I created a safe zone in the nightmare world.

"Completely banishing nightmares is easier said than done."

Countermeasures Bureau.

At a small meeting with only a few people, a man wearing a cloak could not hide his weariness.

He once spoke passionately and eloquently at a meeting, which was of course intended to instill confidence in his subordinates.

However, he himself did not have enough confidence.

Beside him, a captain-level expert spoke up: "Director Yan, the situation shouldn't be that bad, right? In just the last three days, our Strategy Bureau has conquered a total of 19 Nightmare Worlds. The conquest teams of organizations like the Ultimate Martial Arts Academy and the Wizard's House have also made progress. On average, we in Baijiang can conquer ten Nightmare Worlds a day."

Ten a day is quite efficient.

However, sacrifices are inevitable in this process.

Conquering nightmares is far more dangerous than simply ensuring one's own survival. Even with thorough preparation, those who have fallen into nightmares have little room for error when facing the bizarre; the slightest mishap can be fatal.

But in the captain's view, this high-intensity nightmare campaign wouldn't last forever.

Once the number of nightmares decreases, the invasion crisis will dissipate.

Director Yan shook his head slightly: "It's not that simple. Do you think we truly shattered the nightmare when we were tackling it?"

The captain originally wanted to say yes.

But then it suddenly occurred to him, "After the nightmare is defeated, the ominous and eerie feeling will return after a while, which means... defeating the nightmare is actually ineffective?"

"It wasn't entirely ineffective; at least we did slow down the spread of the nightmare, but..."

Far from enough!

"So what should we do?"

"The captain asked."

Instead of answering directly, Director Yan asked:

Do you believe that the nightmare world possesses its own consciousness?

……

"The nightmare world possesses its own consciousness!"

Inside the rented room, Shi An paced back and forth, frowning in thought.

He recalled the final moments of the Nightmare Walkthrough not long ago, when a terrible malice descended like a tidal wave, constantly crashing against the entire safe zone.

Even the store manager was a little frightened.

The barrier of the safe zone, even for something as bizarre as Little Blood, cannot be cracked no matter how much it is hammered or pounded, but...

The malice was like an entire nightmare world, crashing down like an overwhelming tidal wave.

"Is it because of a major nightmare?"

"I'm afraid not," Shi An speculated. "Large-scale nightmares surpass ordinary nightmares, but it's not a secret within the circle of dream sufferers. I've never heard of such a tangible form of malice."

"Moreover, when the malice was in the air, none of the dreamers in the store, such as the college students and the woman in pajamas, noticed it; only I felt it."

He seemed to sense that the consciousness of a nightmare world was staring at him.

And so, he gazed into the nightmare world.

Until the core of the nightmare was shattered and the nightmare dissipated, this malicious gaze had to retreat.

But what if they hadn't been able to conquer the Nightmare World in time?

"The world of nightmares is too deep; we must not underestimate it in the slightest."

"The question now is, what exactly triggered the nightmare's gaze? Is there something special about the safe zone itself, or is it...?"

"Little Blood!"

After all, the nightmare that was previously conquered was the first real attack from the safe zone.

Could that be the reason?

……

Shi An, as the manager of the safe zone, has many things to consider, but the Dreamers have it much simpler; they only need to devote themselves to the Nightmare Strategy.

This time, many dreamers, including Xuanjian, not only escaped their fate of death, but also gained a great deal.

Not long ago,

Jiyi Martial Arts School.

"Buzz—!"

A gray ripple flashed by, and Xuanjian opened his eyes in his meditation room.

As if half-awake and half-asleep, many insights flashed through my mind.

next moment,

His natal cursed artifact, the "Evil Eye Sword," appeared in front of him.

He had already integrated this cursed artifact into himself, achieving perfect control, which was the peak of his control period.

But at this time,

A chilling black curse erupted from the sword's body. Xuanjian grabbed it and, in just a few breaths, completely refined the Evil Eye Sword.

