Chapter 32 - 29: It’s a Safe Zone, We’re Saved!

Chapter 32: Chapter 29: It’s a Safe Zone, We’re Saved!

Generally speaking, a Nightmare World wouldn’t be too vast.

Once the white fog in the Safe Zone dispersed, it usually wouldn’t take long for Shi An to spot the Dream Descenders treading cautiously through the Nightmare. He would then extend an invitation to them.

However, almost half an hour had passed since he rushed back. Along the way, Shi An frequently checked in on Little Blood’s condition, preparing to have her send out the invitation and open the main doors on his behalf. Yet, he hadn’t seen a single soul.

Did that make any sense?

"The vibe this Nightmare World gives me... seems exceptionally ominous."

Meanwhile, the Dream Descenders Shi An was muttering about were currently picking their way carefully through the Withered Wood Forest.

"It’s impossible for us to fully clear a large-scale Nightmare World, but at the very least, we need to eliminate one source of danger. That’s the only way we can return to reality as soon as possible," Old Cai from the Countermeasures Bureau said.

In a normal Nightmare World, they would only stay for two to three hours at most. But in a large-scale Nightmare? If they merely tried to hide and avoid conflict, they might end up stuck here for over ten hours. Even a man made of iron couldn’t keep his Spirit highly strung for that long, not to mention the looming issue of supplies.

They had virtually no food or water.

Relying on finding supplies in a Nightmare World? They had a better chance of tripping over a Curse Object while walking down the street—at least the latter was actually possible.

"The only problem is figuring out exactly what the source of danger is. That’s up to our judgment."

"Exactly. Using our Curse Objects comes with side effects. We need to avoid most battles whenever possible to preserve enough strength for crucial moments."

"Let’s just hope we can find clues about this Nightmare World soon."

With a full roster of eleven Dream Descenders possessing a rich variety of Curse Object Abilities, the initial exploration went relatively smoothly.

"There’s a dilapidated wooden cabin up ahead."

"My eyes can see it. There’s a monster lurking on the cabin’s ceiling—probably an Aberration’s appendage."

"Attack!"

"No clues in the cabin. Let’s move on to the next location."

"There’s something off about this river. I suggest we take a detour."

"I reckon so, too."

"Agreed!"

"My Wet Hair Ghost spotted something! There’s an entire nest of monsters over there!"

"Is it the source of danger?"

"Doesn’t look like it. Danger sources usually have specific hunting mechanisms. This nest is probably just a group of Ordinary ’wild mobs.’"

"Next spot, let’s keep moving."

However, as they repeatedly used the power of their Curse Objects, the Dream Descenders’ conditions began to decline. The atmosphere within the team grew increasingly anxious.

Suddenly, a Ghost Shadow charged out of the gray fog and ambushed the group.

Before one of the Dream Descenders could even react, he was pinned to the ground. His neck was snapped in an instant, and crimson blood sprayed all over the creature.

It was a humanoid monster with ashen-black skin, elongated limbs, and razor-sharp teeth. It looked exactly like a legendary Ghoul.

"Attack!" Profound Sword reacted the fastest. The eyeball on his sword hilt snapped open, and in the blink of an eye, he closed the distance to the monster.

After a grueling battle, the group finally managed to Slash the monster to death at the cost of three injured Dream Descenders. However, their expressions quickly soured.

"It’s not an Aberration! It’s not the source of danger, just one of the many hazards in this large-scale Nightmare World!"

"Damn it! I knew it! An Aberration wouldn’t be killed so easily!"

"What do we do now? Everyone has already activated their Curse Objects two, three, or four times. At this rate, let alone eliminating the source of danger, we might not even survive another encounter with a monster like that."

"Are large-scale Nightmares really this deadly?!"

Even Profound Sword and Hair Ghost, both at the Control Stage, wore grim expressions.

One of the Dream Descenders couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. "If this keeps up, we’re all going to die! Every single one of us!" he cried out, turning to run off on his own.

Duckbill Hat chimed in from the side, his voice eerily calm. "If things are this bad with three heavyweights protecting us, you’ll die a lot faster on your own."

"I think he should leave if he wants to," Hair Ghost added. "He might even draw some aggro for the rest of us."

The Dream Descender, who had already taken a few steps, froze. After a long moment of silence, he quietly pulled his foot back. "You guys are right. Let’s keep moving."

Xi Xue hadn’t said a word the entire time.

Aside from the recent battle, the Wizard’s House’s strongest rookie had kept an incredibly low profile—a stark contrast to the bubbly personality she had shown during their self-introductions. A few people found it odd.

That was, until she suddenly burst into excitement. "I found it! I found it! I’ve located the Safe Zone! Brothers and sisters, follow me! We’re golden in this Nightmare now! We might even be able to clear it completely!"

"We’re golden?"

Wait a minute. Just a second ago, everyone had been wearing long faces, convinced they wouldn’t even make it out alive. How were they suddenly "golden" the next? She even thought they could clear the Nightmare?

Wasn’t that a million-mile stretch? Had they just skipped over a massive chunk of time?

Xi Xue walked briskly, and the other nine instinctively followed.

Looking ahead in her direction, a single-story building gradually came into focus through the gray fog and the Withered Wood Forest.

"Is that... a modern shop?"

It had an arched door made of dark brown wood, coffee-colored brick walls, and floor-to-ceiling windows polished so brightly they could see their own reflections. The only oddity was that they couldn’t see anything inside the shop through the glass.

Other than that, the entire building looked no different from a well-decorated, casual roadside cafe in the modern world.

It looked completely normal.

"Normal my ass! If I recall correctly, we’re currently in a Nightmare World, right?"

"Right, right!"

Xi Xue didn’t think there was anything wrong with it at all; instead, she felt the others simply lacked worldly experience.

"This is the Safe Zone, a special area carved out single-handedly by the Manager. The Manager is a kind soul who’s willing to shelter struggling Dream Descenders like us. So, as long as we’re here, we don’t have to worry about the various dangers of the Nightmare World. We might even be able to clear it."

Xi Xue hadn’t been entirely sure she would be able to find the Safe Zone either.

But now that she had, there was hope. There was a future.

This was the kind of absolute reassurance a Safe Zone provided—something those who had never experienced it could hardly fathom.

The rest of the Dream Descenders truly couldn’t fathom it. To them, it just felt bizarre.

How could there be such a modern shop in the middle of this desolate, dead Withered Wood Forest?

It defied science! It completely lacked any logic!

For a moment, several Dream Descenders wore expressions of shock and suspicion.

However, someone found the term "Safe Zone" familiar.

Old Cai furrowed his brows in thought. "A Safe Zone? Wait, I heard Old Yao mention that. Old Yao has been in much better Spirit these past few days. I think it was because he relied on a Safe Zone, making his Nightmare explorations a breeze."

"Could this be the Safe Zone Old Yao was talking about?"

He hadn’t really believed it before.

But now, the sight before him undeniably defied common sense.

Was the Safe Zone real or fake?

"I can’t even tell anymore!"

"Of course it’s real! Sigh, you rookies are just too paranoid. Others couldn’t even reach the Safe Zone if they tried. Today, let me, your senior, tell you exactly how lucky you are."

Xi Xue was itching to rattle off all the miraculous wonders of the Safe Zone.

Even though she had only visited the shop once before, compared to the rest of them, she was an undisputed regular—a veteran member!

It seemed she really had to carry the team in this Nightmare World after all.

"Manager, I’ve brought some newcomers!"