Dream Travel

Chapter 221 If there's something, then there's no rush.

If we can revitalize the body, perhaps we can come back to life?

Beatrice was unwilling to die like this; her body, having undergone so many alchemical transformations, was itself a great work of art.

Giving up like this is just too hard to bear.

"If I had a body, I would be more efficient at work."

"What's the difference between your body now and when you were alive?" Bai Mu scrutinized the somewhat insincere Beatrice.

“Some parts were not preserved, and the differences are significant.” Although Beatrice realized that she found it difficult to lie, she had ample reason to avoid lying and instead tell the truth.

She was only physically altered by alchemy, not her soul, so now that she has been summoned, she is primarily a spiritual being... no, a spiritual being.

Beatrice now understood why the White Curtain spoke of fragments of the mind instead of fragments of the soul.

Spiritual fragments are primarily based on mental cognition, thus retaining the parts that were modified by the body. However, for pure soul fragments, the parts modified by the body are difficult to retain, unless those modifications can affect the soul.

The problem is that what she has preserved is useless to her now that she's dead.

Her body has been undergoing modifications, so some of these modifications haven't yet translated into a change in her mental and cognitive development. It's necessary for her mind to process these changes.

Beatrice listed a whole bunch of differences.

"But it's no use, you don't need a body anymore."

"Of course I need to! I can use alchemy to further modify this body, turning it into a very suitable tool!"

"You're ruthless."

Beatrice didn't care at all. All she wanted now was to preserve her body. Whether she was ruthless or not didn't matter. As long as her body could be preserved, there would always be a chance to 'resurrect' in the future.

But since her body is gone, the last trace she left in this world is probably the fragments of her spirit that Bai Mu mentioned.

"No rush, let's deal with the stuff here first."

“Alright.” Beatrice used alchemy to preserve her corpse first. Freezing, while a simple and effective method of preservation, was unreliable.

The body was well preserved because of the instantaneous freezing; normal thawing would have caused problems. She had to use alchemy to treat it, which was a form of protection.

To avoid damage to the body from freezing during normal thawing.

Did you bring my suitcase back?

Beatrice looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the familiar box.

She was in a hurry, so she didn't take all of the alchemy notes with her.

And so, because she wasted time, she was caught up by Bai Mu. This guy has the ability to scan mentally, and even though the secret passage she used to escape had the effect of blocking the scan, Bai Mu still found it.

But since she's already in this state, she'll have time to slowly sort out those things.

Beatrice glanced at Bai Mu, but didn't dare ask him for help. She rummaged through her belongings and unpacked the things she had originally planned to take with her.

There were two large horse-drawn carriages.

"Isn't this a bit too much?" Bai Mu couldn't stand it anymore. He had traveled over a thousand kilometers to get here; how was he going to bring all this stuff back?
His gaze involuntarily turned to Luciela.

The catgirl's eyes suddenly turned fierce: "I can take you back, but don't even think about these things!"

She is an awakened one, not a beast of burden hauling goods.

"That's not up to you..." he muttered, and Bai Mu continued to watch without offering any help.

First of all, he's not a professional. Secondly, don't be fooled by Beatrice's easygoing nature; she's actually a treacherous and ruthless woman.

Lily reminded him before they went out not to get carried away by pretty or cute girls.

Although many heroes want to persuade witches to reform, those who do often end up in bad situations, and the exceptions are due to survivorship bias.

White Curtain was not a hero, so when he found an opportunity, he decisively backstabbed Atelier and took her away.

According to intelligence, the number of citizens who died at this woman's hands exceeded six hundred. These citizens included both demons and humans, and this is only the number that can be counted; the number that cannot be counted is likely much higher.

“These are all good things. Some of the equipment is very difficult to obtain, and it would be a shame to give up.” Beatrice’s tone was somewhat frustrated. “I went through a lot of trouble to acquire these things, and their value exceeds my bounty!”

At this point, Beatrice's frustration turned into resentment. So what a waste it was to kill her just for the bounty!
It's not impossible to get her to work for us; it's not like she hasn't done it before.

The secrets to immortality she researched weren't meant for her to use only. It's just that she was an alchemist, and her research in this area was all for her own benefit. So, what she used was custom-made for herself and would have the best effect.

It doesn't have the same effect on others, but it can still extend their lifespan, which is her get-out-of-jail-free card.

"I wasn't in it for the money from the beginning; I wanted both people and money."

Beatrice remained noncommittal, but the White Curtain did indeed do what he said.

"Why do you have so much trash here?" Bai Mu picked up a piece of Dream Erosion Crystal, the quality of which was far inferior to his.

“I’m collecting them, and the quality is pretty good.” Atrist glanced at the Dream Erosion Crystals and pulled out a new box containing Dream Erosion Crystals of lower quality.

However, this thing has its uses; low-quality dream-eroded crystals can be used to stimulate organisms and train them to become artificial dreamwalkers.

The success rate is low, but if you succeed, you will receive a substantial reward.

"These things can be made into special ammunition specifically to deal with dream creatures. Low-quality dream crystals are to dream creatures what a certain type of vampire encounters silver."

