Chapter 868: Meeting Witch Aina Again
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 868: Meeting Witch Aina Again
"So... Yulan, do you girls like eating Soul Essence?"
After spending a long time neutralizing another dream creature with little to show for it, I asked the question quite casually.
"Soul Essence? I hate it!" Yulan replied with a very clear rejection.
"Then what do you think... Soul Essence is to you? Is it a snack, or something that's edible but tastes bad, or... would you classify it as inedible junk?"
"Hmm... it smells weird... I think it's inedible junk," Yulan answered quickly.
"I don't really like it... maybe it's edible, but there's no way I'd ever eat it," Yu Yun added.
"Lick—ugh! Ptooie..." That was Yu Guo.
"This... theoretically, it is edible... however... from the perspective of knowledge, we of the Fool's Dream Clan wouldn't eat it. It's like how carnivores in the reality realm eat raw meat, but humans rarely do... probably..." This contribution came from Yuxing.
"Yuxing's analogy is quite fascinating." Hearing her explanation, I thought of myself. Did I like eating Soul Essence?
Whether it was unstable Soul Crystals or the formless Soul Essence state, I wouldn't exactly "eat" it. Even using it to raise one's Life Level wasn't a process that could be described as eating; it was a highly complex procedure. For a lifeform with a soul-based essence like mine, it required even more specialized methods of absorption.
Although I always referred to the Fool's Dream Clan as dream creatures, compared to the dream creatures found in the deep layers of the Primitive Dream Realm... they didn't like eating Soul Essence.
Or rather, they weren't shaped from Soul Essence to begin with. They were a collective of pure dream consciousness, which was precisely why they could be "invaded" by the Nightmares carried by other dream creatures.
Based on my current experiments, if I were to summarize my findings in the most layman terms, it would be this:
A Nightmare is the "organ" a dream creature uses to consume Soul Essence, as well as the primal desire that drives them to do so. Furthermore, a Nightmare is an indispensable component that attaches to dream consciousness to constitute a dream creature.
This entire set of operational rules only applies to the Primitive Dream Realm, much like how fish exist because the ocean provides the necessary environment. Within this, the only concepts exchanged between the Primitive Dream Realm and reality are "Information" and "Soul Essence."
Between these two, "Information" in reality is merely a collective term for data and various concepts rather than a reason for existence. However, once exchanged into the dream, it is granted the existential significance of constituting the Primitive Dream Realm.
As for Soul Essence... it can also be converted, but not through the active conversion of the Primitive Dream Realm itself. Instead, it relies on dream creatures to perform the conversion.
It must be said that as the most unique "material" among the World Three Source Elements, Soul Essence truly possesses marvelous properties to be singled out as the third pillar alongside "matter" and "energy" within the void.
Initially, the World Three Source Elements included Soul Essence simply to represent the concept of "Life." After all, the void is a system composed of matter, energy, and life. But now, it seemed highly likely that Soul Essence served as the bridge unifying the Transcendent Void and the Primitive Dream Realm.
While this was all speculation, in a situation where no one had the power to prove it false, it was indeed a plausible answer.
In most cases, the exchange was one-way—a transformation from reality into the dream. However, explaining the so-called balance was actually quite simple: the Ley Lines.
Ley Lines are the foundation for the birth of worlds within the void, and the dream world possesses Ley Lines as well. And what flows within those Ley Lines? Naturally, it is Information and Soul Essence!
Perhaps understanding the composition of the Primitive Dream Realm and its relationship with reality seemed to offer no immediate help to my current research, but in truth, it was immensely helpful. It was just that this understanding didn't focus on any one specific field of study.
It was like how a person who doesn't understand ecology, the habits of various organisms, or the dynamic balance between predator and prey can never truly understand the composition of a food chain. How would they know what they can and cannot do upon entering an ecosystem?
The Primitive Dream Realm was such an "ecosystem," and I was attempting to adapt to it. As for conquering it? That was still far off. Even with my mastery over the Dream Domain, I wouldn't dare make such a bold claim.
While my experiment was still underway, there was suddenly a commotion at the laboratory entrance. I temporarily paused my work and looked over with curiosity.
"Xiao Han~ Wow... is it really just you, one little witch, in here?"
