https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-403-Sybrian-s-Unattainable-Dream/12584579/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-405-The-World-Cardinal-Lanchi-Desires/12584581/
Chapter 404: What Kind of Dream is Lanchi Having Again?
Chapter 404: What Kind of Dream is Lanchi Having Again?
Level Minus Four of Herrom Prison.
"So that's how it is."
Selena, the prison warden, slowly opened her eyes, having just witnessed Hiberlian's dream.
Usually, only those with severe psychological trauma would fall so deeply into their dreams.
Because, at this level of the illusion,
it represents
the most fragile fantasies and irreparable regrets of a person's heart.
It is a dream destined never to come true in reality.
And for those who break free from the illusion and remain lucid, they can glimpse the contents of others' dreams from a distance.
This also allows them to infer the other person's deep-seated pain and weaknesses.
Outside the cells of Level Minus Four of Herrom Prison, one might fall into an illusion with every step.
And each time, the fall into the illusion would be more intense than the last.
The deeper and longer one is trapped, the more likely their soul is to completely dissolve into the illusion.
For all the prison guards and inmates who set foot on this level, they would fall into an illusion at least once upon landing, and Warden Selena would be able to see the contents of their illusions.
Even though the prison rules prohibit mutual attacks, knowing the chink in someone's psychological armor could allow one to inflict unimaginable harm with mere words, enticing them toward self-destruction.
A pleased chuckle escaped Warden Selena's throat.
As a Seventh-Rank Illusionist of the Empire, she naturally had extremely high resistance to illusion magic and was adept at freeing herself from illusions. Moreover, if she needed to deal with a criminal, knowing their inner pain would allow her to tailor an illusion to torture them mentally and drive them to a breakdown.
For this reason, even at this level, she could confidently take on Antanas, the Great Demon Guardian who had broken free of his bindings, and emerge victorious.
Even if she ignored Antanas, he would still be unable to escape Level Minus Four, the "Gentle Fall," on his own, unable to find his way out of its lengthy corridors.
To the Protoss Empire, Selena was an invaluable talent.
But to Selena, this place was never just a workplace.
It was her playground.
Whether it was using talk therapy to lure criminals to suicide or occasionally breaking the prison guards, it was all fun and games to her.
It was a privilege unique to her.
...
In Hiberlian's illusion,
Selena saw only her mother, Efatia, and her father, Migaya, standing in front of their newly opened shop, holding a cake box as if they were also on their way home.
Even though she should have seen them every day, it felt as if she hadn't laid eyes on them in many years.
She was even afraid to approach them, fearing that she wouldn't be able to distinguish between the illusion and reality, and that it would suddenly turn into a nightmare, causing her to lose this calm yet intense happiness once more.
But Efatia didn't hesitate like Hiberlian. Seeing her daughter, she walked over with a beaming smile.
"Look, Hiberlian, we bought you a birthday cake. They say this restaurant's cakes are very popular with the locals!"
Efatia held up the cake box and grinned at Hiberlian.
As if she couldn't wait to celebrate her daughter's birthday.
"..."
Hiberlian didn't reach for the cake box for a long time, unsure of what she was afraid of.
Finally, her tears fell, and she rushed forward to embrace the two figures.
"Oh my, what are you doing?"
Efatia smiled shyly.
Even though she didn't mind her daughter hugging her, there were still some passersby on the street watching them.
For humans, the logical reaction in this situation should be embarrassment.
However, considering her daughter's feelings, Efatia decided to indulge Hiberlian.
Migaya, on the other hand, spread his hands helplessly. Since it was Hiberlian's birthday today, he decided to let her have her way.
"By the way, Hiberlian, tomorrow is the weekend, and I'm off work. I'll take you to the South Van Tina Territory. The seaside view there is fantastic.
"Ever since I took you there when you were little, you couldn't stop talking about it for a long time," Lanchi continued, a faraway look in his eyes as if recalling a fond memory. "But you probably don't remember it now."
...
In the high-latitude observation space, the Ice Snow Witch, usually unflappable, clenched her fists, her heart racing as she watched Hibernian's state deteriorate.
Hibernian seemed to be in a terrible state, completely unable to free herself from the dream's grasp.
Initially, during their time in the Kingdom of Aether Taiwan, the Ice Snow Witch had thought Hibernian to be a positive and cheerful person who wouldn't succumb too deeply to the 'Gentle Fall.' Now, it seemed she had misjudged her.
There were exactly one hundred and thirty-one floor tiles from where they stood to the teleportation portal to the next level. Each tile, when stepped on, would trigger a hallucination with a slight cooldown period.
According to the trial rules for Herrom Prison's wardens, they could form groups and help each other.
For example, they could have one person step on a tile and fall into a dream, while the others entered that person's dream from outside the tile, trying to wake them up within a certain time frame. Then, they would repeat the process, ensuring that no one fell into consecutive dreams and providing ample rest in between.
However, there was one prerequisite: at least one person must be able to free themselves from the illusion on their own.
Additionally, the warden, who appeared to be in a dire mental state, might also negatively interfere.
As for the true Demon Tribe trial, a single Demon had to take one hundred and thirty-one steps alone, enduring one hundred and thirty-one consecutive hallucinations and finding their way out without any help from other creatures.
Most Demons who undertook this challenge perished within the first dozen or so steps, their souls drowning in the illusions.
Only those Demons whose hearts were extremely evil and unwaveringly resolute could pass this trial. Their hearts held no softness or vulnerabilities, so they could find the tipping point between fantasy and reality within the shallow depths of their dreams and turn the illusion back on itself.
To some extreme beings, there was little difference between reality and dreams.
Even within the dream, they could commit the most heinous acts and destroy everything.
Other creatures, especially those leaning towards the good-aligned camps and the more emotionally sensitive, were more likely to be destroyed by this illusion.
The Ice Snow Witch knew that she, too, would fail this Great Demon Tribe trial.
All she could do now was pray that the three suspected Revivalists could help Hibernian.
However, at the moment, those three also remained unmoving.
Perhaps they weren't thoroughly corrupted, and their hearts held great vulnerabilities as well.
Except for the one lying on the ground... there seemed to be some movement there...
...
In Herrom Prison, Warden Selena observed the five wardens.
At this level, she was virtually invincible. After seeing through their weaknesses, she could even create illusions to toy with her enemies or impersonate important people.
She brought her hands together in a prayer-like gesture, unable to contain her excitement any longer as she prepared to savor the silver-haired girl's delectable pain.
"However..."
Selena muttered to herself as she glanced at the black-haired, green-eyed girl on the ground.
The illusion the girl had fallen into seemed strangely grand, continuously drawing the attention of the barrier spell and deepening the realism of her dream, even causing the prison's magic power to adjust to maintain her illusion.
Warden Selena was perplexed. What unattainable dream lay in this girl's heart? Surely it wasn't something as cliched as world peace?
Driven by curiosity, Selena inched closer to the black-haired, green-eyed girl with the face mask.
She decided to take a peek into the girl's thoughts.
(End of Chapter)
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