Chapter 625 - Cosmic Dream Net Corporation

"Of course."

The female giant didn’t think twice about Lu Ran's fabricated identity. The universe was vast, and many civilizations existed in remote regions, minor worlds, and secret realms.

Lu Ran's sudden appearance, combined with his injuries, made it completely plausible for him to have arrived here by puncturing through the spatial barrier of a minor world. Most of the geniuses that suddenly rose to fame with mysterious backgrounds had similar origin stories.

From the female giant’s perspective, this was likely the case.

The aura he gave off could only come from someone who reigned supreme over his home world.

Faced with someone so powerful who didn’t present themselves as an enemy, the female could only answer his questions and hope that he would leave on his own.

"Since long ago, this universe could be roughly divided into five territories."

"I see." Lu Ran nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"The five regions are the Cosmic Sea, the Giant Beast Empire, the Overlord Territory, the Karnid Nest, and the Badlands. Each of them is led by a Cosmic-rank being that stands at the pinnacle of this universe, exceeding the power of Primary Divines.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"The leaders of these territories are the ruler of the starry skies, the World King, the ruler of beasts, the Beast King, the ruler of the Karnids, the Karnid Queen, the ruler of the Badland tribe, the Dark King, and the strongest of them all, the Cosmic Overlord, Sybas.

There are five Cosmic-rank beings...

Lu Ran was silent.

He wondered whether the Four Supreme Divine Dragons were capable of defeating Sybas if they teamed up on it. Judging from their species, the Genesis Dragons and the World King should have similar abilities that centered around nurturing worlds within their bodies.

However, the Divine Dragons have said that they were law-based lifeforms that were superior to planetary lifeforms. That should translate to higher combat power.

Lu Ran remained calm as he processed the information. With his current status as the Keeper of the Universe, if Captain Doofus used the Cosmic Will as a sword at full power, it should temporarily be able to touch on the Cosmic rank. With the Genesis Dragon, he would have two cosmic-rank bodyguards, so he had nothing to worry about. It would just be a little troublesome at best.

"Of course, the list is now a bit outdated. Ever since the Dark King was purified by the galaxy sprites, the ownership of the Badland changed hands and was renamed the Silver Galaxy. There has been upheaval on the cosmic scale.”

"Hmm?"

"It’s all centered around this new force, the Silver Galaxy!" the female warrior said solemnly.

Lu Ran raised a brow.

"Back in the day, the Dark King's army was notorious, even more so than the Cosmic Overlord Legion. Once they were defeated, the galaxy sprites supplanted them and created the Natural Preservation Army that aims to purify the universe. The galaxy sprites were likely natural enemies of the Dark King’s species and were the ones to end up on top.

"Not long after, someone named the Sky Reaching Emperor rose up from among the plant species within the Silver Galaxy. It single-handedly changed the fate of all medicinal species across the universe and pioneered a new path of cultivation before ultimately being acknowledged as the Cosmic Medicine King.

“Rumors say that just its aura is enough to kill Primary Divines from overnourishment. It should still be residing within the Silver Galaxy territory.

"Later on, the Dream King emerged. It was also based in the Silver Galaxy and founded the Cosmic Dream Net Corporation, which connected the entire universe. Making a purchase through the Dream Net gives access to a second dream world where you can access entertainment and even train. Death in the dreamworld held no consequences in reality.

“The Cosmic Dream Net is now indispensable to the entire universe. Through Dream Net, beings at opposite ends of the universe can now connect with each other.

"The galaxy sprites’ Natural Preservation Army and the Medicine King are not that big of an issue. Although they are also Cosmic-rank beings, they operate independently.

"In comparison, the Cosmic Dream Net Corporation has become a colossal force that no Cosmic-level power dares to provoke. At their helm, they have three Cosmic-rank beings.

"Besides the Dream King, the Cosmic Dream Network Company also possesses a terrifying Cosmic-Rank Mechanical lifeform that’s responsible for maintaining the Corporation with its computing capabilities. It’s a co-manager along with the Dream King.

"Then, there’s the Gem Queen. It has never shown its hand, but it’s definitely at the Cosmic rank and is probably the richest being in the universe. It’s in charge of the finances for the corporation.

"Having three Cosmic-rank beings in charge is only one of the reasons that they haven’t been robbed despite the immense wealth they’ve accrued. The main reason is actually the Panda King I mentioned earlier.

