Chapter 143: The Deep Dream World

A dazzling, brilliant radiance filled the alchemical cube, casting a glowing sheen across both of their faces.

Beneath Li Nanke's expectant gaze, the cube spat out a blueprint for an alchemical item.

【Combat Totem Pole Generator】
【Type: Blueprint / Permanent Item】
【Quality: Rare】
【Rating: 67/100】
【Details: Using this device creates and maintains a 'Combat Totem Pole' for 10 minutes.】
【Within a radius of one hundred meters from the totem pole, all designated friendly targets (including the user) receive a boost to both physical and energy attacks. The enhancement effect is inversely proportional to the target's transcendental rank—the lower the target's transcendental rank, the more fully the enhancement is realized; the higher the target's transcendental rank, the weaker the enhancement effect.】
【After using this item, it enters a 2-hour cooldown and recharge period. It can only be used again after the recharge is complete.】
【Specific Blueprint: Precious Gold Powder - 5g, Dragon Blood Stone - 50g, Dark Obsidian - 300g, Snow-Veined Fine Iron - 500g, Griffin Feather - 1, Silver Bell Wood - 1000g】
【Manufacturing Process: ……】

"A reusable group-buff item?"

Joy flared in Li Nanke's heart.

Judging solely by the item description, the quality and effects of the 'Combat Totem Pole Generator' were exceptional. Furthermore, this was not a single-target buff; the amplification effect could cover multiple individuals, meaning both he and Pinocchio would benefit from it.

Upon learning the effects of the 'Combat Totem Pole Generator', Pinocchio was thrilled for his boss while also deeply astonished.

Pulling such a high-value blueprint from the low-tier tier of one hundred spar shards was sheer, explosive luck.

He had originally thought Li Nanke was an unlucky African chief, but never expected him to be a European emperor of luck.

Li Nanke immediately browsed the exchange list, calculating the total manufacturing cost of the 'Combat Totem Pole Generator' based on the required materials.

Most materials on the exchange list were quite inexpensive, including items like 'Precious Gold Powder' and 'Dark Obsidian'. However, 'Griffin Feathers' and 'Dragon Blood Stones' appeared to be rare materials and were absent from the exchange list.

At this point, the cube's second wish option—the creation function—came into play. Li Nanke tossed the blueprint back into the cube, commanding it to synthesize the materials according to the blueprint.

He decided to test it out, and the result brought an unexpected surge of joy.

Creating various materials through the cube was significantly cheaper than purchasing them from the Great Other Shore's exchange. The costs of general alchemical materials like 'Precious Gold Powder' and 'Dark Obsidian' were practically cut in half.

"No wonder they say the cube is an alchemist's ultimate treasure... No, I should say the Great Other Shore is truly a profiteering merchant."

Although manufacturing materials via the cube was more affordable, the cost of generating 'Griffin Feathers' and 'Dragon Blood Stones' remained quite high.

If he handed the entire process over to the cube—both generating the materials and manufacturing the item—it would cost a total of five hundred and thirty Self-Essence crystals. Moreover, the success rate was not one hundred percent, carrying a failure probability of nearly twenty percent.

After Li Nanke put on the 'Puppet Father's Monocle', the failure rate was slashed by half, bringing the success rate to over ninety percent.

"The money in my pocket isn't enough..."

Li Nanke let out a regretful sigh. After three draws, he had only one hundred and fifty exchange points and over two hundred and sixty Self-Essence crystals remaining.

Converting all his exchange points into crystals at a 1:1 ratio would yield just a little over four hundred, falling short of the manufacturing cost by more than a hundred.

He now had two potential solutions. One was to use the Great Other Shore's recycling function, selling his redundant equipment to acquire exchange points.

Gear like the shock-blast rifle and chain-saw sword could already be phased out, while the powered protective armor and linear laser cannon were struggling to keep pace with his skyrocketing strength, gradually gathering dust.

He could sell these items to recoup funds, but the prices offered by the Great Other Shore were akin to those of a black-hearted merchant. The recycling feature was somewhat predatory, depreciating the resale value far too drastically.

The alternative solution was to manufacture the item himself.

He could have the cube generate the materials while handling the final synthesis and manufacturing steps personally. By shaving off the synthesis fees, he could barely manage to craft the item.

Li Nanke had acquired a massive amount of Source Energy after slaying Simon, the Nameless Puppet, and Geppetto, much of which remained unspent. Pouring all that Source Energy into his Prime Essence of Alchemy would vastly elevate his proficiency in alchemy.

However, since he had never practically manufactured alchemical items before, even with Pinocchio by his side, his success rate might not be very high. If the manufacturing ultimately failed, the materials would be wasted in vain.

After careful consideration, Li Nanke ultimately decided to bypass the middleman and manufacture it himself.

The blueprint recipes within the alchemical cube were countless, serving as a veritable treasure trove, and the alchemist subclass was a remarkably formidable logistics and support profession.

He would inevitably rely on this profession to craft alchemical items in the future. If he continued to rely solely on the cube for manufacturing, the cumulative synthesis and fabrication fees alone would become an astronomical figure.

