Chapter 1105: No. 10: Next time, become a D-rank personnel

No. 10: Next time, become a D-rank personnel.

In both the source energy and technological fields, the technical systems are sufficiently mature, allowing easy construction of multi-person dream linkages and even parallel-linked large rooms.

Encrypting dreams is not just about seeking stability; it's also about defending one's rights.

After all, dreams and spirit have always been closely related, and cases of illegal crimes conducted through dreams are already not uncommon in the Federation.

There is even a series of separate statutes specifically intended to restrict and judge crimes carried out via dreams.

In fact, the dream election formerly conducted by Yuger Company itself is a violation.

Although the dream server itself was set up through legal procedures, the company clearly lied in the field describing its dream functions.

Simply because a certain irritable client did not want to handle it through official channels, Aomo did not consider reporting it.

That matter is long past, but many organizations still carry out dangerous violations through dreams in this world.

Among them, the most radical is undoubtedly the very foundation of dreams themselves—namely, tampering with the consciousness layer of the dream's owner.

Such criminals are extremely rare, as rare as the probability of a car accident.

After all, any criminal with a bit of sense would not choose such a short‑sighted, kill‑the‑chicken‑to‑steal‑the‑egg approach.

Although the Holy Terra Federation's police deployment and surveillance distribution design have regional differences, this does not hinder the mercenaries' activity.

Compared with the police, mercenaries positioned as new‑era detectives are far more troublesome and dangerous, especially those employed by agencies holding legitimate dream‑investigation licenses.

They often act with even fewer scruples than free mercenaries, relying on government‑backed resources; even if a victim's soul is shattered into pieces, they can still be pieced back together, so they care nothing for the criminal, the dreamer, or even their own safety.

Moreover, because these mercenaries effectively curb the occurrence of malignant dream‑related crimes, the vast majority of Federation citizens have never truly encountered such criminals.

But just as many people go through life without ever experiencing a car accident or plane crash, when it does happen it becomes a total life‑shattering blow, even ending one's life—following the principle of 'better safe than sorry,' Federation residents' lifelong insurance purchases also include a slot for dream coverage.

Some prominent figures who frequently appear in public places and easily make many enemies even have dedicated dream bodyguards, usually provided by high‑rank servitors or AIs that closely monitor dream data.

They must guard not only against mental blows, but also against hidden hands that manipulate dreams, interfere with the subconscious, and gradually influence and distort the present situation.

To put it simply, it's like the dream in which Ling visits Aomo. Although he mostly can't recall the content, his attitude toward Ling has already undergone a leap.

This is practically comparable to the substantive content of a hypnosis app's process.

Those who can control another's dreams can naturally intervene bit by bit, even train that person's subconscious, thereby turning their reality around.

Thus dream bodyguards are that important.

Obviously, such treatment requires both connections and wealth.

The vast majority of ordinary citizens simply cannot reach that level.

Besides buying insurance, they at most go to a shop offering dream‑related services to put a lock on their own dreams.

This is precisely what Chazuo calls 'dream encryption'.

But although it's called encryption, the principle behind most dream encryption is not to put a lock on the dream's door; instead, it gives the client a long‑term buff that maximally suppresses spiritual leakage.

Students studying the spiritual field all know that life possesses a wavelength.

Whether animal or plant, every living being constantly radiates outward the wavelength of will.

The difference merely lies in strength versus weakness, size, and different contours.

If not specially treated, one ends up in a completely defenseless state—easily invaded by Red Spirits, or rather easily targeted by dream bandits.

Virtually all shops offering dream‑encryption services on the market do not set up obstructive safeguards or identification rituals for clients; instead, they directly place a 'spiritual seal' on them.

Changing from the public version to the secret version, and being indistinguishable in appearance, is equivalent to packaging your dream as a blind box, thereby lowering the chance of attack.

But frankly, this degree of concealment is quite limited, akin to the anti‑theft bars of an ordinary residential area—it only stops low‑skill, poorly equipped petty thieves.

At the same time, during the initial period before adaptation, one occasionally feels psychological oppression.

If one is cultivating source energy, it will also hinder the actual manifestation of perception‑related fields.

Nevertheless, this is sufficient to meet the needs of ordinary customers.

After all, not everyone in the Federation persists in source‑energy cultivation; in fact, most people's source‑energy training stops at college graduation.

What follows is an on‑again, off‑again routine like fishing two days and drying nets three days, then breaking for a while whenever reality gets too busy—until, in one's thirties or forties, noticing the body isn't in good shape, one starts looking for strengthening‑body cultivation methods again.

Then, because the early results were unsatisfactory, they switched over to the neighboring technology and ruthless endeavor (crossed out).

That's simply the fact.

Compared with the plain, sturdy path of cultivation, more people opt for pills, rituals, gene adjustment, or prosthetic modification.

In the world, hardly anyone can balance cultivation, work, and leisure—not even Aomo.

