Dream Travel

Chapter 474 Where did it come from? Don't ask.
Back in the Dream Graveyard, the guards there were no longer surprised to see the white curtain.

Willie had already notified the other guards, and Bai Mu had brought the necessary paperwork with him when he arrived. After verification, Willie was completely relieved.

As for Bai Mu wanting to contact Yi Meng, as long as it doesn't cause any other problems for Yi Meng, he can contact her as he pleases.

The White Curtain is here using proper procedures, not relying on the privileges of the Maple Crown Medal. Based on that alone, Willie won't think much of it.

Bai Mu blended in naturally with the patrol team.

"Don't be so nervous. I'm just getting a basic understanding of this place, and I won't do this again."

White Curtain spoke to the patrolling guards.

Even after he said that, the patrolling guards remained tense...

"No, no problem. Actually, we patrol all the time quite normally." One of the guards' smiles was a little forced.

As they passed through a patrol area, some of the guards stopped.

One of the guards explained the reason: "There is a dream source here that is about to die of old age, and we will clean it up regularly."

The so-called "organization" is to adjust the distribution of nearby dream sources, reduce the range of dream sources that are still within their shelf life, and give more space to dream sources that are about to expire.

Once this alternate dream source dies of old age, the alternate dreams associated with it will collapse and disappear. After that, they can clean up the site and then place other alternate dream sources.

"How long can this source of strange dreams exist?"

"Hmm... According to the records, it should take at most three to five days." The guard who remained looked at the booklet in his hand.

This thing is specifically for recording dream sources that are about to die of old age.

Record the location of the relevant dream sources, the rate of aging, etc., to calculate the approximate time. Once the time is about right, begin to organize the scope.

When these guards sorted through the sources of strange dreams, they used long poles to drag them to other places.

The guards are very skilled at this job.

Bai Mu didn't disturb their work, but said after they finished, "I'll go into this strange dream and take a look."

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" the guards hesitated.

The white screen can choose those normal dreams, but this dream source that's about to expire isn't anything special, is it?
"If the Dream Source can't hold on any longer, I will leave beforehand."

"...Then please be careful." The guard didn't offer any further advice to Bai Mu.

In their eyes, Bai Mu was a big shot, and a Dream Walker at that, so he should know his place.

Nodding, Bai Mu walked forward, tearing away the layer of haziness.

"When was this Source of Another Dream delivered?" After Bai Mu entered the Other Dream, a guard who seemed to have just arrived asked curiously.

"Let me see." The guard holding the logbook looked at the time recorded on it: "It was about half a year ago, but the exact time is unclear."

There are too many dream sources in the Dream Graveyard. Most of them seem normal and don't attract much attention, unless they are certain dream sources that are beautiful women or handsome men...

But no one thought of touching those dream sources, because not only would it not bring any benefits, but it would also pull them into the dream world.

The sources of strange dreams that can be recorded are the ones that have caused problems.

"He's aged so much in just six months? He must have been old when he was first brought in, right?" The guard, who had been there for less than a month, was astonished.

"The records aren't that clear either. The other party should have been in their twenties at the beginning?" The guard holding the record book shook his head.

"...So, the time difference between this dream and reality is at least a hundred times?"

"Who cares? Such strange dreams do exist. You'll get used to it after working in the graveyard of strange dreams for a couple of years."

The guard with the logbook remotely scanned the source of the strange dream with an instrument. This device was used to detect the life status of the strange dream source, similar to a life radar.

However, this thing is not very effective; not only is its effective range very small, but it also has a limit to what it can detect.

I don't know which development department produced this failed product, but the life radar is quite suitable for this situation.

This thing can roughly analyze when a dream source is about to die of old age.

An error of a few hours is fine; just prepare a few days in advance.

The Dream Guardians keep their distance from Dream Sources that age exceptionally quickly!

“I only have a year and a half of service left, and I don’t want to serve here for that long.” The new guard shook his head.

He doesn't want to serve here for several years.

After all, the longer you stay here, the higher the risk of encountering unexpected events.

"Let's go. For the next few days, patrol a little further away from here. Also, we need to leave someone here to keep an eye on things."

"Can't we use drones?"

The new guard looked up at the sky, and what he saw seemed like magic to him, but after learning more, he realized it was technology.

“There aren’t enough of those.” The guard holding the logbook shook his head. The drones were used for patrols and wouldn’t be stationed in one place.

Besides, the guards of the Dream Graveyard are all living people. Why would two people be left here specifically to watch over the Dreams that are about to be scrapped?

"Then...how do we choose the people?"

"It's a lottery, we won't bully newcomers here." The guard holding the record book smiled.

Drawing lots is all about luck. As for ordering newcomers to do this, it's happened before, but it's easy to cause trouble if you encounter someone with a bad temper.

"..."

