Chapter 10 - 7: Dream Descender’s Level

Chapter 10: Chapter 7: Dream Descender’s Level

Having witnessed the danger being firmly blocked outside, the Safe Zone and Shi An took on a much denser veil of mystery in the eyes of the three Dream Descenders.

Their demeanors gradually relaxed. Shi An, however, remained unchanged. It was entirely expected that the darkness and danger outside couldn’t cross the threshold. Even that terrifying tide of Shadow insects from before hadn’t been able to breach the Safe Zone’s barrier, let alone now that the Safe Zone had been upgraded to Level 1.

Unfortunately, he was an even bigger rookie than the newbie Dream Descender among the trio, and opening his mouth would easily blow his cover. Thus, he could only pretend to be busy wiping the cup in his hand, then wiping down the table. By keeping busy, it felt natural not to speak—and silence was the best way to act the part of a master.

Inside the shop, the silence grew somewhat awkward. Since the Manager, the host of the place, remained silent, the Witch Dream Descender looked around before finally speaking up.

"Look, the danger is blocked outside. Does this mean we now have a chance to conquer this Nightmare? If you guys aren’t confident, I can share some intel first.

"Regarding the dormitory building outside, once the lights go out, we can feel the danger closing in step by step. Staying inside a dorm room can help avoid the horrors in the dark, but this evasion is very limited. The longer you stay in a room, the easier it is to be discovered. Stepping into the corridor to switch rooms is the most dangerous moment when you’re most likely to be marked.

"During the previous lights-out period, I switched dorm rooms several times. I felt like I was on the verge of being targeted if I had stayed out there any longer.

"But amazingly, staying here with the Manager, I don’t feel that sense of impending danger closing in at all."

Her whole Spirit seemed revitalized. Finally, she added, "However, I think that to conquer this dormitory building Nightmare, some clues might only be found in the lights-out environment."

The two Dream Descenders in black trench coats had only recently fallen into this Nightmare, making the girl’s information incredibly valuable to them.

The girl continued, "Before we try to conquer the Nightmare, let’s share our information to facilitate cooperation.

"As for myself, my codename is Xi Xue. I’m a Fusion Stage Dream Descender. I have the Ability to manipulate hair, and I can also conjure a bit of fire."

Shi An’s gaze fell on the girl dressed as a Witch—codenamed Xi Xue. The most striking thing about her was that vivid red Glove. At a glance, it looked abrupt, special, eerie, and magical, much like the massive scissors wielded by the man in the black suit yesterday. But manipulating hair? Shi An had no idea what that meant. What he cared about more was the term "Fusion Stage Dream Descender" she had mentioned.

He thought, "It looks like this is the Level of a Dream Descender."

Since Xi Xue had shared that much, the Veteran among the black-trench-coat duo also spoke up. "You can call me Old Yao. I am also a Fusion Stage Dream Descender. My Ability allows me to burst forth with greater strength and speed, and I never feel fatigued."

The Dream Curse Object he had fused with was called the "Cow and Horse Form." It allowed him to maintain a burst state for a period of time; even if injured, he could still push through as if nothing had happened. This Ability seemed thoroughly unexceptional, lacking any flashy effects, but it could produce impressive results in all kinds of Nightmare Worlds, making it highly versatile. It was precisely by relying on this Ability that Old Yao had safely navigated through Nightmare Worlds time and time again.

The newbie in the black trench coat also chimed in. "I... I can only borrow the power of a Dream Curse Object right now. My Dream Curse Object is the ’Ghost Candle’. Its effect is that once lit, it can dispel the surrounding darkness, but it only lasts for a maximum of five minutes. I... I don’t have a codename yet, you can call me little—"

"Just call him K," Old Yao said, rubbing his forehead.

Who on earth would expose all their bottom lines at once? Even Xi Xue, whom he considered quite reckless, had only stated her general Abilities. But this kid? He had clearly spelled out exactly what his Dream Curse Object was, along with all its effects and limitations. It was a good thing there weren’t many people around. Otherwise, blabbing about his Dream Curse Object like that—was he begging to be targeted by some rogue syndicate?

Shi An felt that a Dream Curse Object like the Ghost Candle was a bit lame. A candle with effects similar to an Ordinary candle—could that even be called a Dream Curse Object?

What he didn’t know was that if judged by the standard of Extraordinary Power, the Ghost Candle was indeed ordinary. However, the priority for Dream Descenders was to survive in the Nightmare World, and darkness was an extremely common and dangerous environment within it. Under such circumstances, a candle capable of providing light was exceptionally precious.

The three Dream Descenders finished their self-introductions. However, they didn’t expect Shi An to introduce himself. After all, Shi An was clearly a top-tier big shot. Yet, they still cast expectant glances his way, hoping the Manager would say something.