As an alchemist who lived to be 107, Beatrice was an encyclopedia in her own field.

She prepared these things to guard against dream creatures; the history of real people possessing special powers is only a little over a hundred years old.

The strange dream had already appeared before she was born, but at that time the strange dream was not yet known to everyone.

Even fewer people gained special powers through dreams, and it was only later that dreams became widely known.

She came into contact with alchemy in her thirties, but she was not a dreamwalker.

Besides those born with the talent, many dream walkers are also born that way, but the conditions for their formation are not low.

If you're lucky, you might encounter a strange dream three or five times and become a dream walker through dream erosion. If you're unlucky, you might not be able to become one even after thirty or fifty times or more than ten years.

As for using Dream Erosion Crystals, she tried it, but the accumulation of Dream Erosion almost caused her important modifications to fail, so she stopped trying it after that.

Because the history of real humans coming into contact with special powers is too short, there are strong individuals, but their numbers are limited; most of the strong individuals are dream creatures.

Beatrice can handle trouble from real people, but she's more likely to mess things up when troubled by dream creatures.

Therefore, weapons specifically designed to target the dream creatures were prepared.

As she looked at the Dream Erosion Crystal in Bai Mu's hand, Beatrice's gaze darkened slightly.

High-quality Dream Erosion Crystals are very stable, and even dream creatures can come into contact with them without injury. Low-quality Dream Erosion Crystals are different; not only dream creatures, but even real people will get hurt if they come into contact with them.

The White Curtain's Dream Erosion resistance seems a bit too high.

"Are you a Dreamwalker too?" Beatrice asked.

"Yes, otherwise why would I come to find you?"

"..." Beatrice was speechless. She was certain that White Curtain was not only a Dreamwalker, but also a lone traveler.

"Alright, that's all." Beatrice packed up everything she could take with her. The rest would be difficult to carry away unless the entire alchemy workshop was dismantled.

She's been hiding here for over two years, accumulating a lot of things.

"The combined value of these items is higher than your bounty."

Beatrice is still very bothered by her murder.

"My bounty is now 20 million."

"That's high too."

Beatrice is now even more certain that, in addition to being a loner, White Curtain is also particularly adept at offending people.

The bounties she encountered came from the City of Gold. The absence of legitimate bounties meant that Bai Mu had offended ruthless individuals.

Beatrice wouldn't easily offend these people. After all, some organizations, if you offend them, won't say much, they'll just look for an opportunity to kill you.

"Enough with the nonsense, let's go." Seeing that there was nothing left to tidy up, Bai Mu waved his hand.

Beatrice's residence was quite luxurious, but the area outside the house was eerily gloomy.

"Give me a little more time."

Beatrice made final preparations for her alchemy workshop, not wanting to leave any of her work to unimportant people.

Since the people of Meilin City couldn't protect her, she won't leave behind a single thing!

A massive explosion engulfed Beatrice's alchemy workshop, and abnormal proliferation of flesh and blood occurred within the blast.

That flesh and blood contains strong corrosive properties; it can corrode both objects and itself.

The double cleanup left almost nothing behind. White Curtain returned to Coalwood City, while Beatrice's belongings were placed in a safe house not far from Coalwood City.

White Curtain carried Beatrice's head to the tavern; her body had already been treated with alchemy.

It doesn't matter if you take their heads off, they're all corpses anyway.

Inside the small room, Vibel examined the head, and after confirming its authenticity, handed a card to Bai Mu: "Take this to Lily, now it's our turn."

"I'm in a hurry to get back. Next time?"

Bai Mu immediately said.

This woman isn't just lusting after his body; she's more like a collector!

Her thoughts have been seen through by the Dream-Eater Imperial Arm!

At any other time, Bai Mu might have considered it, but he still has a lot of things hidden away, and it won't be easy to bring those things back.

Getting here by plane is quick, but planes are incredibly expensive these days.

“I can charter a plane for you. For just 500,000, I can get what you want to take to the vicinity of Rota City.”

Bai Mu, who was about to leave, sat back down. If Vibel had connections, he wouldn't be in a hurry.

As for the information revealed in the woman's words, it's normal that she would think of these things since she works in intelligence.

"What about the conditions?"

"No less than three hours. Don't let me down."

"war!"

The next day at noon, Bai Mu, carrying what he wanted to take, used Vibel's connections to load the things that Beatrice wanted to take into the machine.

The crew members were taciturn and their actions were swift and efficient. They did not exchange a single word throughout the entire flight, highlighting their professionalism.

If all goes well, Bai Mu should arrive near Rota City in the latter half of the night. The plane will only help him transport the goods there; the rest is up to Bai Mu himself.

Wearing a sheer nightgown, Vibel dialed a number: "Adries is dead."

"...This is not the result I wanted." The voice on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat dissatisfied.

"It's just not a very ideal outcome. Your father doesn't have much time left, but you have plenty of time."

After saying that, Vibel hung up the phone.

The matter involving Beatrice has ended in Coalwood City. As for the related issues, it's nothing more than a dying person's inability to relinquish power and a desire to regain their youth.

The cunning alchemist seized the opportunity to make a higher offer, trying to get more money from the 'young man' who didn't want to continue living a life of melancholy and subservience.

