As the hub connecting the Wizard World and the Dream World, the original Astral Laboratory was the place Leilin Farell valued most. He had even gone so far as to install numerous Large Defense Magical Arrays and set up an Array Spirit, all centrally controlled by the Chip.
After all, if the Astral Laboratory was destroyed, Leilin would not only lose his passage to the Dream World, but would currently be trapped here forever.
"Impossible! Before I left, for safety's sake, I specifically set up hidden formations and magical arrays, and even left behind..."
Leilin's mind raced. He was confident in his arrangements, but the alert from the Chip certainly wasn't false.
"Could it be some unusual creature that happens to be able to see through my illusion arrays, or perhaps... an Evil God?"
This possibility made Leilin's expression darken instantly. He abruptly accelerated, arriving at the area where the laboratory was located.
"That's..."
The sight that greeted his eyes made Leilin's pupils dilate slightly.
In his field of vision, a spider as massive as a mountain floated in midair, layer upon layer of silk threads being spewed forth, wrapping the entire laboratory within.
The runes around the laboratory flashed ceaselessly, radiating dazzling light as a defensive light barrier and the spider silk consumed each other.
On the spider's abdomen, countless markings formed the pattern of a twisted man's face, its mouth gaping wide as it emitted a moaning sound.
[Warning! Warning! Array Spirit energy reserves below 10%, reaching critical level. Immediate action recommended!]
The Chip's red warning box flashed up again.
"Can you scan the target's data?" Leilin asked quickly.
[Task established! Attempting scan! Beginning to penetrate the target's Field!]
"Squeak!" Accompanying the Chip's mechanical voice, the enormous spider in midair seemed to be provoked. Its enormous compound eyes swiveled, locking directly onto Leilin.
This forced scan, carrying tremendous malice and an aggressive sensation, would typically provoke the target's hostility—something Leilin had long anticipated.
"Moan..."
Accompanying the wailing of the man on the spider's abdomen, terrifying sound waves swept across the area where Leilin stood. The earth's crust was ripped open, revealing thick layers of bedrock.
Long before ordering the Chip to scan, Leilin had been on guard. Now, his body was not only covered in a layer of Komodo Dragon Scales, but several blood-red shields had also materialized before him.
Crack! Crack! The blood-red shields made contact with the sound waves and began to creak under the strain. Cracks appeared across their surfaces, and they quickly shattered.
The sound waves swept past, sending searing pain through Leilin's Komodo Dragon Scales.
"Hss... such power!" A glimmer of delight actually appeared in Leilin's eyes.
At the very least, through this attack, he could now confirm that the creature was not a Laws-level existence—which was more important than anything.
Otherwise, his only option would have been to turn and flee, abandoning the laboratory and wandering the Dream World alone.
[Ding! Due to the target's resistance and interference, this scan did not obtain complete data. Display anyway?] the Chip asked mechanically.
"Display!" Leilin ordered without hesitation.
[Ding! Unknown creature. Strength: 200+. Agility: 100+. Constitution: Insufficient data. Spirit: Estimated 2000+. Abilities: 1. Detection—possesses keen sensitivity to fluctuations within its domain range. 2. Unknown. 3. Unknown.]
The Chip responded instantly, projecting a highly incomplete data panel before Leilin.
"This detection ability is probably what allowed it to discover my carefully hidden laboratory!" Leilin sighed, feeling quite the sense that mortal plans cannot match heaven's will.
He had observed this place for a long time, confirming there were no terrifying creatures before venturing out to explore. But he never expected that during his absence, a terrifying monster would be drawn here.
"From what I can tell, the creature is rank-six at most—there's still a chance!"
Leilin's form flickered ceaselessly, dodging the snow-white spider silk in midair, while his thoughts raced.
The Dream World naturally did not follow the Wizard World's ranking system, and due to the uncertain fluctuations of Dream Power, the definition of levels was extremely vague.
But through the Chip's detection and his own observations, Leilin could determine that the creature was a formidable beast of at least rank-six.
"Logically speaking, a creature this terrifying would have its own territory—why would it venture out for no reason?"
Leilin immediately shook his head. "I'm being stupid! This is the Dream World—why would it follow any rules?"
"Moan!"
At that very moment, the spider's rear sac in midair suddenly swelled, expanded, and then detonated!