"It comes from a place called Blue Planet. The aforementioned Cosmic beings are powerful, but they couldn’t really stand up to Sybas. That’s what makes the Panda King stand out.

“Not only did it rise from obscurity and defeat Sybas, who had dominated the universe for countless years in a single battle, but the panda clan that it leads has also been expanding rapidly.

“They are now the most powerful combative species in the universe. The Panda Army they formed is now arguably the most powerful force in existence and is even forcing Sybas’ forces to retreat.

"The Panda Army has a close relationship with the Dream Net Corporation. Supposedly, they provide security for all of the corporation’s operations outside the Dream Realm. In return, the Mechanical Comic being arms them with state-of-the-art battleships.

"Of course, this is all hearsay. I'm still too weak to be personally privy to the matters of the Cosmic rank. Right now, the universe at large possesses at least ten Cosmic-rank beings. Rumors even say that there could be more.

"In short, you absolutely should avoid provoking these Cosmic-level forces.

“Reality is just too unfair. We didn’t do anything to provoke the Sybas Legion, but we still ended up in their crosshairs."

The female giant’s face filled with grief.

Being targeted by such a colossal force was a death sentence.

"The Silver Galaxy...[1] and Blue Planet..."

Lu Ran listened with great interest. It was exactly as the Cosmic Will had predicted: parallel universes existed.

This universe also had a Blue Planet. If he had time, then he would definitely have to visit.

"So where are we right now?" Lu Ran asked.

"We are on the border between the Overlord Territory and the Cosmic Sea," the female giant answered.

"I see. By the way, do you have any equipment that I can connect to the Cosmic Dream Net with?"

Lu Ran found the Cosmic Dream Net quite interesting. It was really similar to Limitless City.

The Dream Net was like a game world that allowed people from all corners of the universe to gather in one place.

“Yes."

"Can you give me one? I'll pay for it."

Several giant warriors exchanged glances.

"Of course! I'll take you there to get it, but I hope you'll leave our planet after this. I don't recommend staying here for long. The Sybas Legion is constantly attacking, and an all-out war could break out at any moment."

"I understand."

The Sybas Legion?

Lu Ran shook his head. He had already destroyed them once before in a historical simulation.

Soon after, Lu Ran arrived in one of the giants’ cities. The population was naturally tall, so the buildings in the city were enormous.

Luckily, Lu Ran could control his size and increase it to match the giants’ stature to make things less awkward. Out of respect for the powerful, this group arranged a luxurious palace for him.

The leading female warrior stayed by his side throughout the entire visit, both to take care of and monitor him until the device he asked for arrived.

Lu Ran didn't bully them, so he gave them a bag of Legendary-grade ramen that he had enhanced with amplification cards. Upon receiving the noodles, the giant warrior remained silent, finding it strange that Lu Ran's civilization could create something of such quality.

"What do you think?" After the giants left, Lu Ran locked himself in the palace and spoke to his familiars that were within his beastmaster space.

"This universe is truly powerful," the Cosmic Will replied. "In its heyday, our universe only had six Cosmic beings, with the Genesis Dragon being the strongest. This universe has so many. Perhaps it has something to do with this universe’s Keeper."

"Do you think I can enter this Dream Net? Will the Dream King see through our identities?”

"To connect such a vast universe, the Dream Net must operate according to fixed procedures and rules. The Cosmic beings can’t be actively managing it nonstop. Even if we were discovered, it wouldn't matter.

"We're just here temporarily to break through. If the Keeper of this universe discovers us, then the worst that can happen is that we get kicked out. A collision between two universes is not something a Keeper can withstand. It will weaken their control over the Cosmic Will, so it definitely won’t want to take the risk.

"Not every universe's Keeper is willingly contracted with the Cosmic Will. This universe's Keeper most likely forced the Cosmic Will into a contract, which means that the Cosmic Will is constantly trying to resist.

"I actually sense that this universe's Keeper is currently absent, meaning that they’re either asleep or in another parallel universe, but I didn't send you here to surf the internet. You need to use the Seed of Transformation to improve your strength.

"Unless we encounter a particularly critical situation, the Genesis Dragon and I will refrain from interfering since we’re here to recuperate energy, not waste it. Now, this is for you." As the Cosmic Will said this, a panel appeared in front of Lu Ran.

