Transcending Dreams
B2 - Chapter 80

Walking through the gate was miserable. It was no wonder the teleportation door had replaced it.

The gate made it feel like he was passing through a space that combined all the worst extremes of the world: searing heat, burning cold, the emptiness of the void, and much, much more.

William was thankful that it only lasted long enough for him to sense it and nothing more. While the gate was as uncomfortable as could be to use, its duration was extremely similar to that of the teleportation doors—it was near instantaneous.

He stepped into an area with an atmosphere he would have never expected. With the vortex in the middle of the gate exuding darkness and the corrupted avatar looking like the devil, he was confident he was stepping into a gloomy or fiery hell.

Instead, William was staring at something that would fit right into a children’s fairy tale.

It was a castle a princess would be proud to call home, with excessive pointy towers all around and a large, open drawbridge inviting him to enter.

It screamed trap.

“Could it be more obvious?” William said dryly. “Not that we have a choice.”

He looked over his stats to see that his Spiritual Energy had almost recovered to the max. The Qi used to heal himself hadn’t been much in the first place, so only a minute or so left.

“I’m ready when you—” William stopped when he saw Kae wasn’t beside him. “Kae?”

He looked around to find that he was alone. The castle lay ahead, and a thick jungle, almost a solid wall of trees, was behind him. He stood on a well-manicured lawn in the middle, meaning there was nowhere for Kae to be hidden from his sight.

William clenched his fist in worry when he realized that Kae had likely been sent elsewhere, though most of that worry was for himself.

Kae had a trump card in the form of the transformation elixirs. They would easily keep him safe. It was William’s skills that were in doubt.

Spiritual Energy: 1130/1130 (20% per Hour)

His Spiritual Energy was fully recovered. Although that had been his previous requirement to enter the castle, the bar was set much higher without Kae's support.

William had been stockpiling attribute points to use them smartly… or attempt to use them smartly when he knew which attributes needed to be boosted above others. He would have chosen based on his affinity for elemental Qi and which heaven-tier martial skill he ended up picking.

That was thrown out. No matter how much William's brain told him it was a mistake to do so.

He knew a few facts about this quest. A corrupted avatar of Sophia was waiting for him, and he was currently too weak to survive against it.

[Force Multiplier] would be used without a doubt when fighting the avatar. That meant boosting the attributes that the martial skill would multiply when active was imperative.

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William recalled what Kae had said about his berserker form: that it was possible for him to take on an early stage Core Formation Realm cultivator if needed.

He didn’t know if he completely believed that, but those numbers would be what he would consider. Mainly because they were the only numbers he knew of that could supposedly let him fight above his realm.

He mentally commanded the system to show what he discovered using [Observe] while Kae was under the transformation elixir’s influence.

Spirit: 237 (20)

Strength: 150 (1000)

Stamina: 225 (1000)

Agility: 218 (500)

[Force Multiplier] multiplied his base attributes by four, except for Spirit and Luck. Since Kae claimed that a thousand in Strength and five hundred in Agility was enough to fight above his realm, that would be what William would target.

He would leave Stamina aside since he didn’t have enough unused points to spare. Unfortunately, he would have to put his hopes of Lord Paddlington’s assumption of him getting stronger before meeting the avatar.

[+100 Strength]

[+100 Agility]

William bounced on his toes before darting to the left. He stopped and found that he had overshot his intended target by well over four times the length.

It was expected. William had a similar problem when he increased his attributes by too large of a percentage. It had taken a few minutes for his mind to recalibrate his body's capabilities.

William made similar, quick dashes back and forth until he stopped exactly where he expected. It would take more work to fully recalibrate, but that could be done in a fight.

The same was true for his massively increased Strength. However, he was less concerned about recalibrating that before combat.

Spirit: 226

Strength: 240

Stamina: 110

Agility: 240

Luck: 150

Points: 2

The number of unused points he now had almost made him tear up in sadness. But it was for a good cause—Keeping himself alive.

William looked at the drawbridge for a long second before walking forward. There was no point waiting around, and if Kae was sent straight into the castle, it would be worse the longer he wasted time.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

The closer he got to the drawbridge without feeling a sense of danger, the more reassured he was to keep walking.

He hesitated before going over the line that separated the manicured lawn from the wood of the drawbridge.

Thankfully, it was anticlimactic. William stood on the drawbridge without anything changing.

He stared into the large hall of the castle, noting the emptiness within other than a few wall decorations and decorated wood pillars. The exterior of the castle itself was as Western in style as it could be, but everything inside was very much Eastern influenced.

Two statues of a familiar figure caught his attention. On either side of the entrance, a lifelike sculpture of Lord Paddlington was set as if to guard the castle.

Unlike the real Lord Paddlington, the statues were sporting a furious expression that he could never imagine on the turtle, yet here it was.

William kept an eye on the statues as he approached the entrance. It felt like the eyes on them were tracking him, but they did nothing else.

He stepped into the castle. Sᴇaʀᴄh the Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Welcome!”

William’s fists blazed with Qi, ready to pulverize the one who spoke instantly. If only he could see where the voice came from.

“Who are you?” William asked warily, noting that the entrance had disappeared behind him. The only plus from that was the statues were gone too… which was concerning at the same time.

“I am the castle steward, Young Master,” the voice replied. "May I be reassured that you will not attack me if I show myself?”

“No, you cannot,” William denied immediately. He would make no promises or reassurance to anyone he couldn’t see.

“… I have to say that was unexpected,” the voice sounded puzzled. “I suppose it’s not necessary.”

His skin prickled in fear when a familiar turtle appeared in the middle of the vast hall.

“My name is Lord Paddlington, Young Master,” the turtle-that-shouldn’t-be-here introduced itself. “My master has been waiting for you.”

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