Chapter 26: Preparing for the Nightmare Realm
After the blood key sends Kai a cryptic message about being able to access the Nightmare Realm, his mind races with possibilities. The AI chip analyzes the implications, calculating the risks of venturing into such an uncharted domain. Realizing the potential to gather resources and enhance his power, Kai decides to prepare thoroughly.
He begins by consulting the school library to find anything related to planar travel and the Nightmare Realm. He stumbles upon fragmented records of past explorers who briefly survived such journeys, but none offer practical guidance. The AI chip provides a hypothesis: success in the Nightmare Realm will depend on adapting to its environment and exploiting local resources.
Kai then procures defensive items and replenishes his stock of alchemical herbs. A sense of urgency drives him, knowing that even the slightest miscalculation could cost him his life. After days of meticulous preparation, he activates the blood key and steps into the swirling abyss, bracing himself for the unknown.
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Chapter 27: A Strange and Hostile World
Kai's first moments in the Nightmare Realm are disorienting. The air is thick with an otherworldly aura, and the environment feels alive—dark tendrils of mist seem to watch his every move. The AI chip instantly begins analyzing the atmospheric composition, discovering a higher concentration of energy particles.
As he ventures further, he encounters his first challenge: a pack of shadow beasts with translucent, sinewy bodies and glowing red eyes. Their strength is overwhelming for a Level 3 apprentice, but Kai's AI chip helps him identify their weaknesses. Using his dark-element spell model, he channels a concentrated bolt of shadow fire, dispersing the creatures. Though victorious, the battle leaves him drained, and he realizes the Nightmare Realm's dangers far surpass his expectations.
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Chapter 28: Gathering Herbs and Low-Level Bloodlines
While exploring, Kai discovers a cluster of glowing, ethereal plants nestled within a rocky outcrop. The AI chip identifies them as Nightmare Orchids, rare herbs capable of boosting mental strength and aiding in bloodline integration. As he harvests them, a low-level Nightmare Beast ambushes him.
Kai barely manages to fend it off using a combination of fire and shadow magic. The AI chip notes the beast's unusual bloodline potential, prompting Kai to extract its blood for further study. Exhausted but satisfied, Kai decides to retreat temporarily, using the Nightmare Orchids to recover and prepare for his next venture.
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Chapter 29: Returning to the Wizard World
Kai returns to the Wizard World bruised but alive, carrying his newfound spoils. Back at the school, he immediately isolates himself in his private laboratory, focusing on studying the blood samples. The AI chip assists by constructing a bloodline compatibility matrix, revealing the potential of infusing low-level monster blood into his body.
Despite initial failures, Kai learns valuable insights about the intricate process of bloodline integration. However, he keeps his research a closely guarded secret, aware of the consequences if his experiments are discovered. As his resources dwindle, Kai resolves to return to the Nightmare Realm, determined to obtain a more potent bloodline.
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Chapter 30: Advancing to an Official Magus
Kai uses the Nightmare Orchids he collected to refine a breakthrough elixir. The concoction enhances his mental strength, pushing him to the threshold of advancement. For days, he isolates himself in meditation, circulating energy through his veins.
Finally, with a surge of power, Kai's spirit core condenses, marking his ascension to a Level 1 Magus. The transformation is profound—his spells are sharper, his energy reserves deeper, and his perception heightened. The AI chip provides a detailed analysis of his newfound abilities, suggesting ways to maximize his potential.
Despite his triumph, Kai feels an undercurrent of unease. The blood key vibrates faintly, as if urging him to return to the Nightmare Realm.
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Chapter 31: The Nightmare Realm Beckons Again
Fueled by his recent breakthrough, Kai decides to heed the blood key's call. His preparations this time are even more thorough, with upgraded equipment and spells tailored to the Nightmare Realm's unique challenges. Upon arrival, he finds the realm more chaotic than before, its creatures more aggressive and the energy density fluctuating erratically.
This time, Kai's goal is clear: to locate a creature with a mid-level bloodline and extract its essence. Along the way, he encounters hostile monsters, but his enhanced magic allows him to dispatch them with relative ease. The AI chip continuously analyzes their behavior and physiology, providing critical tactical insights.
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Chapter 32: Contact with Low-Level Monsters
While scouting, Kai stumbles upon a group of low-level Nightmare Beasts engaged in what appears to be territorial disputes. Using his dark element affinity, he cloaks himself in shadows and observes them. The AI chip records their patterns and deduces a rudimentary hierarchy among the creatures.
Realizing an opportunity, Kai lures one of the weaker beasts away from the group and incapacitates it. Through a mix of coercion and subtle manipulation, he gleans valuable information about the realm's dynamics, including rumors of a powerful entity that governs the monsters.
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Chapter 33: The Search for a New Bloodline
Determined to strengthen himself further, Kai ventures deeper into the Nightmare Realm, where the energy density is nearly overwhelming. Here, he encounters a rare species of Nightmare Beast with shimmering scales and glowing veins—indications of a strong bloodline.
The ensuing battle is grueling. The beast's strength and cunning push Kai to his limits, forcing him to rely on every ounce of his magical prowess. Finally, he delivers a decisive blow with a spell combination crafted using the AI chip's analysis. As the beast falls, Kai extracts its blood and stores it carefully, knowing this could be the breakthrough he's been seeking.
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Chapter 34: A Monster Unveils His Identity
Unbeknownst to Kai, his repeated incursions into the Nightmare Realm have not gone unnoticed. A mid-level monster with humanoid features and an aura of intelligence begins tracking him. During a moment of respite, the creature confronts Kai, speaking in a guttural language.
The AI chip translates fragments of the speech, revealing the creature's accusation: Kai is an outsider, a being that doesn't belong to the Nightmare Realm. The confrontation escalates into a deadly battle, with Kai narrowly escaping. However, the encounter leaves him shaken, realizing the risks of exposing himself to the realm's more powerful entities.
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Chapter 35: Returning to the Wizard World
After his harrowing experiences, Kai returns to the Wizard World to recuperate and process the bloodline samples he collected. The AI chip provides detailed simulations of potential integrations, but Kai hesitates, knowing the risks involved.
He spends time reconnecting with his guild contacts, sharing fabricated tales of his "missions" to maintain his cover. Meanwhile, he begins formulating plans to integrate the new bloodline into his body, knowing it could be the key to advancing further in both the Nightmare Realm and the Wizard World