Say what? How was he, pure-blooded rookie An, supposed to know?

"That’s right, just calling me Manager is fine." He paused. "I won’t help you conquer the Nightmare, but the shop door will always be open, waiting for your return."

Xi Xue’s eyes lit up; she caught on instantly. The Manager had to maintain the Safe Zone, of course.

"Understood. As long as your Safe Zone is here, Manager, we will be able to conquer this Nightmare."

He thought, "Wait, what exactly did you understand?" Shi An could only offer a faint nod.

Senior Dream Descender Old Yao was stunned. So that was how it worked? He was a highly experienced official Dream Descender, so why was he always falling behind the rhythm?

"It’s just that..." he voiced his concerns. "To what extent can this place block the Nightmare’s invasion?"

After all, they were only Fusion Stage Dream Descenders. Their strength was limited, and their margin for error was abysmally low. Without sufficient certainty, he didn’t want to take the risk. He was, after all, a family man with a wife and children; once he left this Nightmare, he wanted to go home and get a good look at his kids.

Witch Xi Xue began to think. Then, Witch Xi Xue had a brilliant idea.

"It’s simple. I’ll just go out and test it."

With that, she turned, took a long stride, and threw open the Safe Zone’s shop door. Passing through the doorway, she stepped right into the pitch-black, dead-silent dormitory corridor!

He thought, "She... she just went out like that? Isn’t she being a bit too reckless?" Even Shi An thought so.

Meanwhile, having stepped out of the Safe Zone, Xi Xue instantly entered a state of high alert. She noticed that even though the shop was brightly lit, not a single trace of light spilled into the corridor. Throughout the entire hallway, apart from the clearly visible door behind her, everything else was so pitch-black she couldn’t see her own fingers. She didn’t panic. On the contrary, this further demonstrated the miraculous nature of the Safe Zone.

SNAP!

Her gloved right hand snapped its fingers. Sparks bloomed from the friction, dispelling a tiny bit of the darkness before the light rapidly extinguished. Firelight could make the dangers lurking in the dark wary. However, at the same time, it was incredibly conspicuous. It was fine while lit, but the moment the flames died out, it would easily invite a ferocious counterattack.

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

Footsteps echoed out from the darkness, moving from far to near, their pace accelerating.

SNAP!

The flame was ignited once more. A trace of dust dissipated in the air, acting as kindling. A cluster of orange-red fire suddenly flared up, hovering in midair for several seconds.

Through the firelight, the people inside the shop could vaguely see...

Trails of blood-red footprints Spreading across the corridor floor. Only the footprints were visible; there was no one there. It was as if some hideous, terrifying entity was approaching, a fierce aura rushing right at them. Just watching from afar through the door, newbie Dream Descender K looked as though he were being choked, his face deathly pale. Old Yao wasn’t faring much better. This was the reason for his concern—for Ordinary Dream Descenders, trying to fight a Nightmare was simply far too difficult!

However, Witch Xi Xue wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. She immediately took two steps back, crossing the shop’s threshold, and backhanded the door shut with a SMACK. The moment it closed, those blood-red footprints came Spreading toward the entrance at blistering speed.

They slammed right into it!

The recently conjured cluster of orange-red fire was forcefully scattered upon impact, sending sparks raining down with a CRACKLE, faintly outlining the terrifying silhouette in the darkness. Hideous! Horrifying! A Blood Mist was evaporating! The power that Dream Descenders unleashed through Dream Curse Objects couldn’t withstand a single blow in the face of these eerie horrors.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

Scarlet palm prints slapped onto the fan-shaped window of the shop door, one after another. It was a shocking and startling sight! The pounding sounded as if it were striking directly upon their chests; with every impact, their hearts leaped into their throats before dropping back down, beating wildly—THUMP THUMP. Witch Xi Xue, who had just closed the door, didn’t dare relax either, her eyes fixed intently on the outside.

The bloody color was Spreading! Danger was battering the door!

Seconds...

A dozen seconds...

Dozens of seconds...

Finally, as if its strength had been exhausted, the Blood Hand Seals retreated, and the scarlet hue imprinted on the glass window gradually faded and vanished. Looking closely now, the shop’s front door remained completely sturdy, without a single crack or scratch on the glass.

It really blocked it? And completely unscathed!

"Holy crap, so this is the Safe Zone the Manager mentioned—a place forever immune to the Nightmare’s invasion!" Xi Xue’s eyes were wide.

Shi An gave a slight nod. How could a mere dormitory anomaly ever breach the Safe Zone’s barrier? However, it was only in that moment that he suddenly realized—guests invited into the Safe Zone shop could actually enter and exit freely!