Wizards pursue the truth

One by one, dream gates opened, releasing brilliant light that, upon contact with reality, materialized into a tangible state, like mist. Tiny particles and molecules adhered to the clothes and skin of the wizards standing before the gates, granting them the authority to enter and exit the dream world and to perform their respective systems of magic within it.

Not only that, the Nightmare Archmage standing at the top, with the Nightmare Annihilation Mirror floating in the void in his hand, emitted a ribbon-like stream of light from its white surface, which pierced through the skin of the corresponding wizards in the square with a needle-like sensation, echoing the Nightmare Calamity Mark and imprinting it on their souls.

At this moment, individual wizards bearing the Nightmare Calamity Mark will be able to use their authority to receive the corresponding Nightmare Annihilation Dream Power in the Bubble World and convert it into the particle energy needed to cast their spells.

In other words, they no longer worry about the energy consumption of particles.

Of course, everything comes at a price; the amount of Nightmare Annihilation power received will deduct corresponding Calamity Points.

Wang Ya had kept the bubble world closed for many years, accumulating a vast amount of Nightmare Annihilation Dream Power, all for this day.

The transformation and shaping of the Fission Path Network was also for the purpose of adapting it to the many natural disaster wizards of today.

His eyes were burning, as if he was expecting something.

This is also the first attempt to work together between Bubble World and the members of the Disaster Team to see if they can achieve what he envisioned, or if there are any shortcomings that can be remedied in time.

This marks the first step in the Nightmare Bubble Network's journey across the heavens, a battle that spans the entire universe.

The wizards below also noticed the changes in themselves and, through their mental perception, the source of the enormous and continuous Nightmare Annihilation Dream Power. Their eyes widened in surprise, and even the formal wizards found it difficult to remain calm. The Nightmare Annihilation Dream Power could sustain their consumption, giving them a huge advantage in battle.

Their gazes all turned to the Nightmare Wizard. It was hard to imagine how powerful the Nightmare Wizard was. Wouldn't such a large amount of energy support affect the Nightmare Wizard himself?

The Dark Wizard and the Blood Wizard learned the inside story a few days ago and then used mental fluctuations to transmit it to many formal wizards.

"Please be patient. The power of Nightmare Annihilation is not inexhaustible, and it is also related to your Calamity Points. If you have few Calamity Points, you won't be able to take on much."

The expressions of the various official wizards were strange. This was really exaggerated. Did it mean that they could supply as much as there were calamity points?

Even a level two Star Wizard could not possess such a massive amount of energy.

The power and mystery of the Nightmare Wizard once again shrouded their hearts.

Polaris tightened her grip on the Netherworld Sword, glancing at the black-robed figure out of the corner of her eye with an inscrutable expression, showing no sign of mental fluctuation. She had to admit that she couldn't do it; particle energy was precisely her weakness, and the reason she couldn't sustain the full power of the Star Wizard.

She happens to have a large number of Calamity Points, which she can exchange for the Legendary Heart Potion; if she were to exchange them for the Nightmare Annihilation Dream Power, she could obtain an astonishingly large amount.

The duration of the second phase of the Netherworld Sword's power will be incredibly long, comparable to that of a true Star Wizard.

Polaris's eyes flickered; she was even somewhat surprised, wondering if the Nightmare Wizard had taken special care of her, opening a back door for her while also opening back doors for other wizards.

It's such a coincidence, such a perfect match.

The pressure on the particle energy supporting so many wizards is immense.

Wizard Is was lost in memories of the past, watching the needles being inserted into his subcutaneous tissue, a scene strikingly similar to how he branded his apprentice wizards with the Dark Wizard Mark on the Ancient Forest Mountain.

However, the wizarding identity has been switched.

A smile appeared on his lips as he lowered his right hand, the sleeve of his wizard's robe concealing his palm. He raised his gaze to the figure of the Nightmare Archmage, who was the center of all eyes.

Watching him turn around and walk into the dreamlike void gate behind him.

Many wizards also stepped in together.

The colorful ripples and mist formed by the power of dreams spread further, like a dream, intertwining with the figures of wizards, echoing the colors of their various wizard robes.

The war has begun!

*

*

*

The practice square is located near the white, snowy plain.

call!

The lungs compress and rise, creating an attractive force that draws in cold molecules and white ice crystals from the air, forming tiny ribbon-like traces in the void.

Gradually gathering at the tip of the nose and mouth, a chill permeated the air. The spherical form of matter and energy caused the young wizard apprentices watching around to show expressions of shock.

"Teacher Rick, that's amazing! I've never seen this kind of witchcraft in textbooks before. It actually attracted natural ice crystals and mixed with energy, and the two didn't seem to conflict much."

"Is this your unique witchcraft, Teacher Rick? It's amazing and so cool! Can we learn it?"

