NOVEL NEXT Chapter 106: Dream?
Amber had been paying close attention to Leon. She noticed everything, from his breathing, minor movements of muscles, and even the subtle fluctuations of his soul. She wanted to see every single change happening in his being.
'How does this even work?' she wondered.
She had been confused the first time she witnessed this strange process, and even now she couldn't figure out anything behind it.
It was clear that his secret was related to his sleeping, but how did just sleeping give him the Essence to level up or grant him higher potential? In what way was he growing so rapidly?
'Maybe a dream? Yes, it is possible. Maybe he inherited a dream of some Ancient One, and he needs to sleep to uncover its secrets? But then… how does that give him power?'
She was so confused that she tried her best to piece together the reason. Leon himself had asked her to keep an eye on him, since he too was unaware of a lot of things about his own secret.
'If it is just a dream, then why does he feel so much pain? It could have been the price to receive it, but what he said makes that impossible.'
If it wasn't a dream, then what was it?
Amber's mind formed a lot of hypotheses as she went through her memories of the Primordial Expanse. It was a vast realm that seemed to exist only to defy all the physical laws humans had so painstakingly discovered.
It was dangerous, but also bizarre. There were so many secrets and mysteries left to uncover in that strange world. Thousands of civilizations had already fallen under the Corruption, and their ruins still remained scattered throughout.
That was how humans had advanced so quickly. They used the technology, knowledge, and other discoveries of those fallen civilizations for their own benefit.
Amber had explored the Primordial Expanse a lot, and she had also come across countless things that could overturn one's entire reality.
Yet she rejected all of them one by one, because none of them matched Leon's condition. There was always something that contradicted her hypotheses.
'It could have been something like those simulations, where our soul is transported to a board or another dimension while our physical body rests in the original spot. But the problem is that his soul is still here.'
And it was peaceful.
Amber knew that much, so she wanted to erase this theory as well, but since it was the closest match to his condition, she decided to keep it for a while longer.
Just then, she noticed slight fluctuations in his soul and also a sudden rise in his blood circulation. She took a closer look and found everything else to be completely normal.
As she was studying the changes, his frown loosened and everything returned to normal. But even that small moment left her with a clue, so Amber noted it carefully.
'Something definitely happens within his consciousness, and it also has minor effects on his physical body. Maybe that's why he gets phantom pain. His physical body doesn't suffer, but his consciousness does, so the pain reflects on his physical body when he wakes up.'
Amber guessed as she continued to monitor the changes, but there were none for a long while. She waited patiently for quite some time before she finally sensed the fluctuations in his soul again.
She gently touched his forehead and concentrated more on his soul. She didn't go too deep and touch his consciousness, because it could be very dangerous for him, and she also didn't want to invade his privacy.
After all, one's sea of consciousness—which existed within their soul—was basically the collection of all their memories and secrets.
It made them who they were and laid their truest self bare before anyone who dared to peer into it.
'It feels like a sea tide. When he sleeps, it goes far below, and now it's as if something is dragging his consciousness upward, like in the upper tide. It's normal in sleeping, but the way he does it is completely different.'
Just as she was about to study more of his soul, Leon's eyes snapped open, and his lips curled up into a wide grin. Sparks of joy swirled in his emerald eyes as he sat up and embraced Amber in a tight hug.
"It worked!! Amber, it worked!! Now I won't have to die so many times!"
Amber could have easily dodged it, but she didn't. She could see the happiness and pure joy in his eyes—those beautiful eyes that made her heart stop beating for a moment.
She froze, noticing the sudden change in herself, and then returned the hug. She could feel his body trembling, shaking as if he were on a sugar rush.
But she also caught something hidden in his words. 'Die? Is it really similar to dreamstuff, where his soul goes somewhere and he can die there? The phantom pain is the pain of death?'
She didn't ask him outright, but she checked his soul once again and thought, 'Everything looks fine. His soul isn't damaged, so he didn't experience soul death, at least.'
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Leon asked when he didn't receive any response. "It's good news."
"Didn't you already tell me this exciting theory before?" Amber replied as they separated.
Neither of them cared about the fact that they were alone in the room, or that they had just embraced each other so tightly.
Both of them were straightforward people who didn't know what shame was, so why would they care?
It would actually surprise Leon if Amber ever blushed or got embarrassed. He might even label her as an imposter for that.
"I was quite sure of it before, but it was still just a theory. Now that I've confirmed it, it has become a fact. How can I not be excited about this?" Leon said with a bright, radiant smile on his face.
"Congratulations," Amber grinned and asked. "Wanna go celebrate then?"
"I've already celebrated enough in jail," Leon snorted, though the smile remained present. "Rather, I'm excited because now I can finally focus on increasing my levels again. I'm already falling behind my schedule."
"It's fine. Nobody will question your talent because of this. You were on vacation, so it's normal if you didn't focus on cultivation too much," Amber waved her hand nonchalantly and stood up.
She walked toward the door, saying, "Good night then. Sleep well tonight, because we are leaving early."
"Good night!" Leon said, staring at her disappearing back.
How could he possibly tell her that he was falling behind his schedule? He needed to become much stronger for the future threats that were bound to come.