The half-body statue that had suddenly appeared, along with the fine cracks only visible through the Astral vision, sent a chill through
The things within the Dream World were far too mysterious and unfathomable, yet their allure for Leylin was utterly unparalleled.
It was precisely because of this that Leylin, who had been so deeply absorbed in his experiments, had somewhat neglected the immense dangers lurking within the Dream World.
In the Dream World, anything was possible.
"Lock it down!" Leylin watched the ever-widening cracks on the statue and issued the command in a low, grave voice.
Clang! A blood-red glow rose from the ground, instantly forming a semi-transparent cage, while the runes previously arranged around the half-body statue immediately flared to life.
Suppressed waves of energy converged, sealing the half-body statue tight within.
Crack! Even within the containment, the fractured area on the half-body statue continued to expand. All the cracks merged together, eventually forming a terrifying, gaping maw.
A layer of fine blackness writhed and crawled out from the gaping mouth — countless ant-sized insects, pouring out of the statue in layer upon layer, instantly blanketing the ground in a thick carpet.
The dark-red Dream Force suddenly grew several times denser, forming fine whirlpools that rippled back and forth through the air.
"Why has the flow pattern of Dream Force shifted so suddenly?"
This discovery immediately deflated more than half of the elation from his earlier experimental success. Leylin reflected on himself — in the study of dreams, he had only taken a minuscule step forward, and his understanding of the Dream World had barely lifted one corner of its veil. One must remain awed before the unknown. The faint flicker of pride that had risen was promptly crushed.
"Screech!" Accompanied by spine-chilling squealing and the sound of frantic gnawing, Leylin watched in horror as the binding runes shattered one after another. Even the
The dark-red Dream Force was continuously transforming into black, and the bizarre power it carried was enough to make even Leylin blanch.
"Damn it! If I had waited until tomorrow, I could have applied all the insulating materials I discovered today…"
Leylin cursed bitterly in his heart, but there was nothing he could do.
"Be destroyed!" He struck out violently. A sinister black flame surged forth in a frenzied sweep, completely engulfing the spot where the half-body statue had stood.
The temperature inside the entire laboratory skyrocketed to its limit in an instant, then quickly plummeted back down.
The original floor had melted under the extreme heat, leaving a massive depression. At the bottom of that depression, various melted materials mixed together and slowly solidified, forming crystals that resembled multicolored gemstones.
"Squeak!" Black spots emerged one by one upon those crystals.
Although the half-body statue had vanished, those black insects had actually survived Leylin's Evil Phoenix Fire attack.
"Their very foundation is the power of dreams — if this isn't cut off at the source!"
Leylin's eyes narrowed. With a wave of both hands, the experimental material boards that had been sitting in the Thunder Pool instantly flew out, bursting into an endless cloud of powder in the air. Yet some force seemed to hold the particles together, forming a delicate, thin membrane that settled over the area where the black insects had been.
"Isolate!"
A torrent of lightning surged over the membrane, forming an isolation layer much like the ones from his previous experiments. The dark-red power of dreams was sealed off on the other side.
"Crack! Crack!" But the mass gathering of dream power caused deep dents to bulge across the membrane's surface, groaning under the strain.
"The power of dreams can be isolated, but it can also be broken through. My previous isolation experiments only targeted an ordinary dream creature. When I encounter something of a higher grade, this is what happens..."
Leylin's pupils contracted.
In other words, if he faced an even more powerful existence, this membrane would likely be torn apart outright.
Come to think of it, a rope net might catch small fish, but how could it hope to hold a tiger shark from the open ocean?
"The priority now is to eliminate all these threats before the opponent regains support from the power of dreams!" A look of grim determination flashed through Leylin's eyes. The Evil Phoenix Fire blazed to life once more.
This time, without the replenishment of dream power, the black ants melted quickly, dissolving into tiny specks of black light that scattered into nothing.
As if provoked by this, the dream power outside the membrane grew even denser, causing fine cracks to spread across its surface — as though it could shatter at any moment.
"Faster! Come on, faster!"
Leylin muttered under his breath. A cool, clear soul power suddenly surged forth, pouring into the flames.
The black fire blazed tenfold, incinerating every last black ant. The instant the final ant vanished, the isolation membrane let out an agonized wail and exploded apart. The dream power, now devoid of its target, lingered in circles for a moment before dissipating on its own. Leylin could not help but let out a long breath of relief.
