Reincarnated as a bamboo rat, it begins its extreme survival struggle.

After some thought, Bell set the architectural tone for the new spiritual cabin.

Clay is fired to create blue bricks, which are then used as the main building material.

There are three reasons for making this choice:

Firstly, there is an abundance of raw materials, so there is no need to worry about the final product being affected by a shortage of materials after selecting an architectural style.

Secondly, Bell only had memories of traditional southern architecture, so asking him to build a European-style castle was completely beyond his understanding.

Thirdly, it's for good luck. The color blue has connotations of solemnity, simplicity, and nature. In ancient times, high-ranking officials and nobles often sought blue bricks and gray tiles when building their residences.

"Fortunately, I can still access my inventory in the dream world, which makes material crafting and tool making much easier."

He crafted basic building tools from his inventory and fired clay directly in a furnace.

The blocky inventory remains dominant in the Dream Realm. Although it cannot perfectly reproduce the effect in the game, it can still save Bell a lot of effort.

While the firing process was underway, Bell was reworking the foundation he had previously built.

Amidst the busy activity, the red tulips not far away had already grown to maturity, their fiery red petals clustered together like red crystal wine glasses.

This cheered Bell up; flowers always have the power to make people happy.

He quickened his pace, and the new spiritual hut rose from the ground at an astonishing speed.

This construction is far more complex and difficult than the previous hasty projects.

Judging from the final result, Bell's efforts were worthwhile.

Traditional architecture is divided into different schools based on region. There is the Beijing-style architecture, which is square and can simultaneously possess a grand and majestic atmosphere and a sense of life; the Shanxi-style architecture, which consists of interconnected buildings; and the Fujian-style architecture, represented by the Tulou and Weilou (walled earthen buildings)...

Among a large number of excellent traditional buildings, Bell ultimately chose the Suzhou-style garden style that was popular in the Jiangnan region, with flying eaves and brackets, brick-carved gate towers, which combined a simple and rustic style with extremely understated and complex decoration.

"Ugh... Although my house is still a minimalist style and doesn't reach the level of the most luxurious gardens where every step reveals a carving and every view is a beautiful scene, the structure is quite good."

Choosing this complex architectural direction was also to give my spiritual sanctuary a direction for future expansion.

The small house is now taking shape. In the future, Bell will expand it with more gardens and then use one yard after another to transform the house into a complete large garden.

"However, before that, I need to draw a tributary from the rushing river of the Dream World to create a landscape feature for the garden."

Chapter 52 Shadow Bell

How can a Suzhou-style garden be without water?

Bell's newly built spiritual hut is still a small detached house, quite small in scale, and the walls are not painted white, making it look somewhat simple.

But in terms of structural strength and overall aesthetics, it has already won by a large margin compared to the previous generation of mud-walled and thatched houses.

Once the materials are available again, Bell can continue to refine the framework established today.

"Now, it's time to introduce a flowing stream into the courtyard; without water, it can't be called a garden."

Floating in mid-air, Bell landed on the bank of the river. After scratching the soft, wet soil with his claws, Bell sank down and transformed into a rat-shaped tunnel boring machine.

As a bamboo rat, he was extremely good at digging burrows. Before long, he had dug a river channel twice his own width, which stretched from the riverbank all the way into the courtyard of his hut.

As the almost unrealistically clear water flowed into the courtyard, a new force began to brew within it.

This is a new ability that Bell had foreseen beforehand, and its appearance also means that Bell's construction of the Mental Hut is now complete.

"A new ability? What could it be?"

Strolling through his small courtyard, Bell realized that as the floating island expanded, his body remained small, making his home feel much larger.

I drifted to the farmland and transplanted the blooming red tulip into the small yard, adding a touch of color to the empty space and making it look much more pleasant.

After observing the Passion Red Tulip using information insights, Bell discovered that it was unable to produce new seeds, which dashed Bell's hopes of cultivating a sea of ​​flowers.

However, once these plants in the Dream Realm reach maturity, they will not suddenly wither.

As long as Bell doesn't drain the energy from the tulip, it can continue to bloom on Bell's floating island.

"I don't need this tulip for now, so I'll leave it here. I can take it out of the Dream Realm when I need it, or I can keep it until the next time the Lamp Clan merchants come, to use it as a commodity in the trade..."

