"The Dreamscape world..."
Leylin sighed. He could feel that the special location connecting the two planes of existence had already vanished from this place.
From now on, this place had completely lost its ability to connect to the Dreamscape world.
Though he had long anticipated this day, Leylin still felt a pang of melancholy.
"Farewell for now, Dreamscape world... and Gillian..."
Possessing a large amount of dreamforce and holding precious data in hand, Leylin was fully confident in entering the Dreamscape world on his own. However, this would require a great deal of research and experimentation. It was easy to imagine that while he would be unable to contact the Dreamscape world for some time in the future, one day he would use his own power to re-establish the connection between the two and descend there once more.
"What a pity..."
A trace of dimness lingered in Leylin's eyes. Under normal circumstances, this location could have maintained communication with the Dreamscape world for a while longer, bringing him even greater benefits. But Leylin had no regrets about the decision he had made.
Once discovered by a Tier 6 creature, leaving this spatial node intact would be nothing short of irresponsible regarding his own safety.
That colossal spider alone had nearly managed to force its way into the Wizard World. If an even more powerful existence were drawn here because of it, Leylin would have nowhere to turn.
Even if it meant losing this passageway, in his view it was well worth the cost.
"Fortunately, most of the specimens and research materials have already come into my possession. Most importantly, I've obtained the native dreamforce system, and even the runic structures on their bodies..."
Leylin's eyes lit up as he continued his rapid calculations.
"With these, I have a much greater chance of deducing Dream Wizardry suited to me. It could easily serve as a hidden trump card..."
Leylin had firsthand experience with the eerie nature of dreamforce. Moreover, this power was extraordinarily high in grade — nearly on par with the Laws themselves, and even possessed a restraining relationship against them. Even Tier 6 beings would find themselves in considerable trouble if they came into contact with it.
Therefore, wizardry developed primarily around dreamforce, even if only at Tier 5, would be a terrifying prospect for many Tier 6 Wizards.
"The data they provided only covers the use of low-level dreamforce, and it was specifically tailored for the natives. I still need a great deal of time to deduce and modify it, and even to construct the template for a Tier 5 spell..."
Leylin stroked his chin.
It was at that moment that his entire body transformed. A massive amount of dark reddish gas surfaced around him, condensing into all manner of faces and spiders that crawled across his clothing.
"Woooooo..." Wailing sounds crawled across Leylin's eardrums, turning his complexion deathly pale in an instant.
"Get off!" His pupils instantly shifted into amber vertical slits as the terrifying phantom of the Great Serpent Emperor materialised around him.
Bang! Bang! Crackling sounds erupted as the multitude of faces were repelled, yet persisted tenaciously, surrounding Leylin's body once more.
"Dreamforce! It's the wound I sustained earlier!" Leylin's expression was grim beyond words.
That colossal spider was a Tier 6 existence after all. Leylin had only managed to break into the laboratory at the beginning by catching it off guard, and had sustained injuries in the process.
Even with the Life Energy he had devoured to compensate, the power of the Dream realm still lingered relentlessly.
The strangeness of this force was something Leylin understood all too well. Had he not already conducted a certain amount of research into dream power — even developing a small degree of antibodies against it — this backlash would not have been so simple to endure.
"It looks like, before I can deduce new Wizard spells, I'll have to deal with this problem with my body first!"
Leylin forced a bitter smile. A thick layer of dark miasma rose from his body, enveloping the surrounding masks and spider phantoms alike.
……
Several months later, inside the laboratory.
Scorching heat mingled with clouds of white steam, forming rolling waves of sweltering moisture.
Crimson light played across the walls, casting reflections that looked like dancing flames. In the center of the laboratory, Leylin lay submerged in a massive crimson pool, his eyes half-closed as though lost in deep contemplation.
Within the red liquid, one could clearly see thread after thread of pitch-black substance — like splashes of ink — continuously seeping out from Leylin's pores.
Once they left his body, these black inky threads quickly dispersed, corrupting a large area. Faint sounds of wailing and weeping could even be heard rising from the black ink.
"Yiinngg—!" Accompanied by a piercing phoenix cry, a colossal phoenix phantom suddenly materialized above the crimson pool.
The phoenix phantom spread its wings, and two wings of living fire wrapped around the entire pool. Crimson flames surged upward.
"Wuwuwu..." The ghostly wailing grew even more shrill. The black ink thinned ceaselessly under the red flames, gradually evaporating until the pool returned to its original color.
After several hours, the steam inside the laboratory had grown even denser, forming a thick fog that shrouded the entire laboratory from view.
And within the crimson pool, the black filaments seeping from Leylin's pores had gradually shifted to brown, finally fading away entirely.