Chapter 62 Nightmare

The premonition in the comments wasn't unfounded; it's just that this "unease" didn't stem from a physical attack.

The night was as dark as ink, so thick it was impossible to see through.

Outside the sturdy stone house facing north, the roars and crashes of ghosts were more frantic and intense than in the previous nights, as if all the darkness of the town had converged here, trying to tear apart this last fortress.

The heavy stone doors and walls groaned and trembled under the relentless attacks, yet they remained standing, firmly keeping out all danger and madness.

Inside, however, the scene was quite different.

The emergency power lights emitted a soft, steady white light, dispelling the darkness in the corners and bringing a rare sense of security.

Wang Hu was fast asleep in the corner, snoring evenly, clearly having completely released the fatigue accumulated over the past few days.

The silent monk sat cross-legged on the other side, his breathing calm, as if he had entered a deep state of meditation.

Wu Jueji remained leaning against the wall, arms crossed, head bowed, breathing heavily, as if the outside noise had nothing to do with him.

Gu Yunqing lay on the simple bed that Jun Xiangbei had purchased in advance. The mattress beneath her was much softer and more comfortable than she had imagined, clearly carefully chosen.

He had already fallen asleep, but the continuous high-intensity battles and mental exhaustion had left him feeling mentally fatigued.

However, the sleep was not peaceful.

In his dream, he frowned, his breathing became rapid, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. His fingertips unconsciously clenched the thin blanket beneath him.

Just as he was struggling in his nightmare and almost suffocating, a slightly cool hand gently covered his tightly clenched fist.

The touch carried a strange, soothing power.

Gu Yunqing suddenly opened her eyes, waking up from a nightmare. Her heart was still pounding violently in her chest, still shaken by the lingering fear.

What came into view was Jun Xiangbei's eyes, which appeared exceptionally clear under the light.

He had finished meditating sometime earlier and was standing by his bedside, leaning slightly forward, one hand gently resting on his fist.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Jun Xiangbei's voice was lower than usual, less cold and more subtly concerned.

He was clearly awake the whole time, or rather, he wasn't in deep meditation; he was constantly aware of the surrounding sounds, including those of Gu Yunqing.

The people in Jun Xiangbei's live stream have unusual points of focus:

"Gu Yunqing had a nightmare? Even the big boss has nightmares?"

"Jun Xiangbei is so gentle, he even took the initiative to comfort me."

"This is the first time I've seen the Lord so gentle. Could it be that he wants to suppress Gu Yunqing's supernatural abilities?"

Gu Yunqing stared at him blankly. The desperate, scarlet eyes in his dream overlapped with the calm yet worried eyes in front of him, making him feel dazed for a moment.

He quickly suppressed the fear in his eyes, exhaled softly, and loosened his clenched fist, letting Jun Xiangbei's cool palm cover him. The touch strangely calmed his racing heartbeat.

"Hmm..." Gu Yunqing did not deny it, his voice still a little hoarse from just waking up. He propped himself up on his arms and sat up, his gaze sweeping over the comfortable bed beneath him. He added sincerely, "Thank you, Brother Bei... This bed is very comfortable."

His words were a double entendre, both thanking the bed that provided a peaceful sleep and subtly responding to Jun Beiji's concern.

"I'm glad you like it," Jun Xiangbei replied softly.

Gu Yunqing's heart stirred. Jun Xiangbei, though cold as ice on the outside, was actually very thoughtful, even considering the comfort of the bed.

Seeing that he was alright, Jun Xiangbei withdrew his hand. The slightly cool touch left Gu Yunqing with a faint sense of loss.

Jun Xiangbei regained his usual calm and sat down on a chair, without immediately returning to his meditative state.

The sounds of impact outside continued, which only made the interior seem even quieter.

The silent monk had opened his eyes at some point and was quietly watching them.

After a brief silence, Gu Yunqing broke the silence, steer the conversation toward business, his voice regaining its usual calm: "For several nights in a row, the intensity and frequency of the attacks have been increasing. At this rate, the last two nights will likely be exceptionally difficult, and we haven't raised enough funds yet."

