The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 578 Prototype of Divine Body
Although Wu Chang was somewhat prepared for Mary's transformation into a flesh-and-blood monster, he was still somewhat surprised by her bizarre appearance when he actually saw her.

If he was like this, Auriel and the murderous aura were even more unbearable. Fear appeared on their faces, and they turned away, not daring to look at Mary again.

It wasn't that the two were too concerned about appearances or couldn't stand ugly things, but rather that Mary's appearance was not only bizarre but also carried a certain degree of mental pollution.

Each sore on her face contained extremely strong negative emotions. Players with weak willpower, like those with a strong killing intent, would be severely affected by just one glance.

Even with his eyes closed, those faces filled with intense emotions still floated before him, lingering and trying to infect him with their emotions, making him go crazy with them.

If it weren't for the fact that the surge of murderous intent could somewhat suppress negative emotions, just one glance at Mary would have been enough to cause him considerable mental harm.

Mary was aware of her own state and didn't care about Auriel and Murderous Wave's rudeness. Instead, she was more curious about Wu Chang's reaction.

Because Wu Chang looked at her with only surprise, without being affected by the human-faced sore and experiencing any other negative emotions.

It was as if the mental trauma that had tormented her to the brink of collapse could not shake the man in front of her in the slightest.

She couldn't help but ask:

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

Wu Chang shook his head slightly and even took a few steps closer to Mary.

"Why be afraid? By human standards of beauty, your current appearance is somewhat ahead of its time, but from the perspective of a superhuman, your body is simply amazing!"

These words frightened Mary, who couldn't help but take a half step back.

Wu Chang shrugged to show he meant no harm and said:
"Don't be nervous, I'm just giving you a sincere compliment."

His appreciation for Mary wasn't due to He Wei's influence or the awakening of some strange sexual fetish, but rather because he genuinely saw beauty in Mary—a beauty of intensity.

Although Mary is called a flesh and blood monster due to the out-of-control bio-network, she has now transcended her physical form and reconstructed her body using pure origin and rules.

Her body is constantly changing because, in a sense, her existence has become a concept rather than a physical entity.

This is why, as a domain-level superhuman, she possesses a domain far exceeding that of other superhumans at the same level, capable of encompassing the entire state of Calais.

The last time he saw a body in this form was when Lyman revealed his true divine form to him.

The divine body, which is not to be looked upon directly by those of lower rank, is, like power, a sign of a high-ranking god.

If Mary possessed divinity, and she incorporated divine power into the parts that constituted her body, along with the divine kingdom she constructed, she would directly become a high-ranking deity.

Although she doesn't have divinity or a divine kingdom, Eileen does!

He looked at Mary not as a horrifying monster, a collection of terrors, but as a shortcut to a higher godhood, a path to a divine body.

Eugene's unintentional experimental mistake led to the creation of something extraordinary.

Once Mary's transformation is thoroughly understood and can be stably replicated, both Eileen and he will have essentially secured a position in the realm of high-ranking gods, waiting only for the right opportunity to directly ascend to godhood.

Thinking of this, he felt a surge of passion and couldn't help but take a few more steps closer to Mary.

Such a special experimental subject must be carefully protected, and absolutely no mistakes can be tolerated.

Seeing the desire in Wu Chang's eyes, Mary couldn't help but take a few steps back. As the core of the out-of-control dream, she had witnessed too much darkness and madness in the hearts of those who were out of control, and she thought she had seen through the bottom line of humanity.

But Wu Chang's appearance made her realize the possibilities of humanity once again, and she was deeply terrified by it.

We absolutely must not let the person in front of us in, otherwise she will break down before she can hold on until the Great Dream is restored.

Seeing Wu Chang closing in as she retreated, Mary couldn't help but say:

"Stop. I had him bring you here because I have something important to discuss with you."

Hearing Mary's reprimand, Wu Changcai realized he had been a bit hasty. He calmed down, put on a kind expression, and reassured her:

"Tell me your requests, as long as they're not too outrageous, I can fulfill them."

