Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Lina was getting impatient with Benjamin's unreasonable behavior. She pointed at Benjamin's head and poked his forehead hard.

"Take your clothes off. You may be a jerk, but like Lyle and I said before, you're not bad looking and won't tarnish our country's image. Stop making excuses..."

"Is it alright if I'm not wearing anything underneath? If Your Majesty insists, then I have nothing more to say. Please allow me to make a diplomatic visit to the Kingdom of Leviser in my original form." Benjamin sighed and began to remove his shoulder armor.

"Stop!" Lina glared at Benjamin, glancing at Lyle and the silent ranger out of the corner of her eye. "You! You're not wearing anything underneath?!"

Benjamin nodded. “As empty as the wasteland of Dreya.”

Lena grabbed Benjamin's head and squeezed it from both sides, her face flushed with a mixture of shame and anger.

"You planned this all along, didn't you..."

"Your Majesty is so beautiful beneath your armor, your youthful body like an unripe fruit. My heart bleeds when you don't see the light... Your Highness, make your choice now! Will you reveal your beauty, or will you reveal my true self? The image of Dereia rests on your decision!"

“I choose the third one.” He kicked Benjamin away, leaving Lyle and Lina’s elevator in normal operation.

"You'd better wait until next time to come up!"

Lena realized they didn't need to all go up at once, something Benjamin had initially tried to conceal. The elevator Levisser had specially added took into account the weight of the Derian knights' equipment; considering cost and technical reasons, the elevator could easily carry one knight at a time, but two would be overweight.

Lyle gave the lady some space to tidy herself up, leaning against the edge as he watched the figure on the ground slowly shrink.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Lyle."

“No, I’ve seen jokes of that kind many times before.” Lyle recalled some stomach-ache-inducing memories and changed the subject. “Does Princess Lina rarely come to Livisser? Do you and Princess Keira rarely see each other?”

“I do rarely visit her kingdom, but we meet quite often. Kayla is a cheerful and outgoing friend. We’ve met countless times in the City of Wanderings, in the Memories of Twilight, in the Silver Kingdom, and in my tower. A ranger is better suited to climbing than a knight. She always sneaks into my room before sunrise, just like you did that time, through the window.”

Lena complained about Kayla's enthusiasm, but a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips, like sunlight reflecting off her cool armor through a window. Queen Lena was a girl who said one thing but meant another; her own expression was quite adorable as she described how enthusiastic her best friend was.

Lyle did not point out her change.

The highest canopy palace in the Kingdom of Levisser, the Palace of Dawn. Lyle and Lina were quickly brought here, and as the palace's porch came into view, a smiling Kayla appeared in their line of sight along with the sunlight.

"Welcome, Lord Lyle, Princess Lina."

The Ranger Queen's long golden hair was styled in a bun at the back of her head, with small braids at her temples seemingly connected to her olive branch crown. Her eyes were clear as water, and her slightly red lips were like burning sunset light. A thin veil draped over her shoulders revealed the outline of her small leather armor, and a leather belt was tied around her waist, clearly defining her figure. Thank goodness, without it, Lyle would have thought that all that was under Kayla's clothes were those two long, slender legs in white stockings.

Kayla skipped a little and gave Lyle a hug. A refreshing fragrance wafted into Lyle's nostrils, mingling with the cool breeze dancing in the treetops, bringing the refreshing feeling of drinking a glass of ice water.

Boom!

Lyle turned around and saw Lina taking off her heavy armor. Her face was not good, and she was nowhere near as cheerful as she had been when she talked about Kayla before they met.

Lina answered calmly.

"I'm a little hot."

Chapter 719 Job Module Confirmation

The clothes Lina wore under her armor were indeed formal attire worn by a race for official diplomacy, except that race was the demons. Rebellion, willfulness, arrogance, and wildness were the hallmarks of demon clothing. Lyle understood Lina's words; demon clothing possessed a magic that could ignite the flames within.

A collar adorned her neck, from which chains extended to connect a leather-stitched bodice. From the bodice to the fur hot pants, only a layer of soft scales swayed, like sequins on a dancer's skirt. Her legs were wrapped in newly developed defensive armor from the Black Abyss Demons, high-density demonic iron sand inscribed with magical runes, arranged in an orderly fashion to enhance the wearer's strength and resilience. Lyle recognized it because he had seen it in a clothing store in the City of Wanderers, and the familiar style of the equipment was vividly remembered. Yes, it looked like black fishnet stockings.

On one side was Kayla, covering her mouth and snickering, and on the other was Lina, her face flushed. Neither of them spoke, and an awkward silence fell. Lyle felt like a fish about to be roasted over a fire, thankfully someone had just pulled the grill over.

"My Queen! You've finally shown your true self. You're so beautiful, but your childlike figure can't quite capture the magnificence of Delia..."

Lina Dereya, like a demon, began to beat the knight who had defied her.

A formal diplomatic meeting was transformed into a friendly gathering amidst this delightful noise.

