"Whether it's the ancient wizards sealed within the core of the Magic Net, or the rule-level existences currently in the outside world — none of them are simple prey…"
Leilin Farell stroked his chin, already having a clear strategy for the future mapped out in his mind.
"So letting both sides keep each other in check might not be a bad approach? Either way, with the advantages of being both a leader and a local, I'm bound to come out on top no matter what!"
And to reap those benefits, cultivating a favorable image was quite important. At the very least, Leilin had to ensure that when the time came for him to raise his voice, numerous seventh-level rule wizards would be willing to follow him into the treasure troves of the World of the
"This kind of reputation-building will take time, but the exploration of the Dream World — that can already begin…"
Leilin murmured, his form growing translucent before vanishing entirely.
In the vast and boundless Astral Plane, the
Countless smaller worlds, like stars orbiting a greater body, encircled them — the strongest among them being the Shadow World, the Ice World, the Infernal World, and so on…
Yet among all these worlds, there existed one peculiar entity.
It was omnipresent, sustaining itself on illusions, yet it possessed a genuine physical form. At the peak of its World Primordial Force, it was in no way inferior to either the Wizards or the Gods.
This was the Dream World! A bizarre realm filled with absurdity and strangeness, wonder and terror — a place where even time and space could be twisted and interwoven.
Moreover, as of now, the Dream World was the only peculiar existence capable of communicating with the World of the Gods without suffering severe suppression.
In the ancient era, the Nightmare King — a wizard who possessed the Dream Devouring Constitution — had advanced to the eighth-level limit in the shortest time imaginable, towering above all other wizards and even becoming a nightmare to the gods themselves.
Had he not sought his own death, the World of the Gods would never have been able to bring him down.
Now, having inherited the power of his bloodline, Leilin stood in the Nightmare King's stead, gazing upon the contours of the Dream World.
In previous world transitions, Leilin could only passively rely on the instincts embedded in his bloodline. The Dream World's own shielding had prevented him from understanding the principles behind the transition at all.
But now, the entire Dream World seemed to treat Leilin like its own flesh and blood, unveiling its mysteries to him without reservation.
"This degree of affinity… I'd almost believe that the Dream Devouring Constitution is a reincarnation of a fragment of the Dream World's own Will!"
Leilin's eyes were filled with astonishment as he beheld the seemingly endless world before him.
The space he currently occupied appeared to be a gap that had lost both mass and dimensionality — the boundary between two-dimensional and three-dimensional space.
Before him, a Dream Plane whose edges constantly warped like a shapeshifter's body, its center a chaotic jumble of mismatched time and space, was laid bare.
Along the Dream World's border, countless small dreams were born and perished almost instantly.
Moreover, many powerful dreams intersected with one another, forming eerie zones of distortion. The destruction and madness at their cores were enough to give even the current Leilin serious pause.
More critically, Leilin had noticed that the entire Dream World operated like a colossal black hole, ceaselessly drawing in tiny specks of light from every direction.
Those were dreams — pulled directly from the minds of sentient beings across countless worlds by its overwhelming power.
Any creature capable of thought could have dreams, and any dream would unconsciously be drawn toward the Dream World!
The Dream World was, in essence, a composite of the dreams of the vast majority of sentient beings living across all worlds — including those of the Wizard World and the World of the Gods!!!
"Which means… in the beginning, the Dream World didn't exist at all. It only came into being later, as the number of sentient beings grew — especially after absorbing the dreams of powerful existences…"
This possibility left Leilin momentarily speechless.
He suddenly recalled the World of the Gods, where the situation was remarkably similar. The world had originally contained no gods. It was only through the accumulation of faith that deities came into existence!!!
"That must be why the Dream World is so peculiar — simultaneously powerful and weak."
Leilin felt he had vaguely grasped the key to the Dream World's waning power.
"Still… I shouldn't jump to conclusions. I should walk around more, observe more. I have time to spare — the clone on the other side needs to cultivate, and the Serpent Covenant still has a thousand years left…"
A flash of crimson light, and Leilin pierced through the Dream World's membrane, arriving in the true domain of dreams.
Whoosh…
Surging, howling Primordial Force materialized around Leilin like a merciful mother welcoming home a weary traveler.
[Ding! Large quantities of Dream Primordial Force detected. Absorb?]
The Chip displayed its prompt.
"No." Leilin shook his head and dispersed the surrounding force.
