Chapter 30 - 27: Future Vision, Large-Scale Nightmare

Chapter 30: Chapter 27: Future Vision, Large-Scale Nightmare

As a regular customer, Old Yao was indeed more decisive than a newcomer.

After a short rest in the shop, he resolutely headed out to explore, even running into a secondary hazard spawned by the local anomalies.

Old Yao struggled fiercely for a while before calmly retreating back into the Safe Zone.

Compared to last time, Old Yao had clearly grown stronger.

The same was true for Xi Xue, whom he had seen in the real world earlier.

For a Dream Descender, clearing a Nightmare yielded great rewards.

However, Old Yao was by himself this time, so he certainly didn’t have the ability to clear the Nightmare on his own.

Even so, by relying on the Safe Zone, Old Yao still managed to perform many actions that would raise his score, and he even found some Materials in the Nightmare World.

"Dream Ganoderma, Dreamland Cyan Stone, and a Dream Umbrella."

The first is a dream-world medicinal ingredient.

The others were ordinary items, no different from their real-world counterparts, yet still precious.

This was because they could be brought between the Nightmare World and reality.

The black trench coat Old Yao was wearing, for example, was a special piece of equipment crafted from dream-world items.

Old Yao wanted to offer half of the Materials as thanks for the shelter, but after a moment’s thought, Shi An said, "I’ll just take a symbolic amount."

Old Yao’s efforts to clear the Nightmare would already bring him more Belief Value income on their own.

However,

Shi An was also considering an issue: the matter of a fee structure.

While he needed Dream Descenders to generate Belief Value, offering his services for free indefinitely could lead some people to take it for granted.

Some Dream Descenders would be grateful, but others might see it as their due.

Charging a reasonable fee would be fairer.

The question was how to charge and what the standard should be.

’Or, if the Safe Zone offers other benefits in the future—like use of a lounge—then they should definitely be prioritized for Dream Descenders who contribute more.’

’But who contributes more?’

’Money, or perhaps...’

’Clearing Nightmares.’

’If the Safe Zone could offer all sorts of benefits in the future, and if the shop could gather more and more Dream Descenders, then...’

’I could organize my own Nightmare-clearing teams!’

Whether it was developing the Safe Zone into an organization or having it act as a guild-like platform to issue quests to Dream Descenders, it was all feasible.

Shi An’s mind raced with the possibilities. The more he thought about it, the more viable it seemed, though it was still a bit of a long way off.

Right now, the Safe Zone was practically empty.

...

「The real world. The Countermeasures Bureau.」

Old Yao came in to clock in for work first thing in the morning.

Like him, many other Dream Descenders also clocked in early.

After all, clocking in for work helped delay the onset of a Nightmare.

They could also get a "mental spa" at the Bureau to soothe their frayed nerves.

However, even though the Countermeasures Bureau provided Dream Descenders with physical therapists, psychological counselors, Alchemists, and massage therapists, most of them were still in poor shape.

They had heavy, dark circles under their eyes, and their nerves were perpetually frayed, as if they were worried about stepping into a hole with every footstep.

Even when they passed by and said hello, the smiles they managed to muster seemed forced and unnatural.

Was it because they didn’t like to smile?

No.

It was just that they hadn’t been able to laugh in a relaxed way for a long, long time.

"Morning, Old Yao."

A colleague, also a Senior Dream Descender, waved and greeted Old Yao.

He brushed past Old Yao, but then, feeling something was off, he took two steps back to get a better look at his face.

His complexion was rosy, he had a smile on his face, and he was even humming a little tune.

The colleague’s eyes widened as if he’d seen a ghost.

"Old Yao, did something good happen to you?"

"Let me guess, did your wife have a second kid, or did you find money—or a Curse Object—on the street?"

This was the first time he had ever seen Old Yao looking so radiant.

It wasn’t that Dream Descenders never smiled. There were Demon Level ones who treated the Nightmare World like a game to be conquered, full of excitement and joy.

But the vast majority of Dream Descenders were just ordinary people, struggling to survive.

He and Old Yao were just two more faces in the crowd of Ordinary Dream Descenders.

He had known Old Yao for half a year.

Old Yao snorted. "My first is only a few months old, how could my wife have a second kid already! And no, nothing that great happened. I just got back safely from the Nightmare World."

"Oh, you went through another Nightmare World? Good that it went smoothly." The colleague said, but then he realized something was wrong.

Shouldn’t a Dream Descender be completely exhausted after just experiencing the Nightmare World?

Even with a good evaluation—receiving a cleansing restoration upon leaving, having the Curse Object’s side effects eliminated, and physical injuries healed—the mental, or rather, conscious fatigue was still unavoidable.

Who could be so relaxed after fighting for their life?

"Old Yao, did you have a major breakthrough in the Refinement of your Curse Object? Or is the Cow and Horse Form really that powerful?"

His eyes widened.

Old Yao gave a wry smile. "I don’t have that kind of talent. I just happened to run into that little Safe Zone shop again and easily cleared a Nightmare instance with a pretty good evaluation."

Easily... pretty good evaluation...

The colleague couldn’t understand how those two phrases could possibly go together.

"Is the Safe Zone really that magical?"

"Old Yao, it’s not that I don’t believe you. I just genuinely can’t imagine it. A place in the danger-filled Nightmare World, where you can’t even stop to catch your breath, that’s completely safe and lets you rest with food and drink? That’s just not logical!"

Old Yao didn’t try to force his colleague to believe him.

If it were him, he would have found it hard to believe in the Safe Zone’s existence before experiencing it firsthand.

Besides, it was useless even if his colleague did believe him. Whether or not one could find the Safe Zone was a matter of fate, and the chances were extremely low.

There were so many Dream Descenders in their Baijiang City.

It would only be useful if believing in it actually increased the probability of finding it.

...

「Wizard’s House.」

While training, Xi Xue spoke to her master, her voice filled with an excitement she couldn’t hide. "Master, you have to believe me! Once I borrow the venue from the great Manager again, I’ll definitely be able to clear another Nightmare World."

She was genuinely looking forward to her next Fallen Dream.

Ms. Luo, who was flipping through a book, fell into deep thought. ’Is this Safe Zone really so miraculous?’

’Surely the child hasn’t gone soft in the head?’

’But, knowing Xi Xue, I can’t completely rule out the possibility that she’s just gotten sillier.’

’The child is good in every way, except she’s a bit of an airhead... Ahem, but being a ditz can be cute sometimes.’

Ms. Luo didn’t think the Safe Zone’s abilities were that exaggerated. Perhaps it was just very helpful for Low Tier Dream Descenders.

But she also had to acknowledge her debt to that Manager and admit that the Safe Zone had been a great help to her apprentice.

Still, one couldn’t rely on the Safe Zone too much.

Ms. Luo advised her as such.

"No problem, no problem."

Xi Xue hummed in agreement.

Just as she finished speaking, an excited look appeared on her face.

The Nightmare was descending!

"Nightmare World, here I come!"

She plunged into the Sea of Nightmares.

But then she suddenly thought of something.

’Will I even be able to find the Safe Zone again? I have no idea!’

A mix of anticipation and anxiety washed over her as Xi Xue opened her eyes in the Nightmare World.

Before her was an unfamiliar sky.

It was dim, thick gray fog drifted about, and the smell of decay assaulted her nose.

Before she could even survey her surroundings, a cry of alarm rang out from nearby.

"One, two, three, four... There are eleven of us in total!"

"We’re in trouble! We’ve fallen into a large-scale Nightmare!"