New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 180 [Dreamy Private Brewing]

Seemingly remembering something, Yuan Zhu quickly took out a bunch of various mushroom samples from his soul space. There weren't many of each kind, but the variety was extensive, and they poured out of his palm, scattering all over the table.

These mushrooms were samples he collected in the underground world.

Some of it was daily rations from the upper city, with a low level of pollution, barely enough to fill their stomachs, which were then used with 'Qi Silk' to remove the pollution; some was wild, highly poisonous fungi that absorbed miasma pollution, which he used as 'extraordinary materials' to feed goblins to accelerate their mutations; and some was mutated, polluted fungi that grew in the [Shadow Domain].

Upon hearing what A-Miao said—that the fungi eroded by the [Nightmare Layer] were the raw materials for naturally brewing illegal counterfeit alcohol—he immediately thought of the mutated fungi in the [Shadow Domain].

These contaminated mushrooms, after being exposed to radiation from the [Shadow Dream Hole], will inevitably acquire the dual attributes of [Nightmare and Shadow]. If they could be used to brew wine, could they create a [Shadow Dreamland (Cockroach Village)] version of 'Echoes of the Yellow Millet'?
Is it possible to replicate [Huangliang Village] so that those who drink counterfeit alcohol dream of [Cockroach Village]? Would doing so be tantamount to indirectly opening a 'nightmare path' and paving the way for interdimensional smuggling?

One after another, ideas for making money popped into his mind. Driven by his inner greed, Yuan Zhu didn't care about being infatuated with Miao Miao's beauty. He hurriedly pushed a bunch of mushrooms that exuded a polluting smell in front of Miao Miao, waiting for inspection and evaluation.

However, the appearance of this cluster of mushrooms caused a subtle, unusual fluctuation to appear where the three of them were sitting. It was as if fire sensors had detected dense smoke and started flashing a high-frequency alarm, signaling that water would soon be sprayed to extinguish the fire.

Upon seeing this, A-Miao suddenly raised her hand and waved it at the table. The mushrooms, which were still emitting an eerie aura, had not changed at all, but suddenly became harmless.

Yuan Zhu and Meng Xiyue were both drawn to this scene. As the owner of the mushrooms, Yuan Zhu could tell that the pollution carried by the mushrooms and the polluting smell they emitted had always been there and had never disappeared. But in the blink of an eye, all of this 'polluting smell' was wiped away. It did exist, but it was impossible to perceive or detect.

"What kind of skill is this?" Meng Xiyue's eyes lit up as she looked at the mushrooms on the table and blurted out the question.

"It's just a minor skill, not worth mentioning."

A-Miao didn't answer directly, but it was clearly a very clever concealment technique. Combined with the fact that the other party frequently offered smuggling, illegal immigration, and escape services, and had sneaked out of the [Security Bureau] early in the morning, Yuan Zhu had already analyzed some of the other party's abilities. Was this a [Master Assassin]?
Yuan Zhu: "What just happened?"

Meng Xiyue rolled her eyes at him: "Do you think Taixi is like Running, who would dare to pull out a bunch of untreated 'contaminated products' so easily? These slightly upscale hotels and public areas are equipped with 'sensor detection devices' that can scan and lock onto 'contamination sources' and issue warnings. Your mushrooms are untreated, especially these black ones, they have a strong 'smell' and are also tainted with the scent of the [Nightmare Foam Layer], which are dangerous and prohibited items."

A-Miao nodded: "This kind of thing is very common in Running's black market. It's useless on its own, but it's contaminated with high-level pollution and is often used as raw material for rituals. If you try to sell it directly on the market, you'll easily get reported by the shopkeepers. If you want to sell in large quantities, you can consider contacting me!"

After saying that, A-Miao used her fingers to poke at the mushrooms whose scent she had been masking, and quickly distinguished between 'ingredients, garbage, and nightmare-contaminated garbage'.

She first pointed to the 'food grade' and said, "These are somewhat useful. I can tell that they are relatively weak in toxicity. After simple processing, they can be used for brewing, but the taste and quality will not be high. They are sold to low-level workers to earn a little hard-earned money."

Then, she pointed to the batch of 'contaminated mushrooms' and said, "These are worthless, the contamination cannot be dealt with, so we'll just pack them up and sell them. Some rituals involving contact with forbidden demons will use these garbage as stepping stones."

Finally, she pointed to the mutated mushrooms produced in the Shadow Domain: "These mushrooms are interesting. They are imbued with the aura of 'Nightmare,' far exceeding the previous two types, but not strong enough. Secondly, most of them are of poor edibility; only a few can be used to brew wine."

