Chapter 2302 Shockwaves <TOC> Chapter 2304 Backhand
Translator: SumTLMan
After Rhine heard this, he immediately decided, “I will come to see you.”
A while later, Rhine appeared amidst the vast fog.
Rhine was not unfamiliar with this land of fog, having been brought here by Angel to see the core of the Nightmare Domain before. However, Rhine had never seen how the core of the Nightmare Domain granted powers, and this time, in addition to wanting to discuss the issues of the Tidal Realm with Angel, he also came with the intention of observing the granting of powers up close.
“Where is Sanders?” Rhine looked towards Angel standing beside him.
Just as Angel was about to say that Sanders hadn’t come over yet, he received a notification that Sanders had logged in.
Without a second thought, Angel changed Sanders’ location to this foggy area.
Seeing Rhine beside Angel, Sanders wasn’t too surprised and nodded to Rhine as a greeting, then said, “Flora is still sorting out the blood impurities for Sumesh. Before he comes in, I will first reduce the Lux amount of Initial Heart City to below 10.”
Currently, the average Lux amount in the entire Wilderness of Dreams is above 10, with the area near the New City having its Lux amount adjusted to hundreds due to the gathering of a large number of transcendents. Only a very few places, which Sanders hadn’t attended to yet, were set below 10.
Reducing the Lux amount of Initial Heart City to below 10 meant that Initial Heart City would not even be considered a micro-magic zone in the future.
Angel was about to ask why Sanders wanted to lower it but saw that Sanders had already closed his eyes, entering into the control of the power.
Angel could only temporarily give up and wait to ask after Sanders had adjusted it.
While Sanders was adjusting the Lux amount, Angel looked towards Rhine: “Regarding the Tidal Realm…”
Rhine seemed to know what Angel was about to say and waved his hand, “Let’s talk about the specific situation of the Tidal Realm after Sumesh has undertaken the power. However, I have a doubt that has troubled me for a long time and I want to get an answer.”
Angel: “Please speak, Lord Rhine.”
“I want to know, where is the entrance to the Tidal Realm?”
From the messages on the Mother Tree Network and the sightings of Rain Tanuki and the traveling frog a few days ago, Rhine was almost certain that the Tidal Realm must be on Edge Island. And the Tidal Realm must also be closely related to the “Mystery of Disappearing Elements of Edge Island.”
This task, hanging in the mission halls of various wizard organizations and remaining unresolved, had been explored by countless wizards, but the truth had never been found.
Where exactly is the door to the Tidal Realm, and why has it caused so many wizards to return in defeat?
How did Angel discover it?
This was the question Rhine was most eager to get an answer to at the moment.
Angel: “The entrance to the Tidal Realm is in the underground treasury of the Shannon Royal Family.”
Angel detailed the situation of the Shannon Royal Family, why he went to the underground treasury in the first place, and the process of discovering the Tidal Realm.
After listening, Rhine couldn’t help but sigh deeply, “No wonder so many people can’t find it.”
The entrance to the Tidal Realm is so hidden, not only underground but also in the crevice of a stalactite, as narrow as the tip of a needle. Most crucially, there’s a paper door within a painting set up by Feng at the entrance, completely isolating any energy signatures, which is why for so many years, countless wizards have gone searching to no avail.
Rhine remembers that a thousand years ago, several wizard organizations within the Blood Source Alliance had once organized an internal event, sending out hundreds of apprentices to various places on Edge Island in a carpet search, hoping to unravel the mystery of the disappearing elements.
At that time, it was a grand affair, with every magazine following the story. To avoid losing face, even formal wizards personally took part, but in the end, it all came to naught.
Looking back now, it’s understandable.
What good are more apprentices if, without shape-shifting magic, they can’t even enter the crevice of stalactites?
Even if formal wizards were sent out, and among those wizards, some knew shape-shifting magic, if the quality of the Morphing Softworm wasn’t up to par, or the level of shape-shifting magic wasn’t high enough, they still couldn’t enter the crevice.
Besides, who would bother squeezing through a crevice if they’re not eels?
“You could say it was a fortunate coincidence for you. If it weren’t for you, perhaps it would have taken another thousand years for anyone to find the Tidal Realm,” Rhine remarked.
