Fear of food

Chapter 103 The Dream Thief

Chen Qi and the others did not return to their previous residence. Instead, under Peanut's arrangement, they moved into several self-built houses in nearby villages and towns.

Although the living conditions are somewhat poor, safety is the most important thing.

After being parasitized, the coffees may have revealed their location to the Nightmare Clan, so as a precaution, they had no choice but to give up their previous comfortable living environment.

After Baozi led Chen Qi to his lodgings, he instructed him, "Biscuit, after you've rested, remember to find some wild food and bring it to me. We plan to study it."

"Okay." Chen Qi agreed. "I also have a favor to ask of you. Please keep an eye on a few people for me and see what happens to them."

Chen Qi told Baozi about the information of the butcher, Xia Huiyun, Bian Zihan and other parasites.

The butcher was killed by him in the "birthing room," while the others had their nightmares eaten by him.

Chen Qi was very curious about what would happen to them next. Would they die completely? Or would they be resurrected normally?
After Baozi left, Chen Qi lay down on the unfamiliar bed and quickly fell asleep.

He had experienced too much in one night and was already exhausted, both physically and mentally.

When I woke up from my nap, it was already dawn.

When Chen Qi opened his eyes, he saw a huge figure standing in his room, which immediately startled him awake.

Of all the people Chen Qi knew, only one fit the description of such a burly physique. He asked with some wariness, "Captain Peanut, what do you need me for?"

“You can call me Peanut, or you can call me Captain.” Peanut slowly turned around. “But don’t call me Captain Peanut, it makes me sound like a cartoon character from a children’s animation.”

"Okay, Captain Peanut, so you came all this way without saying a word just to tell me this?"

"Come with me." Peanut didn't explain further and walked straight towards the door.

Chen Qiqi put on his shoes and followed.

Peanut opened the door and went out first. Chen Qi quickly followed, but was stunned when he got outside... The corridor outside was not the one he had walked through before!
It was the restroom.

The bathroom is small, only about four or five square meters. It adopts a dry and wet separation design, with one side being the shower room and the other half having a toilet and sink installed.

The bathroom was brightly lit and spotless, with even the shower door made of transparent glass, offering a clear view without any blind spots.

Aside from the slightly small space, the overall feeling is very comfortable and reassuring.

Chen Qi's muscles tensed instantly, and he became alert, staring intently at Peanut like a cat with its fur standing on end.

This is clearly problematic. Who has a bathroom connected to their front door?
There wasn't even a way out.

He clearly remembered that when he came in, there was a narrow corridor outside.

"Don't be nervous." Peanut's voice seemed to have a calming magic. "I brought you here to look in the mirror."

"A mirror?" Chen Qi looked at the dressing mirror behind the sink and immediately noticed its strangeness.

This is not a complete mirror, but rather a composite of three broken mirror fragments.

The three fragments that make up this mirror did not seem to be a single piece originally, as can be seen from the difference in color between the frame and the mirror surface.

Chen Qi looked at himself in the mirror and was slightly taken aback. The skeletal arm and half of his body on his back were gone!
However, he immediately saw a wisp of smoke rising from his body, which instantly transformed into a human figure with the same face as him, but with a strange smile on his face.

"Nightmare Eater...?" Chen Qi subconsciously made the connection upon seeing the phantom.

"What exactly do you want?" Chen Qi didn't overanalyze the scene in the mirror and directly looked away at Peanut.

His tone already carried a hint of warning, and he grinned, revealing his gleaming white canine teeth, ready to bite if things went wrong.

Peanut observed Chen Qi in the mirror and said in a deep voice, "I'm curious, are you a pagan or a parasite?"

"To be honest, I also want to know the answer to this question."

Peanut smiled and said, "The answer isn't important; what matters is what you believe yourself to be."

"And now, I know what you're thinking."

After Peanut finished speaking, a somewhat incongruous smile suddenly appeared on his face, and his features began to blur.

"You're not Peanut! Who are you?" Chen Qi bent over, ready to pounce at any moment.

"I am your old friend." The blurry features on that face became clear again, and it was exactly the same as Chen Qi's!
"Playing tricks!" Chen Qi lunged forward, opening his mouth to bite.

Wow!

Just then, with a loud crash, the entire bathroom shattered like shards of a mirror.

The person in front of him shattered along with the bathroom, and his face, which was exactly the same as Chen Qi's, suddenly turned into a completely unfamiliar young face.

Chen Qi's vision went black for a moment, then he abruptly opened his eyes and sat up... only to realize he was still in bed. "Was that just a dream?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

As Chen Qi got up and put on his shoes, he asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me," came Peanut's voice from outside the door.

