Magic Light

Buzz!

As he mounted the Little Dream Dragon, the dreamscape before Russell underwent a massive transformation in an instant.

The dark, linework castle remained as it was, but in every corner of the structure, one beam of light after another began to rise.

Russell was no longer surprised by this.

After several nights of exploration, he had grasped the general situation of this dreamscape, which he called the Dark Dreamscape.

In his understanding, the Dark Dreamscape existed in a state of superposition with the real world, or perhaps it was the flip side of reality. It was a real world filtered through some kind of "lens" that removed all interference, leaving behind only the pure characteristics of magic.

The key to activating this lens was the golden, glowing Little Dream Dragon beneath him.

The lights rising in every corner of the castle were emitted by different types of magic.

The most conspicuous among them was a light as massive as a torch atop the tower outlined in dim lines. It traced the silhouette of a Wyvern in flame patterns, and this Wyvern was currently squatting and sleeping like a gargoyle.

Without a doubt, this was the image of Clay Dragon Ross within the Dark Dreamscape.

"Let's go take a look." Russell waved his small, chubby hands—which were quite nimble in the dreamscape, though it felt strange nonetheless.

"Gah!"

The Little Dream Dragon let out a cry and flapped its wings, flying toward Clay Dragon Ross at about the speed of an adult walking.

It took quite a while to arrive.

Hovering directly in front of Ross, one could clearly see the silhouette formed by the magic on Ross's body through the flame patterns.

Ferocious, mysterious, and profound.

"What a beautiful Wyvern, its magic is so abundant it's overflowing. It's a pity it has such strong hostility toward a transmigrator like me; I can't ride it!" Russell sighed.

All extraordinary power could be collectively referred to as magic.

Whether it was a knight's Battle Aura, a phantom beast's elemental power, a dragon's breath, or even the dragon fire exhaled by a true dragon.

These powers were all different forms of magic.

The most fundamental magic resided within the medicinal herbs cultivated by the sprites, which was the Earth Power extracted and refined from the earth beneath their feet.

"Gah!"

Seeming dissatisfied with Russell praising Clay Dragon Ross, the Little Dream Dragon's ox-like head swiveled one hundred and eighty degrees. It let out a milky, crisp cry at Russell in a fierce dragon-roaring posture; at first listen, it sounded a bit like a duck.

"Haha, you're quite the jealous one." Russell reached out his small hand to stroke the Little Dream Dragon's large head, saying regretfully, "It's a pity I can only ride you in my dreams... I want to ride a dragon in the real world even more!"

The Little Dream Dragon didn't understand, but it remained unhappy: "Gah!"

"Let's go, let's go."

Man and dragon flew back and forth in the silent Dark Dreamscape, checking every place where magic emitted light.

Most of the light came from the knights in the castle, varying in depth, but the majority were dim, gray glows. This included Russell himself, who also emitted a gray, dim light, indicating that his Battle Aura was very weak.

Only three knights were exceptions.

One was sleeping in the castle's largest bedroom; it was Baron Gloomlight Roman Fluorite Mushroom. His light was bright and stable, clearly outlining a human silhouette.

Beside the Baron, there was also a very faint, small speck of light.

Hmm, this must be Mother's Battle Qi Seed, right? Russell thought. Because of physiological differences, it was difficult for women to cultivate Battle Aura, so his mother, Meryl, had only nurtured a Battle Qi Seed that failed to bloom into full Battle Aura.

The Battle Qi Seed was curled up in her lower abdomen, so it couldn't outline a human shape, appearing only as a solitary little speck of light.

Russell turned his head to look around. The room's outline was blurry, but there were bright clusters of light on the walls.

Those were the Gem Lamp Fixtures embedded in the walls.

Wyverns could produce metal and also gems, so most metal and gem creations possessed the power of dragon breath, allowing them to glow in the Dark Dreamscape. However, the brightness varied based on the density of the magic.

Only a small portion of creations with rich dragon breath power could emit light that was easy to observe.

"No changes. It seems the Baron hasn't acquired any new treasures these past few days." Russell chuckled and rode the Little Dream Dragon away.

