Chapter 116 - 111: Captain Fen’s Trip to the Safe Zone

Chapter 116: Chapter 111: Captain Fen’s Trip to the Safe Zone

A massive, deafening roar echoed throughout the entire Nightmare Area.

A few powerful members who had fled far away only now turned back to look, completely dumbfounded.

They couldn’t see anything clearly; they could only vaguely make out a fading, blood-red rainbow of light lingering in midair.

"What is that?" Returning Stream Chen Baichuan muttered.

He had only caught a faint glimpse of the blood-red light arcing like a rainbow before the deafening roar crashed down a moment later.

"Is it... Lord Blood?" Profound Sword whispered.

He had seen the Blood Hand Seal take action before. Back then, it was this Ghost Object that had suppressed and slain the Ghost Shadows one by one, allowing him to destroy the core of the Pollution Spring.

But sure enough, the Blood-Colored Clay Sculpture had held back its true strength back then.

Perhaps it was just to give them a greater sense of participation in conquering the Nightmare?

"Is this the true strength of the Blood-Colored Clay Sculpture?"

Elsewhere, realization dawned upon Xi Xue. She used her staggering intellect to deduce the answer.

"I get it now, I get it!

"We previously thought the Manager was an expert of the Yugui Stream, but he actually isn’t. The Manager only took action that one time during the Ancient Village Nightmare. The true Yugui Stream expert in the Safe Zone is Zhuo Ling! The Blood-Colored Clay Sculpture, Lord Blood, is Zhuo Ling’s real trump card, and what we’re seeing right now is Miss Zhuo Ling’s true strength!

"Are you wondering if there’s any other basis for my deduction? Of course there is! Just now, Zhuo Ling summoned several ghosts, but those were obviously just secondary spirits. The Blood-Colored Clay Sculpture is her main force!"

The surrounding members were utterly stunned.

At first glance, this theory sounded absurd, but upon closer thought...

"She’s actually right. It’s perfectly logical!"

"Indeed. Lord Blood’s intelligence seems a bit too unpolished. It wouldn’t make sense for it to be the Manager’s Yugui, but as Miss Zhuo Ling’s Yugui, it fits perfectly."

"Miss Zhuo Ling is truly a Direct Lineage expert of the Safe Zone! This level of power is even greater than the Captain Level experts at our Baijiang Headquarter, isn’t it?"

"You can remove the ’isn’t it’! Suppressing the Black Armor Leader with a single strike—what divine might!"

"Is it too late for me to switch to the Yugui Stream now?"

In the distance, the Blood Hand Seal was still continuously bombarding the ground, its palms striking left and right.

It had been waiting for the surrounding Dream Descenders to marvel at its invincible posture. Yet, upon hearing their chatter...

It thought, "What? I’m just a Ghost Object? Zhuo Ling is the master? How preposterous! I am the Elder of the Safe Zone! I am the number one employee under the Manager!"

But the Blood Hand Seal couldn’t speak. It couldn’t exactly refute them by explaining that both it and Zhuo Ling were ghosts.

In a fit of anger, it simply threw a brief tantrum.

It had no choice but to vent all its rage onto the Black Armor Leader in front of it.

"Blood Hand Bombardment!"

"Blood Hand Bombardment!"

"Blood Hand Bombardment!"

The tremors in the earth lasted for several full minutes.

After all, the Black Armor Leader lacked intelligence. Once Little Blood took the high ground, the outcome was already sealed.

Under the continuous erosion and bombardment of the Blood Mist, the Black Armor Leader’s armor was finally corroded, and its defenses were pierced through.

Until—

BOOM!

This ghost completely disappeared, leaving behind only a piece of broken black armor emitting a faint light.

[Dream Curse Object: Dusk Armor (Rare)]

With the Black Armor Boss Slashed, the surrounding environment began to change, and the gray fog receded.

This was the signature sign that a Nightmare had been conquered.

Seeing this, the members dispersed.

The injured Duckbill Hat, Beard, and a few others hurriedly returned to the Safe Zone to heal.

Some others ventured deeper into the ruins to search for treasure.

