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nChapter 38: Entering the Dreamrealm (1)

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nSu Chen hobbled out of the room, breathless and without energy.

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nThe skinny student was dazed by Su Chen’s nearly exhausted appearance

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nMany students came to clear different rooms, but not many came out of the rooms looking half-dead.

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nHow much energy did you use clearing that room?

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nSu Chen laughed dryly.

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nIt was a happiness borne from achieving victory after fighting with all of his strength.

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nIt was a success borne from never giving up!

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nNo matter the time or circumstances, he would not give up!

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nThis was exactly the kind of person Su Chen was!

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nOf course, the battle from today had opened Su Chen’s eyes to many of the faults that existed with his battle style.

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nHe had not been prepared enough for his opponent, his thinking had been somewhat idealistic, he had been too self-confident, and he didn’t adapt quickly enough. This was an experience that would make him more cautious in the future.

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nAfter all, this place was only an illusion. If this had been on a real battle, even if he had won, he would’ve become a cripple.

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nClearing that room gave Su Chen 150 contribution points. When adding on the 150 that he had from before, he had 300 in total.

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nWith these 300 contribution points, he could finally do something that he had wanted to do for quite some time – enter the Dreamrealm.

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nIt costed 200 contribution points to go from Tier 8 preferential treatment to Tier 7. After ranking up, Su Chen’s identity placard sent him a notification: “Detected that the target of preferential treatment is already registered within the Dreamrealm. Do you want to activate an imprint?”

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nSu Chen confirmed the activation. He felt a strange power flow through his body, as if something hot was coursing through him.

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nHowever, when Su Chen activated his ability to see Origin Energy, he discovered that there were no changes in his body.

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nThis burning sensation only existed on his consciousness. His brain was telling him that his body was warm, but in reality nothing was happening.

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nNext, Su Chen felt the flow of energy gather on the back of his left hand, slowly forming a smoky symbol.

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nSu Chen was stunned.

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nJust like before, his eyes didn’t notice any abnormal energy flows in his body, and he didn’t see any special substance aggregating. However, this symbol had still appeared on his hand.

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nIf it weren’t for the fact that his eyes could see Origin Energy, he might not have discovered the profundities involved.

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nWas this a unique characteristic of the Mirage Dreamrealm?

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nWas it using the consciousness to substantiate otherwise ethereal objects?

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nSu Chen gazed at the strange symbol on the back of his hand. It looked somewhat similar to the small spirit that had snuck its way into his body earlier.

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nAs the symbol continued to form, a wave of information entered Su Chen’s consciousness. It was detailed instructions on how to enter and exit the Dreamrealm.

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nWith this symbol on the back of his hand, Su Chen could enter and exit the Dreamrealm.

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nHowever, when entering the Dreamrealm, he would fall into an unconscious state, so he would need to choose a safe location.

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nUpon discovering this point, Su Chen returned to the Origin Energy Tower.

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nAfter returning to his room, Su Chen laid down and followed the prompts of information that had entered his brain. He concentrated his attention on the symbol on the back of his hand. Slowly, the symbol began to change as it constantly revolved. Finally, it formed a whirlpool which began to emanate a powerful sucking force, pulling Su Chen’s consciousness in.

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nIn that moment, Su Chen felt as if he had begun to float.

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nHe revolved around the whirlpool, feeling as if he was a small bird soaring through clouds.

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nSuddenly, he was ejected from the whirlpool. He snapped his eyes open wide.

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nHe discovered that he was standing underneath a brilliantly-colored sky. The sky was filled with rainbow-colored clouds shining with mottled light. The ground beneath him was covered with large swaths of grass.

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nOff in the distance, a large castle stood.

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nA white ball of light was suspended above the castle, emanating strange energy in all directions as it slowly revolved.

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nSu Chen was staring in amazement when he suddenly heard a voice say, “Hey, newcomer.”

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nWho was talking?

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nSu Chen looked around, but he couldn’t find a single person.

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nThe voice seemed to become slightly displeased. It said, “Where are you looking? I’m here, here!”

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nHe followed the voice downwards, only to discover a blue butterfly floating up and down in midair. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that between the large blue wings was a small maiden.

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nThe small maiden was wearing a tight and revealing light-blue dress. She wore a pair of short blue sandals that revealed her bare feet. A beautiful flower hoop was weaved on her middle finger on her right hand.

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nShe had short blue hair, a pair of sharp ears, large eyes, and a small mouth.

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nShe was extremely cute.

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n“You were the one talking to me?” Su Chen said, still in a daze.

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nHe had never seen a lifeform like that before.

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n“Of course!” The young maiden huffed as she placed her hands on her hips. “I am your guide, Dream Spirit Lulu. Follow me.”

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nShe flew a circle in the air before heading for the castle.

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nSu Chen was about to follow her when he discovered that something wasn’t quite right. He realized that he was floating in midair.

