Chapter 1288 A Way Forward <TOC> Chapter 1290 Current State of Initial Heart City
Translator: SumTLMan
In the intricate tapestry of cosmic entanglements, Jon found himself ensnared within the Gravity Garden by Sanders.
As the sole discovered true otherworldly human in their records, Jon was an invaluable subject for study. To leave him wandering in the open world would be like leaving a gem unguarded in a bustling market — inherently risky.
When the underground Ice Chamber lay barren and devoid of contents, Sanders turned his penetrating gaze to Angel, his voice imbued with an underlying curiosity, “What plans do you hold for the future?”
Mistaking Sanders’ inquiry as one about his spiritual journey, Angel, after a moment of introspection, enumerated, “To construct my Spell Position, delve into the green rune of my right eye, cultivate the Softworms, and deepen my foundational strength, hoping for an imminent breakthrough.”
Sanders paused, his expression inscrutable, and reframed his question: “I meant, do you have any immediate engagements now?”
Caught off-guard, Angel hesitated.
Presently… he intended to seek out Leon, to hand over the guidance method and perhaps visit the servants who had been temporarily reassigned from the mansion. However, in the grand scheme of things, these tasks seemed rather mundane. Thus, with a nod, he admitted, “Nothing pressing at the moment.”
“In that case,” Sanders began, his tone casual yet with a depth of hidden intention, “accompany me on a journey to the Wilderness of Dreams. I wish to formally meet your enlightenment mentor.”
Though Sanders’ exterior radiated a calm demeanor as he uttered these words, beneath that placid surface roiled a sea of emotions. From his conversations with Angel about the Wilderness of Dreams in the Abyss, he recognized its boundless potential. The brief, fleeting glimpse of the ‘Wasteland of Dreams’ — even though it had been ravaged by a lurking creature — had provided Sanders with a visionary outlook of the Wilderness of Dreams’ profound prospects.
In truth, Sanders’ thoughts had been captivated by the Wilderness of Dreams for some time.
During a prior return to the Southern Region, he had yearned to experience this dream realm. However, his initial plan was to master the Dream Entry spell on his own and then experiment with entering the Wilderness of Dreams using a specific spell — the Nightmare Dream Entry.
Certainly, gaining entry still necessitates the consent of Angel’s “Gatekeeper” power. However, it could be construed as a method of data collection in researching the Wilderness of Dreams.
Nevertheless, Sanders has been persistently practicing Dream Entry lately. While cross-discipline cultivation is no cakewalk, the majority of the barriers have already been breached. Yet, to genuinely achieve successful cultivation, a considerable span of time remains essential.
Therefore, he voiced such sentiments.
The so-called “accompanying him into the Wilderness of Dreams” is merely a pretext. The true intention is to “lead him into the Wilderness of Dreams.”
Upon hearing this, Angel had a brief moment of realization and grasped Sanders’ implications. On the surface, he nodded nonchalantly as if nothing had transpired. However, internally, he recalled Gloria’s assessment of Sanders: introverted yet passionate.
Upon reflection, it appears Sanders is not only introverted and passionate but perhaps a touch prideful and bashful.
Angel dared only to critique inwardly but externally responded with utmost seriousness, nodding, “Alright. It has been quite a while since I’ve seen Jon. This might be the perfect opportunity to pay a visit.”
After a short while, atop the towering spire of Initial Heart City in the Wilderness of Dreams, two silhouettes materialized out of thin air.
It was none other than Angel and Sanders.
During Sanders’ previous encounter in the Abyss, he had ventured into the Wasteland of Dreams anchored to the Abyss Plane. Yet, during that visit, he hadn’t stayed long before the terrifying beast that roamed beyond the dream realm obliterated the Wasteland of Dreams. Hence, this occasion marked his true close encounter with this world birthed from the union of “Nightmare Aura and Dream Conch.”
Just like his initial touch, within the Wilderness of Dreams, Sanders found himself utterly stripped of energy control, with not much difference from an ordinary mortal.
Yet, Sanders could sense an ambient aura of the Nightmare Plane in the misty skies, although he currently couldn’t harness it.
Angel strolled to the edge of the terrace, pointing at the bustling city below, “This is Initial Heart City, the starting city of the Wilderness of Dreams!”
With an undertone of pride and self-assuredness, he declared, “Mentor, allow me to introduce you to Initial Heart City.”
After assessing his own condition, Sanders realized he couldn’t detect anything wrong. Setting aside the investigation of his own body for now, he made his way to the balcony.
At this moment, the glow of pride still radiated from Angel’s face, seemingly leaving behind a trail of unyielding spirit and passion.
Sanders gazed downward, a smile playing on his lips.
However, after just a fleeting glance, Sanders’ expression gradually shifted from that of amusement to one of solemnity, and swiftly thereafter, to suspicion.
Sanders fixed a penetrating gaze on Angel. Amidst Angel’s baffled look, Sanders questioned with a furrowed brow, “This city…”
“Is there something wrong with the city?” Angel asked, a serious expression painting his face, ready for any guidance Sanders might offer.
“No, what I mean is… did you design this city’s layout?” Sanders scrutinized Angel up and down, asking with a tone of disbelief, “Has your aesthetic sense taken a wrong turn?”
