Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

"..." The young druid apprentices were stunned.

"Teacher!" Ram immediately rushed into the light barrier, and a bewildered Jody followed her in. The panicked students, influenced by the newcomers' actions and worried about Dorudo's safety, also rushed in. One after another, portals opened like fireworks, engulfing everyone.

"Stop! Stop now!" Lowell roared, barely managing to hold back a group of classmates. Since the accident in Dordo, he had become the apprentices' pillar of support. "Turner, Wordsworth, return to reality and report the news to the Elder Council. Langdon, Sari, you stay here and stand by. If any students escape the realm, protect them and warn any passing dream elves. The rest of you, come with me into the dream realm and rescue them. The mentor was right; we have to rely on ourselves."

Lowell took a deep breath, passed through the light barrier, gripped his sword and shield, and faced the opened portal, ready to face anything. The hero team quickly achieved their objective; the portal transported them to a city entirely white.

"You're here, Lowell. Where's the rest?" The bald mage, Dordo, patted Jody on the back. The other students stood around him with complicated expressions. There were also many dream elves around; everyone had been teleported here.

Lowell recognized this place; it was the City of Beginnings. He sheathed his sword, relieved. The other dream elves were also complaining about the official's sudden and confusing actions, gossiping with their friends in the starting village. Dorudo and his students stood in a small area; despite the crowd, the small City of Beginnings didn't feel crowded. Dorudo spotted his friends: Charles with his War Druids and the priestesses of Esenna. They nodded at Dorudo, equally bewildered.

Dorodo also saw the Queen's Eye, and the group of rangers who liked to oppose the War Druids. Kylo stood in a corner against the wall, resting with his eyes closed. The young Druid elder was somewhat surprised that the City of Beginnings was so huge; it accommodated almost 60-70% of all the players, whereas before, it could have been explored in just a few steps.

Before he could figure out the reason, thunder rumbled in the sky. Everyone looked up and saw a corner of the deep purple light curtain collapse, the shattered sky turning into fragments that fell from above. A figure crawled down from the sky. Black and red tentacles and claws tugged at the sky, and a bloated, deformed mass of flesh descended step by step from the crack. With each descent, the dream elf's face darkened. Drawing their swords, pulling their bows, and chanting incantations, the monster descending from the sky put immense pressure on them.

A dragon's roar echoed from afar, and a colossal dragon clad in crystals descended from the sky, showering down crystalline snowflakes that transformed into human form. Unbeknownst to them, Susanna and Irason were already standing on the high walls of the City of Beginnings, staring intently at the writhing mass of flesh in the air, making him feel quite embarrassed.

The chunk of meat twisted and spun, eventually transforming into the classic image of the Plague Doctor. Lyle stood among the other administrators, greeting all the Dream Elf players in the city.

"Hello everyone, I'm the administrator. From now on, Dreamland will become a killing game where you die if you get hurt. Everyone, do your best to survive."

"Just kidding," Lyle quickly added, amidst the other administrators' disapproving looks.

"First of all, we apologize for the hasty invitation to all players, but we have some good news to announce. Dreamland, thanks to the efforts of all our administrators, is now undergoing a major update. Just like our original game philosophy, another world, another life."

"We've now added class modules to the game. For now, everyone will be assigned to the Druid class module. We've also added Warrior, Mage, Priest, and Hunter classes. Each class has further sub-classes. We've opened a new map world, along with brand new open-world monster dungeons. More NPCs have been added to the map. The original level cap remains unchanged, but class levels have been added. Sub-classes are under development..."

"Now, let's skip the complicated treaties. You can check them out on the starting city's bulletin board later. Let's go straight to the most exciting part."

"New Job Introduction CG"

Chapter 721 Career Preferences

Towering warriors, wielding massive axes, roared with frenzied excitement as they faced the horde of beasts; black cavalry rallied into an army, charging fiercely against a rain of meteors falling from the sky; samurai, swords in hand, their blades swirling with magical energy. A scholar in a long robe, residing in a tower, sat engrossed in his books, pacing back and forth like a rigid old scholar, muttering incantations. Then, in the next instant, his upturned mustache vanished, he set down his books, picked up his staff, and teleported to the chaotic battlefield, unleashing a rain of apocalypse.