Compared to what the Wizard World offered, the Primordial Force here was extraordinarily generous. By Leilin's estimation, it was at minimum equivalent to the combined authority of all rule-level wizards — enough to raise him to his current ceiling in a single infusion.
Unfortunately… Leilin genuinely didn't have the nerve.
After all, until the deficiency in Dream Power was resolved, recklessly bathing in the Dream World's Primordial Force could lead to problems down the line that would be impossible to undo.
"The Dream World isn't going anywhere. I can come back whenever I like — I won't miss this opportunity…"
Having reached this conclusion, Leilin showed no regret as he swept aside the howling World Primordial Force and turned his attention to the landscape around him.
Barren… desolate… utterly devoid of life…
What had once been grasslands, forests, valleys, lakes, and rivers had now transformed entirely into yellow desert. Not a trace of moisture remained in the air.
Leilin spread his spiritual force field. With his current attainment as a seventh-level Warlock, he could scarcely detect a handful of life signatures across this vast expanse.
The entire Dream World appeared to have "died."
"No — 'died' isn't quite accurate. 'Hibernating' would be more fitting!"
His powerful rule-level spirit, along with his extreme soul perception, still allowed Leilin to pick up on subtle differences.
An infinitesimally faint trace of vitality was hidden beneath layers of desert — like a seedling protected within a hard shell, perfectly preserving the last spark of life while waiting for the arrival of spring.
And in several regions where the Snow of Destruction fell, powerful and sinister soul fluctuations lurked at their centers.
These were the Nightmare Gods, the Calamity Lords — the Dream World's rule-level existences — who had chosen to seal themselves away in order to survive.
But to underestimate them on that account would be a grave mistake. Any lord in self-imposed secession still maintained a certain connection with the outside world. Should anything offend their dignity or threaten their interests, they could break free from their seals on their own.
Even though Dream Power had waned, they still possessed their own accumulated Primordial Force and soul energy, and as native inhabitants of the Dream World, they could inflict ruin and death upon any intruder!
Before this was understood, many scavengers and treasure hunters who had come to exploit the Dream Power's decline had been惨ly destroyed…
Of course, modern treasure hunters had grown much smarter since then. Leilin recalled the One-Eyed Dragon clan's powerhouse he had encountered on his last visit.
"Come to think of it — was this really where
With the privileges of the Dream Devouring Constitution, Leilin had naturally set his Dream World anchor point to a familiar location.
Yet as he surveyed the endless desert before him, his face carried a wistful expression. He had known the Dream World's environment changed rapidly, but he hadn't expected it to happen this fast.
During his last visit — when he had negotiated with the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents — the environment had already changed, but the general terrain had still felt familiar enough for him to locate the former settlement of Gillian's clan.
But now?
Every trace, down to the very topography, had vanished without a trace.
"The scent in the wind tells me that at least fifteen thousand years have passed since my last visit…"
Leilin's nose twitched slightly as he sniffed the air, then arrived at a resigned conclusion: "It looks like this region was unlucky enough to be caught in a Dream with a terrifying time-flow differential…"
"Still, last time she said she was heading to the Calamity Territory in the north… I might as well go take a look…"
Leilin stroked his chin.
His primary reason for coming to the Dream World was to resolve the issue of Dream Power's decay. Gillian's people were merely an afterthought.
After all, after so many years, it would not be unusual for her great-great-grandchildren to have died of old age — or even for her entire tribe to have vanished.
Nevertheless, Leilin had a peculiar premonition. Judging by the changes he had observed among her people before the Dream Power's last decline, if fortune favored him, he might just find himself a substantial force of allies and hands here.
In the Dream World, anything was possible!
"Besides… that's only a side matter! Chip!"
Leilin issued his command.
[Ding! Task established. Collecting Dream World Primordial Force fluctuation data… Current progress: 0.0001%. Estimated time to completion: 3,987 hours and 13 minutes. Acquiring seventh-level native biological tissue samples could accelerate this process!]
The Chip dutifully reported.
"As long as I'm within the Dream World, the Chip's simulation and analysis can run indefinitely… Now, let's see what secrets the Northern Calamity Territory from last time holds!"
Leilin's figure instantly dissolved into endless darkness, surging northward. Howling gales flanked him on both sides, the display of power vast and terrifying.
Last time, sensing the presence of numerous Calamity Lords in the north, he had chosen to withdraw rather than antagonize them — and he had pressing matters in the World of the Gods to attend to. But now, things were different.