"Eh?"
Hearing that voice and tone, I knew exactly who it was before I even saw her.
"Sister Aina?"
"That's right! It's been so many days since we parted at Fool's Village!" Aina walked in through the door, and she wasn't alone this time. Behind her followed three other witches.
These three were either witches I had met in Fool's Village within the Primitive Dream Realm or those I had brought out of the Primitive Dream Realm myself. Regardless, they were all very familiar faces.
"It hasn't actually been that many days~ So, how is it? Has your spirit recovered after leaving the Primitive Dream Realm?"
"Of course! Don't underestimate the recovery and adaptability of a Transcendent Witch!" Aina led her sisters—with whom she shared a life-and-death bond—to the edge of the laboratory area.
They instinctively stopped there, because the moment they entered, they felt that familiar aura emanating from the Primitive Dream Realm!
"Whoa... it really is a controllable Primitive Dream Realm descent! I'm going to be riding your coattails again, Xiao Han!"
"Truly miraculous... it's my first time seeing such a small yet orderly Primitive Dream Realm! It's filled with the aesthetics of domination."
"It looks like the Dean has already explained everything to you?" Seeing their shocked yet clearly prepared reactions, I knew the Academy Dean must have briefed them before they arrived.
"Naturally! We're the first batch to come over. Dean Mei was being all mysterious when she was gathering people. To be honest, before coming here... we simply couldn't believe this was real!"
"Well, this time, you can see it for yourselves, right?" I walked from the center of the laboratory to the edge where they were standing.
"I'm completely convinced now..." Aina had been in Fool's Village at the time and hadn't witnessed the Order Body I manifested in the Primitive Dream Realm, but she had heard about it more than once after coming out.
She was well aware that Xiao Han's attainments regarding the Primitive Dream Realm far exceeded theirs. Although they were witches of the Great Soul Subject, that was merely the Soul Subject, not a direct Primitive Dream Realm subject—especially since this branch didn't even have a specific Witch Project yet!
"Wait! Xiao Han, you're in... your reality realm body? You were actually maintaining a reality realm body while standing at the edge of a Primitive Dream Realm zone just now?" Aina was suddenly struck with shock after patting my shoulder!
Seeing me so close to the Primitive Dream Realm earlier, she had assumed I was using a soul consciousness body. One had to remember that this was a Primitive Dream Realm descent! Even if it was a "controllable" one... well, they didn't actually understand the principles behind it. They only came because Dean Mei said there was a safe, experimental, controllable Primitive Dream Realm descent here.
"Is there a problem? Oh, you might have misunderstood. My consciousness is submerged in the Primitive Dream Realm to expand the Dream Domain. This controllable Primitive Dream Realm descent into reality is maintained through that method. My physical body can move because of multi-threaded consciousness operations. After all, I need to handle reality-realm experimental equipment and materials to conduct my research."
"You can... do that? If I get close to the Primitive Dream Realm, my soul instinctively detaches from my body. So how do you do it, Xiao Han? Consciousness splitting, or..."
"I've mastered a very special Clone Skill. I use that technique on my own body to achieve synchronization between the dream and reality."
"Alright, alright~" Aina chuckled and stopped prying.
Since Xiao Han called it a "special skill" rather than naming a specific technique, it meant the skill wasn't meant for public distribution. Xiao Han clearly didn't want to dwell on it, so Aina was tactful enough not to ask further. However, she couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly versatile Xiao Han's abilities were...
After giving them a general overview of the laboratory's situation, I began arranging the necessary facilities for them. Strictly speaking, they weren't here to help me; they were here to borrow the controllable Primitive Dream Realm I was maintaining to conduct their own research. Therefore, I naturally needed to establish usage rules for this small patch of "Primitive Dream Realm."
In the beginning, the Primitive Dream Realm was only about the size of a fist. That was the initial stage. After gradually stabilizing the core Dream Core, the current deep-layer Primitive Dream Realm had reached my previously simulated theoretical value—about one-eighth of a cubic meter.
While that was only the size of a small ornamental fish tank, it was definitely enough for conducting experiments.
