Chapter 206 - The Power of Belief

"Those monsters must be furious," Nicole said with schadenfreude, "Just wait a bit, let’s teleport over when they’re not paying attention and wipe them out. I refuse to believe they have that many ugly brutes to send in. Hmph, by then, they won’t have anyone left to use on the outside." "This matter needs to be handled step by step, we must not rush things. If we push them too hard and they really send a large army in, it’s very likely that our Dragon Oak Dream Realm would be crushed and even corrupted," Gaven wasn’t as optimistic as Nicole, "Didn’t you see that Lord Virginia isn’t around? She’s definitely using the power of Spring Bud Forest to assist in the defense."

The Foul Giants and Cyclops were rampaging wildly in the war zone, assaulting and corrupting the entire Dragon Oak Dream Realm and the Dragon Oak Mother Tree. Those monsters probably weren’t even aware of this, they were merely venting.

For the time being, it is estimated that the enemy cannot grasp the condition of the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, but over time, that could change.

Never underestimate the intelligence and capabilities of the enemy.

The previous Foul Giant’s scouting and the consequent counter-attack serve as clear proof.

They will not sit back and wait to have their strength whittled away bit by bit.

Their earlier success, which was quite fruitful, was because they caught us off guard and had the advantage of surprise.

Now that the enemy is prepared, the war will not be so easily fought.

"So what do we do? Just sit back and take a beating?" Nicole asked worriedly; she had grown fond of this place and didn’t want anything to happen to it.

"Of course not, if they can use evil souls to corrupt, then we can use virtuous souls to purify," Gaven detailed the second step of the war to those present, "The Dragon Oak Dream Realm belongs to a conscious world. The more people who join, the more stable and stronger this world will become.

In fact, we are not planning to open the war zone to everyone, only a select few capable individuals under our leadership.

Most people will stay in a safe area.

Despite the safe area looking like it has nothing now, as more people join, more and more things will appear.

I believe that soon this place will turn into a city, a Dragon Oak Dream City."

Gaven saw that everyone present had a sort of puzzled look and had to explain more deeply, "Don’t forget that this is a dream realm. Everything here is not physical but made up of thoughts. As long as you think, you can completely build your own home with your own thoughts, your own furniture. The quantity and size of objects you can create are related to the strength of your soul’s thoughts."

To better demonstrate, Gaven concentrated and focused his thoughts on an empty space in front of him. A small castle formed out of nothing, materializing bit by bit.

"This is truly amazing."

"Mr. Gaven, how did you manage to do this? Can you teach us?"

"Can we achieve the same level as Mr. Gaven?"

The crowd couldn’t help but marvel, the scene before them could only be achieved by magic.

Not only was Nicole captivated, but even the mature and steady Stelina had her eyes sparkling with excitement and curiosity.

As a pure warrior, without relying on the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, she would never be able to do what she just witnessed in her entire life.

As people discussed, they followed Gaven into the small castle, which had everything, including beds, furniture, and decorative items.

"It might be a bit challenging for you to reach my level, as I’m not relying solely on my own power; I’m partly borrowing from the Dragon Oak Mother Tree," Gaven responded, "But to materialize a small room, some small items, I believe that shouldn’t be too difficult for you. As for how to materialize those items, others may need to learn, but Anna, you probably don’t need lessons. Here, you just need to believe, and many things will fall into place naturally."

Believe?

Anna appeared thoughtful.

Belief is indeed an essential quality for a Priest.

Because the gods are exalted, even if they truly exist, many believers never witness miracles in their lifetimes, let alone see the gods themselves.

To maintain strong faith, one must believe in the gods’ existence, believe that the path they are walking is supremely correct, and believe that their own conviction is extraordinarily devout and steadfast.

It all comes down to the power of belief.

As Anna’s thoughts coalesced, a cross materialized from vapor to solid right in her hand, indistinguishable from the Moonstone Cross she always carried.

"Is it really this magical?" Nicole exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise, "I also want to build my own home here."

Nicole, full of excitement, rushed out of Gaven’s castle.

She focused intently on an empty plot of land, her eyes almost sore from staring, but still, not the slightest change occurred; no house appeared, not even a bubble.

"What’s going on?" Nicole complained discontentedly, "Why did you manage it so easily, yet nothing is happening for me?" ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ Novᴇ(l)Fɪre .ɴᴇt

Gaven laughed and said, "Haste won’t get you anywhere fast. Anna succeeded in one go because of the training she’s had since childhood, plus years of praying, her soul’s thoughts are incredibly solid. She just needs to focus, and besides, Anna started with small objects. You, on the other hand, want to bite off more than you can chew from the start, how is that possible? Try starting with something small, like a little trinket or a small spoon."

Though Nicole was naturally gifted, without deep exploration it was hard for her to show her advantages.

"Alright then," Nicole said, a bit disappointed as she reined in her heart and focused on her favorite music box, the Pikespirit Music Box. In a few seconds, the outline of the music box began to faintly appear in her hands.

Alright then!