Lyle detailed the contents of the Dream Game, especially his planned character class modules, to the two queens. He planned to select suitable candidates from the two kingdoms to use the Dream Flower to create Dream replicas, who would then become class instructors in the game. The individual abilities of the Ghost Hunter and Defender Knight would be analyzed and digitized by the Dream Game, becoming classes that players could choose to train.

Lina raised a question: "Defender Knights are not only the result of the King's power. Our knights undergo systematic training from childhood, combined with the medicinal properties of sword dance mandrake to enhance their physique. I find it hard to imagine that what you call 'learning in dreams' can make an elf a defender knight. It is precisely because the training of knights is extremely difficult that it has become the foundation of the Dreya Kingdom. I believe that the rangers of Lewesser are similar to us. Lyle, your assumption is hard to accept."

Humans find it difficult to accept new things beyond their cognitive scope. It's hard to say whether this stems from arrogant personalities or a subconscious self-protection of established beliefs. This can also be called stubbornness; they won't believe your statements are correct unless the truth is presented to them.

“Unfortunately, but I have already verified the Dream Flower’s abilities in a study at Andre Academy. My judgment is not based on self-praise, but on the affirmation of the abilities of a powerful being.” Lyle pursed his lips, throwing out an even more absurd reality, “In fact, as long as those players acknowledge their own ‘justice,’ they can become anyone in the dream.”

Kayla and Lina fell silent, heads bowed in thought. Benjamin, who sat beside them, remained motionless like a statue. In the end, he was the first to speak.

"Lyle, is it also true that you have a way to advance the Defender Knights further?" As a member of the Knights Order, the provisional spokesperson is more concerned about abilities.

Lyle nodded. "As I said, the content of the dream game involves players annihilating monsters formed in nightmares. In other words, a group of warriors will fight using the abilities of defenders. In this process, they will come into contact with, master, and become proficient in abilities and skills. The dream kingdom has a high degree of freedom. When they run out of things to learn, they will build upon what you provide and forge their own path. And I will feed this new knowledge back to your country and army. Well, it's like finding some people to train for you."

“I don’t see anything wrong with it, Your Highness!” Benjamin shook the upright Lina, giving the dutiful queen a way out. “If what he said is true, then we can strengthen our army. If what he said is false, then the first step of replicating the Defenders will be impossible, and we will not suffer any losses!”

Queen Dreya punched him.

"I have never questioned Lyle's words!"

"Then what are you worried about?"

"Hmm... handing over state secrets is just... weird."

Benjamin nodded knowingly.

"Ah, so that's what Your Highness is worried about. Indeed, everything planned now is actually just an empty promise from Lyle, a verbal pledge from the Dream Elf leader. The future of the Defenders is all based on the personal relationship between Deria and Lyle. So Your Highness is like a timid little girl who entrusts her entire dowry to someone but is worried that the other party will break their promise, right?"

"I didn't!" The fist struck the armor with a dull thud.

Kayla smiled and comforted the angry Lina, while Lyle pulled away the laughing Knight Benjamin.

"The Dream Elf leader, Irason, is indeed a Green Dragon Priestess. A small portion of them once lived in the Wandering City, Light District 5—those Wither Druids. Kayla, you two seem to have collaborated before. And this time, it will be an even bigger win-win collaboration. Hmm... Don't let Irason's appearance fool you; she truly is the leader of the Dream Elf race, without a doubt."

"Okay, I agree! Let that bastard Benjamin go, Lyle, you better kill him."

Lyle looked troubled.

"I will bring him back safe and sound."

Kayla held Lina in her arms and didn't let go.

"So, on my end, who do you want to be your spokesperson, Lyle?"

"Night Owl Squad, they're the only ones I'm familiar with. And they're elite, right?"

“I agree, but while the Night Owl Squad is nominally under my control, they are still Grandpa Echer’s squad. If we need them, we will need their consent. I believe that won’t be difficult for you, Lyle.”

Lyle stood up and bid farewell to the two queens.

"The Dream Forest should be sending envoys for communication in a few days. Is the Night Owl Squad still in that thorn treehouse?"

"Yes, be careful of their traps; they are still maintaining the caution they had before the war."

“It’s okay, I have Benjamin to clear the way.”

"Hey, you said it would be perfectly intact."

Without an experienced ranger like Echel, reaching the Night Owl Squad's territory wasn't easy. Benjamin went ahead, but thankfully avoided an ambush. The Night Owl Squad spotted Lyle first and greeted their guest directly.

The talkative turtledove, its legs entangled in vines, swung down from the tree and made a face at Lyle.

"Welcome back to the Freaks Squad, Lyle."

The Night Owl Squad's personnel remained unchanged: Nightingale, Lark, Parrot, Dove, Poison, Swift, and the resurrected Raven of the Fancy Arrow Griel. The old King Echel of the Silver Falcon was absent, but the Lyrebird was present. The Lyrebird had been captured by the Black Knight of the Inquisitors during the war between the two nations, and now, still wounded, it was wrapped in bandages and confined to a large aviary with a flock of pigeons.

