Han Fei ca to the Main City District this ti to do three things: rescue people, kill gods, and open a portal.
"The others will stay here; I’ll go check out the situation." Han Fei instructed the residents of the Happiness Residential Community to stay at the base while he left with Bai Xian and Impermanence through the back door.
"Han Fei, are you sure just the three of us are going in?" Bai Xian hesitated, with so many ghosts in the Deep World, Han Fei had chosen a seemingly ordinary one.
"It’s enough." Han Fei wasn’t wearing a mask, even leaving through the back door, he was spotted by nearby players. Those trapped in the ga followed him from a distance, trying to figure out what the top player community was planning to do.
Given the current circumstances, a super guild capable of mobilizing nurous resources and having various information channels had beco the hope of all ordinary players.
"That’s Han Fei! Keep up!"
"They seem to be heading towards the direction of the Shrine! The top guild is going to challenge the nightmare? Quick! Report to the boss imdiately!"
"So much material was sent to the base; there must be items targeting the nightmare. The top guild is finally making a move!"
"Why just three people? Is the top guild being overly confident? Do they really think three people is enough?"
Even trapped in the ga, the players were still very gossip-minded, unable to suppress their curiosity.
Han Fei wasn’t bothered by the players following him. He appeared here without a mask to tell everyone—Han Fei is the one rescuing you.
If Han Fei wants to successfully reorganize Eternal Life Pharmaceutical in the future, public opinion support will be necessary. Helping four million people escape would greatly simplify future matters.
The Main City District is vast. Even if heading to the nearest Shrine from the base, it takes a while to reach. The crowd following Han Fei gradually increased, but the atmosphere grew increasingly grave.
When the buildings shrouded in gray mist appeared in the distance, the crowd fell silent, everyone mindful enough to close their mouths.
"This was originally the hospital of the Main City District. After the Shrine appeared, the hospital was engulfed by gray mist; Dream Dust is scattered everywhere." Bai Xian led Han Fei and Impermanence to the west gate of the hospital: "This hospital has four entrances and exits, with the west gate being the least populated. We’ll wait for about five or six minutes. If no one else goes in, the three of us will go in together."
"Is there anything else we need to be cautious of?"
"It’s best we hold hands and take the first step simultaneously, ideally landing our shoes at the sa ti." Bai Xian was very cautious: "Don’t be careless. This nightmare is truly terrifying."
Under the expectant gazes of countless players, Han Fei’s group stopped at the hospital’s west gate. Once they confird no one else was entering, they grabbed each other’s arms and stepped inside the hospital.
After the first step, Han Fei and Bai Xian appeared in the gray mist, but Impermanence was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?"
"Nightmares randomly distribute the number of people. It’s probably because there were other people in this room, so he was pulled into soone else’s nightmare." Bai Xian held onto Han Fei tightly: "Look up, the Shrine is beside the highest window of the hospital’s main building. We need to get there."
"We have to experience a nightmare with each step forward, so how many steps do we need to reach the top floor? How many nightmares do we have to undergo?"
"Nightmares determine how far you can go forward based on their difficulty. The most basic one-layer and two-layer nightmares only allow one step forward, but it’s said that escaping a three-layer nightmare lets you move forward three steps directly." Bai Xian looked around: "We might not see other players, but it doesn’t an they don’t exist. The gray mist blocks players’ perception. Once we let go of each other’s hand, we can’t see each other, so we don’t know how many are in this room. I hope we don’t run into any dead weight."
Stepping forward a second ti, Han Fei and Bai Xian stayed together, but Bai Xian was already sweating nervously, his eye twitching slightly: "Ready? We’re about to enter the third-layer nightmare."
"Adjust your mindset, relax." Han Fei and Bai Xian stepped forward again. As their feet touched down, the gray mist dispersed, and everything turned pitch black, as if they were plunged into eternal night.
A brief feeling of weightlessness ensued, like that sensation of suddenly falling into a pit during sleep.
