Nightmare Despair

Chapter 26 The Long Night
What he had come into contact with all along was only the tip of the iceberg of the nightmare.

Zhou Kai was fully aware of this.

In the first few times, he didn't survive more than a few minutes.

Once he activated the [Home] and [Fireplace], he became as cunning as a gopher.

The longest I ever stayed in my dream was just over two hours.

As an unlucky soul chosen by nightmares, he has seen far too little horror.

They are far worse off than the indigenous people who died here.

They burned monsters, grew strange plants, and did everything they could to survive... They were their predecessors.

They died, or they turned into monsters.

Can Zhou Kai outlive them?
If you try to figure it out on your own, the answer is no.

Zhou Kai knew that he had to squeeze out all of his two remaining advantages in order to struggle to survive.

First, all the legacies left by the indigenous people.

Secondly, it's all about my own hard work and dedication...

……

[Fatigue has disappeared]

I sat by the fireplace for a while, and the fatigue that had accumulated in reality was licked clean by the flames.

Warmth enveloped his body, and Zhou Kai vaguely felt that this forced conscription was not much different from his own voluntary entry into the dream...

But the dialog box that lingered in his field of vision reminded him that tonight would be anything but easy.

[You will be unable to escape the nightmare for the next twelve hours.]

The residents of Soraka Town are gradually becoming aware of your existence.

When you stand still, darkness will devour your shadow.

"Realized...by my existence?"

The prompt about "home" made Zhou Kai gasp, a chill that even the fireplace flames couldn't dispel spreading from his heart.

He pondered the implications of those few lines and knew perfectly well that he should get out and get to work.

I glanced down at the fireplace; the fuel lasted for thirteen minutes.

Take a deep breath.

Zhou Kai took out an oil lamp and a rusty two-handed sword from his inventory.

After mastering the basics of Soraka's swordsmanship, the heavy axe can be temporarily retired.

In terms of both attack range and destructive power, the axe is far inferior to this greatsword.

He silently swung the sword twice, gripping the hilt, then bent low and hoisted the not-so-sharp part onto his shoulder.

This posture makes him resemble a coiled venomous snake, ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment.

Everything in the basement nursery was as usual; the moonflower orchids were growing well, and the soil seemed to have enough fertility to last for a while.

Tonight, Zhou Kai's first goal is very clear.

"First, conduct a thorough search of this house."

He gripped the hilt of the sword, the leather wrapped around it providing a rough yet reliable grip.

This calmed his restless heart more than the smooth handle of the axe.

He stepped onto the stairs leading to the second floor.

The oil lamp at his waist cast a dim, yellowish light; the fuel was almost gone…

When necessary, he would not hesitate to feed it with general experience points.

The weak firelight struggled to push aside the darkness, allowing Zhou Kai to see the scene within three to five meters around him.

The narrow, empty wooden staircase leading up to the top had long since rotted away, leaving only a thick layer of dust.

With each step, the rotten wood groaned, and dust scattered and flew in the beam of light.

After turning a corner, Zhou Kai arrived at the second floor.

A platform about a third the size of the living room, surrounded by three closed doors.

A chandelier should have been hanging in the center of the ceiling, but now only a black hole with a diameter of more than one meter remains.

Above the cave is an attic, accessible via a retractable ladder in the corner.

Everything was the same as when he last saw it; nothing had changed.

Zhou Kai, carrying a greatsword, held his breath, crouched down, and came to the master bedroom door, reaching out to grasp the brass doorknob.

The doorknob was covered in verdigris and looked as if it would crumble into powder at the slightest touch.

He slowly applied force, and the doorknob was halfway turned when it suddenly got stuck.

"Locked?" He rubbed off the rust with his thumb, revealing a blocked keyhole.

"Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood for puzzle games."

The key is most likely in this house, but he hasn't found it, and he doesn't have time to look for it now.

Zhou Kai braced himself against the door, ignoring the blockage, and continued to twist it forcefully with all his might.

Click!

With a sharp crack, he twisted the doorknob and the lock cylinder inside off the door, and then pulled the whole thing off the door.

The wooden door wasn't sturdy to begin with, and if he wasn't afraid of making too much noise, he would have chosen to kick it open directly.

open the door.

The faint light slowly crept into the room like tentacles.

Zhou Kai's gaze followed the movement of the light.

Glance left and right.

Just as he was about to step inside, his gaze suddenly froze.

A bolt of lightning exploded outside the window, illuminating the town for a moment.

Light streamed in through the bedroom window, mingling with the glow of the oil lamp.

On the tall silk screen in front of the window, a slender figure was clearly reflected.

Zhou Kai instinctively turned to the side, using his body to block the light of the oil lamp, his eyes narrowed into slits as he stared intently at the shadow.

Soon, the lightning disappeared, and the figure vanished into the darkness.

call!
He held his breath, gauging how conspicuous his dim oil lamp would be in the darkness.

Zhou Kai held the sword in both hands and approached step by step.

The screen's color had faded, and the patterns on it were blurry. As it slowly magnified in view, even the grime on the wood became clearly visible.

Zhou Kai suddenly took a step forward and moved to a position where he could see clearly behind the screen.

however……

"empty?"

There was nothing behind the screen.

This discovery made Zhou Kai's heart clench instantly.

because……

If there is no one behind the screen, then the thing that cast the shadow has either moved to another corner of the room, such as right behind him.

Or, it's right there...

Zhou Kai's gaze slowly shifted to the dark glass window, where the faint sound of raindrops pattering could be heard.

"Right outside the window!"

He remembered that when he ran into the building, he vaguely saw a platform outside the floor-to-ceiling window of the master bedroom on the second floor, large enough for a person to stand on.

It should be an open-air balcony.

So, should we take a closer look?
Or should we continue to cower in this building, waiting to die like cowards?
The oil lamp fuel is running out, and the nursery fertilizer needs to be replenished.

The cold and the ominous atmosphere would soon make it impossible for him to move an inch.

The hint for "home" is obvious enough.

Perhaps only when the "home" itself is in a state of "burning" and "growing"—a state of "living"—will it be valued by the "territorial law" and be qualified to protect itself.

Before long, this house will "die"...

At that time, this place will be no different from the dilapidated house he first entered in his dream.

He is far from finding peace in this nightmare!
Zhou Kai steeled his heart and made a decision.

He's much stronger than he used to be, and he has the resources to take a risk!

Step, step, step.

Zhou Kai walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window.

The light from the oil lamp illuminated the entire window.

Snap. Snap.

A pair of slender yet enormous hands gently pressed against the glass.

"Hehe, haha."

Through a layer of greasy grime, a pair of eyes with pupils as small as wheat awns met Zhou Kai's gaze.

(End of this chapter)