Learning Nightmare Magic was even more difficult than Wade had imagined.
It wasn't until he persisted for over two hours and fell asleep four or five times that he truly understood the frustration of the Somnolen family's past generations.
This spell was unbelievably demanding to practice.
The very first step alone was enough to deter most people.
Because to practice Nightmare Magic, the first requirement was to maintain lucid dreaming…
What is lucid dreaming?
It means that while you are dreaming, you must realize that you are in a dream and then remain fully aware while trying to control and manipulate the dream!
Anyone who has ever had a dream knows that it is incredibly difficult to recognize that you are dreaming while inside the dream.
Those who can become aware of their dreams while dreaming are already one in a hundred.
And even if someone does realize they are dreaming, staying conscious within the dream and then actively controlling it is another monumental challenge.
Most of the time, once someone realizes they are dreaming, they wake up immediately…
So the requirement for a powerful soul to master Nightmare Magic was no mere exaggeration.
"Toby, what time is it now?" Wade rubbed his eyes and asked.
He had already taken several naps, and each time, just as he realized he was dreaming, he would wake up, failing once again…
"Master Wade, it is now 4:21 in the afternoon," Toby's voice came from the second floor.
He was in the kitchen preparing afternoon tea and snacks for Wade.
"Almost 4:30… I can still squeeze in one more nap!"
Saying this, Wade picked up a nearby old wand and pointed it at his own head once again.
"Somnus Profundus!"
A white mist drifted from the wand, and Wade's eyes rolled back as he instantly fell asleep once more…
Fortunately, with the aid of the spell, this kind of sleep would definitely include dreams.
Otherwise, if he just fell asleep without dreaming, this magic would be even harder to practice.
As soon as Wade drifted off, he began to dream.
In the dream, Wade sat leisurely in a beautiful garden, sipping afternoon tea while reading a book, feeling utterly content.
Thanks to his previous research on Occlumency and his growing understanding of magical principles, as well as the repeated practice of this spell, Wade once again quickly realized his true state.
He sighed and reluctantly set down his teacup and book.
Compared to his previous dreams, this one could at least be considered a pleasant one…
However, as soon as Wade became aware that he was dreaming, the fragrant tea lost its taste, and the once-interesting book became nothing but blank pages.
Just like before, as his consciousness awakened, the entire dream began to collapse…
The once-vibrant garden was suddenly veiled in a monochrome filter, draining all its colors.
But then, the collapse of the dreamscape abruptly halted.
At the same time, outside the garden's walls, countless wisps of white mist emerged, slowly creeping over the walls and spreading into the garden.
Seeing the mist, Wade instinctively began to back away.
This scene had appeared in his previous dream experiences as well.
Whenever he came into contact with the mist, he would immediately wake up.
According to Wade's understanding, this mist was likely a manifestation created by his magic to warn him.
Otherwise, while deeply immersed in his dreams, he would have no way of knowing exactly when he was about to wake up.
At this moment, Wade had already backed away from the table in the center of the garden until he was pressed against the wall.
The white mist crept closer, now less than a meter away from him.
Wade couldn't help but sigh. This magic was far too difficult just to get started.
From the moment of lucidity to the beginning of the dream's collapse, and then to the mist engulfing him, the entire process lasted barely ten seconds.
In an emergency, Wade felt that he wouldn't have enough time to do anything!
As the mist continued to advance, Wade felt his back press against a cold, solid surface.
It was the garden wall—he had nowhere left to retreat.
"This wall is really sturdy… If only I could use my wand in the dream, then I could just blast it open…"
Wade was still in the middle of speaking when he suddenly froze.
Because he realized that, at some unknown moment, a wand had appeared in his hand!
"Why do I have a wand? Aren't I dreaming? How did a wand come into my dream?"
The white mist was now almost at his toes.
Wade had no time to think further. He turned and pointed the wand at the wall.
"Confringo!"
Boom!
The sturdy wall exploded as if it had been struck by a cannonball, collapsing in an instant!
Wade was overjoyed and prepared to rush out, but just as he pushed forward, he suddenly stopped again.
Because beyond the wall, there was absolutely nothing! Only an endless, white void.
The entire garden was suspended in this boundless emptiness!
Had he reacted just a second later, he would have fallen straight into the void!
Wade felt a deep sense of frustration—he had nearly escaped the white mist, only to find there was no path forward.
"Tsk, if only there were a path…"
The moment he spoke, a narrow white path suddenly appeared, winding its way into the endless distance!
Seeing this, Wade's eyes widened in shock.
"This is… dream manipulation? Of course! After achieving lucidity, I should be controlling the dream! What was I even doing just now?! Why was I just standing there, doing nothing?—Oh fuck. This feeling.. Ah, I think my mind wasn't fully awake inside the dream. I feel like myself now."
In that instant, Wade's mind was fully awake inside his dream. He had thought he had fully awakened within the dream, but in reality, he hadn't.
He had only been half-awake!
Although he had realized he was dreaming, inside his dream, with only half his IQ, he had completely forgotten that his goal was to control the dream!
It wasn't until just now—when he unintentionally wished for a wand and it appeared in his hand—that he began to suspect something.
And finally, when his wish for a path was also fulfilled, he had truly woken up within the dream!
He finally remembered what he had come into this dream to do!
At that moment, the creeping white mist suddenly froze in place, then slowly began to dissipate, as if it had completed some kind of mission…
Wade took a deep breath.
"Change~"
The moment Wade spoke, the entire dream world underwent an earth-shattering transformation!
In an instant, he found himself standing on a bustling street in London.
Honk Honk!
The roads were filled with cars, and people moved through the streets in a constant flow.
Clater clater!
Chit chat!
However, the farther an object was from Wade, the more blurred and distorted it became—until it eventually dissolved into a vast emptiness…
After all, Wade hadn't actually traveled to London.
Everything before him—the sights and sounds of London—was merely an illusion he had conjured within his dream.
For now, he could only recreate a small portion of a London street; anything beyond that was beyond his reach.
Beyond this small street scene, the outside world remained an endless void.
But this was proof of something crucial—Wade had successfully altered his dream!
Just as he was about to change the dream again, shifting the setting to a new location, a sudden sharp pain stabbed through his head.
A wave of dizziness overwhelmed him, and the world turned upside down…
"Haah!"
Wade's eyes snapped open, his gaze dazed as he took in his surroundings.
So, he had already woken up from the dream.
At that moment, Wade felt an overwhelming wave of drowsiness crashing over him, completely draining his energy.
Forcing himself to stay awake, he pulled out a vial of Invigoration Draught from his robes and downed it in a few quick gulps!
After several minutes of rest, he finally began to recover.
Manipulating the dream world and conjuring a vision of London's streets had drained an immense amount of his soul energy and mental strength, leaving him utterly exhausted.
However, as he slowly regained his senses, Wade was startled to realize that his soul strength had actually grown stronger!
"Wow..."
In other words… this Nightmare Magic, although currently unsustainable for long durations, could train his soul strength and enhance his mental resilience?
A Dark spell that didn't harm the caster but instead granted them a permanent buff?
How does that even make sense?!
"Wait a minute… aren't Dark Arts supposed to have a price?!"
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