When Han Fei and Bai Xian opened their eyes again, they found themselves in front of a dilapidated apartnt building, with three other players standing beside them.
"Is this inside the nightmare?" Han Fei tried to open the Item Bar but couldn’t bring up the system panel. The Ghost Pattern on him was covered by Dream Dust, and he couldn’t call out the Executioner from the Ghost Pattern.
Now Han Fei could only use the Healing Personality and Greed Personality inside his Brain Sea.
"This feels similar to the Shrine World. Could it be that the Shrine World of Dreams is not a single world but rather a ’Fragnted World’ pieced together from countless nightmares? Is the nightmare I’m experiencing now part of Dream’s experience? Or is it stolen mories from elsewhere?" Han Fei stood still, observing this nightmare world.
The entire world was very small, consisting only of one apartnt building, surrounded entirely by darkness.
The apartnt building was old, an outdated construction with five floors, only the middle room on the third floor was lit; the other rooms were silent, seemingly uninhabited.
"The third-layer nightmare is obviously larger than the second-layer one, and it’s likely more than one ghost is in the building." Bai Xian quietly reminded, not daring to enter the hallway alone.
"Hello, all." Among the other three players, a bespectacled young man stepped forward: "I’m Hao Xue, vice-president of the Xinhu University Ga Community, at level thirty, profession Astronor. It’s highly dangerous here, and dying in this nightmare causes permanent brain damage. I hope we can sincerely cooperate to escape together."
"No problem, for the escape of all players!" Another male player spoke, his robust physique suggesting he was a martial player focusing on Physical Strength: "I’m Love Like Smoke, level thirty, currently unaffiliated with a guild. I recently transitioned to the hidden profession Devil Muscle Man, specializing in lee combat."
"Only through collaboration can we escape." The only female player seed nice, her smile very sweet: "You can call Aqi, level thirty-two, I’m in charge of a caravan under the Comrce Alliance."
"Comrce Alliance?! A player from one of the top ten guilds!" Love Like Smoke’s voice grew louder unintentionally.
"The Comrce Alliance is large, but I’m just a runner there." The female player didn’t disclose her profession, and her manner of speaking differed from ordinary players.
Finally, the three looked towards Han Fei and Bai Xian. The two actors seed familiar to them.
"I’m Bai Xian, and this is Han Fei; we’re both mbers of the Happiness Community." No further introduction was necessary; the words Happiness Community spoke volus.
"I feel like we can breeze through this layer." Love Like Smoke bead with joy. Initially terrified, he didn’t expect his teammates to be top guild mbers, making him realize he might be the weak link.
After surveying the building, Han Fei was the first to step into the stairwell, uninterested in introducing himself. While others cautiously struggled to survive in the nightmare, he pursued a quick clear.
"Let’s head straight to the lit room on the third floor." Han Fei possessed the talent for acting, making him sensitive to clues, and he headed directly to the third floor.
"Shouldn’t we first check other floors? There are many rooms, and sothing might be hidden." Hao Xue wanted to discuss the decision, but Han Fei had no intention of engaging.
Yellowing wall paint, rusty doors plastered with ads, hallways cluttered with sundries—all felt extrely real, as if thrown back into mories of the parental generation.
Gently knocking on the third-floor residence’s door, hurried footsteps sounded inside. Within two or three seconds, the door opened, revealing a kind-looking middle-aged man who appeared joyful but puzzled at the sight of unfamiliar visitors.
"Old Li, is our son back?" A middle-aged woman in an apron rushed out of the kitchen, holding a ladle.
"The son’s not back yet..." The middle-aged man looked quizzically at Han Fei: "On New Year’s Eve... what’s brought you here?"
"We’re friends of your son. Since our hos are far away, he invited us to celebrate the New Year together. It’s lively and cheerful." Han Fei’s expression was entirely different from before, very warm and natural.
