Chapter 328: The Predicament of the City Lord of Ninglan New City
“Wow! Great!”
“That’s awesome, those Nightmares are really damned!”
With cheers erupting around them, the members of the Ground Patrol Team transitioned from serious expressions to sheer joy.
They never expected that one day they would be able to personally capture those Nightmares.
Recalling the days just a few days ago, they were merely blocking off scenes during Nightmare invasions, and now they could legitimately accept the cheers of the crowd.
Even if they were well aware that these folks were just here for the spectacle, they didn’t care about such minor details.
Each of them held a new-style weapon that looked hastily made, directly using the shell of the Type I Extraordinary Killing Weapon spear.
However, its essence was actually an experimental Nightmare-killing device produced by the Extraordinary Research Base.
When the people from the Extraordinary Research Base approached the Ground Patrol Team, they could hardly believe how quickly the base had worked.
How many days had it been since the Nightmares appeared?
In the past, when minor security issues arose that required coordination with the base, it would always take months, often citing the Beast Tide as an excuse and complaining about resource shortages.
Sometimes the quality of their solutions was problematic as well.
But this time, although the quality did leave something to be desired, it was still an unproduced experimental type.
Even so, leading up to this Nightmare operation, they had only received simple training on how to use it, and now they could jump right in.
They looked at the Nightmares trapped at the front of their Nightmare-killing devices; while they were called killing devices, they lacked the ability to k*ll the Nightmares and could only trap them.
They would still need to escort these Nightmares to the Extraordinary Research Base for special containment.
According to the base, the current phase of the Nightmare-killing device was still in development; to truly k*ll a Nightmare, it had to at least be upgraded to a Type II Nightmare-killing device.
As of now, even the formal Type I hadn’t been produced yet, and the members of the Ground Patrol Team understood that this was the familiar inefficiency of the Extraordinary Research Base.
At that moment, in Ninglan New City.
“Lord City Lord, there are rumors in the city that you have colluded with the Dream Demon, costing the lives of ordinary people…”
“Since you know it’s a rumor, just suppress it. I don’t want this kind of thing spreading any further.”
“Yes.”
“City Lord, we’ve received reports from the City Defense Army that there are unusual movements of mutated beasts outside the city, and this month’s Beast Tide could break out a few days early. Initial analyses suggest it might be related to those outsiders we drove away.”
“A slight relation? There’s definitely a connection. The outsiders were expelled from our Ninglan New City, harboring resentment and colluding with the mutated beasts outside to spark the Beast Tide. The outsiders are our greatest enemy. Do you know how to suppress those rumors?”
“Yes… City Lord.”
“Lord City Lord, we have also received news from the Extraordinary Research Base in the Underground City. They have made breakthrough progress on the Nightmare-killing device project, and the experimental samples have successfully captured Nightmares. It won’t be long before Type I Nightmare-killing devices can be produced on a small scale.”
“So fast…” Upon hearing this report, Ninglan Qiuyun couldn’t help but exclaim.
“I heard that the Underground City has brought back a certain outsider scholar… that scholar has introduced new extraordinary techniques, and this Nightmare-killing device…”
“Alright, I understand.” He waved his hand.
“Then, City Lord, concerning the procurement of Nightmare-killing devices…”
“We have our own methods. Are you saying that you look down on the capabilities of our Extraordinary Skill Research Association?” Ninglan Qiuyun glared at the one reporting.
He could not reveal the collaboration with the Dream Demon, even though he knew many officials below seemed to have gotten a hold of evidence against him. Still, this wasn’t something that could be openly discussed.
Of course, he needed a source for the methods provided by the Dream Demon, didn’t Ninglan New City have its own Extraordinary Skill Research Base?
No, the long-term reliance of the above-ground on the underground’s extraordinary techniques had formed a cooperative relationship that led the above-ground to completely abandon the research of extraordinary techniques, at best having only an Extraordinary Skill Research Association.
Furthermore, that association president, Wumali, was just a young rookie who had just taken office. As the City Lord, he could easily deal with such an existence.
He just needed a reasonable excuse, but the weapon enhanced by those methods seemed to work remarkably well against outsiders, yet was severely limited when used against Nightmares.
Even if the elite team of the City Guard ran into trouble, they would have no means to exterminate the Nightmares.