Chen Qi frowned slightly, realizing that the dream he had just had was probably not a coincidence.

He opened the door, and Peanut's burly body almost completely blocked the doorway.

As Peanut stepped into the house, Chen Qicai noticed that there was another person following behind him.

He was a pale-faced young man, about the same age as Chen Qi. He seemed to have just been frightened, and his eyes instinctively darted away when he saw Chen Qi, showing some fear of him.

Looking at the face he had just seen in his dream, Chen Qi paused for a moment before asking, "Are you an ability user from the dream-contaminated area?"

The dream I just had was clearly related to the young man in front of me.

The young man nodded and mustered his courage to introduce himself: "Hello, my name is 'Mirror,' and I'm a 'Dream Thief' from Corning City."

"Dream Thief? Sounds more sophisticated than Phantom Eater." Chen Qi shook his head, inwardly criticizing the naming abilities of the people in the group.

"I was just trying to joke with you, sorry," the mirror whispered.

Chen Qi smiled and said nonchalantly, "It's alright. I was impolite too; I almost ate you."

Hearing this, 'Mirror' broke out in a cold sweat and said to Peanut, "Captain, our new member seems even more ferocious than you described."

Peanut ignored the mirror and explained to Chen Qi, "After learning about your abilities and situation from Momo a few days ago, I reported the situation to higher authorities. Both I personally and those above me value you highly."

"However, we all share a common concern about you. After all, you are more like a parasite than a phantom. We are very worried about whether your condition is stable, and we have even suspected that you are a parasite in disguise."

"So I submitted a report a few days ago to borrow the mirror, but I didn't expect that it would save him from yesterday's battle at Corning."

The mirror next to him grinned, revealing a forced smile: "I was just incredibly lucky, I escaped by sheer luck, otherwise I would definitely have passed out in Corning City."

Chen Qi asked thoughtfully, "So that was a test for me? What did you find out?"

The mirror replied, "The magic mirror in my dream can reflect the inner self of each person, so when you look in the mirror in your dream, what you see is the self you think you are: a human being entangled and troubled by the Nightmare Clan."

"As for what you really are, like I said in my dream, it doesn't really matter anymore, since the situation is already in this mess."

Chen Qi said expressionlessly, "It seems I passed the test."

The mirror apologized, "I know you may be a little dissatisfied, but please understand that we can't afford any mistakes during this special period."

"It's alright. It's better to rule out suspicion than to be on guard against each other during cooperation." Chen Qi didn't seem to care. "But since you value me so much, could it be that you have some plans for me later?"

Peanut hesitated for a moment before saying, "The previous coach was a conservative. He wanted me to observe you further and not rush into contact with you, prioritizing stability. However, since the crushing defeat in Corning City yesterday, the new coach seems to be a radical..."

"The instructions I received today are to help you improve your abilities at all costs!"

The mirror shook its head and said, "The crushing defeat in Corning City taught us a lesson. We can't defeat the Nightmare Clan with just firearms and high technology. Only magic can defeat magic. Moreover, we must take the elite route. Human wave tactics won't work. Cultivating superpowered individuals with strong individual abilities is where our hope lies."

"Therefore, we will concentrate resources on cultivating powerful Dream Thieves and Devourers. As for Biscuit, your ability may not be the strongest at the moment, but its restraining effect on the Nightmare Clan is definitely top-notch!"

Chen Qi nodded and said, "I am flattered that the organization values ​​me so much. But how do you plan to help me upgrade my abilities?"

"Of course, it's to help you find high-grade wild food, which is also a high-grade source of pollution," Peanut said. "Actually, we currently have a Class C pollution source in hand."

Chen Qi's eyes lit up: "Where?"

"We've figured out the abilities of that little girl, Lin Ning. It's not about tracking off aliens and parasites, but about containing sources of contamination."

"Accommodate pollution sources?" Chen Qi suddenly realized. "Just accommodate, it shouldn't absorb them, right?"

Peanut nodded and said, "That's right. To the Nightmare Clan, she is a container specifically used to hold sources of pollution. Of course, this ability is also very useful."

“Normally, the source of pollution is invisible to most Nightmare Clan members, and only a small number of high-level Nightmare Clan members can perceive its existence.”

“Mobile pollution sources can generally only be kept within a certain range and cannot be taken out of the polluted area. However, as long as Lin Ning’s body is used as a container, this limitation can be broken.”

Chen Qi asked doubtfully, "Is this really that difficult? I seem to be able to carry high-grade wild food around without any restrictions."

The mirror replied matter-of-factly, "That's why... otherwise why would we focus on developing you? It's because you're special enough!"

(End of this chapter)