Dissatisfied with the result? The reason is simple: young people also grow old over time.

“~ That’s really nice.” Vibel poured herself a glass of wine and gently stroked her lower abdomen.

Although the white curtain has a large appetite, the taste is really good.

"Here is the place."

In the middle of the night, a crew member announced to the white screen in a flat, monotone voice.

Bai Mu, who was feeling a bit sleepy, rubbed his eyes and got off the plane. Only after he got off the plane did the crew begin unloading the cargo.

Bai Mu looked around. This was a temporary landing site, and there should be maintenance personnel, but apart from the crew members on the plane, there was no one else in sight.

After unloading the cargo, the crew boarded the plane and quickly left without exchanging a single word with Bai Mu.

The white curtain was chartered, but what they were delivering was not just the white curtain itself.

"Let's get started." Bai Mu stretched his body and summoned some phantoms, instructing them to begin moving things.

It's still quite a distance from here to Rota City, and he needs to get back there before morning. As for the equipment and such here...

After removing the contraband, 90% of the remaining items can be brought directly into Rota City.

We'll find a way to bring the rest in.

"The commission is complete. I need a temporary warehouse." Back in Rota City, Bai Mu handed the card that Vibel had left for him to Lily.

After taking the card, Lily smiled and asked Bai Mu, "How's Vibel?"

"Ok?"

"She has some succubus blood, she won't miss you easily."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Bai Mu waved his hand. "Should we confirm Beatrice's head?"

"Confirmation is required during registration."

White Curtain took Beatrice's head out of the weapon case.

After seeing the head, Lily gave a subtle look: "Bai Mu, you're really wicked."

This head has been treated with alchemy, so it won't rot until the power sustaining it is exhausted. But who treated this head?
"I traveled all this way to find her just to do this kind of thing, right? I'm keeping her head."

“Then we’ll need to register together.” Lily wasn’t surprised; she didn’t plan to keep the white curtain, so there was no need to do anything to the head.

The head is a trophy; once you register it and remove the bounty, it's useless.

If the white curtain is not intended to be kept, the staff will not mind helping to remove it.

If the bounty on the owner of the head is high, it won't be long before the head appears at some underground auction and becomes a collector's item.

It's a head worth nine million, and Beatrice is quite beautiful, so there will be many people who want to collect it.

The reward claim process went smoothly. After completing the registration, the staff handed Bai Mu an anonymous deposit slip.

With this deposit slip, he could go directly to the bank to transfer the money. Lily took the deposit slip for a 2% commission and also found a temporary warehouse for Bai Mu.

However, based on Bai Mu's understanding of this woman, if she can take a 2% cut of the deposit, then she can make at least ten times the profit by reselling it.

For Bai Mu, including the cost of the chartered flight, the financial gain from this trip was close to six million. As for the additional benefits, the profits were even greater.

First of all, Atreus's alchemical equipment is very valuable, and since she was completely wrapped up by the White Curtain, her long-term value is even greater.

On the way back to Meilin City, the woman kept nagging about it.

With the temporary warehouse, Beatrice's things had a place to be stored.

There are so many things; he can't possibly cram them all into his own home.

It's not possible to fill it now.

He currently has two options.

After returning home, Bai Mu took a shower and slept until the afternoon. When he went out, he glanced at the instruction bar on the weapon box and realized that he had consumed a lot of stored energy while fighting Atreus.

However, the anticipated big boss fight didn't happen, mainly because Atlas didn't intend to confront her head-on and instead chose to run away.

Most of the weapon crate's energy was used to deal with those monsters.

If this energy storage can be used to maintain Phantom Summoning, White Curtain wouldn't mind accumulating it indefinitely.

However, he couldn't, which made him want to do something big every now and then after seeing the indicator.

Shaking his head, Bai Mu carried the box out the door and knocked on the craftsman's door at number 214 in the lower city.

"Speak quickly if you have something to say." The craftsman opened the door, his tone sounding very unhappy. He was a craftsman, not a businesswoman like Lily, who could chat with people even if there was nothing wrong.

If Bai Mu needs something made and brings payment, he'll welcome him; if he's just here to chat, he'll tell him to get lost.

"I'm planning to buy a house next door."

The craftsman frowned: "You bought a house, fine, but why did you buy the one next to mine? Do you like men?"

"Then I plan to recruit some technical staff for logistics, so we can communicate more in the future?"

"Get out—" The craftsman slammed the door shut, then reopened it less than two seconds later: "You can buy any house you want, but if you buy the one next door, you'll be reported!"

Bai Mu returned to the upper city and discussed another plan with Lily. Since the craftsman was too heartless, he had no choice but to make another option.

"Choose your own home? That's fine too." Lily said with a smile after knowing Bai Mu's purpose. "Bai Mu, you won't do anything bad, so setting up a private alchemy workshop is no problem."

However, to sell the products on the market, the relevant licenses are required.

"Is that so?" Bai Mu asked uncertainly, "It's fine if it's for personal use?"

"As long as the alchemy experiments don't blow up the neighbors, it's fine."

(End of this chapter)