Chapter 45 - 42: Members’ Improvement, the Name of the Safe Zone

Chapter 45: Chapter 42: Members’ Improvement, the Name of the Safe Zone

"Completely eradicating the Nightmares... it’s easier said than done."

At the Countermeasures Bureau.

During a small meeting with only a few attendees, the man draped in a heavy cloak couldn’t hide his exhaustion. In past meetings, he had been impassioned and commanding, naturally to build confidence among his subordinates. In reality, however, he lacked sufficient confidence himself.

Nearby, a Captain Level powerhouse spoke up. "Director Yan, the situation shouldn’t be that dire, right? In just the past three days, our Countermeasures Bureau has conquered a total of nineteen Nightmares. The Guidance Squads from organizations like the Extreme Intent Martial Arts Hall and the Wizard’s House have also seen results. On average, our Baijiang can conquer ten Nightmare Worlds a day."

Ten a day was quite an impressive efficiency. However, sacrifices were inevitable.

The danger factor of conquering Nightmares was much higher than merely ensuring one’s own survival. Even with ample preparation, Dream Descenders had almost no margin for error when facing anomalies. The slightest accident could result in death.

But in the captain’s eyes, this kind of high-intensity Nightmare conquering operation wouldn’t last forever. Once the number of Nightmares decreased, the invasion crisis would naturally dissipate.

Director Yan shook his head slightly. "It’s not that simple. Do you think that when we conquer a Nightmare, we are truly shattering it?"

The captain initially wanted to say yes, but he suddenly realized something. "After a Nightmare is conquered, the ominous and anomalous entities will make a comeback after some time. Does that mean... conquering Nightmares is actually ineffective?"

"Not entirely ineffective. At the very least, we have indeed delayed the spreading speed of the Nightmares, but..."

It was far from enough!

"Then what exactly should we do?" the captain asked.

Director Yan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Do you think the Nightmare World has its own consciousness?"

...

"The Nightmare World has its own consciousness!"

Inside the rental apartment, Shi An paced back and forth, frowning in deep thought.

He recalled the final moments of the Nightmare conquest not long ago. At that time, a terrifying malice had descended like a tidal wave, relentlessly crashing against the entire Safe Zone. Even Manager Shi had felt a lingering sense of dread. Anomalies like Little Blood could pound and slam against the Safe Zone’s barrier all they wanted without creating a single crack, but...

That malice felt as if an entire Nightmare World was bearing down with the force of toppling mountains and overturning seas.

"Is it because it was a large-scale Nightmare?" he wondered. "Probably not. Large-scale Nightmares tower above ordinary ones, but they aren’t exactly a secret in the Dream Descenders’ circle. I’ve never heard of this kind of almost tangible malice. Besides, when the malice shrouded us, Dream Descenders like the college student and the woman in pajamas inside the shop didn’t notice a thing. Only I felt it."

He had felt as though a consciousness belonging to the Nightmare World was staring at him. Thus, he had stared back at the Nightmare World.

It wasn’t until the Nightmare Core was shattered and the Nightmare dissipated that this malicious gaze was forced to retreat. But what if they hadn’t been able to conquer the Nightmare World in time?

He thought, "The Nightmare World’s depths are unfathomable; I really can’t afford to underestimate it even slightly. The question now is, what exactly triggered the Nightmare’s gaze? Is the Safe Zone itself special, or could it be... Little Blood!"

After all, conquering that Nightmare marked the very first time the Safe Zone had truly taken action. Could that be the reason?

...

As the Manager of the Safe Zone, Shi An had many things to consider, but for the Dream Descenders, things were much simpler. They only needed to devote themselves entirely to conquering Nightmares.

And this time, many Dream Descenders, including Profound Sword, hadn’t just escaped the fate of death—they had reaped massive rewards.

Not long ago, at the Extreme Intent Martial Arts Hall.

HUM!

A gray ripple flashed by, and Profound Sword opened his eyes inside his own Quiet Chamber.

As if half-asleep and half-awake, numerous insights flashed through his mind. The next moment, his Lifebound Curse Object, the Evil Eye Sword, materialized in front of him. He had long since fused this Curse Object into his body and perfectly controlled it, reaching the Peak of Control Stage.

But now, cold black Curse Power erupted from the blade. Profound Sword grabbed it, and in just a few short breaths, he completely refined the Evil Eye Sword. With a single step, he crossed into the Refining Realm.