With one step, he entered the realm of refinement.

Refining cursed objects and completely transforming them into one's own power is the first and most important hurdle on the path of the "cursed object cultivation system".

From then on, those who fall into dreams will no longer suffer backlash or any side effects from using this natal cursed item.

However, the backlash, impact, and depleted life force suffered previously cannot be recovered.

"Only after reaching the fourth stage of the Refinement Realm can a Fallen Dreamer truly use their spell power."

Previously, he had only borrowed the power of his own cursed object.

Now, cursed objects have essentially become organs of cursed power, capable of generating their own cursed power.

The improvement is not just a little bit.

As those in the Refinement Stage continue their journey, they can also use the resonance of cursed objects to elevate their life level.

At that time, one will be able to truly wield extraordinary power and rise above mortals.

"Although even extraordinary figures are plagued by nightmares and occasionally fall into nightmare worlds to struggle for survival, they are not necessarily as carefree as members who have the backing of safe zones."

Safe Zone Members, Win!

However, the gap between the Refining Stage and the Transcendent Realm is enormous, far exceeding the difference of just one major rank.

Although there are historical legends of great figures achieving enlightenment and transcending the ordinary in a single day, Xuanjian only listens to these stories.

The proper path to extraordinary achievement has already been paved by our predecessors.

"I am currently in the Refinement stage, but I have only refined one natal cursed artifact, which is the first stage of Refinement."

"Next, following the previous cultivation rhythm, refine the second and third natal spell artifacts, which are the second and third refinement stages."

"But the selection of the cursed objects is crucial. The three cursed objects must be in harmony with the three elements of 'essence, energy, and spirit' and form a stable structure in order to qualify for the challenge of transcendence."

Xuanjian pondered.

It may seem like just replicating the cultivation steps, but it's actually not easy.

Integrating a second or third cursed object into the body can easily lead to clashes.

In the past, forcibly fusing multiple cursed objects by a Dreamer was a near-certain death. But now, by refining the first cursed object before fusing the second, the mortality rate has been reduced by dozens of times.

Choosing the right amulet is of utmost importance; if you choose the wrong one, you will have no hope of achieving extraordinary things.

It often takes experts a considerable amount of time to progress from the first level of the Refinement Realm to the third level.

And with the constant fear of being haunted by nightmares and struggling in that nightmare world, the time that can truly be spent on self-improvement is even less.

but,

"Now that I'm a member of the safe zone, falling into the nightmare will definitely allow me to enter the safe zone."

"Without any worries, you also have a very high chance of conquering Nightmare."

He actually found it not to be that difficult to go from the first level of the Refinement Realm to the third level.

Praise to the store manager.

……

In the countermeasures department, Lao Cai took on the task of training the new recruits.

Mentoring new recruits is quite troublesome, and the Countermeasures Bureau has been frequently launching operations lately, leaving our comrades exhausted.

Old Cai's nightmare this time was relatively easy, so he decided not to take a vacation and went straight to work.

"You had an easy time in the nightmare world?"

Lu Fan's eyes widened, filled with suspicion. "Brother Cai, you're good at bragging, aren't you?"

His older sister, a renowned captain-level powerhouse in the Countermeasures Bureau, always sighs when talking about the Nightmare World.

Although Brother Cai is also a... seasoned dream faller, it's impossible for him to easily survive in the nightmare world.

"Indeed, that's the theory."

Old Cai recalled his nightmare experience as vividly as if it were a dream.

He said, "I didn't get through the nightmare easily on my own; rather, I was protected by the manager of the safe zone. The manager created a haven in the nightmare, sheltering us who were struggling in our dreams."

The store manager is kind-hearted, noble, great, and mysterious.

Lu Fan listened intently.

"Brother Cai, from what you're saying, this shop manager is probably much stronger than a captain-level expert, right? Just who exactly is this shop manager?"

"yes……"

Old Cai also exclaimed, "Just who is this store manager?"