Chapter 197: Different Fates
While Tony spent his night buried inside ancient books and forgotten martial records, countless other participants scattered throughout the Dream Realm were experiencing entirely different lives.
The World Tree did not care about talent, reputation, family influence, or social status. Once consciousness entered the Dream Realm, fate decided everything.
For some, fate was generous. For others, fate was cruel.
And for a few unfortunate souls, fate possessed a twisted sense of humor.
Lily Frost belonged somewhere in the middle.
The moment she awakened inside the Dream Realm, she found herself inside the body of a servant family’s daughter living in a small city far away from the great clans.
Her new identity possessed no powerful background, no cultivation inheritance, and certainly no wealth worth mentioning. The tiny house she woke up in contained barely enough furniture for daily life, while her dream-realm parents spent most of their days working for local merchants.
Many participants would have become depressed.
Many would have considered themselves unlucky.
Lily’s reaction was completely different.
The young woman nearly laughed herself to tears.
"A servant?"
She looked around the small room. Then looked again... Then laughed.
"I finally don’t have to attend noble family meetings."
The first thing she did wasn’t cultivation. The first thing she did wasn’t investigating the Dream Realm. Instead, she spent an entire day challenging people.
The local martial school master... The butcher’s son, The guards stationed near the city gates. Anyone willing to spar became her target.
The poor residents quickly discovered that the cheerful servant girl had apparently gone insane overnight.
By sunset, Lily had already defeated most of the younger generation in her district. While returning home, she couldn’t stop smiling. The Dream Realm fascinated her.
Unlike many participants, she completely understood her situation. This wasn’t real life, This wasn’t permanent, If she wanted to experience something different, now was the perfect opportunity.
"Maybe tomorrow I’ll challenge the city lord’s son."
The thought excited her immediately.
***
Meanwhile, in another region of the Dream Realm, Leo Clark experienced a completely different fate.
When he opened his eyes, he discovered that he had been born into the family of a swordsmith.
Initially Leo felt disappointed.
Then he thought that it might be opportunity to learn a skill
Everything changed.
Instead of searching for battles, Leo buried himself inside the family workshop. Ancient forging methods, metal purification techniques, rune carving methods, and spirit weapon construction filled his daily life. The old swordsmith who played the role of his father constantly complained that his son had suddenly become hardworking overnight.
Leo couldn’t care less. Every day he learned something new. Every day he discovered techniques that no longer existed in the modern world. Many cultivators spent entire lifetimes searching for opportunities.
Leo suddenly realized that the World Tree had handed him one. "If I can remember even half of this after leaving..."
The thought alone made him excited.
While some participants embraced their new lives, others were learning a much harsher lesson.
***
Outside the World Tree...
Reality remained far less peaceful.
The giant golden tree continued shining above the Pacific Ocean while countless experts monitored its condition. Da Vinci stood alongside the Octopus Organization masters while watching the massive projection screens displaying participant statuses.
Suddenly one screen flashed red. Then another... An academy elder immediately stood.
"Someone’s coming out."
The surrounding experts became serious. Moments later, a figure was violently expelled from the World Tree. The unconscious participant crashed onto a medical platform prepared in advance.
The young man’s body shook uncontrollably.
Blood flowed from his mouth. His spiritual aura had become chaotic.
Several healers immediately rushed forward. Another participant emerged.
Within an hour, more than a dozen competitors had been expelled. Every one of them suffered severe injuries. None were dead. Yet all appeared terrified.
Da Vinci personally questioned one of the academy disciples after he regained consciousness.
The disciple’s face remained pale, His hands shook, His eyes carried genuine fear.
"What happened?" Da Vinci asked.
The disciple swallowed nervously. "I died."
The surrounding experts frowned.
The disciple continued. "I don’t mean almost died. I actually died."
Silence spread.
The young man lowered his head.
"I was born into a poor family. A local conflict happened. I thought it was a dream. I thought actions didn’t matter. Then I got involved in a fight and someone stabbed me."
The disciple’s breathing became heavier. "The pain was real... Everything felt real."
The surrounding experts exchanged looks.
The disciple clenched his fists. "When I died, I was expelled."
"Dream Realm..."
The term soon circulated throughout the observation camps.
Fear followed immediately. Some participants’ families became nervous. Others became relieved. Many people who failed to qualify for the World Tree suddenly felt fortunate.
If death inside the Dream Realm resulted in elimination, then the competition had become far more dangerous than expected.
Even the Octopus Organization possessed limited historical records regarding this phenomenon.
The uncertainty frightened everyone.
***
Meanwhile...
Inside the Dream Realm itself...
Another familiar face had awakened.
Emma Rock slowly placed down a tray of wine while observing the wedding residence from a distance.
Unlike Tony... Fate had not been particularly kind to her.
Emma had been born into the role of a servant. A servant working directly inside the Sky Family estate.
The moment she understood her identity, she almost cursed the World Tree.
Yet after calming down, she discovered something unexpected. This servant happened to work inside the household of Skylar Sky.
Which meant... She had witnessed the wedding. Emma stood quietly beneath a corridor while recalling the ceremony.
Tony... The moment she saw him, something felt wrong.
Emma narrowed her eyes. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became.
A dangerous thought gradually formed. ’What if he is real Tony? I can take my revenge at least in this way!;
The possibility immediately attracted her attention.
After all... Tony Clark had never been predictable. Emma looked toward the residence where the newlyweds currently stayed.
Then a cold smile appeared. She wasn’t jealous... At least that’s what she told herself.
She simply disliked seeing Tony marry another woman. Even if it happened inside a dream.
Emma turned and began walking toward the servants’ quarters.
If that truly was Tony... She would find out.
And if necessary... She would personally eliminate him before he gained any advantage inside the Dream Realm.
Far away, inside the library, Tony suddenly sneezed... Then returned to reading.
Completely unaware that his greatest future problem inside the Dream Realm wasn’t the Magistrate’s son.
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Tq guys for the Power-Stones!