Suddenly! The instant he turned around, the half-body statue was pressed right in front of his face, its cracked mouth gaping wide as though in mockery.
A terrifying dark aura surged ceaselessly from the gaping maw.
Leylin's pupils contracted sharply. Fine Coracinus scales instantly surfaced across his skin, and the crescent soul power from within his true spirit flooded through his entire body.
"Squeak..."
Terrifying black ants resurfaced, swarming over Leylin's entire body. His magical Wizard robe offered no resistance at all, instantly riddled with countless holes.
The black ants blanketed Leylin's body. Even the enhanced defense of his Coracinus scales, reinforced to the fifth rank, could not withstand their mandibles. Intense pain radiated from beneath his skin, leaving Leylin covered in countless tiny cuts.
"Hiss..."
Behind Leylin, the spectral image of the Coracinus Serpent Emperor suddenly materialized, roaring and setting a layer of black flames alight across his body.
"Whoosh..." After the flames burned away, Leylin felt a moment of disorientation. When he came back to his senses, the black ants covering his body had completely vanished.
However, his skin was densely covered in fine, dark wounds, a truly horrifying sight.
"Is this the dreamscape's intrusion?" Leylin looked at the blue lightning pool, the sunken ground, and the scales that had instinctively surfaced on his body, letting out a deep sigh.
The Dreamscape World was a realm that blurred reality and illusion, where anything could happen.
"I'm afraid... after being permeated by the power of the dreamscape, my laboratory has been transformed into a dreamscape structure. Even the essential nature of its materials has been altered..."
This situation bore a striking resemblance to the process by which high-level Wizards actively radiated power over their own castles, only more severe and far more oppressive.
"Chip! Increase the alert level here again! Bar all Warlocks except myself from entering!"
Stepping out of the laboratory, Leylin's expression was grim. The feeling of being shrouded in illusion, as if trapped in an illusion spell without even realizing it, was deeply unsettling to him.
Moreover, the intrusion of the Dreamscape World was not merely an illusion; it was a force capable of affecting reality. Whatever he experienced within the illusory realm could potentially manifest completely in his true body.
"Dreamscape experiments are truly fraught with danger!"
Leylin sighed. Even he now dared not reside anywhere near this laboratory.
"Young Master Leylin! You've finally come out?"
As he reached the castle entrance, Leylin heard
"What's the matter, Young Master Jeffrey?" Leylin asked with some curiosity. This area was his private domain, and Jeffrey could not trespass without permission, as that would be disrespectful to the host.
"I've tried contacting you numerous times before, but my messages were blocked, so I could only wait out here..." Jeffrey said with a bitter smile, shrugging his shoulders.
"So that's what happened. I was completely absorbed in my experiments earlier. My apologies!"
Leylin immediately offered his apologies, a sheepish look appearing on his face. The contamination and isolation effects of the Power of Dreams were far more terrifying than those of ordinary Wizard spells.
In a laboratory surrounded by such conditions, it would be truly strange if outside communications could still get through.
"What kind of experiments were you working on? I heard that last time, Your Highness Leylin's laboratory even had an accident — the contamination from the leak was quite severe…"
Jeffrey gazed at the heavily guarded castle behind Leylin, where not a single trace of life could be sensed, curiosity written across his face.
The story about an experimental leak was, of course, a false rumor Leylin had deliberately spread, so that he could rightfully tighten security around the place.
"Oh, nothing much… Just a minor leak from some Astral experiments. Seems like something might have gotten out…"
Leylin mixed truth with falsehood, his acting skills having improved greatly — he no longer even needed the Chip's assistance to fool an old fox like Jeffrey.
"It seemed like a rather cute but timid creature. In order to play hide-and-seek with it, I had no choice but to seal off the entire castle…"
Leylin smiled.
"Oh!" Jeffrey nodded, but didn't press the matter any further. A Wizard's experimental information was sacrosanct, and the two of them were both fifth-rank Warlocks of equal standing — there was no way he would be so presumptuous as to pry further.
"Your Highness Leylin, is it not rather rude of you to still not invite us inside?"
At that moment, a Warlock standing beside Jeffrey spoke up in a calm tone, carrying a hint of hostility toward Leylin.
"Hmm?!"
Leylin was startled. Only now did he notice the figure standing beside Jeffrey.
The man's features were remarkably handsome, his eyes brimming with vibrant life force. His aura was unfathomably deep, yet paradoxically easy to overlook entirely.