Chapter 127: Dawn of The Endless Dream (5)
When Akasha reappeared, he stood on the highest plateau of Lucid Winter’s Peak.
The soft auroras drifted along the ridges above him. The air carried the clean scent of eternal snow and a faint metallic sweetness.
Luna and Yume materialized at his sides in the same breath; their arms still lightly linked with his.
He began walking without a word, black-and-white hair drifting in the cold mountain wind.
Each step the trio took sank slightly into the glowing snow.
Below them, the entire world of Kalpa stretched out beneath the purple-and-white barrier of the Domain—healed and utterly claimed.
’Not bad,’ he thought, a quiet satisfaction settling in his chest.
In just over ten years, the world was his.
Thought... he wasn’t sure if he should be surprised or simply content that, in little more than a decade, he had accomplished most of what he set out to do—creating the ultimate haven for his future.
The remaining factions on the Topside still existed, but to him, they were nothing more than ants he could crush at will.
Yet, he had no intention of doing so.
Everything so far had unfolded exactly as planned.
The twenty-one-year plan of conquest wasn’t for his own glory, but for the Academy of Veils.
They had been his first allies, and he had no intention of letting their value fade after the conquest of Kalpa.
No, the key members needed real experience before Phase Three began in earnest.
Luna glanced up at him, pink-and-purple hair swaying.
"Well... I will say you look quite satisfied, my love."
Akasha’s lips curved into a small, measured smile.
"Well... I can’t say that I’m not." He said truthfully, as they all knew how each phase was aligning.
In the world of Kalpa, Phase One was simply about securing an ally to support his Dreamer’s Peak, which ultimately turned out to be the Academy of Veils.
Phase Two, on the other hand, marked the true beginning of establishing lasting safety.
It was the full conquest of Kalpa itself, a campaign already well underway at this point and, for all intents and purposes, practically complete.
"And... Phase Three will be expanding my influence across each of the five worlds in the Orin Star System. Only after that will Phase Four begin... the complete conquest of the entire system."
Yume’s cooler voice held quiet certainty.
"That... Jovian should already be on another world by now. I wonder what’s taking him so long to send the signal?"
Akasha gave a single nod, realizing that, from what he knew, Jovian wouldn’t call for him immediately, regardless of the orders given.
That was exactly what Akasha was counting on, since he had a few matters to take care of before departing for another world.
These tasks centered around exploring the new features of the Domain and taking a closer look at the Lucid Winter’s Peak itself.
----
The three of them continued down the sloping path of soft glowing snow until the entrance to the Potential Condensation Chambers opened before them—one of the thousand dark mouths that lined the lower slopes of the mountain.
Without waiting, he stepped inside.
The chamber was vast yet deliberately simple.
Smooth walls of translucent ice rose high overhead, faintly glowing with soft blue and white light.
In the exact center of the cavern sat a small, perfectly still pond filled with slowly flowing potential essence that shimmered like liquid light.
Rising from the middle of the pond was a single pillar of pure frozen potential—tall, crystalline, and radiating a quiet, almost sacred cold.
Luna’s eyes widened slightly as she took in the understated beauty.
"Well, it is... simpler than I expected. Yet it feels perfect."
Yume remained silent for a moment, blue-streaked hair drifting as she studied the frozen pillar.
"And the potential here is denser than anything on the surface... aside from the peak itself."
Akasha walked forward without hesitation and sat cross-legged at the edge of the small pond.
The cold of the frozen potential washed over him in a clean, steady wave, seeping through his skin and settling deep into his bones.
Soft blue light from the crystalline walls reflected off the surface of the potential essence, casting gentle patterns across his black-and-white hair and the four black-and-grey horns crowning his head.
Luna and Yume remained near the entrance, watching in silence.
A translucent status screen bloomed in front of Akasha’s eyes, listing every innate power he currently held.
---
[Dream Walker (Above Origin)]
[Veil of Dreams (Above Origin)]
[Absolute Dreams (Origin)]
[Dream Realization (Above Origin)]
[Dream Thief (Origin)]
[Dream Nexus (Above Origin)]
[Dream of Self (Above Origin)]
[Potential Sense (Passive)]
[Lucid Potential (God)]
-----
The system’s calm prompt followed immediately.
[Which powers do you wish to combine?]
[Power limit is restricted to the rank of your Star — Divine.]
Akasha’s lips curved into a small, almost resigned smile.
"I truly hate to admit it... but my mother’s absurdity never fails," he muttered to himself, having long since stopped being surprised by the bizarre items of the gachas.
Then, without further hesitation, he selected and wove the powers together with precise mental commands.
HUMMMM!!!!!
The frozen potential in the chamber responded, the air growing colder and denser as streams of soft blue essence rose from the pond and spiraled around him.
In a matter of moments, three new Divine-ranked powers solidified in his status.
[Lord of Dreams (Divine) - (Combines Dream Realization + Dream Thief + Lucid Potential)
You can extract unrealized potential directly from the dreams of others and permanently claim it.
Once harvested, you can either: Forge the stolen potential into a real ability or object at your current Battle Prowess, or Plant it back into the target, allowing their growth to channel back into your own.]
[Dreamy Protection (Divine) (Combines Dream Walker + Veil of Dreams + Dream of Self)
This power lets you wrap yourself (and selected allies) in a living dream-state while remaining fully present in reality.
While under the protection, attacks that strike you partially lose their "realism" and are weakened or redirected into harmless dream motes.
Your own actions gain a layer of idealized perfection for a short duration, maximizing efficiency and clarity.
You can still step fully into another’s dream at will, and the protection remains active as a constant protective and enhancing layer.]
----
[Absolute Dream Anchor (Divine) (Combines Absolute Dreams + Dream Nexus + Potential Sense)
You can plant a permanent Dream Anchor inside a person, location, memory, or even a future possibility.
Once anchored: You can force the target into a fractured dream state from any distance.
The anchor becomes a permanent portal you can open at will.
Through the anchor, you can sense the target’s highest and lowest potential paths, giving precise knowledge of what they could become or what they most fear becoming.]
----
Once he finished, the status screen faded.
The cold of the chamber settled once more into quiet stillness.
Akasha remained seated at the edge of the pond, eyes closed, letting the three new powers settle fully into his existence while Luna and Yume continued to watch from the entrance.