Are there treasures in the Dream World?
Yes — and plenty of them. Whether it was the rules that existed within the Dream World or all manner of materials and treasures, any of them would be enough to drive even Brilliant Moon- or even Dawn Sun-level Wizards into a frenzy.
But the dangers within the Dream World were equally terrifying. Seas turned to mulberry fields in the blink of an eye — the bug you stepped on yesterday might have grown into an Evil God-level powerhouse today, only to crush you in return.
A world where illusion and reality, past and future, were all blurred together and filled with every kind of uncertainty — this was not something Leilin was willing to touch lightly.
During this period, he had not even finished exploring the environment around his laboratory. The reason was that he did not dare venture too far in.
Moreover, in his view, treasures and enlightenment were not the most precious spoils the Dream World had to offer.
The most precious treasure the Dream World possessed was precisely the Dream Power that permeated everything!
Only this Dream Power was the foundation upon which the entire Dream World was constructed!
Whether it was Evil
"Dream Power… It's probably half a tier above both Soul Power and Bloodline Power — a far more advanced form of energy…"
A glimmer of longing flickered in Leilin's eyes.
"If I could fully control this power, not only could I move through the Dream World without obstruction, but I could even abandon the laboratory altogether and try to communicate with the Dream directly…"
The connection between this laboratory and the Dream World would eventually break. Leilin was planning ahead, searching for his own method of reaching the Dream World.
"Activate the isolation layer. Engage power plate number fifty-two. Set index to level five!"
Leilin issued the command. Within the thunder pool, terrifying bolts of lightning surged together, sending ripples of boundless energy outward.
Several silver metal plates slowly rose into position, forming a square metal casing that completely sealed off the culture dish within.
A massive amount of electricity clung to the metal plates, forming a blue surface, as if a layer of blue insulation had been applied over them.
"Activate
In Leilin's eyes, the blue glow intensified, nearly piercing the air before him.
Within his field of vision, the dark-red Dream Power passed through the cage of lightning without any resistance. It merely paused briefly outside the metal plates before unhesitatingly continuing to bore through and sink into the beetle's body.
"Experiment failed." The Chip's cold voice rang out, and Leilin's face darkened.
"Again." Whether in his previous life or this one, Leilin had experienced this sort of thing many times. There was not a trace of frustration in his heart. Expressionless, he began the second experiment.
"The DTO-3 series alloys won't work either. I'll need to switch to a different type…"
Flames seemed to burn in Leilin's eyes, filled with an inexhaustible fighting spirit.
…
A large number of lightning runes formed, clinging to a sheet of material that resembled glass. Inside it sat the culture dish from before, with the black beetle constantly crawling about, attempting to pry open the seal with its compound legs.
"Pop!"
Just then, as if affected by something, the beetle's movements froze. Its form suddenly became somewhat distorted.
[Dream Power detected as isolated. Subject's biological signatures destabilizing. Ding! Interference detected. Unable to scan…]
Amid the Chip's mechanical voice, the beetle inside the culture dish suddenly went berserk, shrieking ceaselessly. The piercing sound transmitted straight through the glass walls.
The shrill insect cries were piercing and carried a frantic urgency. Leilin's spiritual sense was instantly drawn toward it.
He gazed at the outermost glass plate, and blue light blazed from his eyes.
Under his Astral Vision, vast quantities of dark-red, mist-like Dream Power were blocked outside the glass plate, unable to enter the culture dish any further.
And because of the experimental stimulus, wisps of dark-red gas were constantly emanating from the beetle's body.
Each wisp of red gas that surfaced from the creature's body caused the beetle's silhouette to grow fainter still, its very outlines wobbling and becoming unstable.
The effect was as though this beetle were nothing more than a three-dimensional projection, now being disrupted.
Boom!!!
After the final wisp of dark-red Dream Power was extracted, the beetle let out a shrill cry and its entire body detonated.
Specks of black light dissipated, and then it vanished entirely without a trace.
[Mass inside culture dish registered as zero. Confirming no residual traces remain.] The Chip's subsequent report came through as well.
"So that's how it is. Illusions remain illusions after all. It was only through the transformative power of Dream Power that they could truly manifest in the real world…"
Leilin stroked his chin. The success of this experiment confirmed many of his hypotheses.
