Sovereign of Illusions

Another week passed as Adam only cultivated in the cave and occasionally left it to search for food and water.

After successfully becoming a rank 1 Adept, his progress has halted, and he has yet to progress in cultivating.

”Sigh, I need a better place to cultivate. Here, there are hardly any Dream Elemental particles. ” As the number of elemental particles directly affected the cultivation progress, Adam finally decided to leave this cave.

He didn create a barrier or use some concealing method to block the cave. It was not that he could use any at all, and if he decided to learn one of these methods, it would take time, and a powerful cultivator would quickly notice his weak methods.

He was currently naked. Not even the ring or the book was with him. After becoming a rank 1 Adept, he could enter his dreams, and even though its boundaries were small, he felt that leaving things there would pose no problems. Adding to the fact that he still had no understanding of the ring and could only feel powerful energy coming out of it, he decided to leave it alone until he became powerful enough to learn about it.

Adam started sprinting toward the river he had previously visited, leaving the cave. Tens of minutes passed, and after crossing a more significant part of the forests high biodiversity, he found the river.

Even though he was not a biologist in his previous life, he was sure that some of the strange plants he found around the forest didn exist on earth. Not caring about such useless things, he decided to follow the river. He was using it as a way not to get lost. He left some markings on the trees next to the river and left the place.

He needed to decide whether to choose north, south, east, or west. He just decided to keep the no named river on the side of his left hand and started walking.

”I should be heading to the north. ”

After walking for two hours, he had already gone much further than ever. The river was getting thinner and thinner.

It should be around midday right now. Adam was tired from walking endlessly. His physical constitution was that of an average 13 years old boy, and even though there were some strange traits to it, such as elven ears, nothing more.

Suddenly a loud roar was heard, shaking the leaves and bringing Adam a sense of despair.

After a few seconds, a sharp scream was also noticed by Adam.

This, it should be a human. Such an acute scream would mean that this person met his nemesis… I should go and check. What if they know where the closest city is.

Even though he wanted their knowledge about this place and cities close, Adam wasn foolish to risk his life trying to protect someone he didn even know. And even if he knew these people, he wouldn be irrational to risk his life…

Getting closer and closer to the roar, Adam started hearing the sounds of a battle. There were some shouts, and sometimes the sound of metal clashing was also heard.

Concealing himself to the best of his abilities, Adam sneakily watched the battle with an excited look on his face. A man mounted on a beast was surrounded by ten other people, and the ones surrounding the beast were all using similar armory. There were many casualties, and bodies filled the battlefield. The man with his beast tried resisting but was soon unable to keep protecting himself. In a desperate measure, he ordered the beast to sprint toward the forest, only to be pierced by an arrow from someone hidden in the woods.

Damn, they really do not look good people at all.

Adam soundlessly tried leaving this place as the guards started looting the bodies on the ground.

Rustle Rustle.

Even though Adam tried his best not to make any sound, someone quickly found him and started shouting at the others.

” #%$^& ^%^**&^*& !! ”

Well, I suppose he said – Help, someone is here!

These thoughts invaded his mind. He thought about running away, but the scene of the man who had a giant lion being pierced by an arrow in the middle of his chest soonly appeared in his mind.

Well, talking my way out will also be impossible…

Even though Adam had already started cultivating, he knew no spell. His energy was, in fact, entirely useless for him.

”Hello adventurers, my name is Adam. Im sorry for interrupting your issues. Ill now take my leave. ”

Adam gently talked to the archer who was in front of him. When Adam walked from behind the tree, the archer was utterly flabbergasted and shouted again to his comrades using their local language.

”Help! Its an elf. We are going to be rich! He has no weapons, and this crazy fellow is completely naked! ”

”What? an Elf? Fast, let us surround him! ”

Adam still had no idea of what they were talking about, but from their actions and how they spoke, Adam knew they were up to no good.

Not knowing from where, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg. With much difficulty, he looked below and found a small dart piercing him. This was probably shouted from a blowpipe.

His surroundings became blurry, and their strange voices made even less sense. With a low thud, Adam fell headfirst into the ground.

. . . . .

An unknown amount of time later.

Adam slowly woke up. His right leg was hurting, and his face seemed sore. The last thing he saw was the ground approaching very quickly.

I probably hit my head…

Becoming aware of his surroundings, Adam noticed that he was not alone this time and had already received some articles of clothing. He was surrounded by many women and children imprisoned in a jail-looking wagon.

It can be, right? Did I become a slave right after leaving the cave?

Sighing to himself, Adam closed his eyes once again and started cultivating.

Well, even though I dislike the status as a slave, this is the fastest and most secure way of traveling through these woods where many poisonous and dangerous creatures freely roam.

. . . . .

Even though Adam had previously learned the idiom used in the laboratory, this place, unfortunately, used another type of language.

Seeing him acting strangely, nobody approached him because of his actions or because everyone was uncertain about their future. All captured people would become slaves, so they lost most of their hope.