Nightingale was sharpening her dagger, her eyes occasionally glancing at the tin can knight beside Lyle.

“I understand what you mean, but the Night Owl Squad should be a hidden blade in the shadows…”

The turtledove interrupted.

"So we agreed! The spokesperson is Raven, because he's a dead man, there's nothing he can't reveal, and he's very close to the Ghost Hunter, isn't he?"

Nightingale did not refute, but the other members were more curious about Lyle's proposed ability enhancement.

"Can we combine our abilities to create an incredibly cool ranger?!"

"Theoretically, yes."

"Alas!" the turtledove cried out, hopping around the house like a child.

"My trap-making, the captain's assassination, the lark's rapid fire, the swift's parkour, the poison-making of the poisoner, the parrot's camouflage, the old king's long-range attacks, the lyrebird's animal taming, and the raven's feigned death. I declare the hunter class the strongest!"

Greer expressed his dissatisfaction with this.

"What do you mean by 'playing dead'?! I'm skilled at it too!"

Lyle patted the Death Hunter on the shoulder, comforting him, "It's alright, playing dead is a divine skill."

Chapter 720 Version Update

Dorudo Moonscar once again sank into the dream realm, staff in hand, and headed with his students to that dream area. It was the dream region controlled by Governor Susanna, a place once untouched by any elf, but now the most coveted area for all dream elves. The dream game, launched using the names of the two dream elf leaders, had indeed gained immense popularity in the Emerald Dream.

But popularity is fleeting, and Duoduo has a very clear sense of it. His apprentices are no longer so enthusiastic about discussing those intricate and wondrous monsters, nor do they continue to argue about who gets to be the bear tank. The older apprentices have begun to retreat into seclusion, preparing for their ascension to druid. Even the small group of students around him, whom he had insisted on attending, look more like they're completing assignments given by their mentor.

Each dream elf must slumber in a druid's crypt to enter the Emerald Dream, and then travel from other dream regions to Susanna's dream realm. According to Dordo's measurements, his crypt is 1200 steps away; thankfully, waking from the dream doesn't require walking back, otherwise he truly wouldn't have been able to persevere. Of course, there's an easier option: visiting the druid's crypt in Blackthorn Forest from the real world. The difficulty for ordinary people lies in facing the Archon, a cold and dignified leader.

But the bigger reason wasn't the journey itself, but rather boredom. Everyone was tired of venturing deep into dark caves and battling wits with mythical monsters like pigs. The lack of novelty and the absence of the thrilling experience of the past were the sentiments of all players.

Putting aside the gameplay, Dorodo highly approves of the Dream Game because this world has great educational potential. The Nightmare Creatures created by Susanna and Irason are undoubtedly the most advanced, allowing apprentices to face future enemies without any danger, which is much more convenient than searching and selecting them on their own.

They had arrived. A deep purple light curtain divided the dreamscape, and the naturally pure landscape of the Emerald Dream became filthy and grotesque on the other side of the curtain. The apprentices of Dordogane gathered, and he gave the newcomers a few words of advice.

"After entering the Archon's Domain, don't be afraid of the changes in yourself. We will be overwritten by [Character Data]. Some people may feel suppressed, which is normal. I also felt suppressed. You will become weaker here. You need to find the Nightmare's weaknesses and learn the rules of this domain. Lowell, Ram, and Jody are newcomers. Remember to pick them up from the Town of Beginnings later. The rest of you, form teams and explore freely."

Jodi was a newly-adult elf girl, still wearing the ceremonial wreath on her head and carrying a staff as tall as herself, looking like a timid little rabbit. She followed closely behind Dordo, her expression showing unease as she faced the dream realm.

"Teacher, can I team up with you?"

Dorodo smiled helplessly and drew a circle on her forehead with his index finger. "Have you forgotten what I said? In the Dream Kingdom, we are all players, and I will also be suppressed, my dear. Elders and apprentices wear the same clothes, and nobles and commoners alike must draw their swords. You cannot rely on anyone; you can only rely on yourself."

Ram then spoke.

"So, will teachers become as weak as we are?"

Duoluduo chuckled.

"I've reached level 60, which is the maximum level."

Jodi and Ram stared wide-eyed. The other apprentices were used to their teacher's boasting. He didn't take on students; he just thought they were too incompetent. Dorudo, the War Druid Charis, and the High Priestess of the Moon Eisena had their own fixed teams and looked down on these lowly little guys.

Embarrassed by the students' resentful gazes, Dorudo laughed and stepped through the light barrier first. He wanted to personally demonstrate and dispel the students' fear of the unknown. As Dorudo passed through the light barrier and entered the dream realm, his body glowed. After the light dissipated, Dorudo became an old mage with a bald head, a large beard, and shimmering armor. He turned around, very pleased with the students' astonished, flashing gazes, and spread his arms like a large, fluttering moth.

"See? It's not difficult, and it's safe."

A pitch-black portal instantly appeared above Dorado's head, and the old mage's body disappeared into the portal like a stretched noodle.