Then she looked at Yuan Zhu: "You must have your own methods to collect so many contaminated mushrooms, right? However, the mushrooms you provided are all substandard. If you want to cooperate more deeply, I have a suggestion!"

Yuan Zhu: "What suggestion? Tell me."

Ah Miao held up one finger: "I'll provide the 'spores,' and you take them to the place of origin of these mushrooms to cultivate. The cultivation environment for the first two types is not up to standard, and only the place of origin for the third type of mushrooms is barely acceptable. During the cultivation process, you must increase the pollution and erosion of the [Nightmare Layer] in order to cultivate raw materials that truly meet the standards of 'Dream Drink.'"

Meng Xiyue found it interesting and suddenly asked, "You mean, one of the ingredients for the [Dream Drink] must be a contaminated mushroom from the [Nightmare Layer], but one from the [Foam Layer] won't do?"

A-Miao nodded: "Correct!"

Meng Xiyue asked again, "That's not right. If it only comes from the Nightmare Layer, then there are many dream worlds like Huangliang Township, which could produce a huge amount of mushrooms and brew an endless supply of Dream Drinks. But Dream Drinks aren't flooding the market."

Yuan Zhu was completely confused, having no idea what the two were referring to as the "Dream Drink." It was only thanks to Little Spicy Strip's frantic database searches that he managed to glean some information from fragmented memories.

【Dream Drinks】are considered relatively high-end beverages on the market, including alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, health products, and medicines.

These drinks can stimulate the mind and soul, creating a highly realistic, immersive, and highly interactive virtual dream world.

Because the brands, recipes, and themes of the drinks are different, different "Dream Drinks" will offer different types of "Dreams".

This type of "phantom dream" is not a dream, but a fantastical experience somewhere between an Earth "game" and a "movie." After drinking it, the drinker is in a semi-conscious, semi-intoxicated state, actively initiating a hazy yet clear phantom dream experience and performing actions within it.

In addition, it also supports voluntary termination, allowing players to leave the "Dreamscape" to go to the toilet or abandon the leisure experience to complete normal work.

...

Once the dreamlike effect completely fades, the drinker cannot clearly remember the content of the dream. However, they can retain an experience similar to a save file.

The spiritual satisfaction, sensory stimulation, and enjoyment gained through these "dreams" can be temporarily preserved, repeatedly savored and experienced, and eventually dissipated little by little.

Then people missed that feeling of being drunk and carefree so much that they drank more and more, finishing one bottle and then having another.

Beginners can start with beverage-level drinks to unlock a brand-new single-player adventure experience. As their skill level gradually increases, they can then switch to alcoholic beverages for deeper sleep and a more profound experience.

After consuming too much harmful substances that damage the nerves, brain, and soul, one then drinks health supplements containing added drugs, embarking on a dreamlike experience of health and wellness.

When all hope seems lost, the game goes all out: drugs and drinks, keeping him alive while he's high. The main theme is letting loose, consuming the strongest drugs, slaying the toughest monsters—an 80-year-old man with a youthful spirit battling 90 giant succubi!

Today, the variety and themes of "dreamy drinks" on the market have already exceeded 100. Romance, massage, adventure, fantasy, horror... it's like a one-off 'single-player game + movie plot'.

The most outrageous aspect is that the drink only contains 'Nightmare Spores', which trigger the mental and emotional traits. However, the drink does not contain any 'script' or 'story'.

Therefore, after a user finishes drinking the beverage, the drink triggers and compiles a dream script that best suits their own memory based on relevant information and memories stored in their brain.

Therefore, if you drink the same beverage 100 times, the drink will, based on the information in your brain, randomly generate 100 similar yet different scenarios, making you feel ecstatic again and again.

Furthermore, because memories become blurred after a full sobering state, leaving only the pure 'experience,' it doesn't become tiresome. Therefore, the "dream drink" market is a huge category, with over a dozen companies competing in this sector globally. Small businesses and unscrupulous, unlicensed workshops are even more prevalent.

After Yuan Zhu figured out the [Dream Drink], he suddenly felt that this industry seemed to have great potential. This Spirit Planet really is full of business opportunities.

...

Just as he was pondering the financial prospects of "Dream Drinks", the two girls next to him also started exchanging ideas enthusiastically.

A-Miao: "The true 'Dream Drink' requires an extremely complex process and carefully selected ingredients. 'Huangliang Township,' a dreamlike place, is itself a production area for these ingredients. However, our 'Cat House' follows a purely handmade, illegal brewing route; the entire production process is illegal from beginning to end. How should I put it?"