If he could eliminate these expenses, he could craft far more alchemical items.

Since alchemy was a legitimate science, could he utilize powerful real-world technological forces to assist him in manufacturing alchemical items?

If Li Nanke were an ordinary person, he certainly wouldn't dare harbor such wild fantasies, lest he expose himself and invite fatal disaster.

Yet he was a genuine researcher within the Crisis Control Bureau; his real-world identity held immense advantages in scientific research. He could completely leverage the various high-tech apparatuses in the laboratory to complete the manufacturing process of alchemical items.

Of course, this was merely Li Nanke's preliminary hypothesis.

If alchemy turned out to be too metaphysical and fantastical, sharing no common ground with the real-world transcendental system, then employing real-world scientific might might instead yield counterproductive results.

After deliberate deliberation, Li Nanke poured a massive amount of Source Energy directly into his Prime Essence of Alchemy.

Advancing his Tier 2 Human Prime Essence would grant him greater equilibrium while laying the groundwork for the future enhancement of his Tier 3 Bestial Prime Essence, 'Angel'.

Surging, turbulent Source Energy flowed from 'Self' to 'Alchemy', causing the pentagram-shaped Prime Essence to bloom with continuous radiance.

His Prime Essence of Alchemy skyrocketed in level, shooting up like a rocket.

When the Source Energy was exhausted, the once illusory and hazy Prime Essence of Alchemy had solidified, stabilized, and grown immensely powerful.

【Prime Essence: Alchemy】
【Level: Level 2 (23%) → Level 22 (64%)】

Simultaneously, countless complex pieces of alchemical knowledge flooded into his memory all at once.

Alchemical symbols, the basic properties of various common metals and materials, universal combinations of elemental particle arrangements, the inscription of alchemical arrays, the operations and theories of crafting alchemical items...

Even though Li Nanke was naturally gifted with rapid learning abilities and astonishing memory, this deluge of alchemical knowledge left his mind dazed and dizzy, keeping him frozen in place for a long time, unable to recover his senses.

"I was almost stuffed to the brim..."

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and searched the new knowledge within his memory.

Soon, a look of joyful surprise surfaced on Li Nanke's face.

His guess had been spot on. Although alchemy possessed certain anomalies distinct from real-world scientific systems, a vast amount of its chemical and physical theories shared common ground.

Alchemy was, in truth, an utterly authentic science—the foundational prototype of modern chemistry, and an otherworldly science capable of manifesting within the real-world transcendental system.

This discovery vastly bolstered Li Nanke's confidence in manufacturing alchemical items.

When modern high technology fused with ancient alchemy, what kind of brilliant sparks would collide?

He couldn't wait to return to reality and try it out in the Research Department's laboratory.

"No rush. The exchange and enhancement are complete; now it's time to see what the Great Other Shore calls 'Deep Dream'."

According to the explanation provided by the Great Other Shore, Deep Dream was a deeper layer of the realm—a safe zone where battles did not occur. It was home to other Nightmares, likely serving as a gathering and communication hub for the Nightmare community.

【Nightmare, you have selected Deep Dream!】
【You are about to transition from the current 'Shallow Dream' into 'Deep Dream'!】
【Please note! Due to the uniqueness of your world, your identity differs from ordinary Nightmares. Upon initially entering Deep Dream, avoid exposing your identity unless absolutely necessary!】

A synchronized prompt sounded, followed by two lines of blue text, instantly succeeded by a striking, prominent line of blood-red text!

Li Nanke's pupils contracted sharply.

A unique world? An identity different from ordinary Nightmares? Don't expose your identity?

"Other worlds truly exist..."

Though Li Nanke had long suspected it, seeing the synchronized prompt manifest on the Great Other Shore and confirming this speculation between the lines still left him filled with profound shock.

What is my identity? How do I differ from ordinary Nightmares?

The question had barely formed in his mind, leaving no time for deeper contemplation, when the shallow lake beneath his feet rippled outward with him at its center.

The ripples spread rapidly, extending without any sign of decay toward the edge of his vision, as if stretching out to the very boundaries of the world.

The water of the shallow lake abruptly grew profound; he plunged into the deep lake, sinking into a bottomless abyss.

"Boss!"

Pinocchio gasped in alarm. Li Nanke's figure plummeted into the lake and vanished, while the puppet boy likewise dissolved into the Great Other Shore, returning to the 'Summoning Space'.

……

When Li Nanke recovered his consciousness, he found himself standing upon a modern harbor dock.

The sky here was as clear as washed jade, and the sea surface calm... No, it should be called a calm lake surface.

Discounting the bottomless lake water and the numerous towering islands scattered about, the scenery here was identical to the Shallow Dream of the Great Other Shore.

In this place, countless large islands stood upon the vast, boundless lake. The islands were separated by immense distances, making it difficult to clearly see one another.

The harbor dock where Li Nanke stood was bustling with figures, the attire and weaponry of passing pedestrians varied and bizarre—seemingly all items originating from the Forbidden Dream.

