Chapter 9 - 6: Is This Still the Nightmare World?

Chapter 9: Chapter 6: Is This Still the Nightmare World?

TAP TAP TAP!

The sound of hurried footsteps drew closer.

As Shi An watched, a figure quickly emerged from the dim corner of the staircase.

She was a female Dream Descender. Her long, silver-white hair flowed like the wind, and her deep purple Witch’s Skirt was adorned with ruffles. She wore Long Boots and a Wizard Hat, and though she wasn’t holding a Magic Staff, she had on a single, fiery red Glove.

’Are there Witches in this world? Or even Magical Girls?’

Shi An was surprised, but then he remembered this was the Nightmare World.

A Nightmare is still a dream, after all.

Judging from the middle-aged man he’d seen last time, the outfits of Dream Descenders in the Nightmare World could be quite peculiar. Bizarre and flamboyant were both possibilities.

When he himself had entered the Safe Zone, his own clothes had changed in an instant. This might be a fundamental rule of the Nightmare World.

As for the other two Dream Descenders in black trench coats... well, their outfits were far too normal, blending in perfectly with the current environment.

...

At that moment, the two Dream Descenders in black trench coats were on high alert. Only when they saw a person emerge—not some monster or anomaly—did they let out a quiet sigh of relief.

’Still, that girl is a bit reckless,’ he thought. ’You have to be extremely careful when exploring the Nightmare World. Making noise casually is a huge taboo.’

The Witch-like Dream Descender was also a little surprised after stepping onto this floor.

She was surprised by the two other Dream Descenders not far away, and also by the door, whose style was so starkly different from its surroundings.

However, her surprise lasted only a moment. She glanced at the two of them and then strode forward.

She reached out and placed her hand on the shiny brass handle.

She paused for half a second, then pushed the door open without hesitation.

CREAK~!

The large door swung open.

The white mist began to dissipate.

The rookie said, "Brother Chen, looks like someone beat us to it?"

The rookie was obedient enough not to rush forward and try to snatch the door, but he was clearly eager to move.

But the Veteran leading them stared wide-eyed, a mixture of shock, speechlessness, and helplessness on his face.

He felt like his rookie was being led astray, but... ’Are freelance Dream Descenders these days all this gutsy?’

So gutsy!

He was torn... He had been analyzing this door for several minutes and still wasn’t confident in his judgment.

And yet, this freelance Dream Descender who had just arrived took one look at it and pushed the door open without a second thought.

His expression tensed up again, his eyes fixed on the opened door, wary of any potential danger that might emerge.

No danger appeared.

But the freelance Dream Descender who had opened the door suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, right. The lights in the dormitory are going out, starting from the first floor."

The light bulbs went out one by one.

A man-eating darkness began its upward Spreading from the first floor.

The true danger of the Nightmare Dormitory was only just beginning.

...

The Witch Dream Descender strode through the moment she pushed the door open.

Though it looked like only a single step from one side of the door to the other, she felt as if she had passed through a curtain, a barrier separating an entire region.

The girl was a little surprised.

Although people often called her gutsy, she wasn’t truly reckless. It was just that she had accidentally spent too much time exploring the lower levels, so when the lights-out time came again, she couldn’t stay in that dark environment any longer.

Opening the door might be dangerous, but staying in the darkness meant certain danger.

Between the two, of course she’d choose the former.

’That’s what you call wisdom.’

However, as the Witch walked through the door, her jaw dropped.

"Huh? Where the hell did I end up? Is this still the Nightmare World?!"

Here, the lights were bright.

Here, it was clean and tidy.

Here, soothing, light music made one’s body and mind feel lighter.

If she weren’t absolutely certain she hadn’t left the Nightmare World, she would have thought she’d returned to reality.

DING-A-LING~!

DING-A-LING~!

The bells hanging on the door chimed crisply as the two Dream Descenders in black trench coats finally came through.

They, too, froze on the spot.

After a long moment, the rookie couldn’t hold back anymore and asked, "Master, Master, there are places like this in the Nightmare World? How come you never told me?"

The lead Dream Descender: *Aba aba...*

’No one ever told me either!’

’What is this place?’

"This is a Safe Zone, a place untouched by the Nightmare."

From not far away, Shi An spoke, pulling the three of them back to their senses.

Only then did they notice Shi An standing behind the counter. The feeling he gave them was incredibly strange. He was like the master of this place, his expression calm and at ease, yet he also seemed like a cold observer who fell silent after offering that single piece of advice.