According to the rules, this Nightmare was completely conquered by Miss Zhuo Ling, so the loot naturally belonged to her. But the members felt that it was fine just to feast their eyes on it; besides, they might even get to grab some scraps.

Zhuo Ling also arrived in the ruins to supervise the harvest.

At this moment, the Deputy Captain of the Twelfth Team, Chen Baichuan, rubbed his eyes. "Captain Fen! Why are you guys here?"

The members were also surprised when the group from the Countermeasures Bureau walked out from the depths of the ruins. However, after the initial shock, everyone went back to their own business.

Some people didn’t even bother searching the ruins and directly returned to the Safe Zone. They were afraid that once the Nightmare was conquered, they wouldn’t have much time left to stay in the Nightmare World.

Now, what they cherished more was the time spent staying in the Nightmare!

How utterly bizarre.

Compared to the members’ mild surprise, Captain Fen and his team were the ones who were truly shocked.

"That young girl from just now is absolutely at the Great Perfection of Third Refinements, or perhaps even Half-Step Extraordinary! Even the Third Captain and Second Captain might not be her match!"

"Not just her; in this conquest team, the number of Refining Stage experts actually exceeds ten!"

What kind of concept was this?

His entire Fifth Team didn’t even have ten Refining Stage experts.

He could even tell that these Refining Stage experts seemed to come from different factions. There were people from the Extreme Intent Martial Arts Hall, the Research Institute, the Wizard’s House, and some were likely independent experts.

This was even more bizarre.

How on earth did so many experts belonging to different factions manage to cooperate so seamlessly?

Chen Baichuan said, "It’s because of the Safe Zone camp! Captain Fen, have you guys never heard of the Safe Zone?"

Ding Ran, the squad leader of the Fifth Team and also the adjutant of the Lu Yao Camp, replied, "I’ve heard a little about it. Intelligence from reality mentioned this camp before."

Fen Huo also explained why they were here.

"This place is the main crossroad leading from the deep layer to the Shallow Area. Our Countermeasures Bureau’s Lu Yao Camp is set up in the ’Ghost Forest,’ which isn’t too far from here."

"Lu Yao Camp?" Chen Baichuan asked.

Fen Huo said, "This is one of the three main camps of our Baijiang Strategy Bureau. The purpose of the Lu Yao Camp is to host guests from the Outer City.

"You might not know this, but if Dream Descenders from out of town want to enter our Baijiang City, they need to return to reality from the Shallow Nightmare Area surrounding Baijiang City. Otherwise, no matter how far they travel from their own cities, as long as they are in the deep Nightmare, they will return to their original cities when they wake up.

"Our Lu Yao Camp serves to provide a resting place for these experts who have traveled long distances and to guide them on their way.

"Of course, our own Countermeasures Bureau personnel can rest and resupply for free when they come to the camp. We also welcome Dream Descenders who aren’t part of the bureau, but they have to pay a fee."

This was also one of the sources of funding for the camp’s maintenance, though it primarily relied on appropriations from the bureau.

Fen Huo smiled and said, "Since your Dreamfall Area is nearby, I’ll take you to visit the camp next time."

Chen Baichuan was somewhat interested, but not much.

He still wanted to accumulate more contributions here in the Safe Zone; everyone was fiercely competitive right now.

He said, "By the way, you guys arrived at the perfect time, Captain Fen. Let me take you on a tour of the Safe Zone."

Along the way, Fen Huo learned the gist of the Safe Zone from Chen Baichuan and Adjutant Ding Ran.

"It’s a newly built camp, but it’s very formidable. It seemingly has the shadow of a miracle about it."

"The Manager of the Safe Zone is even more mysterious and powerful. He carved out the camp from the void."

"It’s precisely because of the Safe Zone’s existence that many independent Dream Descenders have risen up and found opportunities to cooperate. The number of Nightmares conquered by the Safe Zone in a single day is far from small."

"Impressive, very impressive," Fen Huo praised sincerely.

The Safe Zone established by the Manager provided a lot of convenience for the Dream Descenders. It helped many avoid the most perilous early stages of the Nightmare, allowing one Dream Descender after another to grow.

