Chapter 67 - 64: Training Ground, Nether Robe Mecha

Chapter 67: Chapter 64: Training Ground, Nether Robe Mecha

’Conquering Nightmares has this kind of benefit, too?’

Shi An felt the Safe Zone and the Nightmares were opposing forces.

The Nightmares were eroding and devouring the real world, yet the Safe Zone seemed capable of taking a bite out of them in return.

’This is definitely a good thing, but I should also be wary.’

’After all...’

Compared to the infinite Nightmare World, the Safe Zone was still far too small.

The Safe Zone’s defensive and protective abilities were incredibly reliable, but only against aberrations.

’But what if the enemy is the Nightmare itself?’

The malicious gaze that had been troubling Shi An was a prime example.

That malice might not be able to breach the Safe Zone’s barrier. But if it possessed ’intelligence’—if Shi An were on the other side, he would target the Dream Descenders as they came and went.

If they were targeted like that, the Safe Zone would be nothing more than a turtle shell, offering few ways to fight back.

’That can’t happen.’

It might never happen, but Shi An had to be prepared for it.

’How can I prepare for it?’

’I need the ability to fight back. I need to be able to find the source of this malice!’

That was part of the reason Shi An was drawing the map in the first place.

But the most crucial part was...

Power!

’If the Safe Zone’s entrance is ever blockaded, I need the power to repel and kill whatever aberrations are responsible.’

’Conquering Nightmares usually relies more on intelligence and information, but power is the ultimate safety net.’

’I need the ability to break a deadlock with brute force, a margin for error to fall back on. Only then, when something unexpected happens...’

’...can I shatter it with overwhelming strength!’

’By the same token, even if I find the source of the malice, I’ll need a much stronger Guidance Squad to conquer it.’

When Profound Sword, Hair Ghost, and Xi Xue conquered that large-scale Nightmare, it was a life-and-death struggle.

Without the Blood Hand Seal’s intervention, they would have certainly failed.

If a mere large-scale Nightmare was that difficult to conquer, what about an even higher-level one?

If his Safe Zone didn’t have enough power, finding the source of the gaze would be pointless.

’I still have to get stronger.’

I can’t just rely on the Safe Zone’s defenses to survive.

...

[System Notification: Belief Value -100.]

[System Notification: Dream Crystal Dust -3,000.]

[System Notification: ...]

Having acquired an extra building slot, Shi An immediately used the only blueprint he had left to construct the Training Ground.

However, he wouldn’t know its specific function until construction was complete.

The Alchemy Workshop, for instance, had functions that exceeded his expectations after it was built.

Shi An hoped the Training Ground would also have a pleasant surprise in store for him.

...

While waiting, Shi An checked the loot options that had just popped up.

It was a normal Nightmare, so the loot was naturally quite ordinary.

Yesterday, when Hair Ghost’s team conquered the Netherworld Marriage Nightmare, two other groups of Dream Descenders had also safely taken down their own Nightmares on the same day, thanks to the advantage provided by the Witchcraft Flying Eye.

Including today’s, that made for a total of four pieces of loot.

[Member Card x2]

[Dream Curse Object Template: Peaceful Headband (Complete)]

[Member Card x1]

[Dream Curse Object: Steel Rod Bones (Complete)]

One was a Curse Template.

Templates could be used to mass-produce Curse Objects.

Shi An chose the Peaceful Headband because he was interested in its Ability.

’It can resist erosion and mental interference. The side effect is that if you wear it for too long, your head will hurt more and more until it’s squeezed to the point of bursting.’

He just had to make sure not to wear it for that long.

If Shi An contained it for his own use, he wouldn’t have to worry about mental attacks from aberrations in the real world.

However, the creation cost of 50 Belief Value per Curse Object was still too high.

If he could lower the price in the future, the Peaceful Headband would be a great item to sell to Dream Descenders. It was quite practical.

The same went for the Steel Rod Bones.

Shi An chose to contain it to strengthen his bones and Physique. As for its negative effect—turning the user into steel until they died—Shi An simply ignored it.

’With these two protective Curse Objects, my personal safety will increase by a tiny bit.’

...

A few hours later, after an agonizing wait for Manager Shi, the Training Ground was finally complete.