’Who exactly is he?’

’He must be a Dream Descender, just like us, right?’

Any human in the Nightmare World was, of course, a Dream Descender. But the air of mystery and the keep-your-distance coldness surrounding this man made him open his mouth to ask something, only to close it again without a word.

He couldn’t help but wonder:

’A Safe Zone? Untouched by the Nightmare?’

He frowned. ’Could a place like this really exist in the Nightmare World?’

But...

’This place is truly magical. It’s bright, warm, and gives off an overwhelming sense of security. It doesn’t feel like the Nightmare World at all.’

In any case, compared to the unsettling and uncomfortable Nightmare Dormitory, the Dream Descender in the black trench coat much preferred to stay here.

He deliberated for a moment before turning to Shi An, who seemed like the owner of the shop, and asked:

"Sir, could we... rest here for a while? We won’t disturb you for long."

Shi An stopped wiping the glass in his hand and looked at the three of them.

He wanted to tell them not to be polite, to sit wherever they liked, and preferably stay for a long time.

"You can. That was my intention when I built this place."

’This place was built by this gentleman... this Manager?’

’Can a Dream Descender really construct such a scene in the Nightmare World?’

’Is he telling the truth?’

’Who exactly is this Manager?’

’Logically, at their Level, it should be impossible to encounter such a high-ranking Dream Descender in the Nightmare World.’

The older man in the black trench coat had much to consider, but...

The Witch Dream Descender’s thoughts were much simpler.

She looked at Shi An. "Manager, look, there are several Dream Descenders here. And you said this place can block the Nightmare’s assault. I was wondering if we could borrow this location and team up to conquer this Nightmare."

"Conquer the Nightmare?!"

The rookie was confused.

The Veteran in the black trench coat felt his mouth twitch. He explained to the rookie, "For us Dream Descenders, survival in the Nightmare World means exploring, investigating, avoiding danger, and stalling for time until we wake up and escape the Nightmare. But, since our method of survival is to flee the Nightmare, there is naturally another way to break free... and that is to defeat the Nightmare!"

"To be precise, it’s about defeating and eliminating the Nightmare of the current Dream Realm. As long as we completely crush the dangers within the Nightmare, we naturally won’t have to run anymore. We can even get some handsome rewards. It’s just..."

’That’s just wishful thinking.’

’That’s not something most Dream Descenders should even be considering. This freelance Dream Descender in the Witch costume is, as I thought, way too gutsy.’

"But..."

She wanted to press the issue. The Manager had even given a slight nod of approval—though in truth, Shi An had no idea about the difficulty or significance of conquering a Nightmare—but she hadn’t expected to get stuck on the two men in black trench coats.

She said, "As long as we use the Safe Zone to fend off the assault, conquering the Nightmare is totally possible."

’That’s why I say, the little lady is too gutsy and naive. Who just believes whatever anyone tells them? Especially here in the Nightmare World,’ the Veteran thought, his eyes involuntarily glancing out the door.

The lights went out, one by one. The lights-out that began on the first floor of the Nightmare Dormitory had finally spread to the sixth floor.

’It’s here!’

His muscles tensed involuntarily.

FLICK~!

All the lights went out. The dormitory outside was now utterly devoid of light. Darkness fell, and a hair-raising danger seemed to be brewing within it, gradually drawing near.

Closer.

Closer.

It was always drawing closer, yet it was as if separated by a natural chasm, stopping just before the main door.

"Huh? That’s it? Is this the Nightmare World I know?"

His mouth hung slightly open.

The rookie might not have a direct understanding of the situation, but for an old-timer like him, it was beyond shocking.

The Witch Dream Descender’s mouth was also slightly agape.

She had believed this place could block the danger, but it wasn’t because she was that gutsy; her belief was based on a judgment made from the available information.

She knew that the real danger would only awaken after the dormitory lights went out. But here, this little shop was brightly lit. As long as the lights stayed on, they would naturally be able to suppress the danger in the darkness to some extent.

Using light to stop the darkness from spreading.

That was what she had originally thought.

But what about now?

The door was like a line dividing worlds, blocking all the strangeness, danger, and misfortune of the darkness outside.

Outside the door, it was still perilous; inside, it was calm and carefree.

’Is this still the Nightmare World I know?’

’Hmm, but then again, I did figure out early on that it was safe enough inside the shop, which means I’m pretty smart, hehe~!’