Chapter 855 The Tidal Realm <TOC> Chapter 857 Successful Dream Entry
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Translator: SumTLMan
Not long after Angel had stepped foot into the manor, he was greeted by the sight of Leon gallantly approaching on horseback, his whip flicking through the air.
“So soon? Has the matter with Princess Shannon been dealt with already?” Leon dismounted, surprise etched across his features as he regarded Angel.
Angel simply nodded, his gaze caught by the thin layer of perspiration on Leon’s forehead and the faint mist of exertion emanating from his body, indicative of some strenuous activity he had just engaged in.
Leon, catching Angel’s curious stare, casually explained, “I was feeling a bit restless, so I ventured into the forest for a hunt. However, it seems like the game was scared off by the refugees. I’ve had quite an unfruitful day.”
Following his explanation, Leon couldn’t help but inquire about the situation at the front lines with a sense of urgency.
Just then, the maid Ollie came running from the end of the path, panting heavily. She stopped in front of Angel, announcing that dinner was ready and beckoning them to the dining area.
“Perfect, we can talk over dinner,” Leon decided without further ado, steering Angel towards the dining room.
Angel didn’t require sustenance, but seeing Toby’s eager eyes and his older brother’s hopeful gaze, he decided not to refuse.
During dinner, Leon, brimming with enthusiasm, queried about the situation in the city of Sea Moon.
Instead of answering verbally, Angel projected an illusion showcasing the frontline of Sea Moon city’s military camp. It even included Toby’s intense fight with the Heart Eater. The thrill of the physical combat kept Leon, Mana, and Ollie, who were observing from the side, on the edge of their seats, their eyes glued to the unfolding illusion, their hearts pounding with every twist and turn of the battle.
In the critical moment, Toby had saved Princess Shannon from a dangerous predicament and killed the Heart Eater. The morale of the entire camp flipped from initial despair to sheer excitement. With Shannon’s encouragement, every soldier started chanting: “Sea Wave shall fall!”
The infectious atmosphere moved everyone present, save for Angel, as if they were experiencing it firsthand.
Ollie, who was rather emotional, had her eyes welled up with tears. She held her handkerchief to her nose to stifle any telltale sniffles.
This novel viewing method was undoubtedly far more compelling than a verbal description.
Even Mana, who typically showed little concern for external affairs, couldn’t help but say after watching: “With such a boost in morale, I believe Sea Moon City is sure to win this battle!”
Mana’s words prompted Ollie to nod in agreement enthusiastically.
After all, they were both natives of the Goldfinch Empire and naturally wished for their homeland’s victory. Moreover, Sea Wave’s cheating tactics to seize territory and their murder of the Empire’s backbone, General Monne, had undoubtedly ignited their shared hatred.
Leon scrutinized Angel after viewing the illusion, his brow furrowed in suspicion, “Where were you in all this? I saw Toby and the Heart Eater battling, but you were nowhere in sight.”
“I had a skirmish with a summoner, a mere apprentice. He fell in a single move, nothing worth watching,” Angel responded with an air of indifference.
Leon regarded Angel with dubious eyes, his disbelief apparent.
For his part, Angel was nonchalant. He did indeed end the fight swiftly, but he refrained from elaborating further due to the summoner’s ties to the Rat Ant Underground Society.
The part of the illusion where Angel went to the capital, Sambia, with Shannon was also displayed. It mainly showcased the cityscape of Sambia and the bustling view from above, which greatly astounded Ollie and Mana, who had never been to the capital before.
As for his visit to the royal family, Angel kept that part a secret, particularly since Eureka was still at the Pat Manor. He didn’t want to discuss anything about the Tidal Realm.
During the ensuing banquet, Leon was curious about the front line battles. He even requested Angel to conjure an illusion of the terrain of the Sea Moon City. Using his military knowledge, Leon simulated a battle against the Sea Wave.
By the end of the meal, Leon concluded that as long as their morale didn’t falter, there was over an eighty percent chance of victory in this battle.
And as it turned out, Leon’s conclusion wasn’t wrong.
In a few days, triumphant news was spread from Sea Moon City to various parts of the Goldfinch Empire. Shannon’s army had scored a great victory in Sea Moon City, serving as a reassurance to the displaced refugees across various regions and the uneasy public.
The Goldfinch was not ready to bow out just yet, it could still soar high once more!
Everyone believed that it was the princess of the royal family who had boosted the morale of the troops, leading to the victory.
What they were unaware of was that the true game-changer of this war was sitting in his study at that moment, curiously observing a spherical Softworm nest.
Knowing that there was a door in Shannon’s royal quarters, painted by the Magic Painter Mirafel, his curiosity was piqued. However, to open that door, he first needed to master the art of shape-shifting.
So, as soon as he returned home, he started studying the Softworm nest.
In the past, when the Dreamweaver Ants had taken over the nest, they could only transport a drop of Akeso essence blood at a time due to their size. They themselves needed the Akeso essence blood for sustenance, thus, the amount of essence blood nourishing the eggs was minimal.
