Wizard: I Have a Nightmare World

Lynn moved. His body, which had been lying in wait in the bushes for a long time, was suddenly released like a spring that had been compressed to its limit!

His figure transformed into a black afterimage, lunging straight at the middle-aged totem master from the flank.

The middle-aged totemister was being forced to retreat by Kuren's direct pressure and Scarlett's long-range blockade, his attention completely focused on what was directly in front of him.

By the time he sensed the murderous intent coming from his flank, it was too late.

The short sword in Lynn's hand was like a black lightning bolt, piercing straight for the middle-aged totem master's left rib—a tiny gap in the opponent's protective energy that he had just observed, and also a weak point.

"puff!"

The short sword pierced flesh with a muffled thud.

The middle-aged totemistrar's pupils suddenly contracted, and he let out a painful groan.

He turned around abruptly, his right hand conjuring an ice-blue energy spear, intending to stab Lynn.

However, his injuries slowed his movements by half a beat, and this momentary delay became a fatal flaw.

Kulun charged forward like a mad bull, his double axes drawing huge arcs in the air before slamming into the middle-aged totemistrar's shoulder.

"Snap!!"

The sound of bones cracking was clearly audible.

The middle-aged totemistrar's body tumbled twice in mid-air before crashing heavily to the ground, his icy blue spear vanishing with it.

His blue crystal core dimmed slightly, his body twitched a few times, and then he stopped moving.

"He's taken care of!"

Kulun grinned after landing and put away his double axes.

Lynn sheathed his short sword, its blade stained with blue blood that gleamed eerily in the purple sunlight.

He crouched down and carefully observed the blue crystal core on the middle-aged totemistrar's forehead, which was rapidly dimming.

"Is this the core of a totemist's power?"

"Lynn asked in a low voice."

"That's right."

Du Wei walked over, squatted down next to Lynn, and pointed to the blue crystal core to explain.

"The crystal core of a totemist is similar in principle to that of a totem beast, but it is more refined because it has been tempered by totem faith."

"This is a ring-shaped crystal core, which can sell for thousands of magic stones in the Witch World."

Lynn nodded thoughtfully, took out a slender scalpel from his spatial ring, and carefully cut along the edge of the crystal core.

"What are you going to do?"

Du Wei was slightly taken aback when he saw what he was doing.

"Research."

Lynn said without looking up.

"I need to understand the structure of totem power; it will help me survive in this world."

Du Wei stared at Lynn's focused and calm eyes for two seconds, then grinned.

"What a madman... but I like this kind of madness."

He stood up and patted the dirt off his knees.

"Then you can study it on your own. I'll go arrange the base's defenses."

"Hey you, Amber, keep an eye on him, don't let him dissect himself too."

Amber poked her head out of Lynn's pocket, made a face at Du Wei's back, then curiously approached the crystal core, gently touched it with her little paws, and exclaimed "Ah!"

For the next period of time, Lynn was completely immersed in his research on the power of totems.

He moved the middle-aged totemistrar's body onto a flat rock and used a scalpel to meticulously cut open the skin and muscle layers, revealing the intricate network of veins and bones inside.

He noticed a faint blue pattern on the surface of the totemist's bones, like some kind of natural runic structure, which was slowly dissipating.

"The power of the totem is not only stored in the crystal core, but also permeates into the bones and meridians..."

"This infiltration enhances the totem master's physical abilities, but it also leads to the totem master's extreme dependence on the crystal core."

"Once the crystal core is damaged, the totem's power will be lost very quickly."

Lynn muttered to himself as he quickly jotted down his observations on the parchment.

He took out a vial of blue blood sample and dripped it onto a small piece of silvery-white magic test paper.

The magic test paper quickly turned dark blue, and a faint fluorescent light appeared on its surface.

"The energy concentration is about three times that of a totem apprentice's blood... but the quality is lower and it feels coarser."

"Totem power is a more primitive and crude life energy, while the magic of wizards has been refined and purified."

"This explains why wizards of the same rank are usually stronger than totemists, because our energy quality is higher."

Lynn narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

He continued the dissection, carefully removing the blue crystal core and examining it closely in his palm.

The crystal core is about the size of an egg, and it is a translucent blue color. Countless tiny energy threads can be vaguely seen flowing inside.

Lynn probed the crystal core with his mental energy, and it was a strange feeling, as if he had entered an ocean made of pure energy.

He felt a warm and vibrant power enveloping his spiritual energy, which was completely different from the boundless magic.

This power is more "savage," filled with a kind of primal wildness.

"The essence of totem power... is the high concentration and purification of life energy."

"Totemists use their faith in totems to transform their life force into this crystalline energy form, which is stored in a crystal core and then extracted for use in battle when needed."

"While this conversion method isn't as efficient as the wizard's magic refining technique, it excels in its large quantity and rapid recovery..."

Amber perched on his shoulder, curiously watching the crystal core in his hand. She reached out her little paw to touch it, then withdrew it, revealing a look of utter delight.

"You want one too?"

Lynn glanced at her.

Amber quickly shook her head, pointed to the crystal core, then to the rock armored lizard in the distance, and made a "bad" gesture.

Lynn smiled.

"You're saying this isn't a good thing?"

"Indeed, this kind of totem power is too crude; direct absorption by the human body will damage mental strength."

"But it might be different for garden fairies."

He remembered how Amber felt all hot after consuming the sap of the Bloodvine Vine.

As night fell, Lynn had completed the preliminary autopsy record and stored all the samples and notes in his spatial ring.

The 7th Logistics Team set up a simple temporary camp on the hill.

Fei Qing carved a cave in the rock face at the top of the mountain that could accommodate five people as a temporary base.

Du Wei set up several warning traps at the cave entrance, while Scarlett set up a makeshift lookout point on a high vantage point.

"Well done today. We killed a first-ring totem master and wiped out fifteen totem apprentices. At least we'll keep Crimson Flame City from sending out large-scale search teams for a while."

Du Wei sat at the cave entrance, gazing at the red night sky in the distance, and spoke to the crowd.

"But they will definitely send more elite troops. Those guys in the Totem World are like madmen; the more people die, the angrier they get."

Kuren leaned against the rock wall, wiping his battle axe as he spoke.

"Then let them come."

Scarlett said coldly, her gaze fixed on the darkness in the distance, her fingers gently stroking the bowstring.

Lynn did not participate in their discussion. He sat cross-legged in a corner deep in the cave, closed his eyes, and prepared to enter a meditative state.

Everything he experienced today, from the death of the totemist to the dissection and analysis of totem power, gave him a deeper understanding of the dangers of this world.

He needs to improve his strength as soon as possible, and within at least three days, fully master his current state in order to cope with the larger-scale battles that may occur next.

But just as he closed his eyes, preparing to enter meditation, he felt a pulling sensation from the nightmare world.

He glanced at the timekeeping device on his wrist; it was just past midnight.

Without any hesitation, he entered the Nightmare World.

But unlike before, the nightmare world has changed today.

The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and blood, stronger than ever before.

The originally grayish-white bone surface was covered with a thin layer of black viscous substance, which made a sizzling sound when stepped on.

"What's going on?"

Lynn muttered to himself, scanning his surroundings warily.

At that moment, he noticed that the barrier that had surrounded him had disappeared, and he was now completely exposed to the nightmare world.

But strangely, no monsters or malicious attacks came at him.

Moreover, apart from the disappearance of the barrier, Lynn discovered that his ability to conjure objects in the Nightmare World, as well as his ability to resurrect on the spot after death, still existed and were not lost along with the barrier.