Chapter 868: Meeting the Witch Aina Once Again
Chapter 868: Meeting the Witch Aina Once Again
“Speaking of which… Fool's Blue, do you all like eating soul-substance?”
After working for a long time and once again neutralizing a dream creature but without much harvest, I asked quite casually.
“Soul-substance? Don't like it!”
Fool's Blue gave such a clear response.
“Then what do you think… soul-substance belongs to your eyes? Is it a small snack, or food that can be eaten but you don't like, or… classified as inedible junk?”
“Um… it smells weird… I think it's inedible junk.”
Fool's Blue quickly gave such an answer.
“Don't really like it… maybe it's edible, but I couldn't possibly eat it.”
This was Fool's Luck.
“Lick Ick! Pah…”
This one was Fool's Fruit.
“This… theoretically it is edible… but… from the perspective of knowledge, we Fool's Dreams wouldn't eat it, just like carnivores in the real world eat raw meat, but humans rarely eat it… probably…”
This statement came from Fool's Star.
“Fool's Star's analogy is indeed quite wonderful.”
Regarding Fool's Star's way of putting it, I thought of myself.
Did I like eating soul-substance?
Whether it was unstable Soul Crystals or the invisible soul-substance state, I wouldn't eat it.
Even using it to elevate one's life tier couldn't be described as "eating"; that was an extremely complex process.
And for a life with a soul essence like mine, it required other ways to absorb it even more.
Although I always said Fool's Dreams were dream creatures, compared to those dream creatures within the Primal Dream State… they didn't like eating soul-substance.
Or rather, they themselves were not shaped from soul-substance; they were a group of pure dream consciousnesses, which was why they were “invaded” by the Nightmares carried by dream creatures.
As of now, if I were to summarize the things verified after all my experiments in the most common way, it could probably be said like this.
A Nightmare is the “organ” through which a dream creature sucks soul-substance, and it is also the primitive desire that drives them to do so.
And a Nightmare is also an indispensable component that attaches to dream consciousness to constitute a dream creature.
All these operational rules only apply to the Primal Dream State, just as fish exist because the ocean provides such an environment.
And within this, the concepts exchanged between the Primal Dream State and reality are only “Information” and “soul-substance.”
Between these two, Information in reality is just a general term for a series of concepts like data and so on, rather than the meaning of existence.
But after being exchanged to the dream state, it is endowed by the dream with the meaning of existence that constitutes the Primal Dream State.
And soul-substance… can also be converted, but not through the proactive conversion of the Primal Dream State, but by relying on the conversion of dream creatures.
It had to be said that soul-substance, as the most special kind of “material” among the world’s three source elements, could take the third position among the Void's “matter” and “energy” and be singled out; it truly had its miraculous characteristics.
Although at the very beginning, the world’s three source elements included soul-substance simply to let it represent the “life” concept.
After all, the Void is a system composed of matter, energy, and life.
But now, soul-substance very likely acts as a bridge to unify the Transcendent Void and the Primal Dream State.
Although these are all conjectures, under the circumstance that no one has the ability to disprove them, it truly might be such an answer.
In most cases, these two are one-way, specifically the conversion from reality to the dream state.
But if one wants to explain the so-called balance, it is actually quite simple: the Earth Veins.
The Earth Veins are the foundation for the birth of worlds within the Void, and the dream state similarly possesses Earth Veins.
And what flows within those Earth Veins?
Naturally, it is Information and soul-substance!
Perhaps… understanding the composition of the Primal Dream State and its relationship with reality seems to have no help for the research at the current stage, but in fact, it helps immensely.
It’s just that this understanding will not focus on a single specific research field.
Just like if a person doesn't understand ecology, doesn't understand the habits of various organisms, and doesn't understand the dynamic balance between predators and prey, how can they understand the composition of the food chain?
And how would they know what they can and cannot do after entering an ecosystem?
The Primal Dream State is exactly such an “ecosystem,” and I am trying to adapt to it.
As for thinking about conquering it?
That's still too far away.
Even though I master a Dream Domain, I wouldn't dare speak such big words.
While my experiment was still in progress, there was suddenly a movement over at the laboratory door.
I temporarily set down the movements in my hands and looked over with a curious gaze.
“Little Han Wow… there really is only you, one little witch, over here?”
“Eh?”
Hearing the other party's voice and this tone, even before seeing her, I knew which witch had come.
