Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 773 - 714 Version Update

Doludo Yuehen once again sank into the dream realm. He took his staff and headed to the dream region with his apprentices. This area, controlled by Governor Susanna, used to be a place no Elf dared to set foot in, but now it had become a hot spot for all the Dream Elves. Indeed, the dream realm game, which capitalized on the reputation of the two Dream Elf leaders, had become quite popular in the Emerald Dream.

However, Doludo knew that popularity was temporal. His apprentices were no longer enthusiastic about discussing the intricate and wondrous creatures, nor did they argue over whose turn it was to play the bear tank. The older apprentices had begun their self-imposed hibernation in preparation for their ascension to Druidhood. Even the small group of students who had come with him had done so only at his insistence, their expressions resembling those of students completing a homework assignment set by their mentor.

Every Dream Elf needed to sleep in the Druid’s den and enter the Emerald Dream, traveling to Governor Susanna’s domain from other dream regions. According to Doludo’s estimation, it was twelve hundred steps from his own den, and fortunately, awakening from the dream didn’t require walking back; otherwise, he really wouldn’t be able to persevere. Of course, there was a more convenient option, visiting the Druid’s den in the Black Thorns Forest from the real world, but for ordinary people, the difficulty lay in facing the Governor, a cold and dignified leader.

But the greater reason was not the distance—it was weariness. Everyone had had enough of venturing into dark caves to match wits with mythical monsters resembling little pigs. There was no novelty, no sense of awe anymore—it was the sentiment of all players.

Putting the game aspect aside, Doludo very much acknowledged the educational potential of the dream realm game. The Nightmare creatures created by Susanna and Irason were undoubtedly the most advanced; apprentices could safely confront their future enemies, which was far more convenient than searching and selecting targets himself.

They arrived. A deep purple light barrier divided the dream realm; the natural and pure landscape of the Emerald Dream became sullied and fierce beyond the barrier. Doludo had his apprentices gather around and gave a few words of caution to the newcomers.

"Once we enter the Governor’s domain, don’t be afraid of any changes to yourselves; we will be overlaid by ’character data.’ Some might feel a sense of suppression; this is normal, as I will also be affected. You will become weaker here, and you must find the Nightmare’s vulnerabilities and learn the rules of this domain. Lowell, Lamu, and Jody are new, remember to meet them at Starting Town later. The rest are free to form teams and roam."

Jody was a newly adult Elf girl with a wreath from her coming-of-age ceremony still on her head, holding a staff as tall as herself like a timid little bunny. She followed closely behind Doludo, looking uneasy at the sight of the Dreamland.

"Teacher, can I team up with you?"

Doludo gave her a wry smile and drew a circle on her forehead with his index finger. "Have you forgotten what I just said? In Dreamland, we are all players; I will also be suppressed, my dear. Elders and apprentices wear the same clothes, nobles and commoners alike need to draw their swords. You can’t rely on anyone; you can only rely on yourself."

Then Lamu spoke.

"So then, does that mean the teacher will become as weak as us?"

Doludo laughed heartily.

"I am level sixty, at the level cap."

Jody and Lamu’s eyes went wide, while the other apprentices were already used to their teacher’s boasting. He didn’t take students with him just because he thought they were weak. Doludo had a fixed team with the War Druid Charles and the Great Moon Priest Eisenna; he looked down on these low-level youngsters.

Feeling awkward from the students’ resentful gazes, Doludo let out a laugh and took the lead in crossing the light barrier. He wanted to set an example and dispel any fears of the unknown. Doludo crossed the barrier and entered Dreamland, with luminescent dots appearing on him. After the light dissipated, Doludo transformed into a bald, bearded old Mage decked in sparkling gear. He turned around, very pleased with the amazed and sparkling looks from his students, spread his arms wide like a giant moth.

"See, it’s not difficult, quite safe."

A pitch-black teleportation portal instantly appeared above Doludo’s head, and the old Mage’s body was sucked into the portal like a noodle, disappearing without a trace.