As the notification tone sounded in his ears, a new passageway opened up on one side of the shop’s main corridor.

At its end was an even larger space.

The entrance to the Training Ground was a silvery-white door cast from some kind of alloy.

Compared to the Wizard Workshop, which looked like a shady, hand-built operation, the Training Ground had a much more high-tech feel.

As Shi An approached, the door slid open with a BEEP.

"BEEP. Manager Card verified."

Inside was a ring-shaped corridor. The inner wall was lined with a circle of benches, while the outer wall was a brightly-lit, pure white surface.

A total of five doors were set into the wall.

’Five training rooms? Not bad at all.’

[Training Ground]

[Effect ①: When using a Curse Object within the Training Ground, the side effects on the user are reduced by 95%.]

[Effect ②: Trainees can concentrate more easily here and better perceive the flow of a Curse Object’s power.]

Shi An sucked in a sharp breath.

The first effect wasn’t very useful to him, but for other Dream Descenders, it was practically a divine blessing!

Why was it so difficult for Dream Descenders to develop their Curse Objects and learn Curse Arts? It was because the cost of using them was too high. They had to be extremely careful, using them slowly and with long breaks in between.

If they could use them daily and frequently, a Dream Descender could go from a total newbie to the Peak of Fusion Stage Great Perfection in just a few hours.

Even experts could make rapid progress.

’I might as well test out the second effect.’

Shi An walked into training room number one.

The training room was about half the size of a basketball court. That was already huge; the entire main body of the Safe Zone was only about that big.

It was more than enough space for simply practicing with Curse Objects.

The training rooms could probably be expanded in the future as well.

’Time to test the Nether Robe’s power.’

Shi An lightly tapped the red silk ribbon tied around his wrist. The next moment, the silk sprang to life.

The knot untied itself, and the red silk flew into the air.

It transformed in midair, becoming a magnificent Red Wedding Dress.

Employee Number Two, the Nether Robe, makes its appearance!

This was its third Skill, "Senluo Red Silk." It could change its size, shrinking down to nothing more than a thin, red silk ribbon.

Back in his rented room, however, Shi An hadn’t dared to experiment too much, afraid of causing a commotion.

And in the Alchemy Workshop, he had been worried about accidentally destroying the place, which looked quite fragile.

Now, he could finally test it without worry.

"Go, Nether Robe, use all your strength."

"YING~!"

WHOOSH!

It flickered and instantly reappeared twenty meters away.

Before the red, misty afterimage could even fade, it appeared again another twenty meters away.

Several afterimages hung in the air at once, only slowly fading after a few seconds.

It waved its sleeve.

The sleeve extended and wrapped around a pile of lumber that Shi An had moved over.

The next moment, the wood disappeared into thin air.

It was a Storage Ability!

However, the Nether Robe’s ability wasn’t true storage, but temporary containment. Holding items consumed its Curse Power.

’So, what about containing a person?’

Shi An conveyed his intent to give it a try.

The next moment, his vision darkened.

A swath of red fabric fell over him.

Like a cloak, it completely enveloped Shi An!

Shi An was flying.

’Wait, this is what it means to contain a person?’

He already knew there was nothing beneath the Nether Robe’s Red Wedding Dress, but for it to just slip on like a piece of equipment... Wasn’t this Skill a bit too unceremonious?

But, unceremonious or not, he could fly!

Shi An felt as if he were inside a Mecha. Powerful energy pulsed around his body, giving him the illusion of being invulnerable.

Then again, it might not be an illusion.

The red dress was an aberration, and aberrations were far more durable than even the strongest humans. Blocking a few blades or bullets probably wouldn’t be an issue.

And it seemed there was more.

Shi An’s vision blurred, and the next instant he appeared directly twenty meters away.

While enveloped by the Senluo Red Silk, he not only had powerful defenses but could also use Instant Teleportation—multiple times!

Even if a terrible disaster struck in the real world, he could easily protect himself.

If the need ever arose, he could even pose as a mysterious, powerful expert in the real world.

This Skill wasn’t unceremonious at all.

It was awesome!

"You never disappoint, Nether Robe. You’re the best."

(Blood Hand Seal: What about me?)