I created a safe zone in the nightmare world.

Chapter 217 Tiannan City Test, but I'm just a regular member of the safe zone (6K views, please vote for me)

"Strange shop architecture? It looks just like a real-life small shop?"

Recalling the orders passed down from the corps commander, the general speculated, "This is very likely the entrance to the safe zone's wonder. Perhaps the wonder itself is a shop."

It looks strange, but it's actually perfectly normal.

Some cursed objects and wonders are based on real-world existences; it's not absurd for one to look exactly like a real coffee shop.

Among the strange objects they possess in Tiannan City are those that are exactly the same as modern items, such as a historical video recorder that can trace and replay past scenes.

Rumor has it that this modern shop, like one of those random spectacles, appears in some remote part of the wilderness every now and then, and then disappears again.

The commander surnamed Wu was somewhat curious about such a spatial passage.

However, he is busy right now, presiding over a monthly test, and cannot get away to go.

He summoned his subordinates and said, "Has the exact location of the shop been determined? If so, report it directly."

If you report it, he won't pay any attention to it.

As for whether to go to the safe zone to see the wonders later, we'll decide then.

He wasn't one of those people in charge of trade in Tiannan; he was just an old instructor at the Third Army Corps base.

He thought about it.

Suddenly, his subordinate came to report again: "Commander, several Dreamers have arrived. They say they are from the safe zone."

Yang Xiaotu is a folk dreamer from Chongshan City, and he is still relatively new to the ranks of members in the safe zone.

His initial entry into the Third Refinement Realm was quite unremarkable in the safe zone of version 4.0.

However, Yang Xiaotu wasn't entirely an unknown figure within the safe zone; he was somewhat famous.

His fame stems from the civil engineering team he assembled. He studied civil engineering in college, and by chance, the personal magical artifact he incorporated into the team also proved helpful in construction.

He also undertook the preliminary construction of watchtower camps a total of eleven times, with nine permanent members and twenty-two temporary part-time workers in his construction team.

He is one of the most famous foremen in the safe zone! Nowadays, even some camp leaders ask him to design and build.

-

This time, Yang Xiaotu walked out of the safe zone entrance in Tiannan City because he had taken on the task of building the watchtower camp. However, the construction of the camp this time still required the cooperation of the local people of Tiannan City.

So, after encountering the Dreamers of Tiannan City, Yang Xiaotu asked them to take him to this base.

Third Army Corps Base.

"It's really impressive. No wonder it's a base built in the provincial capital. It perfectly matches my imagination of a science fiction base."

The base's exterior walls are silver-white and appear to be made of a special alloy.

The walls bear many mottled scratches, pits, and traces of repairs, showing that this place has endured many hardships.

This third base is indeed located on the outer perimeter of Tiannan City's defense perimeter.

On the city walls, there were also giant machine guns painted with flames, looking ferocious and imposing.

Following the city defense soldier, Yang Xiaotu and his companions entered through the main gate.

"Beep~!"

"In progress -"

""

"Test results: The person experiencing the dream is in a stable mental state."

"Test results: No strange residue detected."

The detection light not far away flashed for more than ten seconds before finally turning green.

Yang Xiaotu and the others were also surprised. "We heard that Baijiang City was previously invaded by the strange beings known as 'false humans.' Now, does Tiannan City have the means to detect these beings?"

He had also visited the camps and bases that Chongshan City had built himself.

Compared to Tiannan City, their hometown, Chongshan City, was indeed far inferior; there was no comparison whatsoever.

It's like comparing an ancient society to a modern society.

Inside the base, towering mechs clattered past, rumbling sounds emanated from the factory, and there were other unusual places.

The soldier from the Third Army Corps explained, "This is our base's gravity training room, which was built using some kind of extraordinary artifact. Soldiers from our Third Army Corps have at least ten hours of gravity training time every week."

"This pavilion is called the Cleansing Heart Pavilion. It is also a treasure land built by our Tiannan City using special methods. It can calm the mind and body. Those who have been mentally corrupted by the Dream Fallen will return here to rest and recover quickly. It can even slowly recover some of the substantial damage caused by the corruption."

"This place is our base's bathhouse."

"A bathhouse?"

Yang Xiaotu was somewhat astonished. Had Tiannan City become this advanced? The base even had a bathhouse; was there also a dragon (a euphemism for a dragon)?

He was genuinely curious.

The Dreamer from Tiannan City said, "This bathhouse is actually a training ground. Our Third Army Corps soldiers often soak in medicinal baths here. These medicinal baths use a variety of raw materials and even precious medicines that can only be produced in the Nightmare World. Not only that, we city defense soldiers can get several free medicinal baths as long as we pass the recruit training."

"That's why the physical condition of our Dreamers is quite good. This medicinal bath was also independently developed by our Tiannan City."