“Is it Big Sis Aina?”
“Since that parting at Fool's Village, it truly has been many days before meeting again!”
Aina walked in from the door, and this time she wasn't the only one; three other witches followed behind her!
These three were either those I had met within Fool's Village while in the Primal Dream State, or those I had brought out of the Primal Dream State; regardless, they were all very familiar witches.
“Actually, not many days have passed. How is it? Has your spirit recovered after leaving the Primal Dream State?”
“That goes without saying! Don't look down on a Transcendent Witch's recovery ability and adaptability!”
Aina brought these few sisters of hers, with whom she shared a life-and-death friendship, to the edge of the laboratory.
Subsequently, they instinctively stopped advancing, because as soon as they entered, they felt that familiar aura coming from the Primal Dream State!
“Whoa… It really is a Controlled Primal Dream State Descent! I'm going to piggyback on your light again this time, Little Han!”
“Truly miraculous… The first time seeing such a small yet orderly Primal Dream State! It's filled with the aesthetic of being dominated.”
“It looks like the Academy Head has already clarified things with you?”
Seeing their reactions, although they were shocked, it was clearly as if they knew in advance.
I knew they must have been told by the Academy Head before coming.
“Of course! We were the first batch to come over. Academy Head Mei was so mysterious when she was calling people over. To be honest, before coming… we simply couldn't believe this was real!”
“Then this time, you can consider it as believing, right?”
I came from the central area of the laboratory to the place where they were at the edge.
“This time I am completely convinced…”
Aina was within Fool's Village at the time and hadn't witnessed the Order Body within the Primal Dream State back then, but after coming out, they had heard about it more than once!
So she was very clear that Little Han's accomplishments regarding the Primal Dream State were far above theirs.
Although they were witches of the Great Project of the Soul, that was merely the Great Project of the Soul and not a direct Primal Dream State project.
Furthermore, this branch didn't even have a specific witch project yet!
“Wait! Little Han, is this… your real physical body? You could actually maintain your physical body near the edge of the Primal Dream State region just now?”
At this moment, Aina was greatly shocked after patting my shoulder!
She had seen me so close to the Primal Dream State just now and thought it was a soul consciousness body.
You had to know this was a Primal Dream State descent!
Even if it was a… Controlled Primal Dream… well, actually they weren't clear on what the principle was either.
They only came here because Academy Head Mei said there was a safe and experimentable Controlled Primal Dream State Descent here.
“Is there a problem? Oh, you might have misunderstood. My consciousness is submerged into the Primal Dream State to expand the Dream Domain. This Controlled Primal Dream State Descent into reality is maintained by relying on such means. My physical body can move; it can be understood as consciousness multi-threading. After all, I need to touch some experimental equipment and materials in reality to facilitate my experiments.”
“It can even… be like this? If I were to approach the Primal Dream State, my soul would instinctively detach from my body. So how did you do it, Little Han? Consciousness slicing, or…”
“I master a very special clone technique. I used this technique on my own body to achieve synchronization between the dream and reality.”
“Alright, alright.”
Aina could only smile and ask no further.
After all, Little Han had said it was a special technique rather than a specific named technique, which meant this technique was not convenient to spread and Little Han didn't want the matter mentioned further.
So she was very tactful and didn't ask more.
But she still couldn't help but sigh in admiration at the abilities Little Han mastered.
They were simply a bit too comprehensive…
After gaining a general understanding of the situation at the laboratory, I also began arranging some necessary facilities for them.
After all, strictly speaking, they hadn't come to help me with anything, but rather they wanted to borrow this Controlled Primal Dream State I maintained to do the things they wanted to do.
Therefore, for this small patch of "Primal Dream State," it naturally also needed the division of usage rules.
At the very beginning, the Primal Dream State was only about the size of a fist.
That was the initial stage.
After gradually stabilizing the core Dream Core, the current deep Primal Dream State had reached the theoretical value I had simulated earlier, which was a size of one-eighth of a cubic meter.
Although this was only the size of a small ornamental fish tank, regarding doing experiments, it was absolutely enough.
And because Aina and the others had fallen into the Primal Dream State last time, they had also become a bit more cautious.
However, the urge to court death originating from a witch's bones could not be suppressed.
After a discussion, they decided that they intended to take turns existing in the laboratory in the posture of soul consciousness.
