Chapter 11 - 8: Strategy

Chapter 11: Chapter 8: Strategy

Xi Xue, Old Yao, and K—the three Dream Descenders rested in the Safe Zone, their Spirits becoming increasingly relaxed.

What was the first step in conquering a Nightmare?

It wasn’t investigating or gathering intel, but rather resting and recovering their condition.

Leaving aside Xi Xue, who had already fallen into the Nightmare for some time, even Old Yao and K—two Dream Descenders who had only recently descended into this dormitory Nightmare—were not in perfect condition.

Or rather, one could hardly find a Dream Descender in a state of Perfection.

To survive in the Nightmare World, a Dream Descender’s Spirit had to be constantly tense. However, even when they returned to the real world, because they never knew when they would be dragged into a Nightmare next, they could never truly relax.

Even while eating, bathing, or sleeping, their hearts had to be on edge.

It was not uncommon for Dream Descenders to lose their lives in a daze, having fallen into a Nightmare halfway through a shower or in the middle of a dream.

But right now, since the three Dream Descenders were already in the Nightmare World, there was no risk of being dragged into a Nightmare abruptly. All they had to guard against was the anomaly in the dormitory building, which was currently firmly blocked outside.

Even if they still didn’t believe the Safe Zone was absolutely safe, mere relative safety was precious enough.

Old Yao, a Senior Dream Descender, seized the time to rest, experiencing a rare moment of relaxation.

At this time, from their conversation, Shi An also obtained more key information.

—Well, information that was common sense to the vast majority of Dream Descenders, but key to him.

For instance, Dream Descenders had four stages, categorized according to their development and utilization of Dream Curse Objects: Borrowing, Fusion, Control, and Refinement.

In the first stage, "Borrowing," they were essentially still Ordinary people. If Shi An were to obtain a Dream Curse Object himself, he would also be at this stage.

Starting from the second stage, where one fused a Dream Curse Object into themselves... well, they became a bit less than human.

"However," Old Yao explained, "a Dream Descender in the Fusion Stage is still very weak and can only tread on thin ice in the Nightmare World. Not only that, there’s a price for Dream Descenders to use Dream Curse Objects, and the toll during the Fusion Stage is even higher. Because of this, the vast majority of Dream Descenders don’t want to confront a Nightmare head-on. Not being able to beat it is one thing, but on the other hand, fighting even slightly intensely is just burning through your own lifespan."

Shi An pondered this.

But Xi Xue spoke up, "But as long as we can conquer the Nightmare, we’re bound to obtain Dream Curse Objects and some rare Dream Materials. Only then can we quickly become stronger and survive more comfortably in the Nightmare World. Therefore, fight! Keep moving forward!"

She was full of passion, her battle intent soaring.

Even Shi An felt as though he was about to get fired up.

Was this the world of Dream Descenders? It was too hyped!

Only Old Yao sighed helplessly. He thought that Dream Descenders obviously weren’t like this; being cautious, meticulous, and struggling to survive was the true theme of a Dream Descender.

"However... since you’ve already put it that way, how can I, a Dream Descender from the Countermeasures Bureau, shrink back? Let’s fight!"

He then looked at the rookie he brought along. "Of course, you shouldn’t go out. You’re still a newbie, and the risk of facing the anomaly directly is too great. Just watching and learning under the Manager’s protection will be enough to benefit you endlessly."

The two began to discuss countermeasures.

Naturally, during the process, they didn’t forget to ask for advice from Shi An, whom they considered unfathomable.

What advice could Shi An possibly have?

He was just an Ordinary Safe Zone Manager.

But Shi An offered the one thing he knew: "The Nightmare Dormitory turns its lights off approximately every half an hour. The interval fluctuates, but the duration of the blackout is fixed at exactly seven minutes and fifteen seconds."

The two Senior Dream Descenders immediately understood.

To defeat a Nightmare, their own strength as Fusion Stage Dream Descenders was far from enough.