The middle-aged wizard, dressed in the white wizard's robes of the Pale Hands, gradually developed animalistic features, and a smile involuntarily appeared at the corners of his mouth; this was not witchcraft at all, but a talent ability derived from his extraordinary bloodline.

Of course, if these little guys want to interpret it as a unique form of witchcraft, that's fine too.

After all, within this pale fortress, only he can use this ability.

The extraordinary bloodline of the 'White God Bear' is rare and precious even among the top ten Pale Fortresses. It can give the corresponding bloodline wizard the potential to advance to a formal wizard, or even a bit of the potential to become a Star Wizard.

He was also a nominal teacher at the 321st Pale Wizard Academy. He only needed to come and teach these kids from time to time to earn a considerable amount of magic stones and Pale Contribution income.

To fully develop the bloodline power of the White Divine Bear, a considerable amount of resources are needed, and the price is extremely high.

With a thought in mind, Rick prepared to demonstrate the power of his talent to these little guys once again.

The White Divine Bear is renowned for its elemental energy attacks. A powerful White Divine Bear can even breathe ice, freezing an entire human kingdom and killing countless lives.

"Teacher, that's amazing! Is this also one of your abilities? You can even create clones!"

A wizard apprentice pointed in surprise at something behind Rick.

Rex was stunned.

The ability to create clones?

When did he gain the ability to create clones?

Aside from its powerful ice and wind elemental energy attacks, the White Divine Bear is lacking in defense and vitality. As for its ability to create clones, that would require a supernatural being related to dark or water elements.

Rick instinctively turned his head, his pupils immediately contracting. A wizard figure exactly like him stood behind him, almost overlapping.

What's most chilling is his appearance; he looks exactly like him, without any difference. Even the few slightly long white hairs near the corner of his mouth on his cheek are replicated.

It's like he's a completely different person.

"Damn it, what's going on? Who's playing a prank on me?"

Rick felt a little panicked, but when he saw the other person standing still like a puppet, without making any movement, and sensing that there was no extraordinary fluctuation, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Look, Seven, there's another one exactly like you next to you."

"Dyna, there are some behind you too. What are all these? Is it some kind of joke that Teacher Rick played on us with his witchcraft?"

The young wizards, who had not yet mastered any decent witchcraft, looked behind each other with great curiosity. Some of the bolder ones even pinched the cheeks of their other selves.

"It's hard, like plastic, or like stone. Why does it look exactly like me?"

"My skin is as soft and smooth as cotton; it can dent in, but it springs back up. That's amazing."

A black line appeared on Rick's forehead. Just as he was about to reprimand him, his pupils contracted again, and this time, his face showed undisguised shock and fear.

"How can the Pale Fortress be gone!"

The cold wind stopped blowing, the frost on the ground disappeared, and the spirit of wind and snow that had always been there in the sky vanished, leaving only a vast expanse of white and a strange sky painted with paint.

The sun's color was also pigmented and constantly changing, along with the light it cast on the earth, and the temperature conditions also changed accordingly; Rex stared blankly at the vanished pale fortress. Everything familiar was gone, and now he was in an unfamiliar environment, the only comfort being a group of familiar people.

A bunch of little wizards who can't even understand basic witchcraft, what's there to be happy about!

Looking at the bewildered little wizards around him, who didn't understand what was happening, Rick felt utterly exhausted.

"Another version of myself disappeared. It's amazing, like a drawing being erased."

A young wizard named Dyna is very brave and has been observing another version of himself.

"Mine is gone too."

Looking at the bizarre environment, it seemed to be in some primeval forest, but the colors were too eerie and didn't seem like normal reality. He reached out to touch it, trying to cover the particle energy, and soon his face turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"How could that be? Particle energy cannot be used, and witchcraft can only be projected outwards through mental power and the physical aspect of the body."

When your palm touches a blooming blue flower, what you grasp is a splash of liquid paint.

He took a step or two back, contemplating a terrible outcome.

"Could this be a dream world? I've been transported to a dream world?!"

A young wizard came over and tugged at his sleeve, pointing in a direction and saying, "Teacher Rick, there's an ancient and magnificent city over there in the primeval forest, exactly like our Pale Fortress."

"Why is our home here? No, shouldn't we be at the practice field?"

The young wizards finally noticed something amiss. Connecting it to some terrifying information in the book, their faces turned pale, and they looked pleadingly at the only high-ranking wizard in the area.

Looking at the faintly visible corner of the building in the primeval forest, Rick murmured, "This is incredible. They've been directly pulled into the dream world. The official wizards of the Pale Hand wouldn't be so slow to react, unless they're too busy to deal with it, or it's some more terrifying power."

The Divine Dream Wizard is a rare level two dream wizard. It is more likely to attack from the real world. However, its defenses in the dream realm are impenetrable even with the combined efforts of the Ancient Heart and the Hall of Royal Authority.