Elemental creatures paint new colors on the blood-soaked battlefield, only to have those colors erased by twisted dimensional monsters. Holy light continuously descends from the sky, and warriors who nearly become heroes once again wield their swords; while some living beings hide in the shadows, turning the reckless into a laughingstock—a dagger piercing a gap in armor, an arrow's tail protruding from the back of the head, or a deadly trap.

Bloodshed, strife, hatred, and rage painted a murky picture of battle, yet to the dazed elves, it possessed a thrilling excitement and beauty that ignited their passion. They seemed infected by the plague of war, their eyes burning with a frenzied red.

Lyle was satisfied with the outcome, even more pleased that the ominous sign's spiritual influence was working perfectly within the dream world. The phantom's tentacles, poised to strike, retracted; the backup plan to deepen the emotional infection was no longer needed. Blue dragon Kristor frowned in thought, while Irason and green dragon Claudia stared in unison, their mouths agape at the scene in the sky. Susanna stared at Lyle, then glanced at the elves.

All the elves looked at the screen, then at Lyle, their joy and adoration overflowing. The administrator, the Plague Doctor, ascended to the altar.

Dorodo could feel his body trembling. He raised his hand and asked the black-clad man with the wicked grin, "You mean, these are all things we can experience in this dream world?"

"Of course, this is an introduction to the new professions, which are the professions you can choose to become in the future. You can become everyone in the CG screen." Including those defeated soldiers who were brutally beaten.

A relatively young-looking dream sprite drowned out the others' chatter.

"Administrator! Can we also become as powerful as those heroes?"

"Of course...impossible," Lyle thought with a sly smile. That was just game promotion; even a million-strong lord would still have to run errands. Besides, who were those clones in the scene? That mage who summoned a meteor shower, tore space apart with a flick of his wrist, and bombarded everyone with devastating attacks—that was a dream clone of the Scholar, a boss-level existence like Raymond's Gatekeeper. Where was the Gatekeeper? He was hiding in the clouds, throwing holy light at the ground. With just these two, Lyle had already transformed the melee combat into a magical war. The remaining class clones weren't strong, but with him, Christo, and Susanna around, creating some cool special effects would be a piece of cake.

Christo, a perfectionist, loved drawing meaningless yet cool magical patterns. The enemies, buildings, and environment were all played by the Phantoms. Being peace-loving, they didn't treat this drama as a harmful conflict, so they all performed brilliantly. Susanna then edited and compiled the entire dream sequence. The resulting scene indeed ignited cheers from the elves.

And now, someone is actually asking if the illusion they meticulously designed is real.

Lyle answered them with a smile.

"I believe in you."

The elves were once again engrossed in their revelry.

"I think I can become a defender knight, just like in the picture! To take down a meteor head-on!" The young elf and his companions discussed excitedly, and no one rationally or objectively refuted him, because the eagerness in their eyes was exactly the same.

“Special locations have been added to the Dream Kingdom. The professional training instructors who can teach you skills are located in certain areas of these new maps. As for the specific locations… please explore on your own.” A few people responded to Lyle’s words, while the others continued their enthusiastic discussion. Lyle didn’t pay any attention and retreated to the background with his administrator companion.

The elders of Dordo gathered together, their composure more stable than that of the apprentices, yet smiles still appeared on their faces. Esena Nightlight, the priestess, smiled, her upturned lips like the serene moon emerging from behind dispelling clouds. The three players' high levels also reflected their enthusiasm for the Dream Kingdom.

Charles Nightingale, the war druid, stroked the bristle on his chin.

"The Defender Knight, a branch of the Warrior class! That's perfect for me—a guardian charging into battle to protect my comrades. That's the class I want!"

Eisena Nightlight expressed his preferences.

“I am very interested in the Healing Priest of the Priest branch. That warm light is like the sun. I am very much looking forward to the feeling of worshipping the sun, and whether it is the same as the Moon Priest.”