"Ah, you should’ve said so! Co in, co in!" The middle-aged couple was very hospitable, serving fruit platters and various snacks, even adjusting the electric heater for their guests’ comfort, making them a bit embarrassed.
"Uncle, please sit and rest as well." Love Like Smoke was amazed by the hospitality in the nightmare, feeling a bit spoiled: "Should I help you with the chores since I’m strong?"
"No need, no need, guests shouldn’t do chores." Seeing more people, the middle-aged man donned an apron and headed to the kitchen to fry a few more dishes.
While the couple bustled in the kitchen, the players outside felt uneasy. Hao Xue didn’t dare touch the snacks or Candy on the table, his eyes full of doubt: "In the first nightmare, we woke up being hunted by ghosts. In the second, I opened my eyes in a Ghost House, sealing an Evil Spirit within half an hour. Why is this third nightmare so different?"
"There are indeed anomalies." Aqi walked around the room: "Don’t just sit around, search for clues."
Sitting silently in front of the coffee table, Han Fei watched the middle-aged couple busy in the kitchen. This nightmare reminded him of his first encounter in the Deep World at the old lady’s house.
All warmth was superficial, like arsenic wrapped in candy paper.
"Wait a mont! The dish will be ready in ten minutes!" The voice of the middle-aged woman echoed from the kitchen.
"Ten minutes, is that the ti limit they’ve given us?" Han Fei scanned the living room, noticing a thick stack of newspapers beneath the coffee table. This family seed to have a habit of subscribing to newspapers.
"No dust, which ans it gets flipped through every day. What’s worth reading repeatedly?" Han Fei moved the thick stack of newspapers to the sofa and used his mory and speed reading skills for a quick scan.
Five minutes later, he found a familiar news image in the stack, looking sowhat similar to the apartnt building outside.
"College student finishing internship, took an eleven-hour train ho for the New Year, later died in a car accident five hundred ters from ho, perpetrator fled, announced the driver’s identity and vehicle description."
"The area around the apartnt is pitch black, making it impossible to get out. Although the accident occurred just five hundred ters away from us, we still can’t stop the tragedy," Han Fei pondered, checking the newspaper date and comparing it with the one on the TV, discovering sothing even more terrifying: "The accident happened last year, yet this couple hasn’t moved on and still lives within the nightmare of that day."
The warm atmosphere suddenly beca frightening. The couple’s happy, busy silhouettes in the kitchen seed to distort gradually.
With five minutes left for the food to be ready, Han Fei silently moved towards the bedroom, like soone far from a cody actor.
The master bedroom was the middle-aged couple’s room, with another small bedroom deeper inside. Despite the New Year, this small room remained tightly shut.
Entering through the door, a poster of a sports star hung on the wall inside, dust-free books lay on the desk, and the ho fitness equipnt by the bed was ticulously clean.
"This is their child’s room; they seem to clean it daily."
By examining the various life items inside, Han Fei deduced the personality and traits of the middle-aged couple’s child, who loved fitness and sports, appearing strong and brave but being gentle and ticulous at heart, fond of acting like a child in front of parents, and extrely filial.
Sitting on the bed, Han Fei’s nostrils twitched as he caught a familiar scent, faint enough for the average person to ignore.
He bent down, lifted the blanket, then the bedsheet, and finally moved the mattress aside.
A completely twisted corpse appeared before Han Fei, unlike a stinking, unrecognizable one. This corpse was dressed cleanly as if in freshly changed clothes.
"Dinner’s ready! Kids!" The middle-aged woman’s voice ca from the kitchen, prompting Han Fei to quickly turn around and leave, closing the small bedroom door.
"Did you find anything?" Aqi noticed a slight change in the scent lingering around Han Fei.
"There’s a corpse under the small bedroom bed; when you escape later, rember to take it along." Han Fei spoke softly, causing Love Like Smoke to drop the candy from his mouth.
Han Fei’s words violently contrasted with the seemingly cozy setting.
"A c-corpse in the bedroom?" Love Like Smoke feigned calmness, bowing his head to conceal unease.