That is to say, the four of them just happened to coordinate the experiment, with one situated in reality and another existing as a soul consciousness within the dream overlap of the laboratory.
This would help them better collect the Primal Dream State data they wanted.
Therefore, it was necessary to prepare a place for them to lie down.
Otherwise, after entering the dream, their original physical bodies couldn't exactly just lie on the floor, could they?
No matter what was said, this was a formal laboratory; it wouldn't go as far as making the research environment for professional scholars so harsh.
“Oh, right. I almost forgot to ask one thing.”
At this moment, Aina suddenly opened her mouth to ask.
“Is there still something else?”
“Yes. You mentioned just now that this Controlled Primal Dream State relies on that Dream Domain of yours to be completed. Then that means… to maintain the descent of this patch of Primal Dream State, you need to maintain it without leaving a single step?”
“To put it that way… is also correct.”
I nodded and said.
Although in reality, a dream overlap completed by me through the domain can exist for a long time without my maintenance, that doesn't mean it won't recede.
Just like the situation in the Expansion Realm; the entire Expansion Realm is constantly being picked back up by the Primal Dream State, and the dreams I dispersed are also receding bit by bit.
After all, dream overlap itself is a "special" state.
The continuous repair between reality and dreams will maintain the most stable relative state.
Which is to say, a state where reality and dreams don't interfere with each other.
But that refers to the shallow dream state.
Deep dreams, deep enough to be worthy of the term “Primal Dream State”—as soon as I “let go,” it will slowly dissipate.
As for why the Expansion Realm was dissipating so slowly… that was naturally because the Primal Dream State had formed a larger scale and naturally wasn't something that could recede in a short while.
“Is that alright? Little Han, this means you need to stay here in the laboratory for a long time. According to your characteristics… you don't seem like the type of personality who would stay in a laboratory for a long time.”
“Ha? Do I?”
“Don't you? Although I don't know much about you, I know your experiments are generally efficiency-oriented. None of your experiments have lasted longer than a year.”
“That seems to be true?”
I truly couldn't refute this point.
“I didn't expect I actually had this kind of stereotype on me? But Big Sis Aina and the rest of you can rest assured the things I have to do this time are a bit difficult. I don't know how long it will take either. Maybe a year or two or something…”
After all, the ultimate thing I wanted to do was bestow the Fool's Dreams with a true life concept!
“If I really have something and need to go out, I still have clones so no need to worry.”
After all, I now had many clones in both the Expansion Realm and the Witch Academy.
If I truly wanted to go do something, a clone could do it for me!
But thinking here, I suddenly thought of another matter… which was that if I had to stay in the laboratory all the time, then I couldn't have a "one-on-one duel in bed" with Big Sis Bai!
I might not even be able to go to the Dungeon World!
Actually, I could go there briefly; after all, leaving for a short while was still possible.
But for the time of a one-on-one duel in bed, this bit definitely wasn't enough…
I patted my own face.
The feelings between Big Sis Bai and me certainly didn't only consist of physical pleasure; even more important was the resonance of the heart!
Lewd things aren't a necessity!
“Little Han? What's wrong?”
“Oh! Nothing… thought of some other matters. Not being able to leave the laboratory truly was a bit ill-considered, but it's not impossible to overcome.”
After all… the feelings between Big Sis Bai and me were very important, but a mere problem of fulfilling a desire wouldn't become a stumbling block obstructing the progress of the feelings between Big Sis Bai and me.
Furthermore… the agreement between the Fool's Dreams and me… was similarly very important!
“So Little Han, how about you still act according to your ability. After all, we don't force this kind of thing; no matter what is said, we're just here to piggyback a bit on the convenience.”
“It's fine. If I still have time, I'll go try then how to use some other means to maintain this special Controlled Primal Dream State Descent.”
“Better not, Little Han. Such things are time-consuming and labor-intensive. You'd better stick to your own rhythm.”
“That's hard to say.”
After all, knowing how the principle worked meant knowing how to apply it.
In the final analysis, it was just utilizing a certain technique to create something that could replace the role of my Dream Domain within the Primal Dream State.
What was important was never the power that replaced the Dream Domain, but the technique that could maintain the descent of the Primal Dream State.
The Dream Domain was a means to achieve this, but not the only means.
Just like some phones can smash walnuts, but a hammer can also smash walnuts; however, the technical content between these two cannot be mentioned in the same breath.