Chapter 179: Dream

Ace watched the Wizard Apprentices gradually relax their minds, a smile appearing on his lips.

He did not rush to hypnotize them. The apprentices had just completed a successful Mental Link Network experiment and gained significant improvement from meditation. Overall, they were spirited and somewhat excited. Forcing hypnosis at this time would not be feasible.

The best strategy for mental manipulation is to guide the situation according to circumstances. He first used the Soul Spell Suggestion to let the apprentices slowly relax, which fit their current state.

After extreme excitement, people need relaxation. After relaxing, they will gradually fall into a comfortable zone.

Ace watched the apprentices become comfortable. Their previously lively discussion died down, and they began to sit peacefully on the rugs. Some looked drowsy.

Arno was the most obvious. He was snoring loudly, instantly waking up several drowsy apprentices.

Ace frowned slightly. After a brief thought, he used the Lesser Spell Silence, with the Sound Rune as its core, to silence the noise Arno was making.

Then, looking at the apprentices with satisfaction, he activated the Illusion Barrier spell. As the barrier unfolded, the apprentices passively underwent the barrier’s will check and were slowly induced into a deep sleep.

At this time, Ace discovered another interesting phenomenon. Both Arno, who had been asleep for a long time, and Ancestar, who was falling asleep, naturally resisted the Illusion Barrier’s will check.

They were merely asleep, not having their thoughts and subconscious induced by the Illusion Barrier.

“To pass a will check without resisting… Although I didn’t use my full power, I used at least 3 Mental Power Units of strength. Does the Heart Force condensed from the Knight’s Creed possess such strong mental resistance?”

Ace pondered while increasing the mental pressure on the two Knights. Around 4 Mental Power Units, the two finally couldn’t resist and were successfully induced by Ace.

“Their mental power is only around 0.8–0.9 units, yet they can resist mental control spells five times stronger.

This is a terrifying figure. It can almost be declared that a Knight of the same level completely counters a Wizard specializing in mental control of the same level.

It seems I am currently the only one specializing in mental control spells. After this experiment ends, it will be necessary to take time to thoroughly research the secrets of Knights.”

During this time, all the apprentices had fallen into a deep sleep, their hands firmly pressing on the mental imprint on the second page of their Grimoires.

Ace closed his eyes. Through his mental imprint, he extended nearly a hundred spiritual chains transformed from mental tentacles, linking with the apprentices.

Buzz!

The radiating mental link network formed. Because the apprentices were in deep sleep, their minds were involuntary, so Ace had to guide them.

With the experience from the first time and the mental inducement given to the apprentices, he successfully guided them to extend their mental feelers, transforming them into spiritual chains via the imprint, and connecting with the mirror image’s consciousness.

Buzz!

When the double-conical-hat-shaped mental link network formed, all the soul bodies at the nodes vibrated collectively, almost waking up instantly!

Ace hurriedly applied the Suggestion Soul Spell effect through the hundreds of spiritual chains he extended, slowly smoothing out the network vibration.

The mental link network centered on the two “Root Consciousnesses” was formed. Under Ace’s manipulation, the sleeping spirit bodies extended several spiritual chains. Just like the previous experiment, the internal space of the double-conical-hat network gradually became complex and layered.

In the field invisible to the naked eye, mist began to appear within the mental network space. A change seemed imminent, but it hadn’t reached the critical point, hanging in limbo.

“Soul resonance frequency threshold is [0.05, 0.15], significantly lower than the first time. Information flow is 2.3. Aside from the communication between the ‘Root Consciousness’ and ‘Mirror Root Consciousness,’ there is only minor dream-talk.”

The host body’s “Root Consciousness” communicated with the mirror image.

“We are now the biggest variable. Host, you fall into a deep sleep. I will record and observe. Although this still interferes with the experiment, it is a relatively good method. We will find a way to remove the interference variable later.” The mirror image said to the host body.

“Agreed. I will use self-suggestion immediately to enter sleep. You are responsible for observation and recording, minimizing direct intervention in the network.”

After speaking, the host body Ace used the Suggestion spell for self-hypnosis and slowly fell into a deep sleep.

“Soul resonance frequency threshold drops sharply, now at [0.01, 0.1]. Information flow reduced to 0.4. Observing from the outside, the strange mist in the network space begins to proliferate, feeling somewhat similar to the mist created by the Dream Snake.

This strange mist seems to have created some kind of dream illusion. The soul resonance frequency threshold begins to rise sharply, and the information flow speed and volume explode instantly.

Including the host body, the consciousness of the Wizard Apprentices at each node has not awakened. They seem to have entered a lucid state that I cannot observe.”

Ace seemed to have fallen into a strange state between reality and illusion. He felt as if he had become a torch, radiating light and heat, extending nearly a hundred tentacles to link with many small flames.

“Why can a torch extend tentacles? This setting is too strange.”

He thought confusedly, floating and wandering with the other small flames. Slowly, the other small flames also “woke up” one after another. They communicated with each other, calling friends and companions, very lively.

“The host body seems a bit confused. Is he immersed in the dream and not maintaining lucidity? I need to remind him.” The mirror image observed and speculated, sending a weak stream of information to remind the host body.

Ace, immersed in the strange state between reality and illusion, was suddenly jolted awake by the information stream. Boom!

“So that’s it. I am dreaming with the entire mental link network!”

The torch scratched its head in a human-like manner. There was no cowlick on his head because the Spirit of the Book had fallen into a complete slumber, and its corresponding soul consciousness body had not entered this strange state.

“This state seems to be that we have entered a dream together—a dream perspective that exists neither in reality nor in the soul perspective.”

Ace analyzed while trying to “wake up” the other apprentices.

He tried many times and had the mirror image try, but still couldn’t wake them. The apprentices seemed to have entered a subconscious state, where all behavior was as bizarre as a dream.

Ace gave up trying. He turned to recalling the feeling of the embryonic Subconscious Sea he had luckily entered before.

“The two seem somewhat similar or close. However, the embryonic Subconscious Sea seemed to possess a certain ancient, majestic power, an indescribable heaviness. This dreamscape existing within consciousness is a bit like a Subconscious Sea that has lost its essence!”

He continued to perceive and analyze.

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