Chapter 38 - 35: Malice from the Nightmare, and the Wails Before Shattering

Chapter 38: Chapter 35: Malice from the Nightmare, and the Wails Before Shattering

Inside the shop.

The university students stood dumbfounded. It wasn’t until the blood-red streak of light vanished from their sight that they finally came to their senses.

"What was that just now...?"

"It’s the Manager’s doing!"

"Is the Manager a powerful expert of the Yugui Stream? But can a controlled Ghost Object really be this strong?"

It wasn’t that they hadn’t seen other Ghost Objects; the Wet Hair Ghost belonging to the Hair Ghost big shot was one. Not long ago, they had also listened to the top players explain the common uses of Yugui Stream Ghost Objects.

They could say with absolute certainty that the Wet Hair Ghost and this bloody shadow didn’t look like the same species at all. It was like a true Ghost!

No, even a true Ghost wouldn’t be this absurd!

What kind of speed was that? Transforming into a streak of light and soaring across the sky!

They couldn’t even begin to imagine the Manager’s true identity. To be able to control such a powerful Ghost Object, just how high was the Manager’s own strength? A few stories high, or over a dozen?

...

Outside the Pollution Spring.

Duckbill Hat slumped on the ground, staring blankly at the Ghost Shadow monster in front of him. It was sunken into the mud, a palm print branded on its back as it SIZZLED and smoked. He opened his mouth, his gaze shifting numbly to the not-so-tall Blood-Colored Clay Sculpture standing mid-air. His eyes remained unfocused.

Until...

"Hold on, hey, you guys have to hold on! The reinforcements sent by the Manager will be there soon!"

The anxious shouts of the university students echoed from the walkie-talkie.

Duckbill Hat had heard it just a moment ago, but he hadn’t had the time to care or think too much about it. However, the shouting now brought his unfocused gaze back together, reigniting the light of hope deep within his despairing eyes.

"The Manager is here!

"Please! Save Profound Sword and the others!"

Duckbill Hat looked pleadingly at the blood-red figure. He didn’t know if the Manager could hear him, or if that blood-colored figure could even understand.

Little Blood gave a cold snort. Did it not know what to do? A mere human trying to boss it around, hah!

It descended like a rainbow.

BOOM!

A second Ghost Shadow was stomped into the mud. Blood-red footprints formed on the monster’s body, corroding it with a continuous SIZZLE. In the blink of an eye, the entire monster began to shrivel up.

Anything below a true Ghost was but an ant!

Immediately after, Little Blood extended its palm and fiercely slapped the empty air. Instantly, a blood-red seal struck down. It continued Spreading rapidly through the air, acting like an invisible monster climbing the sky. It locked onto its target, advancing right in front of another monster.

BOOM!

Dust flew into the air as the Ghost Shadow monster was sent flying before crashing back down.

At this moment, several other nearby Ghost Shadow monsters completely abandoned Profound Sword, Xi Xue, and the rest. They sprinted so fast they left afterimages, the greenish-blue glow in their eyes flickering like will-o’-the-wisps in the dark of night. But before the blooming blood-red light, they were nothing more than insignificant fireflies.

SWISH!

Sharp claws slashed over, but Little Blood’s body faded from thick to thin, transforming into an intangible Blood Mist. The pitch-black claws passed right through its body, failing to leave a single scratch and only stirring up a few scattered wisps of mist.

This monster wasn’t even a true Ghost!

Although for Dream Descenders like Profound Sword, these terrifyingly fast Ghost Shadow monsters were almost as dangerous as true Ghosts, in front of a pure-blooded Ghost like Little Blood, anyone lacking the ability to break its ’mechanics’ was nothing but trash.

It spun around and swung a palm, stomping the monster down once again.

"It actually has a shadow of martial arts. I didn’t expect Little Blood to have this kind of capability."

Over the past few days, whenever there were no Dream Descenders around, Shi An would occasionally tell the Blood Hand Seal stories. He had also described certain killing moves, such as the Iron Mountain Lean, but he never expected it to actually listen and learn.