The middle-aged couple started serving dishes, parts of at arranged on the dining table, smiles growing wider on their faces: "All the dishes are ready! Why aren’t you eating? Are you waiting for my child?"
No one ate, as none knew how the food was prepared.
Opening a bottle of wine, the middle-aged man poured himself a glass, constantly turning to glance at the living room clock: "Weren’t you working with my son? It’s so late, has his boss kept him for overti?"
The sound of a knife chopping at echoed from the kitchen, each slice terrifying.
"What’s going on? Still not back? What happened?" The lighting in the room flickered, as the middle-aged man downed tainted wine, anxiously scratching his neck, raising blood but continuing relentlessly.
"He should be back; he called half an hour ago saying he’s on the train, heading ho, so he should’ve arrived." The middle-aged man lifted the wine glass with fingers stained by flesh: "Did you see him on your way here?"
The flickering light quickened, TV voices sharpened, and the carefully cooked dishes began to lose color, emitting an unappetizing sll.
"Could sothing have happened?" The middle-aged man rose from the table, found his phone, and called his child’s number.
Ringtones ca audibly clear to Han Fei and the group, emanating from the small bedroom.
The middle-aged man’s eyes held confusion, then seed to recall sothing, as his body began morphing, bone by bone, stepping towards the small bedroom.
"Hao Xue, Aqi, you both escape first; Brother Bai block the kitchen door; Dazhuang, follow to grab the corpse and phone," Han Fei spoke rapidly.
"My na is Love Like Smoke."
"Got it, Dazhuang." Han Fei focused keenly on the middle-aged man’s silhouette, as the warm room started transforming, with a variety of horrific grotesque things slowly eating into this dream.
Once the middle-aged man reached the small bedroom door, Han Fei gestured looking at Love Like Smoke, and the two halted behind the man.
The small bedroom door creaked open, and the middle-aged man saw the corpse hidden within the bed.
His facial flesh tore apart, bones piercing through skin, the whole person becoming horrific upon seeing the truth.
"Move!"
Han Fei directly hoisted the corpse, pocketing the phone along with it: "Let’s go!"
White Xian blocked the kitchen door, but a bloodstained knife cleaved through the door in the next second, turning Brother Bai’s face stark white.
The room fully mutated, plunging the apartnt’s only light into darkness, as the middle-aged man’s body turned into a bone-pierced bloody horror, crawling swiftly toward them!
"Run!"
Though just having t, the group coordinated fairly well, escaping within a two-to-three-second gap.
Once outside the security door, Hao Xue and Aqi worryingly paced: "The apartnt isn’t big; going upstairs is a dead end, going down is a dead end! If they chase us, what should we do?"
"You first block the security door; don’t let them co out!" Han Fei, carrying the corpse, stood at the stairway corner.
Inside, the distorted middle-aged couple furiously pounded the door, while pitch-black, foul-slling blood poured from its seams, turning the floor into a morbid scene.
"The blood keeps spreading! Getting it on us will have major consequences!" Hao Xue shouted, thinking Han Fei was too rash: "The couple’s fully beco monsters! They’ve gone completely insane!"
"Can’t hold much longer!"
The players were intensely anxious, pinning all hopes on Han Fei.
"They rely wished to wait for their child’s return, yet this sad event was exploited by the dream, forming an inescapable nightmare. Perhaps if their child returned ho, spending that day with them, the nightmare wouldn’t recur." Han Fei recalled the character traits of the couple’s child, removing the pristine outerwear from the corpse, then putting them on.
"W-what are you doing?!" The group blocking the door, seeing Han Fei like this, were dumbfounded.
"I simply wish to end this nightmare."
Han Fei activated the master-level acting mode in his mind, completely imrsing himself in the deceased’s role. After feeling calm for a while, he took the deceased’s phone from his pocket and sent a ssage to the number persistently calling him—Dad, Mom, I’ll be ho soon.
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