us spying on them? But this Tracing Pensieve is a piece of high-grade magic equipment…"
"Forget that. I'm more amazed by his battle strength. Even a Half Moon Magus like Bevis isn't his match…" Wayde crossed his arms, and a strand of short golden hair stood up vertically like a steel spike.
One had to admit, Leylin's military strength gave them a great surprise. Not only was Bevis at the Half Moon stage, he also had a rank 6 bloodline inheritance in the Misty Fog Giant. Originally, he was only second to Offa in the Warlock Union.
And he was defeated just like that? Didn't that mean that Leylin had strength comparable to a peak Radiant Moon?
This conjecture was something too crazy for Wayne and Jeffrey to accept immediately.
"Moreover, His Highness Bevis' bloodline seemed to be slightly damaged at the end. Should we tell His Highness Leylin about this and hope he returns that blood?" Jeffrey asked a little hesitantly.
"Do you think that's possible?" Offa speechlessly rolled his eyes. Now that he recalled, he felt like he'd underestimated Leylin. From the start, he had obviously laid a trap for Bevis, who walked in like a fool. Leylin had played him step by step like a marionette.
'What an interesting kid! He started by stimulating his opponent and causing him to harbour killing intent. Then he defeated Bevis openly and righteously, seizing his bloodline… Did he plan all this out before? Then… if we appeared, did he have other plans for it as well?'
The more Offa thought of it, the more his previous indifference was replaced with fear of Leylin. This junior's tyrannical strength and meticulous planning had left him heavily surprised.
"Maybe he's the one who'll fulfil the hopes of the Warlocks." Offa found growing expectations in his heart.
"Then what about us?" Jeffrey didn't really know what to do. Bevis' defeat was a totally unexpected situation to him.
"What else can we do? Just allow Leylin to go out, he's attacking under his own name anyway. With the Morning Star Area's fortress, even if it's the Blazing Flame Monarch, can he break through our defences directly?" Offa flicked his fingernails, his tone carrying a will that did not allow any questioning.
"Also, increase the security of the Ouroboros Clan and Leylin's relatives by a level, especially for Lady Freya. We cannot allow the Blazing Flame Monarch or any others to find even a single loophole, get it?" Offa looked at Jeffrey meaningfully.
"Yes! I will visit Lady Freya myself soon!" Jeffrey nodded with a bitter smile.
"Our rules cannot be broken. There shouldn't be any desperate infighting within us Warlocks, that is our bottom line," Offa said, "I'll go and remind Bevis about this in the near future." All the Warlocks present nodded in agreement.
After all, if such a thing happened internally to an organisation that was supposed to be unified, it would be a huge blow to their soldiers' morale. Furthermore, if one person crossed the bottom line, the enemy would definitely counterattack with the same level of danger, causing both sides to suffer. Magi were intelligent people, they knew what to do.
The only thing that needed to be done was suppressing Bevis' emotional craziness. After he calmed down, everything would become easy.
"We cannot relax our support for Bevis either. Send the skeletal remains of the Misty Fog Giant in the warehouse to him after this!" Offa suddenly said something that shocked Jeffrey greatly.
"Your Highness… Why?" Jeffrey's jaw dropped.
"If Leylin advances to Breaking Dawn, what will we use to suppress him?" At this moment, Offa stroked his beard and said something that left a deep impression on Jeffrey.
…
"I've gained quite a bit this time!" On the other side, Leylin looked at the bloodline in the test tube in his hands that was emitting a misty luster. A hint of happiness emerged on his face.
"Although the Misty Fog Giant isn't some kind of high-grade being amongst ancient rank 6 creatures, it creates bloodline imprints using its blood as materials, this explains its ability to cast ordinary rank 6 spells…"
It could be said that Bevis had fallen into Leylin's scheme from the moment they met.
Moreover. because the opponent had displayed his killing intent during the battle, even if Leylin forcefully extracted his bloodline those Warlocks could not say anything.
After all, compared to Bevis who was in hot pursuit of him, Leylin was instead very 'magnanimous', even letting Bevis go ultimately.
Probably, even if the current Leylin were to draw blood from him, Bevis himself wouldn't have the face to ask for it back, as it was too embarrassing.
"Seeing from the attitudes of Jeffrey and the others, we can still temporarily ease our worries regarding the bloodline alliance. Surely they will also try their best to contain Bevis, making him calm down. They won't attack my forces!"
A thoughtful glint flashed across Leylin's pupils.
These kind of things were mutual. Once Bevis exceeded the bottom line, igniting the flames of war with him, Leylin would definitely follow suit, even paying back tenfold.
Hence, so long as a Magus had a little rationality, he would not do something like this that caused both sides to suffer.