Refining a Curse Object to completely transform it into one’s own power was the first major bottleneck on the path of the Curse Cultivation System. From then on, a Dream Descender using this Lifebound Curse Object would no longer suffer from backlash or any side effects. However, the backlash, influence, and Life Force consumed prior to this point could not be restored.

He mused, "Only after reaching the Fourth Stage Refining Realm can a Dream Descender truly wield Curse Power."

Previously, he had only been borrowing Curse Power from his Lifebound Curse Object. But now, the Curse Object had essentially become an organ for Curse Power, capable of generating it internally. This enhancement was monumental.

As Dream Descenders in the Refining Stage continued forward, they could also use the Curse Object to resonate with their own bodies, sublimating their life level. When that time came, they would be able to truly wield Extraordinary Power, rising above ordinary mortals.

"Although Extraordinary Great Figures are also plagued by Nightmares and occasionally have to descend into the Nightmare World to struggle for survival, they aren’t necessarily as carefree as members backed by the Safe Zone," he concluded.

Safe Zone members were the real winners!

However, the gap between the Refining Stage and an Extraordinary Powerhouse was massive—far beyond a mere major Tier difference. Although there were historical legends of great figures gaining enlightenment overnight and achieving the Extraordinary instantly, Profound Sword only treated them as tall tales. The orthodox Path to Transcendence had already been carved out by their predecessors.

Profound Sword pondered, "I am now in the Refining Stage, but I have only refined a single Lifebound Curse Object, which places me in the First Refinement Realm. Next, following my previous cultivation rhythm, refining my second and third Lifebound Curse Objects will bring me to the Second Refining Realm and Third Refinement Realm. But the selection of Curse Objects is critical. The three Curse Objects must correspond to ’Essence, Qi, and Divine’ respectively, and form a stable structure to qualify for a breakthrough to the Extraordinary."

While it seemed like a mere replication of previous cultivation steps, it was far from easy. Integrating a second and third Curse Object into the body could easily cause fatal conflicts. In the early years, Dream Descenders who forcefully fused multiple Curse Objects faced near-certain death. Now, however, refining the first Curse Object before fusing the second reduced the mortality rate dozens of times over.

The selection of Lifebound Curse Objects was of the utmost importance. One wrong or subpar choice meant losing all hope of reaching the Extraordinary.

Experts typically had to spend a long time progressing from the First Refinement Realm to the Third Refinement Realm. Because they had to constantly guard against Nightmare entanglements and struggle in the Nightmare World, the actual time they could dedicate to self-improvement was even scarcer.

But...

He thought, "Now that I’m a Safe Zone member, falling into a Nightmare guarantees I can enter the Safe Zone. With no worries about my safety, I also have a massive advantage in conquering Nightmares."

Going from the First Refinement Realm to the Third Refinement Realm... he actually felt it wouldn’t be too difficult?

Praise the Manager.

...

At the Countermeasures Bureau, Old Cai had taken on the task of mentoring rookies.

Mentoring rookies was notoriously troublesome. Recently, the Countermeasures Bureau had been conducting frequent operations, and his comrades were exhausted. Since Old Cai had an easy time during this recent Nightmare, he simply skipped taking a leave and went straight to work.

"An easy time in the Nightmare World?" Lu Fan’s eyes widened with utter skepticism. "Brother Cai, even an honest-looking guy like you knows how to brag, huh?"

His older sister, a renowned Captain Level powerhouse in the Countermeasures Bureau, would always sigh heavily whenever she talked about the Nightmare World. Although Brother Cai was a Senior Dream Descender, it was unfathomable to think he could easily survive in a Nightmare World.

"Indeed, in theory, that’s true." Old Cai reminisced about his recent Nightmare experience; it still felt like a dream. He explained, "I didn’t easily survive the Nightmare on my own. Rather, I received the protection of the Safe Zone’s Manager. The Manager carved out a pure land within the Nightmare, sheltering struggling Dream Descenders like us."

The Manager was kind-hearted, noble, great, and mysterious.

Lu Fan listened, completely engrossed. "Brother Cai, from what you’re saying, this Manager must be much stronger than even Captain Level powerhouses, right? Who on earth is the Manager?"

"Yeah..." Old Cai sighed emotionally. "Just who is the Manager?"