The city defense soldier spoke with considerable pride.

He certainly has reason to be proud.

Let alone the forces in the outer city, even within Tiannan City, the benefits and treatment enjoyed by Dreamers who are not from official backgrounds are far inferior to those of the outsiders.

"Oh, right," he continued, "this bathhouse is also a normal bathing facility. After all, our base is built in the Nightmare World, and many Dream Fallers return from missions covered in dust, blood, and slime. A bath would be the most comfortable thing to do then."

"However, it seems that only our Tiannan City has the necessary conditions. Building a bathhouse is not difficult; the challenge lies in having a sufficient and clean water source. Many other powers, even if they have the capability to build one, would not expend a large amount of resources on it."

Only a city like Tiannan, with ample funds and a sufficiently secure base, would consider improving the quality of life for ordinary soldiers.

Several members, including Yang Xiaotu, nodded in agreement: "Yes, taking a hot shower after a big battle really feels great."

However, he has not yet experienced the harsh conditions of ordinary forces.

Before entering the safe zone, Yang Xiaotu was only in a control phase, active in the shallow area. Each dream fall only lasted a few hours. After it was over, he would return to reality to rest, lick his wounds, and wait anxiously for the next dream fall.

After entering the safe zone, he would often stay in the nightmare world for several days at a time, and he would often get covered in blood and sticky messes from fighting with the monsters.

However, there are places to wash up within their safe zone. Initially, the manager had designated an area inside the hotel, and later, a bathing area was built inside the Senjōkaku.

Yang Xiaotu and his group were used to going out to fight and then being able to rest comfortably when they came back. But when they heard what the Tiannan City warriors said, they suddenly realized that the conditions in the safe zone were not available everywhere.

Even Tiannan City can't compare!

However, he was equally amazed by the many designs within the base, constantly observing and secretly learning from them. Although the safe zone had currently commissioned the construction of only the smallest transit camps, what about the future? The safe zone would definitely build more advanced and magnificent camps or even bases.

As the team leader, he must be prepared.

Before long, the soldier leading the way brought the group to Commander Wu.

Commander Wu scratched his head.

He's an instructor who occasionally goes on field missions, but he's really not good at entertaining guests.

However, he is, after all, an extraordinary individual, one of the highest-ranking people in the entire base, and for the time being, he is the only one with relatively much free time.

Commander Wu said, "Please make yourselves at home. The camp construction may have to wait a while. The mission was only issued today, and the terrain survey team only set off a few hours ago."

Corps Commander General Fu had not expected that the safety zone engineering team would arrive so quickly.

It arrived in a flash.

The spatial passage he imagined and the spatial door to the safe zone are not the same thing.

Yang Xiaotu hesitated, "This—Commander, how long will it take?"

Commander Wu said, "Don't worry, it will only take half a day or a day at most, or a few hours if things go smoothly. We're currently conducting monthly testing at our base, so it won't be boring. Why don't you sit down and take a look?"

-

"Monthly test?"

"Our city defense army conducts an assessment test every month to comprehensively evaluate the quality of the legion's soldiers, and rewards the soldiers whose strength increases the fastest. Conversely, if their strength stagnates, they will be punished."

"Because our city defense army is the sharpest spearhead in the entire Tiannan City. We are different from the Countermeasures Bureau. Those people in black trench coats need to maintain internal stability and know how to deal with the nightmare of invasion. Our soldiers only need to learn one thing: fight! fight! and fight!"

At this moment, hundreds of Dream Fallers had gathered in the vast training field below.

These people were all dressed in specially made combat uniforms, each exuding a fierce aura and displaying their sharp edge.

Yang Xiaotu discovered that, apart from a few in the fusion or control stages, most of them were actually Dream Fallers in the Refinement stage.

They have already started testing, and there are recorders taking notes.

The method of testing surprised Yang Xiaotu and several other members even more.

At the physical fitness test site, the Dreamers were climbing the steps. There weren't many steps, only about a hundred, but these elites from Tiannan City were struggling to climb them. Some of them even had their knees bent and were kneeling down.

"This is a gravity staircase; the further you go, the greater the gravity the test subject has to withstand."

Commander Wu smiled and said, "The second test is a mental resilience test. After all, we Dreamers often face the bizarre, so mental resistance is very important."

"After that, there will be tests on lethality, survivability and dodging ability, and so on."

Commander Wu pointed to several areas on the field and introduced them one by one.

Yang Xiaotu and the others exclaimed in surprise from time to time.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen a test like this!"

"It's similar to the tests I've seen in novels before."

Seeing the people's constant exclamations, Commander Wu and the two captains of Tiannan City beside him couldn't help but smile.

They don't mean to look down on people from small cities, but seeing outsiders' amazement at the various aspects of their Tiannan City, they still feel a strong sense of pride and self-esteem as locals.

not to mention----

It is said that this safe zone has an extraordinary origin and belongs to the first tier of forces under their Tiannan City.