Jun Xiangbei nodded in agreement: "Mission rewards are the main source of income, but finding hidden side quests and resource points is more efficient. What do you think of that 'cursed manor'?"

He mentioned the place that Gu Yunqing had marked on the map earlier.

“Risk and opportunity coexist.” Gu Yunqing pondered. “The system’s deliberate avoidance often means that there is a possibility of breaking the rules there. It might be a huge one-time reward, or a special item that can greatly improve survivability. But the danger is probably far greater than that of the mine.”

The silent monk suddenly spoke up: "The manor harbors a deep 'resentment,' originating from the same source as the mine, but it is even more concentrated."

As a monk, he was particularly sensitive to this kind of negative energy.

"It seems that this is one of the key areas for the final test," Gu Yunqing concluded. "After achieving the basic funding target, it is necessary to explore it."

As Jun Xiangbei looked at Gu Yunqing's focused and calm profile as he analyzed the situation, and listened to his clear and logical judgment, his desire to investigate grew even stronger.

Jun Xiangbei remained silent for a moment, then took the initiative to mention some of his past experiences in the Pure White World instance. Although his tone was still calm, as if he were giving a mission report, everyone present could sense the intention to share and build rapport.

"...In a previous technological-side instance, we encountered similar rule restrictions, leading to the collapse of the economic system. We were only able to break the deadlock by cracking the energy allocation logic of the core AI," Jun Xiangbei briefly explained.

"Sometimes, the key to solving a problem is not in the task list."

Gu Yunqing listened attentively and offered her own opinions when appropriate. The two then had an in-depth exchange on the dungeon mechanics and strategies for breaking the deadlock.

The silent monk would occasionally chime in with a word or two, which often hit the nail on the head.

Somehow, the conversation shifted to the previous collaboration in the mine, and Han Chunhua was mentioned again.

“That girl’s special ability, ‘blooming’…” Jun Xiangbei frowned slightly.

"If developed in the direction suggested by Mr. Wu, the potential is astonishing."

“Every superpower has its unique function; the key lies in how it is used and the user’s mental strength,” Gu Yunqing added, a sentiment shared by the Pure White World.

"Mental strength is the cornerstone of superpowers. The higher the level, the more precise the control over superpowers and the stronger the endurance."

“Top-tier superpowers like ‘time stop’ that touch the rules can consume all of one’s mental energy in a single use, requiring a long recovery period. However, if one’s mental energy is large enough, frequent use is not impossible.”

Gu Yunqing paused, then looked at Jun Xiangbei: "Just like your Overlay ability, Brother Bei, with its excellent control over energy consumption, it must be inseparable from your powerful mental strength."

Jun Xiangbei did not deny it, but simply said, "Focus and control are the foundation."

Meanwhile, outside Han Chunhua's [beautiful] room, on the fifth night.

The atmosphere here is completely different from the tranquility inside the stone house.

As agreed, Elena, along with two followers, Ji Changyu, and two other players who had chosen the "aesthetically pleasing" room, gathered outside Han Chunhua's magnificent but almost defenseless house to form a temporary defensive line.

Tonight, the monsters' attack was indeed as fierce as Gu Yunqing had predicted.

The shadowy figures surged in like a tide, including several elite individuals whose auras were noticeably stronger.

Holy light shone, sword blades pierced the air, probability distorted... Everyone used their own methods, and the battle entered a white-hot stage from the very beginning.

Elena held a staff, its holy light surging like a tide, purifying the approaching dark creatures and providing shelter and healing to her teammates.

Her two followers, wielding light-forged shields and longswords, stood at the forefront, like a steadfast bulwark.

Ji Changyu moved along the edge of the battlefield, his short blade appearing and disappearing unpredictably, while constantly fine-tuning the "probability" that was advantageous to his side on the battlefield—making the enemy's attacks occasionally miss and making his own defenses exceptionally strong at times.