“If we don’t eliminate the Nightmare threat, we’re in deep trouble. Right now, we can only rely on the special patrol teams, but they have to deal with Nightmares and expel outsiders. Too many deaths have already led to public outcry; if we allow the first d*ath to happen, it will greatly shake the City Guard…”
“Enough. I understand, but with the Beast Tide approaching, I hope you realize the gravity of the situation!”
Thus, the matter was settled. Ultimately, due to various considerations, they still prepared to purchase some samples of the Nightmare-killing device for testing.
Subsequently, Ninglan Qiuyun returned to handling official duties. Ever since he got entangled with the soul-harboring Dream Demon, he found managing Ninglan New City increasingly overwhelming, and the number of matters requiring him to balance had only grown.
But there was no choice; he had no options. This was the tragedy of the weak. As the City Lord, he understood how fragile the human settlement built on ruins was.
A millennium of continuity, yet any difficulty could cause it to fall apart. Ninglan New City could last this long due to their hard work, perhaps, but more so it was mere luck in not encountering calamities.
Now, with the arrival of these outsiders, the emergence of Nightmares, and that damned Dream Demon lurking, each was a bomb capable of destroying the entire Ninglan New City.
He felt himself nearing his limits; although outsiders saw him as still in his prime, the decay of his mind and body was increasingly evident.
He persisted with daily exercise to keep his body in check, using extraordinary techniques to enhance himself, all to better serve Ninglan New City—everything for its continuity.
Of course… there was also his child.
Ninglan Qiuyu.
He needed to eliminate these outside factors within the limited time he had left. For Ninglan Qiuyun, the outsiders and Nightmares weren’t truly fundamental threats. He was an old fox; how could he not see the harm the Dream Demon posed to Ninglan New City?
The Dream Demon was the real enemy of Ninglan New City!
Before he left, he needed to eliminate the Dream Demon, but whose hand could he use to do that?
As for those outsiders, his good daughter had already brought this matter to their group. The Dream Demon had already encroached upon the position of the City Lord, and he needed to attract the hatred of the outsiders by dragging down those Dream Demons, exterminating them along with himself.
All he needed was a trigger; the public opinion in the city seemed to be flying high, but reversing that opinion could be easy. He had already set the groundwork for many matters, just waiting for his son to rebel.
Ninglan Qiuyun was prepared for a lasting infamy, clearing obstacles for his son, ultimately becoming his stepping stone to rise to the position of City Lord of Ninglan New City.
He could tell that his son harbored suppressed desires and ambitions; he was just pretending not to notice.
Moreover, he hoped his son had such thoughts; if his son showed no interest in the position of City Lord, that would make him anxious.
As for his daughter, capturing and confining her was also a kind of protection. Before the Dream Demons had fully exploited her, if they dared to harm his daughter, he would fight them to the d*ath. From a pragmatic standpoint, those Dream Demons would likely remain dormant for a short time, provided Ninglan Qiuyue did not embark on actions that would provoke them.
“How is Ninglan Qiuyu doing…?” Just when Ninglan Qiuyun was about to ask, the officials below seemed to become enchanted and put down their things to leave.
Seeing this scene, Ninglan Qiuyun cursed under his breath but dared not erupt.
Then, an enchanting figure gently appeared behind Ninglan Qiuyun, leaning against his back, her fingers lightly tracing the defined muscles along his back, sending chills down his spine.
“Are you this concerned about your son?”
“I advise you not to lay a hand on my son.” Ninglan Qiuyun threatened coldly.
But the Dream Demon remained unfazed.
“Well then~ that young man looks far more delicious than you, dear father. It seems that before you leave, I won’t get to taste him~”
“Don’t worry, I can hold out for quite a while.”
“Still handling official documents? How about taking a break with me now and enjoy a taste of that exquisite experience?”
“I’ll finish my work first.” Ninglan Qiuyun said with a darkened expression.
“Let me see… uh… Underground City… Nightmare-killing device, hehe, seems I’ve stumbled upon something interesting. I never thought that Underground City, which I’ve largely disregarded, quietly developed this?”
“How are you curious about this?”
“Just a little toy~ It can only trap Nightmares—such weak things can’t even be killed. What’s the use in buying some to play with?”