Because of their previous ordeal of being trapped in the Primitive Dream Realm, Aina and the others had become a bit more cautious. However, the innate witch urge to "court death" for the sake of research couldn't be suppressed. After some discussion, they decided to rotate their soul consciousness states within the laboratory.
In other words, the four of them would coordinate: one would remain in reality while another existed as a soul consciousness within the dream overlap of the laboratory. This would help them better collect the Primitive Dream Realm data they desired.
Consequently, I needed to prepare a place for them to lie down. After all, when they entered the dream, their physical bodies couldn't just sprawl out on the floor, could they? This was a formal laboratory; there was no need to make the research environment so grueling for professional scholars.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot to ask one thing," Aina suddenly spoke up.
"Is there something else?"
"Yes. You mentioned earlier that this controllable Primitive Dream Realm relies on your Dream Domain. Does that mean... to maintain this descent, you have to stay here and maintain it without ever leaving?"
"That's... essentially correct," I nodded.
In reality, I achieved the dream overlap through my domain. Without my active maintenance, it could persist for a long time, but that didn't mean it wouldn't fade. It was like the situation in the Expansion Realm; the entire realm was constantly being reclaimed by the Primitive Dream Realm, and the dreams I dispersed were slowly receding.
After all, a dream overlap is inherently a "special" state. The constant repair between reality and the dream tends to maintain a stable relative state—where reality and the dream mind their own business.
But that applies to shallow dreams.
For deep dreams—depths that qualify as the "Primitive Dream Realm"—the moment I "let go," it will slowly dissipate. As for why the Expansion Realm dissipated so slowly... that was naturally because the Primitive Dream Realm there had reached a massive scale, which obviously wouldn't fade in a short time.
"Is that okay? Xiao Han, that means you'll have to stay in the laboratory for a long time. Based on your traits... you don't seem like the type who enjoys being cooped up in a lab long-term."
"Huh? Am I like that?"
"Aren't you? Although I don't know you that well, I know your experiments are usually focused on efficiency. None of your experiments have ever lasted more than a year."
"I guess that's true?" I really couldn't argue with that. "I didn't realize I had that kind of stereotype attached to me. But don't worry, Sister Aina~ The task I'm working on this time is quite difficult. I don't know how long it will take. Maybe a year, maybe two..."
After all, my ultimate goal was to bestow the true concept of "Life" upon the Fool's Dream Clan!
"If I really need to go out for something, I have my clones~ so there's no need to worry~"
I currently had many clones in both the Expansion Realm and the Witch Academy. If I really needed to do something, a clone could do it for me!
However, thinking of this, another matter suddenly occurred to me... if I had to stay in the lab constantly, I wouldn't be able to "compete in bed" with Sister Bai! I might not even be able to go to the Dungeon worlds!
Actually, I could go for short periods. Leaving for a brief moment was fine. But the time required for "bed competition" definitely wouldn't be enough...
I patted my cheeks. My relationship with Sister Bai certainly wasn't just about physical pleasure; more importantly, it was about the resonance of our hearts! Intimacy wasn't a strict necessity!
"Xiao Han? What's wrong?"
"Oh! Nothing... just thought of some other things. Not being able to leave the lab is indeed a bit of an oversight, but it's not insurmountable."
My relationship with Sister Bai was vital, but a mere issue of satisfying desire wouldn't become a stumbling block to the progress of our feelings. Moreover... my promise to the Fool's Dream girls was equally important!
"So, Xiao Han, maybe you should just do what you can. We're not forcing you, after all; we're just here to ride your coattails for a bit of convenience."
"It's fine. If I have time, I'll try to see if I can use other means to maintain this special controllable Primitive Dream Realm descent."
"Better not, Xiao Han. That sounds time-consuming and exhausting. You should just stick to your own pace."
"Not necessarily~"
Once you understand the principles, you know how to apply them. In the end, it was just about using some technique to create something that could replace the function of my Dream Domain within the Primitive Dream Realm.
The important thing was never the power to replace the Dream Domain itself, but the technique to maintain the Primitive Dream Realm descent. The Dream Domain was a means to achieve this, but it wasn't the only means.
It's like how some phones can be used to crack walnuts, and a hammer can also crack walnuts—but the technological complexity between the two can't be compared.