Chapter 798: An Unexpected Accident That Wasn't Unexpected

"Soon."

If he had heard Hearing Li Ang's question ten minutes ago, the thin man probably wouldn't have even bothered to grunt. If he were annoyed, he might have even used his mouth to mock him to relieve his stress.

But now, he pointed upward, looking at the nightmare river pouring into the dark night, and explained patiently:

"In the range of the Abyss of Fallen Souls, the King of Nightmares cannot be truly killed. It is a very cautious type among evil gods. In order to avoid being wiped out by the Bureau, it generally does not leave the range of the Abyss of Fallen Souls."

"And the black river water of the nightmare long river is another kind of extension of the Abyss of Fallen Souls. As long as it does not leave the range of the nightmare long river, even if it is killed, it can still be infinitely resurrected."

"According to the Bureau's past records, after the nightmare long river's water spreads completely and provides it with a sufficiently safe foothold, it is the time when it truly descends."

Waiting for the river water to spread?

After listening to the Scorpio Director's explanation, Hearing Li Ang looked at the night sky with surging waves above his head, still not understanding what degree was called "completely spread." Just as he was about to continue asking, he suddenly felt that his hands and feet were slightly cold.

Immediately after, large snowflakes suddenly fell in the pitch-black night sky of the capital without stars or moon. The river channel not far away actually began to freeze for no reason.

"Attention, there are real elites coming down, and more than one."

After looking at the dried-up river channel beside him, for some reason, the thin man's lips were a bit dry. He frowned, then kicked the suitcase beside his feet again, took out a token and grabbed it in his hand. After frowning and thinking for a while, he took out a crown carved with a dog's head and carefully put it on his head.

"*Woof! *"

A cheerful dog bark sounded. As the Scorpio Director put the dog-head crown straight, a large dog wearing a crown of thorns on its head appeared silently beside Hearing Li Ang.

"The nightmares that came this time are a bit different from the previous batch. I might not be able to take care of you at all times later."

After stabbing the thorn sword through the pale doll's throat again and executing hundreds of Dream World creatures, the thin man holding the token instructed:

"This dog is an anomalous object named 【Thorn-Crowned Dog】, which can entrust part of my will. You remember not to leave the side of this dog. If I am entangled by the nightmares that come down later... *Woof*... *Woof, woof, woof! *"

Before the Scorpio Director's words were finished, a handful of dry yellow sand full of irritable breath fell on him, turning his subsequent words into confused dog barks.

And Hearing Li Ang, who was only two steps away from him, suddenly felt a chill all over his body. A stream of bone-chilling cold air poured straight into his lungs through his nasal cavity, clearly outlining the position of his internal organs.

Immediately after, the world in front of him changed abruptly, from the waiting area by the canal pier in the capital to a deep mountain path filled with wind and snow. Apart from the glacier mountain col, there were only tree branches that had been devastated by the wind and snow.

"*Woof*... If I am entangled, this dog can temporarily protect you for a while. After solving the trouble over there, I will come to find you."

After replacing the Scorpio Director and finishing the second half of the sentence, the large dog wearing a crown of thorns looked around, then continued to speak in human language:

"Be careful. The nightmare that found you should be derived from the folk legends of the Ice Kingdom. Those stupid people believe that the Winter Elf will transform into a beautiful woman with pale skin in the coldest time of winter, lure travelers deep into the wind and snow, and make them freeze to death in the deep mountains. And the legends they believe in firmly appeared in countless people's dreams, and finally turned into this nightmare... In terms of strength, it has a Hearing Li Ang Value of thirty-something, and has already stepped into the threshold of a Level 1 cleaner. You follow me closely and don't walk around, otherwise there might be danger."

"Understood."

After rubbing his arms, which were covered in goosebumps from the cold wind, Hearing Li Ang couldn't help but lean toward the large dog that was radiating warmth, and then asked:

"Mr. Edward, what is the situation on your side? What is going on with these nightmares?"

"*Woof*... I have nightmares of a similar level on my side, but there are six of them, namely the Green Wave Sea Monster, the Human-Faced Forest Spirit, the Plague Girl, the Blood Kalachakra, the Swamp King Snake, and the Sand Dune Giant Worm."

"These six monsters should have been strengthened by the King of Nightmares, specifically to drag me down. They don't have direct contact with me, but unfold their corresponding nightmares, and then keep running in the desert, ocean, swamp, and forest."

After finishing the situation he encountered, the large dog raised its hind leg and scratched its chin, while

"The six nightmares on my side are a bit troublesome. I don't know how the King of Nightmares is handling them, but they might have been fed a large amount of True God flesh, causing them to carry a portion of divinity, making them slightly difficult to kill.

Hold on a little longer. Once I find all six of them and finish them off, I can break the dream realm they've propped up and come over to... Damn it! How is this bug so good at running?"

"..."

If I'm not mistaken, there's probably no counting on him over there...

But it doesn't matter anymore. With my luck, trying to clear the level without injury by clinging to someone's leg was impossible from the start; I never expected him to be reliable anyway.

Watching the large dog that had suddenly left mid-sentence to scratch an itch on a dead tree and then lift its hind leg to start urinating, Hearing Hearing Li Ang couldn't help but sigh speechlessly. He then began to observe the valley before him while waiting for it to finish.

According to known intelligence, this snow-filled valley before him is a nightmare world propped up by the Snow Woman using her own abilities. In other words, he had already been forcibly dragged into her dream.

However, although the Snow Woman is the master of the dream, she is, after all, a nightmare born from folklore, so she cannot do whatever she wants like he can—transforming into Ultraman if he wants, or a Saiyan if he wants. She must abide by certain rules and stay close to her own legendary story.

According to the legends of the Ice Field Kingdom, she does not directly attack travelers, but instead whips up violent winds and snow, using the bitter cold to crush the traveler's will, and then uses deceptive means to make the traveler step into the snow of their own volition, only to be frozen to death.

As long as he can remember this point and honestly huddle in a mountain hollow or somewhere similar, and not foolishly walk straight into the wind and snow, it is unlikely he will encounter fatal danger, especially since he still has that dog of the Scorpio Director with him...

Hmm... speaking of the dog, where did that dog go? Hasn't it finished peeing yet?

Also, why am I carrying a dog, heading into the mountains against the wind and snow? Isn't it better to stay in a warm, cozy home? Could it be... am I actually a hunter? Right, what was my name again?

(End of chapter)