Dream Travel

Chapter 549 Indirect Changes
Dream Erosion Monkey Hair made up for some of White Curtain's lack of talent, but while talent was compensated, basic knowledge was still indispensable.

Therefore, Lily discussed something new with Bai Mu: she would teach Bai Mu some relevant knowledge, and she would borrow one of the Qiankun Bags through a rental agreement.

No one can ever have too many backpacks, but White Curtain places greater emphasis on actual combat effectiveness.

One Qiankun bag is enough. An ordinary Qiankun bag can be used in the real world, since that thing isn't indestructible.

When going out, it's enough to bring the Dream Erosion Bag; Lily isn't very interested in the low-end Moonlight Box.

A record of past locations within an hour seems very useful, but in an era when transportation was not so developed, its usefulness was neither great nor small.

Someone like Bai Mu is more suitable to use. Meng Shi Hou Mao Lili is also interested, but she knows that Bai Mu will not give in to that thing, so she doesn't mention it.

"You can acquire Dream Erosion items through Lily's connections, any type," Bai Mu explained to Chelsea.

"Any other requests?"

"That's all. The more the merrier." Bai Mu didn't have any requirements for acquiring Dream Erosion items, since they were just used as materials for barter.

Bringing them to the alternate dream world in exchange for more Dream Erosion Crystals—could this be considered a kind of 'trade' with the alternate dream world?
Afterwards, Bai Mu left the city to conduct a new test on the Dream-Eroded Monkey Hair. This time, to ensure the accuracy of the test, he specifically brought some Dream-Eroded items that were not very useful.

After a precise comparison, Bai Mu discovered that after the second sublimation, Dream Eater Monkey Hair did not seem to have any special new effects or expansions, but rather it was enhanced on the original basis.

The upgraded Dream Eater's Hair has a core of about 70% completeness. If there is a relatively complete medium, it can bring a correction of up to about 40% completeness to the transformed item.

After the second sublimation, the Dream-Eater Monkey Hair's upper limit of change has been increased to 80%. If there is a medium, the maximum completeness of the correction should also be 80%.

However, unlike the effect of sublimation, the effect of secondary sublimation is enhanced on the basic limit.

Enhancement is based on the premise of having a medium. When there is a medium, the upper limit of the integrity of the change is 90%.

As for how Bai Mu tested it, it was because he had enough Dream Erosion items, such as combination swords and Spirit Pivot spears, and he had a good understanding of them.

Furthermore, since they can be placed in weapon cases as a transformation medium, directly obtaining the highest correction bonus, the Dream-Eroded Monkey Hair used by White Curtain has broken through the basic integrity limit.

He had basically never used or understood the other Dream Erosion items he carried. After a few attempts, without using those items as a medium, he directly used the Dream Erosion Monkey Hair to transform, and the core integrity was basically only 1%.

It's useless to have the same appearance; what matters is the integrity of the core. That integrity determines the power and effect of the changed thing.

With 1% integrity and 80% correction for the complete medium, simple addition, subtraction and comparison can calculate the upper limit of the basic changes in Dream Erosion Monkey Hair.

The second sublimation does not significantly increase the upper limit of basic changes; its biggest improvement is in the expansion effect.

As long as there is a 'medium' for things that change, the thing that changes has a core integrity of up to 90%.

This version is not much different from the original. Even if it has less power and effects than the original, the white screen can make up for it in other ways.

Once his weapon case becomes indestructible, he uses it as a base material for further modifications.

Although the modified weapon only has 90% of the power and effect of the original, its base material is strong enough to surpass the original weapon. Therefore, the original weapon may not be able to defeat the 'fake' in his hand.

In addition, White Screen discovered a new effect expansion, where the changes are no longer limited to the monkey hair itself and the things that are directly in contact with it.

Even without the contact of monkey hair, the effect of change can be applied to other objects.

Without the direct influence of monkey hair, these types of transformed items are very weak, and their transformed state is also very fragile and easily broken.

The white screen was carefully compared. Without direct contact with the monkey hair, the upper limit of the completeness of the changed things was only 10%. After the medium was used, the upper limit of completeness did not change, and it remained at 10%.

Without relying on changes in monkey hair, the core integrity is at most 20%, while the upper limit of surface strength is roughly the same as that of things that change.

Overall, disregarding kernel integrity and only considering the surface, the secondary sublimation of Dream Erosion Monkey Hair is very suitable for transforming those blank targets.

If it were a magic sword or a holy sword, and those kinds of equipment relied not only on their surface strength but also on their special effects, the indirect changes from Dream Eater's Hair would be completely overwhelmed.

Without a medium, with a maximum of only 10% kernel integrity, if you're using high-level blue gear to fight someone else's high-level orange gear, you'll just get completely crushed.

