Chapter 300: Abyss Dream Demon
What I saw was a wasteland, a sight that was shocking to behold.
The scene here was heartbreaking; the once-grand buildings were reduced to mere ruins, with debris scattered across the ground.
In the distance, the broken skyscrapers looked desolate even under the fierce afternoon sun.
The more broken and desolate this place was, the more it spoke of its former prosperity. As I stepped onto the soft ground, every step seemed to stir up the yellow sand that had been burned by war.
“Is this… the Dream World?”
I gazed at everything in confusion, hardly able to believe that such a place existed within the Dream World.
“Sister Bai… where is Sister Bai?”
I instinctively looked around, and upon not seeing a familiar figure, a hint of panic crept into my expression.
But the next moment, I composed myself and began to check my situation. Fortunately, my magic source and spellbook seemed to be intact, unlike last time when I faced those nightmares unarmed.
However, the next moment my expression turned grave as I realized my Grand Wisdom Enlightenment Spell… had its seal lifted.
While this meant that I could use this great spellbook right now, it also meant that it had been exposed. If I encountered an enemy of extraordinary level…
Thinking of this, I slapped my forehead. What was I thinking? What difference does it make if I have a grand spellbook or not when facing an extraordinary-level enemy?
The result is still the same: d*ath without a complete corpse.
But since the Academy Head said this was a game between the Main World and the Abyss Demons, it meant that at least it was a relatively fair environment.
Yes… at this moment, there was no longer a distinction between the Witch Academy and the Wizard Academy; these were all allies of the Main World, at least for me, it certainly was.
But whether other academies could put aside their hostile relations and unite against the external threat was another question.
Right now, the best option was to find a relatively safe place.
I glanced around; nobody knew what dangers might lie ahead. I hadn’t forgotten those sleeping individuals who seemed to be having nightmares, certainly having encountered something horrifying.
But for now, it seemed… somewhat safe…
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a terrifying wave of power radiated from behind me, accompanied by a spine-chilling roar, as though something was about to pounce.
In that moment of danger, I instinctively reacted, but when I turned around and saw the source of it all, the terrifying monster was right in front of me.
Faced with this sudden anomaly, fear surged through me for a moment, but then I realized… it was a nightmare…
In the moment of confronting danger, the Fireball Spell I was preparing couldn’t be retracted in time, and the blazing flames coalesced into a huge fireball, with lively fire elements flocking around like swallows returning home.
The massive fireball, as tall as I was, finally broke free from my control and soared towards the monster.
The fireball, carrying a terrifying heat, sliced through the air, resulting in a catastrophic explosion upon contact with the nightmare.
The Protection Spell was instantly activated; the explosion brought a high temperature that even the shield struggled to resist.
At this moment, my mind was filled with questions…
Why?
Is this my Fireball Spell?
I was sure I hadn’t modified this Fireball Spell in any way; it was simply the most basic and my most familiar defense mechanism in response.
Such power…
I looked incredulously at the explosion before me, but as I stared blankly, I quickly realized that perhaps this was the special effect of this Dream World?
Just like how I couldn’t perceive the existence of the spellbook last time, here might enhance the spell effects?
This was merely a guess, there was something even more important for me to face now.
Right in front of me… was a nightmare!
Nightmares carry fortune, if I were to k*ll this thing… wouldn’t I have to bear that fortune?
Never have I wished so desperately for this creature not to d*e… please…
I hurried forward to check the situation, but at this moment, the nightmare was no longer as terrifying as before, just an initial swirling mass of black nightmare mist.
“Phew… thankfully it’s not dead… you scared me…” Seeing that it hadn’t dissipated, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. But before I could even catch my breath, I watched in despair as the mist began to fade…
“Ah? I… I didn’t do anything! Don’t d*e!” I watched as the nightmare gradually dispersed, and in that instant, I felt utterly defeated; it was a classic case of not succeeding before even starting!
But just as I was lost in such sorrowful thoughts, I noticed that there was no fortune attached to me.
“Tsk…”
I paused my movements, confirmed the fact, and realized I had been… fooled?
I collected myself and calmed down; nightmares wouldn’t d*e that easily, so my previous assumption was just wishful thinking.
Nightmares are memories and perceptions of foolish dreams, inherently chaotic and disordered, seemingly feeding on human emotions.
Fear… anxiety… they seemed to create such an atmosphere; since I was afraid it would d*e in that moment, it pretended to be dead.
So now what?
I looked around, and everything seemed to be the same, but if the nightmare wanted to leave silently, I must see if my Spirit Vision could detect it.
After searching for a while, I finally found the creature; even though it lacked a physical form, its existence exuded information distinct from the surrounding environment. As long as it had these anomalies, my Spirit Vision could capture and detect them.
“Got you… your hiding skills are worse than a kindergarten child’s.”
I raised my hand, conjuring a Fireball Spell, but with the previous experience, I ensured the fireball remained under control. This time, the Fireball Spell wrapped around the nightmare like a shield of flames.
I admitted the nightmare lacked a concrete form, but if I bound it with absolute power, how would it respond?
Perhaps in reality, I couldn’t handle it, but here in the Dream World, things were different.
“My dear little sister~ thank you for helping me catch my dinner~ may I ask you to return it to me?”
At this moment, a figure appeared behind me once again. I quickly turned around and saw a bewitching creature resembling an elf-like “young girl.” She stepped closer, her demeanor starkly contrasting with this place.
Her skin, pale as snow, shimmered with an unknown and mysterious glow. Meeting her gaze felt like staring into the cosmos.
Cradling her impressive assets with one arm, she placed her finger on the corner of her seductive red lips, an alluring smile curved up just as she made her entrance, immediately shaking my composure.
