Floating Island - Triple S Talent

Zanthor remained prostrated, waiting. He did not lift his head, his breathing steady yet filled with tension. He knew that in this world, no help came without reason. But for some unknown reason, in front of Lein, he felt no need to doubt.

Before him, Lein stood with an indifferent posture. His eyes were not fixed on Zanthor but had shifted toward the transparent dome that enclosed the manifestation zone. His gaze was empty, unwavering, as if he did not care about Zanthor's persistence in waiting for a response.

Meanwhile, far away on Pentua Island, deep within the dense forest, the real Lein sat calmly atop a large rock. His body was relaxed, yet his mind remained active.

On the ground before him, Dragnar lay sprawled, his face etched with exhaustion and suffering. His breath was ragged, his body trembling as if he had just escaped an endless nightmare. His eyes were empty, unfocused—like a man who had lost his grip on reality.

Lein observed him closely. Dragnar had once been a formidable opponent, but now, he was merely a shadow of his former self.

"So, a body that has comprehended the laws can be this resilient..." Lein mused internally. Even though Dragnar had endured torture in the dream, his body remained intact, refusing to break. It was proof of how formidable someone who had attained a deep understanding of the world's laws could be.

He looked down at his own hands, contemplating his strength. His dream element was no ordinary power. With this element, he could create and control dreams at will—even manipulate the boundary between dreams and reality. However, there was one thing that troubled him.

[Dream Element]

A dream expert who is exceedingly skillful and wise. Create, Manipulate, Control dreams. There is no difference between reality and dreams.

- Type: High-Level Element

- Rank: Star 1

- Attack: SSS

- Defense: S

- Abilities: (Elemental Control), (Dream Creation), (Dream Modification), (Dream Actualization)

"Is it because its rank is still too low?" he murmured. All this time, he had been too focused on advancing to the second stage of the King tier. He had not had much time to develop his element.

Lein let out a quiet sigh. "I need to start making time for it. If possible, I should progress in both areas simultaneously."

As his power grew, he was beginning to realize that finding the necessary items and materials for his next breakthrough was becoming increasingly difficult. If he continued to rely solely on his talent, that would eventually become his limit. He needed to start searching for more information.

For now, though, Lein decided to set aside his concerns about his element. He had one last technique he wanted to test—something that might finally make Dragnar speak.

In an instant, Lein's body began to change. His long blue robe remained, but his form started to appear slightly transparent. A bright blue light radiated from his eyes, casting a divine glow over his surroundings. Slowly, his body lifted off the ground, floating gracefully in midair.

The air around him trembled. A magical aura filled the space, as if the dimension of reality itself was merging with the world of dreams.

Dragnar, who had been lying motionless moments ago, twitched his fingers slightly. His vacant eyes slowly began to show emotion—fear.

Lein smirked.

"Let's see how long you can endure this time."

In his spirit form, his consciousness expanded several times over. Every detail around him became clearer, every ripple of energy easier to perceive. But more importantly—his element's power surged dramatically.

"I'm curious—can you still endure my eternal dream?" Lein's voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable sharpness in his tone.

Before him, Dragnar remained motionless on the ground, his body rigid, his face pale. His breath was shallow, as though each inhale was painful. His eyes burned red, filled with unexpressed rage. Yet, though his body remained alive, his soul was beginning to fracture.

Lein raised one hand, moving his index finger lightly. A bubble formed in the air, but this time, it was different—the sphere pulsed with a terrifying energy. Streaks of lightning danced around it, the air itself trembling as if aware of the danger contained within.

Without haste, Lein directed the bubble toward Dragnar.

Dragnar's body flinched. Even before the bubble touched him, he could already sense the overwhelming threat it carried. His eyes flared with both fury and dread, yet his body could do nothing. He was trapped, powerless to resist.

Lein remained unmoved. His gaze was calm, almost cold. "This is your last chance to speak. If you refuse, you will die." His words were spoken casually, but they carried an undeniable finality.

The bubble touched Dragnar's body, then enveloped him entirely. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the dream world.

Inside the bubble, Dragnar awakened, floating in a vast emptiness. The air around him felt heavy, like an invisible force pressing in from all directions. Suddenly, chains of darkness emerged from the void, shooting toward him and binding both his hands. Before he could react, more chains coiled around his legs. His body was pulled in different directions, sending jolts of pain through every joint.

Then, thousands of spears appeared out of nowhere. They shot toward him mercilessly, piercing his flesh without hesitation.

The pain was real. Sharp. A burning agony that seared every nerve in his body.

He writhed, struggling to fight back, but the dark chains were too strong. He wanted to scream, yet the only sound that came out was a pitiful whimper.

The tips of the spears were lined with barbs, and as they embedded into his flesh, those barbs unfurled, tearing his wounds even deeper. The pain was unbearable. But that was not the worst part.

It itched. It crawled. His entire body felt as if it was infested with something moving across its surface. The poison from the spears spread, creating the sensation of thousands of fire ants swarming over him, gnawing at his flesh little by little.

Dragnar desperately tried to move, to scratch his skin, to do anything—anything!—to stop the torment. But he could do nothing. He could only feel his body being torn apart slowly, until finally—

Darkness.

Yet, the suffering did not end.

In the void, everything rewound. A massive clock appeared in the empty sky, its chimes echoing with a heavy, deafening toll. Time reversed. His body reformed, his pain disappeared, and he returned to his original state—bound in dark chains.

Dragnar held his breath. His eyes widened. He knew what was coming next.

And sure enough, this time, it was not spears that approached.

In the distance, a strange buzzing sound echoed. Slowly, a swarm of insects emerged. They hovered closer, their mouths lined with jagged fangs, their legs crawling with writhing larvae.

Dragnar wanted to scream, to resist. But his body would not move. The swarm engulfed him, biting, tearing, devouring him alive.

He felt every bite. The revulsion, the agony, the sheer terror melded into one. His eyes widened, his breath hitched. This was no mere dream. This was eternal torment.

And once again, as his body was consumed, the great clock tolled. Time reset.

Dragnar was trapped in an endless cycle.

He still tried to endure, but deep inside, something within him had begun to break. He did not realize that below him, a vast river of blood had begun to form.