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nBecause he was floating, he had no way of walking.

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n“Hey, wait a moment. What do I do?” Su Chen yelled at the Dream Spirit. “I can’t walk.”

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n“So fly over!” Dream Spirit Lulu replied.

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nSu Chen wanted to reply that he didn’t know how to fly, but after thinking about it briefly, he concentrated on floating forwards. His body then started to move forwards unsteadily.

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nA trace of surprise flitted across Lulu’s face. She nodded in approval. “You learn quite fast. Remember, this is the Dreamrealm. In the Dreamrealm, what you think will become real.”

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nAlthough it was somewhat unsteadily, Su Chen had still begun to fly forwards.

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nHe focused on controlling his own body. More precisely, he was controlling his thoughts as he followed the Dream Spirit towards the castle.

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nAs they drew near the castle, Su Chen began to realize that it really was extremely massive.

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nIt looked like a city that was filled with imagination. Tall towers were densely packed everywhere, and the streets were made of rainbows that flashed beautifully. Squirrels and cats pulled carriages through the sky. A pair of human-like statues bowed as they drew near, and glowing snails were hung from stone poles to serve as street lights……

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nThis strange scene completely astonished Su Chen. The Dream Spirit leading him was already speaking, “You are currently in the Dreamrealm created by the Lord of the Dreamrealm. Because it links together everyone who has the appropriate authority, it is also called the Dreamnet. This illusory castle is a node in the Dreamnet called Node 124. You can activate your privileges as a member of the Dreamnet here. However, before that you need to select an identity for yourself.”

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n“Call me…… Cloud Bat.” Su Chen remembered an event from the past. “Right, what can I do here?”

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n“Okay, Cloud Bat, your name has been registered. In the future, when you enter and exit the Dreamnet, this will be your identity. Your instructor should have told you already that the Dreamnet is mostly used as an information transaction hub. If you have any information that you need to investigate or a message to send, you can do all of that here. However, all messages will only be sent if a price is paid. Of course, you can also sell messages to obtain money. According to the rules, the Lord of the Dreamrealm will take a transaction fee of 5% from every exchange.”

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n“So how do I pay? Don’t tell me that it’s Origin Stones,” Su Chen asked.

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nSince they were in the Dreamrealm, things with real substance were not of any use here.

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n“Consciousness power!” The Dream Spirit replied. “Every life form has consciousness power. By using your consciousness power, you can form these things.”

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nThe Dream Spirit reached her hand out. A shiny and glimmering quicksilver like droplet of water slowly appeared in front of Su Chen.

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n“These are Dream Droplets, the currency used in the Dreamnet. You will need to expend your own consciousness power to form them. Under normal circumstances, a beginner Qi Drawing Realm cultivator needs an entire day to condense one, so it’s roughly equivalent to a low-grade Origin Stone in value. However, the amount of consciousness power one possesses is not directly related to one’s cultivation base, so some low-tier Origin Qi Scholars may possess strong consciousness power. Thus, it’s hard to say how quickly you will form one.”

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nSu Chen understood now.

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nDream Droplets were basically the same as Origin Stones. Both were a form of currency that the Origin Qi Scholars themselves could produce.

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nOrigin Stones contained Origin Energy, and Dream Droplets contained consciousness power.

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nThe Lord of the Dreamrealm’s goal in constructing the Dreamnet was probably to gather these Dream Droplets, or consciousness energy.

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nSu Chen didn’t know much about the Dreamrealm or its master, but from just hearing his name, Su Chen could imagine that he was probably some unfathomable existence in terms of consciousness power. His level of strength was clearly shown in his ability to singlehandedly create such a network that connected countless people.

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nHowever, to Su Chen that was still a distant reality. Right now, he was still focused on trying to understand this place and determine what kinds of opportunities were available to him here.

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nDream Spirit Lulu led him to a wide and spacious room within the castle.

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nIn line with the entire Dreamrealm’s style, the room was brilliantly colored, the colors dazzlingly radiant.

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nThere were also a few people in the room. They stood inside the large room, watching something on the screen. However, their faces were blurred, and it was impossible to identify them.

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nThis was the Dreamrealm. Unless the other party wanted to reveal themselves, everyone could choose to conceal their faces.

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nThe Dream Spirit continued to speak. “This is the Dreamrealm Castle’s Hall of Information. Everyday, large quantities of information are exchanged here. Some of them are public, such as the ones at the very top.”

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nSu Chen’s gaze drifted upwards. He saw a few pieces of information flitting around atop the screen.

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n“Traces of a Silverwing Demon Emperor have been sighted in Takarun.”

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n“The Dark Pestilence has engulfed the Sleepless Fort.”

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n“Eternal Night Banishing Light declares that Flying Spirit City will be rebuilt. The Primordial Chaos Tower has shifted towards the western border. Many cities are warning of an impending battle.”

