This wizard only wishes to be a teacher

On the other side, Sally and Monica were already waiting in Carly’s temporary laboratory.

Compared to Sally’s somewhat casual demeanor, Monica seemed a bit uncomfortable. Usually not much of a talker and preferring a laidback lifestyle, Monica now fidgeted as if her seat were on fire, intermittently going to the side to fetch some water, then standing up again to walk in circles around the laboratory as if casually strolling.

"Are you very nervous?" Sally was nearly dizzy from her friend’s pacing, and she couldn’t help but grab Monica by the hand, forcing her to sit down.

"A little," Monica said, sitting with some discomfort, "Teacher Carly is one of the strongest, closest to the committee level. I’ve even heard some upperclassmen say that Teacher Carly’s strength might be even greater than some of the committee members..."

"You’re right, but things are different now," Sally said, enjoying the surprised look on her friend’s face, then revealing a slightly playful smile. "Because the teacher has now successfully advanced, um, just these past few days..."

"What are you talking about?"

While the two Wizard Apprentices were chatting, Carly’s somewhat weary voice came from outside the door.

"Teacher," Sally restrained her smile and looked at Carly with respect in her eyes.

Compared to Sally’s respect, Monica was now on the verge of anxiety, "Teacher Carly!"

"You’re here," Carly’s face broke into a smile as she watched Monica, her gaze warm and gentle.

This was one of the promising students to emerge from the elite class that she and Dean Lucien had jointly promoted; a fine example of success under Dean Lucien’s new teaching system, naturally she took great interest and care.

"I’m aware of your performance during this period, and I also know that you seemed to have asked the advisor to find you a teacher in potion studies," Carly observed Monica, her gentle gaze helping the Wizard Apprentice, talented in Healing Witchcraft, to gradually relax.

"Yes, that’s right, Teacher Carly, I feel like potion studies could complement healing witchcraft to achieve better outcomes, for example like the paralysis powder crafted by potion apprentices, despite being commonly used in combat, could also play a significant role in healing; and there are the Recovery Potions, which can stimulate life potential, but if used with proper surgery, their effects can be significantly enhanced..."

As Monica spoke about Healing Witchcraft and potion studies, she suddenly burst into a torrent of words, her nervousness replaced by an unstoppable outpouring of enthusiasm.

Carly listened quietly, maintaining a smile on her face throughout.

"What... what did I just ramble on about! The committee’s time is so precious, yet I talked to Teacher Carly for so long about healing arts?!!" Once they left Carly’s temporary office, Monica seemed somewhat bewildered, even looking a bit chagrined about her earlier performance.

"You should refer to her as ’Teacher’ now," Sally smiled and gently corrected her, "Besides, I think Teacher Carly is very interested in what you said. I noticed she was discreetly taking notes."

"Really?" Monica looked at Sally, somewhat bewildered.

"I definitely wouldn’t lie to you, and I feel that Teacher Carly values you highly..." Sally paused, but remembering who she was talking to, she then relaxed a bit and lowered her voice, "and I suggest you prepare well for the task Teacher Carly has assigned you."

"You should know, Teacher Carly is of pure fairy bloodline, and she’s backed by Dean Lucian, her resources are beyond what you can imagine at the moment, and Teacher Carly is quite generous with us students. Um, of course, provided that you seriously complete the tasks assigned by Teacher Carly..."

"I understand," Monica nodded earnestly, and in her heart, she pondered the special task Teacher Carly had set for her: to think of some temporary medical innovations to reduce casualties in the elite class.

Perhaps, she should approach this through potion studies?

Monica thought, her mind gradually focusing on a rough direction.

"Sally, I may need to stay with you for a while to complete the task the teacher has arranged, uh, I might also need to observe with you for a time, but as compensation, I will take care of all your healing treatments for this period!"

...

"Sanaxis, are there any precautions to be aware of in the Dream Layer?" After slightly adjusting to the addition of the Crimson Page in the Wizard’s Notes, Lucien also began preparing for the upcoming Dream Layer adventure.

