Translator: SumTLMan
Sanders: “Power Tree? Is this a new power you’ve acquired?”
Angel nods, elaborating on the details related to the Power Tree to Sanders.
When Angel deciphered the information about his new power, it was as if a seed had been sown in his mind. This seed rapidly broke through the soil and sprouted, growing into a towering tree in the blink of an eye.
On this lush and expansive tree, whose ends couldn’t be seen, what grew on every branch weren’t leaves, but instead were countless luminous points representing different powers.
In essence, this so-called Power Tree was nothing but a dendritic structure representing the distribution of powers.
All the powers within the Nightmare Domain’s core are recorded on this tree-like structure, organized according to different branches and located in various corners.
“All powers?” A look of surprise flashed across Sanders’ eyes.
“Based on the information available, indeed all powers. However…” Angel hesitated momentarily before adding somewhat sheepishly, “The vast majority of these powers are hidden and cannot be explored. Because they haven’t been acquired, they can’t be displayed.”
In other words, the “ink-splattered” blocked information that Angel had seen before wasn’t due to his lack of power or insufficient depth of knowledge; it was simply because these powers had yet to be acquired.
At the moment, what Angel can see on this dendritic structure are only three powers that he can explore.
The first is a sub-power under the false “Spatial Laws” branch: “Gate of Dreams.”
The second, parallel to Gate of Dreams, is another power Angel has acquired called “Gatekeeper.”
The third is a sub-power under the false “All Things Laws”: “Sin Fog.”
Currently, only these three powers can be viewed on the Power Tree. All other branches are shrouded in darkness, their names unknown and their details unexplorable.
“Does this mean that only powers that have been detached from the Nightmare Domain’s core can be explored on the Power Tree?” Sanders asked.
Angel nodded, “Based on the information I’ve gathered, yes. To be precise, only powers that have been activated in the Wilderness of Dreams can be explored.”
And by ‘explored,’ what is really meant is manipulating all the powers listed on the Power Tree.
For instance, the Gate of Dreams.
Angel can inspect the Gate of Dreams on the Power Tree. Once his thoughts enter the designated point, he immediately gains relevant information: possessing this power allows him to control the entry points to the Wilderness of Dreams.
According to some settings on the Power Tree, he can also, to some extent, manipulate these powers through it.
However, the Gate of Dreams is something Angel himself acquired, so he doesn’t need the Power Tree to control it directly.
“So if you can control these powers, what about this Sin Fog? This should be the previously dispersed power, right? What’s its status? Can it be controlled?” Sanders curiously inquired.
Angel then shifted his focus to the ‘Sin Fog.’
Since he can explore powers that have already been activated in the Wilderness of Dreams, aside from the Gatekeeper and the Gate of Dreams, this Sin Fog must be the one that had dispersed.
That is to say, it was the black fog they saw earlier.
If one were to categorize powers into black and white, the Sin Fog, based on its name, would fall on the darker side. It is a sub-power under the All Things Law, which is a very broad principle. It even has substantial overlaps with other major laws; for example, Gloria’s original spell Genesis — although called the Law of Creation — could also be considered under the All Things Law.
Angel grew curious, wondering what its function might be?
“Sin Fog: Possessing this power allows one to give birth to Abominable Dreams Pillagers — Sinful Monsters.”
Abominable Dreams Pillagers? Angel pondered with curiosity, carefully reading through the details about Sin Fog under a branch of the Power Tree.
After he finished reading, he was dumbfounded for a good while. He had never imagined that the power he had initially lost control over would be of this nature!
The so-called Sinful Monsters, as the records describe, are indeed plunderers born within nightmares. Freud was actually correct; Sinful Monsters are a special kind of Dream Realm creature, born for the sole purpose of pillaging.
The targets of their plundering include all creatures of the Dream Realm, as well as humans who venture into it.
Furrowing his brow, Angel continued to explain to Sanders: “For the residents of the Dream Realm, Sinful Monsters represent a monumental crisis. Once they are born, they exhibit a variety of forms and abilities, which further diverge based on the amount of ‘sinful energy’ they possess.”
“They can be categorized into three phases: the infancy stage, the growth or plundering stage, and finally, the maturity stage.”
In the infancy stage, upon their initial birth within the dark fog, they already possess a certain level of power.
During the growth or plundering stage, they invade the bodies of other Dream Realm creatures and gradually integrate with them. A clear indicator of reaching the mid-point of this stage is the ability to leave the Sin Fog.
Upon reaching the maturity stage, they fully replace the original Dream Realm creature, absorbing the energy of nightmares to continue growing.
Sinful Monsters almost never completely disappear; even if they are killed, they will re-enter the Sin Fog, initiating a new cycle of rebirth.