Mary looked confused, thinking that Wu Chang didn't seem to understand the relationship between the two of them.

She is the core of the out-of-control dream, capable of controlling flesh and blood monsters to a certain extent. She is the embodiment of Jacques City and even Calais State. She should occupy a high position and help Eugene and Wu Chang end everything.

Although Wu Chang is powerful, he is just a person. Why does he act so superior, as if he is the one who is providing help?

She couldn't understand it, and her physical condition didn't allow her to think about it too much.

Since a large number of outsiders entered Jacques City two days ago, her burden has been getting heavier and heavier.

Some of these outsiders were devoured by the flesh monsters, making them even more out of control. Others, unable to adapt to the rules of Jacques City, also transformed into flesh monsters and joined the out-of-control dream world.

She has less and less time to stay conscious and could lose her temper at any moment, so she must take advantage of her current stable state to explain things clearly.

"Listen, I can't keep going like this for long. I hope you can get serious."

“Outsider, I noticed you before you helped Auriel. You rescued Nils and gained Professor Eugene’s approval. Not only that, you were able to save Auriel from danger. This is enough to show that you are different from others.”

"If your goal is to retrieve the Lullaby technique and get Professor Eugene to safety, you have more than the ability you have demonstrated."

“But if you want to restore the great dream and bring Jacques and even Calais back to normal, you are not doing enough right now.”

Wu Chang knew without asking that something must have gone wrong with the Great Dream, because Mary's condition was worse than he had thought.

Based on the sixty days stipulated in the main quest, Mary's mental fortitude should be able to last at least 50 days, and at the very least 30 days.

However, they had only been in the instanced plane for a few days, and Mary's will was already teetering on the brink of collapse.

If he hadn't intervened, Mary, in her current condition, definitely wouldn't have lasted a week.

He said:
“Miss Mary, you only know that I exist, but you don’t know about my conversation with Professor Eugene.”

“I came to this land by the revelation of my Lord to end this disaster.”

Mary looked at Wu Chang in surprise, not expecting that the outsider in front of her was a fanatic. However, none of that mattered to her. Regardless of the other party's stance, it was a good thing if he could help Eugene and the others.

Just as she was about to say something, four or five human-faced sores suddenly appeared on her body, indicating that new members had joined the out-of-control dream, and four or five at once.

Each instance of consciousness entering the out-of-control dream damages her consciousness, and repeated mental shocks cause her to let out low moans.

Seeing that Mary's consciousness was teetering on the brink of collapse and showing signs of losing control, Wu quickly used the Beichen Tribulation Crossing Scripture to summon the Disaster Relief Banner.

The calamity-averting banner can not only "purify the soul" but also "nourish the soul." While its effect is insufficient to restore Mary to normal, it can help her temporarily withstand mental shocks and, to some extent, strengthen her soul.

Under the nourishing effect, Mary's spirit was replenished, and her nearly cloudy pupils regained their clarity.

She looked at Wu Chang and said in surprise:
"Outsider, the power you possess is more wondrous than I imagined. If you had appeared sooner, perhaps things wouldn't have come to this."

Regarding Mary's lament, Wu Chang believed the opposite. If things hadn't come to this point, bringing the instance to the brink of chaos, he wouldn't have entered this instance and come to Jacques City.

Mary paused for a moment, then continued:
"Outsider, you should have already guessed it, the problem lies with the Great Dream."

"Judging from the results, the Great Dream was more successful than we imagined. The dream it created could truly integrate all the consciousnesses that were incorporated into it into a whole, forming a huge aggregate of thought."

"It can not only relieve the pressure on each dreamer, but also inspire their power and give them incredible abilities."

"If nothing unexpected happens, with the power of the Great Dream, we are strong enough to resist the Federation."

After a brief moment of regret, Mary felt her mental state become unstable again, so she quickly sped up her speech.

"The original design of the Great Dream was not problematic. It emphasized the unity and integration of consciousness, making each other one. However, as it went out of control, this characteristic gave rise to new crises."

