Fear of food

Chapter 114 Weaving a Perfect Life for You
"That's... the pedestrian street in Chang Le City!"

"I'm back in Chang Le City?"

"No, there are many people on the street, this is a dream!"

Chen Qi stood on the rooftop, the evening breeze from his dream making him feel icy cold, and for a moment he felt somewhat dazed.

"How did I end up back in a dream? I was just a moment ago far away from the polluted area of ​​Chang Le City..."

He didn't have much time to think, because he saw the roof tiles stand up like scales, and the entire roof transformed into a monster covered in scales, opening its mouth to bite him.

The persistent dream pollution proved that he was indeed in a dream.

Chen Qi leaped onto the roof of a neighboring building. The immense impact made his legs go numb and made him realize that his current body was no longer the same one he had just been in.

Given the physical strength of the Nightmare Clan he had just taken control of, this height was nothing at all.

As Chen Qi searched for a way to escape, he gradually sorted out his thoughts.

"I was just outside the contaminated zone, it's impossible for me to instantly return to the dream. The only explanation is... that Nightmare Eater and I switched bodies back!"

"That's why I went back into the dream, and now I'm in control of my own body."

"And Nightmare Eater should have returned to its own body and is now outside the contaminated area."

Chen Qi suddenly felt uneasy, as he had just called the police before being switched back.

Officials could find him at any time, but by then he would have been replaced by Nightmare Eater.

"Could the Nightmare Eater impersonate me and do something bad?"

Chen Qi was anxious, pondering how to switch his body back.

At the very least, we should remind Peanut and the others to be wary of him.

After a chase and some hiding, Chen Qi successfully shook off the scaled monster that was chasing him. He sat down on a chair in front of a shop by the roadside to take a short rest, while still keeping an eye on his surroundings.

"I haven't seen Monroe or any other Nightmare parasites yet, which means that after I separated, Nightmare Eater somehow managed to get rid of the Nightmare Clan."

You'll never know where the limit is until you push this cunning old fox to the limit.

If it were Chen Qi, he would seem to have no way to escape in that situation.

So he also borrowed the power of the Nightmare Eater to successfully regain his freedom in the dream.

Chen Qi understood that in the dream world, he could only run around frantically, not only having to be careful to avoid the pollution of the dream world at all times, but also having to be on guard against the Nightmare Clan finding him.

He can't do anything here, so he might as well leave this mess to the Nightmare Eater.

He needs to find a way to switch bodies again!
This way, he can not only use the powerful combat ability of his other body to do some things outside, but also prevent the Nightmare Eater from causing trouble in the outside world.

If you want to go back, the best way is definitely to repeat the steps you took to get there.

How did I get back into the dream?

Chen Qi recalled what he had been doing before the body swap.

It was pitch black all around him. He subconsciously followed his heartbeat and took steps. Then his heartbeat got faster and faster, and then everything went black and he returned to his dream.

"Could this be the 'secret door' that Huang Jihai mentioned?"

In the original Nightmare Eater's plan, he was supposed to control the body that separated from Chen Qi's back to escape the dream.

However, the Nightmare Eater could not simply abandon Chen Qi's soul and body, so it left a so-called "secret door" that allowed it to exchange bodies with Chen Qi again.

As a result of a series of unforeseen events, Chen Qi was separated from his body and accidentally passed through a "secret door" to complete the body swap.

“Since a ‘secret door’ is a door, it should be able to be passed through repeatedly.”

Chen Qi began to calm himself down completely, following the same method as before, and carefully felt and listened to his heartbeat.

Only after he could clearly feel his own heartbeat did he begin to take steps in rhythm with it, one step, two steps...

To his disappointment, his heartbeat did not change, and he did not return to his previous body.

"It's definitely not that simple; there might be other limitations..."

Chen Qi tried again and again, and even changed the scene and environment, but all attempts failed.

But he was not discouraged, thinking to himself, "Maybe we can only switch once a day, or maybe we can only pass through this so-called 'secret door' in one direction."

If it's the former, then so be it; I can just hold on until tomorrow and try again.

