I created a safe zone in the nightmare world.

"A mutated version of the blazing torch, whose flames can frighten some weaker, eerie monsters."

"I've got three bottles of the special drink. Remember, the red one is the stronger version; it's more potent but also has more side effects."

"A bottle of purifying water, although some of its effects will be lost, can still save lives in critical moments."

"And this magical flying eye, I will control it from behind."

Before setting off, Fa Gui was already armed to the teeth.

He hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, but finally couldn't help but say, "Manager, that's enough, that's too much!"

He was a commoner who had fallen into a dream, when had he ever fought such a rich battle!

He didn't even consider it wealth; he felt it was a waste!

Especially that bottle of purifying water, there was really no need to take it out, but he couldn't persuade the shopkeeper otherwise.

He could only reply solemnly, "Manager, I promise I will complete the mission, I guarantee it with my life!"

Shi An: "..."

Shi An: "What I want to see is for them to come back alive."

He waved his hand.

Having prepared his equipment, Fa Gui pushed open the door and stepped back into the nightmare world.

……

He had been having strange, delusional dreams for several days, and just as he had predicted, he was indeed a lost soul.

But Fa Gui stayed in the safe zone, and in Nightmare's eyes, he was essentially erased from existence, a person with no identity and no background.

The nightmares that occurred during the "Strange Dream" event also disappeared the next day, disconnecting from the safe zone.

"However, Fa Gui is still a true Dream Faller."

The ghost carries the "Shadowy Witchcraft Eye" on its body.

Shi An could see that as soon as Fa Gui stepped out of the safe zone, it was as if he had fallen into a dream.

Not as if.

He did indeed fall from the boat into a nightmare world.

They fell into a nightmare unlike any of the previous two groups of dreamers.

This nightmare is not connected to the safe zone.

However, Shi An had anticipated this situation and discovered that Fa Gui possessed a membership card. Once activated, the membership card would connect the current nightmare world and the safe zone, providing a path to the connected place.

Fa Gui didn't activate his membership card; he remembered the store manager's instructions.

Try to traverse the nightmare area and draw a map.

Then comes the Nightmare of Conquest.

He carried ample supplies and had the aid of the sorcerer's eye, so theoretically he could survive in the nightmare world for more than ten hours without any problem.

Black, eyeball-shaped creations took flight.

The appearance of this nightmare area had become clear to Shi An.

A nightmare street.

The streetlights on both sides of the road turned on and off intermittently.

This might be some kind of code, and the key to unlocking the nightmare lies within it.

but,

This has nothing to do with Shi An; he's not here to conquer Nightmare.

The images recorded by the magical eye were now clearly reflected in Shi An's eyes. He controlled the eyeball, flying through the silent streets.

Suddenly, the shadow under one of the streetlights trembled.

Perhaps triggered by some hunting logic, the monster suddenly leaped out from the shadows.

But the next moment,

It froze on the spot, staring blankly, its mind, devoid of wisdom, filled with question marks.

Where are they?

The shadowy eyeball continued to fly rapidly, moving at lightning speed, even faster than when the blood handprint transformed into a rainbow.

The field of vision of this eyeball is also large, with no blind spots in 360 degrees.

As it flew by, images flashed through Shi An's mind.

Streets, streetlights, alleyways, gaps in buildings...

Finding the gaps leading to other nightmares is neither difficult nor difficult; there are always some rather peculiar places involved.

If the person experiencing the dream needs to explore cautiously and avoid many dangers, it will naturally be difficult to discover it.

But if one acts recklessly like Shi An does right now, this nightmare is a relatively simple one—the nightmare of the dark streets…

In just over ten minutes, Shi An discovered the gap in this mini nightmare.

In a certain alley.

On the side of the alley, two buildings stand very close together, leaving only a gap of ten or twenty centimeters.

The interior was extremely dark, and such places are usually dead ends, but Shi An noticed that thick gray fog was drifting deep into the gaps between the buildings.

The gray fog is a symbol of the border.

Shi An, controlling Fei Yan, ventured deeper into the area, confirming this fact.

"Go ahead, Ah Fa."

"clear!"

He turned sideways and probed inside step by step.

This is a rather dangerous operation. If it leads to a dead end, the dreamer will not only waste time, but may also have nowhere to escape when faced with danger.

But the sorcerer's clairvoyance had already identified the path and had observed the surroundings in advance.

This cross-regional journey was perfectly safe.

Soon, the ghost passed through the vast gray fog. Shi An also controlled his eyes to follow the flying area.

next moment,

As the gray fog dissipated, the gap between the buildings that had allowed them to pass through disappeared behind them, replaced by a pale white wall stained with congealed blood.

But in front of me, it was still dark.

It was an indoor environment with medical records scattered everywhere, tables lying around but empty, and IV drips hanging in the corridor, the needles swaying in mid-air as if they had just been removed.

Eerie and chilling.

It's a nightmare hospital.

Among the many nightmares, this is one of the more dangerous ones.

However, what Shi An is more concerned about is...

"So, traveling through different areas in Nightmare is a one-way ticket. To return to a previous Nightmare, the entrance and exit are not in the same area."

Fa Gui only realized this recently.

However, he wasn't too surprised. The store manager must know, and he just needed to follow the store manager's instructions.

Shi An has already taken control of Flying Eye to continue exploring.

Fa Gui also followed closely, searching the surroundings and recording any unusual terrain features.

……

Meanwhile, in a nightmare area more than ten nightmarish nights away.

"Whoosh!"

Old Cai fell here.

Two other dreamers also fell at the same time as him, all three of them carrying a peculiar black briefcase.

They moved quickly through this nightmare, as if they knew the place well.

Soon they arrived at a special area where torches were erected.

The Countermeasures Bureau is building a camp!

Several Dreamers, also dressed in black trench coats, came forward to greet them.

"You've worked hard," Old Cai said. "Next, I'll switch shifts with you."

He shook hands with the team leader opposite him.

Then, the three dreamers from the opposing group took out an item from their bodies and put it down. Not long after, their figures began to fade and disappear into the nightmare world.

Old Cai said to his two teammates, "We'll be holding out here for the next two days, is that alright?"

"Don't worry, Captain Cai/Brother Cai."

Old Cai picked up the props that the three people in front of him had left on the table.

This is a black sphere the size of a fist, which the Countermeasures Bureau named the "Fallen Dream Pearl"!

As the name suggests, if one possesses this gem in the real world, it will significantly shorten the time one spends in the real world, causing the dreamer to fall into a dream state quickly.

If held in a nightmare world, it will significantly prolong the time the person trapped in the nightmare world.

Extending it to three or four days is not a problem.

This bead is also a product of the nightmare world, but its effect is rather lackluster. Normally, those trapped in nightmares are eager to leave the nightmare world as quickly as possible; who would want to stay any longer?

Those who have fallen into dreams avoid this precious pearl like the plague; if they accidentally get their hands on it, they will throw it away.

It's also a double-edged sword for the countermeasures bureau, only useful in this kind of situation.

Old Cai said, "Let's go and see how far the camp construction has progressed."

-

P.S.: Happy New Year! Wishing all my dear readers a prosperous, blessed, and fulfilling new year!

The next chapter will be at 12 noon.