The two turned their expectant gazes to Dorudo Moonmark, their close friend and wise man lost in thought. This scene brought back memories of the past for them. During the war of the evil gods, Dorudo had served as the strategist, devising plans and strategies. Being able to experience the feeling of the old days in peacetime was precisely why the three of them liked to team up.

“My old friend, which branch of the arcane arts have you taken a fancy to? Don’t worry about us, whatever you choose, we will support you.” Charles smiled. Dordo usually takes care of the feelings of those around him and likes to put the big picture first. He is undoubtedly a good friend and a good teacher, but as his close friends, they also hope that he can relax a little and be willful this time.

"You said it yourself!" Dorodo looked at his companion, a mischievous glint in his gentle, deep blue eyes. "Then I'll really choose the one I like!"

"Okay, do as you please."

Dorodo held his cane, gazing at the gleaming emerald at its tip, his serene face reflected in the gem.

"[Descending to different worlds, experiencing different lives]. I really like this slogan. The administrator is right, I should... experience some completely different things. Charles, you abandoned the burden of being a general and chose to become a knight who leads from the front. Essena abandoned her preference for moonlight and believed in the sun, so I... I want to let go of the burden of thinking. I declare that I will no longer think in the dream world! I will no longer squeeze my brain to think of ways to break the deadlock. I want to be as simple and happy as a brute!"

"I want to switch classes to the Berserker, a special branch of the Warrior class!"

"...We...support you...but this means we'll lack magical output, what should we do?"

"I don't know, I'm a berserker who can't think!"

"..." Charles looked at his friend, who was so engrossed in the role, and was speechless.

Berserkers aren't brainless idiots. I really don't know if Dorado is praising Berserkers or belittling the class.

The Dream Elf players left the City of Beginnings to explore unknown areas. What they didn't know was that the new classes created by Lyle were far more complex than they had imagined.

Chapter 722 First Professional Experience

To provide Dream Elves with a truly immersive experience of each profession, Lyle retained some of the most fundamental training characteristics of those professions, turning them into skill quests for leveling up. Profession users need to continuously engage in relevant training to increase their proficiency and unlock higher-level unique abilities and additional attributes. This proficiency can be increased by hunting Nightmares, but following the trainer's instructions to complete unique quests will lead to even faster progress. The prerequisite is that these Dream Elves can perfectly complete training sessions they've never encountered before.

Finding the special buildings where the professional trainer NPCs are located is not difficult. In the Blue Dragon's plan, they are far away from monster gathering places. Players can safely reach the corresponding locations with a little attention. In less than a day, every Dream Kingdom player found their favorite professional mentor.

Each job change ceremony has its own unique features, and every new professional player is very satisfied with their experience.

"I have completed the baptism of the Holy Light! Angels and light surround me, holy songs echo in my ears, and the Holy Kingdom is right before my eyes... You can't even imagine that the nun led us to pay homage to the gatekeeper angel, a powerful being who guards the entrance to the instance. I believe that the path of the Holy Light is broad and bright."

"Defender Knight! The First Knight led me to an audience with the Queen of the Royal City, a majestic and noble Her Majesty. I mean no disparagement of Her Majesty Queen Tiffany, but, my Queen, Her Majesty Lina's face is like another moon hanging in the sky. I finally understand why the First Knight always says 'Long live the Queen!' I was knighted under her majesty, and I joined the glorious Knights Order!" The elf, clad in novice armor, held a small booklet, its palm-sized cover filled with praise for a certain queen. It seemed the Dereia Knights Order had gained new members.

"Ha, the mentors of the Berserkers are the ancient human kings, a group of giants who regarded us as their brethren. We hunted together and shared our prey. You... now seem too weak. Power and rage, glory to the descendants of the Black Dragon."

Hunters and their war beasts waited in the distance, while the elf, who was petting the big cat, thoroughly enjoyed the envious glances of his fellow creatures. In his spare time, while grooming his animal companion, he recounted his adventures in the Levis Forest with no small amount of boasting.

