Chapter 321: “Emerging into the Spotlight”

The Dream City appeared once again—its long-missed splendor, its golden brilliance, its towering palaces.

Daniel, the mage, stood on the bustling streets of this magnificent city, gazing at the grand architecture unfolding before him and the steady flow of pedestrians. A flood of emotions surged within him.

He had returned to this place. After a series of grueling trials and the “inheritance,” he had finally earned the fearsome Outer Wanderer’s approval, regaining access to the psychic network and permission to operate within the Dream City.

But he knew he was not free. From this day forward, every moment he spent in the psychic network would be under strict control.

The Outer Wanderer had embedded its spiritual imprint deep within his mind—so deep he could never remove it. From now on, he was bound to serve as the Wanderer’s servant. He could not reveal his master’s secrets, could not act against the master’s will, could not attempt to break free from control, and under no circumstances could he send out any form of distress signal or warning to other Sleepless within the network.

There was no point in trying to circumvent the restrictions through stealth or self-suggestion. No matter how subtle his actions, the Outer Wanderer’s surveillance was rooted in his subconscious. One cannot deceive their own subconscious—whether inside the psychic network or in the outside world. The moment his subconscious triggered the “keywords” left by the Wanderer, terrible punishment would inevitably follow.

But Daniel no longer cared.

He had witnessed the Outer Wanderer’s immense power and absorbed its incredible knowledge. Now, his most important identity was as the Wanderer’s servant—not a Sleepless disciple, and certainly not just a Typhon mage.

The old mage reshaped his image into the refined middle-aged sorcerer he often used within the psychic network. Then he strode toward the districts where the lower-tier disciples gathered.

He watched coldly as the Sleepless passed by on the streets, oblivious to the Outer Wanderer’s might, continuing their mundane lives. A strange sense of pride suddenly welled up inside him:

I serve that ineffable, magnificent being. I am one of the first messengers of the master’s world reshaping! When the new era dawns, I will hold a seat at the pinnacle of order—what is this seemingly prosperous but ultimately illusory Dream City then?

The old mage found this sudden feeling odd, but in the end, he chose to savor it.

Ahead stood a grand building with soaring spires and pale golden walls—a gathering hall. At its entrance, two rows of giant statues blew trumpets. Many richly dressed disciples moved in and out through the ornate doors. Daniel straightened his robes and, calm and resolute, followed the crowd inside.

This was where the lower-tier disciples met to exchange knowledge and intelligence. It was also the first step in carrying out his master’s will.

His master’s last words echoed in his mind:

“You are now a mature Sleepless. It’s time to make your mark, to astonish the world, to outshine all others, and to ascend to the peak of your life.”

Inside the hall, the ground floor was spacious and bright. Long tables laden with sumptuous food and fine wine lined the perimeter. Further in were round tables and semi-open booths for visitors to sit, converse, and rest. At the very center stood crystal pillars—portals connecting to the advanced network for uploading, publishing, and retrieving information.

Ignoring the food and wine, and the two alluring female Sleepless approaching him, Daniel walked straight to a crystal pillar. Placing his hand on it, he sent out a message with the highest priority his rank allowed:

“Important Knowledge Sharing—Personal Major Discovery—Requesting Attention.

“I have identified serious security flaws in our psychic network. Unauthorized visitors can connect with little chance of detection, and we cannot verify the true status of every visitor within the network…

“I have developed a set of protocols to enhance network security, along with ideas to improve node management efficiency…

“Additionally, our data repository management is chaotic and disorganized, making information retrieval cumbersome and confusing. As the network grows, this disorder will only worsen. I propose a standardized data management system, which I call Database Management…

“I hope this message reaches higher-level nodes for consideration.”

…

Having sent the carefully crafted message, Daniel left immediately.

