Dreamscape

Dreamscape was a place that existed somewhere in between part of the real world and the Dream Realm. It was created and maintained by a combination of advanced modern technology and a very special Aspect Ability of a certain Master, now a Saint, that had to do with illusions. It's a massive illusion that countless people could share and function according to a set of absolute rules. It reflected reality and was bound by the same laws that existed in the real world, which includes the Nightmare Spell.^[1]

Although an illusion, it is not entirely malleable. The Dreamscape functioned according to a set of absolute rules. It reflected reality instead of being a complete replacement for it. As a result, a person entering it was bound by the same laws that existed in the real world. Since one of those laws was the Nightmare Spell, a person's Aspect, Abilities, Memories, and Echoes would function in the illusion the same way they functioned outside of it, with one important difference. One couldn't be hurt, wounded, or killed in the Dreamscape. Also, neither Memories nor Echoes could be destroyed.^[1]

Despite being just an illusion, it required an Awakened to expend real essence.^[2]

One needs at least 100 victories to qualify for a better arena.^[3]

There is a version of the Dreamscape for non-Awakened, with its own set of environments and adventures that allowed people to experience a facsimile of what it meant to travel across the Dream Realm while battling Nightmare Creatures.^[1]

Initially, Dreamscape was mostly used by the Legacy Clans and the government to train the elite Awakened that served them, but it was quickly deemed as only being marginally useful. While such training could facilitate safe duels between the human carriers of the Spell, its simulation of the Nightmare Creatures was not that close to reality. The illusory monsters lacked the will and mind of actual abominations, after all. As a result, the Dreamscape failed to become a successful training tool and was thus largely abandoned until it was deemed to be very useful for entertainment.^[1]

Due to the rules of the Dreamscape, Awakened were free to battle each other without worrying about their lives or their memories and echoes so there was potential for entertainment. However, the popularity of the Dreamscape pod exploded once the company developing it came up with the idea to integrate a broadcasting feature. Battling Awakened would be broadcast to the "mundane humans" in the Real World. It also comes with anonymity. It was all but impossible to track a person entering the illusion if they didn't wish to be tracked.^[1]

The Colosseum is an arena in the Dreamscape meant for the elite among the amateurs yet not skillful enough to enter the professional league.^[4]

It is a vast oval arena covered by sand, which had long ago turned red from all the blood spilled between the ancient walls. The merciless sun burns in the incandescent sky, and there is a smell of sweat, blood, and death in the air. A tall amphitheater, which served as spectator seats, stands rising high above the blood-soaked arena. A crowd was cheering from them, their voices full of macabre fascination, cruelty, and glee. Both men and women were dressed in archaic robes that left their arms and shoulders bare. With bloodthirsty smiles contorting their features, they looked like a horde of lustful demons. These are actually illusions created by the Dreamscape. Here and there, a strangely clothed person could be seen, observing the fights with a less barbaric expression. These are observers, actual spectators from the Real World who prefer to watch fights in person in order to immerse themselves in the fight. Hundreds upon hundreds of warriors roamed the sand of the battle arena, some engaged in fights, some searching for an opponent.^[4]

Main article: Dream Tournament

Dream Tournament is a big tournament held by the creator of Dreamscape each year.^[5]