Kangni State

Sulu looked around.

From the void, all sorts of dazzling lights pressed down upon us.

Numerous chaotic Mind Secret Realm connect different people, bringing experiences of joy, sorrow, peace, anxiety, madness, and more.

All I could hear were jumbled, low murmurs.

Information from all sorts of sources entered him through his eyes, ears, and even his mind, almost driving him insane!

In an instant...

Everything around them vanished, and a terrifying the Vortex appeared before their eyes.

A woman's hands emerged from the vortex and gripped his neck!

"Ah!"

Sulu gasped softly, startled awake, and removed the hat covering his face.

"Sir... are you alright?"

Across from him, a passenger asked with curiosity and a hint of worry.

"Thank you, I just... had a nightmare!"

Sulu politely thanked him, the vibrations from the friction between the steam train wheels and the rails constantly emanating from beneath his feet, and the scenery outside the window flashing by.

Then he remembered that he had already left Green Tree Castle and bought a train ticket to the center at random.

'The nightmare I just had was so real. Was it a warning from my subconscious?'

After calming down, Sulu remained silent, pondering the changes that had just occurred.

'This means... the Spirit World does indeed contain danger, most likely originating from that woman's hands, which symbolize Beatrice?'

The connection Mind World is bidirectional. Since Sulu can sense Beatrice's location, Beatrice can also locate him in the same way.

'So from now on... I can't stay in one place for too long, and... it's best to focus on learning some mind-sealing techniques... This is just a side ability of the [Occultist], I just need to keep practicing.'

'Furthermore... I'm certain Beatrice hasn't advanced to the legendary level of [King of the Undead]. If she had, she could most likely use the Master-Servant Pact to curse me, her 'master,' in reverse!'

'Therefore, the previous plan needs to be slightly modified. We shouldn't suppress our class, but rather try to gain experience as much as possible to ensure we can level up anytime, anywhere?'

This is also one of the reasons why Sulu left Green Tree Castle.

Without the Mist Lock, the Inner Circle loses its tortoise shell, greatly increasing the possibility of infiltration and making it difficult to guarantee one's safety, especially given the certainty of having such a cult Saintess watching over them!

Besides that, there's no longer any space within the Inner Circle that can provide me with combat experience to grow stronger. I've even read almost all the books in the library that come with experience points.

It was even a little bit out of line.

'Sneaking up to the fifth floor to browse master-level profession information—if I'm exposed, it won't be a joke...'

Although he said he took leave to relax, Sulu actually had no intention of going back.

Unless... he advances to a legendary profession in the future, then it's a minor matter, and Green Tree Castle might even welcome him back.

"A light meal! And drinks!"

At that moment, a female flight attendant pushed a cart through the narrow aisle.

It was mealtime. Although steam trains have dedicated dining cars, those were clearly for the upper class.

As ordinary citizens and the middle class, most people brought their own food—because the meals provided by steam trains continued the tradition of being incredibly unpalatable and expensive!

But Sulu had left in a hurry and hadn't prepared anything, so he could only say, "Give me a sandwich!"

"10 Toner!"

The price was three times higher than outside, but Sulu tolerated it, took the sandwich, took a bite, and felt that the taste was just average, but at this point, it was good enough to fill his stomach.

His destination this time was Kangni State in the central Federation. It was located slightly west of the heart of the Federation, a vast and sparsely populated state. It was said to have some settlements of the Gaoso people. It was famous for its gold mines and had once experienced a gold rush. Towns that developed from the gold rush sites were scattered across the vast desert and plains. The area was plagued by disorder, vendettas, and a strong cowboy culture.

Sulu had his reasons for choosing this location.

Firstly, the chaotic public security makes it easier to create a fake identity.

In a time when cameras are not widely available, one can still take advantage of the time difference.

Then, they avoided the influence of the Black Death Society in the west and the chaos in the east.

In addition, the lenient laws and the prevalence of cowboys and gunmen make it easier to gain experience.

"I've heard... the Gaosuo possess some extraordinary powers. Perhaps I could witness them, and it would also be convenient for collecting extraordinary materials..."

This was one of the great discoveries he made from reading casual books: the indigenous people of Gaoso, whose extraordinary career paths leaned towards spellcasting, had a high chance of obtaining formulas related to mental power.

Besides these, there are materials for crafting Curio, which are not easy to collect openly within the Inner Circle, but there are fewer such restrictions outside.

After finishing his sandwich, Sulu stretched, covered his face with his hat again, and began to Soul Projection!

In an instant!

His soul leaped swiftly into the second layer of the Spirit World!

This is a mysterious place; apart from a very few professionals in related fields, even those in the Inner Circle haven't studied it in great depth!

"Very good... it seems the people around me are indeed ordinary people!"

Through observation of the Mind Secret Realm surrounding him, Sulu quickly drew a conclusion.

The Mind Secret Realm of an ordinary person, from an outward appearance, is far less vast than the floating island of a professional—of course, some high-level ones can disguise themselves, but that would require at least two professional levels beyond Sulu's; with that kind of strength, why would they need to disguise themselves?

"Observing extraordinary individuals from the Mind World can be considered a covert method of probing, right?"

Sulu looked at himself.

At this moment, he had transformed into the Death-Announcing Bird, wearing a black trench coat and Crow mask.

Then, while traversing the Mind World, he gained some further insights. "Whether ordinary people or professionals, as long as they haven't gained access to the second layer of the Mind World, their subconscious can only remain within its own secret realm, unable to leap forward... unless guided by certain secret techniques or external forces..."

Of course, the subconscious mind of an ordinary person is weak, even in their own private realm.

Professionals, on the other hand, have the power to retaliate. Even if the secret realm of a high-level professional were placed before Sulu, he would not dare to advance rashly at this moment. That is the difference!

"Everyone's subconscious is connected to the vast ocean of the Mind World... How can this connection be blocked?"

Sulu began to explore.

This is actually an instinct of Spirit World professionals such as Medium. Although it is not as simple as eating and drinking, it is similar to swimming, which is an ability that can be mastered as long as one learns.

At this moment, he had essentially refined the secret realm, combining his subconscious with it to form a spiritual body that could now move freely within the Mind World.

"Complete shielding is impossible, but the aura can be altered... Beatrice's career path doesn't seem to be purely Spirit World profession, yet she can still come into contact with the Spirit World ... Is she using death as a stepping stone?"

In matters related to the Spirit World, Sulu was confident that he was definitely more professional than Beatrice, who had only recently entered the field!

Once he levels up, this will be his home turf!