"Thanks to Auriel's help, I did not completely lose my mind and become a monster controlled by negative emotions and destructive desires like other modifiers."

"This made me, the core of the great dream, the discordant element in the dream."

"The grand dream is too complete; once it takes shape, it can break free of the core and operate independently. After other negative consciousnesses discovered that they could not assimilate me, their desire for unity and harmony is giving birth to a new core."

"A core of pure monster, just as insane, destructive, and pure.

Upon hearing this, Wu Chang understood what Mary meant.

In other words, the consciousness that merged into the Great Dream realized that Mary was not only an anomaly but also an obstacle to their development, so it wanted to overthrow Mary, the nominal leader of the Great Dream, and establish a new king.

This new king is not a specific consciousness, but a virtual consciousness even more extreme and insane than theirs. No wonder Mary was so much weaker than he had imagined; she was gradually losing control of the Great Dream, and her power was being devoured by the new king.

Mary, seeing that Wu Chang understood the situation, continued:
“That pure dream monster is growing stronger every day. I am trying my best to suppress its growth to buy you time.”

“But I can’t hold on for long. It is supported by all the consciousness in the Great Dream, while I am rejected by the Great Dream. I can only delay for a week at most, no, ten days.”

"With your magical flag, I can buy myself ten days. Professor Eugene, please come up with a way to repair the great dream within ten days."

"If Professor Eugene doesn't have time to repair the Great Dream, tell them to take their belongings and leave Calais, then let the Federation completely destroy Calais, leaving no trace."

"You should have already discovered that the power of the Great Dream has exceeded the framework of the biological consciousness network. It can affect not only the modified ones, but also ordinary people. If that distorted consciousness is released, it will be a disaster for all mankind."

Wu Chang could sense that Mary wasn't exaggerating, and might even be holding back.

The dream monster that spontaneously condensed from the out-of-control dream not only possessed the same god-like physique as Mary, but also gained the support of all the modified beings, making its overall strength far exceed that of an ordinary lower-level god.

Sleepless Night is a Realm of Reason instance, where the prevalence of extraordinary beings is very high, and there are many modifiers in the plane. Each modifier is nourishment for the dream monsters.

Eileen's divine kingdom is limited by the instance dimension and cannot be fully developed. In a real fight, she might not lose at best, but winning or even eliminating the opponent is unrealistic.

If the Sleepless Night instance goes out of control and the dream monsters devour the entire plane, they could very well become mid-level gods directly by virtue of their divine bodies.

If it were to infiltrate the Realm of Reason and then devour other planes in the wilderness, it wouldn't be impossible for it to grow to near the level of a high-ranking god in a short period of time.

At that time, it will not only be a disaster for all humanity in the alternate dimension, but also a disaster for the entire Realm of Reason.

He couldn't help but click his tongue; he knew the Abyss game wouldn't give him an easy dungeon.

I thought Sleepless Night was a casual dungeon with no gods around, but I never expected it to be such a big deal behind the scenes.

Mary used her abilities to separate a white tentacle from her biological network, transforming it into a bracelet, and handed it to Wu Chang.

"There's no time to lose. Go back now. Just relay my words to Eugene and Nils, but don't tell them about my condition. I don't want to see them like this."

"This bracelet grants access here. If they need to contact me, please pass on their message."

Wu Chang took the bracelet, but he showed no intention of leaving. He looked up and met Mary's gaze directly, and said:
"I haven't said I'd cooperate with your method yet."

Mary was taken aback; she didn't understand why Wu Chang would refuse.

"But didn't you just say that your goal was to end this disaster?"

Wu Chang said:

"Yes, but I will end this disaster in my own way."

"Miss Mary, do you know my name?"

Mary shook her head. A name was just a label; after losing control, she no longer had the energy to remember them.

Wu Chang smiled, a smile that exuded a sense of security and reassurance, and said:

"My name is Peace, and my arrival will restore peace to everything."

“I believe what you said. If the dream monster gets out of control, it will become a disaster for all mankind. But as long as we kill it here and prevent it from leaving Jacques City, the disaster will not happen.”

