https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-88-Sometimes-Involving-the-Parents-Is-a-Good-Strategy/13453390/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-90-Harvest-in-the-Forbidden-Forest/13453392/
Chapter 89: Emerald Dream
Chapter 89: Emerald Dream
After leaving the headmaster's office, Liam received a System notification: Major plot change, earning 15 Deviation Points.
As expected, Deviation Points are easier to come by in the main world. Liam felt quite pleased, as his depleted Deviation Points had finally increased a bit.
However, the presence of a Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets still made him uneasy. Liam decided to eliminate the Basilisk for everyone's safety and to earn more Deviation Points.
Initially, he had no such plans, but after obtaining the Maoshan Daoist Scriptures in Mr. Zombies' world, Liam realized he had a way to solve the problem: a ritual array.
By setting up a ritual array in advance, he could leverage a small amount of power to unleash immense energy. In Mr. Zombies' world, a Decline of the Dharma world, energy-rich items were scarce, causing ritual arrays to fall out of common use.
However, the Maoshan Daoist Scriptures still contained records of these ritual arrays. After reviewing them, Liam found some that could be used against the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.
The main issue now was where to obtain the materials needed for the ritual array. Purchasing them would definitely exceed his Galleon budget, not to mention that buying so many items at once would raise suspicions.
After much consideration, Liam decided to rely on his own resources. He turned his attention to the Forbidden Forest. The better the materials, the more effective the ritual array would be.
However, he couldn't go on a killing spree in the Forbidden Forest. Especially with creatures like Unicorns, the death of even one would trigger a school-wide search. Besides, Liam was following a balanced path of Life, and such wanton slaughter would not align with his training.
Naturally, Liam set his sights on the Giant Octo-Eyed Spiders. These creatures were perfect targets, abundant and fast-breeding, and killing a few wouldn't be noticed. Moreover, they were unnatural beings, like the Basilisk, created by wizards, causing biological invasions and disrupting the balance of the Forbidden Forest.
Another crucial point was that Liam's Life Magic could deal significant damage to these unnatural beings, making the hunt easier.
Before setting out, Liam still needed to make some preparations.
After a busy day on the weekend, on Monday night, after curfew, Liam quietly slipped out of the castle and headed toward the Forbidden Forest.
The Forbidden Forest was as dark as ever at night. Liam summoned a Lantern Plant from his emporium to light his path. He had barely walked for ten minutes along the forest trail when a rustling sound came from the bushes. Suddenly, a large animal darted out from the trees.
Liam was about to draw his wand but then recognized the creature. After a few seconds, he let out a breath and lowered his wand, saying, "Bettie, good evening. You nearly gave me a heart attack."
It turned out that the creature was Bettie, the Centaur Liam had met last year while rescuing a Unicorn in the Forbidden Forest.
Bettie looked at Liam for a moment and then asked, "Have you already visited the Temple of Chiron on Crete this summer?"
"No, I haven't. The ring you gave me is still with me." Liam reached into his shirt and pulled out a chain with the ring attached.
"That's strange", Bettie said, pawing the ground with her front hooves. "So where did you learn to enter the Method of the Emerald Dream?"
"Emerald Dream? What's that?" Liam asked, curiosity piqued.
Bettie thought for a moment before saying, "Hold my hand and don't refuse my invitation into your mind. I think you'll understand once you enter the Emerald Dream."
Trusting that Bettie wouldn't harm him, Liam immediately extended his hand. As soon as he grasped Bettie's hand, he felt a mental invitation. He quickly accepted it.
The moment he agreed, Liam found his consciousness pulled into a vast world brimming with natural power and Spiritual Qi. Liam was certain he had never been to this world before, but it felt strangely familiar. Finally, he realized it was similar to the Dream World he had encountered at the Icelandic Altar.
However, compared to the Dream World he had experienced, this one was much larger and teemed with life, unlike the desolate and lifeless world he had previously encountered.
Liam checked himself and noticed that this time his Soul Body was that of an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, rather than the young adult form he had taken before. He suspected this might be due to the robust Spirit he had cultivated through practicing Maoshan Daoism, which prevented his Spirit from unconsciously emitting information.
At that moment, the light points around him coalesced into Bettie.
"I've never been to the Emerald Dream, but I've visited a similar place. That world was much smaller and far more lifeless", Liam said to Bettie, who was gradually taking shape beside him.
"Sometimes Wizards cut off a piece of the Emerald Dream to use as their private domain. The place you visited might have been one of these. However, once a piece of the Emerald Dream is separated from the main body, it quickly loses all its Life Force, and that world dies. Such an act also harms the Emerald Dream, so Liam, don't follow their bad example."
After warning Liam, Bettie continued, "I saw you helping the Unicorn and believed you had the right to enter the Emerald Dream. The ring was meant to guide you to my teacher to learn the Method of the Emerald Dream. I didn't expect you to learn it from another source. Can you show me your method?"
"Sure", Liam replied. He then used his method to exit the Emerald Dream and re-enter it.
As soon as he re-entered, he saw Bettie frowning. "The method you learned is entirely Wizard-based. It involves forcefully tearing open a gap to enter, which can harm both your Soul Body and the Emerald Dream."
Bettie's frown then relaxed, and she pointed to the green light points surrounding Liam. "However, since the Emerald Dream has recognized you, you've already passed the most difficult part of entering. Therefore, you don't need to go to the Temple of Chiron to learn how to communicate with the Emerald Dream. I can teach you the true method to enter this world."
Bettie then taught Liam the correct way to enter the Emerald Dream. Through his studies, Liam discovered that Bettie's method involved sensing the Flow of Nature, communicating with it, and then entering in harmony.
This method was far more refined and complex than the one he had learned from the Viking Wizard's memories. However, it was also more efficient and less draining. Liam could feel that this was the genuine method, while the Viking Wizard's approach was more of a shortcut.
As he practiced, Liam couldn't help but marvel at how much he had gained from this trip to the Forbidden Forest. He hoped every visit would be as fruitful.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