“Just for testing; after all, you all know that your efficiency in handling the Nightmares in the city is too low. If someone is assisting on the side, it could improve efficiency.”
“True enough, I have to personally deal with those Nightmares every time. If you manage to capture them and bring them over for me to clean up, it would indeed save a lot of trouble.”
“Turns out you also like to be lazy?”
“Why not? This way, I can have more time to see~ if you’ve been up to any little tricks behind my back.”
“Hmph…”
Ninglan Qiuyun didn’t respond, knowing that his subsequent actions would likely become more difficult.
He was starting to become suspicious, seeing the prior attitude of disdain. The Underground City couldn’t be influenced by these Dream Demons; it held something of greater importance, the Ninglan Guardian Stele’s origin, which was the foundation of Ninglan New City. The outsiders and Nightmares couldn’t destroy it, but the Dream Demons could.
Underground City.
With multiple successful experiments of the experimental Nightmare-killing device, it was now time to officially begin redesigning the appearance of the formal Type I Nightmare-killing device.
Of course, the base had also collected a lot of test information and data about the Nightmare-killing devices from the Ground Patrol Team to make further adjustments, but these trivial matters were not my concern.
I am simply responsible for breakthroughs in theory and technique.
Moreover, this technique can similarly be expressed in the form of spells, which is crucial.
As for research on the Type II Nightmare-killing device, I’m planning to let them proceed step by step on their own. With the case and theoretical guidance of the Type I Nightmare-killing device, I believe it won’t be long before they complete it.
Of course, I won’t be completely uninvolved. After all, without my input, their simplicity would probably take several months to yield any breakthroughs.
After all, that’s still considered a quick pace.
I’m withdrawing from this to serve as the theoretical guide for the Nightmare-killing devices. Saving time is also because I still have my own matters to attend to.
I need to make some attempts and start breaking through the limitations I can only face in the Dream World.
Admittedly, directly descending here poses significant risks, but just having my consciousness here increases the risks even further.
So I have to do this.
Given that I’ve decided to do this, I naturally need to be fully prepared to deal with various unforeseen circumstances, no matter how low the probability may be. I won’t allow meaningless accidents to occur.
Before that, I need to completely understand the Spellbook of Teleportation that Sister Bai possesses.
Using a Spellbook is one thing, using spells outside of a Spellbook is another, and fully understanding the internal structure, rune rituals, and operational effects of a spell is an entirely different matter.
Mastering this spell could help me not be helpless when faced with most unexpected situations. There’s also the point Sister Bai reminded me about: the spatial coordinate anchor points reserved for the Teleportation spell cannot be within the Dream World, meaning I can’t arrange the upcoming setup myself.
Instead, I will need Fool Dream to assist. It’s not that I don’t trust the other scholars or disciples here, but I have never trusted any of them from the start. This is a matter of principle. My relationship with them would merely be one of academic discussion, without any deep exchanges. Even if they study rune rituals and other extraordinary-related matters, anything that doesn’t hold significance for me, I won’t teach, unless the other party demonstrates their value for me to teach them.
As for Fool Dream, I know her through and through, so I naturally trust her, and I’ve called Sister Bai here.
Although… Sister Bai is also at a loss regarding everything happening in reality, at least if something irrevocable were to happen, when I return, I wouldn’t be completely oblivious to the situation.
“Xiao Han, are you really okay?”
“Sister Bai, you should be wishing for my success instead of worrying about me,” I said with a smile while looking at Sister Bai.
At the Witch Academy, in the Medical Room.
“Hmm… so boring. Do you have any little toys? Lend me some… mine has run out of power.”
“Hmm? You’re still using electric ones? Isn’t magical power strong enough?”
“It’s cheaper…”
The two part-time nurses in the Medical Room chatted about outrageous topics while bored, watching over patients cursed into slumber.
Just then, one of the nurses facing the door suddenly stood up.
“G-Great Academy Head!”
“Hmm? Ah!? Academy Head, how come you are here?” The other hurriedly stood up and turned as she saw the figure.
“It’s alright; you two can step out for now. I’ll take over here,” Mei Linde smiled as she addressed the two students.
“Okay! Alright!”
The two nurses quickly stood up and left without a moment’s hesitation.
