Chapter 1567
Chapter 1567: Section 1568: Monster in the Mist Chapter 1567: Section 1568: Monster in the Mist “Since he is within the black mist, what is his current condition? Has the black mist affected him?” Frode asked.
If it could be confirmed that the black mist had an effect on Lisa's brother, then they might be able to infer the function of the black mist. This was Frode's thought.
Angel pondered and said, “His condition is a bit off. Based on current observations, his eyes are lifeless, seemingly bereft of sanity. Inside, he wanders like a walking corpse. Yet, no matter how much he wanders, he never leaves the range of the black mist.”
Angel's statement was derived from observable appearances. To deduce what the black mist might do from such a statement was, for the moment, impossible.
“So you're saying that you can observe what's happening inside the black mist?” Sanders asked, “Apart from Lisa's brother, are there any other anomalies inside the mist? Can you identify the source of the black mist?”
Angel replied, “It seems that there is nothing else abnormal inside the black mist apart from Lisa's brother. As for the source of the black mist, I haven't found it.”
Sanders pondered for a moment; they had roughly two pieces of information so far. Firstly, the specific effects of the black mist were unknown, but given Lisa's brother's soulless demeanor, there must be some effect.
Secondly, the black mist was not under Angel's control. Based on this fact, if it was not an invasion from the outside, then the black mist might be related to scattered Authority.
Sanders asserted, “Let's set aside other issues for now; what we need to determine is whether this black mist has any connection with the scattered Authority or not?”
This was because if the black mist were indeed linked to Authority internally, then their experiment with the Scroll of Fortune could be considered a success.
But how to establish the connection between the two?
Frode suggested, “Why not take a group of people and explore the black mist area first?”
Judging solely from Lisa's brother's condition, it was difficult to ascertain the specific effects of the black mist. Naturally, it was easier to judge with a control group.
However, taking more people into the black mist area could only determine the dangers the mist posed to people–not whether it was truly Authority or not.
Nevertheless, after weighing the options, Angel decided to first follow Frode's suggestion. To determine if it was Authority, he had to personally go into the black mist to see the situation. Although various defense scrolls could protect him, as a precaution, it was best to confirm what effect the black mist would have on outsiders.
An hour later, two blindfolded people stood by Angel's side.
These two were criminals who had escaped from Originheart City during this period, meaning they were self-exiled.
Having wandered the endless Wilderness of Dreams, finding them and then bringing them here via Gondola had actually taken Angel some effort.
After all, since they were to be used for an experiment, Angel's personal preference was naturally to select those who were restless, disobedient, and had committed serious wrongdoings. People of Originheart City did commit crimes too, but those were minor and could be dealt with by the city's laws.
Having been exiled in the wilderness for so long, they finally understood that Originheart City might be the only haven in this world. Outside the city, there was no freedom they sought; the boundless wilderness turned out to be a larger prison.
Right now, they actually wanted to return to Originheart City more than anything.
Frode also grasped their desires and tempted them with “the opportunity to return to Originheart City,” inducing them to agree to participate in the experiment willingly.
One after another, these two stepped into the black mist. The first one who entered had no protection whatsoever, while the second one received a Defense scroll from Angel for protection.
As they entered the black mist one after the other, the experiment officially began.
Since neither Sanders nor Frode could observe the situation inside the black mist, both of them turned their eyes to Angel.
Frode noticed that Angel's expression was still normal at first, but suddenly, as if he had discovered something, his brows furrowed deeply, and they remained so until the experiment ended.
Frode observed that neither of the two people came out of the black fog.
“What's the situation inside?” Frode asked.
“It's not good.” Angel pinched the bridge of his nose, his expression somewhat grim.
“Not good? You mean there's danger inside the black fog?” Sanders asked at this moment.
“Indeed, there's danger,” Angel nodded, gathered his thoughts, and said, “The situation inside is very complex. I originally thought that apart from Lisa's brother, there was nothing abnormal inside the fog. But I was wrong, there is something inside.”
Angel briefly recounted what happened after the control group entered the black fog area.
The black fog seems to have a significant invasive effect on the inhabitants of the Dream Realm. Initially, the black fog appeared quite calm, but after the two individuals entered, some changes occurred.
The dense black fog began to surge upward, tumble, and congeal.
Eventually, it formed various bizarre “creatures,” which then attacked the inhabitants who entered.
Each of these “creatures” had different methods of attack, some from a distance and others in close combat. The two Dream Realm inhabitants desperately resisted but ultimately failed.
In the end, they were invaded by these creatures.
“Invasion? What do you mean by that?” Frode asked, puzzled.
Angel: “Literally, it means that those congealed creatures eventually invaded the bodies of the Dream Realm inhabitants. It's like possession. Those who are possessed by them become like Lisa's brother, losing their reason and wandering aimlessly inside.”
“Can the Defense Scrolls not protect against their attacks?” Frode remembered that one of them was given a Defense Scroll.
“They can protect, but the strange creatures inside kept forming. Under their collective assault, the frequency and intensity of the attacks exceeded the limit of the Defense Scrolls. Once the Defense Scrolls became ineffective, that person was also possessed,” Angel paused, “However, because he resisted for a while, I also observed some things.”
First, the one without the Defense Scroll was possessed first, so Angel noticed that after being possessed, he began to attack the person with the Defense Scroll until both were possessed, and then they started to wander aimlessly. In other words, the three, including Lisa's brother, are not harmless; they would actively attack the Dream Realm inhabitants around them.
Second, after the Dream Realm inhabitants entered the black fog area, Angel still had absolute control over them. He could expel them from the Wilderness of Dreams at any time with the 'Gatekeeper's Authority.
This point is very important. Angel planned to approach the black fog closely. If an accident occurred, he could leave the Wilderness of Dreams at any time.
It was a safety measure.
After listening to Angel's account, Frode's expression became uneasy: “Is this really related to authority? Could it be an invasion by other Dream Realm entities?”
Frode was formerly a Dream Apprentice, and although his strength limited his interactions with many Dream Realm entities, he had read many records from Dream Sorcerers and was too familiar with Dream Realm entities. The power of Dream Realm entities could be unreasonably strong.
That's because “dreams” themselves are not reasonable, reminiscent of when someone has a lucid dream, they could become an invincible existence in their dream, an illogical conception. Dream Realm entities are similar; their powers are sometimes unreasonably and illogically strong.
Therefore, Frode was very concerned. If the Wilderness of Dreams were invaded by Dream Realm entities, that would be troubling. It might even be possible for the Wilderness of Dreams to shatter.
Angel closed his eyes, extending his sensory reach from an individual perspective to the entire perspective of the Wilderness of Dreams. The Wilderness of Dreams now lay in the pitch-black Void, with nothing surrounding it.
After a while, Angel opened his eyes and shook his head: “I don't feel any outside invasion. I still think this could be related to the dispersed authority.”
“I plan to go in and have a look myself. If the black fog is related to authority, I should be able to sense it.”