I created a safe zone in the nightmare world.

Shi An is just a low-key, unassuming, and unremarkable handsome young man.

He didn't want to be the first ordinary person to try it, but seeing that everyone else was hesitant, and might hesitate for another few dozen seconds until Professor Luo took back the cursed object, none of them dared to step forward.

He had no choice but to do it himself.

Shi An really wanted to try.

This is indeed a rare opportunity.

He was confident he could acquire some artifacts for dream manipulation, and now he even knew how to use them. However, researching and using them alone in seclusion was completely different from using them with guidance and support from a powerful figure.

Shi An is not cowardly at all.

After all, Shi is not afraid of the nightmare world at all.

On the podium, Professor Luo looked on with admiration. "Not bad, young man."

He then asked, "You're a student at Baijiang University, right?"

Professor Luo actually recognized me?

Although Shi An had taken Professor Luo's class, he was just an unassuming student who wouldn't stand out among the other students.

He hasn't even shown off yet, but he's already caught Professor Luo's attention?

"Yes, Professor, I graduated from Baekgang University and have taken many of your courses before."

Four magical artifacts were placed on the platform, all on special bases.

Professor Luo explained, "This first artifact of the Dream Curse is called 'Strong Tendon.' Its effect is very direct: it strengthens the user's muscles and maintains them at their peak condition for a certain period of time. The side effect is that muscle damage and tearing may occur after use."

This cursed object is scarlet in color, resembling intertwined muscle fibers with wriggling ends, making it look very eerie and terrifying.

No wonder many people hesitate to move forward.

This was the first time Shi An had ever seen such a poorly presented cursed object. He swallowed hard and placed his hand on the end of the strong tendon.

It's a little slippery and a little sticky.

"Grasp this cursed object, tense your muscles, and throw a punch or slash."

Professor Luo said.

At the same time, just the right amount of dream crystal dust was sprinkled down.

Each type of magical object has its own way of being used.

Before one integrates the cursed object into oneself, there is no way to activate the cursed object with a mere thought.

With the giant shadow shears in hand, you can simply use them like scissors to cut into the shadows;

The eerie candle is simple; it can be lit with a flame source like a regular candle, or it can be ignited by blowing on it.

And strong tendons...

When Ann reached out and grasped it, he didn't feel anything particularly noticeable, only a faint chill in his arm. This was the corrosive effect of the cursed object, but without triggering it, brief contact with the cursed object wouldn't have much of an impact on him.

Well, that's assuming it's a damaged or broken cursed item.

Shi An thought.

But when he gripped the cursed object and swung it forcefully, and clenched his other fist and punched out...

It's like turning on a switch.

His muscles tensed instantly, as if endless power was surging from every cell, and Shi An's punch produced a sound like it was tearing through the air.

"I feel like I could kill a bull with one punch!"

An inflated ego is like a muscle.

But Shi An quickly calmed down, knowing that it was just an illusion.

He only used a flawed cursed artifact superficially, far from being able to kill a cow.

At most, I'll kill one rabbit.

As he unleashed the power of his strong tendons, Shi An could clearly feel a chilling force surging into his body.

The effects weren't very noticeable at this point, but...

"That's fine."

Professor Luo spoke at the opportune moment.

In the past, some people have become obsessed with the power and swung the weapon twice more.

The effects of strengthening tendons are indeed very noticeable.

But Shi An wouldn't make that mistake. He stopped before Professor Luo could speak and put the cursed object back into the supporting base.

The moment he released his grip and left the cursed object, the chilling cold that had been swirling around his arm and flowing into his body, a coldness he hadn't felt much before, suddenly erupted.

Shi An suddenly shuddered.

My chest felt tight, my heart was pounding, beads of cold sweat trickled down my forehead, and I was still panting heavily.

My arms, which had just exerted force, were incredibly sore and swollen, and now they were starting to feel weak.

However, the next moment, without Professor Luo doing anything, the lingering coldness in his body was drawn away.

Shi An took a couple more breaths and felt much better.

"Is this the side effect of using cursed items? It's a bit uncomfortable!"

"However, it might also be because it's the first time."

The chill has been removed, but the effects of the strong tendons themselves remain.

His muscles were still sore.

If he had used the Strong Tendon effect a few more times, it might have caused more than just soreness. If he hadn't used Dream Dust to mitigate some of the cost, both of his arms might have been ruined by now.

Horrible, horrible.

"No wonder the Dreamers rarely choose to directly confront the supernatural. Even if they could win, let alone lose..."

The cost of a fight is so high, he doesn't want to fight.

Shi An used to think Lao Yao was too cowardly, and that Xi Xue was the qualified veteran. But now he thinks Lao Yao was right.

Although, from the perspective of the store manager of the safe zone, Shi An hopes that all the customers can be as fierce as Xi Xue...

……

After that, Shi An tried several other cursed items one by one.

The side effects of these cursed items manifest in different ways.

Muscles, hair, vision, teeth marks.

After all these side effects, Shi An was exhausted, but she also gained a lot.

"By the time I used the fourth cursed item, my perception of the chilling aura was much clearer than at the beginning."

From now on, when he uses cursed objects, he will no longer start from zero experience.

All the side effects you experience right now are recoverable and are not permanent damage.

Professor Luo analyzed for a while and said, "The style that suits you best is either the Deception Style or the Array Foundation Style."

There were no "living cursed objects" at the scene, but Professor Luo, with his extensive experience, was still able to make a judgment by observing certain changes in the cursed objects.

He also found it difficult to say whether Shi An's talent was good or bad.

That's fine, but when Shi An uses common cursed items like the Strong Tendon, the side effects he suffers are significantly greater, which is a sign of poor talent.

You could say he lacked talent, yet he managed to activate certain cursed objects to a highly active state all at once.

By pursuing these two rare styles, you can bring out your talents.

But rare styles...

The reason they are rare is because cursed items are rare!

Without a powerful backer, a Dreamer's first natal cursed item is almost certainly not a rare cursed item; it would be good enough if it could be integrated into a complete cursed item.

Of course, besides the aforementioned styles, there are even rarer and more uncommon styles than the Deceptive Style and the Array Foundation Style, such as the Domain Style and the Faith Style. Those, however, cannot be directly tested.

……

The captivating course ended quickly, leaving Shi An somewhat reluctant to leave.

This course will last for seven days, but it is not all taught by Professor Luo. There are also several sessions on physical training and emergency response.

After that, Shi An would start working as an ordinary clerk.

They may be assigned to a position in the logistics department.

An didn't care about her position, since the logistics department wouldn't directly deal with nightmares anyway, and the biggest risk was just falling into the nightmare world.

It's safe now.

The safe zone is thriving, and the real world is much safer with the Countermeasures Bureau backing it up. Now...

Shi An suddenly felt a chill as a cold wind brushed against his face.

His surroundings had become noticeably colder, the sunlight obscured by dark clouds. And all around, wisps of gray mist drifted.