Those who came from this force were just as surprised, and they felt even more pleased.

Yang Xiaotu looked at the test sites below, feeling curious and eager to try them out.

After hesitating for a moment, and thinking that he had nothing better to do, Yang Xiaotu said, "Commander Wu, may I ask if I could try out your test items after you finish testing?"

Although the safe zone has a trial zone, the test of combat strength is more direct.

However, he was still curious about what it was like to build each of the projects in Tiannan City. Maybe he would have the chance to build them himself in the future.

After a moment's thought, Commander Wu said, "There's nothing wrong with that."

By this time, the monthly test had ended, and some city defense soldiers had left, while others were comparing their scores.

"I've reached level seventy-one on the Gravity Staircase, making me one of the best in the Third Refinement Realm! Hehe."

"I've reached level 70, and I think I can even aim for level 72 next month."

"Theoretically, if one can reach the sixtieth level of the gravity staircase, their physique will meet the basic requirements for triggering the extraordinary ritual. However, to truly succeed in the extraordinary ritual, one still needs to be stronger."

As they were discussing, several Dreamers dressed in streamlined silver-white battle suits arrived at the testing ground.

"The Dreamers of the Outer City?"

After all, this set of standard combat uniforms was not the same as the combat uniforms of the major organizations in Tiannan City that they remembered.

"Is this Dream Faller from the outer city trying to challenge our Tiannan City's test project?"

""

"Another dreamer from the outer city has come to challenge the project."

This is not the first time.

Many Dreamers who have the opportunity to come to Tiannan City will choose to try it out and see what level they can reach among the Dreamers in Tiannan City.

But the result is often that many self-proclaimed geniuses from outside the city suffer a great blow here.

"Small places aren't without geniuses, but without sufficient resources and a conducive environment for training, their skill level remains limited."

"What level of skill do these outsiders possess?"

Some city defense soldiers watched with great interest, but most people didn't care.

At this moment, Yang Xiaotu stepped onto the gravity steps.

The moment he stepped inside, his entire body felt heavy, an invisible pressure acting on his entire body, on every single cell.

This made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

After all, it was his first time experiencing gravity.

"However—it doesn't seem like there's much pressure."

He continued walking forward, steadily taking one, two, three steps. After walking a dozen or so steps, Yang Xiaotu felt more comfortable and even walked faster and faster.

In the blink of an eye, he had walked up forty steps.

I just felt really good.

This test has strong positive feedback and a sufficient number of levels. Unlike his attempt at the Trial Realm, which ended after only a few levels.

Yang Xiaotu also discovered that as he continued forward, his physical fitness was subtly improving.

This is very likely because the effects of the dragon blood potion he drank yesterday are still present, and these residual effects have been activated under the stimulation of gravity.

He walked with even more enthusiasm.

At this moment, the city's garrison soldiers also realized that something was wrong.

"Why is this guy still climbing?"

"He's reached the sixtieth step! That's the peak of the Third Refinement Realm!"

"You should know that many peak-stage cultivators in the outer city haven't even reached level sixty yet!"

Commander Wu and the two captains beside him nodded slightly.

After all, they were elites from the safe zone, so they didn't think they were too weak.

Reaching level 60 is normal.

In the blink of an eye, Yang Xiaotu crossed the seventieth level.

"Level 70 is the peak of the excellent third-stage refinement realm, but it's normal for Dream Fallers in the safe zone to reach this level."

Soon, despite the difficulty, Yang Xiaotu resolutely crossed the eightieth step.

"Level 80, that's the peak of the top-tier Third Refinement Realm!"

This top-tier standard is based on the standards of their Tiannan City.

Commander Wu sat up straighter. "No wonder the higher-ups are taking the safe zone so seriously!"

Finally, Yang Xiaotu stopped at the eighty-second step. He was somewhat unwilling, but he also knew that he had reached his limit.

"After all, I'm just a Dream Fallen Civil Engineer. Within the safe zone, I'm only a member with a relatively surplus of contribution points. Those truly genius members would definitely be able to climb to the peak of level 100!"

After a short rest, Yang Xiaotu took the second test.

Mental stress resistance test.

This test, conducted at the Third Base, uses a certain cursed artifact to simulate an extraordinary and eerie pressure and corrosive influence.

The erosion spread like a tidal wave.

But Yang Xiaotu's expression remained unchanged.

Although he wasn't a combat-oriented Dream Fallen, and although he hadn't specifically trained his mental resistance, but—

He was, after all, a member of the safe zone, and he still had many nightmares to conquer and many strange occurrences to confront.

Not long ago, he even managed to reach the sixth level of the Trial Realm, facing three powerful leader-level monsters. The pressure at that time was much greater. He had even experienced death.