[Skill book: Infinite Plunder]

[Description: After defeating an enemy, the user can convert the majority of their opponent’s remaining energy into pure cosmic energy, which can then be absorbed by Limitless.]

"Our universe is running low on energy. If you encounter some beings of the Primary Divine rank that are worth sparring with, you will be able to drain their energy after beating them. This universe has over a dozen Cosmic-rank beings, so the number of Primary Divines should be even greater.

"Furthermore, the Primary Divines in this universe are more complete than our own, so they contain far greater reserves of energy. The more you defeat, the more power you will gain. It will help your familiars prepare for their own ascension to the Cosmic rank."

"I understand.”

“But try to defeat them without killing them. Don't cause any trouble, okay?"

"Yes."

The Cosmic Will was nervous. Lu Ran was a natural troublemaker.

"This Cosmic Dream Net is the perfect platform for us to connect with the powerful beings of this universe." Lu Ran smiled. “I don't know if this skill will work in there, but I'll give it a try."

Out of curiosity, Lu Ran didn't immediately head to explore this universe. Instead, he logged into the Cosmic Dream Net to take a look around. The Cosmic Will ignored him. How could the Cosmic Dream Net compare to the Limitless City it created?

***

[Welcome to the Cosmic Dream Net. This is your first time logging in. Please set your ID.]

After a moment, Lu Ran realized that only his consciousness entered the Dream Net while his body remained where it was.

Although his form here was ethereal, Lu Ran felt that his power wasn’t affected. It was quite miraculous.

"This dream realm is quite complete, and the integration of the real and illusory is flawless. This Dream King must have honed the Spirit and Space attributes to perfection. It chose a path different from the Genesis Dragon, which cultivated four attributes.

"Perhaps this place can help #18 improve its Hall of Heroic Spirits!"

Standing in a blank room, Lu Ran felt that he could still summon his familiars and sense the presence of the Cosmic Will. He could even utilize the cosmic power of Limitless City. The last part was kind of a given because not many things could resist the power of a Cosmic Will.

“My ID will be Beastmaster King,” Lu Ran declared.

[Multiple duplicate IDs detected. Do you want to choose a different ID?]

"... Pedestrian A.”

[Multiple duplicate IDs detected. Do you want to choose a different ID?]

"No," Lu Ran said irritably.

[ID set successfully! Hello, Pedestrian A. Welcome to the Cosmic Dream Net. To provide you with a better experience, would you like to participate in the Combat Evaluation?]

[Combat Evaluation: You can choose from nine examiners of varying strength to battle. Victory will reward you with different membership levels. Higher-level memberships offer more benefits.]

[(You can opt to skip the Combat Evaluation and enter the Dream Net directly.)]

"Interesting."

Lu Ran was eager to try it out. Although many of his familiars had been training for the past six months, he hadn't fought in a long time. While he did not exactly feel rusty, Lu Ran gladly accepted the opportunity to exercise. It was the perfect chance to test his new skills.

"Yes."

[Level 1 Examiner: Quasi-Legendary.

Difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard.]

[Level 2 Examiner: Legendary.

Difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard.]

[Level 3 Examiner: Primary Divine.

Difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard.]

[Please choose carefully. While death in the Dream Net doesn't affect the real world, the experience could still be traumatic.]

While there were undoubtedly many Primary Divine beings throughout the universe, beings at that level didn’t have time to spend on the web all day. Lu Ran believed that the examiners were most likely simulations, like how Limitless City was set up.

"I choose Primary Divine on Hard."

Lu Ran decided to go for the highest level of membership after mulling it over a bit. No matter how powerful the examiner was, they couldn’t be stronger than the Cosmic-ranked Genesis Dragon.

[Confirmed.]

[Generating Hard-difficulty Primary-Divine examiner.]

[This examiner is a simulation of a Primary-Divine being recorded by the Net. The simulation will possess self-awareness.]

As expected.

[Random simulation selected.]

[Your examiner is Lin Xiuzhu, Mythical beastmaster from Blue Planet of the Silver Galaxy.]

1. The Chinese name for the Milky Way is 银河 meaning Silver River which is the original here. Keeping with the theme of Blue Planet, I translated it as Silver Galaxy. ☜