After exchanging names, establishing recognition, the two had another brief conversation.

Most of the time, it was Aiven speaking, while Miss Moonstone listened almost like receiving a subordinate's work report, occasionally responding with a few words.

However, all topics carefully avoided any potential pitfalls involving each other's core secrets.

The most constructive outcome was that after acknowledging each other's strength, they successfully established a provisional alliance for defense and offense.

After all, their beacon anchor ground had already been solidified by a mysterious inner connection. In case of a crisis, neither could escape. As rational wizards, they were bound to make the wisest choice.

"Miss Moonstone, I look forward to your guidance in the future!"

"Of course!"

Hmm, aside from the way of speaking without much tact, everything else was fine.

Indeed, neither investigated deeply why they remained closely bound through each world's changes. Such depth of mysterious connection inevitably involved each other's core secrets.

Asking a wizard about this kind of issue is even more severe than directly asking a stranger female's age, weight, and measurements—it's a hundred times more serious, not just causing resentment but perhaps instant hostility with bloodshed.

Besides, probing each other's identities or positions in the Material World was even more impossible.

However, when Aiven suggested that they try to enter the Spirit Realm from the Dream Realm at regular set times every day.

And chose the famous Hilus Great Treasure Fleet's departure site—New Continent's Dios Port at 9 p.m. as the common time to descend, equivalent to his location in Hatrafa Port at 10 p.m.,

Miss Moonstone considered and did not object.

This let Aiven keenly catch a key piece of information—they might not be too far apart in distance along east-west longitude.

The entire Black Sea spans almost seven time zones from west to east. Even considering the convoluted continental coastline, the time on the Old Continent would be at least six hours faster than on the New Continent.

Entering the Spirit Realm is most suitable at the moment just entering the dream. Typically, normal sleeping time is around eight to twelve o'clock. Based on this, it's very likely that Miss Moonstone's time zone is nearby!

Perhaps she's also on the east coast of the New Continent.

However, Aiven did not plan offline meetings with "online friends" for now, although uncovering this crucial info, he didn't delve too deeply into the other's secrets.

The time in the Spirit Realm is precious. After a brief chat, they bid farewell and continued their respective Spirit Realm explorations and training.

In facing external enemies, mutual help is possible, but in Spirit Realm's cultivation, one can only rely on oneself!

Step.. Step.. Step..

His body was slowly returning to the road to the upper city and was savoring Miss Moonstone's warnings based on today's encounters.

"If you encounter Octopus Head creatures again, if you've provoked them, or become their target, eliminate them if possible; otherwise, run away immediately.

Calling them human Extraordinary of Material World is less accurate than labeling them bizarre Spirit Realm creatures..."

[Deceitful Dream Cultist] is the professional name for those Octopus Heads.

In the Material World, they may appear just a bit uncanny in behavior, but outwardly resemble normal humans like everyone else.

However, once in the Spirit Realm, revealing soul essence, they all transform into these ugly Octopus Head monsters.

Because they worship mysterious existence that shuttles constantly between dream and Spirit Realm—"Source of Nightmare," "Dream Eater," "Mist Octopus" Hypnos, their image resembles a giant grey-white octopus with a thousand tentacles and a thousand eyes.

Before its appearance, there will be a flute sound inducing drowsiness. Even amidst the dream realm, one falls deeper into a dream layer.

In Mystic scholars and related path Wizards' research, said existence may be residual power of an ancient god from ancient times, holding almost beyond demigod-level life essence.

It's not exaggerated to say it's a critical part of Spirit Realm and Dream Realm, like stars and clouds in the Material World are inseparable natural phenomena.

Moreover, it lacks clear independent thinking or personality. Instead, actions are collectively guided by all devoured's collective consciousness.

Yet it instinctively spreads specific mystical knowledge and spiritual... contamination to its worshipers!

As the force elevates, contamination intensifies, when devotees reach Extraordinary Tier 2, fully turning into Octopus Head, it marks completion of the initial infection phase.

This transformation grants devotees freedom to roam Spirit Realm, while their life essence is already half assimilated into Spirit Realm creature nature.

Although they can temporarily traverse between Material and Spirit Realms, typically within six to eight years, their human bodies deviate into decay, completely releasing their souls.

And their souls will enter Spirit Realm becoming complete Spirit Realm beings, eternally serving that octopus god in dreams before consciousness perishes!

Evidently, this detail is not elaborated upon in "Flesh Sacrifice," only isolated existence name of "Source of Nightmare."

After three or four hundred years, the Spirit Realm knowledge recorded on Inheritance Secret Scrolls can still be referred to in basic parts like Spirit Realm rules, survival common sense, etc., but descriptions of life forms and forces there are indeed vastly outdated.

Calculated by a thirty-six times faster time flow, three or four hundred external years mean at least ten thousand years have passed in the Spirit Realm.

"Prophetic School" though continuous in heritage and Milan willing to share freely, evidently gracing with Miss Moonstone's theory are more practically combined benefits than paper talks in outer Material World.

In this alliance, Aiven indeed feels he's gained the upper hand.

...

The next day, having exited the Spirit Realm, Aiven wakes up early.