Strange dream.

After the white curtain tore away the hazy layer, I landed in a mountain village, and looking into the distance, I could see the continuous high mountains.

Some of the mountain peaks soar into the clouds, surrounded by mist and clouds, making them clearly extraordinary.

In the ancient mountain village, hunters return with their prey. Although it is a mountain village, it is quite large.

At first glance, the white curtain revealed at least a hundred people, and this was just one street.

The telescope appeared in his hand, then was taken back by the white curtain.

A mental scan could quickly reveal the situation here, but Bai Mu noticed that the prey brought by several returning hunters seemed rather unusual…

It was a tiger, and its fur had fire-like markings. When viewed from different angles, the markings could be seen glowing, like smoldering flames.

This is no ordinary tiger.

Bai Mu naturally looked away and walked away with his weapon case.

The hunter, dragging the tiger's carcass, glanced at the white curtain and continued walking forward with the skilled hunters from his village, greeting some acquaintances along the way.

The mountain village where they live is not big, and the people living there know each other almost every day.

The reason he noticed Bai Mu was that Bai Mu was clearly an outsider. It was easy for outsiders to enter the mountains from their area, and indeed, outsiders often came here.

In addition, since almost everyone in the village knows each other, they can all notice if an outsider does anything unusual.

Bai Mu had no intention of causing trouble. After arriving in this strange dream, he discovered that he was out of place with the local environment.

After all, the clothing styles look like they're from hundreds of years ago.

However, Bai Mu did not underestimate this strange dream because of it, and some clues could be seen from various places.

The locals seem to have a slightly higher level of physical fitness; if not all of them, then at least hunters and similar individuals seem to be.

Therefore, out of caution, Bai Mu did not immediately bring Lexenbula out; he left the mountain village first.

I glanced at the stone tablet at the village entrance as I left.

Tianshan Village.

……

“This strange dream seems pretty good.” Luxembla’s voice carried a hint of pleasure.

Compared to the strange dream he encountered last time, this strange dream made him feel that his own power was not affected in any way, and even his original power seemed to be very active.

This world must be filled with special forces.

"Probably. See if there's anything special about that village."

White Curtain grabbed Lexenbra and enchanted it onto the Dream Eclipse Imperial Arm.

“Special?” Lexenberg looked at the mountain village that the white curtain was pointing to and used a demonic perception.

Then he exclaimed in surprise, "I've been discovered! Kill them!"

You're so useless!

Bai Mu grabbed the weapon case, turned around, and disappeared into the forest.

Before long, several figures arrived. One of them glanced around and said, "They've already run away. Their aura is strange... Is it a demon?"

"I'm certain that what discovered me wasn't a human magician, but something else!" Lexenberg said to the white curtain with absolute certainty.

"The way the magicians are acting here is also strange." Bai Mu looked at the distant mountain village through binoculars.

Everything was normal in the village, and the village was quite large, with a rough estimate of at least two thousand people, or even more.

This is rarely seen in mountain villages.

Not only that, there were also some people dressed in a way that didn't look like villagers; there were quite a few outsiders in this mountain village.

The people who chased after them were probably not locals; they looked very capable and were likely bodyguards for someone.

Thinking of this, Bai Mu went to look around. First, he went into the mountains. The deep mountains, stretching endlessly and towering into the clouds, were rich in resources.

After entering, Bai Mu encountered many small animals, and he summoned Beatrice.

"These can all be used in alchemy, but they are very common materials."

Beatrice casually picked a blade of grass.

The white curtain couldn't figure out what that thing was, but Beatrice had the expertise.

"Wouldn't this be better for making medicine?"

"It's all the same. When I was studying alchemy, I also learned some knowledge about alchemy, but my knowledge was not comprehensive."

Beatrice explained that alchemy, unlike traditional alchemy, could produce all sorts of pills with special effects that were easy to carry, but in some aspects it was not as good as traditional alchemy.

However, both have their own advantages, and they also share some commonalities in the materials used.

"What can this be used for?"

"It can be used to make healing potions." Atris put the herb away and prepared to begin her work.

Now that White Curtain has arrived in a new dream, it needs to have the necessary resources to start.

Her alchemy can play an important role in this process.

He created various potions through alchemy, and with Bai Mu's power allowing him to sell those things, he secured his first source of start-up capital.

Compared to directly using plunder, Bai Mu's personality and character make him more inclined to acquire initial funds through legitimate means.

"No rush, we've only just entered the mountains, let's go and explore the deeper parts."

"Then I don't need to go back, right?"

"If you don't feel tired, you don't need to."

"How could I be tired..." she muttered to herself, following Bai Mu. After the weapon box was upgraded, she could enjoy the enhancement it provided. Although this enhancement was affected by Bai Mu's own strength, Bai Mu was not weak to begin with, and given that she was weak, if Bai Mu wanted to enhance her, her improvement would be quite noticeable.

