Chapter 614 - 44: Legendary Seed

Chapter 614: Chapter 44: Legendary Seed

The Nightmare World.

Ash-gray streets stretched into the distance, suffocated by the heavy, lead-gray sky.

In the distance, the mottled silhouettes of buildings stood like silent tombstones upon this forgotten land.

Murphy stood at a relatively open crossroads, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding dilapidated scenery before finally settling on Rodrick.

The First-Level Wizard stood before him, his posture respectful and his eyes calm. The blood on his forehead had already dried into a dark red scab.

"Rodrick."

Murphy spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent Nightmare World.

"What exactly does the Nightmare World mean to the Empire?"

Rodrick looked up at Murphy.

There was no trace of emotion in his eyes.

No joy, no sorrow, only pure reverence.

And yet, deep in his heart, the innate disdain for beings from alternate planes still lingered.

The belief rooted in his very bones—that the Imperial People were naturally superior—could not be completely erased by a single Intimidating Heart Dao Pattern.

But he didn’t dare show it.

Not even the slightest hint.

He knew that if he harbored any negative emotions toward Murphy, that formless mirror would instantly reflect them back, plunging him into a state of frenzied self-loathing.

It was a fate worse than death.

Therefore, he had to remain reverent.

A reverence that was heartfelt, pure, and without any impurity.

At least, that’s how it had to appear on the surface.

Rodrick took a deep breath, making his voice sound steady and reverent:

"Sir, the Nightmare World holds four extremely important meanings for the Empire."

He paused, and seeing that Murphy had no intention of interrupting, continued:

"The first is materials."

"The Nightmare World is home to a vast number of creatures that have evolved from dream fragments. Their bodies contain a special type of substance. Through specific refinement and processing, this substance can be made into Nightmare Potions or Nightmare Pills."

Murphy’s brow twitched slightly.

’Nightmare Pills, Nightmare Potion.’

He had heard these two terms more than once.

In the sewers, Uncle Scar and Ron had taken those white pills.

In the area where Iron Felt lived, he had also seen many commoners take them.

And the Nightmare Potion was said to be a more advanced concoction than the Nightmare Pills, capable of making a person sink into a dream state.

"Explain in detail," Murphy said.

Rodrick nodded and continued his explanation:

"According to the research of the School of Bewitchment and Control, what we call a ’dream’ is, in essence, a resonance phenomenon between the soul and the shallow layers of the Source Sea that occurs during sleep."

"In this state, a person’s consciousness temporarily sheds the shackles of the physical body and comes into contact with deeper levels of Dimensional Energy."

"And because the Nightmare World is formed from the dreams of countless beings across many planes, and even fragments of Divine Spirits, this resonance phenomenon is amplified to the extreme."

"The purpose of the Nightmare Potion and Nightmare Pills is to simulate this state, allowing the user to achieve a deep resonance with the Source Sea, even while awake."

He paused, seeming to organize his thoughts:

"This resonance drastically stimulates a person’s potential. Whether it’s Spiritual Power, Physical Strength, or speed of thought, all can be significantly enhanced in a short period."

"For the average Imperial laborer, this means they can complete more work in the same amount of time."

"For Wizard Apprentices, it means they can grasp complex magical theories more quickly."

"For researchers, it means they can perform deductions and calculations with greater efficiency."

Murphy listened quietly, his pitch-black eyes betraying no emotion.

But inwardly, he already understood the subtext.

’Drastically stimulate potential.’

’Complete more work in the same amount of time.’

’Isn’t this just a stimulant?’

’It makes people operate tirelessly, like wind-up machines.’

"And the second meaning?" Murphy asked.

Rodrick continued:

"The second is resistance to radiation."

"Sir, you must know that a Wizard’s Path is, in essence, about bonding with the Source Sea and drawing power from it. This process produces a great deal of radiation."

Murphy nodded.

Of course he knew.

’When unobservable matter transforms into observable matter, a portion of that observable matter itself exists in the form of radiation.’

"This radiation is tolerable for a Wizard, but for an ordinary life-form, it is fatal."

Rodrick’s voice grew a little more serious:

"Under long-term exposure to this radiation, ordinary people will suffer from various diseases, organ failure, and cellular mutation, eventually leading to death. This is also why the common people of the Empire must live in designated communities."

"But Nightmare Pills and the Nightmare Potion can solve this problem."

"Because they induce a mild Nightmare Transformation."

"Although a mild Nightmare Transformation will eventually transition into a deep Nightmare Transformation, it also grants the user resistance to radiation."

"In other words, only those who take Nightmare Pills can work normally in areas with high radiation."

Having said this, Rodrick’s tone became even more reverent:

"Sir, you should be able to imagine how significant this is for the Empire."

"Wizards need to conduct research, seek promotion, and explore the deeper Source Sea. All of this inevitably produces radiation. And this radiation, in turn, affects the lives of ordinary people and limits the Empire’s expansion."