Chapter 395

Almost there.

If Leon had asked that question ten minutes ago, the tall, thin man would have refused to utter a word, and if he was annoyed, he might even have sneered a few words to relieve his stress.

But now he raised a finger toward the sky, gazing up at the Nightmare River pouring into the night, and explained patiently:

"Within the range of the Fallen Soul Abyss, the King of Nightmares cannot be truly killed. Among demons, it's a cautious type—it avoids being wiped out by the Bureau, so it rarely leaves the Fallen Soul Abyss.

The black waters of the Nightmare River are, in another sense, an extension of the Fallen Soul Abyss. As long as it stays within the river's bounds, even if killed, it can regenerate infinitely.

According to the Bureau's past records, once the Nightmare River's waters have fully spread out, providing it with a safe foothold, that's when it will truly descend."

Wait until the waters spread out?

After hearing the Scorpion Director's explanation, Leon stared up at the churning night sky above, still unsure what "fully spread out" meant. He was about to ask further when he suddenly realized his hands and feet felt slightly cold.

Immediately, large flakes of snow began drifting down from the pitch-black sky above the Capital, where no stars or moon shone, and the river nearby inexplicably began to freeze.

"Attention—true elites are descending, and not just one."

After glancing at the dry riverbed beside him, the tall, thin man, whose lips were cracked from dryness, frowned, then kicked aside a nearby crate, pulled out a token and gripped it in his hand. After frowning in thought, he took out a crown carved with a dog's head and carefully placed it atop his own.

"Woof!"

A cheerful dog bark echoed. As the Scorpion Director adjusted the dog-headed crown, a large dog wearing a thorned flower crown appeared silently beside Leon.

"The nightmares coming this time are different from the previous batch. I won't be able to watch over you constantly."

After stabbing the pale puppet's throat again with his sword and executing hundreds of dream-world creatures, the tall, thin man holding the token spoke up:

"This dog is an anomaly named 【Thorned Crown Dog】, capable of housing part of my will. Don't leave its side. If I get pinned down by the nightmares descending… Woof… Woof woof!"

Before the Scorpion Director could finish, a gust of hot, dry wind swept over him, showering his body with parched yellow sand, turning his remaining words into muffled dog barks.

Yet Leon, just two steps away, suddenly felt a piercing chill—a frigid air surged through his nostrils straight into his lungs, outlining every organ within him with startling clarity.

Instantly, the world before him shifted: from the reception area beside the Capital's canal dock, it transformed into a snow-lashed mountain trail, where only shattered tree branches and glacial valleys remained.

"Woof… If I'm pinned down, this dog can protect you temporarily. Once I deal with the trouble over there, I'll come find you."

Completing the Scorpion Director's unfinished words, the large dog with the thorned crown glanced around, then continued speaking in human voice:

"Be careful. The nightmare targeting you likely stems from folk tales of the Ice Plain Kingdom. Those foolish people believe that the Spirit of Winter, during the coldest days of winter, transforms into a beautiful woman with pale skin, luring travelers deep into the snowstorm until they freeze to death in the mountains.

Their unwavering belief manifested in countless dreams, eventually becoming this nightmare… In terms of power, it's roughly thirty-something Leon Points—already crossed the threshold of a Level One Clearance Officer. Stay close to me, don't wander off, or you might be in danger."

"Understood."

After rubbing his arms, which had broken out in goosebumps from the cold wind, Leon instinctively leaned closer to the warm dog and asked:

"Mr. Edward, what's your situation? What are these nightmares?"

"Woof… I'm facing nightmares of similar level, but there are six: Green Tide Sea Monster, Faceless Forest Spirit, Plague Maiden, Blood Caelum, Swamp King Serpent, and Dune Colossus.

These six monsters have been enhanced by the King of Nightmares—specifically designed to hold me back. They avoid direct confrontation, instead expanding their own nightmares and fleeing endlessly across deserts, oceans, swamps, and forests."

After describing his own situation, the dog scratched its chin with a hind leg, sniffed Leon's scent, then continued:

"My six nightmares are troublesome. I don't know how the King of Nightmares handled them, but it likely fed them massive amounts of true god flesh—they now carry fragments of divinity, making them harder to kill.

Hold on a little longer. Once I track down and eliminate all six, I'll shatter their dream barriers and come get you… Damn it! How can this worm run so fast?"

"…."

If I'm right, I can't count on him…

But it doesn't matter. With my luck, expecting to clear this unscathed by clinging to someone else was never realistic—I never counted on him being reliable to begin with.

Watching the dog, mid-sentence, suddenly leap onto a dead tree to scratch its back, then lift its hind leg to urinate, Leon sighed helplessly. He waited beside it as it finished, observing the valley ahead.

According to known information, this snow-blanketed valley was a nightmare realm sustained by the Snow Maiden's own power—in other words, he'd been forcibly dragged into her dream.

Though the Snow Maiden was the master of this dream, she was born from folk legend, so she couldn't act freely like him—she couldn't turn into Ultraman or a Saiyan at will. She had to follow certain rules, staying true to her original legend.

According to the Ice Plain Kingdom's tales, she never attacks travelers directly. Instead, she unleashes violent snowstorms, crushing their will with bitter cold, then lures them into the storm through deception, freezing them to death in the mountains.

As long as he remembered this, stayed put in a valley or shelter, and didn't foolishly walk into the snowstorm, he'd face little lethal danger—especially with the Scorpion Director's dog here…

Hmm… Speaking of the dog, where did it go? Hasn't it finished peeing yet?

And why am I trudging through snow and wind into the mountains with a dog? Wouldn't it be better to stay warm at home? Could it be… I'm actually a hunter? Wait—what's my name again?