Nightmare Despair

Chapter 120 Dragon-Slaying Sword

Although he had only just entered the second realm, Zhou Kai estimated that, looking at the entire second realm, he was definitely among the top 0.

Especially after transforming into a werewolf by adorning himself with the wolf hairpin, Zhou Kai should be able to rampage and kill indiscriminately in the pool of the Second Realm.

"From the current perspective, Level 3 Enhanced Humans are too constrained and are considered weaklings. I haven't even touched Qi Refining Martial Artists yet, but according to the data, Level 2 Martial Artists are only about equal to Level 3 Enhanced Humans who specialize in combat."

"I just don't know... just how powerful the Three Realms are in reality."

Thinking of this, Zhou Kai pursed his lips and banished the thought from his mind.

Real-world combat wasn't his priority; the nightmare was always the real issue.

The real-world bigwigs of the Three Realms are still just legends and PowerPoint presentations, appearing and disappearing like dragons, perhaps because they haven't yet come into contact with that circle.

But in the nightmare, the heavily armored knight, who seemed to be at the third realm, was holding a lance, ready to blast himself to smithereens at any moment.

But Zhou Kai was pondering, since the Three Realms couldn't be found in reality, why not treat this knight as a teacher or sparring partner?

……

Time flies when you're training hard and sweating it out.

The aftershocks of the bloodbath have completely subsided.

Zhou Kai's hand, bent so much that the knuckles were dislocated, made a crackling sound as it slowly returned to its normal shape.

He stopped practicing the Buzzard Claw Technique.

But this time, it wasn't a wasted effort.

[A somewhat clumsy practice session, resulting in +1 experience point in the Buzzard Claw Technique]

The second level of engraving not only brings combat power at the second level, but also a more subtle control over the body.

Zhou Kai can now clearly perceive and fine-tune his muscle shape and bone position, making his "human" form infinitely closer to that of a "beast".

The similarity in form is the core secret of the Qi-inducing method.

Controlling the body, mimicking birds and beasts.

With this barrier broken, the difficulty for Zhou Kai in practicing the Buzzard Claw Technique instantly dropped to the same level as the Falcon Strike Technique.

If one can take the Qi-inducing secret medicine, it will be even faster.

But since I've already chosen the True Martial Path, which I want it all, I can't use the secret medicine for the time being.

As the rain resumed, Zhou Kai slowly pushed open the door to the shelter.

Before the mandatory conscription ended, he planned to use the heavily armored knights to assess his own strength in order to prepare for the battles to come.

After having a clear understanding of one's own strengths.

They won't become arrogant.

It's not like we're going to have to outwit and outmaneuver the air.

Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to think that once he entered the second realm, he could arm wrestle with the other party and even return unscathed.

Before going, Zhou Kai needs to put in another round of hard work.

The general experience points account had a balance of 101 points. Even if he went all in on the Buzzard Claw Technique, the resulting enhancement wouldn't be enough to reliably withstand a javelin throw.

After a brief moment of thought, Zhou Kai allocated 87 experience points and precisely invested them into several skills and items.

Rather than gambling on one thing, it's better to strengthen all aspects and eliminate any weaknesses.

[You have consumed 11 experience points. The material and shape of the sturdy two-handed greatsword have changed; it has become harder, thicker, heavier, and larger...]

[You have consumed 39 experience points, and your Buzzard Claw Technique has leveled up... Buzzard Claw Technique lv3 (0/50)]

[Due to the improvement in Buzzard Claw Technique, your Strong Hand trait has been specifically enhanced.]

[You have consumed 37 experience points, and your Mysticism level has increased... Mysticism lv4 (0/100)]

[You demand more from the Nightmare: You may gain more rewards in every battle from now on, and you'll be more likely to discover the hidden effects of certain Nightmare items...]

A brand-new two-handed greatsword stood before Zhou Kai.

It's a completely different story compared to just a few seconds ago.

As his height and strength increased dramatically, he could almost wield the greatsword with one hand, which made things a bit awkward.

This one is a real heavy weapon.

Profound, substantial, immense...

[Item: A counterintuitive heavyweight two-handed greatsword]

To call it a sword is too heavy... to call it a tombstone is too flimsy...

This thing weighs a whopping 140 kilograms. Even Zhou Kai, a second-stage cultivator, felt a sudden heaviness in his wrist when he lifted it with one hand.

It doesn't have any fancy special effects, and it can't emit light or heat.

Its only advantage is that it is sturdy and heavy enough.

And that's exactly what Zhou Kai wanted.

"This name is too awful. Let's change it... Let me think... never mind, I'm too lazy to think of anything. Let's just call it Dragon Slayer Sword."

Zhou Kai's gaze swept over the text description, and he frowned.

The information on the panel immediately changed according to his will.

He reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword, exerted his strength, and pulled the Dragon Slayer Sword from the ground. With a clang, he hoisted it onto his shoulder and stepped out of the shelter once more.

Target: Core area.

More than six hours ago, when that beast blasted half of his body apart with a single shot, Zhou Kai truly regretted it. He regretted why he had provoked this plague god; if he hadn't alerted it, he could at least have moved freely in and out of the inner area near the clock tower.