His complexion was better than a few days ago, but the frequent use of his powers still made him sweat.

However, there were simply too many monsters, and they seemed to have learned their lesson, consciously bypassing the front line and attacking the relatively vulnerable mages and supports.

A shadow wolf, blurry in shape and incredibly fast, skillfully evaded the Holy Light believers' interception, and pounced into the inner circle like a ghost. Its scarlet eyes locked onto Han Chunhua, who was struggling to maintain a thicket of thorns in an attempt to slow down the enemy. It opened its mouth full of sharp teeth and lunged down with a stench.

"Watch out!" Elena exclaimed, but her holy light needed time to gather.

Ji Changyu tried to correct the probability of the Shadow Wolf's pounce missing, but felt that his mental energy was like a stone thrown into the sea, with little effect—this Shadow Wolf seemed to have a very high "weight".

As Han Chunhua stared at the gaping maw that rapidly enlarged in her pupils, the fear of death instantly gripped her.

But at the same time, Wu Jueji's cold words "blooming inside the body," and his previous experience of successfully making a ghost's stomach bloom in a moment of desperation, flashed through his mind like lightning!

The instinct to survive overwhelmed everything.

She abandoned the thorns that nurtured the outside world and focused all her attention and thoughts on the shadow wolf that pounced on her.

A sharp, piercing shout echoed across the battlefield:

"open--!!!"

In an instant, a strange change occurred.

The ferocious shadow wolf's attack was abruptly halted in mid-air, letting out a shrill, distorted howl!

It was as if countless invisible seeds had been planted inside its body, and they grew and burst forth wildly in an instant.

"Puff puff puff puff—!"

Countless sharp, pale golden thorns suddenly pierced through the Shadow Wolf's eye sockets, nose, ears, and even under its fur.

Blooming instantly, from the inside out.

The Shadow Wolf didn't even have time for a final struggle before its massive body was completely torn apart and disintegrated by the bursting thorn flowers within it, turning into black smoke that drifted across the sky, leaving only a few pale gold thorns stained with black blood as proof of its existence.

A moment of deathly silence fell over the battlefield.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden, bizarre, and terrifying scene.

Even Elena's emerald eyes were filled with shock.

She could sense that on those thorny flowers, there was a faint trace of light that shared the same origin as hers, but had taken a completely different path of destruction.

Han Chunhua stood there, breathing slightly, her face as pale as paper, her body trembling slightly from exhaustion and lingering fear.

She looked at the dissipating thorns and black smoke, then looked down at her own hands, her eyes filled with disbelief and... a hint of shock after realization.

She finally realized the true potential of her superpower and the terror it represented.

These are no longer flowers to decorate the environment; they bloom from the flesh and blood of the enemy... "Flower Prison".

"Well done, Chunhua." Elena was the first to react. Suppressing her inner turmoil, she stepped forward and gently comforted Chunhua, offering her advice.

"Once you leave this instance, you should go to the system to have your mental strength attributes and level checked in detail, and then make targeted improvements based on the system's suggestions. Your abilities... have a bright future."

Ji Changyu also came over, his eyes gleaming. He patted his chest and said, "Impressive! Next time you make a move, I'll 'add a twist' for you."

He was referring to using probability-based abilities to slightly increase the success rate and power of her powers.

He saw another extremely lethal attack point in this temporary alliance, besides Elena's holy light.

Although she successfully survived the perilous night, Han Chunhua was extremely exhausted and felt a strong sense of unease and confusion about this combat method that directly turned her life into flower mud.

Viewers in Han Chunhua's live stream were buzzing with discussion:

"Han Chunhua's move was so cool, even the Holy Maiden was shocked."

"That gambling addict Ji Changyu has a sharp eye; he knows how to curry favor with powerful figures."

"The last two nights, I had a feeling something terrible was going to happen..."

Night was falling.

Two different outposts, experiencing different nights, heading towards their own unknown tomorrows.

A storm is brewing rapidly.