Their faces were blurred and indistinct, shrouded in a hazy mist that rendered them unclear and unfathomable.

"There really are a hell of a lot of Nightmares here!"

Gazing at the bizarre spectacle before him, Li Nanke saw a large plaza not far from the harbor, surrounded by towering skyscrapers. It felt nothing like being within the Great Other Shore, but rather like standing within a modernized island metropolis.

【Nightmare ID: NHJ695475135】
【Nightmare Type: Inheritor】
【Nightmare Authority: D+ (SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E)】
【Transcendental Rank: Tier 3】
【Transcendental Type: █████ An unknown error has occurred, unable to classify!】
【Remaining Stay Duration in Deep Dream: 35 hours】

A synchronized prompt appeared before his eyes, and an intangible will poured into his mind, imparting an introduction to the Deep Dream world.

The Shallow Dream world was an independent space for individual Nightmares; the Shallow Dream worlds of different Nightmares were disconnected, and the Great Other Shore within the Shallow Dream provided only basic functions.

The Deep Dream world, however, served as a gathering place for the Nightmare community. Numerous islands existed here, and the Great Other Shore arranged Nightmares into corresponding islands according to certain implicit rules. Under normal circumstances, Nightmares could not travel to other islands on their own.

Here, the Great Other Shore provided much richer functions, such as intelligence exchange regarding the Forbidden Dream, item consignment and sales, transcendental ability training, and friendly competitions among Nightmares.

"I am different from other Nightmares..."

Li Nanke furrowed his brow tightly, blending into the flow of people as he headed toward the plaza not far away.

According to the introduction in his memory, the type for ordinary Nightmares should be 'Dream-Enterer', because all Nightmares ascended from 'Dream-Enterers'. Yet his panel type displayed 'Inheritor'.

Because of this, the Great Other Shore had specifically warned him not to expose his identity unless necessary.

"The transcendental type displays an error... There's a huge issue here."

Li Nanke keenly perceived the anomaly. Within the Forbidden Dream, the Great Other Shore had bestowed the miraculous power system of the Four Prime Essences, capable of absorbing various transcendental powers.

Take Li Nanke himself right now: he possessed multiple transcendental powers simultaneously, including the Physical System, Electromagnetic System, Elemental System (Flame Cascade, Flame Breath, Thunder), Metamorphic System (Scale of the Sea), and Mental System (Fanaticism, Alchemy).

The transcendental types he harbored were too numerous to categorize and define. This was most likely the reason why the transcendental type on the panel displayed an error.

However, if every Nightmare shared his situation and their transcendental types uniformly displayed errors, this column on the panel would serve no purpose whatsoever.

Li Nanke couldn't help recalling when he first entered the Great Other Shore and asked about the power system of the Four Prime Essences, to which the Great Other Shore had replied:

【This is a special gift from the 'Great Other Shore', a magnificent system capable of accommodating all transcendental powers.】

"A special gift..."

The central plaza of the island gathered quite a few Nightmares. The place was bustling with voices and exceptionally noisy. Although there were specialized buildings nearby dedicated to consigning and selling items, quite a few Nightmares still set up stalls here to sell various equipment and props.

Li Nanke strolled through the market roughly, discovering that the prices of the goods sold here were somewhat inflated. Though lower than the direct exchange prices of the Great Other Shore, they were definitely far higher than the recycling prices.

Instantly, he was struck by the urge to set up a stall in the market to sell his equipment and recoup his funds.

Putting on a pretense, Li Nanke lingered before a stall for a long time, pointing at a strangely shaped rifle and asking, "Brother, 120 points for this gun is a bit steep. Will you take 100?"

The short man lifted his eyelids and said, "110, lowest price. Walk away if you can't afford it."

"105. If that works, I'll buy it. Let's consider it making a friend."

The stall owner pondered for a moment and nodded: "Fine, let's make a friend."

Seeing the transaction prompt pop up before him, Li Nanke didn't immediately choose to confirm. Instead, he casually asked:

"Brother, what's your transcendental type? I'm from the Physical System and just arrived in the Deep Dream world. Do you have any other weapons or equipment suitable for the Physical System here?"

"A newcomer..." The stall owner's expression shifted. "I'm from the Telekinesis System. Let me give you a piece of advice: don't go around asking about other people's transcendental types."

He pulled out a gauntlet and said enthusiastically, "I happen to have a weapon usable by newcomers here. I'll give you a discount and sell it to you for 80 points, just to make a friend."

Li Nanke glanced at the garbage gauntlet. Even if he bought equipment of roughly equivalent quality and rating directly from the Great Other Shore, it wouldn't exceed 50 points.

He smiled faintly and said, "Thanks, I don't need friends."

With that, Li Nanke turned and left without buying a single item, completely ignoring the stall owner cursing behind him.

"Sure enough, ordinary Nightmares do not possess the power system of the Four Prime Essences; they all have fixed transcendental types."

"That being said, the Great Other Shore I'm playing with is fundamentally different from the one everyone else is playing on."

"Special gift, Inheritor... Interesting."