Chapter 1571 The Price to be Paid <TOC> Chapter 1573 Sin Fog
Translator: SumTLMan
Sharing the same anticipation as Sanders, there’s another person——Freud.
Freud stands atop Azure Tower, gazing down upon the entirety of Initial Heart City.
A mosaic of towering and modest buildings fill his view, within each of which ant-sized people are seen coming and going. Even from a great distance, the melodious symphony emanating from Ocean Theatre, seemingly in the midst of a performance, graces his ears.
To any casual observer, the first impression of Initial Heart City is undeniably one of prosperity.
But having spent a significant amount of time here, Freud knows all too well the fragility hidden behind the city’s façade. This vulnerability manifests itself in numerous aspects, be it the cultural underpinnings, the quality of life, or even the street-side trees, which are not real trees but tinted sculptures.
Partly because Initial Heart City is relatively new and people are still adjusting to the pace of life, many imperfections are deliberately overlooked. Yet, as time marches on, these lurking issues will inevitably surface under the scrutiny of public opinion.
The illusion of prosperity can be maintained for now, but for how much longer?
Freud is genuinely concerned about this.
Even Marilyn, the city’s leader, who possesses an elevated viewpoint, has glimpsed certain truths. She often hesitates to speak in front of Freud, but he clearly detects her reticence. However, even these problems that seem urgent in Marilyn’s eyes are beyond Freud’s capacity to resolve.
“Hopefully, the situation can change today,” Freud muses, his gaze fixed on the horizon. If Angel gains core power today, perhaps these deep-rooted problems can be resolved.
After all, the issues currently lurking within Initial Heart City are foundational in nature, stemming from incomplete laws governing the Wilderness of Dreams.
The key question at hand is whether Angel will be able to acquire core powers through the Scroll of Luck. And if so, what might those core powers be?
While Sanders and Freud were both speculating on the nature of these powers, the person at the center of their attention was, at that moment, completely unaware.
To put it simply, he was unconscious.
Angel’s period of unconsciousness lasted for a full two days. He had initially planned to attend some matches featuring his friends during these days, but this unexpected incident had put those plans on hold.
By the time he awoke, it was the morning of the third day after the integration of the new powers.
The first person Angel saw upon opening his eyes was his mentor Sanders. Sanders was standing next to the main core of the Nightmare Domain, seemingly studying its operational mechanisms.
The rustling noise behind him snapped Sanders out of his contemplation. He turned his head to look at Angel. “You’re awake?”
At that moment, Angel’s mind was still fuzzy, feeling as though he were lying on a cloud, where everything floated without any grounding. It wasn’t until Sanders called out to him that Angel’s unfocused eyes regained their spark.
“I’m awake,” Angel said, pushing himself up with both hands from his ethereal state.
Sanders asked, “How are you feeling right now?”
Angel rubbed his forehead and replied, “A bit dizzy; my thoughts feel like mush, hard to focus.”
Sanders: “In the physical world, you’re bleeding from your eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. This might be affecting your state in the Wilderness of Dreams.”
Bleeding from all facial orifices? Angel quickly looked up, “Is it that serious? In that case, I’ll probably suffer once I step back into reality.”
Sanders heard the low muttering behind him clearly and couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you still concerned about suffering if you go out now? If I hadn’t treated you back then, whether you could have escaped the Wilderness of Dreams would have been a big question mark.”
Angel sat up, his face somewhat pale, “I never anticipated that integrating this power would be so difficult.”
Recalling the excruciating pain he felt before losing consciousness, Angel experienced a shiver run down his spine. Had he known the difficulties involved, he wouldn’t have left his physical body unguarded in the real world.
Observing Angel’s disconcerted expression, Sanders said in an almost self-murmuring tone, “Behind good fortune often lies a cost that is hard to bear.”
Although Sanders didn’t spell it out, Angel quickly caught on.
To seek powers beyond one’s capabilities at an inappropriate time is not necessarily luck; it could be a nightmare masquerading as a blessing.
“Before integrating the power, my consideration was indeed inadequate,” Angel sighed. “After all, to master the core power of a Nightmare Domain of the level of the Wilderness of Dreams, the cost must be steep.”
What Sanders wanted to express was indeed what Angel had articulated. Hearing Angel spell it out, though…
“You mean to say, this power… you didn’t successfully integrate it and gave up midway?” Sanders inquired.
Angel was taken aback for a moment, just about to nod in agreement with Sanders, when suddenly an image flashed through his mind——
As he was integrating the power and enduring excruciating pain, mysterious green runes around him started to emit an eerie light. The previously rebellious specks of light inside him bowed down in this glow and ultimately integrated into his body.
Did he actually succeed in the integration? Watching this image, Angel realized that he hadn’t chosen to give up halfway after all.
However, his success was also a stroke of luck. Under normal circumstances, this power would have certainly exceeded his current capacity to endure. Had it not been for the rune, he would either have perished here or chosen to give up, overwhelmed by unbearable strain.
Reflecting on this, Angel felt fortunate as well. He now truly understood why Fingernail Granny had repeatedly warned him that the Scroll of Luck wasn’t always a true blessing.
“Never mind. With such a large Nightmare Domain like this, there should be more than one core power. Giving one to the Wilderness of Dreams won’t make much of a difference,” Sanders said, trying to comfort Angel, thinking he had failed.
Angel shook his head: “I’ve suffered so much; to give up halfway would make it all for naught.”
Sanders raised an eyebrow: “You mean to say you succeeded?”
Angel nodded: “Yes, I did.”
Hearing this, Sanders breathed a sigh of relief. Although he felt that losing one core power wouldn’t matter, having full control over something as mysterious as the Wilderness of Dreams was naturally ideal.
Sanders didn’t ask how Angel specifically succeeded in the integration but went straight to the point: “So, what power did you integrate? Is it a core power?”
“I just woke up and haven’t had a chance to study it; let me take a look,” Angel said, immersing himself in thought.
He had been feeling dizzy, his thoughts muddled. Only now, as he focused, did he realize that his mind was flooded with a myriad of information. The sheer volume was so overwhelming that Angel couldn’t immediately comprehend it. This tangled web of data was making his head spin.
Angel strained to read some of the information, but it was completely unintelligible.
It was as if someone had splattered ink over a stone tablet filled with writing. The vast majority of it was obscured in darkness. To discover what the tablet actually documented, he’d have to painstakingly remove the ink, bit by bit.
How could the “ink” be removed? Angel is currently uncertain. Perhaps a touch of scrutiny is needed? Or maybe his own strength is insufficient? After all, it’s highly likely that this is a core power. His current capabilities aren’t sufficient to fully integrate this power. Forcing an integration that results in a portion being obscured also seems plausible.
However, even though a part is obscured, there’s still some information that can be investigated.
Angel read through all the accessible information, and the questions in his heart finally found answers.
The power he has integrated this time is indeed a core power.
Even more, it might not just be a core power but a fundamental law of existence.
To offer an analogy, the powers of the Wilderness of Dreams, in Angel’s view, are illusory because they can’t genuinely influence reality. It’s as if they simulate a real-world law.
In the real world, the powers, including the gravity lines that Angel controls, can all be called laws. These laws are countless, forming a complete world.
Those who control all these laws are referred to by wizards as the Source… or perhaps as the World Will.
The core power that Angel has acquired has some resemblance to the World Will.
Its name is——
The “Power Tree.”
Chapter 1571 The Price to be Paid <TOC> Chapter 1573 Sin Fog