They had to utilize the Nightmare World’s own mechanics.

And the lights-out was the most important mechanic of the dormitory Nightmare.

But as for more clues, they would have to discover those themselves.

"Let’s divide the work. One person stalls the anomaly while the other searches for clues—for the key item that can truly deal a heavy blow to it," Xi Xue suggested.

Old Yao agreed with this tactic. "In that case, leave the task of searching for clues to me."

Normally, stalling the anomaly would be the most dangerous task. However, with the Safe Zone as their backing, they could enter and exit the small shop at any time, which gave them the Ability to almost contend with the anomaly head-on.

In contrast, searching for clues in the dark required them to venture far from the Safe Zone, making it much more dangerous.

Moreover, who could say for sure that the Blood Hand Seal anomaly was the only danger lurking in the dark?

Even so, Old Yao took on the job.

He was from the Countermeasures Bureau; he was an official Dream Descender! Since he had made up his mind to conquer the Nightmare, he was duty-bound not to turn back.

But Witch Xi Xue rejected Old Yao’s proposal, firing off three critical questions: "If you go deep into the dormitory building, can you escape from the anomaly? Can you tangle with it for a few dozen seconds? Do you have any idea where the core item is most likely to be?"

"I can!

"I, a core member of the Wizard’s House, hold three Dream Curse Objects. I have to be the carry this time," she declared proudly.

Old Yao opened his mouth but found himself unable to refute her.

Conquering a Nightmare was indeed not something to act tough about. Trying to be a hero and messing things up would only harm oneself and others.

Before the two set off, Shi An tossed his pocket watch to Witch Xi Xue. "You can use this to check the time. Oh, and I’m just lending it to you."

Xi Xue was overjoyed that there was actually a pocket watch in the Nightmare World.

But knowing the pocket watch wasn’t hers in the end, Xi Xue felt quite sad.

The two calculated the time, and when the moment was right, they pushed the door open and headed out.

...

In the blink of an eye, only the restless rookie, K, and an equally nervous Shi An were left in the Safe Zone.

"Manager, do you think my master and the others will be safe?"

"Yes, they will be."

Shi An wasn’t sure either. The Nightmare World was simply too dangerous. Even Senior Dream Descenders like Xi Xue and Old Yao had no Ability to resist the anomalies within the Nightmare.

The middle-aged man in the black suit, who was also a Senior Dream Descender, had nearly lost his life in the Nightmare World earlier.

This all went to show that Dream Descenders were constantly risking their lives.

Losing one’s life was something that could happen at any moment.

He thought, "But they are bound to me by fate after all... Hmm, I hope they don’t just die in vain like this!"

Manager Shi—the big shot in the eyes of the Dream Descenders—felt a single, glaring truth:

He was still too weak, utterly lacking in power!

...

At this time, the Nightmare Dormitory was still in its lit phase, so the danger level was not high.

Xi Xue and Old Yao, the two Senior Dream Descenders, each chose an area and quickly rushed in to explore.

Their exploration methods were somewhat rough, which went against the survival rules of Dream Descenders—especially for an official Dream Descender like Old Yao, who had undergone systematic training.

Careful, cautious, probing little by little—that was Old Yao’s usual approach.

Until today.

BANG!

Old Yao forcefully shoved open one of the dormitory doors and began rummaging through boxes and cabinets inside.

They needed to race against time; they needed high efficiency.

In the past, his way of surviving was to stall and avoid danger. He would wish for time to pass faster. But today, their goal was to conquer the Nightmare. Every minute and every second before leaving the Nightmare World was extremely precious.

They couldn’t afford to take it slow.

Not to mention, he thought, "If we draw out any danger, we still have a way out. We just need to retreat to the Safe Zone. Unlike before, where fleeing to another area after encountering danger would make us worry about triggering even more threats, causing the danger to snowball."

They were fighting with such an extravagant advantage today!