Chapter 80 - 77: Curse Object Grade, Path to Transcendence

Chapter 80: Chapter 77: Curse Object Grade, Path to Transcendence

Under most circumstances, the Safe Zone wouldn’t have this many visitors. A Level 2 Safe Zone could normally only connect to three Nightmares, and a single Nightmare typically only contained a couple to a handful of Dream Descenders. Having more than four people was rare, unless they happened to stumble upon a large-scale Nightmare Area. However, large-scale Nightmares were exceptionally rare in the shallow layers.

This time, however, several Safe Zone members coincidentally hit their Dream Fall Stage. As a result, the Safe Zone became increasingly lively, gradually gathering a crowd of nearly thirty people. And there were still Dream Descenders absent, either training or exploring the Nightmare World.

"You can’t really call it a coincidence," someone remarked. "Safe Zone members like Profound Sword, Xi Xue, Jiang Peng, and Peaches all carry Dream-Dropping Pearls with them to extend their Dream Fall duration.

"Even though the other Dream Descenders don’t have Dream-Dropping Pearls and are unlikely to spend money to rent such a Treasure Pearl, as long as a member is still in the Nightmare World, the Safe Zone essentially connects to one additional Nightmare World."

When simultaneously connected to seven or eight Nightmare Worlds, it was only natural for the numbers to swell.

One Dream Descender sighed in admiration, "If this many of us could enter the same Nightmare World at the same time, wouldn’t we be able to conquer any Nightmare?"

He knew very well that everyone present was actually scattered across different Nightmares. However, Shi An felt that this wasn’t impossible. Obtaining a Member Card wasn’t difficult. In the future, when the entire Safe Zone boasted dozens or even hundreds of members, gathering a group of experts to assault a high-level Nightmare wouldn’t be a difficult task.

And such a future wouldn’t be too far off.

Meanwhile.

Shi An didn’t show his face; Hair Ghost was the one maintaining order at the scene. The great Manager Shi merely listened in secret.

"Even among civilian Dream Descenders, many have their own unique insights into the use of Curse Objects!"

"I see. Doing this can effectively reduce consumption when using Curse Objects."

"Some Curse Objects are compatible with each other, while others repel one another."

At the scene, Dream Descenders would occasionally have sudden epiphanies. The man they viewed as a great powerhouse, a mysterious expert, and the esteemed Mr. Manager, was also having his own realizations.

After all, Shi An had stepped into the Dreamfall Circle for far too short a time; he was an absolute beginner, even greener than K. He had only slowly begun to understand what many Dream Descenders considered common sense over the past few days. Furthermore, what many people were sharing right now wasn’t Ordinary knowledge, but much more profound concepts.

Of course, the Dream Descenders couldn’t possibly reveal every secret on the spot; many still kept their hidden aces firmly under wraps. But even so, many Dream Descenders openly declared that it was a truly eye-opening experience.

"Is this level of knowledge something we can just listen to for free?"

"Thanks to all the big shots who contributed these profound techniques."

"It’s mainly thanks to this platform provided by Mr. Manager. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for us to gather like this and speak so freely."

Inside Training Room One.

Shi An arrived to verify some of the Curse Art usage techniques he had just heard. A moment ago, Hair Ghost and Profound Sword had also detailed the opportunities, steps, and points of caution regarding the Refinement of Curse Objects.

This information was actually semi-public within the Countermeasures Bureau. If a Dream Descender advanced to the Peak of Control Stage, they would gradually come to understand these things to some extent. However, it was far inferior to the techniques shared by Profound Sword and Hair Ghost. They had incorporated the personal insights they gained during their own breakthroughs, making it incredibly precious.

He mused, "Speaking of opportunities, after several days of persistence and hard work, my control over the Invisible Corridor has become incredibly proficient. I’m just one opportunity away from completely refining this Dream Curse Object in one go.

"But do I really want to choose the Invisible Corridor as my Lifebound Curse Object?"