He was not worried that his information would be lost in the vast data of the psychic network. He knew the Sleepless hierarchy—the nightmare bishops and archbishops—constantly monitored the network. Even the Pope maintained a 24/7 connection. These powerful Sleepless possessed strength matching their status; they would never overlook any circulating information and could instantly focus on what mattered.

Even if they only glanced briefly, Daniel was confident his findings would attract the highest attention.

Though his master had advised him to first gain recognition among peers or slightly higher ranks before drawing the top hierarchy’s notice, Daniel knew a better way to fast-track his visibility—and this plan had the master’s blessing.

Once, Daniel had revered the bishops with awe, admiring their formidable power. But after learning from his master about database architecture, indexing, and query protocols, his reverence vanished. Controlling the entire network with raw mental and magical power was little different from beasts fighting with brute force.

As Daniel predicted, within minutes, his message caught the attention of the Sleepless Bishop Council.

In a lavish palace at the heart of the Dream City, a circular hall suddenly lit up. Intricate patterns—actually just light effects—appeared on the massive round table at the center. Figures materialized around it.

These were the Sleepless bishops scattered across the continent.

A bishop wearing a golden crown spoke: “An important message has appeared in the network.”

Another responded: “We are already monitoring it.”

“The nightmare mentor named Daniel has discovered critical security vulnerabilities. His proposed ideas address blind spots in our thinking…”

“Preliminary checks confirm these flaws are real—yet no one had noticed or proposed solutions.”

“We should be grateful—a talented compatriot has identified the problem before it escalated into a crisis…”

“The Pope has ordered us to verify all vulnerabilities promptly and establish contact with this mentor. His keen insight suggests a unique talent in this area.”

…

Meanwhile, Cecil’s voice gently roused Gawain from his meditation.

Gawain glanced at Amber: “Do you always have to get so close to my face?”

The half-elf grinned mischievously. “I just want to see if I can startle you! But you’re always so calm. Tell me the truth—are you really asleep, or just pretending to fool me?”

“I’m not as bored as you,” Gawain said, brushing Amber aside as he stood and stretched his shoulders. “Nothing happened during my meditation, right?”

“Nothing, except Hammer came by once with the steel production plan. I left it on your desk,” Amber said, eyeing Gawain curiously. “By the way, you look in a good mood. What’s up?”

Gawain touched his face, puzzled. “Is it that obvious?”

Amber folded her arms, analyzing. “Well, when the left corner of your mouth lifts higher than the right, you’re usually in a good mood—and probably just pulled off a successful scheme…”

“Could you focus on something useful for once?” Gawain rolled his eyes but nodded. “Yeah, I’m feeling pretty good.”

Amber’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Why? Did you have some kind of dream revelation again?”

Gawain didn’t answer directly. Instead, he suddenly asked, “How do you hide inside a huge, complex organization and never get caught by its screening mechanisms?”

Amber blinked, caught off guard, but tried to answer: “Disguise? Constantly move around? Use multiple fake identities?”

Gawain shook his head, smiling but silent. He wasn’t ready to reveal that he had infiltrated the Sleepless psychic network.

The answer was simple:

Disguises can be uncovered. Constant movement draws attention. Fake identities are still fake. The best way is to become the one who designs the screening system.

Gawain’s smile widened wildly. Once he controlled identity verification, all fake identities would become real.

And when Daniel completed his tasks, Gawain could even use real-name authentication and address binding to track down those cultists through their Wi-Fi…

Amber shivered, rubbing her arms. “You’re acting weird again, old man.”

For once, Gawain ignored her teasing and waved a hand. “I’ll explain it to you later. For now…”

Before he could finish, the door burst open and the young maid Betty called out, “Master! Mr. Solderlin is back!”

Gawain was startled. “Let him in quickly!”

Moments later, a dusty, somewhat disheveled high-level ranger entered.

Gawain stared in shock at his capable friend, immediately noticing the bloodstain on his chest. “What happened to you?!”

Solderlin grimaced awkwardly. “Got slashed by some cultists…”

(End of chapter)