In front of the circle of anomalies, Silver Cross·Sloan and Mildred Hampri observed Lu Li who stood before the wooden house.

Silver Cross·Sloan spread his palm, the straw doll inside mirroring Lu Li's standing posture.

He quietly sensed the emotions emanating from the straw doll.

The sparse confusion of stepping into a labyrinth, the warm tenderness akin to weak afternoon sunlight, the rare sweetness like exquisite pastries.

After a brief pause, the straw doll suddenly curled up, shivered, in agony, hugging itself into a ball of straw. The melting bitterness flooded into Silver Cross·Sloan's mind.

"It seems different from what we imagined, struggling or despair?" Mildred Hampri asked.

"It's pain..." Silver Cross·Sloan looked incredulously at Lu Li in front of the wooden house, "Why pain?"

Lu Li's four Cursed Titles [Lighthouse], [Bloodstained], [Speaker of the Trees], and [Dreamwalker] do not include the emotion of pain.

"Let's wait a bit more—"

As Mildred Hampri's words fell, Lu Li, who was frozen in front of the wooden house, resumed his movements.

Silver Cross·Sloan sighed, "It's our turn now."

Lu Li's expression was serene as he watched them come closer.

"Emerald Dream, a replicated Sequence Potion of the Emerald Dreamscape," Silver Cross·Sloan explained, the straw doll in his palm had already severed its connection followng Lu Li's awakening. "It allows you to relive moments vividly... Pardon our recklessness, it would be ineffective if you knew it's a dream."

"Though looking at it now, it was ineffective anyway," Mildred Hampri smiled bitterly.

The outcome differed from what they envisioned. Lu Li did experience emotional fluctuations, but not the emotions corresponding to the four Cursed Titles they wanted.

"Is that the real world?" Lu Li asked.

"No... just a dream. If you wish, we—"

"No need."

Lu Li calmly interrupted Silver Cross·Sloan's suggestion. Although it was regrettable that it ended abruptly, it ultimately held no meaningful consolation.

"This isn't working... We must find another way," Mildred Hampri pondered.

Stimulation or amnesia?

The former applied to many, but was useless on the emotionally detached Lu Li who neither cried nor laughed. The latter had too severe side effects, they dared not apply it to Lu Li.

"Death."

Silver Cross·Sloan whispered slowly.

"Apart from emotions, only death can force the awakening of a Cursed Title."

An astonished Mildred Hampri was about to refute when he saw Silver Cross·Sloan's subtle glance at him. He understood his old friend's inner thoughts, hesitatingly agreeing, "I have no objections."

"Let's deal with the prey first, it's a loss when they die."

Silver Cross·Sloan took out his weapon, and alongside the silent Lu Li approached the edge of the enclosure.

The "hunting" process went without incident; as a direct source of power, the silver crossbow's lethality was reliable.

However, when they hunted the penultimate moth chrysalis, Lu Li paused briefly.

"What's wrong?" Silver Cross·Sloan, who was observing Lu Li meticulously, asked.

"It used to be human."

Lu Li gazed at the oozing fluid along the crossbow's hole, "I see the moment of death of the anomalies I kill myself, limited to those that were once human."

"Don't blame yourself; it's a relief for them..."

Silver Cross·Sloan and Mildred Hampri exchanged a glance, the latter said.

The imperfect humanity brought by a few lambs yet to be slaughtered was not even half of what Lu Lili required, which stood at 32.

"If we are to force the awakening of the Cursed Title through death, the March Tournament is a good opportunity," Silver Cross·Sloan said to Lu Li as he returned the silver crossbow.

"Is it related to the Decathlon?" Lu Li asked.

"The March Tournament is indeed the Decathlon; we habitually refer to it as the March Tournament because the participating forces have always increased," Silver Cross·Sloan explained. "Initially, the March Tournament was merely a comparison between the upper and lower levels of the Giant Tree Academy. Eventually, the Five Great Knight Orders joined, Midnight City's Noble Council joined, Fearsome Brutal God Clan joined—more forces, increasingly cumbersome..."

Allowing a dozen forces to melee wasn't a good idea, especially when some forces were distinctly stronger, like Midnight City's Noble Council and Fearsome Brutal God Clan.

It was unequal to divide the Giant Tree Academy into two or the Knights Order into five parts against them.

Thus, a few years ago, the March Tournament rules were revised, the Giant Tree Academy was no longer divided into upper and lower parts, the Five Great Knight Orders united, and the Noble Council was no longer limited to Midnight City, only young competitors were allowed.

To date, the forces stably participating in the annual March Tournament are: Giant Tree Academy, Five Great Knight Orders, Noble Council, Fearsome Brutal God Clan, Conspiracy Web Deity Sect, Midnight Lady Church, Bloodline Family Alliance.

The Old Sewer Line that joined last year might participate again this year.

And the external declaration of Decathlon suggests the addition of two unknown forces.

"As far as I know, one new force is a certain deity system," Mildred Hampri said.

"Will Midnight Lady Church also participate?"

"Yes, the Midnight Lady Church has been in the March Tournament for five years, but they've always sent the fewest people..."

As controllers of Midnight City and the foundation of human civilization, Deep Night City's prominence rose after Vena Ice-Free Port's loss.

If Lu Li had not appeared, people would attribute the Title of Walking Beacon of Hope to Midnight City.

Even though neither Midnight City nor the Midnight Lady Church needed accolades anymore.

"There's still a month to go; I can't wait that long."

Moreover, there's no need to join the Decathlon merely to brush against death—outside Deep Night City, even outside Giant Tree Academy, death is omnipresent.

Lu Li thought of another matter, "Is Emerald Dream related to Emerald Dreamscape?"

"It is said to be made from the edges of the captured Emerald Dreamscape..." Mildred Hampri recalled the rumors: Lu Li's "Lighthouse" Cursed Title originates from departing the Emerald Dreamscape.

Silver Cross·Sloan thought of this as well, "There indeed exists the potential for releasing power upon contacting the entity granting Cursed Titles... Hampri."

"I have an extra potion,"

Though the Emerald Dream Potion Sequence is only No. 23, its expensive ingredients make it equally rare as potions in the top 10 sequence.

The second Emerald Dream potion wasn't fetched by Lu Li again, Mildred Hampri retrieved the Emerald Dream potion, a bottle of dreamy pale blue shimmering potion.

"What are its side effects?" Lu Li asked.

"Almost none, but it brings a sense of frustration..." Silver Cross·Sloan said.

The Emerald Dream is a real dreamscape, like a cruel executioner, severing contact with the dreamscape at the very moment you are about to embrace something wonderful.

Nightmares are hard to wake from, while beautiful dreams shatter as they arrive—

Before Lu Li consumed the second Emerald Dream potion, Silver Cross·Sloan let Lu Li sense the dreamscape itself. If possible, try to unleash the power of the title within the dream, even if it has no effect.

Lu Li silently nodded, swallowing the Emerald Dream.

The sweet cradle awaited him in the dream.

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