Chapter 232: Fantasia
“What did you say? The Advanced Gargoyles are sold out?”
Eddie walked out of the Magic Item shop, looking utterly devastated. Gloom enveloped him. At the roadside, he tossed the Flying Magic Carpet aside and lay straight on it, motionless, quietly staring at the sky.
About half an hour later, the dejected Eddie recovered his spirits and flew the Magic Carpet to his riverside villa.
In his home, sitting cross-legged on the bed, Eddie murmured: “There is always a way. If worst comes to worst, I’ll apply to hunt the unknown Monster group! Let me link to the Mental Dream Network first and check the latest journals and daily newspapers.”
Eddie’s Grimoire flipped automatically without wind, quickly turning to the second page. Eddie placed his hand on it. Buzz!
Adjusting his state, the self-suggestion spell activated. Lucid Dreaming state.
It seemed as if countless people were talking, their voices drifting near and far. It felt like jumping into water but not sinking, instead entering the reflection in the water.
This was the greatest Magic Item Ace had created in the past five years: the High Tower Magic Network!
On the top floor of the West Tower of the castle, there was a huge Crystal Magic Sphere, constantly radiating various signals. Outside the range of the Crystal Magic Sphere, almost the entire Nightlight City was equipped with signal conversion base stations, ensuring full signal strength!
Signal towers were also set up in the other three towns of the territory. Although there was signal delay, linking to the Magic Network was not a problem.
This Magic Network originated from the Grimoire signal system, and its core was the Crystal Magic Sphere.
The Crystal Magic Sphere was a mysterious crystal summoned through equivalent exchange using the flesh and blood of the giant Monster from the Night of the Waning Moon. The Equivalent Exchange Summoning Magic Array was Ace’s combined improvement of the Summoning Ritual and the Equivalent Exchange Ritual, capable of exchanging supernatural items with unknown existences within the world.
This crystal was somewhat similar to the Dream Crystal of the Dream Snake, only without the mysterious rune structure; it was purely a Dream Crystal.
Every Wizard Apprentice in the High Tower Territory left their own mental imprint within it, forming their own exclusive illusory dream space.
For the past five years, Ace had been using the power of the Spirit of the Book to study the crystal left by the Dream Snake. He successfully cracked the rune structure within it and analyzed the mysterious Dream Rune Group.
Using the Dream Rune Group, he improved the Mirror Image Ritual. Through the medium of dreams, he slowly derived a false Dream Clone. Using the evolution of time, he filled it with constantly emitted thoughts, finally refining the clone existing in the illusory dream into a real projection.
This method did not require harming the soul or separating soul fragments and waiting for recovery. Instead, it used time to slowly inject scattered thoughts into it, turning the illusory Dream Clone into a real spirit body, and then granting it a magical body through a sacrifice ritual.
Because it was a pure magical creation based on the Dream Rune Group, once the projection formed, it naturally possessed the abilities of a Dream Being. It could turn from real to illusory, hide in dreams, and use dreams to grow.
Ace let the Dream Projection enter the Crystal Magic Sphere, sleeping within it, absorbing the dreams of all Wizards to grow, while acting as the Root Consciousness, using the mirror image’s dream as the public dream space.
The Dream Projection, Crystal Magic Sphere, Wizards’ mental imprints, signal towers, signal conversion base stations, and the Grimoire in every Wizard’s hand together constituted the High Tower Magic Network. There were over 1,100 Wizard Apprentices and 66 Advanced Wizard Apprentices in the entire High Tower.
Almost every moment satisfied the three essential conditions for the sustained existence of the Mental Network: total number of Wizard Apprentices greater than 30, at least four Mid-level Apprentices, and at least one “Root Consciousness.”
In just a few months, the Magic Network, accessible at any time, became the Wizards’ favorite, even giving rise to the term “network addiction.”
Eddie “opened” his eyes. He was lying on the bed in his villa.
He scrambled up and flew directly out of the villa through the window. Outside was a boundless ocean. The villa was on a small island, embraced by the endless sea.
After soaring in the sky for a few laps, he connected his mental power to the “sun” above the sky. Buzz!
The rhythmic vibration of the soul. The so-called “sun” was the hub of this dream space, the mental imprint left within the Dream Crystal Sphere.
Eddie passed through the mental imprint, instantly traversing the “sun.” The creaking sound of a door opening.
He arrived at a bustling street. Crowds of people, noisy sounds, orderly clusters of buildings, and a straight tower piercing the sky, connected to the high-hanging sun.
This was the world existing in the illusory dream, the “Fantasia of Magic,” where all Wizards lived—the great Fantasia Floating City.
This Dream City suspended above the dream sky stood on a huge floating island. According to the invitation Ace gave to every Wizard, this city had millions of people and covered 100,000 square kilometers.
All the bustling crowds were transformed from the scattered thoughts, musings, and longings of Wizards absorbed by Ace’s Dream Projection. They acted as background characters and a few important NPCs in the dream. This was also Ace’s attempt to evolve reality from illusion.
Eddie looked at the lively scene, his eyes seeming to burn with fire as he said: “I wonder when we Wizards can build a magnificent floating city in the real world and truly conquer the sky!”
After his moment of ambition, Eddie walked to the teleportation array at the street corner. After a whirlwind sensation, he arrived at a classical-style building and pushed the door open.
“Old Connie, give me the latest issue of Daily High Tower, the latest Magic, and the latest Spells.”
As soon as he entered, Eddie shouted loudly.
“Eddie, you’re back. I sent several letters to your dream space reminding you that the Advanced Gargoyles were selling out fast.” A red-haired, snub-nosed young man was also there, flipping through a journal.
“I already went to see. It’s fine. As long as I have Mana Stones in hand, I don’t panic.” Eddie pretended not to care.
“That’s good. It’s a pity I didn’t have enough Mana Stones, otherwise I could have bought it and saved it for you,” the snub-nosed young man said with some regret.
“It’s the thought that counts. I heard a new restaurant called Hot Fire opened on Front Street. They use a sauce made from hot plants collected from the west side of the Larr Mountains, named Chili Sauce by Lord Ace. Their Chopped Pepper Fish Head, Stir-fried Diced Chicken, and Spicy Stir-fried Ribs are very famous. Let’s try them together tonight.”
Eddie said with a smile.
While the two were talking, NPC Old Connie had already organized a newspaper and two journals and handed them to Eddie, smiling broadly: “Thank you for your patronage. That will be 301 Lesser Mana Stone Points.”
Wizards could store their Mana Stones in the Mana Stone Bank west of the Magic School Castle. Corresponding Mana Stone Points would be automatically generated in the dream space of the Magic Network, used directly for transactions.
If he didn’t pay the corresponding Mana Stone Points, Eddie couldn’t take the items.
Eddie reached out, and a light screen appeared in front of him. He tapped the screen a few times. After the Mana Stone Points were transferred, the newspaper and two journals appeared in his hands.
He opened Magic. A paper title caught his attention. Multiple Telepathy and Combat Tactics. This title instantly attracted Eddie.
During the Mid-level Wizard Apprentice stage, one could only contract one familiar. Although Master-Servant Covenants allowed contracting multiple creatures, the specific number related to the Wizard’s mental strength, these contracted creatures could not be commanded as easily as one’s own arm, causing many inconveniences in command.
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