As for improving surface strength, indirect changes are not very effective. Indirect changes can ensure that the surface strength is high enough, but the intensity of the change is insufficient.

The consequence of insufficient change is that things that have changed can easily revert to their original state.

In general, this indirect transformation can create soldiers from a few hairs, but it cannot create a large number of beings with combat power similar to the original body.

The surface strength may be sufficient, but the core integrity and durability are insufficient. While it can fight, it is also easy for someone to wipe it out with area-of-effect attacks.

Defense? Defense also consumes durability.

Bai Mu used wild boars for testing to confirm this issue, but even so, Bai Mu was very satisfied with the monkey hair that had undergone secondary sublimation.

Indirect changes aren't bad; as long as surface strength is ensured, they're quite effective at dealing with those weaklings. They're all blank slates, so who's afraid of whom?

It's simply that the minions he created weren't durable enough. The enemy's minions could be stabbed several times and still be fine, but the minions he indirectly created were stabbed a few times and then revealed their true forms.

Furthermore, maintaining surface strength requires an understanding of changing things; otherwise, a medium must be used for correction.

The Dream-Eater Monkey Hair is like a unique magic weapon; its full potential cannot be unleashed simply by holding it in your hand.

The extent to which a sword can be used depends on the person. Even with a sword, no matter how well an ordinary person uses it, they can never use it as well as a sword master.

External tools are useful, but improving oneself is the way to better realize the potential of external tools.

It's not like you can just lie down and relax after getting a wheelchair. Wheelchair experts can even drift with their wheelchairs.

The Dream-Eating Monkey Hair in his hand isn't incapable of becoming stronger... what if there's a chance it can undergo three sublimations?
Bai Mu is not considering the possibility of a third sublimation for the time being, as he doesn't have that many resources at his disposal.

Satisfied, Bai Mu took out his phone and checked the time. The test had lasted for more than an hour, and the low-end Moonlight Box couldn't return to the vicinity of Rota City.

"But can this thing be used during the day?"

Bai Mu took out a low-end Moonlight Box. When it was opened normally, the box didn't react at all, but Bai Mu felt that it could be opened...

As its power was depleted, the Moonlight Box truly opened during the day.

Unlike when using it at night in a moonlit environment, when using the low-end Moonlight Box at other times, the white curtain makes one feel their power being depleted.

Maintaining the light barrier itself doesn't consume much energy, but when he enters the light barrier, the energy consumption increases dramatically.

But this energy expenditure was within Bai Mu's tolerance range, and even quite easy for him to bear, as his feeling of fullness provided him with enough energy...

What might be unbearable for others could be endured by him, but he could bear it with ease.

"This is not bad, but is this upgrade gradually getting closer to the original?"

He put away the low-end Moonlight Box, having come to understand it.

On moonlit nights, you can use it freely without any consumption restrictions; the only limitations are the time and location of the user's activity.

It can be used at other times, but without the moonlight energy, users have to act as their own batteries, which is quite user-friendly.

White Curtain returned to Rota City, where Chelsea was also present, discussing some matters with Lily.

Bai Mu walked over and took out a Qiankun bag: "Use this as needed, but don't use it for bad things."

"Although that's what you say, this thing is perfect for doing bad things. Your alchemy workshop needs some special resources, right? With this thing, the cost of acquiring those resources can be reduced to one-third."

"so tall?"

"There's something even better, do you want to hear it?"

"Forget it, I'm not listening." Bai Mu shook his head. He left the things here; how Lily used them was up to her needs.

Chelsea has the right to use this item on a regular basis, since Chelsea is his current housekeeper and Lily is a very good friend of the opposite sex.

"How's the situation on Serafis's side?"

"Aren't you in a hurry? The matter of the Hellish Realm hasn't been completely resolved yet. Don't let the dream affect your sense of time."

Lily reminded Bai Mu that after Bai Mu went to Yi Meng, he might feel that a lot of time had passed, but in fact, less than a month had passed since Bai Mu got involved in the matter with Serafis.

In such a short time, the matter of the Otherworld Hell cannot be fully resolved, let alone the subsequent task of gathering a den for demons.

"Time is passing so slowly," Bai Mu said with a hint of melancholy.

Lily took out a storage disk: "Slow? You'll find it even slower next time. This is your basic textbook. Come back to me after you've read and mastered it."

"Is this for teaching?" Bai Mu looked at the storage disk with some unease. Did even basic teaching materials need this?
Lily gave him a few books, saying they were basic textbooks. Bai Mu probably thought they weren't too difficult, as long as she didn't say that those books were just tables of contents.

But then this woman handed me a storage disk!
This thing makes people feel uneasy just by looking at it.

"Don't worry, there's not much content."

"If there's not much content, give me a few books."

“A few books aren’t enough.” Lily smiled even more broadly: “Read and study hard, and I believe you will become a master of change in the future.”