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n“The List of Heroes has been updated. Chu Shangu defeated Feng Zhuying at the Endless Peaks. He advances to 37th place on the List of Heroes.”

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nBelow the public information were more specific pieces of information that could be accessed for a fee.

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nOne piece of information was worth one Dream Droplet.

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nIf that was too expensive, one could also make monthly payments: 100 Dream Droplets were enough to gain unlimited access to all the public announcements and news for the entire month.

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n“These are all public notices. If you have a more specific inquiry, you can go to the room on the left. There will be a special Dream Spirit to help you. As long as you tell the Dream Spirit what you want to know, the Dream Spirit will give you a price for the information you want. Of course, not all the information you want will be available. If that’s the case, you can post a reward for an answer,” Dream Spirit Lulu continued to explain.

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n“So the room on the right is used for offering rewards for specific inquiries?” Su Chen asked.

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n“Smart!” The Dream Spirit flew around in a circle, as if dancing in midair. She then flew in front of Su Chen and said, “We will now go to the Hall of Knowledge.”

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nSu Chen followed closely behind the Dream Spirit. They quickly arrived at another spacious room.

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nOnce again, a few public announcements and news were at the top of the screen.

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nThe notices were as such: “The unique effects of twelve different Origin Energy Talismans on Metal Lotus Terraces”, “The different effects of Blackwater Demon Bone in powder and liquid form”, and “A fourth method for constructing a Moonnet Origin Formation”.

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nJust like in the Hall of Information, most of the knowledge here required a price to be paid in order to be accessed. What was different, however, was that there was no monthly bundle that was available. Every piece of knowledge needed to be paid for individually. After studying the knowledge, one could even give it a score based on how useful it was. The higher a piece of knowledge’s score, the more it would sell.

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nThere were also a few pieces of knowledge that were completely free and required no extra fee. This, however, depended on the person making the information available.

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n“All knowledge related to Origin Energy is split between offering a bounty and providing a solution. You only need to enter the appropriate room on the sides. You can also find answers for any questions you may have about Origin Energy cultivation, alchemy, Origin Formation studies, Ancient Arcana Techniques, and a few other smaller categories. The Dreamnet contains geniuses from every corner of the continent, and all knowledge can be exchanged in this location,” Dream Spirit Lulu proclaimed with a hint of pride.

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n“Okay, got it. Is there anything else I should know?” he asked.

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n“Of course. Come with me to the Hall of Missions.” The Dream Spirit once again brought Su Chen to a spacious room.

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nHowever, this room had way more people than the other rooms.

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n“This is the busiest area of the Dreamnet, the Hall of Missions. The Primordial Continent is very large, so often the things we want are in very faraway places. However, the Dreamnet’s Hall of Missions avoids that issue. For instance, if you want to obtain a unique item from a certain faraway location, you can create a mission here and ask someone to obtain it for you.”

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n“Is this like the missions in the Institute that reward contribution points?” Su Chen murmured to himself.

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nThe Hidden Dragon Institute also had missions that the students could complete to earn contribution points.

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n“No, they’re very different. The Institute’s missions are usually limited to the Institute itself, while the Dreamnet’s missions cover the entire Primordial Continent. It has a wider range, more missions, and greater rewards.”

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n“So it’s also more dangerous,” Su Chen coldly supplemented.

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nSu Chen only needed to take a quick glance at the missions board to see requests like, ”Find three Ghostherbs from Death Canyon”, “Kill an Ancient Demon in the Devil Altar”, etc. Most of the missions were incredibly dangerous and life-threatening.

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nOf particular note was that apart from a few missions that asked for certain goods, most of the missions were killing missions.

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nSu Chen asked, “Why are there so many assassination missions?”

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nThe Dream Spirit replied, “Isn’t it obvious? Doing business like this is easier.”

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nAlthough missions could be posted here without being location-restricted, requesting certain items – for example, unique medicinal herbs – over an incredibly long distance could result in the loss of those items while they were being delivered.

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nAssassinations were different. As long as the target died and their corpse was imaged by a particular Origin Formation Disk, they could directly provide evidence of the killing through the Dreamnet. The Lord of the Dreamrealm would ensure the truthfulness of the report. If the target had been killed, the mission would be completed, and the commissioner would simply pay the agreed-upon amount of Dream Droplets. If another form of currency was desired, one could also use a local exchange to exchange Origin Stones into Dream Droplets.

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nThe Lord of the Dreamrealm had many such exchanges setups all over the main world. The Hidden Dragon Institute was one of those locations.

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nThis implied that this Hall of Missions was, in the end, mainly a place for assassination requests due to the limitations on the transport of goods.

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nCountless assassins were accepting missions in this place.

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nSomething to note was that to the side of this large hall, there was a large list with names of assassins. The list ranked the thousand assassins in the Dreamnet and provide a corresponding price for their services.

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