Chapter 817

"Alright."

Upon hearing the Red-Haired Director's words, Li Ang nodded and immediately took off the 【Desire Dream Invader】 and handed it over.

Though his own director was a drunkard whose mind wasn't even as sharp as a monkey's when drunk, he was still quite reliable when not drinking—worth trusting to some extent.

"Li Ang, there's something I need to clarify first."

The Red-Haired Director did not immediately take the 【Desire Dream Invader】; instead, he looked serious and said:

"This time, it's likely a one-way loan—if you really don't want to lend it, you don't have to. I can still…"

"No need. Take it."

Before the Red-Haired Director could finish, Li Ang shook his head:

"If you're asking me for something, it's definitely for something important—no need to explain. Even if it never comes back, it doesn't matter."

"Alright…"

Watching Li Ang hand over such a precious anomaly without even asking its purpose, the Red-Haired Director felt a faint warmth in his eyes at this unreserved trust.

After taking the 【Desire Dream Invader】 from Li Ang, the Red-Haired Director plucked a strand of his own hair and replaced the pendant's cord, then surprisingly tied it around the Snow Maiden's neck.

"This item was forged from the weapon of the 【Lord of Desire Dreams】. Even though you've lost your Nightmare Core, it's enough to ensure your safety within the Dream Realm."

"But giving this to you isn't without cost."

The Red-Haired Director narrowed his fox-like eyes and warned solemnly:

"Remember: once those 【Dream-Eating Armored Beetles】 die naturally, you must act immediately to find what I told you to find—but don't act on your own after finding it. Return immediately to report to me. If you can't find me, go to Li Ang. Understood?"

"Understood…"

Feeling the faint warmth of the red pendant against her chest, the Snow Maiden nodded slightly, then reached out and slashed the air with the 【Desire Dream Invader】.

"Slice!"

A sound like shattering glass rang out; where the red Cha had cut through the air, a small rift opened—clearly visible, yet somehow seeming not to exist at all.

…

Finally, I can go home…

Sensing the familiar aura of the Dream Realm through the tiny rift, the Snow Maiden's eyes welled with tears.

What a miserable night I've had!

First, I was forcibly dragged out of my bonded dream, then my Nightmare Core was crushed and I was expelled from the Nightmare Registry, then I was bought by some strange contract and dragged around like a mount through nightmares.

And worse—I thought that was the worst possible luck, but it got even worse!

After waking up from being knocked out by the Jianglin Nightmare King, the Nightmare King vanished along with half the Dream Realm! Then I was forced by a smiling, wicked woman to sign a pile of bizarre treaties and burdened with an incredibly dangerous mission.

Ugh… I'm never coming back to this place again!!

Eagerly passing through the rift between the Dream Realm and reality, returning to her safe home, the utterly unlucky Snow Maiden let out a long breath.

Indeed, the Dream Realm is better… Even though there's a bug plague now, at least I won't be… Huh?

Seeing several familiar figures in the empty Nightmare River, the Snow Maiden paused, then a flicker of joy crossed her features.

Green Wave Beast, Plague Girl, Swamp King Serpent… and the Dune Colossus! Not one was missing!

"Great! You're all still alive!"

Seeing that her longtime colleagues had all survived, the Snow Maiden rushed over, thrilled.

As Nightmare Envoys under the Nightmare King, the seven elite nightmare beings still shared a certain bond—after all, the best way to draw close is to share a common enemy.

All of them had been captured by the Nightmare King, had their Nightmare Cores stolen, and been forced into servitude; they hated the Nightmare King with every fiber of their being. With such a heartless boss above them, their collegial relations were naturally not bad.

You made it back alive too!

Seeing the Snow Maiden, the other six wounded Nightmare Envoys immediately gathered around, excited.

After brief greetings, since the black-gold beetles were multiplying wildly, the seven survivors dared not venture deep into the Dream Realm and instead sat together in the liminal space between dream and reality, still trembling with fear as they chatted:

"The Clearance Bureau people are terrifying!"

"Yes! Especially Blood-Hair Lady—today she killed more nightmare beings than I've seen in my entire life! The Nightmare River was stained red!"

"No no no, she's terrifying, but the one throwing bugs is even scarier!"

"I agree—that bug-thrower is insane. Judging by this, half the Dream Realm will probably be devoured!"

"Yeah, he really doesn't care about anything—he just wants us dead! I wonder what the Nightmare King did to piss him off."

After a few minutes of chatter, the Swamp King Serpent flicked its black tongue, its snake-face relaxed:

"But at least the Nightmare King is dead too. We should have a few decades of peace now."

"Yes, yes."

"Sss… Speaking of the Nightmare King… I feel a bit scared."

"What are you scared of? It'll be decades before…" Sss… Why am I trembling too?"

"I… I… I'm also… a little… shaking…"

As if contagious, the six Nightmare Envoys—except the Snow Maiden—began trembling one after another, and those closer to her trembled more violently; the Plague Girl sitting beside her was already chattering uncontrollably.

"What's wrong? Why are you all shaking?"

No, no—it's not us—it's you!

Crawling away from the Snow Maiden, the Plague Girl, slightly calmer, looked at her with faint terror:

"You… you… you smell… terrifying!"

Terrifying smell?

The Snow Maiden blinked in surprise and quickly checked herself, then frowned in confusion:

"I don't smell anything."

"You… you… do!"

Moving farther away, feeling the dangerous aura that made her shiver involuntarily, the Plague Girl's teeth chattered:

"The… pendant! The smell from your pendant… is worse than the Nightmare King's!"

…

"Just as I thought."

Feeling the mark once belonging to the Nightmare King rapidly fading from the depths of his soul, his bound spirit now regaining freedom, the young man in his sky-blue robe smiled, then raised his glass lantern and blew out the flame that had burned all night.

"Nicole, take the Dream-Wandering Lantern and go to the Dream Realm."

Handing the lantern to the female reporter behind him, the Water-Bearer Director, standing atop the clock tower, squinted at the sun rising over the horizon and said calmly:

"Hurry—unless I'm wrong, Olivia is already trying to find the version of me sleeping in the Dream Realm."

"If she finds the me sleeping in the Nightmare River first, all this effort of mine will have been for nothing."