"The stalker training camp is not far from the forest, but those bastards hiding in the shadows are not our partners. They are... quite despicable."

A cold voice came from behind the hunter. Kylo Siren, wearing a hood, had two menacingly shaped short swords hanging from his light leather armor, which elicited a low growl from the war beast.

“You’re talking badly about the Brotherhood. Don’t be alarmed, kid. We won’t cut your tongue out for such a minor slander. But I still want to remind you that we are where the shadows are. We hear and we can do it.”

Kylo Siren vanished into the shadows once more, leaving behind only the shivering players. His whispers dissipated in the chill, like a gentle breeze.

"Where are Charles and Dordo? It's time to settle old scores and let those self-righteous scoundrels experience the terror of assassins. We, the Queen's Eye—no, we should now call ourselves the Queen's Blade! Brothers, for the glory of the Lady of Nature, wield your blades and teach the Elder Council a lesson. First, find them." Some players, having acquired new skills, couldn't wait to enter PvP mode. Lyle didn't enforce much control over player-versus-player attacks; without a team, all attacks were effective. This was a habit of the Dream Elves' dream exploration, so the only thing truly maintaining peace was their own moral compass.

"Where are the arcane spellcasters? Where are those ranged spellcasters who can command the wind and rain? It's strange, they haven't been showing off anywhere." The players searched for the long robe but found nothing. They looked up and saw that the silver tower was clearly visible from any corner of the dream realm.

All the arcane players were sitting upright in the tower, writing furiously. It wasn't that they lacked the capital or the desire to show off, but rather that they couldn't. The daily training tasks for arcane players left them exhausted, and after completing the training, they would collapse in the mage tower like a salted fish. Even when testing their new skills by fighting monsters, they had to take three deep breaths before they could stand up.

The three branches of the Arcane School—Elemental Shaper, Portal Mage, and Magic Destroyer—share the same class mentor. As the most popular mainstream faction, the Scholar's Dream Replica, the old mage is adept at educating these new students.

Knowledge is power, and to become a mage, you need to do lots of practice problems! The training tasks for arcane mages are quite simple: study, do problems, and take exams in a cycle. Whether they are druid elders or druid apprentices, they only have a superficial understanding of the magic system taught by the King of Magic. This profound and traditional subject can exhaust them completely, and all the elves struggle in a sea of ​​problems, wanting to cry but having no tears.

"Want to give up? Fine, walk out of my mage tower and turn left for 100 meters..." The old mage's reflection said to his students, "You can kill 100 monsters outside and achieve the same effect as practicing here for 30 minutes. Don't worry, my dull apprentices, even brainless zombies can become archmages one day, and you idiots are no exception." A new professional hierarchy of contempt was born among arcane mages, with the stupid arcane mages who didn't study being at the bottom.

Those druid apprentices who fantasized about commanding the wind and rain and summoning thunder and lightning avoided their own mentors and instead devoted themselves to the Scholar, the most rigorous professor of magic, becoming pitiful people who studied in their waking hours and in their dreams.

During a break in class, the old master heard the new apprentice's wails, and the transparent mirror image rolled its eyes.

"You bunch of Irason descendants, dreaming you can become legendary archmages by directly imparting magic to you? You're really... dreaming. Only knowledge gained through your own efforts truly belongs to you. Do you understand? Only through continuous study and exploration will you become strong." The blue dragon Christo trembled, but still gave a thumbs up.

The old master's teaching method was very strict, and the results were remarkable.

The sculptors quickly learned their first skill: manipulating the elements. The old mage nodded, helping the apprentices adjust the boiling fireball in their hands. "Hold on. Fire is currently the most powerful, destructive, and unstable elemental force, but it's still suitable for beginners like you. Oh, and remember to add an extra incantation when you invoke the fire element: 'In the name of the Red Dragon Queen Immelt.' That will make it easier for you to tame the power of fire."