Angel, however, shook his head: “I once thought it was a coincidence, but it’s not. Moreover, even if I hadn’t gone looking for the Tidal Realm, after a while, the Great Will wouldn’t have allowed the Tidal Realm to remain hidden any longer.”
“Oh?” Rhine raised an eyebrow, Angel’s words clearly conveyed two implications: one of destiny and one of observing the direction of the Great Will.
Both are beyond the reach of ordinary wizards.
“It’s a long story; I’ll explain in detail to you, Lord Rhine, after this situation is resolved.”
Rhine nodded, at this point, there was no rush.
While Angel and Rhine were talking, Sanders finally awakened. Upon waking, he didn’t say anything but directly exited the Wilderness of Dreams.
Two minutes later, Sanders logged in again, and this time he wasn’t alone; Sumesh was with him.
“Sumesh and Flora are both learning the Dream Entry spell, but their progress is worrying,” Sanders said upon logging in, addressing Angel: “For now, I’m the only one who can pull them in here.”
As Sanders spoke, a tall, slender young man stepped out from behind him.
He first paid his respects to Rhine, then approached Angel with a smile in his eyes: “I believe there’s no need for introductions; I’ve heard your name countless times from our mentor, Angel.”
His tone was very cultured and gentle, with a unique intonation when mentioning Angel’s name. Despite being practically strangers, the first direct address felt like old friends calling out to each other.
“This is technically our first formal meeting; I should have prepared a special gift for you. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring it into the Wilderness of Dreams. I’ll give it to you when we meet in reality.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Angel said, looking at the man before him——Sumesh.
Adorned in a wizard’s robe of unparalleled elegance, featuring white with green patterns and red embroidery with golden edges, Sumesh’s appearance is striking. His pale yellow hair, tied back with a green cord, leaves a single strand to artfully fall over his left eye.
At first glance, Sumesh exudes a refined and handsome charm, reminiscent of an academic scholar. However, a deeper investigation reveals an inherent rebellious aura, suggesting a discrepancy between his inner self and outward demeanor.
“Trust me, you’ll appreciate the gift I’ve prepared for our meeting,” Sumesh whispered, giving Angel a conspiratorial wink before leaning in to whisper, “This gift wasn’t hastily chosen due to recent events; I had you in mind all along, especially after my last visit to the Savage Grottoes, which unfortunately coincided with your absence. As for undertaking this power, consider it a significant favor I owe you.”
Sumesh’s acknowledgment of owing a favor naturally didn’t lead Angel to expect any form of repayment.
Sanders interjected, “If you’ve finished, it’s time to listen to what I have to say.”
As attention shifted to him, Sanders explained, “You’re now aware of Sumesh’s situation, Angel. As I’ve mentioned before, the power Sumesh assumes should ideally relate to creatures of the Dream Realm, aligning with his Nightmare Domain.”
“The abilities of Dream Realm creatures are too abstract, so I’ve established specific restriction.”
Without further ado, Sanders outlined these restriction, which, although numerous, boil down to three main restrictions.
Firstly, the Dream Realm creature from which the power is derived must integrate into the energy system of the Wilderness of Dreams itself.
This means the creature must align with the energy system constructed by Sanders, which currently consists of two types: the virtual magic power created by Sanders and the inherent energy aura of the Wilderness of Dreams itself.
Whether the creature aligns with one system or the other, it will prevent the Dream Realm creatures from becoming overly grotesque or chaotic.
This is crucial because the Dream Realm, by nature, hosts beings of illogical sizes and bizarre appearances, some as vast as continents, others as eerie as ghosts, due to the unique properties of dreams.
After all, “anything can happen in a dream.”
To avoid the chaos of “anything can happen,” it’s essential to exclude non-conforming Dream Realm creatures by integrating them into the energy system of the Wilderness of Dreams, designed to mirror reality more closely.
The closer a dream is to reality, the more orderly it becomes, and order implies regulation.
Conversely, the less realistic the dream, the more absurd and disorderly it becomes, attracting all manner of strange Dream Realm creatures.
This rationale underpins Sanders’ first restriction.
Secondly, the life energy level of the Dream Realm creature must comply with the current power level restrictions of the Wilderness of Dreams.
This restriction continues to limit the unconventional growth of Dream Realm creatures.