But when Angel took over the Softworm nest, he was far more generous than the Dreamweaver Ants. The eggs were virtually soaked in Akeso essence blood, absorbing its nutrients and energy every moment. As soon as Angel deemed the essence blood to have lost its effectiveness, he immediately replenished it.
As a result, over the previous month and a half, the activity of the eggs in the nest increased significantly.
On the day when Angel returned from the City of Sea Moon, he noticed a new addition in his insect nest – a fat, white, softworm, writhing about its sanctuary like a grub.
This particular softworm remained a common variety, its value paling in comparison to the transformative kind. Consequently, Angel paid it little heed, allowing it to roam freely within its dwelling, sporadically providing sustenance.
Angel’s primary focus remained on the unhatched eggs. He noticed signs of life stirring within many, indications of imminent hatching, though each still seemed to be gathering their strength.
Among the myriad eggs, one peculiar specimen piqued Angel’s interest. It exhibited a certain vitality but lacked the promising signs of hatching seen in others. On closer inspection, it exuded an aura of dusky melancholy.
Despite Angel having infused plenty of Akeso essence blood within, while other eggs displayed heightened vitality, this one only showed a modicum of life, the gloomy aura still predominantly present. This oddity sparked Angel’s curiosity, prompting him to monitor this egg over a few days.
As the observation progressed, Angel discovered that, although the egg was immersed in the essence blood, its conversion rate of nutrients was exceedingly low. It had absorbed only a fraction of nutrients by the time the others had taken in their fill, which possibly explained its lackluster vitality.
Upon reflection, Angel carefully separated this egg using his mental tendril, moving it to a private space within the nest, where it received an exclusive supply of Akeso essence.
Angel had initially assumed the egg’s conversion rate was inherently low. However, once segregated, he discovered the egg’s rate was not low in the slightest.
When left alone, its conversion rate was astonishingly high.
Given the same amount of essence blood, the other eggs, when divided equally, would typically exhaust the nutrients within three days. This single egg, however, absorbed all within two days when left in solitude.
It was noteworthy, considering the quantity of essence blood Angel had poured was identical!
“Among peers, its conversion rate is low. But in solitude, the rate is alarmingly high?” Angel pondered, “Is it out of compassion for its own kind, unwilling to compete for resources? Or is it…”
“Does it deem itself above such competition?”
One notion portrayed a saintly figure, favoring modesty, while the other suggested a queen, loftily superior, refusing to stoop to common consumption.
Angel couldn’t discern which category this egg fell under, but its uniqueness was undeniable. He decided to maintain a close watch over this egg.
As Angel kept an eye on the egg, he didn’t neglect his other plans. One was to seek a way to save Jon, and the other was to hone his skill in the Dream Entry spell.
In the endeavor to rescue Jon, Angel found himself with no set plan. His sole approach was to persistently apply various magical formulas to Jon’s recorded physical data, hoping to stumble upon a suitable equation that might alleviate Jon’s condition.
While he had made some progress in mastering the Dream Entry spell, the cross-discipline practice was so slow it ignited Angel’s frustration.
Given the current pace, Angel estimated that it would take at least two years to fully master the Dream Entry spell.
For most apprentices in the Wizarding World, two years to perfect a spell seemed reasonable. The span of time might not seem extensive, but for Angel, the situation was different. Jon only had two years to live. Angel’s pursuit of mastering Dream Entry was to observe Jon’s condition within his dreams. If this endeavor were to consume two years, it would be better not to embark on this journey in the first place.
Angel began to ponder, questioning if there was a way to expedite the process of mastering Dream Entry.
After ruminating for a while, Angel suddenly remembered something. He retrieved a black conch conch adorned with a crescent moon and stars from his bracelet.
This was the Dream Conch of the Moonlit Coast. Since acquiring it, Angel had never put it to use.
Firstly, he lacked the time to delve into its mysteries, and secondly, the conch’s functions seemed unremarkable. Although Freud’s suggestions had merit, Angel had yet to see a glimmer of hope.
Under such circumstances, Angel had allowed the conch to gather dust. Now, as he dusted it off, he was reminded of the circumstances when he first acquired the Dream Conch in the Silver Heron Imperial Family of the Central Empire.
Back then, he was unable to unlock the conch’s potential. According to Freud, only the power of dreams could activate the Dream Conch.
Defiant, Angel tested all the energies he possessed, only to discover that he could activate the conch with the power of nightmares!
Although he couldn’t comprehend why nightmare energy could activate it, Angel conjectured that the power of nightmares might possess a fragment of dream properties.
The question he was now pondering was, could he utilize the power of nightmares as a medium to master Dream Entry?
As Angel mulled over this possibility, he subconsciously waved a streak of nightmare energy.
Instantaneously, the Dream Conch on the table was activated.
Sensing the mysterious energy pulsating outward, Angel’s heart sank.
Before he could put the conch away, he heard the sound of shattering glass, followed by a female voice from behind, “Oh my, I sense something delightful has emerged…”
Chapter 855 The Tidal Realm <TOC> Chapter 857 Successful Dream Entry