Chapter 4 - 2: Dream Descender

Chapter 4: Chapter 2: Dream Descender

"But I was too naive after all. We Dream Descenders are relentlessly entangled by Nightmares. We can fall into this world full of danger and strangeness at any time, any place. Even if we survive again and again and return to the real world... we can never know when we’ll fall into a Nightmare again. It could be in ten days, or half a month. Or maybe tomorrow, or even the next hour."

"And that’s why, even in the bright, sunny real world, I can never truly relax. I have to be on guard every single moment. Has it been about half a year since I first fell into a Nightmare? I feel like it’s been several years, maybe even a decade. It’s become hard for me to clearly define time."

Perhaps because he had just escaped death, his emotions were in turmoil, and the middle-aged man desperately needed to vent.

Shi An quietly played the part of a listener.

He had learned a great deal!

A corner of the secret, strange, and unknown Nightmare World, hidden beneath the real world, had been unveiled before him.

’First, Old He’s nightmare probably wasn’t just some rumor. It was the prelude, the first sign of a Nightmare. But I’m afraid Old He didn’t make it through.’

’Second, after breaking free from the initial Nightmare, it seems you can get a "Dream Curse Object." I’m not sure yet if this is a chance occurrence or a certainty. And this "Dream Curse Object" seems to be the core of a Dream Descender’s Ability.’

’Finally, there’s the plight of the Dream Descenders. To them, the Nightmare World is fraught with danger, filled with strangeness and murderous intent at every turn. The good news is that after a certain amount of time in a Nightmare, they wake up and return to reality. But the bad news is, they can’t predict when they’ll fall into the next one. Whether they’re sleeping, showering, or eating... they can be dragged into a Nightmare at any moment. As a result, they’re always spiritually on edge, even in the real world.’

Shi An could imagine it.

Even a powerful Dream Descender would eventually break if their spirit had to be constantly on edge, wouldn’t they?

And if they were in a poor state, they would be even more vulnerable to danger in the Nightmare World.

’Dream Descender... Dream Descender... It’s a fitting name. Once you descend into a Nightmare, your life is no longer your own to control.’

He sighed.

From this perspective, even if Dream Descenders could grasp some power, they were still unfortunate souls.

However, he had a Safe Zone, and the Safe Zone could even invite other Dream Descenders inside.

Shi An still needed to figure out the mechanics behind it.

As he was thinking, the middle-aged man said, "Staying in one place for too long will cause danger to arrive sooner..."

He voiced his intention to leave.

’Is this another ’survival rule of the Nightmare World’?’ Shi An mentally noted it down, then said, "There’s no need to rush. This area is safe. It’s fine for you to rest here a while longer. Besides, where else could you go right now?"

Outside, it was still uncertain if the tide of Shadows had receded.

If it hadn’t, stepping out that door would mean certain death.

And inside... The shop wasn’t large, and it really didn’t look like there were any other paths to take.

"How strange," Cheng Ming murmured. This was the first time he had ever seen such a Dream Realm.

Or perhaps, this wasn’t a real area at all, but the only path to survival in the Black Street?

When he had first become a Dream Descender, he had heard from some Veterans that even in a Nightmare that seemed to offer no chance of survival, there was always a glimmer of hope.

Exploring and finding that glimmer of hope was the key to their survival in the Nightmare World.

But after experiencing so many Nightmares, Cheng Ming had grown skeptical of this saying.

In the current situation, he didn’t know if this dilapidated little shop was that glimmer of hope, but he was indeed exhausted. The longer he could rest, the more he could recover.

Time passed, TICK TOCK.

As a Veteran Dream Descender, Cheng Ming naturally remained vigilant at all times. He would have immediately noticed the slightest change in his surroundings, the smallest disturbance.

But to his surprise, he discovered...

There was no change.

He had been in the shop for over ten minutes. Based on his past experience, the environment in the Nightmare World would shift after even a short pause, and Nightmares and strange phenomena would follow.

But not today.

Had the change not yet arrived, or would it not come at all?

’There’s no need to rush. This area is safe.’

’You can treat this as a transit and rest area.’

The words from before surfaced in his mind.

’Do Safe Zones really exist in this Nightmare World?’

’I can’t define the Nightmare World with my own limited understanding. As expected, the Nightmare World is simply too vast, too mysterious.’

’And who is this mysterious young man who knows so clearly that this place is safe? Is he a Dream Descender far more experienced than I am?’

Cheng Ming thought so. He couldn’t possibly be the master of this little shop, right?

To be the master of an entire area in the Nightmare World... hah, that was just too outlandish.

As he was thinking, he suddenly sensed something, and the tension in his face instantly vanished.

Cheng Ming spoke up, "Sir, I’ve sensed the opportunity. I’m about to leave the Sea of Nightmares. Thank you for taking me in this time. I hope we have the fortune to meet again in the future."

From his perspective, Shi An hadn’t really done anything except show a little kindness.

But for a Dream Descender like him, struggling desperately to survive, kindness was already a rare treasure.

Hearing this, Shi An nodded slightly, his expression faint as if this were a common occurrence.

Then, he silently recorded this new piece of information in his mind.

Being dragged into a Nightmare from the real world happens without any warning;