Unlike other items in the dream world, the Passion Red Tulip can be added to your inventory and brought into the real world.

This is unusual and implies that there are other resources within the dream that can be used in reality.

Perhaps Bell can bring out extremely valuable items from the dream world. Similarly, there should be items in the real world that can be brought into the dream world.

Just as when Bell swallowed the soul fire of the resurrected remains, the notice board at the entrance of his mental hut spewed out even more building materials.

“I should pay more attention to things related to dreams; this world is very important to me.”

Floating in mid-air, Bell looked at the rushing river and felt a strong curiosity about the other floating islands upstream and downstream.

The Lantern Clan merchants traveled back and forth along the river, constantly trading with different island lords.

Bell also looks forward to the day when he will be able to explore the river and communicate with other floating islands in the world.

"Buzz-"

A noise came from the courtyard below, pulling Bell back to reality.

In the spiritual courtyard, new abilities have been fully developed.

It was already eagerly waiting to flood into Bell's body.

Back in the yard, Bell walked to the cabin, looking at the constantly shaking door and feeling the energy calling to him from within.

"Snapped!"

Without any pretense, Bell pushed open the door, and instantly a dark figure rushed out of the room and crashed into it.

It seems that this new ability is much more enthusiastic than the light orb that previously enveloped [Fire-loving Wisdom].

It knocked Bell to the ground with extraordinary force, and he rolled backward more than a dozen times before finally stopping.

Only then did Bell realize what had crashed into him.

That was himself, a self that had been stained black by others.

"?"

After regaining his composure, Bell took a closer look and realized that the thing that had crashed into him was somewhat unusual.

It has no eyes or mouth, only the shape of a bamboo rat, and is completely black.

Since it appeared, this guy has been rubbing against Bell and won't leave, insisting on sticking to Bell no matter what you do.

Even using [Information Insight], Bell couldn't see the guy's information clearly; he could only see a slogan appearing on his body.

Hey, you know what? Everyone has a friend who will never abandon you. No matter what you're going through, it will always be there for you. When you're at your wit's end, you can confide in it. —Shadow

That dark thing is Bell's shadow.

The slogan is accurate; it truly is a good friend that will never be separated from you.

A friend who will never speak, but will always be there.

Sitting up, Bell opened his arms and embraced the shadow.

The hug made the shadow tremble slightly, then it rubbed against Bell's cheek and its body softened.

In an instant, the dark shadow stopped writhing and turned into a pool of black liquid that seeped into Bell's feet.

It was at this time that Bell learned about the power of the shadow and how to use this illusion.

"Shadow has three abilities, but I can only choose to use one each day. If I have a choice, it's best not to use Shadow's abilities."

Once back in the real world, Bell can use his thoughts to summon the shadow beneath his feet.

At this point, Shadow Bell will come to life and provide assistance to Bell.

There are three ways to help:

First, Shadow Bell can carry Bell through the Shadow World, allowing Bell to escape dangerous environments.

Second, Shadow Bell can transform into Shadow Monsters, which will attack the shadows of Bell's enemies, killing the enemy's main body through the shadows. This type of damage ignores any defensive capabilities.

Third, Shadow Bell can cover Bell, giving Bell the passive skill [Immunity to Ranged Attacks] for a temporary time.

Of the three abilities of Shadow Bell, Bell can only choose one to use. The effect of Shadow Bell's ability is directly related to the strength of Bell's real body.

With the help of Shadow Bell, Bell can only use it once every twenty-four hours. After use, Shadow Bell needs to rest for twenty-four hours.

During the 24 hours that Shadow Bell rests, Bell will become the Shadowless One.

The sun's rays can burn the body of the Shadowless One; the stronger the rays, the greater the damage.

"If it's during the day, once you decide to use the ability of shadows, you must make a decisive move."

The shadow's abilities are incredibly powerful, but the weakened state after using its skills is equally deadly.

Being exposed to sunlight is harmful; if you are exposed to this negative buff during a life-or-death battle, you will be at a huge disadvantage.

Chapter 53 Defeat Before the Battle Even Begins

"Oh! Mr. Bell, you're awake."

As soon as I opened my eyes and stretched my body, Edu's greeting reached my ears.

After looking around, Bell realized he was in Edu's pocket. He squirmed for a bit before poking his head out.