I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

"In a dream, I saw a magnificent palace and ascended the throne at its end, where I was crowned by a sage."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

This was how Dracos Mick, the Arcane Master, described his extraordinary experience in Snow Ridge Town.

Right, how did I not realize that!

Lis finally understood from Todd's description where that ruinous palace was located.

The Dream World!

That legendary arcanist had hidden his legacy within the Dream World, accessible only when the Purple Mist ascended, allowing passage to that fantastical palace.

Whether the Dream World truly exists and how to reach it is something many mages and explorers are seeking to discover.

A rather persuasive theory posits that everyone's soul and spirit possess strength, including ordinary people, such as the praying power generated when people pray to the All Gods—known as one of the most famous forms.

Likewise, the process of dreaming while deeply asleep is a manifestation of the spirit's roaming dispersal, which is why things within dreams are so bizarre and illogical.

A myriad of such colorful dreams forms the Dream World, characterized as unstable, chaotic, and resplendent, and home to Extraordinary Creatures such as Dream-eating Rhinoceroses and nightmares.

The legendary arcanist was actually able to construct a stable spatial region within the Dream World for his legacy, and he even established a stable passage connected to the Main World; such extravagance was truly astounding.

Lis was inwardly shaken but kept his face unchanged, continuing to smile and ask young Todd for more information. After confirming there was nothing else of use, he handed the shiny Feis Gold Coin to him.

Todd watched the strange young mercenary hurry away and felt puzzled.

But the Gold Coin lay real and cold in his own reddened, little hands.

Todd was somewhat troubled, though he had seen real gold coins with his father, he had no idea how to discern their authenticity.

I'll ask Mom when I get back!

With that thought, Todd didn't bother with the "Wisdom God" snowman he had just built and hurriedly ran towards home.

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Upon returning to his room at the inn, Lis immediately shut the door, sat at the room's crude table, and took out a piece of Parchment to start writing and drawing.

If my guess is correct, when the Purple Mist rises in Snow Ridge Town, it's actually selecting from all the people within its coverage, giving everyone a chance to enter that special dream plane; they just might not meet the requirements to receive the legacy.

If it's the Dream World, that also explains why the majority have no memory of that palace—after all, it was a dream!

So the previous times the Purple Mist rose, I missed the opportunity completely because I was searching for the ruins instead of sleeping.

Thinking that, Lis couldn't help but smirk.

It felt like when you're struggling to reach a goal without success, and someone tells you not to bother, just sleep on it instead.

ε=(´ο｀*))) Sigh!

Lis collected himself and continued to ponder.

If it's a large-scale selection process like this, it shouldn't be dangerous.

After all, if there were any risk to life in entering the Dream World, then over the years, with so many selected by the Purple Mist, there would likely be rumors of disappearances, at least enough to create a sinister legend.

But Lis hadn't found any such news in his intelligence gathering over the past few days.

No, I can't let down my guard.

What if there's no danger during the initial selection, but there are risks during the subsequent trials to receive the legacy?

Lis, slightly troubled, rubbed his temples and sighed.

The information in hand was still too scarce; there was no way to deduce the current status of the ruins.

The only option now was to go on an adventure in person.

However, Lis had some concerns, after all, it was the Dream World, and there was a high probability that he would not be entering with his real body. Discover hidden tales at empire

That meant the Shadow Talisman, the Teleportation Ring, and even the magic communication device given by Mr. Stephens might not work when the time came.

This was his first adventure without any aces up his sleeve since leaving McGwire's Death Tomb.

But, is this what a real adventure is supposed to be like?

Lis suddenly smiled with relief, thinking too much was useless anyway, since he had already made up his mind to brave the dream ruins.

Besides, his powerful backer knew his destination, so if something were to really go wrong, if he became trapped in the Dream World, there should still be a chance to rescue him.

After going over his plan and potential problems he might face, Lis also settled his emotions, quietly meditating and resting in his hotel room, waiting for the next round of Purple Mist to arrive.

The first night, perhaps because he spent a long time adjusting his status through meditation during the day, Lis suffered from insomnia and did not fall asleep, and the Purple Mist did not appear.

The second night, Lis went to sleep as normal people do, but there was no change until he woke up the next afternoon; it was a sunny day.

The third night, as Lis entered dreamland, that dreamlike purple mist began to drift outside the window.

Gradually, the whole of Snow Ridge Town seemed to be sleeping in the faint purple dream.

...

...Hmm?

...Where am I?

.... What place is this?

Groggily, Lis opened his eyes to a view filled with pale purple fog, feeling as if he was still groggy from a long slumber, his consciousness lingering in a haze.

Gradually, the pale purple mist dissipated, and Lis thought he saw a simple black palace appear in front of him, atop high, hundreds of steps. Faint multicolored lights surrounded the black palace, which should have been an incongruous contrast in color but emitted a holy and solemn aura at that moment.

...Is this... the palace of ruins?

...Am I already in the Dream World?

...Why... can't I wake up...

Lis felt as light as air, his consciousness trying hard to take control of his body, but it was as if his body were numb; even though he felt himself slowly walking towards the palace, he couldn't control it at all.

...Is it because of the Dream World... or the influence of the ruins...

Lis realized that something was abnormal about his situation, but he could not react normally.

It was as though there was a transparent, thin film between his consciousness and his body; he could sense the state of his body but just couldn't touch and control his own actions.

Feeling his body stand on the flat platform before the black stone steps, slowly walking towards the steps, Lis forced himself to calm down.

His body should be in a state of unconscious sleep, similar to what's colloquially known as "sleep paralysis" in his past life, and without external stimulation, he wouldn't be able to awaken.

What should I do?

His consciousness was awake, yet his body was immersed in sleep.

Just as his unconscious body continued to move forward, stepping onto the first stair...

Ding~