"..." The young Druid apprentices were stunned.

"Teacher!" Lamu immediately rushed into the light curtain, and a confused Jody followed suit. The flustered students were influenced by the actions of the newcomers, and out of concern for Doludo’s safety, they all dashed in after him. Portals opened one after another like fireworks, swallowing everyone up.

"Stop! Stop now!" Lowell shouted, barely managing to hold back a group of classmates. With an accident befalling Doludo, he became the mainstay for the apprentices. "Tena, Wordsworth, return to reality and report the news to the Elders’ Council. Langdon, Sali, stay here on standby. If any students manage to escape the realm, protect them and warn any Dream Elves passing by. Everyone else, follow me deep into the Dreamland to rescue them. The instructor was right; we have to rely on ourselves now."

Lowell took a deep breath, stepped through the light curtain, sword and shield in hand, ready to face whatever came through the portal. The brave squad quickly completed their objective, and the portal transported them to a city bathed in immaculate snow.

"You’ve arrived, Lowell. Where are the others?" The bald Mage Doludo patted Jody’s back, while the other students stood by with complex expressions on their faces. Many Dream Elves were also present, all having been teleported there.

Lowell recognized this place, it was Starting City. He sheathed his sword, relieved it was a false alarm. Other Dream Elves were also complaining about the officials’ sudden, confusing actions, chewing the fat with friends in the newbie village. Doludo stood with his students in a small area. Despite the crowd, the not so spacious Starting City appeared not to be congested at all. Doludo spotted his friends; Charles with the War Druids, and Eisenna’s group of Priestesses. They nodded at Doludo, equally baffled by the situation.

Doludo also spotted the Eye of the Queen, the rangers who enjoyed antagonizing the War Druids, with Kylo resting with closed eyes against a corner wall. The young Druid Elder was somewhat surprised at how vast Starting City had become; it seemed almost capable of accommodating six or seven tenths of all players, despite how one could have previously traversed it in just a few steps.

Before he could ponder the reason why, a rumble of thunder sounded overhead, and everyone looked up to see one corner of the deep purple sky collapse. The shattered firmament turned into fragments falling from above, and a figure climbed down from the heavens. Black and crimson tentacles and claws clung to the sky, a bloated and deformed mass of flesh descended step by step through the rift. With each descent, the Dream Elves’ expressions grew darker. Swords were drawn, bows were nocked, spells were chanted; the pressure from the descending creature loomed large in the air.

A dragon’s roar sounded from afar as a crystal-clad behemoth descended from the sky, showering crystalline snowflakes that transformed into a human figure. Before anyone knew it, Susanna stood on the high walls of Starting City with Irason, fixating their gaze on the monstrous blob in the sky, making it self-conscious.

The blob twisted and turned, eventually taking on the classic form of a plague doctor. Lyle stood beside the other administrators, waving to all the Dream Elf players in the city.

"Hello everyone, I’m an administrator. So, moving forward, Dreamland will become a deadly game where injury leads to death. Everyone, try your utmost to survive."

"Just kidding," Lyle hastily added under the stigmatized glare of the other administrators.

"Firstly, we apologize for the hasty call to all players, but we’re here to announce some good news. Dreamland, with the effort of all us administrators, is now welcoming a major update. As per our original game philosophy: another world, another life."

"Now, we’ve added job modules to the game. In the current phase, everyone will be categorized under the Druid job module. We’ve also introduced Warrior, Mage, Priest, and Hunter job modules. Moreover, each major job category contains further branches. We’ve opened up new map worlds, along with brand-new wilderness monsters and dungeon enemies, added more NPCs to the maps, kept existing levels intact while introducing job levels. Sub-jobs are under development..."

"Now, let’s skip the tedious treaties. You all can read them at your leisure on the Starting City notice board later. Let’s get straight to the most thrilling part."

"Introduction CG for new jobs."