The Dreamwalker’s Trial
Ethan logged into the game and immediately sent a message to Skyblade and the others, asking them to grind levels on their own for a while, he had a task to handle first.
But there was no reply.
Curious, Ethan opened the guild system to check on things, and the sheer number of players online surprised him. Over 400 members were currently active, with new ones logging in every minute.
He scanned the guild roster: 700 members in total.
"How is that even possible?" Ethan muttered, recalling that just yesterday, when he'd set up the guild system and told Skyblade they could start recruiting, there were only 40 minutes left before the servers shut down.
Ethan hadn't paid much attention to the guild after that, as he was busy tracking down the Bear Druid. But in just 40 minutes, they'd recruited 700 people? That was insane.
What Ethan didn't realize was that his reputation in Zone 1314 had skyrocketed. Even though his level was hidden in the guild, he was already a well-known figure in the Starter Zone. Coupled with the fact that the top three players on the leaderboard were in his guild, the draw was irresistible. Add in the 10% experience bonus from their Level 2 guild, and recruitment had practically taken care of itself.
"Ah, brave one, you've arrived!"
As Ethan scanned through the guild stats, he reached the depths of the Beast's Den and found himself face-to-face with the towering Bear Druid. This time, the massive creature wasn't asleep but greeted him with a deep, resonant voice.
"Honored Bear Druid, what can I do to help you?" Ethan asked respectfully.
"Brave one, we must drink the Dream Potion together," the Bear Druid rumbled, gesturing to the glowing vial on the nearby table. "Our souls will enter my dreamscape, where the real trial begins. From there, you're on your own."
"Let's get started," Ethan said, eager to begin.
As soon as the potion touched his lips, darkness enveloped him.
---
A faint light pierced the black void, slowly growing until the entire world was bathed in a dense, hazy mist. The eerie silence felt suffocating, and all system interfaces had disappeared. For a moment, it was as if he'd returned to the real world.
Ethan started walking, but no matter how far he went, nothing changed. The oppressive mist bore down on him, his chest tightening as though a heavy stone rested on it.
He tried shouting but found himself voiceless.
The fog's oppressive weight gnawed at him, leaving only a faint, inexplicable pull to guide his steps. Trusting that unseen force, Ethan pressed forward, though the mist seemed endless.
Without his usual Panther form or any game mechanics to rely on, he could only trudge forward as a human. At first, he moved cautiously, expecting danger to leap out at any moment. Eventually, he broke into a run, hoping speed might carry him through.
Time stretched on, but the scenery never changed. Exhausted and aimless, Ethan slowed to a crawl, his resolve fading.
His hair grew long, trailing past his waist. His clothes withered, his shoes disintegrated, and yet he trudged on, barefoot.
Eons seemed to pass. His youthful features gave way to an emaciated, hunched figure with skeletal hands. His body, once full of strength and vigor, became frail and stooped.
He screamed for the system to let him log out, but the interface remained silent.
He hoped the server would shut down and forcibly kick him out, but that too was a futile dream.
Despair clawed at him. He had been reborn to rewrite his life, to right the wrongs of the past.
He wanted to make up for what he owed Lyla, the girl who had always been by his side. He wanted revenge against Zachary and Ivy, the ones who betrayed him so cruelly.
But now, the fog stretched endlessly, hope flickering like a candle about to go out.
Looking at his withered hands, Ethan touched his gaunt face and thought bitterly, 'Even if I escape, what kind of world will I return to? Will everything I knew be gone?'
The weight of his despair broke him. He collapsed onto the cold ground, his body trembling as his consciousness slipped away.
---
Ding…
[System Alert: Congratulations on completing the Dreamwalker's Trial. Completion rate: 536%. Surpassed the 1,000-year trial benchmark! Reward: Soul Power increased by 5.36x! Bonus Reward: Level +1.]
Ethan, who had lost consciousness moments before, was jolted awake by the familiar chime of the system notification.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the Beast's Den.
The Bear Druid was standing tall, stretching as though a great burden had been lifted.
"Thank you, brave one. Your efforts have shattered the fog, allowing me to receive the guidance of the Druid ancestors."
Ethan blinked, still disoriented. To him, it felt like eons had passed, he'd aged, grown weak, and even perished in that endless haze.
The Bear Druid continued speaking, but Ethan, overwhelmed by the memories of his ordeal, couldn't respond right away.
Eventually, the Bear Druid's words began to make sense.
It seemed that when they drank the Dream Potion, both their souls entered the dreamscape, amplified by a shared increase in Soul Power. However, Ethan hadn't appeared in the Bear Druid's dream. Instead, the Druid had connected with a far-off realm, the ancestral homeland of the Druids, a place known as the Dreamwood Grove.
The Bear Druid explained that the Forest of Nature, where they now stood, was not the origin of the Druids as they once believed. Thousands of years ago, during the Cataclysm, the connection between the Forest of Nature and the Dreamwood Grove had been severed. This disruption left the Druids in the Forest of Nature isolated, their power waning over time.
The Dreamwood Grove had never stopped trying to reestablish contact. But they were facing their own crisis: several demigods had disappeared, leaving only one ancient Bear Demigod, Ursar, to maintain the link. Ursar's weakened bloodline could barely reach the Bear Druid, who lacked the pure soul strength required to connect properly. Every previous attempt had failed.
Ethan listened, his thoughts racing. When he glanced at the system clock, it was only 1:00 a.m, barely five hours had passed.
So this is what they mean by a dream that spans a millennium.
He glanced at the trial's completion rate, 536%. A test meant to last 1,000 years had stretched into 5,360 years for him.
But what exactly was "Soul Power"? Neither in this life nor the last could he recall encountering anything like it.
While Ethan pondered the reward, the Bear Druid's explanation came to a close.
"Brave one, will you accept the role of emissary between the Dreamwood Grove and the Forest of Nature?"
---
Ding…
[System Alert: Do you accept the Bear Druid's request? Upon acceptance, your skill "Teleport: Forest of Nature" will be replaced with "Teleport: Dreamwood Grove," granting you access to learn directly from the Grand Druids of the ancestral homeland!]
"I accept!" Ethan said without hesitation. After enduring 5,000 years of despair and hopeless wandering, he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to grow stronger.
For him, this was more than a mission, it was a renewal of his resolve to live, to reconnect with those he loved, and to gain the strength to change his fate.
---
Ding…
[System Alert: Task complete! Reward: Skills "Transform: Bear Form" and "Teleport: Dreamwood Grove." Additional reward: Title "Dreamwalker."]
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Skill Unlocked: Transform: Bear Form
Description: Assume the form of a mighty bear.
Dodge Chance: Increased by Agility boost.
Defense: +300%.
Stamina: +350%.
Immune to polymorph effects.
Unlocks exclusive bear-form skills.
Additional Effect: Removes all polymorph and movement restrictions on the caster upon transformation.