Mary said:

"But……"

Wu Chang interrupted:
"No buts. Dealing with the dream monsters is my business, and you don't need to worry about it. You have other things to do."

Mary looked surprised, not understanding why it was this outsider who was assigning her a job.

Faced with Wu Chang's powerful will, she subconsciously agreed with his words and asked:
"what do I need to do."

Wu Chang said:

"What you need to do now is to get out of this state where you could collapse at any moment and not let the negative emotions of other consciousnesses in the out-of-control dream affect you."

“Since they consider you an outsider and reject you, you might as well remain independent, cut ties with all of them, and become an independent rebel.”

Mary made the same expression as Benboerba.

"what?"

Is she unwilling to break free from the mental breakdown and the negative consciousness brought to her by the out-of-control dreams?
She can't!

If she could, she would have done it at the very beginning of the Great Dream. If she really had that ability, not only could she maintain her independence, she could even shut down the out-of-control dream directly, preventing so many modifiers from being devoured by it.

Wu Chang knew Mary's thoughts and said:

"I know you can't do it on your own, but don't worry, I'll help you."

"You just need to trust me, I can help you find yourself again."

Logically speaking, Mary had no reason to believe that the ordinary person in front of her could help her break free from the out-of-control dream and stop being affected by it.

But her intuition told her that she could trust the other person, this outsider named Peace, who might actually have a solution.

She looked at the warding-off-disaster flag planted not far away, hesitated for a moment, and decided to believe him this once.

"Okay, I believe you. What should I do?"

Wu Chang said, just as he had when treating Auriel:

“I will try to connect with you spiritually, open your mind, and focus your attention on me.”

"I possess divine power that can help you rediscover yourself. All you need to do is keep moving forward, no matter what you encounter. Trust me, I will be waiting for you ahead and will lead you away."

Mary nodded, she stopped resisting, and focused her attention on Wu Chang.

With Mary's cooperation, he successfully entered Mary's mental world.

Mary and Auriel's situations are different. Auriel did not enter a dream state of being out of control. The reason she broke down was that she suffered a mental shock that exceeded her limit. Therefore, she only needed to "die once" to unleash the mental attack and return to normal.

But Mary was different; the mental shock she experienced was not a single wave, but a continuous stream of mental attacks stemming from her out-of-control dreams.

If she isn't cut off from the out-of-control dream, even if the purification effect of the life-protecting technique can temporarily restore 50% of her mental state, she will soon continue to collapse.

To deal with Mary's condition, we must address the root cause.

The reason she was trapped in the out-of-control dream, even though she was rejected by the dream and had her power taken away by the dream monster, was that, like the core of the dream, her soul would be impacted when a new consciousness joined.

The reason is that, at the moment the out-of-control dream erupted, she had already fallen out of control and become part of the out-of-control dream.

She only retained some of her senses; she was not truly awake.

To allow her to have a complete self, to sever ties with the out-of-control dream while still maintaining her current strength, she needs to be fully awake and unaffected by the out-of-control dream.

Therefore, the point that Wu Chang chose in Mary's mental world was the moment when Auriel and Mary had just met, and the out-of-control dream was about to begin.

Wu Chang had already seen this part, so he directly used the technique of "condensing emptiness into reality" to appear in the mental world and come to Mary's side.

Before he met Mary, he had no idea that Mary would have a divine body, nor did he expect that Mary's condition was so serious.

I thought the Disaster Relief Banner would be enough to help Mary survive until the end of the dungeon, but now it seems it's far from sufficient.

Fortunately, he came from a wealthy family and had other means of dealing with people.

He took out a necklace from his personal space and put it around Mary's neck before the out-of-control dream erupted. The necklace was very light, as if it had no weight. On the pendant of the necklace hung the emblem symbolizing Lyman.

Before entering Mary's inner world, he said he possessed divinely bestowed abilities that could help Mary rediscover herself.

But he didn't say which god bestowed the ability upon him.

The necklace he took out was the "Dream Beacon" he had obtained from the Oracle.

(End of this chapter)