14: Chapter 14 Evolution of All Spirits, Ascension of the Dream Realm

Zhou Meng's consciousness wandered between the heaven and earth he had created, like a painter strolling through his own artwork, examining the depth of every brushstroke and the flow of every line. Compared to before, the Dream World at this moment was undergoing a silent yet majestic transformation.

The Destination of Losers, the Birth of NPCs:

His gaze first turned toward those dimmed spots of light—the players who had failed their first official mission, lost their eligibility as Hosts, or fallen into complete silence due to excessive punishment. Their connections had been severed, but their [Dream Spirits] had not entirely dissipated.

These spirits, having lost their "anchors," followed the underlying rules of the Dream World's self-improvement and began to be absorbed and transformed by the world itself. They turned into streaks of light, merging into the vast network composed of the Heavenly Dao, Earthly Dao, and Humanly Dao, and were then "re-woven."

Zhou Meng saw a dandelion-shaped spirit, bound to a failed Host, transform into a meadow of swaying, faintly fluorescent grass, where each dandelion carried a trace of the concepts of "wandering" and "hope."

A spirit shaped like a broken teddy bear merged into a corner of an eerie ancient castle, becoming a key item to trigger a specific plot (perhaps regarding "lost childhood" or "abandoned resentment"), quietly awaiting discovery by future players.

A spirit that was originally in a flame form, after its Host failed the Flame Hell mission, had its core absorbed by the Earthly Dao and subsequently underwent Rebirth in a certain volcanic ley line, transforming into a Fire Element Boss with simple intelligence that guarded a molten core, waiting for challengers to arrive.

They were no longer the exclusive guides of any individual but had become a part of the Dream World itself, serving as indispensable "background elements," "clue providers," or "hostile units" in future mission worlds. They "lived on" in another form, and in this process, they absorbed the meager power generated by the world's operation, slowly and instinctively evolving, perhaps one day in the future giving birth to a brand-new, independent sapience.

The Rewards of Winners, the Radiance of Spirituality:

At the same time, those Hosts who had successfully returned from their missions saw their bound [Dream Spirits] welcome their moment of glory.

Zhang Hao's metallic hamster, 'Silver Star,' lay its main body beside a galaxy composed of data streams. Its dark silver scales had become deeper, and the energy halo flowing at the edges brightened and dimmed like breathing. The golden circles in its eyes were stable and bright, and occasionally, a flash of agile cleverness similar to 'thinking' would pass through them. It was organizing and absorbing all the data Zhang Hao had generated in the 'Real Werewolf Kill' mission—reasoning processes, emotional fluctuations, and decision-making Logic—all of which would become the nutrients for its evolution.

Bing Li's Ice Crystal Snake coiled atop a glacier; its entire body was more translucent, its cold air restrained as if it could freeze light, and a point of ice-blue light at its core pulsed like a living thing.

Old Gun's Revolver Lighter Spirit stayed by a virtual campfire; the flame was stable and warm, and more complex patterns, similar to firearm safety runes, appeared on its metal casing, exuding a steadiness tempered by the fires of war.

Iron Fist's Iron-Feathered Black Eagle (after re-condensing) stood on a stone pillar surrounded by lightning. Although there was still a hint of dimness from surviving a disaster in its eyes, its wings were fuller, and its iron feathers clanged, exuding an unyielding resilience.

Rabbit's Flying Rabbit Spirit frolicked in a forest filled with glowing mushrooms, its wings wider and more agile, scattering bits of joyful fluorescence.

Even the converted Scholar (Ancient Book Spirit) and Shadow (Shadow Spirit) appeared more solid, losing some of their previous flimsiness and unease, as they had survived and shared the meager glory of completing the hidden mission.

Just then, the 'Heavenly Dao' consciousness hanging high at the top of the world—a collection of rules formed by Zhou Meng's good intentions and clear Qi—seemed to sense the growth and contributions of these spirits. It fluctuated silently, shedding a soft and pure radiance of spirituality that contained the meaning of order and commendation, bathing all the successfully returned Dream Spirit bodies like sweet dew.

Bathed in this spiritual radiance, the data streams in Silver Star's eyes operated more efficiently; the blue light in the Ice Crystal Snake's core became even more brilliant; the flame of Old Gun's lighter jumped more rhythmically; the gaze of the Iron-Feathered Black Eagle gradually regained its sharpness; the fluorescence scattered by the Flying Rabbit Spirit became brighter; the pages of the Ancient Book Spirit moved without wind, recording more knowledge; and the outline of the Shadow Spirit became clearer...

They became more agile, more 'vivid,' and their connections with their respective Hosts became tighter and deeper. This enhancement in spirituality, when reflected back into reality, manifested as an increase in the spirits' auxiliary capabilities and more human-like, 'emotional' responses when communicating with their Hosts.

Zhou Meng silently felt all of this.

The spirits of the losers became the world's nourishment, enriching the world's detail and depth; the spirits of the winners received rewards, becoming more intelligent and powerful, thus better assisting their Hosts and generating more and higher-quality Dream Power and mental feedback.

This was a perfect, cruel, yet vibrant cycle. The Dream World, like a massive living organism, was undergoing self-metabolism and evolutionary upgrades through this method. It was no longer just a 'training ground' that provided power, but was making steady strides toward becoming a true 'Dream Dimension' with its own ecology and evolutionary history.

"It's really... getting more and more interesting." A curve formed at the corner of Zhou Meng's mouth. He looked at the increasingly agile spirit bodies dotted like stars throughout the Dream Realm, as if seeing countless seeds taking root and sprouting. In the future, they would surely grow into towering trees, making this world born of his will even more magnificent, unpredictable, and... real.