Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 709 - 653: The Dreamland Kingdom ondream

The shouts of killing made the rising dust seem even drier; this was the Emerald Dream, yet this area was devoid of any dreamlike quality. The once lush and colorful vegetation had been blasted into oblivion by lethal spells, and as pale magical force clashed with vibrant life, roaring giant bears collided with withered treants. Elves on both sides gritted their teeth in anger, magic bolts and arrows turning into an unavoidable downpour in the sky.

"You betrayer scumbags, you’ve defiled our home!"

"Fools, your decaying lives will sink into oblivion!"

In the Druid encampment, a charging colossal bear had its arm pierced by Heinz’s Withering Spear; a horde of night panthers and hyenas fiercely assaulted the Willow Golem, rescuing the wounded leader.

Under the healing of the Force of Nature, Great Druid Charles Nightingale’s wounds closed, but neutralizing the corrosive effects of the Witherer’s magic took even more time.

"General! Those Witherer bastards have come up with new tricks!"

"Send the Claw Druids to strike at the enemy’s formation; let the Forest Guardians cover them! And stop calling me General; this is just an exercise, I’m Charles, the vanguard officer."

"Yes, General!" The messenger turned into a hawk and flew off, only to have his screams heard shortly after.

"General!!! Our scouts have been shot down by the rangers sent by the Queen, the Eye of the Queen is raining arrows down on both of our sides!!!"

"Kylo Servblade!! Damn Queen’s lapdog!!!" The irate Druid transformed once more, the rampaging bear flipping tents as it charged back into the heart of the battlefield.

The giant bear and Heinz atop the golem locked eyes for a moment before simultaneously changing their offensive tactics, redirecting their attacks towards the ranger phalanx on a nearby hillside.

Standing at the highest point, Kylo Servblade kicked a small stone at his feet, looking at the two approaching factions with disdain. Calmly, under the captain’s command, the Eye of the Queen’s rangers nocked their arrows, steadying their breath amidst the earth’s tremor.

"We are the most ancient and powerful warriors of the Dream Elves; let those arrogant fools witness the authority of the Queen! Even if the enemy is our kin."

"Fire!" The thick arrows swelled in the wind, crafted from Life Branches nurtured by the Druids. When the arrows landed in the ranks of the chargers, they had grown into huge trees as thick as barrels. The Elves who couldn’t dodge in time were entangled by roots and planted into the ground alongside the trees.

Spells, martial skills, blade flashes, and claws howled through the melee, the roar of the explosion audible from a great distance.

Lyle lounged in a deck chair, clicking his tongue in surprise at the tripartite brawl shredded into pieces afar.

"They don’t hold back, do they?" Lyle had only seen such intensity in the gladiatorial arenas of the Abyss, where life was secure and there was a recklessness in the full-forced combat.

Claudia sat on another pine carved deck chair, pointing at the chaotic battlefield and said, "This is one of the powers of the Emerald Druids, weaving dreams to provide a venue for these Elves to conduct military drills. It’s usually battles, but friends close to the Great Druid also host tea parties here, and it serves as a venue for some festival celebrations too. The Power of Nightmare, quite convenient."

"Isn’t that interesting? Claudia, haven’t you ever thought about joining in on these war games, I mean drills?"

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"No," the Green Dragon said, propping her chin with one hand and reaching out with the other, making a grasping motion in the air as if to seize the entire battlefield in her grasp, "I am a Druid of the Dream, and this is the Dream. If I wish, I could squash them all with a slap, but Druids of the Dream do not concern themselves with such minor skirmishes. Besides, we have more pressing tasks to complete."

Claudia’s hand fluttered through the air, and the ground beneath Lyle’s feet cracked open, revealing a profound crevasse. The familiar darkness let Lyle understand the Green Dragon’s motion. She had created a tiny breach in the Emerald Dream, and on the other side lay the Dream’s interstices, the breeding ground of Nightmares.

The tempting egg had been cracked open, and the annoying flies were drawn to its deliciousness, swarming in one after another, extending their evil touch deep into the Dream. Before Lyle’s eyes, the Power of Nightmare emerged from the fissure, swelling in the air like bubbles rising to the surface of water. The black sludge-like creature with an unpleasant odor opened its wide maw, hesitated when it saw Lyle, and then turned its head toward Claudia’s direction.

Before the Nightmare could let out its first roar, the Green Dragon casually clapped her hands, and the ugly creature was shredded into dust within the Dream. It had existed for probably one second, with only the black particles dissipating in the air serving as proof of its existence. The black dust formed a thick fog that quickly vanished, giving Lyle a sudden chill. It was like his heart had been doused with cold water, the cold surging from his feet to the top of his head, an experience that was not exactly pleasant.

"The primary task of a Druid of the Dream is to eradicate Nightmares and alleviate the pressure of corruption on the Emerald Dream," said the Green Dragon.

Lyle furrowed his brows, the Claudia before him not looking exactly pleased either, "Even after killing the Nightmare, we still receive such negative emotional influence?"

The Green Dragon nodded. "We can eliminate most threats of the Nightmare, but this kind of negative energy radiation is like a stubborn disease that cannot be cleared. In the Dream, our emotions are open and diffusive; we more easily affect our surroundings and are equally susceptible to being influenced. Every Druid of the Dream has to face this; we don’t release too much Power of Nightmare each time, so the emotional shock we receive stays within an acceptable range."

Lyle pinched his chin, "Is this why you grew tired of the Druid’s way of the Dream?"

"Susanna and Irason always comfort and encourage me; their presence is hugely important to me. All Druids of the Dream hold onto their duties because of their mission or other convictions," Claudia said, her eyebrows drooping, her mouth puckering unconsciously, "But the truly frightening thing is that you have also seen the darkness beyond the Dream. The Power of Nightmare is infinite, and despite our steadfast and diligent labor, in the face of the subconscious sea of the Evil God, we are not even a wave."

"The work of a Druid of the Dream is endless, and we cannot let go. No, this is not work, this is torment, eternal torment."

"Eternity, isn’t that great?"

"Hmm?"

Lyle took Claudia’s hand and started to spin in place with the disheartened Green Dragon girl, "Eternity, infinity, aren’t these wonderful?"

In the Dream, emotions spread powerfully, and Lyle’s sincere joy swept away the gloom on Claudia’s face. She took the initiative and spun Lyle around like a top. "I don’t understand what you mean!"

"Stop, stop, stop!!!" Lyle knelt on the ground, retching violently, it took him a while to recover.

"Brother Lyle, have you thought of a solution?" Claudia squatted in front of Lyle, glaring at him with shining eyes, indeed, she had truly learned from the Slacker Dragon Priest.

"Claudia, do you know what virtual reality is?"

"We play MMORPG games in the Dream."

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