Ah Miao raised her chin, rested it on her right fist, and stared at the ceiling, seemingly deep in thought. Her other hand gripped the end of her braid, twisting it repeatedly…

Then she explained, "The 'safe mushroom raw materials' grown in this dream world of Huangliang Township are firstly controlled and are important resources that are not easy for outsiders to obtain. Secondly, I have also obtained this type of 'safe drinking-grade fungal raw material' before, but to be honest, the quality is very poor and it can only be used to make ordinary alcoholic beverages."

Meng Xiyue: "Why is that?"

"Because we lack the true craftsmanship for making 'dream drinks.' Every 'brand' on the market has a corresponding 'industrial pantheon' production line behind it, making it impossible for ordinary people to imitate. Our approach is to find 'raw materials' that are more 'effective,' more 'polluting,' and riskier. We don't compete on technology or processes; we compete directly on the quality of the raw materials."

Ah Miao proudly said, "You must have heard the saying: 'Delicious food doesn't need to be complicated. The best ingredients often only need the simplest cooking methods.' Similarly, as long as you get the 'most potent' Nightmare Contaminated Mushroom, you can use the simplest brewing method to create an 'illegal product' that rivals the 'legal. Dream Drink' or even the top-tier drinks."

Yuan Zhu: "Then what's the price?"

"Are you stupid?" A-Miao looked at Yuan Zhu as if he were an idiot. "They all come to [Cat House] to order homemade wine. Do you think they don't know the consequences? If they're afraid of danger, they should just buy legal drinks. The homemade wines offered by [Cat House] are all comparable to the most exquisite and dreamlike rare wines, made with high-quality ingredients and honesty!"

Yuan Zhu: "Now that you mention it, I do remember something called 'Pink...' in Running."

A-Miao instantly understood what Yuan Zhu was trying to say: "You mean [Pink Waterweed]? It's an old friend, and it has a pretty good reputation. It's cautious yet ambitious, and seems to have its sights set on Running City's constant encroachment on reality. It once provided our [Cat House] with raw materials for its private brewing, but it quickly learned the most basic brewing method from other channels and then chose to go solo. After its business grew, it was reported by other competitors, hahaha! It's so funny to think about, I'm so happy. I've never seen such a stupid evil god. I still haven't paid back the money I owe it."

Overjoyed, the girl clutched her stomach and lay face down on the table, repeatedly pounding the table with her little fists.

Seeing this, Meng Xiyue maliciously speculated, "Did you secretly report it?"

Ah Miao raised her head, squinted, and denied, "I'm not that bad. Go ask around on Cat Street, my reputation has always been excellent. My business isn't big, my trading area is limited to three streets, how much of the Running underground market does that even cover? There's absolutely no need to report that guy. The raw materials provided by this [Pink Seaweed] are always of very high quality, and he's very particular about his business. He's just a little silly, I heard he was recently caught in a sting operation?"

Yuan Zhu carefully considered the relationship between the [Dream Drink], illegal brewing, and the 'Nightmare Mushroom Ingredients'... Then he looked at A Miao, feeling as if he had chosen his crush on a blind date.

Although it's crucial to avoid deep conversations with casual acquaintances in such illegal businesses, given the lack of trust between them, he was still captivated by her sweet appearance. Furthermore, the [Shadow Domain] itself didn't seem to care much; otherwise, it wouldn't have first entrusted management to the natives, then granted access to the captain, and ultimately planned to invite the wolf (the magic network) into its territory.

After a moment's thought, he asked directly, "I have a friend who managed to get a small piece of newly formed Dreamland in the Nightmare Foam Layer. These black fungi are products of being corrupted by the aura of this Dreamland."

"Oh?" A-Miao sat up straight, becoming slightly more serious. "It sounds legendary, but these kinds of situations are actually quite common. There are also a large number of fragments that have fallen from the top-tier dreamland in the [Spirit Realm]. However, since you have access to the [Dreamland], we can try to cultivate some 'powerful nightmare mushrooms' and establish a stable supply relationship."

Yuan Zhu: "I don't care about any of that. I just want to ask if you have the ability to brew a drink that can make you 'dream in your dreams'?"

A-Miao shook her head and rejected the idea: "I can't do that. If your [Dreamland Fragments] fell into the [Spirit Realm Layer] and were relatively close to Running and Taixi's location, I could try. But [Dreamland] is far inside the [Nightmare Bubble Layer], so it's impossible."

Yuan Zhu was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this: "I've heard that in the past, people often consumed contaminated mushrooms and, in a semi-poisoned hallucination, communicated with extraterrestrial demons and were taught knowledge? Your illegal brewing is probably the same way, isn't it?"

"Yes, but that requires a Nightmare God or Demon to be in charge of your Dreamland, acting as a signal receiver. It also needs to be able to withstand the interference and counterattacks from the Spirit Realm and have the strength to pull the 'mental signal' from reality into the Nightmare Dimension."

(End of this chapter)