Chapter 31 - 28: A Large Group of Dream Descenders Are on Their Way

Chapter 31: Chapter 28: A Large Group of Dream Descenders Are on Their Way

Gray mist drifted through a small grove where withered trees grew in chaotic tangles.

More than a dozen figures looked at one another, their eyes filled with surprise and terror.

There were simply too many people! For the vast, vast majority of them, it was their first time seeing so many fellow travelers in the Nightmare World.

This should be a good thing, right? More people meant they could find strength in numbers, banding together to fight off any danger they encountered.

Just as someone had this thought, a cry of alarm rang out, carrying a clear sense of fear.

A young man with messy hair couldn’t help but ask, "What is a large-scale Nightmare?"

The person who had cried out earlier was a Dream Descender from the Countermeasures Bureau, dressed in a black trench coat. He explained, "You all know that most of the time, the Nightmare World we descend into only has one or two, maybe three or four Dream Descenders. Furthermore, our entry times are often scattered.

"But right now, there are exactly eleven Dream Descenders here, and we all descended into the Nightmare World at the exact same time. This means this place is undoubtedly a large-scale Nightmare World.

"As the name implies, this Nightmare World will be massive—much larger than Ordinary Nightmare Worlds. That alone is bad enough, but these types of Nightmare Worlds are also extremely dangerous and likely contain multiple sources of danger. Whether it’s the difficulty of surviving or clearing it, both are far greater than an Ordinary Nightmare World!

"Moreover, we have to clear at least one minor source of danger. Otherwise, we will be stuck in this Nightmare World for much longer than an Ordinary Fallen Dream!"

If their usual ventures were Ordinary Level dungeons, then this was a Difficult Level dungeon.

The young man with the messy hair understood, his face turning deathly pale. The danger was amplified, and they had to stay even longer? He couldn’t even guarantee his survival in an Ordinary Nightmare, yet now he was thrown into a large-scale one? Did this goddamn Nightmare World want to leave them with no way out?

"Yeah, I’m clearly just an Ordinary Fusion Stage Dream Descender. How could I have fallen into a large-scale Nightmare? Aren’t Elite Dream Descenders the only ones who get pulled into these?" A woman wearing pajamas, who clearly knew the ropes, was utterly confused.

The Countermeasures Bureau agent in the black trench coat said in a deep voice, "It might be because the Nightmare’s erosion of our reality is intensifying. The deeper the Nightmare’s erosion, the easier it is for us to fall into the depths of the Sea of Nightmares."

A man wearing a duckbill hat interrupted. "Let’s cut the nonsense. With so many of us gathered together, if we don’t come up with a strategy and figure out what to do next, danger will come knocking at our door soon enough!"

"Duckbill Hat is right. However, since this is a large-scale Nightmare World, we need to work together to have any chance of surviving. That being the case, it’s crucial to understand each other’s Abilities," the agent in the black trench coat who had been speaking added. "My codename is Old Cai. I’m in the Fusion Stage and have experienced twenty-eight Nightmares. My Curse Object is the Ghost Hand, which grants the Ability of Taking Objects in the Air."

Another man in a black trench coat stepped forward to support him. "My codename is Knife. I’ve experienced nineteen Nightmares. Fusion Stage. I know a bit of Sword Technique."

SWISH. He drew the blade in his hand.

This sword was not a Curse Object, but it was undoubtedly forged using Dream Material. In terms of combat prowess, having such a sword in hand likely made him stronger than the vast majority of lower-stage Dream Descenders.

Seeing both Countermeasures Bureau agents announce their Abilities, the duckbill-hat-wearing man hesitated for a moment before saying, "You can just call me Duckbill Hat. Fusion Stage. I’ve been through about twenty Nightmares, I think? My eyes can see in all kinds of harsh environments. Also, I can see much farther than ordinary people." He then looked at the woman from earlier. "Your turn, Pajama Woman."