"To be honest, Little Blood can level up, add stats, and possesses the intelligence to practice Skills and cultivate Combat Techniques. Its potential far exceeds that of ordinary Ghosts.

"In the future, if the Safe Zone can play movies, I should put on a few for it to study."

Restricted by Little Blood’s own field of vision, the scenes Shi An could see were still somewhat limited. However, Duckbill Hat had recovered his wits by now and reported the situation through the walkie-talkie.

The Blood Hand Seal had already suppressed several Ghost Shadows.

Not far away, Profound Sword had waded into the polluted pool water, hacking at the Spring Eye’s core sword after sword. Even when Little Blood sent a Ghost Shadow that tried to pounce on him flying, he seemed completely oblivious.

The pollution had already seeped into his body through skin contact. His consciousness was completely blurred. All that remained were mechanical movements and a single thought.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

The Spring Eye’s core fractured with a series of CRACKS.

In the distance, a new Ghost Shadow appeared. Little Blood let out a cold snort, and its Blood Mist-like body seemed to ignite.

Even further away, in places Shi An couldn’t see, within the dilapidated Wizard’s Hut and the eerie Whispering Jungle... it was as if some invisible force had swept through. The Ghosts within these dangerous source areas unexpectedly broke free from the shackles of their rules. Some of them dashed toward the Pollution Spring, while others charged toward the nearby Safe Zone shop to attack.

Inside the shop, Shi An suddenly frowned. He had a strange feeling. He found it hard to describe.

It was as if...

"Malice!"

Some sort of malice descended, enveloping the entire shop. Outside, white mist suddenly surged up, intertwining and wrapping around the descending gray air currents. He seemed to hear the BANGING sound of windows rattling under the assault of a howling gale by his ears.

This was a gaze from the entire Nightmare World!

Shi An suddenly understood. But...

"This is also the final wail of the Nightmare before it shatters completely."

...

Beside the Pollution Spring, Little Blood suppressed the Ghost Shadow monsters one by one with an invincible posture. And at this moment, exerting the absolute limits of his strength, Profound Sword finally unleashed another strike—a sword strike condensed with a Curse Art.

"CRACK!"

"BANG!"

The source of pollution shattered on impact.

The entire spring pool crumbled along with it. The purplish-black wastewater that was SPLASHING and flowing out immediately faded and vanished, leaving behind only a few water stains.

Further out, the struggling Ghost Shadow monsters froze. Their ferocious faces returned to a peaceful state, and the rough, grayish-black skin on their bodies gradually receded, revealing pale, emaciated human bodies. Immediately after, just like the source of pollution itself, they gradually faded and disappeared from the world.

At the same time, within the entire area, the Ghosts of the Wizard’s Tower and the Whispering Jungle vanished one after another, disappearing as the Nightmare was conquered.

"ROAR!"

Shi An seemed to hear an unwilling roar.

The malice enveloping the area outside the Safe Zone crashed against it, but still gradually faded away as the entire Nightmare underwent Purification.

The Pollution Spring was gone, the Ghosts were gone. The ominousness, the gloom, the bitter cold—all those uncomfortable sensations were rapidly receding, completely dissipating without a trace after a dozen or so blinks.

The gray fog had also entirely dispersed, and rays of sunlight spilled down. They shone upon the dead trees. These withered branches and rotten wood were actually showing faint signs of sprouting new buds of a second spring.

"It’s not just the source and the Ghosts; the entire Nightmare has been thoroughly eradicated."

And at this moment, the collapsed Pollution Spring, the howling corrupted Wizard, the Ghost Shadow monster sunken into the mud... Fragments reflecting these images surfaced before Shi An’s eyes and reorganized.

[DING!]

[You have led the conquest of a large-scale Nightmare. Gained 300 Belief Value.]

[You may select three of the following five options as loot for conquering the Nightmare.]