Just look at the magic in this person's hands: they are nothing but overly practical and overly plain little tricks—things that require chanting, drawing formations, or sacrifice, he truly does not bother to practice.

Some people have long accepted their mediocre aptitude and would rather spend time on the Magic Union Association's yearly‑updated page of 'Spells Even Muggles Can Learn' than on flashy, badass source‑energy arts.

Regardless of whether they can fight, at least they're practical: they relieve stress and treat insomnia, can sprout extra hands, make ice cubes, and even save water and electricity.

Aomo has always thought magic is a technology born for convenience; although the aggressive, destructive‑focused fire school isn't necessarily wrong, its job prospects after graduation are truly worrisome.

For concrete reference, see the casual chat he had with Bi Ze a few days before the college entrance exam.

—At that time, Aomo had not yet imagined his future as a mercenary.

Rather than studying spells for frontal combat, he considered waiting until after university to find a chance to awaken his bloodline, then delve into demon‑realm spells and combat techniques to lay the groundwork for future employment at the Two Worlds Safety Bureau.

Nowadays, Aomo, despite having walked the mercenary path, still has not considered the magic system prepared for the general public of source‑energy cultivators, nor has he considered demon‑realm spells and combat techniques.

If asked why, the reason is simply that he feels nothing about it.

Because the technology and ruthless endeavor that belong to him, he has already encountered.

Monster cards.

Undoubtedly technology and ruthless endeavor.

The card‑making technology derived from the technologized Land of Light, and the monster cards that easily induce the corruption of ordinary people's will—placed in the past, when gatekeeping views were stricter, they would largely have been treated as heretical heterodoxy.

Even though it looks easy to get strong at first glance, it actually continually drains more important aspects of the self—this is likewise like some heretical cultivation method, or a sacrificial black magic.

In today's open‑minded, diverse climate, although many still watch it warily and shun it, at least one won't be attacked for no reason—if he truly turned into a monster without a word, people would still instinctively strike him.

But now, as one of the combat‑ability categories, it can be successfully identified by the mercenary headquarters' website instead of popping up an 'invalid proof'.

This is enough to move Aomo.

Feeling moved, Aomo also needs to send a message to the four monster controllers.

【Yuehuanshe: The procedures here are completed; the first round of testing is in the dream realm, no pressure, just treat it as handling the mess caused by that guy who reset the world.】

【Shi Jia: Okay, Mr. Aomo.】

【Gui She: Who would have pressure? On the other hand, you silently pulling a big deal—what the hell is that? You didn't say you wanted us to be employees helping you handle affairs, did you?】

How come we haven't finished work yet and already have to take an exam! You never said that before!

【He: Indeed, we said that upgrading the agency requires us to also undergo evaluation and upgrade.】

【Gui She: Did we say that?】

【Shi Jia: We did.】

【Chen: +1】

【Gui She: …Anyway, why was that commission handled without notifying us?】

【Chen: Not finished yet; the contract still has a second half.】

【Gui She: Huh? Really?】

There's a second half?】

【He: Flip the page, the commission page can be flipped—you didn't miss it, did you?】

【Gui She: …

Never mind, that dream test—just follow the mission requirements, right?】

【Yuehuanshe: Yes, because the agency directly jumped to C-rank this time, you can also pass the C-rank evaluation and jump straight to C-rank.】

Normally, mercenaries need to climb step by step; even if you have C-rank ability, you must start from E-rank evaluation step by step.】

【Chen: I heard there's also a written test?】

【Yuehuanshe: The written test is conducted uniformly within the region; the nearest one is in March next year, you have plenty of time to prepare.】

【He: So isn't that half a C-rank?】

【Yuehuanshe: Although half a C-rank can't directly take missions, it can serve as an assistant in operations, which is already enough.】

By the way, the dream stage is a key focus for C-rank mercenary evaluation.

Mercenary ratings don't look at the strongest aspect but at the weak point—bucket theory; if you don't know, you can search it with a search engine.

The dream stage, involving the mind, is a domain where ordinary power cannot be used, and most normal mercenaries struggle with it, so it's almost never absent from exams.

Please make sure you all prepare well.】

【Gui She: Willpower, right? That's no problem!】

【He: Weren't we fished out by Chen back then?】

【Shi Jia: Just treat this as a second chance; this time we must wake up.】

【Chen: Can we do a group test?】

【Yuehuanshe: No, but each session has three makeup exam opportunities, so no pressure.】

【Gui She: Pfft, pressure! Once I nail it I'll keep challenging that guy Sai Luo!】

What can you challenge him for?

Aomo was somewhat speechless, but he didn't ask, because given his understanding of both sides, regardless of win or loss, the involved party will soon show up to flaunt.

So he just typed:

【Alright, then I wish you luck; if not, you can actually come back to ask Chazuo, that black‑haired horse girl under me.】

【Gui She: What a joke—I'll pass on the first try and show you!】