Rick swallowed hard. The hidden truth was too terrible, too terrifying.

The roar of a beast came from the forest, and everyone's expression changed.

Now is not the time for reflection. Rex decisively addressed the group, saying, "Conventional witchcraft is no longer effective here. Aside from witchcraft that affects the physical body, soul, and spirit, I will teach you a method to unleash your spiritual power."

"This is a dream world, filled with various unknown dangers and the erosion of the world itself. Spiritual power is fundamental; it can resist erosion to a certain extent and allow you to endure for longer. When you encounter life-threatening dangers, then use the methods I have taught you. Remember, once you use a fraction of your power, it will be lost and cannot be replenished."

Rick led the young wizards, whose emotions varied and were mostly filled with fear, into the forest.

They are not formal wizards, they do not possess true spiritual power, they cannot find anchor coordinates, and they cannot forcibly anchor themselves to reality and leave on their own.

But Rick remembered something his teacher had once said.

The dream world is a spiritual reflection of the real world. It is bizarre, mysterious, and elusive, but it is ultimately traceable. It must exist in a structure related to reality, even if it is just a trace. If you find it, you may be able to perceive the corresponding environment in the real world through spiritual power.

Anchoring is also hidden within it.

At this moment, not only Lei Ke was affected and entered the dream world.

"Impossible, my mental perception ability didn't even register it... I'm a Limitless Wizard Apprentice at the limit level, even if a formal wizard-level dream wizard were to make a move, they wouldn't be able to fool me."

On the vast, primeval plain, tall vegetation swayed in the wind. A gentle breeze, its origin indiscernible, whipped at McCree's face, his hair flying wildly, and deep fear filled his eyes.

Unimaginable and incomprehensible.

The Dream Wizard would never joke like that.

Without any real-world anchor, it is thrown into the dream world.

Even if you want to test him individually, you have to give him some hints.

Nothing... absolutely nothing!

But who could possibly throw him into the dream world under the Dream Wizard's dream defenses?

For a moment, his thoughts were in turmoil, and he was gripped by an unknown and mysterious fear.

What should he do next?

Roar!

The roars of beasts echoed from the depths of the plain, seemingly the howls of some kind of wolf, long and resonant.

A pack of unknown wolves, living on the plains, has locked onto him and is rapidly approaching.

An unprecedented sense of crisis arose, and McCree's expression changed drastically. He tried to activate the particle energy, but found that he could not respond at all, nor could he cast any spells related to particle energy.

He immediately realized that in the dream world, wizards could only rely on their spiritual power and their physical bodies.

Unless you are a wizard who specializes in the path of dream wizardry.

His expression was exceptionally gloomy. Faced with the threat from the native creatures of the dream world, pondering why they had appeared in the dream world was secondary.

He took a deep breath, took off his clothes, and then smeared the eerie blue mud from his feet onto his body.

Even more peculiar things happened: the blue soil, the moment it was detached from the ground, turned directly into a flowing, liquid-like paste, colorless and odorless.

He paid no attention to such trivial matters. His naked, muscular body was covered with various knife and sword wounds, as well as marks from the claws of some wild animals.

Wizards possess various abilities and methods to treat these physical wounds.

He considers it a medal, a commemoration of the honors gained from winning countless life-or-death battles.

Sensing the growing sense of danger, he licked his lips. His already unattractive face became even more menacing with a sinister look in his eyes.

In a daze, I was transported back to the past when I was completing various dangerous wizarding missions.

To have reached this point and become a Limitless Wizard Apprentice, the effort he has put in and the dangers he has faced are far greater than what ordinary wizard apprentices can imagine.

"I will not die here... I will gather my true spirit, I will become a full-fledged wizard, and stand at the top of the Pale Hand."

"I, McCree Avalon, will never die!"

……

"Hey, hey, hey, this is no joke. That huge Pale Fortress has disappeared... and we've inexplicably ended up in this equally inexplicable place."

Asuna, don't you have anything to say?

The deep forest was filled with the stench of decay, damp and humid, making it almost unbearable. A thin layer of tree leaves and self-replicating buoys, produced by microorganisms and fungi, floated on the ground.

Two figures, one in a blue wizard's robe and the other in a red wizard's robe, each stood atop a tree, surveying their surroundings and watching the movements on the surface of the swamp below.

A male wizard with short, fiery red hair wore a carefree smile, seemingly unconcerned about his current predicament. He was lifting the right sleeve of his red robe to fan away some of the stench of decaying swamp vapors rising from the damp, high temperature.

The female wizard with long, straight black hair had delicate features and fair skin, but her expression was as cold as ice in the dead of winter. Asuna frowned at her incessant chatter and said impatiently, "To be able to bring us into the dream world without us even noticing, especially since we're still in the relatively core Pale Fortress, the dream wizard's dream defense must be extremely strong."

