Chapter 797: There Are No Weak Exotics, Only

What the hell are you doing?

Seeing the Scorpio Director suddenly shift from aloof to friendly, Li Ang felt a faint unease stir in his chest, his whole body growing uncomfortable.

Had he been visited by another nightmare again?

But he had just touched the Dream-Eating Exotic Armor—it was undeniably real. Even the King of Nightmares himself couldn't simulate its data.

Don't overthink it.

Looking up at the night sky of the capital, then at the dream-world creatures frozen by the pale doll, the tall, thin man lifted his still-dripping slender sword and cleanly severed the doll's head, killing hundreds more elite nightmares that had broken through the blockade. He then clasped his hands behind his back, tilting his head with majestic composure and said:

"My quarrel with Olivia is personal—it won't involve you cleaners. Personally, I admire your courage… If I'm not mistaken, the King of Nightmares is about to appear. Stay close to me, or I won't have time to save you."

…

If you'd insulted me less earlier, I might've believed you…

Though the sudden shift felt unnatural, Li Ang recalled his own director's warning: before the King of Nightmares appeared, staying near this man was safe. He said nothing more, merely nodded and cautiously moved closer.

Come, stand by me.

Waving at Li Ang, who lagged half a step behind and gazed upward, the tall man gently instructed as he reassembled the doll's head:

"Remember, the Abyss of Fallen Souls has merged with reality. Though it strengthens dream-world creatures, those that manifest here now possess true flesh—unlike before, when they existed only in consciousness. Now, they're easier to kill."

But conversely, since the dream-world operates differently from reality, we must guard against being dragged into it ourselves."

"After all, this is their domain. Clinging too tightly to your own body and soul makes you no match for dream-world creatures. But if you loosen your self-perception and align with the dream-world's rules, you risk losing your own identity… Hm?"

As he spoke, he noticed something amiss. The tall man's brow twitched slightly as he plucked at the antennae of the queen insect on his chest.

"Sss! Sss! Sss!"

The sharp insect cries rose again, and as the queen called, the swarm of offspring spreading across the capital echoed back—three clear rounds of response.

But strangely, though their numbers kept multiplying, the cries of the Dream-Eating Exotic Armor's offspring were rapidly diminishing. If the first wave had been as loud as ocean tides, the second was now merely the lapping of shore waves.

As for the third and final wave…

"Sss…"

Watching the last remaining Dream-Eating Exotic Armor, limp on Li Ang's shoulder, responding feebly to the queen's call, the Scorpio Director's expression turned visibly grim.

Don't move.

After calling out to the bewildered Li Ang, the Scorpio Division Director pinched the beetle from Li Ang's shoulder, flipped it over, and revealed a hair-thin wooden spike, deeply embedded in its abdomen, piercing straight through from the forehead's human-face pattern.

All wiped out…

Looking at the beetle in his hand—its movements fading, black fluid oozing from its belly, nearing death—the tall man drew a deep breath and said, his face dark:

"Exotic Genesis… the Water Bearer is still alive!"

Water Bearer?

Hearing the tall man's words, Li Ang's expression shifted slightly. He extended a finger and lightly tapped the wooden spike embedded in the beetle's belly.

【Name: Wooden Spike Substrate (Wish, Pest Elimination, Chain）】【Appearance: A slender wooden spike with a faintly reddened tip. Too fine to identify its wood source, but likely some cheap fast-growing timber】

【Ability: Kill beetles, eradicate pests, chain-kill insects】

【Cost: Too minuscule to matter】

【File: Former Water Bearer Director of the Cleanup Bureau, to deal with the rapidly dividing "Dream-Eating Exotic Armor," used the King of Nightmares' intense desire to erase it as material, infused with a drop of a true god's heart-blood, and temporarily created this lethal exotic object—no provisional designation.】

【After killing one insect, it traces the connection between identical substrates and simultaneously kills all others within a wide range. This effect works only on "Dream-Eating Exotic Armor."】

【Evaluation: An extremely targeted exotic object, devastating against crustacean insects. Its fine, resilient wood also makes it excellent for toothpicks.】

【Contamination Level: 0. 】

…

The Dream-Eating Exotic Armor, once breeding nearly a billion and driving the Cleanup Bureau to despair, had been wiped out by a single toothpick?

After reading the data on the Wooden Spike Substrate, Li Ang instinctively reached for his cufflink, intending to use the Unfair Snake Pact to swap it for the Dream-Eating Exotic Armor and restore its functionality.

But remembering his Unfair Snake Pact had never been exposed, and the Wooden Spike's "cheap" material, he let go and turned to the Scorpio Director:

"Mr. Edward, can you still revive this last substrate?"

I can revive it.

Looking at the beetle barely breathing in his hand, the tall man frowned:

"But what's the point? The Dream-Eating Exotic Armor needs time to divide sufficiently. The Water Bearer has already prepared a targeted exotic object.

No matter how many of these substrates have divided, as soon as he finds one, all others die simultaneously. This thing is useless now."

Still, revive it.

Li Ang insisted:

"You've already issued one command to the mother. You can never use it again. To trigger the mother to produce controllable offspring, you need sixty Li Ang Points. Better to keep a few as backup."

That's true…

The Scorpio Director nodded, retrieved dozens of beetles still barely alive from nearby sleeping passersby, sliced his finger, and squeezed a drop of blood into each. He then placed the revived beetles in a vial and handed it to Li Ang.

Take it! If you get hypnotized by nightmares again, let them eat your dreams and forcibly expel the nightmares.

But to prevent them from going rogue, I've deliberately shortened the lifespan of these adult beetles—only about a week. After that, they'll die on their own. Don't forget."

Thank you. I'll remember.

Carefully stowing the vial containing the Dream-Eating Exotic Armor and the Wooden Spike Substrate, Li Ang looked up at the blood-red sky above, now bleeding more heavily, and asked with growing concern:

"Mr. Edward, how long until the King of Nightmares appears?"

(End of Chapter)