Chapter 998

“Director, we’re not doubting you.”

The white-clad girl named Abigail pursed her lips, then asked with a hint of displeasure:

“But even if that Virgin Division’s Li Ang really is as strong as you say, and actually shows up for this exam, we won’t get first place—but surely we’ll still pass, right?”

“...”

This isn’t about passing or failing... you haven’t encountered that kid, so you have no idea how terrifying he really is—nothing around him is ever small!

A quiet investigation mission, and before you know it, the commotion keeps growing—I blink once, and boom! Kolok Kingdom is gone! Twelve kingdoms reduced to eleven!

And that previous support mission too—originally just meant to repel the Fallen Soul Abyss’s invasion and drive the Nightmare King back, but somehow, not only did the Nightmare King get killed, half the Dream Realm vanished too!

If the Nightmare King is humanity’s nightmare, then he—the one who, in a fit of rage, destroyed half the Dream Realm—is the collective nightmare of every dream-being. Are you really planning to enter the Dream Realm with something like that and expect to come out unscathed?

“You don’t understand what’s going on! Ah...”

After rubbing his temples, the Scorpion Director, constrained by the fact that Li Ang’s deeds were all Level-Four Collapse-class missions and couldn’t be disclosed, resorted to indirect persuasion:

“Don’t go. Aside from Li Ang’s personal strength being far beyond yours, there’s also the issue of the Virgin Division.”

That bitch holds grudges, and four of you transferred from the Virgin Division. Knowing Olivia, she’ll use this chance to settle scores—make that Li Ang...”

“Director! We’re not afraid!”

Hearing the Scorpion Director mention the Virgin Division, one of the cleaners stood up, frowning with his white eyebrows, slightly irritated:

“The exam only involves consciousness. Even if Li Ang is that strong, the worst he can do is beat us up when we meet in the second round—no real harm done.”

“And when the third practical exam starts and our eight of us gather, facing eight of us—one Level One and four Level Two—do you really think he can wipe us all out at once?”

“...”

I don’t know if he can wipe you all out, but according to Reuben and Frankie, when Li Ang faced the Twin Division cleaners, he cut off over twenty heads in less than five minutes—seven or eight of them were about your level...

“Alright...”

Though he knew that even if he forbade them outright, they’d still go, seeing these subordinates—not stubborn, just eager to get beaten up—the Scorpion Director sighed, helplessly waving his hand:

“I’ve said all I can. If you really want to go, I won’t stop you... but while the Dream Realm exam only risks consciousness damage, not real danger, I still advise you to stay far away from that Li Ang.”

“We won’t...”

“We’ll be careful!”

Abigail cut off the white-browed cleaner’s words, nodded in agreement with the Director’s warning, then tilted her head slightly:

“But Director! We’re all seasoned cleaners who’ve survived dozens, even hundreds of missions, walking the edge of death to get here—we believe we’re no worse than anyone else!”

“...”

Well. Not a single one listened.

Watching his subordinates, who after his earnest warnings weren’t backing down but stood tall, eyes blazing with fire, the Scorpion Director felt three parts pride, seven parts regret, and let out a deep sigh.

The pride? Their morale was admirable. For a cleaner, caution and reason matter—but above all, the courage to charge headfirst into danger, to face death without flinching, is the most vital quality—and what he admired most.

Though aside from Abigail, their talents were merely decent, with this fiery determination, as long as they didn’t die in some accident, their future achievements would surely be high—his Scorpion Division might soon gain several more Level One cleaners.

As for regret... after this promotion exam, once truly humiliated by a real monster, how much of this rare spirit would they still have left?

“Fine, go then! Ah...”

With profound sorrow, the Scorpion Director glanced at his beloved subordinates, then at the sun already set beyond the horizon. He reached into his chest, pulled out the [Dreamplay Color Fungus], still spraying multicolored spores, and handed one to each of the eight cleaners preparing for the exam, then said solemnly:

“Stay safe. If you can’t win, admit defeat—don’t stubbornly push yourself!”

【Name: Dreamplay Color Fungus Spawn (Dreamland, Illusion)】

【Appearance: A colorful mushroom, thumb-thick, its cap shimmering with ever-shifting hues above, and a hazy night sky visible only when eyes are closed below. If bitten gently after sunset, it continuously sprays a cloud of colored spores.】

【Ability: Return to Dream Home, Birth of Illusion】

【Cost: After ingestion, the user falls into an unawakenable slumber until ‘Return to Dream Home’ ends, or ‘Birth of Illusion’ triggers.】

【File: A unique plant growing deep within the Dream Realm’s Leyuan of Lost Joy. The consciousness of any creature consuming the spawn is forcibly drawn into a dream, gaining one instance of immunity to all harm before awakening.】

【The mother fungus can split into spawns and serve as a ‘waymark,’ guiding all who ingested spawns to its location. It also possesses the special ability to ‘erase’ all dreams.】

【Since the Dreamplay Goddess fell into her own dream, causing widespread collapse of the Leyuan of Lost Joy, the remaining thirty-odd mother fungi were all collected and archived by the Cleaner Bureau—without exception.】

【Evaluation: Halfway through dinner, the chicken in the pot suddenly kicked away the colorful mushroom beside it, put on suspenders, and started playing basketball.】

【Contamination Level: 2.5】

“...”

What the hell is this nonsense...

After reading the [Dreamplay Color Fungus] description and confirming it posed no danger, Li Ang, lying on the second-floor sofa of the Virgin Division, pulled the small blanket the Director gave him over his navel. At the exact moment the sun dipped below the window, he tossed the colorful little mushroom into his mouth.

You know what? It’s actually pretty tasty. Probably good stewed with chicken.

That was Li Ang’s final thought before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, the world before him had changed utterly.

Above his head no longer hung the plaster ceiling of the second-floor meeting room, but a deep, ink-black night sky, and a dazzling galaxy composed of countless shimmering, iridescent bubbles.

Countless wondrous, colorful dreams, each wrapped in bubbles matching the [Dreamplay Color Fungus]’s hue, floated and sank within the unnervingly low-hanging galaxy, seemingly within reach.