"Those Evil Gods — inside the Dream World, they're nearly omnipotent. But the moment they step into the
Leilin felt that the mystery of the ancient Dream World invasion and its final outcome had at last been unveiled before his eyes.
In the beginning, when the two worlds intersected and Dream Power was abundant, those Evil Gods had been so powerful that even the ancient Wizards were at their wit's end. But the Wizard World was simply too vast — it even possessed seven underground levels rivaling the surface in scope.
Each time the invasion pushed deeper underground, the Dream Power supplying it decreased by a layer. What's more, as the two worlds drifted apart, the Dream Power that could be transmitted dwindled ever further.
In the end, if those Evil Gods did not withdraw of their own volition, what awaited them was nothing more than annihilation — reduced to ash, just like the beetle.
"Dream Power is both an unstoppable weapon and a crippling shackle!"
At this point, Leilin actually felt a twinge of sympathy for those Evil Gods. Inside the Dream World, they were near-omnipotent — but once they entered the outside world, stripped of Dream Power's support, they were worse than insects.
"By contrast, the Wizard system and the Divine system, while affected in other worlds as well, are the most universally applicable. They can retain the vast majority of their power… And that is precisely why the Wizard World and the Divine World dominated in ancient times. No matter how bizarre and formidable the Dream World might be, it ultimately proved nothing more than a passing flash…"
Leilin gazed at the Dream Power blocked behind layer after layer of barriers and fell into contemplation.
"For me, the Dream Power system can be explored to a degree, but it absolutely cannot serve as my foundation. If it ever becomes specifically countered and suppressed, the consequences would be far too severe…"
"Chip! Record this experiment. Classify all parameters as top-secret. Begin simulating the factors that could influence Dream Power…"
Leilin issued the order. The success of this experiment was only the first step. What came next was to determine the fundamental properties and rules of Dream Power through continuous experimentation, attempt to integrate it into his own Wizard system, and perhaps even develop magical arts centered around Dream Power!
Many ancient Wizards had done precisely this — discover everything, study everything, harness everything! That was the very essence of the Wizard's path!
"Though Dream Power's limitations are severe, if deployed as a surprise weapon, its effectiveness would be terrifying…"
Leilin certainly would not underestimate Dream Power simply because of its limitations. After all, the might of the ancient Evil Gods was firmly recorded in the Chip's database.
"Once I'm familiar enough with Dream Power, I can take advantage of this window to begin exploring the Dream World…"
Leilin stroked his chin, his gaze deep and contemplative.
He had sacrificed a great deal of opportunity to explore the Dream World for this research. Now the two worlds were on the verge of separating entirely. But for Leilin, this cost was absolutely worthwhile.
Compared to a mere world coordinate, what he had mastered was the guarantee of thriving within the Dream World in the future.
Moreover, unlike the Owl's expectations, if he succeeded in mastering Dream Power, he could potentially enter and exit the Dream World freely from any location.
After all, the Dream World was unlike any other world. It was omnipresent, connecting with the dreams of every sentient being. In theory, it was even more vast and boundless than the Astral Plane — the worlds and planes it linked to would surpass even that.
Of course, this was the most optimistic scenario. But within it, Leilin saw limitless possibilities!
"Someday, all the secrets of the Dream World will be laid bare before my eyes!"
A trace of a smile surfaced in Leilin's blue pupils.
Click. Click. At that very moment, a fine, crisp sound of cracking suddenly reached Leilin's ears.
"What's going on?" He turned his head, and his gaze fell directly upon the half-body statue that had appeared today.
As the laboratory most deeply connected to the Dream World and most profoundly influenced by Dream Power, strange occurrences happened almost every day. Leilin had nearly reached the point where nothing could surprise him.
But the half-body statue that had materialized today was covered in an ever-growing web of fine cracks.
To Leilin's surprise, when he scanned it with the Chip, what he saw was a perfectly intact statue — not a single crack to be found.
"What's happening? Could it be that only the Stellar Illusion Race's vision can perceive this?"
Leilin withdrew the blue-sighted vision from before, his pupils reverting to their original black. What he saw was a complete, unblemished statue — and a deep chill surged without warning through his heart.