We wouldn't be so timid and hesitant as we are now.

This is human nature.

But now, that regret has vanished without a trace.

All that remains is the primal pursuit of becoming stronger and the boundless fighting spirit forced out by the crisis.

From this perspective.

Every crisis, every powerful opponent who can't kill you.

They were all good teachers who pushed Zhou Kai to become stronger.

Ever since.

Zhou Kai stood in the giant crater that had been blasted out last time, and plunged the tip of the Dragon Slayer Sword heavily into the mud in front of him.

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across more than two hundred meters, and locked onto the misty manor once more.

"Come on... let me see how far I am from defeating you..."

boom!
Zhou Kai paused in the giant pit for less than four seconds when a silver light tore through the wind and rain in the distance, descending with the force of divine punishment!

This oppressive force is no weaker than before.

However, Zhou Kai's strength is the same.

Compared to before, when they could only flee in a sorry state and rely on their sixth sense to guess the location of the lance, this time they were much better off.

With his second-level engraving ability, Zhou Kai could already clearly capture every inch of the lance's movement trajectory in the air using his eyes and skin's perception of airflow.

This discovery gave him a full understanding of his future fighting style.

"Chariot! Powerful opponent!"

Facing the terrifying lance that was nearly ten meters long, Zhou Kai snorted coldly, activated his second-tier engraving, and unleashed his full power in an instant.

clang!
The metal clanged together, producing a piercing shriek.

A second later, Zhou Kai's figure flew backward again.

This time, however, he flew backward for twenty meters, his feet carving two deep furrows in the mud, and he came to a steady stop.

The price was a cracking sound from the bones in both arms, with the hands and arm bones completely broken.

But, it's not considered disabled!
The Dragon Slayer Sword, which had been blasted into a sharp angle, now only had a dent the size of a human head, and the blade remained sturdy.

In contrast, look at that live lance.

The once gleaming spear tip was now white and crooked from the impact, and looked like it was about to break.

"You failed to cripple me with one blow, so I won!"

[By resisting an attack beyond your current level without being defeated, you have achieved a victory and gained +1 Chariot Mark Experience Point.]

【Scars: Chariot II (1/500)】

Zhou Kai's lips curled up into a ferocious grin.

Despite the excruciating pain, he charged forward several meters, raised his intact right foot, and kicked hard at the still trembling barrel of the live lance.

Whoosh!
A silver shadow soared into the sky.

Zhou Kai precisely used the lance as a javelin, kicking it back into the mist along the same path.

Seeing this, Zhou Kai dared not delay and immediately shouted in a low voice.

"A glimmer of life! A strange transformation in the wolf's hair!"

"continue!"

Despite suffering severe injuries including fractures in both arms and a comminuted fracture of his right leg, he recovered rapidly under the brief glow of the oil lamp, accompanied by the crackling sounds of bones realigning and the tingling sensation of granulation tissue. Just as the lance plunged into the mist, the oil lamp extinguished in time, preventing the attraction of any more dark creatures.

Zhou Kai also quickly completed the transformation from human to wolf.

Due to changes in his basic combat strength and mystical skills, after transforming into a wolf, his black fur stood on end, and his physique grew even taller.

Zhou Kai kicked the lance back into the mist, where it remained motionless for a long time.

That heavily armored knight was probably staring blankly at his bald lance...

If he were still alive, he probably would have given up on using that bald-headed lance to blast people.

Zhou Kai, in his werewolf form, held the Dragon Slayer Sword in one hand, assumed a fighting stance, and waited for a full twenty seconds.

The silver shadow formed by the lance tore through the sky once more.

boom!
The lance clashed with the Dragon-Slaying Sword once again.

As Zhou Kai retreated rapidly, the heavy Dragon-Slaying Sword bent into an exaggerated arc, and a ferocious bulge appeared on the blade facing Zhou Kai.

There are faint signs of metal tearing at the edges of the bulge.

But in the end, it didn't break.

Zhou Kai's thick, powerful black wolf legs stomped heavily into the muddy ground, carving out a furrow several meters long, before becoming as immovable as a mountain rock.

This time, at the cost of the Dragon Slayer Sword completely transforming, Zhou Kai steadily and motionlessly blocked the heavy-armored knight's attack.

He himself was completely unharmed.

Zhou Kai's open wolf-like mouth looked even more ferocious.

He thrust his sword forward with a sudden jerk, causing the lance to flip 180 degrees in mid-air.

"Break it...!"

With a roar, Zhou Kai unleashed a brute force of tens of tons from his intact werewolf body, actually sending the door-like Dragon Slayer Sword flying in afterimages.

Where the sword blade sliced, the rain was instantly evaporated by the high temperature!
next moment.

boom!
The blackened, deformed sword blade was accompanied by a deafening roar that tore through the air.

It slammed heavily into the middle of the lance.

Click...click.

Several crisp sounds were followed by several mournful cries, like those of living beings.

The lance's metal casing exploded, revealing the silvery-gray flesh and fascia inside... and then tore apart in two.