The Invisible Corridor was a Rare Level Curse Object, making it highly valuable. Even the Lifebound Curse Objects of Profound Sword and Xi Xue were only at the Complete Level.

However, Manager Shi didn’t walk the conventional path of a Dream Descender.

"Incomplete Level, Complete Level, Rare Level... and above the Rare Level, there’s the Excellence Level, Epic Level, and Legendary Level!"

Epic Level and Legendary Level Curse Objects existed almost exclusively in rumors. But as for Excellence Level Curse Objects, Shi An speculated that the Headquarter of the Baijiang Strategy Bureau definitely had them.

Because other Dream Descenders were restricted by the need to acquire power as quickly as possible, their first Lifebound Curse Object was often only at the Incomplete Level or Complete Level. But Manager Shi had plenty of time, as well as opportunities to obtain higher Grade Dream Curse Objects.

"Should I refine a higher-level Curse Object?" he pondered. "But it seems I don’t necessarily have to pursue an infinitely high Grade for a Lifebound Curse Object."

Shi An had some understanding of the realms beyond the Refining Stage.

Once a Dream Descender refined three Lifebound Curse Objects—corresponding to the three elements of Essence, Qi, and Divine—and their own Physique and Will met the requirements, they could ignite their fire of Life. This would trigger a metamorphosis, elevating them from mortals to non-humans.

This was the Extraordinary Realm.

Only upon reaching this realm could a human truly command special powers. Before that, during the Dream Descender phase, they were merely borrowing power through Curse Objects.

"It is said that the Extraordinary Realm inevitably grants a Trait or passive ability," he recalled. "For example, there is an Extraordinary Trait called ’Protective Fire’, which allows Transcendents to instinctively transform their injured parts into flames when attacked, avoiding or enduring the damage.

"Once you reach the Extraordinary Realm, the threat of real-world firearms drops significantly. In a peaceful world, with a bit more effort, you could essentially become completely untouchable."

Shi An yearned for the Extraordinary. It was said that the Extraordinary Realm also had multiple Tiers. High-Tier Extraordinary Powerhouses commanded power that Dream Descenders couldn’t even imagine, let alone dare to fathom.

The Refining Stage was the crucial phase that determined whether one could reach the Extraordinary Realm.

"Of the four major stages of a Dream Descender, the first three haven’t actually crossed the true threshold; the Refining Stage is the official starting point," he mused. "In this stage, Dream Descenders refine their Lifebound Curse Objects, turning them into their own Curse Power organs. They begin to wield Curse Power and manipulate Curse Arts, gaining the true power to fight back against anomalies."

Therefore, in reality, the combat strength of a Senior First Refinement Realm expert and an unrestricted anomaly was virtually neck and neck.

What about the Second Refining Realm?

It wasn’t simply a matter of having an extra Curse Power organ. Experts of the Second Refinement had larger Curse Power reserves, and the second Lifebound Curse Object they refined was almost always stronger than the first. Not to mention, those in the Second Refining Realm and Third Refinements Realm possessed much deeper foundations and a multitude of Curse Art methods.

But the same applied to the anomalies.

Ordinary anomalies were already a fatal calamity that the vast majority of Dream Descenders couldn’t fight against, yet there were even more terrifying existences among them. In the depths of the Nightmare World, there were horrors that would terrify even those in the Extraordinary Realm.

But those matters were still too far away.

Shi An flipped through his documents.

He read, "For Refining Realm experts, the vast majority only have a Complete Level for their first Lifebound Curse Object. But for the second one, they will definitely try everything in their power to find a Rare Level Curse Object that aligns with them.

"Only those Peak of Third Refinements Realm experts who possess at least one Rare Level Lifebound Curse Object have a chance at breaking through to the Extraordinary Realm.

"The top-tier Third Refinements Realm experts all sport a configuration of Complete, Rare, and Rare."

Shi An could start with a Rare Level right off the bat.

It was just that... he still felt it wasn’t quite enough.