"Who the hell are you calling Pajama Woman? My Nightmare outfit just happens to look like this. What can I do about it? Someone even entered the Nightmare World wearing a swimsuit once... Alright, alright. My main Ability is Charm. Well, maybe not exactly Charm. It just makes people confused and delirious for a while, but I don’t know if it works on anomalies."

One Dream Descender after another introduced themselves. Everyone present was a Fusion Stage Dream Descender who had experienced at least a dozen Nightmares. There were no weaklings among them; at the very least, they were fundamentally adapted to the Nightmare World.

However, many could still tell that there were one or two, perhaps even two or three, Dream Descenders in the crowd who appeared to be experts. The Spirit and demeanor of experts were distinctly different from those of Ordinary Dream Descenders.

The girl dressed in Witch attire slightly raised her snow-white chin. "My codename is Xi Xue. I have experienced four Nightmares and cleared one. Currently, I am at the Peak of Fusion Stage Great Perfection, half a step into the Control Stage. My Abilities are hair manipulation and fire. I can be the carry!"

Instantly, the Dream Descenders’ eyes widened one by one. This Xi Xue spoke in a somewhat dramatic and eccentric manner, but... she was almost at the Control Stage after only experiencing four Nightmares? And she actually had a record of clearing a Nightmare? What kind of outrageous track record was that!

"The current strongest rookie of the Wizard’s House. I’ve heard of you." Not far away, a middle-aged man with messy long hair spoke in a hoarse voice. "My codename is Hair Ghost. Control Stage Dream Descender. I follow the Yugui Stream. Hmm, I’ve been through thirty or forty Nightmares; I can’t remember the exact number."

He was actually a Tier Three expert! And a powerhouse of the Yugui Stream at that!

At this point, only one Dream Descender remained who had not introduced himself. It was a man with a longsword strapped to his waist. His sword was extremely bizarre. It had a dark blue hue overall, and right in the center of the hilt, an eyeball was ROLLING around, taking in its surroundings.

The long-haired middle-aged man was looking at him. "You’re from the Extreme Intent Martial Arts Hall, aren’t you?"

"That’s right. I am a True Disciple of the Martial Arts Hall. My title is Profound Sword. Control Stage. I specialize in swords, swords, and swords," the man spoke, adding a final remark at the end. "Sixteen Nightmares experienced. One Nightmare cleared."

A top-tier expert!

Most civilian Dream Descenders had heard of major organizations like the Wizard’s House and the Extreme Intent Martial Arts Hall. The core members of such organizations could undoubtedly leave them in the dust when it came to overall capabilities. This was especially true for Profound Sword. It was common knowledge that once Dream Descenders reached the Control Stage, they could be called experts. Their development and application of Curse Objects far exceeded those in the Fusion Stage, and they suffered much smaller side effects when using them.

The combat power of the Control Stage was extraordinary. Not to mention someone in the Control Stage who was also a core member of a major organization. He was an expert among experts!

"With an expert leading the team, we’re saved!"

However, Profound Sword was not optimistic. This was a large-scale Nightmare. Surviving it would definitely not be simple. Moreover... his original goal had been to clear the Nightmare World. The situation was becoming increasingly critical. Every additional Nightmare World they cleared delayed the Nightmare’s erosion of reality by just a bit more.

Originally, as long as he had one or two, maybe three reliable teammates, Profound Sword would have had the confidence to clear a Nightmare World. But it had to be an Ordinary Nightmare World. A large-scale Nightmare? He didn’t even dare to think about it. He felt deeply frustrated!

Xi Xue wasn’t clamoring about clearing the Nightmare World at the moment. Instead, she was looking left and right. She was searching for the Safe Zone shop, but she couldn’t see it.

Meanwhile.

"What, the white mist has scattered?"

Receiving the message from the Blood Hand Seal, Shi An rushed back home at top speed. He slumped directly onto the sofa, tilted his head, and sank into the Nightmare World.

Manager Shi had returned to his trusty Safe Zone. He walked over to the window.

Outside, a gray mist blanketed the area, filled with withered trees. Dark silhouettes seemed to flicker through the fog. It was clearly a desolate, dead, yet expansive region.

The problem was...

"Where is everyone?"