"That... before entering the ’Land of Reality’, your combat capabilities within the Dream Layer are limited, and we mainly have to rely on that disgusting fellow; once you enter the ’Land of Reality’, the things there contain some weird effects, so you’ll need to be cautious even during normal combat."

"After all, although it’s called reality there, it’s more like a materialized dream where perhaps a small stone could enable a Wizard Apprentice to kill a third-level Wizard in that special environment," explained Earl Sanaxis.

"So... specifically?" Lucien was somewhat alarmed by Earl Sanaxis’s description.

A Wizard Apprentice could kill a third-level Wizard under certain conditions?

How was that possible? After all, in the real world, the oppressive aura exuded by a third-level Wizard alone could directly collapse the Spirit Sea of a Wizard Apprentice, and even if a third-level Wizard discarded all defenses and let the Apprentice attack freely, it would be extremely difficult for the Apprentice to kill a third-level Wizard.

But now, Earl Sanaxis was suggesting that such a situation could happen within the so-called "Land of Reality" of the Dream Layer?

"You can understand it as a set of special rules that exist within the Land of Reality," Earl Sanaxis thought for a moment before explaining to Lucien.

"It’s like your human laws; in that place, there could be a decree that anyone who touches water will drown, so if a Wizard Apprentice somehow gets a third-level Wizard in contact with water, then that Wizard would drown due to the rules. For example, if a regulation states that anyone hit by a stone will die, then in the Land of Reality, no one could withstand an attack from a stone."

"I see..." Lucien stroked his chin, suddenly finding the Land of Reality described by Earl Sanaxis even more peculiar.

"Then... do you know the specific rules within the Land of Reality, Sanaxis?"

"I don’t, because the rules there are constantly changing, much like how a person doesn’t always have the same dream. We probably won’t know the specifics until we enter the Land of Reality." Earl Sanaxis also seemed somewhat helpless, but after a pause, he still admonished.

"However, inside the Land of Reality, pay special attention to any items related to pens, paper, and words. If possible, collect some, especially ink!"

"Ink?" Lucien looked curiously at the feather quill and ink bottle on his desk, pondering the necessity of packing them for the journey.

"That’s not what I’m talking about; it would be useless for you to bring those," Earl Sanaxis said with a hint of disdain in his voice, "Alright, if you’re ready, I’m prepared to take you in. Ah, yes, in terms used in the mechanical world... do you get motion sickness?"

"Motion sickness?" Lucien listened, somewhat bewildered by such a modern term from Earl Sanaxis, and he blinked. But soon, he felt something enveloping him and lost his sense of gravity amid the turbulence.

Whoosh—

Like suddenly diving deep into the ocean from solid ground, Lucien only felt heaviness in his chest, and his body instinctively called out to him, wanting to escape this place permeated with the power of dreams.

"Is this... the Dream Layer?" Lucien widened his eyes; wrapped and isolated by Helen Wizard, he felt as though he was inside a special diving apparatus, allowing him to clearly see, through Helen Wizard’s perspective, the landscape related to the Dream Layer.

Numerous Dream Worms fluttered around, with some of the smaller ones transforming into more special dream creatures in Lucien’s field of vision—some becoming jellyfish floating in the air, while others turned into seabirds diving into water to swim...

The scene was bizarre and peculiar, an apt description for this unique space.

Everything here appeared so strange and absurd. Some looked somewhat cute while others appeared terrifyingly horrific.

Such as the carrot Lucien had just seen in the distance, chasing after a little white rabbit, with a horrific maw full of sharp teeth at its top. And after a frantic chase, the rabbit screamed as it swallowed the carrot whole, then painfully twisted into a special rabbit with carrot ears.

As a second-level nightmare creature, Helen Wizard held a very high position in the Dream Layer. At least for the distance Lucien and the others had traveled so far, they had not encountered other dream creatures seeking confrontation. In fact, many higher-level dream creatures fled in fear upon sensing Helen Wizard’s presence.

"Two-legged hairy beast, how do you like this place?" Earl Sanaxis’s voice carried a sense of pride for his homeland, "This is just the periphery. Once we reach the deeper parts of the Dream Layer, there will be even more special and interesting fixed areas..."