Chapter 798: The Expected Unexpected

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 have even mocked him 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 range, even if killed, it can regenerate infinitely.

According to past Bureau records, once the Nightmare River's waters 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 snowflakes began drifting down from the pitch-black sky above the capital, where no stars or moon could be seen, and the river nearby inexplicably began to freeze.

"Attention. Real elites are coming down—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 now are different from the last 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】. It can carry part of my will. Don't leave its side. If I get trapped by the nightmares coming down… Woof… Woof woof!"

Before the Scorpion Director could finish, a gust of hot wind scattered dry, scorching yellow sand over him, turning his remaining words into muffled dog barks.

But Leon, standing just two steps away, suddenly felt a bone-deep chill—a piercingly cold air surged through his nostrils straight into his lungs, outlining every organ inside him with startling clarity.

Instantly, the world before him shifted: from the capital's canal dockside waiting area, it abruptly became a snow-lashed mountain path, surrounded only by glacial valleys and trees shattered into splintered branches by wind and snow.

"Woof… If I get trapped, 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 transforms into a beautiful woman with pale skin during the coldest days of winter, 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 around thirty-something Leon Points—already crossed into the threshold of a Level One Clearance Officer. Stay close to me. Don't wander off. Otherwise, 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 strength, but there are six of them: Green Tide Sea Monster, Faceless Forest Spirit, Plague Maiden, Blood Carmine, Swamp King Serpent, and Dune Colossus Worm.

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 constantly fleeing 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 probably 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 break their dream barriers and come to you… Damn it! How can this worm run so fast?"

"…"

If I'm right, I can't count on him anymore…

But it doesn't really matter. With my luck, expecting to clear this without a scratch by clinging to someone else was never realistic—I never counted on him being reliable to begin with.

Watching the dog, which had abruptly left mid-sentence to scratch its back against a dead tree and now lifted its hind leg to urinate, Leon sighed helplessly. He waited beside it, watching the valley ahead.

According to known intel, this snow-choked valley is the nightmare world sustained by the Snow Maiden's own power—in other words, I've been forcibly dragged into her dream.

Though the Snow Maiden is the master of this dream, she's still a nightmare born from folk tales, so she can't do whatever she wants—she can't turn into Ultraman or a Saiyan at will. She must 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 freezing cold, then lures them into the storm through deception, leading them to freeze to death in the mountains.

As long as I remember that, stay put in some sheltered ravine or crevice, and don't foolishly walk straight into the snowstorm, I shouldn't face 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 even trudging through this blizzard 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?

(End of Chapter)