Chapter 200 The Function of Ink
Mier's voice contained a trace of severity; as the personal maid of the family's children, her status among the servants was the very top. Naturally, she had noticed the issue with this particular maid.
Although Lucien didn't turn around at this moment, he had secretly pricked up his ears, somewhat eager to see how this maid, who was suspected to be a player, would resolve this crisis.
After all, according to the rules of the family that Lurah belonged to, if a common maid was directed by someone else into an important area by mistake, she would face certain punishment. If she entered on her own initiative, the punishment would be even more severe, and she might even be hanged for it.
However, even the most common punishment was excruciating for a lowly maid, and at a minimum, she would be sent to solitary confinement for a week to a month. If this maid was a "player," then the cost of such "confinement" punishment would escalate significantly.
"You and the young lady did not see me enter, you have never seen me..." Just as Lucien was looking forward to this development, he suddenly detected a somewhat peculiar fluctuation of spiritual power, as if some special force had started to interfere, urging him to look in the maid's direction, to look into her eyes.
"It's a technique from a cultivation system I don't recognize, the intensity is somewhat similar to a third-level Wizard Apprentice." Lucien quickly came to a conclusion in his mind but still very "obediently" played along with the "player's" hypnosis, turning around with Maid Mier, and under Lucien's deliberate control, Lurah's gaze also gradually became lost.
"Eh? His hand is emitting a golden light... No, not his hand, it's the drop of liquid in his hand. Is this the special ink mentioned by Sanaxis? Alas, unfortunately, it seems like a consumable, he only used it once, and the golden light within the ink has vanished."
Lucien observed to himself that the "player's" strength was not high, so he wasn't worried that his disguise would be seen through. Instead, he observed the player's movements with interest. Based on the droplet of golden ink he had just observed, Lucien had a rough guess about the ink's function.
It was a special item that could be used to "negate some rules"! Like just now, the maid's action towards him and Maid Mier was clearly a violation of the first rule of the Land of Reality, but under the negation by that special droplet of golden ink, the "player" did not suffer from the backlash of the rules.
However, considering that the maid only performed a preliminary hypnosis on them, wiping part of their memories, the rules that the ink could negate were limited, or to say, the rules that one droplet of ink could leverage were limited. This prevented the maid from using a method of "long-term control" to assist her work...
Lucien quietly observed, and in the next moment, he was led away soullessly by Maid Mier, "Miss, we are going to the back garden to see the tulips, they are very beautiful there..."
"I don't want to see the flowers, I want to see what she is doing in the study..." Lucien mourned internally, but at this moment, the role he "played" was a "hypnotized five-year-old girl," so he could only suppress the reluctance in his heart, tiptoe towards the doorway, and in compliance with the "hypnotic" effect, utter some phrases consistent with his current state.
However, before leaving, Lucien still quietly left an inconspicuous spiritual power mark on the sleeve of the maid's garment through the spiritual force tendrils he sent out.
This "maid" player might understand the rules of the Dream Space better than himself, Lucien felt, perhaps it was more beneficial for him to keep this player around for a longer period.
...
Nighttime.
"Good night, young lady."
Lucien lay in bed, closing his eyes, and a flurry of thoughts crossed his mind.
Of the dozens of people encountered today, he was sure that one was a "player," with two others as "possible" players.
One of them was Lurah's father's groom, Deman, and the other was a knight of the family. However, Lucien could not get to know the latter due to his limited status, nor did he have a chance to observe closely.
But now night had fallen, and according to the rules of the Dream Space, he and other players would be able to momentarily "remove" the masks, which might lead to some very interesting events.
With this thought, an inexplicable sense of anticipation arose in Lucien's heart, but he also understood that the night was likely a prime time for "players" to die, for once someone acts out of character, being caught off guard by others and "robbed" would result in a truly incomprehensible death.
"Better be careful, although my 'performance' today should not have shown any flaws, if I decide to stray from Lurah to take some risks, I better find a 'substitute.' Even if someone discovers it, I could possibly shift their thinking onto someone else..."
