Chapter 18 I am the Sun God, give me money

"I've never felt happy being a book spirit!"

Sherry complained, "Ybur, if you really care about me, let me stay and be a book!"

Ybur seriously considered for three seconds, "No."

Sherry was choked with anger, "You!!"

Sherry then said, "Fine, since I am your book after all. But I want to set three ground rules with you, from now on you can't use me as a shield..."

Ybur thought for a moment, "I promise, using you as a shield will not be my first option when faced with danger."

"Which means you still consider it an option!!"

Sherry was about to explode with rage, "Damn you, you heartless, faithless jerk Slime! All you think about is yourself!"

"Alright, alright," Ybur quickly placated Sherry with his tentacles, "Don't get worked up, your voice is too loud, you'll wake Karlo and the others. Let's get you out of here first."

"Wait."

Sherry said, "After all the trouble of coming to the city, are you just going to leave like this?"

A thought struck Ybur, and his gaze fell on the two sleeping sisters, pondering, "You're right... I can do more things."

Sherry smiled, "It seems you've come to think the same way as me."

Starting from the Second Rank, the advancement process became more complex. In addition to meeting the requirements of the Mysterious Source, corresponding materials were also required during the Ritual.

For instance, as a Shapeshifter, Ybur needed "tissue from the Mimicry Object," "thick fur," "a symbol of Reincarnation," and "a blood-stained Blade" to advance.

These items are actually related to the abilities acquired after advancement. When a Shapeshifter reaches the Second Rank, one of the abilities they master is called "Deep Mimicry," which requires tissue from the Mimicry Object as a material for advancement—the primary Mimicry of a Shapeshifter is a passive state that can be switched, but Deep Mimicry is an active ability that needs to be triggered by consuming energy, representing a deep imitation of the Mimicry Object. Stories of werewolves are often the image presented by Shapeshifters when they engage in Deep Mimicry.

The specific abilities mastered after Deep Mimicry are also somewhat related to the materials used in the Ritual.

That's also why Ybur didn't aim too high initially and chose "Dragon Mimicry"; otherwise, just the problem of how to obtain the Great Dragon's tissue would give Ybur a headache.

Some options are simply traps that seem powerful but can easily stall someone's advancement, cutting off their hope. Therefore, in the path of Vocational Practitioners, the transmission of knowledge is very important.

Ybur himself was a Slime Mimicry Slime and could use part of his own body as a material, or, Ybur could also consider hunting other types of Slimes; for example, if he could get a Gluttonous Monster Slime as material, then maybe he could master the Gluttonous Monster's powerful devouring ability during Deep Mimicry.

Acquiring thick fur and a blood-stained Blade was actually easy. The most troublesome was the "symbol of Reincarnation" – because the Mimicry transformation of a Shapeshifter involves changes in body and mind, "change and return" represents the meaning of Reincarnation. While this sounds profound, a simple wheel would actually suffice, but a wheel is challenging to find in the wilderness and much easier in the city.

As one aims for higher Advancements, the materials and even the Rituals would only become more and more troublesome.

Transcendents climbing their path has never been a solo endeavor. Whether it's relying on an organization or establishing one, to put it succinctly, there's strength in numbers and that's a solid fact. This is also why official Vocational Practitioners often have advantages over their wild counterparts.

If it developed only in the wilds, many things would be hard to obtain, but with an assistant... if he could coax those two girls into his side... not to mention other benefits, but at least they could help collect materials on a regular basis.

Perfect, those two girls knew nothing of the Transcendent Domain of the Dream Realm, yet were full of desire... perhaps this could be an angle.

Better the "standard knowledge" taught by him than the sisters groping blindly on their own.

The more Ybur thought about it, the more he felt the idea was feasible, and his thoughts grew lively.

Yes, the God Secret Source could be put to use at this time.

The God Secret Source was incredibly versatile, with many functions waiting to be developed and used. Although Ruby hadn't mentioned this thing in the "Survival Guide," Ybur sensed the value of his own God Secret Source – although Shapeshifters mainly relied on the "Spirit" Mysterious Source and were physically adept, they had shortcomings in the spiritual realm. Many Shapeshifters tend to mimic those creatures with Mental Abilities to supplement their spiritual weaknesses only at the Third or even Fifth Rank, but Ybur was different.

He had mastered the ability of the God Secret Source even before entering the Entry Rank and at this stage, most Vocational Practitioners of the same level had virtually no resistance to Mental Attacks. Although Ybur typically hunted using his Acid and Spikes, in reality, the God Secret Source was so far the most lethal and disruptive power he possessed.

But the God Secret Source could do much more than just harm and control; up until now, Ybur had only used it for mental control and interference but had not yet tried more gentle spiritual communication.

Let's give it a try.

He should be able to do it.

Ybur began to eagerly concentrate his Divine Power, then paused to ponder how he should communicate with the sisters in their dreams. Be open and reveal that he's a Slime? Probably not, as that wouldn't be convincing. Since the sisters knew little about Transcendent matters and were easy to deceive...

If you're going to trick someone, might as well go big!

Got it!

Ybur's mind bubbled with inspiration, and immediately they had an idea. They clambered out the window, stirring the God Secret Source and infused a wisp of their spiritual power into Cherie's mind.

They felt something hazy and indistinct.

Cherie seemed to be dreaming.

In her dream... uh... there were pink bubbles everywhere, along with other strange sights.

Ybur's young heart was greatly shaken.

What is this? So weird! Let me take another look...

No, it's even weirder!

Ybur, terrified, cut off the mental connection. They took a moment to calm their spirit, then turned their attention to Karlo.

...

"Karlo..."

Through the mists of her mind, Karlo felt something calling her. The voice was ethereal, seemingly real yet illusory, gender indistinguishable.

Where am I?

Her consciousness slowly coalesced. The voices from afar seemed to be guiding her. Half-dreaming and half-awake, Karlo felt her consciousness begin to move, like a fish swimming along a warm current.

Then, she saw...

A burst of light.

It was a clear, pure light, so bright it was nearly blinding, yet it touched her with an inexplicable emotion. Karlo was spellbound for a moment, just staring at that light as if her soul was captured, unsure of what to do. At that moment, from within the light, a new voice faintly emerged:

"Karlo, wake up, I am the Sun God..."

...Huh? What's this?

The light wavered briefly and continued, "I am the Sun God, I never died, just fell into slumber. Help me revive, and in return, I will make you my Divine Envoy!"

...????

Karlo was stunned.

To be honest, at first, she was indeed filled with awe and fear of the unknown, but as soon as this sentence came out... it felt like the credibility of this being plummeted, from an unknown mysterious entity to the level of a street hustler.

As soon as Ybur finished speaking, they could feel 'doubt' and 'repulsion' thoughts becoming clearer in Karlo's mind, the sense of rejection growing stronger.

So they humbly asked, "Can people be fooled like this?"

"..." Karlo's emotions shifted to speechlessness, followed by even more pronounced doubt.

Her body also stirred, and beneath her eyelids, her eyeballs moved rapidly, about to awaken from the dream.

Ybur hastily said, "My apologies!"

Keep sleeping!

Bang!!

Ybur's spiritual power surged forward—in their previous encounter with a nightmare demon, they had self-taught some mental attack techniques. Now controlling the strength well, one strike dispersed Karlo's consciousness, and she fell into a deep sleep again...

Ybur, exhausted, caught their breath twice, pondered carefully for a moment, and then began to call out again:

"Karlo... Karlo..."