Gaven sighed. He abandoned his recent thoughts, knowing that a genius was indeed a genius. Certain things just click for them, a small hint and they understand, a slight explanation and they learn, especially in matters of perception. Nineteen points in Perception was no small feat.

"Success, success, I did it!" Nicole cheered excitedly.

But her celebration came a bit premature. The music box had just begun to take shape and wasn’t fully formed when it vanished with a ’poof’.

This time, though, she didn’t feel too disappointed because she had found the method.

When she concentrated once more, she would surely succeed.

And indeed, Nicole managed to conjure a beautifully crafted Pikespirit Music Box on her second attempt.

Nicole tentatively turned the mechanism and, to her surprise, it actually worked. When wound up, beautiful music emanated from it.

This dream realm was truly magical.

Gaven explained, "Don’t be surprised, it’s not that the music box really works, but that everything is engraved in the memory of your soul and displayed this way. It’s still the effect of your soul’s memory at play. In fact, without this music box, you could still release this music."

Nicole, like a child with a new toy, immediately tried it out, and as her thoughts were concentrated, music identical to that of the music box began to play from afar. The two sources of music harmonized, creating a charming duet.

"To strengthen the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, we few alone are not enough. Therefore, Nicole, I have an important task I wish to entrust to you," said Gaven with a serious air to the Pikespirit girl.

"What task?" Nicole asked, her excitement at its peak, greatly interested in anything related to the Dragon Oak Dream Realm.

"A Dragon Oak Dream Realm Introduction Guide, to introduce and bring more people into the Dragon Oak Dream Realm and explain to them the basic situation and operations there. Would you be willing to take on this role?" Gaven, of course, could not act as a Dream Realm guide indefinitely.

It was only a temporary part-time role during the experiment phase, and ultimately, specialty personnel would be trained.

Nicole was just the first one he had chosen, and she certainly would not be the only one; many more might follow.

She was the perfect candidate because Gnolls, with their lower Intelligence and Perception, were fundamentally incompatible with the Dragon Oak Dream Realm. Moreover, they had a significant amount of excavation work to do in reality and could not afford to spend too much time here.

On the other hand, members of the Fae Race were exceedingly suitable.

Their Intelligence and Perception, especially the latter, were usually not too low.

Most importantly, they were generally very curious and had a lot of leisure time, which they could spend online—or immersed in the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, becoming another vital cornerstone to support the realm.

Just like the Foul Giants who were crazily sacrificing various ordinary creatures, accumulation can lead to significant results.

"Willing, of course I’m willing," Nicole said with shining eyes, eagerly nodding her head.

The title of Dragon Oak Dream Realm Introduction Guide was very appealing to hear.

Especially when thinking about introducing her own sisters, she was sure they would look at her with envy, admiration, and jealousy.

Just the thought of it filled Nicole with an excitement so intense she wished she could start her new task immediately.

Even in her excitement, Nicole, with her relatively rich working experience, asked, "Regarding the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, what things should I tell them, and what should I not?"

"I will give you specialized training for this matter," said Gaven, impressed by how easily Nicole could be coaxed into spilling thoughts, an area in which she still needed improvement, especially in strengthening her sense of confidentiality.

The best method was to keep her in the dark about too many secrets for the time being. The attributes he had introduced her to before were commonly known and did not contain many secrets.

"Today’s collective activities in the Dragon Oak Dream Realm will end here. If needed, I will summon everyone. If not, you can stay and play a bit longer here. Those who have other matters, go ahead and attend to them," Gaven formally dismissed the Dragon Oak Squad.

"Then I’ll take my leave first," the Dog Demon told Gaven, exiting the Dragon Oak Dream Realm. His current mission was quite special, and he had little free time, so he needed to hurry back ASAP.

Although he was extremely tempted by those newly arrived Foul Giants and Cyclopes in the war zone.

However, he was well aware of his priorities.

As long as he was clear on that, his master would surely not forget about him when it came to benefits. In this regard, the Dog Demon was confident.

The remaining three women showed no intention of leaving; instead, they gathered together, whispering and planning, ready to begin their own experiments in the Dragon Oak Dream Realm.

Gaven paid them no mind, letting them figure things out on their own. After all, this novelty was still in its intriguing phase, and spending extra time on it was normal.

No sooner had they moved away than Lord Virginia appeared by his side.

"How is the situation in the war zone?" asked Gaven, concerned.

"It has quieted down," replied Lord Virginia, not too optimistically. "They haven’t fully grasped the situation yet. Once they do, I estimate they will cause trouble every day. The Dragon Oak Dream Realm is still new, lacking stability. We mustn’t let corruption resolve itself only to intensify further."

"I have already thought of this problem, so I’ve authorized Nicole to bring in large numbers into the Dragon Oak Dream Realm. We’ll temporarily shut down the war zone and have them stay in the safe areas. Even if they just play here, it’ll help us stabilize the Dragon Oak Dream Realm. However, the people Nicole will likely bring in are probably just from Nectar Village. For other Fae tribes, we need the Lord to send people," Gaven said.

This was a plan Gaven and Lord Virginia had agreed upon before building the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, and now it was time to put it into action.

Lord Virginia nodded in agreement.