Lucien weighed the pros and cons, and as the clock struck twelve, he suddenly felt the Dream Space's suppressive rules against him release at that moment. If he wished, he could now completely shed the identity of Lurah and freely engage in any combat with his original body.
"Phew… The power of this Dream Space is quite fierce." While Lucien was checking for any abnormalities in his body, Earl Sanaxis's careless voice also sounded in his mind.
"Sanaxis?"
"Stop talking. This damned place managed to detect my impeccable disguise…" The voice of Earl Sanaxis echoed in Lucien's mind, carrying a hint of frustration.
"I came across another 'player' today and witnessed him using golden ink..." Time was of the essence, and Lucien had no patience for Sanaxis's complaints. He quickly conveyed his day's discoveries and shared some of his speculations.
"Hmm, that thing can indeed be used like that, but… what a waste! Such a waste!" Earl Sanaxis grumbled, sensing that Lucien was somewhat bewildered, and he added a remark.
"Think about it, kid. Why is it called 'ink'? If its sole purpose is to help you leverage the rules, then wouldn't it make more sense to call it something else?"
Lucien was taken aback, seemingly having thought of something, yet it was all rather vague, not entirely clear.
"The greatest use of ink is that, when you find the Book of Rules, you can alter the rules! Or you can write them on ordinary paper, turning them into consumable decrees." Earl Sanaxis's voice resonated in Lucien's mind, causing his body to stiffen slightly and making him appear somewhat dazed.
Alter the rules?
Lucien's breathing became slightly rapid. In the Dream World, rules were even more important than one's own power. If he found the Book of Rules and wrote that all other "players" except Lucien Kevin suddenly died, wouldn't he be secured?
"Kid, I like the way you think, but the amount of ink needed to write such a decree is enormous. You might not even find enough ink in the entire Dream Space," Earl Sanaxis detected the thought in Lucien's mind and chuckled.
"For you, the best use of this ink is to write some consumable rules, such as preventing any harm to you for one minute, or making all supernatural powers useless within 10 seconds, or granting you powers from the future for 30 seconds…"
"Such decrees written with ink can also be used during the day. Collect more, accumulate some, it can only benefit you," Earl Sanaxis stated earnestly.
Lucien's mood also calmed down a bit. After taking a deep breath, he made up his mind and began to use the rules of the Dream World to separate from Lurah.
Whoosh—When the two bodies completely parted, Lucien suddenly felt as if something was left inside Lurah's body, making him feel a bit uneasy, while also realizing the connection between himself and Lurah.
However, Lucien also understood that he could not give up exploring because of the danger, so all he could do was remain sufficiently cautious during his adventure.
"By the way, Sanaxis…" Lucien suddenly thought of something. He called out to Earl Sanaxis. "You said… as my familiar, could you represent my identity in some respects and manipulate Lurah to take some actions?"
Lucien's idea was simple, to use Earl Sanaxis to temporarily control Lurah for him. That way, once he and Lurah had established a relatively independent relationship, he could create some confusion and interference among the other "players."
"It's possible, but my spirit suffers great suppression in the Dream World, so now my waking time is very limited each day…" Earl Sanaxis understood Lucien's intentions and laughed, indicating he could definitely play the role of an "asleep" good girl when Lucien was away.
Now that Earl Sanaxis had assured him, Lucien couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He placed Sanaxis's plush ball form beside Lurah, then quietly left Lurah's room using the Shadow Stealth Witchcraft.
"Judging from perception, there are quite a few 'players' active within the family." Soon, Lucien's expression grew solemn because through his spiritual antennae, he could keenly sense supernatural fluctuations around him, and most of these pressures came from those at the level of Formal Wizard, and there was even one particularly subtle aura that surpassed the Grey Bone Wizard known to Lucien.
"Hehe, the talents within the family are indeed plentiful!" Lucien's mouth couldn't help but reveal a self-mocking smile.
NOVEL NEXT