There's no need to think about the reasons; just know that their goal isn't to kill me, and that's enough.

Beings with such abilities would kill them without any effort.

They are ants, or even less than ants, just dust that would disappear with a breath.

Zetian winked and said, "Then what do you think the person behind this is doing, and what do they want us to do?"

Asuna gave him a cold look. "Stop putting on airs. You know that if you survived, it's highly likely that the person behind the scenes won't make a move."

"So what's the purpose? And what does it have to do with us? Do you even have the ability to be targeted by that entity behind the scenes?"

"Just let nature take its course."

Upon hearing this, Zetian scratched his head, his smile fading. "Yeah, let nature take its course. At least we survived."

"I wonder how the Pale Hand headquarters will react."

Asuna raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, with the Dream Wizard here, the methods of dreams can't be hidden from him at all. He'll react soon."

"All of you formal wizards possess true spirits and can react in time to expose the person behind this."

She suddenly fell silent.

This does not mean that they can get out of the dream world.

Without anchor points, without corresponding realities, and without finding the connecting weak points, they will only remain trapped here indefinitely.

A sense of powerlessness arose in Asuna's heart.

If she possessed the power of a true spirit wizard, she wouldn't be so powerless, placing her hopes on others.

"Hey, Asuna, we're going to survive in the dream world, right?"

Zetian's voice startled Asuna.

"Why are you spouting nonsense..."

Asuna's pupils contracted, and before she could finish speaking, she suddenly exerted force with her leg muscles, leaping from where she was standing on the tree to a tree branch ten meters away.

Amidst the churning sewage and sludge, a colossal creature suddenly leaped out, its ferocious fangs resembling a duck's long beak—it was a crocodile dragon tens of meters long.

Its thick, scaly tail cleaved several trees in half, and it let out a ferocious roar, its greedy gaze fixed on Asuna and Zetian not far away.

"You did that on purpose!"

Asuna narrowed her eyes.

After realizing they had entered the dream world, the two established a basic alliance agreement. In order to conserve their respective mental energy, they agreed that for a certain period of time, the other would release their mental energy to form a monitoring and perception area.

If danger is detected, it should be warned in advance so that it can be avoided.

"I reminded you."

Zetian waved his hands innocently.

"Don't get angry so easily. This place isn't so simple. If we keep arguing and creating conflict, we might not survive!"

As soon as Zetian finished speaking, the once calm mud swamp began to churn. Crocodile dragons raised their heads and roared, their rolling eyes staring straight at the two of them.

However, the surrounding area was densely populated with crocodilians.

The two were surrounded.

Now the two of them face the challenge of surviving in such an extreme environment.

The Nightmare Wizard withdrew his gaze from the black and white bubble.

He sat cross-legged at the center of the illusion-replacement magic array, with a huge black and white tree standing at the center of this world; seven-colored rays of light poured in from the void, continuously flowing into the Nightmare Tree.

Upon closer inspection, within the void crevices, fragments of dreams spontaneously began to operate. The black fission roots and tendrils of the Nightmare Tree pierced into these fragments, combining with the virtual-real amplification generator at the center. The reality belonging to the Pale Hand was continuously being reversed and replaced.

At some key points, at the entrances and exits of the dream world, the wizards with a heart for conquest stand ready, guarding against the resistance and attacks of the Pale Hand wizards.

And there were many more black and white bubbles like the ones Wang Ya had just seen, hanging densely on the branches of the ancient tree like the tree's abundant, ripe fruit.

Each dream, rooted in a different corner, echoes the others.

"Survival of the fittest. If you can't even survive in a random dream world, then disappear along with the pale hand."

The Nightmare Wizard's eyes were cold. He also had compassion, but he wanted the lower-ranking wizards of the Pale Hand to demonstrate their value.

The most important thing in war is to preserve resources, and wizards are also a part of those resources.

The enemies he will face will only be high-end combatants: the formal wizards of the Pale Hand and the Star Wizards.

Of course, if the other replaced wizards wanted to disappear into history along with the Pale Hand after the war, he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

The will to conquer will be reborn from the corpse of the pale hand, becoming even stronger.

"You're here? You reacted pretty quickly."

The Nightmare Wizard's eyes were calm, his robes hanging to the ground. Even though he could sense five extremely terrifying extraordinary fluctuations approaching, breaking through layers of dream ripples and reaching the gap in the second layer of dream space.

He looked up at the cross-shaped longsword piercing the Nightmare Tree; dreamlike, seven-colored ripples swirled around the sword, echoing the space around it and granting the Nightmare Archmage even greater control.

"Almost there! The fusion process is already halfway complete, and the achievement will be just around the corner."

……

(End of this chapter)