Adam didn care about these people or that he didn know their language. His only thoughts were that of becoming strong.

If I can learn at least one spell, Ill be able to leave this place! ”

Five days passed as Adam only focused on meditating and training his spell. It was a Rank 0 spell called Deceiving.

Its use was, in fact, straightforward. Someone with a higher mental capacity and more elemental energy could indirectly or directly manipulate someones action.

This spell was explained in the [Seven Illusions Technique] book.

. . . . .

Every day, the slaves would receive the minimum amount of food to keep them alive. Only some strong-looking slaves with fit bodies and arms filled with scars would receive more, keeping their form.

Every time Adam looked at them, a trace of jealousy appeared. Not because of their physique but because of the food. Even though his likes had reduced a lot after eating that disgusting air, he still wanted to eat something better.

Haaa, I should keep training. Why are my thoughts wandering so much? Adam didn understand, but unconsciously his already fatigued mind started appreciating the false security that being a captive gave him.

Two days after Adams slight breakdown, the marching soldiers with similar armor and breastplates had a one-wing dragon stopped. They all had glad looks on their faces. This place was outside the forest, and it was already night. And setting camp on the not pavement road would be much easier and safer than amidst the wilderness as they previously did.

Adam didn know yet, but this road would lead them to an ominous city where the black market thrived. The guards only fear now wasn of being eyed by a beast, and they only feared being ganged up and robbed by many thieves.

Opening his eyes, Adam trembled. He was the only person with the rank of adept in this place. Unknowingly to others, Adam looked to the faraway horizon, where many dark particles danced in harmony and chaotic energy disseminated.

What is that thing? Are these guys nuts? Going there without even noticing all the elemental particles… Ignorance is truly a blessing.

Adams desire to rank up increased tenfold. He wanted to at least go there as a free man because if he went there as a slave and any other magician saw him, they would instantly forcefully buy him. The possibility of owning an adept rank slave to become either a guard, slave, or perhaps an experimental lab rat was what many magicians needed. But there were better options than robbing a wandering adept. If done, it had to be highly secretive. Being discovered would create the wrath of not only academies and sects but hundreds of adepts.

Even though the power of a magician was hundreds of that of an adept, they were still fearful of simply robbing a wandering adept. Instead, they would dupe them with other methods or buy war prisoners and slaves.

Even though Adam didn know any of these, he would not be stupid enough to enter such an unnerving city with the status of a slave.

I should try it today…

Midnight slowly approached, and the marvelous moon shone on the lands. A trace of whiteness glimmered on Adams distorted face.

He was using some incantation to cast a rank 0 spell. He had not only passed the previous week of training on the [Rank 0 Deceiving Spell] but also trained the [Rank 0 Dram Invasion Spell]. After two minutes of intense concentration and almost depleting his energy reserves, he cast the spell.

Robert, one of the guards, who were soundly asleep, started, unnoticed to the others, shivering. In his dreams, he was sitting on a brown leather couch and gazing somewhere on the ground. Adam, who magically appeared behind Robert, followed the mans gaze and saw a pretty woman and a delicate mistress around 15 years of age sitting and chatting in front of each other. Noticing the mans loving look, Adam instantly noticed their relationship, which should be his wife and daughter.

With a snap of his fingers, Adam changed the scenario. All that was left was Robert in a black void.

As an average human, Robert had no control over his dream or emotions, and as if controlling him, Adam successfully displayed tons of images before Robert and himself. All these images left Robert with a sometimes happy and other times sad look on his face.

To Robert, all of what was happening in his dream resembled his early childhood. Firstly, all the memories revealed a place where he was trained to be a knight of the Bitelly family, then over time, after much training and becoming a valuable knight, Robert was accepted as the son-in-law of the Bitelly family. This family, mysteriously enough, was a small family of magicians. Still, in fates playful manner, one of the familys daughters had almost no talent whatsoever for their meditation technique, reaching only rank 5 of the Adept rank after years of training and meditation. Finding the love of her life in her early childhood after being saved by Robert, she married him, and they, years later, had a daughter. But once again, as if mocking them, fate bestowed their daughter with a never-before-seen talent on the Bitelly family.

All these memories that amount to years of Roberts lifetime passed in instants on Adams perspective. This rank 0 spells only use was to gather information, and even though Adam could freely enter the others dreams, he was still much further from controlling them.

Luckily this man was only a knight and had no cultivation whatsoever, else this information gathering would become impossible.

Adams already low magical reserves started diminishing every second that passed, and he would only be able to keep the spell for some seconds now.

”Snap ”

Once again, Adam snapped his fingers, recreating the peaceful environment from before, where Robert was happily looking for his family.

Seconds later, Robert woke up with teary eyes. He dreamt of his early childhood and marriage, which brought him much happiness.

Grinning, Adams face, which was now hidden amidst the tens of slaves, showed a different type of emotion.

This is power! I can only imagine how amazing it would be to directly seize others control of their bodies.