“Wrong turn in my aesthetic? Where… where is it?” Realizing what Sanders was pointing out, Angel recalled his earlier decision. Enamored by the allure of certain structures, he had used the Dream Conch to transport them to the Wilderness of Dreams. The city now contained an eclectic mix of different architectural styles, eras, and even materials. While each structure, be it the Treehouse Bar, Shining Cathedral, or Ocean Theater, was individually distinctive, their combined presence in such close proximity resulted in an evident dissonance.
However, this was merely an oversight on his part, and he was adamant that it had nothing to do with his sense of aesthetics. He couldn’t possibly admit to such a folly!
Hadn’t he addressed this issue later? He wasn’t just relocating unique buildings anymore; he had begun replicating entire city streets and infrastructure.
Sanders remained somewhat skeptical, a contemplative gleam in his eyes, pondering how best to convey to Angel that when it came to urban development in the future, perhaps it was best not to take matters into his own hands.
Just then, a voice echoed from behind them.
“The esteemed gentleman’s aesthetic judgment is unassailable, merely experiencing a fleeting oversight. Fear not, under the prudent stewardship of Marilyn, resources have been marshaled, poised to embark on a mid-year refurbishment of the city’s architecture. In due course, Initial Heart City shall undergo a profound metamorphosis.”
Sanders turned, laying eyes upon a figure: a man with golden, tousled curls, exuding an air of drowsy dishevelment.
After a moment of reflection, Sanders recognized him——Freud, once an apprentice now a resident in the realm of dreams.
Angel had once spoken of Freud, describing him as a soul bound by the Oath of Luo, now the true overseer of Initial Heart City and the very reason Angel unearthed the Wilderness of Dreams.
“Honorable Phantom Master,” uttered Freud, offering Sanders a deferential bow. He then presented a thick tome, “This is a compilation, as instructed by the esteemed one, for your perusal.”
Sanders received it, glancing at its title: —Observations of the Wilderness of Dreams—.
Sanders nodded appreciatively, remarking to Angel, “You’ve shown thoughtfulness.”
Angel, turning to Freud, suggested, “It’s been months since my last visit, and the city might feel somewhat unfamiliar. Perhaps you’d be kind enough to lead the way and acquaint us with Initial Heart City.”
Freud, hesitant to decline, eagerly consented.
They proceeded down Azure Tower, with Sanders keenly attuned to the tactile sensations around him. Had he not accompanied Angel to the Wilderness of Dreams, he’d have been incredulous about having departed the realm of reality.
It felt an uncanny mirror of the tangible world.
There may well be distinctions, but for now, they eluded Sanders.
As they navigated the city, Freud elucidated upon the recent iterations of Initial Heart City. Descending from Azure Tower, they encountered numerous attendants at almost every level. Upon seeing Freud, they exhibited reverence, their curious gazes clandestinely flitting between Angel and Sanders.
Upon their arrival at Azure Tower’s first level, Angel and his company were stealthily observed by a staff member. So engrossed was he in his surreptitious observation that he inadvertently bumped into another person nearby. This accidental jostle, under normal circumstances, would be inconsequential; however, they happened to be near a machine, which set off a domino effect, leading to a cacophony of alarmed cries.
Freud sighed deeply, taking the lead and spending a few minutes restoring order amidst the chaos.
By the time Freud returned, his face wore a look of exhaustion. “Thankfully,” he said, “all here have been handpicked by Lady Marilyn. No major mishap occurred.”
To Angel, this was but a minor hiccup, hardly worth his attention. Yet, as they prepared to leave Azure Tower, that same observant staff member approached him. Just as Angel’s brow furrowed in curiosity, the man prostrated himself, saying.
“Are you the master of this new world? I’ve heard Lady Marilyn speak of you. I humbly request that your lordship…”
Before he could finish, a knight in armor intervened, escorting him away. Freud’s voice rang out coldly, “Such insolence is unforgivable. Take him away for confinement.”
After the man was escorted away, Angel, raising an eyebrow, awaited Freud’s explanation without a word.
“In truth, I’ve been meaning to inform you about him since your last visit,” Freud began. “His name is Lietz, a commendable talent in his own right. However, his younger brother is quite the opposite.”
As Freud guided them through Initial Heart City, he divulged the full story.
In essence, while Lietz himself was blameless, his younger brother spread unsavory rumors out of resentment towards Marilyn for becoming the city’s ruler, despite her gender.
Naturally, as the city’s leader, Marilyn felt slighted by the insults and asked Freud to mete out punishment to Lietz’s brother.
Freud had agreed to do so.
The outcome was that this fellow seemingly chickened out. Before Marilyn could apprehend him, he had already taken the initiative to flee.
“He has fled the city, and his current whereabouts are unknown,” Freud paused briefly before continuing, “In fact, aside from him, there are several other offenders who have defied the laws of Initial Heart City and sought refuge outside its walls. The trend of such occurrences appears to be on the rise. Previously, Tulas served as a deterrent, but ever since Tulas left, there has been a certain laxity in this aspect.”
Upon hearing Freud’s words, Angel reflected and said, “Later on, I will bring Tulas back, and you can reintroduce him to his duties. As for those who voluntarily escape to the outskirts, let them be exiled for a while.”
In the current Wilderness of Dreams, only Initial Heart City bears the footprint of humanity; beyond the walls stretch an endless expanse. Do they assume that breaking free from the city grants them liberty? In reality, it is beyond the city walls where The True Cage lies.
Chapter 1288 A Way Forward <TOC> Chapter 1290 Current State of Initial Heart City