Chapter 5 - 2: Dream Descender

Chapter 5: Chapter 2: Dream Descender

’But you get a warning right before you’re about to leave the Nightmare World and return to reality?’

How ridiculous!

Shi An was rendered speechless by the rules of this world. It was as if they were designed to kill.

As he watched, another ten seconds or so passed. The middle-aged man’s figure began to fade, then vanished with a SWISH, not leaving a single trace behind.

’Is this the process of leaving a Nightmare?’

’It’s probably the same when you’re dragged into a Nightmare and abruptly appear in the Nightmare World.’

At first, Shi An thought that was the end of it. But where the middle-aged man had disappeared, a few tiny golden particles of light remained.

The golden particles flickered and gradually faded, seeming to merge into the run-down shop.

A notification surfaced in his mind.

[Hosted one Dream Descender. Belief Value +0.55.]

[Belief Value can be used to upgrade the Safe Zone, unlock more functions, or renovate its interior.]

...

...

Inside the dilapidated shop, Shi An gradually came to understand how the Safe Zone worked.

He discovered that many of the functions here needed to be triggered to be ’unlocked’.

It was just like the "Invite" and "Expel" functions from before, and now, the "Safe Zone" panel.

[Safe Zone]

[Tier: Zero]

[Upgrade Requirement: 10 Belief Value]

As Shi An processed the information that flowed into his mind, his brow furrowed slightly.

’Ten Belief Value doesn’t seem like much, but...’

’There are too few customers!’

It had been a week since he’d awakened his past life’s memories. During that time, whenever Shi An slept—even if it was just a nap—he would enter the dream that was his Safe Zone.

But in all that time, he had only triggered a single event: the one with the middle-aged man in the black suit.

The prerequisite for inviting a Dream Descender was that someone had to show up first.

Shi An still didn’t know if the appearance of an ’event’ was purely random or if certain conditions could trigger it.

If it was the former, he would have to slowly accumulate the Belief Value needed for an upgrade over time. It wouldn’t necessarily be that long—maybe a few months.

’But...’

’Nightmares and Dream Descenders are real, which means this world probably isn’t as peaceful as it seems on the surface.’

’A few months is probably too long. Too many things could change.’

Shi An frowned.

He waited in the dilapidated shop for another two and a half hours, but unfortunately, the window remained shrouded in thick white fog. The mists never thinned to reveal the outside world again.

He was disappointed, but he couldn’t stay there forever.

Guessing that it was already dawn in the real world, Shi An left the Safe Zone with a thought.

He had entered and exited this dream many times and was quite used to it. But this time, just as he left the dream and was about to wake up, something different happened.

[Safe Zone Business Summary:]

[You have changed the fate of one Dream Descender and received a boon from destiny.]

[Belief Value +10.66.]

[You will randomly obtain one reward related to said Dream Descender.]

[Drawing... You have obtained the Dream Curse Object Template: ’Shadow Giant Scissors’.]

Hovering in the state between sleep and wakefulness, Shi An stared at the notifications before him, stunned.

’There were rewards, too?’

’Fantastic!’

’It looks like the Safe Zone really does have a second method for acquiring Belief Value, and this one has a much bigger payoff.’

’Changed his fate, huh?’

Shi An recalled.

The middle-aged man had indeed been on the verge of being swallowed by a tide of shadows. If Shi An hadn’t invited him in time and opened that safe passage, the man would almost certainly have died.

It was no exaggeration to say he had changed the man’s destiny.

Shi An stroked his chin. ’It’s a bit immoral to think this way, but... the more dangerous the Nightmare World is, the more likely I am to change a visitor’s fate. Ahem!’

Just as this thought crossed his mind, another revelation surfaced.

[The boon for changing a destiny can only be received once per Dream Descender.]

[The limit on destiny boons can be increased if the Dream Descender’s Tier increases or a special event is triggered.]

Of course, Shi An wasn’t some Demon. He sincerely wished for all his guests to be safe.

Shi An looked ahead.

On one side was a ball of light woven from Belief Value particles, bobbing in a sea of dreams.

On the other side was a large bubble of light. Inside it was a forearm-length pair of scissors—the very same one the middle-aged man had been clutching tightly just a while ago.

He focused his thoughts on the scissors.

[Shadow Giant Scissors (Template)]

[Description 1: Possesses the power to sever Shadows. An ordinary person can use it to cut Shadows. Further powers must be developed by the holder.]

[Description 2: This Dream Curse Object can be replicated from the template by consuming Belief Value. Replicating the Shadow Giant Scissors requires 50 Belief Value.]

’It’s that expensive?’

’Never mind the fact I don’t have that much Belief Value; even if I did, I wouldn’t waste it on replicating this Dream Curse Object.’

’My precious Belief Value has to be used for other things first!’

Besides, Shi An recalled the feeling the brownish-red scissors had given him—ominous and strange.

’This Dream Curse Object is probably a trap. It might have side effects, like a curse. I’m not touching any of these things until I figure out what those side effects are and how to use them properly.’

Then again, his earlier guess had been correct: Dream Descenders did indeed wield strange and powerful Abilities.

’These scissors can sever Shadows, and the description specifically mentioned that’s when it’s held by an ordinary person. In other words, the true Ability the Shadow Giant Scissors can unleash is far greater than just that.’

Are Dream Descenders ordinary people, or have they become something more? Shi An didn’t know.

But one thing was clear: even if they weren’t ordinary people, even if they were experts, surviving in the Nightmare World was no easy task.

The Safe Zone might just be the only sanctuary in the entire Nightmare World.

’In that case, it’s time to upgrade.’

Coincidentally, the boon from destiny was just enough to cover the cost of the Safe Zone’s initial upgrade.

Shi An entered the Safe Zone once more.

He looked at this dilapidated little shop, his eyes filled with growing delight.

He focused his thoughts.

’Upgrade!’

[Consume 10 Belief Value to upgrade the Safe Zone?]

[This upgrade will take 8 hours. The Safe Zone will be inaccessible during this period. Proceed with upgrade?]

’...Yes!’

White fog enveloped him.

Shi An’s consciousness soared, bursting out of the sea of dreams.

WHOOSH!

He woke up.

Outside, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting rays across the blanket on his bed.

Shi An got out of bed and yanked the curtains open with a SWISH.

Cars, pedestrians, street vendors... an ordinary street scene came into view.

’A new day has begun.’

But the ordinary was no longer ordinary.

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