The Sin Fog is very close to Initial Heart City, and the Sinful Monsters born within it are naturally enemies to all Dream Realm creatures — the residents of the Dream Realm are naturally their plundering targets. This can be said to be a grave crisis.
“Why did I have to lose control over such a dangerous power?” Angel felt a headache coming on.
After listening to Angel’s account about the Sin Fog, Sanders fell into deep contemplation. A long while later, he finally asked, “So, can you control the powers of the Sin Fog through the Power Tree?”
Angel replied, “I can only exert limited control over the Sinful Monsters spawned by the Sin Fog, but I have no full control over the Sin Fog itself.”
Although Angel could control Sinful Monsters, there were simply too many of them for him to manage continuously. He didn’t have the time, nor the energy, to do so.
Angel paused for a moment before adding, “I’ve also discovered from the information in the Power Tree that while I can’t fully control the powers themselves, I can strip and reclaim activated powers through the force of the Power Tree.”
“In other words, if someone acquires a power from the Nightmare Domain, I can directly strip that power from them and reclaim it.”
“However, this also has limitations. The reclaimed powers come back to me, and if my own strength is insufficient, these powers could overwhelm me.” This was like Angel’s apprenticeship period when he could only acquire two powers; any more would be too much for him due to his lack of personal strength.
Sanders noted, “That’s not a limitation on the Power Tree itself. What it limits is the person controlling the Power Tree, which is your own strength.”
Angel nodded in agreement.
Pondering further, Sanders inquired, “Since you can reclaim powers, is it possible to reclaim the Sin Fog as well?”
A bitter smile appeared on Angel’s face. “No, the prerequisite for the Power Tree to reclaim powers is that those powers must be acquired either by creatures from the Dream Realm or by humans.”
“Powers that have been returned to the Wilderness of Dreams cannot be reclaimed.”
The Sin Fog was an emanation of powers that Angel had initially released, and it had already been returned to the Wilderness of Dreams.
In essence, the Sin Fog had become an integral part of the Wilderness of Dreams itself.
The Power Tree, in essence, is born out of the Wilderness of Dreams; according to the master-servant relationship, the Wilderness of Dreams is the master, and the Power Tree is the subordinate.
In such a situation, how could the Power Tree possibly strip away the powers that have already been entrusted to the Wilderness of Dreams?
This is precisely what Angel finds troubling.
Sin Fog poses a significant threat to the inhabitants of the Dream Realm. Unfortunately, Angel seems to be at a loss on how to handle the Sin Fog.
Sanders pondered for a moment, saying, “Humans, when living in a safe environment, gradually become complacent. Having a looming danger can also make them appreciate the present more. From this perspective, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
This is what one might call ‘complacency begets vulnerability.’
Sanders continued, “Moreover, since Sin Fog is one of many powers, this also means that from the perspective of the Wilderness of Dreams, having Sinful Monsters is not necessarily a bad thing. True, they may pose a threat to the inhabitants of the Dream Realm, but if wielded wisely, they could serve as a powerful weapon against external enemies.”
From the standpoint of both humans and Dream Realm inhabitants, Sinful Monsters are a crisis. Yet, if one abandons the moral high ground constructed by humans and looks purely from the perspective of the Wilderness of Dreams, Sinful Monsters aren’t necessarily a crisis.
Much like the Extreme Sect, most wizards loathe them to their core. But from the World Will’s perspective, the Extreme Sect exists for a reason.
Angel understood Sanders’ point and sighed, “True, but it would be better if I could control it at will.”
“That’s not necessarily true. Maybe allowing it to develop freely would lead to miracles,” Sanders retorted casually. “Besides, you may not be able to control the power of Sin Fog, but you can exert limited control over Sinful Monsters, which is still pretty good.”
Angel could only think in those terms, and given that he possesses the Wilderness of Dreams, he will inevitably have to consider matters from the perspective of the Wilderness of Dreams in the future.
Reflecting on this, Angel nodded and said, “However, I still need to speak with Freud later, and be as cautious as possible.”
Taking advantage of the situation with the Sin Fog, I’ve also discussed nearly all of the functionalities and effects of the Power Tree.
Sanders summed up: “Though there were some twists and turns, obtaining the Power Tree this time is undoubtedly the most valuable outcome.”
“In fact, the Power Tree is itself a form of power, but since it can display all other powers within its branching structure without showing itself, it does indicate some issues,” Sanders elaborated thoughtfully. “Perhaps you’re onto something.”
“The Power Tree is not simply a core power; it’s more like a manifestation of the World Will — a heart connecting all powers!”
Upon saying this, Sanders couldn’t help but feel emotional, “The Scroll of Luck is truly deserving of its name. While it has caused some future complications, the immediate benefits gained are undoubtedly the greatest advantage!”
Ty for the translations