"The Dream World is a vast treasure trove, but it also harbors terrifying dangers..."
Leylin mused to himself.
Compared to the already-declined Wizard World, the Dream World had suffered no damage whatsoever — a terrifying realm that still retained its primordial majesty.
Even the evil gods dwelling within were enough to strike terror into the hearts of the ancient Wizards of old.
Moreover, the perils of the Dream World far surpassed those of reality. A moment's carelessness could result in the complete loss of one's True Spirit.
Whether it was encountering an evil god or stumbling upon some other environmental hazard, either scenario was exceedingly perilous for Leylin in his current state.
Worse still, what if they discovered his laboratory and used it as a springboard to invade the Wizard World?
Just the thought of it made Leylin's scalp tingle.
He wouldn't mind being branded a traitor to humanity or anything of the sort, but he'd be damned if he'd play guide for nothing in return.
Moreover, having long since claimed the Central Continents as his own domain, Leylin had no desire to see a far more powerful force establish a foothold there.
With the Central Continent's current strength, even a single evil god showing up would be enough to make the entire Wizard World tremble with fear.
There would be no benefit for Leylin whatsoever.
"I'd better keep a low profile and focus on exploration!"
After reassuring Fleury, Leylin immediately made the decision to relocate the castle. The current site would be completely sealed off and cordoned into an observation zone.
Fleury left with understanding. Mishaps during advanced Wizard experiments were far from uncommon, and the gravity of Leylin's expression was something she had never witnessed before — this accident must have been extremely dangerous. Fleury was a perceptive woman, and she immediately supported Leylin's decision.
In truth, she had no choice but to agree. This kind of high-level contamination posed an extreme danger to low-level Wizards and warlocks alike.
Fleury would never dare risk the safety of her child.
Following the relocation, Leylin himself remained at the site under the pretense of monitoring the contamination.
In the aftermath of many experimental disasters, scenes and processes of such mutations constituted valuable research data. Combined with the Chip's fabricated evidence of experimental failure, which had managed to deceive a great many warlocks, Leylin's behavior aroused no suspicion whatsoever — allowing the covert investigation and exploration of the Dream World to continue uninterrupted.
The original Astral Laboratory had now become a bizarre bridge linking the Wizard World and the Dream World. Leylin stood before a statue of a halfling, a contemplative expression settling over his features.
"As expected — the Dream World's encroachment has already begun?"
Gazing at the statue that should never have appeared inside the laboratory, Leylin stroked his chin, a look of deep thought upon his face.
As a bridge connecting two worlds, the laboratory itself had been deeply permeated by the Dream World's influence. Particularly after Leylin's several rounds of experimentation, the original laboratory had already undergone inexplicable changes.
As far as Leylin could perceive, the erosion from the Dream World had not ceased for a single moment — it was continuously reshaping the very materials of the laboratory.
If Leylin hadn't already removed all the outsiders from the castle, something would probably have happened by now.
And the current laboratory, even with Leylin's Brilliant Moon-level strength, felt extremely dangerous.
Leylin stepped forward, his fingers touching the surface of the statue, and a rough texture transmitted itself to his fingertips.
[Ding! Scan complete. Target shows no significant radiation phenomenon. Statue style is of the Aifeier period. Estimated construction time: prior to year 6231…]
The Chip projected a dense wall of data in front of Leylin, but none of what he had wanted to see appeared among it.
"According to my previous observations, this time period should be when the Dream World's invasion of this laboratory reaches its most severe point. After this point passes, the spaces on both sides will gradually drift apart, eventually causing this place to lose its ability to connect to the Dream World!"
The Dream World and the Wizard World were two separate great worlds, like two parallel sheets of white paper, and this laboratory was a node where the two drew each other in.
Whether it was the feathers left behind by the owl earlier, or the peculiar explosion from the previous astral experiments, this bizarre phenomenon had come about — the probability was so vanishingly small as to be negligible, and it would be impossible for Leylin to replicate it even if he tried.
And as space and worlds continued their movement, these two worlds would inevitably drift apart, and this laboratory would lose its miraculous function.
This wouldn't last too long — after all, linking two separate worlds together required a truly terrifying amount of energy. Although Leylin didn't yet understand the operating principles behind this phenomenon, he could still make a reasonable guess.
And through the Chip's readings, at this very moment, the Dream Force inside the laboratory had reached its peak concentration.
"At the current rate of erosion, the evil god on the other side could probably cross over…"
Looking at the erosion map and the Dream Force concentration curve the Chip had provided, a thin sheen of cold sweat appeared on Leylin's forehead.