Undeterred by long-range attacks, they broke the enemy's spear! Another victory added! Chariot Mark Experience +1

Seeing this, Zhou Kai wanted to finish the job, hoping to kill the creature completely.

But as soon as they got close, the broken lance turned into a pool of silvery-gray liquid, which, under the drenching of large raindrops, bubbled and merged into the ground.

It then quickly disappeared.

Zhou Kai had no choice but to stop.

He did not approach the manor area again.

The brief flash of light from the oil lamp may have attracted other monsters.

Moreover, being able to withstand ranged attacks does not mean you can rush in for close-quarters combat.

Especially since there might be other heavily armored knights hiding in that mist.

Zhou Kai's expression returned to calm and composed.

Before the wolf transformation ended, Zhou Kai, carrying the deformed Dragon Slayer Sword, dared not linger for a moment and quickly slipped towards the shelter.

As he was about to dispel his form, Zhou Kai glanced back at the mist that had already disappeared from his sight.

He thought to himself, "It won't be long before the Dragon Slayer Sword truly becomes your tombstone..."

……

As the wolf form dissipated, a wave of exhaustion, as if all the marrow had been drained, surged up instantly.

However, thanks to precise timing, this happened after Zhou Kai returned to the shelter... so it was harmless.

He slumped in front of the fireplace, feeling the faint warmth of the flames as he slowly regained his strength.

I also used the remaining experience points to repair the Dragon Slayer Sword and restore the durability of the Gastrodia Lamp Wick.

The time limit for the forced nightmare is also about to end.

Zhou Kai realized it was time for him to return to reality.

"Although I almost died the first time, it was the tuition I had to pay for the adventure."

"Actually, because my strength has increased so quickly, the threat level of this forced nightmare isn't high. Instead, I need to find a teacher..."

This reminded him of a famous saying—Genichiro is a really good teacher.

"As long as we stay calm and don't get carried away, and steadily improve, life will become more and more stable..."

Before they knew it, the mandatory conscription period had ended.

But before returning to reality, Zhou Kai went to the basement again.

There was something he didn't want to put off until next time.

"We should also start thinking about the strains of bacteria that were taken from Xinhui Industrial Park..."

……

The basement was piled with the corpses of many monsters; they served as firewood, fertilizer, and special materials that might be needed.

For example, it can be used on bacterial strains.

Zhou Kai silently uttered the command "manifest," and the clump of grayish-green, viscous fungus appeared in his hand.

This is the core of the dream within the real-life nightmare of Xinhui Industrial Park, suspected to be a nightmare walker.

Just a few days ago, he might have been a living, breathing person, one of Zhou Qing's colleagues or even her boss.

But now, it's a sticky blob of slime, yet it's not an ordinary slime.

This thing can devour the flesh of living beings, thereby achieving a certain degree of evolution.

In the industrial park that day, Zhou Kai witnessed a short segment of the evolutionary process of slime mold, which was surprisingly fast.

This made Zhou Kai speculate.

'How powerful would this thing be if we had arrived a few hours later?'

This incredibly rapid rate of evolution made Zhou Kai feel threatened, but it also gave rise to the idea of ​​enslaving it and turning it into a great help to him.

"List the possible upgrade branches of slime molds, and only list the three best directions."

Zhou Kai thought to himself.

His panel is intelligent enough that if his goal is clear, the panel will only display the amount of experience points.

But what if he himself is also confused and doesn't know how to get promoted?

After a short wait, the panel will, like an AI, list several feasible options according to his requirements for him to choose from.

Zhou Kai's goals are extremely clear most of the time.

At this moment, facing this sticky mass of bacteria, he was troubled for the first time.

【①Bacteria Master, Required Experience Points: 194】

【②Fungus Beast, Required Experience Points: 73】

【③ Fungal mat, experience required: 59】

After taking a closer look at the three options, they are all quite interesting.

One approach is to upgrade slime molds into fungi, allowing the fungus host to control organisms infected by the fungus.

The second approach is to constrain the form, causing the bacteria to grow into controllable beasts, orcs, etc., following a specific path... The upper limit is unknown.

Option three involves transforming the fungal strain into a type of building called a fungal carpet, which is essentially a weaker version of gastrodia elata and a fireplace...

"What if I wanted all three options?" Zhou Kai imagined a fungal orc that could be born exponentially and evolve infinitely on the creep.

But the next subtitle quickly dispelled Zhou Kai's idea.

【...000】

I can't believe it, where did all these zeros come from?

Zhou Kai was ultimately more interested in Direction One.

"But it'll still take nearly two hundred experience points... I'll put it away for now and deal with it later."

While Zhou Kai was focused on upgrading his equipment, the slime mold was dripping its liquid onto the corpses scattered on the ground, desperately needing to feed.

However, just as the droplet tentacles were about to approach the corpse, Zhou Kai scooped them back into his hand like noodles.

"Until I get you a dog leash, you snotty mush will just stay in your inventory."

Zhou Kai shook his head and held the bacterial culture in his hand.

"Escape the nightmare."

(End of this chapter)