In the current Wilderness of Dreams, the maximum power level is capped at that of a third level apprentice. This means that even if creatures from the Dream Realm were to emerge in the Wilderness of Dreams in the future, their strength would also be confined within the power level restrictions set by Sanders, thus preventing the majority of potential calamities in the wild.
Thirdly, creatures of the Dream Realm will possess a strong tendency towards energy.
This inclination towards energy is set because Sanders is well aware that all beings, when endowed with a pursuit, will exhibit stronger initiative and not remain in perpetual ignorance.
By instilling this ‘tendency towards energy,’ Sanders hopes to slightly awaken the Dream Realm creatures from their slumber through pursuit, marking their instincts with a conceptual imprint.
The choice of energy as their pursuit, as opposed to anything else, is based on Sanders’ observation of various creatures’ instincts. Energy encompasses all aspects, including the energy needed for survival and for individual strength… and the methods of acquiring it are manifold. The more complex the pursuit, the more it leads to diversification in development.
Moreover, Sanders himself controls the powers of ‘Energy Selection’ and ‘Power Level Restriction,’ ensuring that even if Sumesh goes too far, he can still manage the situation on his own.
Additionally, once the Dream Realm creatures develop a tendency towards energy, they will naturally avoid areas with low energy levels.
Sanders had previously deliberately lowered the Lux energy around Initial Heart City to below 10 for this reason. This significantly reduces the likelihood of ordinary cities being attacked by creatures from the Dream Realm.
After laying out these three guidelines, Sanders turns to Angel and asks, “Got all that?”
Since Angel will be the one using the Scroll of Fortune, it’s important for him to remember these details.
Angel nods in affirmation.
Sanders continues, “Actually, we could impose more restrictions, such as differentiating between high-energy beings and ordinary creatures at birth, but after careful calculation, I’ve concluded that the current conditions are within Sumesh’s capacity to handle.”
It’s best for Sumesh to reach his power limit in one go, to avoid having to acquire sub-powers in the future.
“Everything that needed to be said has been said, so let’s begin.”
With that, Sanders steps back to stand beside Rhine, passing the stage to Angel and Sumesh.
Angel turns to Sumesh, seeking confirmation with a look.
Sumesh takes a deep breath and nods to Angel.
Upon receiving Sumesh’s confirmation, Angel looks towards a certain point in the fog. As his gaze flickers, a sphere bound by green runes emerges into view.
With a gentle gesture, the sphere appears in front of Angel.
Sumesh asks, “Is this… the core of the Nightmare Domain?”
Angel nodded.
Sumesh looked at the sphere with a face full of surprise; he had his own Nightmare Domain and was extremely familiar with the core of Nightmare Domains. Yet, this was the first time he had seen such a massive, even materialized, core of a Nightmare Domain.
Is this the difference between the Wilderness of Dreams and ordinary Nightmare Domains?
“Are you ready?” Angel asked.
Sumesh put away his various emotions and nodded to Angel: “Let’s start.”
Angel hummed in acknowledgment, extending his right hand. The moment his hand touched the sphere, the green runes that were binding the sphere came to life, emitting a soft green glow while dancing around the sphere.
The green runes on the sphere and on Angel’s right hand showed a clear interaction.
The runes spread out in elegant curves, like tender buds sprouting, stretching their fresh green leaves in the faint light.
Soon, all the green runes gathered together, emitting a lively pulsating frequency.
The sphere itself also began to slowly unlock under this frequency.
When the frequency reached a certain threshold, Angel started skillfully manipulating a specific type of green rune.
Binding, dissolution, integration, channel, gate.
The essence of the green runes appeared before Angel’s eyes.
Before activating “dissolution,” Angel did not forget the most important step: opening the Scroll of Fortune.
As the Scroll of Fortune unfolded, various familiar geometric lines emerged before Angel’s eyes.
When the special energy represented by the geometric lines enveloped Angel, he knew the “moment of luck” had arrived.
The “moment of luck” brought Angel an unparalleled comfort, as if his body and mind had entered an ethereal state. However, Angel did not indulge in this state, knowing well what he needed to do most at that moment.
The Three Restrictions mentioned by Sanders quickly ran through his mind.
As the moment of luck was about to end, Angel, without hesitation, activated the green rune representing “dissolution.”