But if it's the latter, then it's a bit troublesome, meaning Chen Qi can only wait for the Nightmare Eater to take the initiative to switch bodies with him.

He would rather this "secret door" be a one-time thing than have the initiative completely in the hands of the Nightmare Eater.

If the "secret door" can only be used once, it means that Chen Qi has completely gotten rid of the nightmare. As long as he can find a way to escape the dream and get out safely, then this trip to the dream-contaminated zone will not have been in vain.

Of course, other possibilities cannot be ruled out.

Perhaps the two bodies trigger the "hidden door" in different ways, or perhaps some other conditions that Chen Qi has not noticed need to be met.

In short, the most important thing right now is to ensure my own safety, stall for time as much as possible, and try again tomorrow to see if I can successfully switch bodies...

Chen Qi cautiously moved towards the edge of the contaminated area, intending to survive there until tomorrow.

He constantly dodged the pursuit of the dream pollution along the way, and since he couldn't find any means of transportation, he had to rely entirely on walking.

After walking for more than two hours, we finally found an unlocked shared bicycle.

He rode his bicycle for a long time until he reached the edge of the dream realm.

Chen Qi didn't get off his bicycle; he just sat on the seat in the middle of the main road, constantly observing the surroundings and being wary of any potential pollution.

Once he sensed any dream pollution approaching, he would immediately ride away on his bicycle.

"Those dream thieves, if they haven't found their own exclusive dream, their lives are really too hard!"

Chen Qi couldn't help but sigh, in this dream world, without one's own exclusive dream, it's simply impossible to live.

No one can be on guard forever, be careful forever, or escape from all kinds of pollution forever!

As dawn broke, the frequency of dream pollution seemed to decrease.

Chen Qi concluded that the refresh frequency of dream pollution increases when night falls, and then decreases after dawn.

He parked his car on the side of the road and began trying different methods to get through the so-called "secret door".

After a series of failures, Chen Qi suddenly realized something: his idea of ​​activating the "secret door" might be completely wrong!
Last night's body swap might not have been initiated by him at all, but rather by Nightmare Eater.

From the Nightmare Eater's perspective, the plan went wrong, and he would definitely be eager to switch back to his original body. Therefore, without Chen Qi's intervention, he would definitely take the initiative to switch bodies.

But why didn't he switch bodies immediately, but waited until night?

This means it can only be done at night!

"Body swapping is only possible at night, and as for things like moving your feet in time with your heartbeat, that's probably not a necessary step at all."

"However, my heart was racing at the time, which may have been a sign of the body swap, indicating that the Nightmare Eater had activated the hidden door in the dream."

Chen Qi understood that if he wanted to complete the body swap again, he could only do so in the evening.

It was just dawn, which meant he had to endure another day in the dangerous dream world!
"Hopefully we won't encounter any parasites of the Nightmare Clan."

Just as this thought crossed Chen Qi's mind, a baby face suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of him.

Marilyn Monroe!

Chen Qi cursed inwardly, thinking, "What I feared most has come to pass."

At this moment, Monroe's doll-like face showed a rare hint of coldness, and Chen Qi subconsciously took a few steps back to keep his distance.

Monroe looked Chen Qi over carefully, then suddenly smiled, her big eyes narrowing into crescent moons: "Little brother, you're back again!"

Chen Qi nodded.

"I didn't expect that Nightmare Eater inside you to be so versatile. As expected of a Nightmare Clan member, even if the old guy is weak, he is still an old guy."

As Monroe spoke, her gaze swept over Chen Qi from head to toe, as if admiring a work of art, before finally asking:

"Hey bro, you're not going to switch back suddenly, are you? I don't want to see that damn Nightmare Eater again." Chen Qi shrugged: "Don't worry, I don't know how to switch bodies with him. As for whether he'll switch back on his own, that's beyond my control."

Monroe looked thoughtful, then said, "I have a way to prevent him from switching with you again."

Chen Qi didn't ask what method it was; he couldn't wait to switch back.

Moreover, he knew that his most important task at the moment was to buy time.

So he immediately changed the subject: "Didn't you say you'd release my dad if I stayed? Where is he?"