Earlier, under the guidance of a powerful figure, he entered a dungeon and truly experienced what it was like to face the extraordinary and bizarre.

At this moment, the pressure simulated by the cursed object is still somewhat inferior to that of the truly extraordinary and bizarre.

"Mental stress test, time 60 seconds, rating S+!"

77

"A recorder said."

Next came the lethality test.

Yang Xiaotu recognized this thing—there were magic power testing targets in the safe zone.

He thought for a moment and then unleashed his full power with a rare-level spell that he wasn't yet very proficient at.

"Rock Slide Fist!"

boom!!!

The numbers on the instrument kept changing.

The recorder said, "Rating: S+".

Survival and dodging ability test.

Yang Xiaotu mastered the Phantom Step of the Peak Realm to its fullest extent, and further enhanced his condition with the Wind-Catching Shadow and Eye of Insight, thus also achieving a very high score.

S+!

S+!

S+!

Inside the training ground, the soldiers of the Third Army Corps who had achieved excellent results and were initially quite proud of themselves were now speechless.

Where did this genius come from?

None of the test scores of the people present today could match those of this Dreamer from the Outer City.

"Phantom Step, Shadow Catcher, and Eye of Insight—and he has mastered all three spells to perfection. That's remarkable."

"What's even more remarkable is that he mastered a rare-level spell during the refining stage, which shows great potential."

A familiar voice rang in Commander Wu's ears.

He looked over and realized that Fu Zhixuan, the commander of the Third Army Corps, had come to his side without him noticing.

"General."

Commander Wu saluted.

Fu Zhixuan asked, "Is this young man a Dream Fallen from the safe zone? He's quite impressive; the probability of him breaking through to the extraordinary realm in the future is rather high."

He wasn't too surprised.

After all, the safe zone is a force that Director Dai is paying close attention to and has instructed to take seriously.

Those who can represent the safe zone and fall into dreams are naturally extraordinary.

Tiannan City naturally has its own top-tier cultivators at the Third Refinement Realm, and there are at least several of them at any given time.

Fu Zhixuan continued to praise the young man, making Yang Xiaotu somewhat reserved.

Although he didn't know this person, he understood that this was an important figure when he heard the titles "General" and "Corps Commander".

They might be big shots who are no less important than the director of the Countermeasures Bureau of Chongshan City.

He dared not get arrogant when praised by important figures.

"You flatter me. I'm just a decent member of our safe zone."

Is this what you call "not bad"?

The young man is too modest.

In fact, geniuses have the right to show their brilliance.

At this moment, a subordinate walked up to Fu Zhixuan and whispered, "General, the Safe Zone has sent a representative to discuss the selection of a camp site."

Fu Zhixuan: "?"

There are still representatives?

Who is this kid in front of me?

He had the representatives of the safe zone brought here directly.

The visitors were Yang Linna, the head of the mission department of the safe zone, and Wu Qing and several other key personnel.

Two were extraordinary beings, and three were at the third level of cultivation.

General Fu made his assessment.

This is indeed more in line with the identity of a representative.

The Safe Zone is, after all, a top-tier power, and it's somewhat inappropriate for its representative to be only a Third Refinement Realm cultivator. He had previously assumed that Yang Xiaotu had an extraordinary background, a genius heavily cultivated by the Safe Zone's shopkeeper.

Yang Linna also recognized Yang Xiaotu and the others. In fact, Yang Xiaotu was her cousin.

"Xiao Tu, what are you doing here?"

Yang Xiaotu scratched his head: "Sis, didn't we take on the mission of building a camp? I thought I'd come and check out the environment here first. I didn't expect to run into some warriors from Tiannan City so soon after we came out, so I followed them to this base."

So, this young man really isn't a representative of the safe zone.

But it's impossible that such an outstanding young man is just a foreman of a construction team who has taken on a task.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

For some reason, General Fu and Commander Wu found themselves unconsciously recalling the words from earlier: "I'm just a decent member of the safe zone."

In the following time, Fu Zhixuan dealt with the campsite selection as quickly as possible.

He then looked at his adjutant and asked, "What are my plans for this afternoon?"

The adjutant said, "General, we have a video conference with the Second Base this afternoon, and you also plan to inspect the Third Ordnance Factory, which is under construction."

Fu Zhixuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Reject them all."

Adjutant: "Huh? You've cancelled them all?"

"right."

Fu Zhixuan said, "Next, I need to go to the safe zone."

He had to see for himself whether this young man named Yang Xiaotu was being overly modest, or whether the safe zone truly produced many powerful individuals.

Knowing that the safe zone entrance would remain open for an uncertain period of time, Fu Zhixuan didn't even have time to hesitate, nor did he have time to call for too many people.

He left the base and quickly headed towards the coordinates he already knew.