Ever since he awakened the Dark Dreamscape as his golden finger, he checked Fluorite Castle every day and had basically figured out the Baron's family assets.

He knew exactly how many sprites there were, how many phantom beasts, how many treasures, and where those treasures were hidden.

Of course.

He had no intention of stealing; a thief within the family was still a thief, and he didn't want to be one.

It was just that, in the event of an accident at the castle, he felt he had an obligation to protect the family's property—nothing more.

"Little Dream Dragon, let's fly outside."

"Gah!"

Man and dragon slowly flew to the edge of the castle, which was the outer wall. As they flew past it, they quickly encountered an invisible barrier.

Hmm, still no luck... It seems the range of the Dark Dreamscape is limited. It appears to be a circular area drawn with my sleeping position as the center... Russell pondered. As for whether that's true, I'll find out once I move into Wuyou Snake Manor.

"Gah!"

"Are you tired?"

"Gah!"

"Alright, then let's call it a day." Russell flipped off and waved goodbye to the Little Dream Dragon.

"Gah gah!" Although the Little Dream Dragon was a bit silly, it had learned a little bit of human communication after several nights of contact.

It waved its short, thin right forelimb.

Then, with a turn, it slowly disappeared around the corner of the linework castle, and the entire Dark Dreamscape plunged into total darkness.

All consciousness sank into chaos.

"Knock, knock, knock!" A knocking sound came from outside the room. It was Butler Carter. "Young Master Russell, good morning. It's time to get up."

"Thanks, Mr. Carter." On the large bed, Russell rolled over and struggled for a few seconds before reluctantly sitting up.

Then, he froze for a moment and gave a self-deprecating smile. "I didn't expect that even after transmigrating, I'd still have to get up early every day!"

The Baron's family had very strict discipline and never allowed the children to sleep in, even though Russell had already held his coming-of-age ceremony.

"It's fine. Once I go to Wuyou Snake Manor, I'll be able to sleep until I wake up naturally every day!"

Thinking of this, Russell couldn't wait to recruit his squires and servants and head to his own fief, even if the quality of life there was far inferior to Fluorite Castle.

But it would be his own home, after all.

A home where he didn't have to pay a mortgage and held lifetime ownership rights—well, a home covering twenty thousand hectares, or two hundred square kilometers.

The only regret was that the title of Baron was a lifetime peerage and could not be inherited. Once Russell died, the title and the fief would be reclaimed by the liege lord and could not be passed down to his descendants.

Of course.

Russell didn't even have a partner yet, so there was no need to worry about such a distant future.

Knock, knock, knock. The knocking sounded again. Several maids stood at the door waiting with washbasins, toothbrushes, towels, and a full set of clean clothes. "Good morning, Young Master Russell."

"Please come in." Russell had already gotten out of bed, wearing only his undergarments.

The maids pushed the door open and went about their duties. One maid began to tidy the bed, another cleared the clutter from the table, and a third took the washbasin, toothbrush, and towel to the washroom while laying out fresh underwear.

"Young Master Russell, you may begin washing up," the head maid said with a smile.

"Mm, alright." Russell let the maids busy themselves.

He condemned the "vile nobility" in his heart, then went into the washroom to brush his teeth, wash his face, and change his undergarments.

When he walked out of the washroom, the room had been completely refreshed.

"Young Master Russell, the room has been cleaned."

"Thank you."

The maids carried the dirty clothes and bedsheets away, leaving the bedroom one after another. Almost at the same time, a male servant stood at the door and knocked gently.

"Young Master Russell."

"Come in."

After the male servant entered, he immediately picked up the clean clothes the maids had brought in, helped Russell put them on, and carefully fastened his belt and cravat.

There was a clear division of labor between male and female servants in noble households, and the boundaries could never be crossed—a male servant could not assist a mistress with dressing, and a female servant could not assist a master.

"You are looking more and more handsome. I see the demeanor of the old Earl in you," the male servant flattered.

Russell raised an eyebrow. "You've met my grandfather?"

"Of course. I once followed the Master to Bluebird Castle and saw the old Earl." The male servant clearly wasn't just flattering him. "Young Master Russell, my mother is ill. Butler Carter is recruiting servants, and I really want to serve you, but..."