For this point alone, Fen Huo and several experts of the Fifth Team felt a deep sense of respect.

"However, don’t just keep boasting about an outsider’s camp. Our Countermeasures Bureau’s camps aren’t bad either." Fen Huo patted Chen Baichuan on the shoulder. "You kid haven’t truly seen the three major camps of our bureau yet. You’ll understand once you do."

"Is... that so?" Chen Baichuan started to doubt himself a little.

He had been to two camps before, and they were nowhere near as good as the Safe Zone. But because of his shallow seniority and the fact that he previously only operated in the Shallow Area, he had indeed never visited the three main camps.

But thinking carefully, their Countermeasures Bureau was the largest organization in Baijiang City, after all. Before Baijiang City fell, they even received aid from the Capital City Headquarter. With their profound foundations, the camps they built shouldn’t be bad at all.

Soon, Fen Huo followed Chen Baichuan to the gates of the Safe Zone.

The gates were wide open, and a few members were entering and exiting.

From the outside, it didn’t seem all that bustling.

But the moment Fen Huo crossed the threshold, the noise of a lively crowd washed over him. It was as if he had stepped into a completely different world.

Before his eyes were bright lights, pristine tables, and a massive crowd of Dream Descenders.

They were raising their glasses and chatting, relaxed and joyful.

"Is this still the Nightmare World?" a team member muttered.

Fen Huo glared at him. "It only looks lively because there are so many people. If our Lu Yao Camp had this many visitors, it would be just as bustling."

"Well, of course, connecting multiple Nightmares to shelter Dream Descenders is a unique advantage of the Safe Zone. Our Lu Yao Camp truly cannot compare in that regard."

The group found a table and sat down.

It was at this moment that Fen Huo found an advantage for his own camp. "Our Lu Yao Camp has private rooms, and this place doesn’t. Chalk up one point for us."

The Lu Yao Camp originally bore the responsibility of hosting experts from the Outer City.

Among the three major camps of the Countermeasures Bureau, the Lu Yao Camp’s defense capabilities and scale were admittedly only average, but its environment and comfort levels were absolutely the best.

Even the food and drink within the camp were...

"Hmm, only slightly inferior to the Safe Zone, I suppose."

"But at least the food at our Lu Yao Camp is hearty and filling. The stuff made here in the Safe Zone is exquisite, but what we Dream Descenders need more are supplies to replenish our energy and stamina."

Fen Huo felt that their Lu Yao Camp could barely count this point as a second...

Three minutes later, in the Safe Zone’s cafeteria.

He stared at the steaming hot noodle soup and rice bowls in front of him, lost in deep thought.

Chef Rune walked over and said, "Gentlemen, if there’s anything you’d like that isn’t on the menu, you can let me know. I am a professional chef specially hired by the Manager."

Fen Huo was speechless.

He thought, "Why is there a chef in a Nightmare Camp? Does this make any sense?"

Fen Huo, Ding Ran, and the others were all permanent residents of the Nightmare World. Eating the "taste of home" at this moment, they couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic.

Chen Baichuan said, "Captain Fen, I also booked a few rooms for you guys. You can rest here tonight."

He thought, "Rest? How can warriors of the Countermeasures Bureau like us rest!"

"But then again," Fen Huo said, "our Lu Yao Camp is meant for hospitality, and the Safe Zone’s style is similar to ours. We aren’t resting this time; we’re just seeing if there is anything worth learning from them, so we can gather some valuable experience."

Ding Ran and the others chimed in, "Captain, you’re absolutely right!"

The group walked into the inn.

As far as the eye could see, rockeries were displayed in the courtyard, with pines, cypresses, emerald bamboo, and peonies adding splashes of color. They even saw a few koi swimming around in a pond.

Captain Fen fell silent. His silence gradually turned into numbness.

The night passed without further incident. They slept deeply—more comfortably than ever before.

Until early the next morning.

When Chen Baichuan saw him, he couldn’t help but ask, "Captain Fen, how do you think this Safe Zone compares to our Lu Yao Camp? It’s not inferior at all, right?"