I created a safe zone in the nightmare world.

Xi Xue, Lao Yao, and Xiao K, the three dreamers, rested in the safe zone, their spirits becoming increasingly relaxed.

What is the first step in conquering the nightmare?

It's not about investigation or intelligence gathering, but about rest and recovery.

Leaving aside Xi Xue, who has been trapped in this nightmare for some time, even Lao Yao and Xiao K, who have only recently fallen into this dormitory nightmare, are not in perfect condition.

Or rather, there are very few dreamers who are in a perfect state.

Those who fall into nightmares must remain constantly on edge to survive in the nightmare world. However, even after returning to the real world, they cannot truly relax because they do not know when they will be dragged back into nightmares next.

Even when eating, bathing, or sleeping, you have to be on your guard.

It is not uncommon for people to die unexpectedly while taking a shower or falling into a nightmare in their sleep.

However, since the three dreamers were already in the nightmare world, there was no risk of being pulled into the nightmare. They only needed to be wary of the strange things in the dormitory building, but those strange things were firmly blocked outside.

Even though they still don't believe the 'safe zone is absolutely safe,' even if it's only relatively safe, it's still invaluable.

Old Yao, a seasoned dreamer, took the time to rest and enjoy a rare moment of relaxation.

At this point, Shi An also obtained more key information from the conversation among the group.

—Yes, this is common sense for the vast majority of people who suffer from dream-induced delusions, but it is crucial information for him.

such as,

The Dream Faller has four stages, which are divided according to their development and utilization of the cursed dream object: borrowing, fusion, control, and refinement.

The first stage, "borrowing," is essentially still about being an ordinary person. If Shi An were to acquire a cursed artifact, he would also be in this stage.

From the second stage onwards, when one integrates the cursed dream into oneself, well, that's when things start to get a bit inhuman.

"However, Dream Fallen in the Fusion stage are still very weak, and can only walk on thin ice in the Nightmare World. Not only that, but there is a price to pay for Dream Fallen using cursed artifacts, and the price is even higher for those in the Fusion stage. Because of this, most Dream Fallen do not want to confront Nightmare head-on. One reason is that they cannot win, and another is that even a slightly intense fight is risking their lives."

Shi An pondered.

but……

Xi Xue said, "But as long as we can conquer the Nightmare, we will definitely obtain the Cursed Dream Items and some rare dream materials. Only in this way can we quickly become stronger and survive more easily in the Nightmare World. So, let's fight and keep moving forward!"

She was full of passion and fighting spirit.

Shi An seemed to ignite along with it.

Is this the world of the Dreamers? It's so exciting!

Only Lao Yao sighed helplessly, "We dreamers are clearly not like that. Being cautious and struggling to survive is the melody of dreamers."

but……

"Since we've come this far, how can I, a Dreamer from the Countermeasures Bureau, back down? Fight!"

"Of course..." He then looked at the newcomer he was leading, "You shouldn't go out. You're still a newbie, and facing the strange directly is too risky. Staying under the manager's protection and learning from him will be enough to benefit you immensely."

The two began to discuss countermeasures.

Of course, during the process, they also sought advice from Shi An, who they considered unfathomable.

What suggestions does Shi An have?

He was just an ordinary store manager in the safe zone.

but,

"The lights in the Nightmare Dorm are turned off approximately every half hour. The intervals may vary, but the duration of the lights-out is fixed at 7 minutes and 15 seconds."

Shi An only said this much.

Both experienced dream sufferers realized what was happening.

To defeat Nightmare, the power of a Dream Faller in the Fusion stage alone is far from sufficient.

We must utilize the mechanisms of the nightmare world itself.

Lights out is the most important mechanism in dormitory nightmares.

But they will have to discover more clues themselves.

"Let's divide the work. One person will hold off the monster, and the other will go and find clues and the key item that can truly cripple it."

Xi Xue made the suggestion.

Old Yao agreed to the tactic, saying, "In that case, leave the task of finding clues to me."

Normally, the most dangerous task is to hold off the supernatural entity. However, with the safe zone as a backup, they can enter and leave the shop at any time, giving them the ability to directly confront the supernatural entity.

However, searching for clues in a darkened environment requires being far from safe areas, which is actually more dangerous.

Moreover, who can be sure that the only strange thing about the darkness is the bloody handprint?

Even so, Lao Yao still took on the job.

He is from the Countermeasures Bureau, the official Dream Faller! Since he has made up his mind to conquer the nightmare, he has no choice but to do so.

But the witch Xi Xue rejected Lao Yao's suggestion, bombarding him with three questions: "Going deep into the dormitory building, can you escape from the monsters? Can you hold them off for a few dozen seconds? Can you pinpoint the most likely location of the core item?"

"I can!"

"I am a core member of the Wizarding House, possessing three artifacts of the Dream Curse. I'll be the one to carry this round."

She is proud.

Old Yao opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't refute it.

You really can't be reckless when it comes to planning strategies; if you are, you'll make mistakes and harm yourself and others.

Before the two set off, Shi An tossed the pocket watch to the witch Xi Xue, saying, "You can use it to tell time. By the way, it's just a loan."

Xi Xue was delighted to find a pocket watch in the nightmare world.

But the pocket watch was ultimately not hers, and Xi Xue was very sad.

The two calculated the time, and when it was almost time, they pushed open the door and went out.

……

Within the safe zone, in the blink of an eye, only a restless newbie, Little K, and an equally nervous Shi An remained.

"Manager, do you think the workers will be safe?"

"Yes, you can."

Shi An wasn't confident either. The nightmare world was indeed too dangerous. Even seasoned dream sufferers like Xi Xue and Lao Yao were powerless against the bizarre and strange nature of nightmares.

The middle-aged man in the black suit, also a seasoned dreamer, had previously almost lost his life in the nightmare world.

All of this demonstrates that the person who fell into the dream was constantly risking their life.

Death can happen at any time.

"But after all, she's my destined one, um... I can't let her die so carelessly!"

The big boss in the eyes of the dreamers—Manager Shi—thinks:

He was still too weak and powerless!

……

At this time, the dormitory building was still lit up, so the danger level was not high.

Xi Xue and Lao Yao, two seasoned dreamers, each chose an area and quickly rushed in to explore.

Their methods of exploration were somewhat brutal, which violated the survival rules for those who have fallen into dreams, especially for an official dreamer like Lao Yao who had undergone systematic training.

Careful, cautious, and probing little by little – this has always been Lao Yao's approach.

until today,

"Bang!"

Old Yao roughly pushed open the door of one of the dorm rooms and ransacked it.

They need to race against time and be highly efficient.

In the past, his way of surviving was to procrastinate and avoid danger. He wished time would pass faster. But today, what they had to do was conquer the nightmare. Every minute and every second before leaving the nightmare world was precious.

There's no way to take it slow and steady.

not to mention……

"If we encounter any danger, we still have a way out; we can retreat to a safe zone. Unlike in the past, when we encountered danger and fled to other areas, we would worry about triggering dangers in other areas, causing the danger to snowball."

Today's battle was incredibly successful!