The teleportation mage's first skill is a weakened version of opening a portal, Dimensional Blade. Recklessly opening chaotic lines of spacetime rifts and throwing them out, its extremely strong penetrating power can ignore almost any defense, including their own. Out of ten teleportation mages casting this skill, eight committed suicide. The old mage was furious and added twenty more magic analysis exercises to their repertoire.

The Spellbreaker's first ability is called Mana Burn, which burns the enemy's mana, interrupting their spellcasting and dealing damage. However, newly minted Spellbreakers have doubts about their abilities.

"Mentor, the effect of mana burning is not obvious."

"You will be promoted in the future. The key to becoming a spellbreaker is to sense the magic power within an enemy. In addition to burning mana, you will also learn mana detonation and mana extraction, drawing power from the enemy for your own use. Spellbreakers will become the most enduring spellcasters."

"What if our enemies don't have magic?"

"Then extract their life force, blood, bodily fluids—these tangible things are simpler than extracting magic. But don't blindly convert blood into your own; blood type incompatibility can cause rejection reactions, and it would be too foolish to let your body collapse. Of course, vampires don't have this worry; vampires will be the best spellbreakers."

"Mentor, I have another question. Why does the effect of Mana Burn weaken with distance?"

"We rely on the magic network to control our magic. These invisible magical bloodlines consume some of their power when transmitting our commands, so close combat is the most effective way to burn mana."

"Close combat? But we are arcane users."

"Who told you that Arcane Spellcasters can only fight from a distance? Spellbreakers are melee mages through and through. After that, I will teach you magic armor, weapon enchanting, and the Heart of Mana Storm. In my vision, Spellbreakers are spellcasting warriors who draw all the magic power on the battlefield and create magic-free zones around themselves. The magic power of dozens or hundreds of people is used by one person. You will be terrifying war machines."

The Spellbreaker Apprentice raised an eyebrow. "Then what's the difference between a Spellbreaker and a Spellblade? We're both melee fighters who use magic."

The old monk's face showed helplessness; he couldn't give a good explanation either.

"The profession of magic swordsman was created by my student on a whim, and I don't know much about his idea."

"His exact words were..."

[A Magic Swordsman? A Fun Class!]

Chapter 723 The Gatekeeper Player is Online

Dream elves were not originally vegetarians; before the advent of the druid profession, they relied on hunting for sustenance. It wasn't until the Lady of Nature, Queen Irason, became the first druid, and the elves obtained far more food from the soil than from hunting, that the elven diet shifted from primarily meat-based to entirely vegetarian. The druids' study of plants enabled the entire race to break free from their dependence on meat, and their former carnivorous behavior was thus viewed as crude and barbaric. This fundamental shift in the purpose of hunting gradually impacted the entire elven race. The social status of druids rose, while the status of hunters declined. Over time, archery, a primitive skill originating from the elves, became less mastered by them than by human rangers trained by elves.

There's no explicit rule against eating meat, but carnivorous elves are almost extinct in their race. This disdain for cannibalism should flow in the blood of all elves, accompanying their long lifespans. But (in the elves' eyes) not long ago, the dream elf race split in two, with a rebellious group calling themselves the Witherers leaving the race and making contact with humans. They rediscovered their carnivorous habits, out of necessity, because only meat from human kitchens could be considered delicious.

“What I wanted to say was…” Dorodo held up the grilled ribs, taking another sizzling, juicy bite, “The Berserkers’ training… is to consume meat… to strengthen themselves, and they have their reasons… burp, and besides, their cooking is quite good! I’ve never eaten so satisfyingly!” Dorodo gave his companion a greasy smile, his former teacher persona completely ruined. He wore animal skin clothing, his meticulously groomed beard and hair now a tangled lion’s mane, a stone axe slung over his back, and his bare thighs beneath his battle skirt were covered in bulging muscles.

Charles was certain his friend had absorbed the power of meat; after all, he now resembled a primitive ape. His Adam's apple bobbed beneath his armor as Defender Charles turned his attention to his knightly pamphlet, the round shield resting at his feet. Esenna's priestly attire remained almost unchanged; it seemed priests of all faiths preferred simple robes.