"I don't really want to keep changing. If I change too much, won't I feel like I'm not myself anymore?"

"No, that won't happen. Your Dream Erosion item doesn't achieve the flawless transformation, so that situation won't occur."

Lily told Bai Mu that he was worrying unnecessarily, that an ordinary person shouldn't be concerned about national affairs.

Due to the variations in props, coupled with the inherent limitations of the props themselves, no matter how much White Curtain tries to improve it, it can only approximate the original; it will never completely replace it.

Moreover, she didn't think Bai Mu would encounter such troubles. His talent was insufficient to allow him to achieve flawless transformation, or rather, to use his own talent to give extra compensation to the upper limit of the Dream-Eater Monkey Hair transformation.

"I will be away for a while."

"Hmm? You're not planning to run away with the money, are you?" Bai Mu asked, looking at Lily who had taken the Qiankun bag.

"Then wouldn't I be at a huge loss?" Lily retorted to Bai Mu.

"I think it would be easy for you to buy this."

Is the low-end Qiankun Bag no longer a Qiankun Bag? The internal space can easily change a lot of things.

After all, there aren't any spatial artifacts here in reality, and they don't seem to be abundant at the moment.

And what if the Qiankun Bag could freely bring out the items from other dreams?
However, Bai Mu felt that doing so would likely result in the magical items inside the Qiankun Bag exploding. Lily's smile remained unchanged, because running away with something like that would be incredibly foolish. Was the Qiankun Bag special? Yes, it was. Was it important? Yes, it was.

But the white curtain that brought all this to light is clearly more important.

"Alright, how long are you going to be gone?"

"About a week or two, Chito and Yuri are good girls, they can manage the shop well."

Bai Mu thought for a moment and asked, "If it's a troublesome matter, I can help."

"I'm not going out to chop people up." Lily shook her head. There was no need for Bai Mu to help her. She was going to take care of some personal matters, not to deal with any enemies.

She doesn't have any enemies.

"Alright then." Bai Mu waved his hand, a little bored. "You guys continue chatting."

Chelsea and Lily continued their conversation about what they hadn't finished earlier. The excavation project for the Demon's Legacy wasn't over yet, and she was also very interested in White Curtain's desire to acquire Dream Eclipse items.

Lily is also making acquisitions. While business matters can be discussed, she's here to discuss the direction of the acquisitions…

Lily's focus is on acquiring items there, but she will move on to another location. The world is so big, and Lily cannot completely monopolize the acquisition of Dream Eclipse items.

Besides discussing the acquisition strategy, Chelsea also came here to conduct market research, as she had never studied Dream Erosion items before.

Bai Mu easily persuaded her to buy that thing. If she didn't understand it properly, she would be ripped off badly.

The best source of information is naturally Lily, who runs the Dream Experience Store.

Lily lived up to White Curtain's trust, behaving like a good teacher in this respect.

Back home, Bai Mu connected the storage disk to the computer and began browsing its contents.

He could read a novel of several million words with great interest, but when he switched to something so serious and proper, Bai Mu felt an invisible pressure on him.

"What are these?" Mine asked, looking puzzled after glancing over at Bai Mu, who was staring intently at the computer screen.

She thought Bai Mu was watching some kind of adult film, but it turned out he was studying? Unbelievable.

"An Introduction to Illusion"

"Why do you need to know this?"

"Improve your combat power, you can continue watching TV, I need to study hard." Bai Mu browsed through the introductory knowledge.

This is indeed the basics, and it has undergone very detailed screening, making it very suitable for a baby like Bai Mu who knows absolutely nothing about babies.

Although he has difficulty mastering true illusion magic, as long as he has a sufficient understanding of illusion magic, he can enhance his use of Dream Eater Monkey Hair.

"Hmm...it's alright. I'll study it seriously for a few days first."

Although the changeable monkey hair can significantly improve the completeness of the changed things when it holds the relevant medium, improvement is one thing.

He himself also wanted to improve the basic completeness through his own abilities.

Although dual-wielding with the transformed monkey hair is no longer a problem, this only applies to what one already possesses. For things that one doesn't have, Bai Mu can only watch with wide eyes.

Give me a single hair of yours.

"What do you want to do?" Mine stared warily at the white curtain.

"I'm going to do something very evil!"

Thinking of something, the girl with pink pigtails blushed: "Are you finally going to reveal your beastly nature?"

"What are you thinking?"

With a flick of his wrist, Bai Mu severed a strand of Mine's hair. He then rubbed it with his hand, and the Thousand Mountains Qi wiped away the hair dye.

He then tossed the hair up, and under Mine's gaze, a new pink twin-tailed girl appeared beside the White Curtain.

"Huh??" Mine's eyes widened. This was indeed evil!

"You, how did you do that?"