Monroe took Chen Qi's hand and said as they walked, "Don't worry, I will definitely keep my promise to you. Your father is in Kangning City now. I will have someone remove the pollution and parasites from his body. You will be able to meet him after you leave us."

"Corning City? Didn't they enter eternal slumber there?"

“That’s right, but once you become the king of my Nightmare Clan, the Nightmare Clan of Corning City will also submit to you.” As she spoke, Monroe scratched Chen Qi’s palm with her finger. “There are many beautiful Nightmare Clan members in Corning City who can serve you with me.”

"Really?" Chen Qi looked interested. "Why don't you serve me for a bit and see?"

If this can kill time during the day, Chen Qi doesn't mind sacrificing himself in his dreams. After all, what does a mere innocence matter when it comes to survival?
He had no choice but to risk his life to stay with the little girl!
However, Marilyn shook her head: "Don't be in such a hurry. We have more important things to do today. If everything goes smoothly, we can have fun together tonight."

"What could be more important than this?"

"Cleanse the power from the Nightmare Eater clan from your body, and let you master the abilities of our Nightmare clan!"

"You mean you want to remove my abilities as a Pagan and give me the abilities of a Dream Thief?"

"What 'Other Eaters' and 'Dream Thieves' are just names you humans made up," Monroe said, shaking her head in dissatisfaction. "These abilities of you humans actually come from our Nightmare Clan, from our source of power. It is precisely what you call the source of pollution that has given you all these powerful abilities."

The ability comes from pollution... Chen Qi had heard this theory before.

The abilities of the Phantom Eaters come from the food terrors spread by the Nightmare Eater clan.

The Dream Thief's abilities come from the dream pollution spread by the Nightmare Clan.

Chen Qi asked, "How are you going to remove my abilities? You're not going to just make me accept the dream corruption, are you?"

It is impossible for one person to master the abilities of two systems at the same time, and Nightmare Eater seems to want to use the energy of the Nightmare Clan to achieve this goal.

Marilyn chuckled and said, "If only it were that simple. But doing it is quite troublesome."

As she spoke, her fingers, like ivy, grew rapidly along Chen Qi's body, and in the blink of an eye, they gripped half of Chen Qi's body.

Then, she pulled Chen Qi into the air and flew quickly towards the pedestrian street in Chang Le City.

As they flew, Marilyn laughed and said, "Next, I'm going to create a long dream for you, replacing your previous experiences in Jinghai City."

"What do you mean?" Chen Qi was startled and suddenly became alert. "Aren't I in a dream right now?"

"You've probably heard of dreams within dreams, right?" Marilyn Monroe smiled, revealing her sweet dimples. "The deeper the dream, the closer it gets to your subconscious. We'll weave a grand dream within a dream for you, replacing the memories in your subconscious."

"To remove the power of the Nightmare Eater clan from your body, in addition to cleaning the surface, it is necessary to remove it from the memory level. Only in this way can we ensure that the power of the Nightmare Eater clan will not be revived."

"A dream within a dream!" Chen Qi thought of Momo's idealism again. Their abilities were all idealistic. Only by erasing their memories and making them forget everything could those abilities be truly eliminated.

Chen Qi instinctively struggled, of course he didn't want to lose his memories.

If a person loses their memory, they also lose their original self-awareness. Will they still be themselves then?

However, Marilyn Monroe's fingers had already wrapped around him in layers, making it impossible for him to break free.

Marilyn smiled and said, "Don't resist. I will rewrite your life memories to make them perfect. In the dreams that follow, you will have a perfect family, a perfect background, and a smooth and successful life without any unhappy events."

"I can help you master all kinds of skills in your dreams. You can tell me in advance what you want to learn, whether it's piano, violin, basketball, football, badminton, tennis... I can help you master them in your dreams."

Chen Qi struggled but couldn't break free, but gradually calmed down.

Nightmare Eater was clearly aware that the Nightmare Clan possessed such abilities, and this was undoubtedly part of his plan!
He couldn't make Chen Qi possess the power of both races simultaneously, but he could do so by using the methods of the Nightmare Clan.

Once Chen Qi masters the Dream Thief's abilities, Nightmare Eater will definitely try to reawaken his Peculiar Eater abilities.

