Chapter 62: Mind Secret Technique

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Mind Secret Technique

Ella was also taken aback for a moment. "It’s about four-fifths complete. But you sure are rich enough to drink Lingxi Concentration every day?" She paused before adding, "I didn’t drink much potion. This is one of the research projects in our laboratory."

Hearing this, Chen Shang suddenly understood. This was a special legacy; in layman’s terms, it was the unique or specialized field of each laboratory.

Logically speaking, the common knowledge within the Wizard System’s education was enough to make someone a Wizard. So why establish so many different laboratories to teach Apprentices?

First, it gave the Wizard System a more organized structure. Second, High-Level Wizards needed assistants. Third, each laboratory had its own unique projects or legacies. Common knowledge was the foundation, and the specialized field was the building constructed upon it.

Starfall Laboratory also had a special legacy, seemingly related to the Gravity of the stars and the like, but Chen Shang couldn’t access it yet. At the very least, he needed to become an Official Wizard to be qualified to learn it.

"Could you tell me more about it?" Chen Shang grew eager.

Ella replied, "One of our projects involves research into the Nightmare World, which can accelerate the process of Spiritual Power Crystallization."

Chen Shang’s Heart skipped a beat. "This project... can I participate in it?"

"Yes. I can help you apply for it."

"You... could have mentioned this earlier." Chen Shang held back his words for a long time before finally uttering this sentence.

Ella was very straightforward. "You didn’t ask."

Chen Shang opened his mouth, wanting to retort but not knowing what to say. He knew Ella wasn’t unwilling to share this kind of resource; she just simply didn’t think to mention it. Not to mention others, hadn’t he himself stayed holed up in the laboratory for several years?

The path of a Wizard was mostly open and transparent, with everyone running on the track. But the problem was, there wasn’t just one track.

By using his Golden Finger to create exclusive Biological Runes and mythical creatures, then trading them for resources to enhance his own evolution, Chen Shang was already faster than many Apprentices. He was practically sprinting. But when he turned around, he saw that some people were riding in vehicles. Never mind whether they were standing on a Giant’s shoulders; the point was, they were up there.

"Please help me apply for it. Do I need to pay a fee?"

"No need. You’re not from our laboratory, but you can participate as a collaborator. However, you must agree to let us collect your nightmares. I’ll send you the specific rules."

Ella sent over a document. Chen Shang opened the file and quickly skimmed through it.

Nightmare Laboratory’s Nightmare World project was essentially a Spirit training method. Participants would enter a deep sleep through a specially made Rune Array, and their Spiritual Power would be projected into a Dream World constructed by a collective consciousness. In the dream, Spiritual Power would exist in a physical form, allowing for training and combat... In short, you could do whatever you wanted by manipulating the dream.

And what Ella had mentioned about accelerating Spiritual Power Crystallization was just one sub-project: a Mind Secret Technique called "Expelling Fear."

This Mind Secret Technique would be carried out in the Nightmare World and was divided into two rituals. The first ritual was "Rehearsing Failure." It required constructing a clear, painful, and complete failure scenario and experiencing it.

The second ritual was "Finding Oneself." After experiencing absolute failure, the fear would recede like the tide, and it would no longer bring any negative influence upon you. This moment was known as "The Moment the Future is No Longer Threatening." As long as one seized this moment, the process of Spiritual Power Crystallization would accelerate.

"When can I go?" Chen Shang asked, closing the document and sending Ella a message.

"If you have time, you can come over right now," Ella quickly replied.

Chen Shang arranged for the Golden Crow to watch the house, and an Hourglass later, he teleported directly to Nightmare Laboratory.

It was a Half-Plane about the same size as Starfall, but much darker, resembling dusk on a cloudy day.

The Teleportation Hall was bustling with people. Ella was waiting for Chen Shang while hugging her little bear, the dark circles under her eyes as heavy as ever.

"I’ve applied for you. Follow me!" She turned and walked toward a long corridor, and Chen Shang immediately followed.

Both sides of the corridor were lined with tightly shut doors bearing only numbers, ranging from E-01, E-02, E-03... all the way to E-47. Ella stopped in front of a door marked "Nightmare Experiment Project Hall," pushed it open, and went inside, with Chen Shang trailing behind.

The hall was slightly more spacious than the corridor, and there were fewer Apprentices around. In the very center sat a row of silver-white, oval-shaped instruments that looked like space capsules. Their surfaces were smooth, and each was slightly taller than a person.

Ella walked to the front desk to enter Chen Shang’s identity information, then led him to the row of space capsules and pointed at two of them. "You lie in this one, and I’ll take the one next to it."

As she spoke, she opened one of the cabin doors. Inside was a soft, deep Blue lining. Where the headrest was located, there was a circular groove embedded with a dark Purple Crystal Stone.

Chen Shang looked at the capsule, then at Ella.

"Get in. This instrument will construct your nightmare. Remember two key points. First, the longer you hold on, the better the effect. Second, accept failure with a calm state of mind." After saying that, she opened the other cabin door, preparing to lie inside.

Chen Shang was taken aback. "You’re entering the Nightmare World with me?"

Ella nodded. "Yeah. I’ve experienced my own nightmares so many times that the effects have weakened. I want to try yours." She lay down in the capsule and closed the door.

Chen Shang watched her door close before lying into his own. The Space inside the capsule was larger than he had imagined; turning over wouldn’t be an issue. He rested his head in the groove, and the dark Purple Crystal Stone pressed against the back of his head, exuding a cool sensation.

When the door closed, Chen Shang could hear his own breathing and the beating of his Heart.

"I wonder what my nightmare will be," Chen Shang muttered self-deprecatingly. "I hope it’s not a dream where I’m sitting in the college entrance exam room and can’t solve a single question."

"What exam room?" Ella’s voice drifted over from the adjacent capsule, laced with a hint of curiosity.

Chen Shang thought about it and phrased it differently. "Um... probably like failing to complete the written test for the First Level Apprentice assessment."

The capsule fell silent for a moment before Ella’s voice replied, "...Now that is a true nightmare."

Failing an assessment was the kind of nightmare that every Apprentice, and even every Wizard, would remember for a lifetime.

Chen Shang chuckled and closed his eyes. The lights inside the capsule dimmed as darkness surged in from all directions. The Crystal Stone against the back of his head grew colder. The chill spread to his entire skull, then down his spine, and finally to his limbs.

His consciousness began to blur, as if he were sinking into bottomless Water, and his breathing gradually leveled out. A voice counted down in his ear—a cold, Mechanical sound.

"Nightmare simulation initiated. Spiritual Power connecting. Dream constructed. Countdown—three, two, one..."

The next moment, the world shattered.