"Hehehe, I hope you don't have nightmares when you sleep in the future." Bai Mu chuckled sinisterly, reaching out to pinch Mine, who had been transformed from the Dream-Eater Monkey's hair.

In terms of feel, it is exactly the same as the real person. Things that are transformed by the Dream-Eater Monkey Hair can be exactly the same in appearance.

However, the kernel's completeness does not reach the level of the main body.

This strand of hair, acting as a medium, corrected the incompleteness and reduced the need for understanding the target.

At least the body measurements don't need to be known by the white curtain itself, and as for strength, only surface strength is available.

However, Mine doesn't have any special abilities; her surface strength alone is enough.

The difference lies in the maximum 20% kernel integrity, which makes the transformed Mine inferior to the original in core areas.

Mine herself can achieve 100% or even higher output with her Teigu.

Because the transformed Mine only has 20% of the core's integrity, when using the Imperial Arms, the fake version is absolutely no match for the original.

In hand-to-hand combat, which involves physical strength but not mental strength, there isn't much difference between them.

Mine doesn't have any special ability to enhance her physical strength; if she did, the transformed Mine would be brutally beaten in hand-to-hand combat.

"How about you two have a fight?"

Bai Mu wanted to see women fight.

"Are you sick?!" Mine rolled her eyes at Bai Mu and grabbed the image of herself that Bai Mu had created from his hair.

Her hand was slapped away by Mine, who was formed directly from her hair.

"what are you doing?"

"?" Mine looked at her other self in surprise, not expecting that the self that had transformed from a single hair would react.

"Can you talk?"

“I am you and not you, so what if I can talk?” the transformed 'Mine' spoke.

Mine herself wore a puzzled expression, looking subtly at the white screen: "What's going on?"

"Uh, it's similar to a computer program," Bai Mu said, pointing to his computer. "It's kind of like an artificial intelligence that imitates yours."

"...That sounds amazing, let's go to the training room." Mine was a little tempted.

"Good good."

Seeing women fighting piqued Bai Mu's interest, and he immediately joined them to watch the fight.

The training room suddenly became lively.

Akame walked over wearing a tank top and shorts, looking at the two Mine with a puzzled expression: "What could this be?"

"Is this a new Dream Erosion item?" Leone also came over, curious about the scene before her.

"Can you tell who's real and who's fake?" Bai Mu asked first. Leone tried to distinguish them, then looked at the real Mine.

"She must be real."

Bai Mu nodded and concluded, "The difference in the completeness of the changes is too great to hide from acquaintances."

Leone could quickly tell which Mine was the real one, and so could the others.

After that, the two Mine fought hand-to-hand. Although she was a sniper, her close combat ability was not weak, and her petite stature did not affect her output.

Mine, who was quickly transformed by the white curtain, was reduced to a single hair. Since the base material was just a single hair, its strength was not high. In addition, since it was indirectly transformed using the Dream Eater's hair, the strength to maintain the transformation was even lower, so it was normal for it to be reduced to its original form.

"That sounds amazing!" Leone exclaimed eagerly, then, as if struck by a sudden thought, whispered to the white curtain, "Shall we try something else tonight?"

"No, no, no, let's just do it normally." Bai Mu was somewhat tempted, but didn't take any action. If he really wanted to fight in a multiplayer battle, he could continue being a Death Knight.

“Boss, I want to try this.” Akame spoke up, inspired by watching Mine fight 'herself'.

The training room has comprehensive exercise equipment, but training here can only improve one's basic skills, and does not significantly enhance combat capabilities.

Having someone exactly like yourself to practice with can be very helpful for improvement.

She knows herself very well, but she has no opponent who is exactly the same as herself.

Bai Mu can now create an exact replica of himself using a single hair. Wouldn't that allow him to see his shortcomings through practice, just like looking in a mirror?
"It's possible, but such a change only strengthens the surface and doesn't provide enough durability. As you saw, the fake was kicked a few times by Mine and immediately reverted to its original form."

“I understand, but there’s not much room for error in battle, at least not for us.”

Akame said seriously, "Bai Mu is a tank, so being slashed a few times is nothing to her. If she gets slashed a few times, the battle is basically over."

Therefore, the problem that Bai Mu mentioned is not a problem at all.

She needs to be unharmed when sparring with herself, so it doesn't matter if the transformed version of her has insufficient durability and appears fragile.

When Mine fought that fake, she won by trading blows, but Akame doesn't use that method in her training.

If either side is injured, it means the other's 'death', so the resulting counterfeit does not need to consider durability.

"Okay, give me a few strands of hair."

Akame drew her weapon, intending to cut off a handful, but Shiro quickly stopped her: "A few are enough; they can be reused!"

As for the consumption of indirect changes, that is not a burden. The consumption of indirect changes is higher, but the intensity of the things that are changing is not high, so the consumption will not be much higher.

(End of this chapter)