How do you do that?

Could it be that he has recovered his lost memories?

After all, abilities are subjective; once his memories are restored, his lost abilities may also be revived!

In other words, even if his memories are erased, it is very likely that Nightmare Eater will help him restore them in the future.

However, Chen Qi could not place all his hopes for self-salvation on the Nightmare Eater, who was also his enemy.

When that day comes, even if he regains his memories, he will probably still face the control of the Nightmare Eater. At that time, it will be no different from falling from one abyss to another.

He thought for a moment and said to Marilyn Monroe, "I want to learn the suona. Remember to teach me in the dream."

Monroe was taken aback: "You young humans rarely find this interesting, do you?"

Chen Qi smiled and said, "I like it very much. It's very practical. When you are wiped out by the Nightmare Eater Clan in the future, I can play a tune for you."

Monroe giggled and said, "Little brother, you're really good at joking. With you in our hands, I really can't imagine how we could lose."

"That Nightmare Eater can switch bodies with me at any time. Aren't you afraid that while I'm immersed in the dream you've created, the Nightmare Eater will suddenly switch my body with me? What will happen then?"

Monroe smiled and said, "Of course we've considered that. So while you're asleep, our Nightmare Clan's esteemed Lord Nightmare will accompany you into your dreams and protect you."

"Another parasitic infection?" Chen Qi couldn't help but curse.

Having just escaped a first-generation Nightmare, now they're going to put another first-generation Nightmare into his body?
If the Nightmare Eater were to return to his body, wouldn't it be as if his thin body were stuffed with three souls?

Before, it was him playing against Nightmare Eater; after that, the three of them started playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game)!
"Come on! Who's afraid of who! I'm definitely going to be the one who gets won over!"

Chen Qi understood that whether it was the Nightmare Eater or the Nightmare, they were definitely trying to win him over to deal with the other side. In other words, as long as he was unwilling, he would not become the landlord who was "fought" against.

If he were strong enough, he could certainly act as a landlord and wipe out both Nightmare Clan members.

That's true, but Chen Qi definitely didn't want any more hidden dangers in his body. He made up his mind that as soon as the first generation of nightmares that was going to parasitize him appeared, he would start to devour it!
Let's see if we can eat him!

Although they are a member of the Nightmare Clan, they are actually quite weak because they have not parasitized or fused with other beings.

Just look at the Nightmare Eater, who was also a member of the Nightmare Clan; Chen Qi ate quite a few of them.

Monroe took Chen Qi to a hotel in the bustling pedestrian street area and locked him inside.

"You stay here obediently, and we'll come back to find you after we've finished weaving our dream."

After saying that, Marilyn Monroe left.

However, two parasites were still guarding the door, and the door was locked from the inside.

Chen Qi ran to the window and looked down. It was more than ten stories high, and all the windows were sealed off.

He looked up and saw a pair of eyes staring at him, and a parasite was perched on the window, giving him a sinister smile.

There were people watching outside the window... Chen Qi drew the curtains; he seemed to have no other way out.

Either wait until the door opens and fight the Nightmare Clan to the death, and try to seize a sliver of hope.

If that fails, then the only option left is to try attacking the first generation of Nightmares that are parasitizing him, and to find a breakthrough in the dream within a dream woven for him by the Nightmare Clan.

Or wait until night... and see if you can switch body control with the Nightmare again.

While anxiously waiting in the room, Chen Qi kept trying the so-called body-swapping method, but to no avail.

The only clue we have so far is that it is related to heartbeats.

However, since entering this hotel, the dream pollution has not occurred again.

Chen Qi ultimately couldn't wait until evening; around 5 PM, the door was opened.

It doesn't get dark until after 6:30 pm in this season, which means there's still at least an hour before nightfall.

Monroe walked at the front, followed by four parasites, two of whom were carrying a huge box.

The box looked like something out of a fairy tale, with brightly colored, magical patterns painted on it and inlaid with sapphires of varying sizes, making it look somewhat unreal.

Marilyn patted the box: "The dream tailored just for you has been woven. Get ready to accept your perfect life."

(End of this chapter)