He plans to rehearse his newly acquired full version of [Desperate Thunder Swordsmanship] in the Material World!

Moreover, his Order Officer, Owl Bass, announced early in the morning good news.

Since issuing the recruitment orders for the Pirate Gang members, finally, a first Official Knight came to pledge allegiance.

However.

Before he could reach his exclusive training ground in Hatrafa Port to complete his new swordsmanship practice, his attention was drawn by the noise from the grand training grounds.

Crack! Snap! Snap!....

The rapid clashes of the wooden training swords sounded as intense as rain on banana leaves, with two figures already turning into streaks in the large training ground.

The fierce gusts stirred up dust, clearly indicating a duel at the Official Knight Level.

Many members of the pirate gang, who had gotten up early for training, watched from afar on the sidelines, not daring to approach the battle zone.

The rapid movements and evasions of the two fighters dazzled the spectators, but for Aiven, every detail was in clear view. Seeing who the fighters were, Aiven raised an eyebrow and mused with interest:

"Truly an unexpected reunion in a foreign land. Didn't expect this fellow to be still alive after such dire straits?

After a year, he even came to the New Continent and joined my Dragon Cavalry Pirate Gang? Fate?"

In the battle, one of them was Baldwin, who had just completed the "Skin-Wearing People" transformation yesterday, now displaying a half-man, half-shark form.

Towering at two meters, his bare upper body was layered with chunks of bluish-black muscles akin to hard granite, his back slightly hunched with a dorsal fin and a long sharp spine protruding.

A mask-like face appeared, covered with dense scale shields, slightly elongated, with the corners of his mouth stretching to his ears when opened, revealing layers of white teeth eerily similar to a real shark.

It was clear that after becoming a Skin-Wearing Person, he had undergone a fundamental change from merely donning a shark skin.

His strength had inherited seventy percent of the demonized horn shark's power, bringing him close to senior level! He had long surpassed the genius Fleck, whom he once pursued relentlessly.

Even if future growth was challenging, it didn't hinder his current formidable power.

His opponent was an old pirate with golden curls and weathered features, seemingly around fifty years old.

Apparently, he was the first official knight Bess mentioned coming to seek refuge!

However, to Aiven, he wasn't entirely an unknown stranger, hence the earlier exclamation.

"This was... the former captain of the 'Demon Monkey' pirate ship in the 'Navy New Star Plan,' overturned by his crew—Alek!"

Though they hadn't formally met before this, Aiven had personally ordered the violent sinking of the treacherous 'Demon Monkey' pirate ship at his command when he first acquired the 'Storm Horn.'

Back then, Aiven had only glanced through the sea bird's scout network at the man abandoned by his crew, severely injured and left dying on a deserted island's beach.

Adding the signature monkey squealing unrestrainedly at the training ground's edge, confirming his identity wasn't difficult (Chapter 229).

But seeing him alive and well here now sparked some curiosity in Aiven.

What had he endured?

Compared to Baldwin, the old pirate Alek was evidently a normal Extraordinary Knight, although his level wasn't high, and his physical attributes slightly skewed to the lower side.

Yet, leveraging his rich experience and mastery of Sessi Scimitar Technique, he fought strong Baldwin to a draw.

However, the old pirate aiming to showcase his strength, clearly wasn't satisfied with a mere stalemate.

As Aiven arrived, the fight between the two shifted dramatically.

Boom—

After exchanging blows, retreated by leveraging the force.

From Aiven's viewpoint, he could clearly see Alek facing Baldwin, opening his left hand to reveal a miniature human face in his palm, beautiful to the point of eeriness like a piece of white marble.

"That is....!"

Aiven's eyes narrowed instantly.

And, the old pirate Alek shouted:

"Sparrow, quicksand attack!"

The face in his palm suddenly opened its eyes, revealing pupils like black pentagrams.

First, it complained in a youthful voice: "Old man, you only remember me when fighting, but you promised me I'd be able to eat meat and drink wine every day!"

Despite the complaints, the face reacted swiftly without delay.

syrt——

A curse was uttered, resonating like a bleak echo from a vast desert.

Puff! Puff! Puff!...

Underfoot, the training ground suddenly erupted with yellow sand, writhing and stretching like seven or eight pythons fiercely lunging towards Baldwin.

But Baldwin, having completed his official Extraordinary transformation, was no longer his past self.

Leap——

He dodged backward with a jump, opening his mouth filled with sharp teeth, shooting out a snow-white high-velocity water line from his mouth's unique structure.

Shh—!

[Magic-like Technique: White Wave Shock Wave!]

This ability, inherited from the demonized horn shark, easily severed the sand snakes, and once the sand turned wet by the water, it instantly lost its previous agility, collapsing into a limp pile.

Meanwhile, Baldwin, who also participated in the fierce battle aboard the 'Skeleton Tomb,' now realized what he had just faced.

Although he never met the old pirate Alek, he recognized what the face in Alek's hand was. It was clearly the stitched alien limb originally on the chest of the great pirate Basem! It almost led the Conch to total ruin back then!

'This is revenge seeking?!'

As Baldwin's face changed drastically, he had already issued orders to the surrounding pirates:

"Seize him for me!"

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