No matter how much she improves, she still can't beat Bai Mu.

Along the way, Atrist looked around with great curiosity at the things she encountered and exclaimed, "Are the resources here so abundant? Some items are even generated in the open air."

The materials encountered on the road, while not rare in reality, were not as easily obtained as depicted here.

That means there are even rarer ones.

Beatrice nodded: "This dream is quite good; you can focus on developing it."

A dream world rich in resources is one that shouldn't be missed.

"This is bad, this Dream Source is going to die."

Bai Mu's words startled Beatrice slightly: "Kill him?"

"I'm getting old and dying."

"...That's easy, I can use life alchemy to extend his lifespan."

Beatrice has begun to protect the interests of the White Curtain, which is also protecting her own interests.

"Let's wait and see, I'm going to speed up."

Bai Mu pulled out a combination knife from the weapon case and slashed it to the side. A snake seemed to run into it on its own, and Bai Mu chopped off its head.

Beatrice stepped forward to examine the body with a calm expression.

The snake's head resembled a large strawberry, and Atristie skillfully extracted the venom.

"This venom is also very potent."

"Your alchemy allows you to use anything?"

“It depends on the materials, but most things can be used,” Beatrice explained. “It’s just that I’m skilled in life alchemy, so the materials I use are generally biologically produced.”

Snake venom can be used to make alchemical poisons... What are you looking for?

Seeing that Bai Mu seemed a little absent-minded, Atrist asked curiously.

"A tiger? I just arrived and I ran into a group of hunters. They killed a tiger."

Bai Mu recounted his experience, mentioning that the tiger's fur had fiery stripes, which Bai Mu found very beautiful.

"...Do you want to eat?"

"Yep!"

As he spoke, Bai Mu took out a telescope and spread out a mental scan, scanning all the creatures within range, and several angry roars rang out.

Several wild beasts from the deep mountains were startled and quickly rushed towards the white curtain.

"oops?"

Bai Mu paused slightly, then quickly put away the binoculars in his hand: "Prepare for battle."

"Oh, oh." Atreus immediately climbed up a tree.

She knew her own level; Bai Mu's fighting was none of her business. She just needed to avoid holding Bai Mu back.

The wild beasts in the deep mountains are very fast. As Bai Mu heard the rapidly approaching sounds, a figure suddenly darted out from the bushes.

Bai Mu slashed his weapon at the source of the surging heatwave, and a piercing roar immediately followed.

The tiger that pounced on Bai Mu had its head chopped off by Bai Mu's blade, and then a commotion arose in the distance.

The wild beast that had been rapidly approaching from the deep mountains stopped.

The beasts were ferocious but not mindless; once they realized the White Curtain's fighting power, their anger immediately subsided.

This human was clearly someone not to be trifled with, so the enraged mountain beast calmed down.

They come quickly and they retreat quickly.

"Abundant resources indeed." Bai Mu glanced at the fire-patterned tiger carcass on the ground, the scope's scanning range having a maximum radius of five kilometers.

The fact that there are several such ferocious beasts in this area indicates that these beasts are not at the top of the food chain, otherwise this territory would be too small.

"This is the tiger skin you were talking about? The fur is indeed very nice." Beatrice looked at the fire-patterned fur of the Fire-Patterned Tiger. Even in death, the fire patterns on it still had a certain degree of fluidity.

Logically speaking, even though I haven't come into contact with similar materials, I can be certain that the fur of this creature must have good fire resistance.

"Help me deal with this."

Tanning fur takes time, but Atreus's alchemy doesn't require much time, after all, female alchemists are skilled in life alchemy.

She was more than capable of handling fur.

Although Beatrice's treatment of fur generally involves using alchemy to modify other life forms.

Just like this tiger's fur, which remains in a fresh state, Bai Mu has no doubt that Beatrice can use life alchemy to create a being like the tiger-skin man.

With the materials gathered along the way, Beatrice quickly processed the tiger's fur and even helped White Curtain cook a roast.

"Not bad." Bai Mu felt the increasing feeling of fullness. Although the increase was not large, it would take at least three or four times the amount of ordinary meat to achieve the same effect.

“I almost forgot, you eating is also a way of identifying someone.”

Atrist glanced at Bai Mu's stomach; she was no longer surprised that Bai Mu could eat a physique comparable to her own.

The fundamental problem limiting the amount of food Bai Mu can eat is his mouth.

"I don't eat things with brains." Bai Mu shook his head. He could tell the quality of the target by tasting it.

But he wouldn't just grab onto intelligent beings and devour them in order to obtain this kind of information.

Any normal wild animal will do.

The deep mountains and forests are rich in resources and have no shortage of powerful beasts.

