Chapter 8 - 5: The Second Batch of Visitors

Chapter 8: Chapter 5: The Second Batch of Visitors

Shi An stepped through the door and froze. ’Where in the world did it send me?’

Before him, the bar counter was brand new, emanating the fresh scent of wood. Pendant lights hung from the ceiling, casting a bright yet gentle glow. Four small, round tables with matching chairs were arranged in the room. Farther away, the massive glass windows were devoid of any dust, bloodstains, or cracks—so clean they perfectly reflected his handsome but utterly bewildered face.

’Is... is this still the Safe Zone?’

If Shi An remembered correctly, the Safe Zone had been a dilapidated mess not long ago. The ceiling had been covered in cracks, constantly shedding dust. The walls had been peeling, the windows fractured, and you couldn’t find a single intact chair in the entire shop.

Now, it was completely renovated.

"Wonderful, just wonderful!"

’This really doesn’t fit the ’dilapidated little shop’ vibe, but it definitely fits the ’Safe Zone’ one!’

The old shop, while also quite secure and capable of keeping the terrifying Nightmares at bay, probably felt environmentally similar to most Nightmare settings for a Dream Descender.

It couldn’t give its customers that at-home feeling.

But now, this clean, tidy shop with its comfortable atmosphere felt like a true place of rest.

Shi An surveyed the shop’s interior. It wasn’t large, but it had quite a few features.

For example, there was a hot water dispenser to the side—getting a hot drink in the Nightmare World was no easy feat. It was a shame Shi An couldn’t find a tea set or any tea leaves; otherwise, brewing a cup of tea and leisurely waiting for customers would have been a delight.

Not that he had a choice but to be leisurely. Rushing wouldn’t help; there was no point in being anxious.

He also discovered a sound system that could freely play background music to create a comfortable ambiance.

"Mm, this is very ’Safe Zone-like’."

Shi An could imagine that as the Safe Zone continued to upgrade, the shop’s features would inevitably become even more comprehensive. It might even become possible to drink bubble tea, brew coffee, or even play mahjong and Fight the Landlord in the shop one day.

However, these comforts were just bonuses. Nice to have, but not essential.

More importantly, Shi An found some rather valuable items in the utility room.

A dark gold pocket watch.

When he entered the dream, he couldn’t bring any items from reality; even the clothes on his back and his own appearance would change. Naturally, there were no clocks in the shop. In the past, Shi An could only guess the approximate time, but now he wouldn’t have to worry about oversleeping or waking up too early.

Besides that, he also found tools like rope, a ruler, a wrench, and a lighter.

These tools weren’t particularly valuable in reality, since you could buy them anywhere. But in the Nightmare World, it was a different story. They could definitely play a huge role in certain situations.

Although, Shi An had no intention of exploring the Nightmare World himself.

After taking inventory of the items in the shop, Shi An sat behind the bar and began to wait patiently.

Outside the window, a thick white fog still enveloped the entire Safe Zone.

When the white fog began to thin and reveal the outside world, that was likely when a destined visitor would appear.

Shi An couldn’t guarantee that another destined visitor would come today. The exact probability increase after the Safe Zone’s upgrade remained to be tested.

He could only pray.

’Gimme a hit! A big one!’

’I’d trade Hajilu’s next ten years of being single for a visitor to spawn!’

The fog began to dissipate.

Shi An’s eyes widened. "Is cursing Hajilu to ten years of singledom really that effective?!"

...

「Nightmare World.」

Space was chaotic here, with no geographical markers. Dream Descenders who fell into this place could never tell where they were.

The only things they could discern were danger, danger, and more danger.

"Generally speaking, we can infer the potential dangers of a Nightmare Area and our approach to clearing it based on the surrounding environment."

"Take this area, for example. See? Aside from being a tad run-down and a little too quiet, doesn’t it look a lot like a student dormitory? Since it’s a dorm, the dangers we face are likely related to ’students’ or ’dorm supervisors.’ Mm, and we also need to pay attention to certain student housing rules."

Two Dream Descenders walked down a dilapidated, silent hallway.

The doors here were either ajar or completely broken off their hinges, and the railings were so rusty they looked like they could snap at any moment. The only relatively normal things in the entire dormitory were the light bulbs, which were still on, casting a dim, yellowed glow.

Both Dream Descenders were wearing black trench coats. The older one, who appeared calm and composed, was imparting his experience to the newcomer.

He had led the rookie past several traps, like taking cover in a dorm room when the hallway lights flickered, or knocking on a closed door before pushing it open.

These were the details, the fruits of experience.

And it earned him the rookie’s admiring gaze.

"Usually, the clues are hidden in these dilapidated dorm rooms. Find what’s different about one of them, and that’s likely where you’ll find a key item."

"Uh, Master, does an ornate door count as ’different’?"

"Get real. Where would you find an ornate door? This is a dilapidated dorm. No matter how different an anomaly is, it still has to follow the basic environment of the area!"

But when he looked in the direction the rookie was pointing, he fell silent.

The arched door was crafted from dark brown wood, its grain clearly visible. Above the brass handle was a polished, gleaming display window, but it seemed to be covered in a layer of fog, obscuring the view inside.

An arched door like this was just... embedded abruptly and conspicuously in the mottled, dilapidated wall.

’Is this right?’

’The whole aesthetic is wrong!’

The rookie, still full of anticipation, asked, "Master, what do you think is behind this door? Could it be one of those legendary hidden areas? Lots of games have setups like this. Do you think we can find the final clue to clearing the Nightmare inside?"

’No, that’s not it. Kid, you’re overthinking things. A rookie can afford to just dream, but as the seasoned veteran leading the team, I have a lot more to consider.’

The Veteran hesitated.

Logically, since the door before them was so obviously special, it was worth pushing open to investigate.

But this door was *too* special. Its style was worlds apart from its surroundings. It was too ornate! It was so luxurious it felt wrong, so wrong it felt like a trap.

Even though he had never heard of such a trap.

The Senior Dream Descender still hesitated.

Behind the door, Shi An was also dumbfounded. "Come on, buddy, just push the door and come in!" ’Was it wrong for me to give the Safe Zone a big renovation?’

But to be fair, the last time the Safe Zone shop had appeared, it was already quite abrupt, popping up on the side of a dead-silent street. This time, it seemed his little shop had been stuffed directly into the dormitory building, replacing one of the rooms?

’Yep, even more abrupt and absurd.’

’But this is a dream world, after all, so I guess that’s normal.’

After the ’Invitation’ was triggered, Shi An himself had a certain degree of vision of the outside world.

He looked in another direction, toward the stairwell at the other end of the hallway.

’Yes, he was well aware that there weren’t just two Dream Descenders in this current Nightmare Area.’

’There was a third person.’