“Who are you?” I quickly reacted, taking a cautious stance.
“My dear little sister~ don’t be so wary, I’m not a bad person~” She swayed her slender hips, the skirt fluttering with her movements, and a strange fragrance enveloped the air.
“You’re a Dream Demon.” I frowned and confirmed her identity; the only entities that could be here besides students from the Extraordinary Academy were Abyss Demon races, including the Dream Demon!
d*mn it… how could this Dream Demon be so attractive?
But I knew well that she was the root cause of students dying in reality and also a key player in seizing fortune!
I was facing a troublesome entity right from the start…
This was the Dream World; Dream Demons traverse between dreams and reality, so it could be said that this was their territory. I had to remain focused in my response.
Moreover… I didn’t know if my spellbook techniques could hurt her in the Dream World, but in theory, they could, even if the boundary between dreams and reality was typically clear.
“Oh? I didn’t expect you to recognize me, little sister~ truly impressive. Yes, I am indeed a Dream Demon~ providing you a pleasant night in your dreams, I will…”
“Shut up, disgusting creature.”
I rudely interrupted her, just by listening to what she said previously I already knew what she was engaged in; a Dream Demon… a Dream Demon… how unseemly!
But then considering Dream Demons belong to Abyss Demons, it all started to make sense…
This made me think of the Succubus Academy in the Main World; could this creature and the Succubus be good sisters, one responsible for reality and the other for dreams, double-pressuring us?
Who could withstand that?
“Oh? What a disobedient child; then let me show you the power of a Dream Demon~”
“Go d*e.” I no longer wanted to waste words with her; I unleashed my full firepower for my first battle against an unknown enemy, naturally feeling a heightened sense of crisis.
The shaping spell attack was just the initial probing strike, yet I felt the pressure mounting; my concerns were proving true.
“Little sister, your firepower is strong~ I wonder if your vitality will meet my expectations like your strength? Are you still going to futilely resist? But as a Dream Demon, the dream is my domain!”
“You feed on vitality?” I asked with a frown.
I didn’t even ask if my spells could truly hurt her; rather, I asked this.
“Exactly~ I can smell the rich vitality on you; I can practically taste it~ let me have a bite~ just one bite.” The Dream Demon suddenly lunged at me, but I kept using spells to attack her.
Every spell, before hitting her, she seemed to waver, and the effects passed right through her body.
I had no doubt about the spell effects’ damage; the previous nightmare had already tested that for me.
I merely continued to probe and observe what methods the Dream Demon was using to evade my attacks.
Or was she not a physical entity at all?
But here in the Dream World, what is not a physical presence in reality truly exists!
“Useless~ useless~ your attacks have no effect on me; everything you possess is false; here is a dream, you cannot hit me~”
“You’re lying.” I proclaimed with certainty, “Dream Demons… traversing between reality and dreams, you cannot ignore spells; you just dodged…”
“Ah~ you saw through it~ but that’s… ah!”
Just as the Dream Demon was about to boast, a blast flipped her over.
As she stood there in confusion, my voice followed.
“Explosive Trap, detonates on contact, zero casting delay; how do you like this technique?” I asked, watching her in her embarrassed state.
“Explosive Trap?” The Dream Demon, now bewildered, hadn’t expected to falter so quickly; how was this possible?
“Traversing dreams and reality requires your conscious manipulation, right? But as long as it’s conscious manipulation, there’s a response delay.”
“Hmph, little sister, I admit you have some skills, but with this, you still… ah!”
Before she could compose herself or even take a few steps, she faced the effects of the Explosive Trap once more.
“How about that?” My question left her speechless, “Guess how many Explosive Trap spells I set up? You think you can get close to me?”
“You! Don’t get too cocky! Such inconsequential tricks… just tricks… I will make you understand the price of enraging a Dream Demon! I’ll drain you dry! Absorb your vitality and soul material!”
The Dream Demon before me was no longer the alluring creature but revealed the true nauseating essence belonging to the Abyss.
Moreover, her aura grew stronger, and just this presence made my heart race.
An extraordinary energy I had never seen before surrounded the Dream Demon, and the area around her seemed engulfed by this power, sending ripples of strong energy that instinctively made me step back.
But the next moment, what I faced was even more violent energy raging, shaking everything around me; the ruins trembled as if the Dream Demon could tear apart everything with a wave of her hand.
Having reached this stage, I understood this would be a hard battle; it felt like every fight I faced unfolded in ways I never expected, and even my familiar methods seemed inadequate to deal with various scenarios.
This might be the reason compelling me to collect more spellbooks and enrich my spell arsenal?
No matter how cunning the spell was, it would eventually be useful when the time came.
And I was no longer probing; I prepared for a full-force attack. This was only the first Dream Demon I had encountered; if those Dream Demons joined forces, I could hardly imagine how terrifying that scene would be.
However, just as things reached a critical point, a figure appeared silently, leaping into the high air, the blazing sunlight glaring down upon that figure.
She brought no aura, seemingly like an ordinary person, wielding a long dagger and stabbing the Dream Demon from behind.
“Ah——!”
That was the Dream Demon’s most wretched scream, a piercing agony as if the dagger pierced her very essence, the cry filled with anguish and profound rage.
But when she turned to look, she saw a pale and indifferent face, and the anger in her expression transformed into horror as she attempted to flee.
That kind of deep-seated pressure made the Dream Demon realize she had encountered an enemy beyond her reach, leaving her only with the instinct to run.
“Run? Can you escape?”
The indifferent voice seemed to declare her d*ath, and as the long dagger was pulled from her pierced abdomen, it was as if her last shred of life was extracted, vanishing like mist in the Dream World.
“Sister Bai…?”
“Xiao Han, I finally found you…”
