Chapter 1083

Snow Woman...

Upon hearing the Red-haired Director's question, Li Ang followed her gaze toward the Snow Woman lying in the desert.

According to the rules of this world, all Nightmares that enter reality possess a physical body. When the King of Nightmares entered his "second stage" earlier, the Snow Woman had already been knocked unconscious by him and had yet to wake up.

"Let's just send her back to the Dream Realm."

After a moment of hesitation, Li Ang said:

"I checked with the Black Goat's soul vision; her soul is actually purer than many humans'. She was mainly controlled by the King of Nightmares and isn't inherently evil. She actually helped me quite a bit this time.

Besides, her companion nightmare was polluted, and her nightmare core was destroyed by the King of Nightmares. Her strength has fallen severely; aside from being able to travel through nightmares, she basically has no other abilities. It won't matter if we let her go back."

"Fine."

After nodding to approve Li Ang's disposal plan, the Red-haired Director pondered for a moment and then said:

"Forget it, let the remaining Nightmare Messengers go back too. After the mess you made of the Dream Realm, it's suffered a heavy blow. Moreover, before the King of Nightmares is resurrected, the ratio between nightmares and sweet dreams will be severely imbalanced.

Having a few more high-level Nightmares go back might help balance things out slightly, avoiding any negative impact on the real world. Besides, after the overlap ends, they won't have the level to invade reality, so there's no need to worry about any harm."

Before the King of Nightmares is resurrected...

Hearing the Red-haired Director's words, Li Ang's expression couldn't help but sink slightly.

Although he knew these "True Gods" were nearly immortal and that after the King of Nightmares was finished off this time, he would be born again from a new River of Nightmares in some future day.

But remembering the painful scenes the King of Nightmares had shown him using the Mirror Crown—scenes that made his heart ache just from a slight recollection—a heavy sense of unwillingness still surfaced in Li Ang's eyes.

"Director."

After calling out to her, Li Ang frowned and said:

"Is there really no way to completely finish off the King of Nightmares?"

To think he would ask such a question... It seems the King of Nightmares offended you quite deeply...

After looking at Li Ang with some curiosity, the Red-haired Director pondered what exactly the King of Nightmares had done to make the usually steady Li Ang lose control, then shook her head and replied:

"It's impossible... Sweet dreams and nightmares are both cornerstones of the Dream Realm. The result of completely finishing off the King of Nightmares would be similar to finishing off the Master of the Dead Realm; it would cause an imbalance in this vassal world."

"Vassal world?"

"Simply put, worlds are not completely isolated from one another; they are interconnected based on utility and rules."

Drawing a large circle on the desert with her toe and then drawing a bunch of small circles around it, the Red-haired Director explained:

"If the world we are in is this big circle in the middle, then the Dead Realm, the Dream Realm, and these small circles can be seen as 'vassal worlds' derived from our world, serving it specifically.

Among them, the Dead Realm is responsible for housing perished souls, returning them to their origin and granting them new life, while the Dream Realm is responsible for bearing human memories and fantasies. Things like art and inspiration are also related to the Dream Realm."

After explaining the significance of the Dream Realm's existence, the Red-haired Director said helplessly:

"Whether these vassal worlds can operate stably is of great significance to us. Sometimes, when trouble arises, we even have to go and help out, though that kind of work usually doesn't fall to us."

"If even you don't get a turn... the Board of Directors?"

"Right, the Board. Most of the Directors are not in the Bureau year-round; they are basically off doing that."

The Red-haired Director said:

"If the task of the eighty-seven branch directors of the Cleanup Bureau is to guard human settlements and prevent opponents from breaking in to steal and rob, then the duty of the twelve Directors is to ensure the stable operation of those vassal worlds, so that no major mishaps occur that could affect reality.

The Zodiac Directors might not be weaker than the Directors, but the Star Palace level they hold is one rank lower than the twelve Directors. They cannot enter or exit these vassal worlds at will, so these cross-world matters generally can only be handled by the Directors who can utilize the 【Star Dome Compass】." So that's it...

After understanding why he couldn't let the bugs completely devour the Dream Realm, and why the Cleanup Bureau's Directors were always away, Li Ang hesitated slightly and then tentatively asked:

"Then... what if we find a way to replace the Lord of Nightmares with a new one? Didn't the Master of the Dead Realm change before?"

"It is possible... but it's not only very troublesome, it's also extremely dangerous."

The Red-haired Director sighed and said:

"The ancestor of the Kingdom's royal family was the one who once repelled the King of Nightmares, resulting in his own bloodline being cursed.

He tried to do something similar to your idea, wanting to use it to lift the curse the King of Nightmares left in his bloodline. He also received support from the Bureau, but in the end, he failed, and it caused very serious consequences."

Very serious consequences?

Hearing this, Li Ang couldn't help but clench his fists, then asked with some curiosity:

"What happened in the end?"

"..."

"Li Ang, let me ask you."

Without answering Li Ang's question, the Red-haired Director sighed and asked:

"What kind of kingdom is the kingdom we live in?"

What kind of kingdom?

Li Ang was slightly stunned.

"A kingdom is a kingdom, what do you mean by what kind of kingdom?"

"My meaning is, don't you think there should be a prefix before 'Kingdom'?"

The Red-haired Director said:

"For example, the Kingdom of Ice Plains, the Kingdom of Koroque, the Kingdom of Thousand Sails, the Kingdom of Thunderstorms, and so on. Other countries should all have specific names, so what should the prefix or the full name of this kingdom be?"

The name of the kingdom?

Hearing this, Li Ang was stunned for a moment, then opened his badge interface to find the Prince badge that made people bow and took a look.

His badge was called 【Prince of Traveling Thrush】, so the full name of the kingdom was the Kingdom of Traveling Thrush. What's the... wait! Why did I have to look at the badge to remember the name of the kingdom?

Seeming to have discovered something incredible, Li Ang's pupils shrank instantly, and the Red-haired Director, who was watching his expression, sighed at the right moment:

"Discovered you can't remember, right?"

"..."

"That ancestor of the royal family, in the process of trying to replace the King of Nightmares, accidentally destroyed the stability of the Dream Realm, causing a world-wide memory loss, which led to the kingdom's name being forgotten by everyone.

And to solve this trouble, the Bureau had to open the 【Fantasy Can】, modifying the brain of the Evil God soaking inside, requiring it to erase this question at all times, making everyone subconsciously ignore this problem.

That is why you and everyone in the entire kingdom call it 'the Kingdom' every day, but never feel that there is anything wrong with calling it the Kingdom without a name."

"..."

After glancing at the stunned Li Ang, the Red-haired Director reached out and patted his shoulder:

"Li Ang, now do you understand how troublesome it is to want to replace these 'Gods' who occupy important rules?"

(End of chapter)