Moreover, the deep mountains he has entered are merely those adjacent to Tianshan Village, which are much smaller than those towering mountains.

It's like looking at a mountain and running yourself ragged; those towering mountains are only bigger than they appear.

Even an ordinary mountain may look average from the outside, but once you go inside, you'll find out how difficult it is to traverse.

After having a meal, Bai Mu sped up his journey. With the aid of the Dream Erosion Imperial Arm, he was able to use his full power throughout the journey, avoiding any particularly ferocious beasts he encountered.

They explored the mountains where Tianshan Village is located as much as possible.

As for those towering mountains, Bai Mu initially had ideas, but he found that it would be too slow to complete the subsequent exploration.

The mountain he was on was bigger than he had imagined, and the higher mountains were farther away than he had expected.

The better way to understand this strange dream world is to interact with intelligent beings, rather than staying cooped up in the deep mountains and forests.

After Beatrice collected a lot of materials, White Curtain returned to Tianshan Village.

He didn't let Beatrice maintain her phantom body any longer. The strength of this world was not low; even a mental scan could alarm the beasts deep in the mountains.

The demon detection in Luxembla was more covert, but it still alerted some locals.

The locals may not have magic, but their senses are quite strong.

Bai Mu returned to Tianshan Village with the 'startup capital' created by Beatrice. Healing potions are effective for any living being.

Not only humans, but even monsters can use it. It is not limited by race, unless it is used by beings that reject life force, in which case problems will occur.

These kinds of things are sometimes easier to sell than gold and silver jewelry.

Beatrice used materials she gathered deep in the mountains to make many alchemical potions.

After returning here, Bai Mu went directly to the village's pharmacy.

He took out the materials that Beatrice had collected and took the opportunity to observe the owner of the apothecary.

With the Dream-Eroding Imperial Arms, White Veil is not afraid of being fooled.

Based on the information obtained through the peephole, the pharmacy owner here is quite honest.

Aside from some items that the pharmacies didn't want, the other party bought everything that could be kept at the normal purchase price.

However, the pharmacy owner didn't seem to regard Bai Mu as a human being.

This isn't an insult about Bai Mu being inhuman; it's what the pharmacy owner genuinely believes.

Considering that the other party did not intend to insult anyone, Bai Mu completed the process of distributing the materials as normal.

We can acquire new materials later, and then we'll find a towering mountain.

Now he needs to find the source of the dream.

"This is a medicine that can treat external injuries, and it works quite well."

"Oh—hmm~" The pharmacy owner picked up a bottle of medicine and looked at it. Then his expression became somewhat subtle. He said to Bai Mu, "I only buy raw materials. You should go to the clinic."

"Ok."

After leaving the pharmacy, Bai Mu gained a lot of useful information through a brief exchange with the Dream-Eroding Imperial Arm.

First of all, there are monsters in this world, and the owner of the apothecary mistook Bai Mu for a mountain spirit or something similar.

The reason was that the pharmacy owner noticed that Bai Mu's spirit and energy were different from others.

However, the pharmacy owner seemed very calm, clearly a knowledgeable person, and did not make a fuss about 'seeing out' Bai Mu's identity.

Instead, the transaction proceeded naturally, without any intention of calling in someone to kill White Curtain.

This kind of situation usually occurs because similar things happen frequently, and the pharmacy owner is already used to it.

The medicine that Bai Mu took out confirmed the pharmacy owner's suspicions.

Bai Mu, who inexplicably lost his human status, went to the clinic and took out the alchemical potions. The clinic owner's reaction was similar to that of the pharmacy owner.

However, compared to the pharmacy owner, Bai Mu was at least not regarded as some kind of mountain spirit at the medical clinic, but rather as a demon with more human-like characteristics.

As for the alchemical potion, the clinic owner accepted it after confirming that it was truly effective and had no problems.

The price isn't expensive, and the clinic has a lot of good medicines.

The clinic owner had a very good opinion of the alchemical potion, but felt that its method of preparation was a bit unorthodox.

Medicine that can quickly heal external injuries is also available here, but using such potent medicine means that it will cause a deficiency in the user's fundamental health, in other words, it will increase the consumption of life force.

However, the alchemical potions made by Atreus themselves contain life force, and can replace this deficit during their effects.

Don't ask where the life force contained in the medicine comes from.

The clinic owner only accepted the medicine after confirming that there was no 'human blood' in it.

The method of making the potion is unconventional; as long as no human ingredients are used, it's fine.

Having completed two transactions, Bai Mu had obtained enough intelligence in Tianshan Village.

The people here are very knowledgeable about non-human beings, and they come into contact with them quite frequently.

In addition, he had frequented the only pharmacy and clinic in the mountain village, so he had become a familiar face there. Now he could try to make contact with the Dream Source.

(End of this chapter)