The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

The Illusory Dream Wizard pushed the cup toward Wang Ya.

The liquid sloshed gently, and the pair of large, bright eyes blinked along with it.

Then, a small mouth opened beneath the eyes and began to speak to Wang Ya. ”Hello, stranger. Will you be Ah Dui’s friend? Ah Dui saw you and right away, Ah Dui felt you were so kind.”

”Ah Dui has no mommy or daddy, and no friends. Ah Dui is so, so lonely. If you become Ah Dui’s friend, Ah Dui won’t be lonely anymore!”

Wang Ya: ”...”

”Drink it!” said the Illusory Dream Wizard.

Wang Ya’s lips moved, just as he was about to say something, when the liquid creature immediately started to cry and wail, ”Don’t eat Ah Dui! Ah Dui wants a friend, wants a mommy, wants a daddy! WAHHH... Please, kind friend, don’t eat Ah Dui.”

”Ah Dui has nothing! Ah Dui doesn’t want to be eaten! At worst, Ah Dui will let you...”

Wang Ya licked the liquid from the corner of his mouth, a look of wanting more on his face.

He placed the empty cup back on the table, but soon, an incredulous expression appeared on his face.

The liquid was incredibly smooth, flowing down his throat and permeating his entire body, absorbed in an instant.

It tasted incredibly delicious, but that was secondary. The most important thing was the astonishing effect it produced.

Like a gently flowing stream, it nourished Wang Ya’s mind, alleviating the immense pressure he was under from excessive Spiritual Power consumption.

It even increased his original Spiritual Power.

[Prompt: Unknown liquid ingested and absorbed. Spiritual Power increased by 0.2. Current Spirit Power: 22.4]

Its effect was almost on par with some Extraordinary Potions, yet it came with no discomfort or side effects. This point alone made it more valuable than any Extraordinary Potion.

Wang Ya looked at the Illusory Dream Wizard with curiosity.

Wang Ya truly couldn’t discern the nature of this liquid that could speak, think, and act like a living, intelligent being. It wasn’t in the database of information collected by his Eye of Truth.

”Those are Dream Creatures. They originate from the Dream World and do not exist in reality,” the Illusory Dream Wizard said with a smile, piquing Wang Ya’s curiosity.

The Illusory Dream Wizard didn’t keep him in suspense, instead directly telling Wang Ya everything he wanted to know.

”The Dream World is a place that can only be explored by those who possess ’Potential.’ It is a special spatial world that exists not only within the Wizard World but connects to the entire Endless Starry Sky. It is home to all sorts of grotesque, wondrous, and illusory creatures.”

”Without ’Potential,’ one can never hope to enter the Dream World in their lifetime, nor can they become a ’Dream Wizard.’ Your ’Potential’ is extremely high. Perhaps you can go even further than I on the path of a Dream Wizard.”

”You’ve always been curious about my state. I imagine you’ve guessed it by now... That’s right. My true body is in the Dream World. I can only use certain special methods to anchor myself to the Wizard World and manifest. You could also say it’s an alternative way of influencing reality.”

The Illusory Dream Wizard didn’t dwell on this topic, instead telling Wang Ya about the conclusion of a Wizard Experiment.

”The neurons in the human brain have an inextricable link to consciousness and Spiritual Power. They are also constantly being consumed. For ordinary mortals, as time passes and they age, this consumption continues. By old age, certain brain diseases such as forgetfulness and dementia will appear.”

”An individual’s Spiritual Power also enters a state of continuous decline. Generally speaking, only for mortal youths between the ages of 18 and 25 does the number of neurons reach its peak, and so does their Spiritual Power. After that, it steadily weakens.”

The Illusory Dream Wizard’s tone shifted. ”But the number of neurons is not fixed. Even in an ordinary mortal’s lifetime, the neurons they consume only account for about two percent of the total. The remaining ninety-eight percent of neurons exist in the hippocampus, but in an immature state.”

Wang Ya frowned slightly, but the thoughts in his mind were racing.

The Illusory Dream Wizard reached out and tapped Wang Ya’s forehead, chuckling as he said, ”Do you still not understand? This is the path of the Dream Wizard.”

Wang Ya’s eyes lit up. ”Teacher, do you mean that if we can mature these neurons, we can increase Spiritual Power from another angle?”

The Illusory Dream Wizard shook his head. ”You’re half right. Even other Wizard Systems, including the Wizard Meditation Method you practice, are undertaking this process, but the progress is extremely slow—practically useless, one might say. The human body has certain gene expressions and specific factors that act on these neurons, causing them to spontaneously decline.”

”Neurons, and the research related to them, are the greatest inheritance of my Illusory Dream Lineage—not some Witchcraft or Extraordinary Knowledge. I will not be teaching you those.”

”What I will give you is how to focus on the cultivation, strengthening, and even Sublimation of neurons... The paths of other Official Wizards each have their own merits, and their choices depend on the direction of their Wizard Experiments.”

”As for the Witchcraft and Wizard Path of a Dream Wizard, you will need to comprehend, create, and advance on your own. I will not create a second version of myself.”

Wang Ya’s emotions were complex. He took a deep breath, his heart filled with immense respect for the Illusory Dream Wizard.

’This is a true teacher, he’s thought of everything.’

”A Wizard does not need such unnecessary emotions. You have mastered three types of Witchcraft, which qualifies you to explore the Dream World. Everything else you must take and comprehend for yourself. Your Potential is higher than mine, so your gains will surely be greater, but so too will be the potential dangers.”

The Illusory Dream Wizard pointed behind him, toward the depths of the island beneath their feet.

”The Illusion Illusory Dream Garden Secret Realm can serve as an acclimation zone for you before you enter the Dream World, as well as a safe area. It is a Dream Territory that I carved out within the Dream World. Of course, its safety is only relative. If a powerful Dream Creature were to break in, even my Dream Power wouldn’t be able to block it.”

”There will certainly be danger, and it’s not impossible to get lost in there.” The Illusory Dream Wizard stared intently at Wang Ya. ”You have a second choice. Like Kelan, you can give up this path and choose to learn and master the Illusory Dream Lineage’s Inheritance Witchcraft and all its Extraordinary Knowledge.”

Wang Ya looked back at the Illusory Dream Wizard with equal seriousness and chuckled lightly. ”What I want to know is, are there more of those Dream Creatures from before in your Dream Territory, Teacher?”

The Illusory Dream Wizard was stunned. Then his expression shifted, the corners of his mouth curling into a smirk, and finally, he broke into loud laughter. ”Yes, of course there are! If you have the skill, then go and catch them.”

”Devouring Dream Creatures is one way to increase your Spiritual Power and Dream Power. It is also the only way I can tell you to fulfill your ambition within a hundred years.”

A large, yellow door appeared indistinctly behind the Illusory Dream Wizard. He pointed a finger toward it. ”So, will you enter the Illusory Dream Garden?”

Wang Ya sighed helplessly. ”Teacher, please stop playing these kinds of bad jokes on me.”

The Illusory Dream Wizard said with a grin, ”And here I thought you were going to be swept away by the benefits of those Dream Creatures. It seems you’re quite clear-headed.”

”With your Potential, you should have no problem grasping the foundational Extraordinary Knowledge of the Dream Mage System within a month.”

”I am very much looking forward to it...”

...

「One month later.」

At the Illusory Dream Wizard’s Tower...