Qiu Ren still wanted to experience the excitement of being the boss behind the scenes. However, he discovered that there were more than a double of people who were dragged into his Nightmare Dungeon.

This group of extra people was… dream consciousnesses in Qiu Ren's perception.

​​

Interesting…

These dream consciousnesses were all attached to the bodies of these agents. From a relationship point of view, they were comrades who helped the agents resist the nightmares.

But in terms of uses, they were more like weapons or consumables.

Qiu Ren noticed that a few dream consciousnesses' degree of nightmare pollution had already reached a threatening level.

If these dream consciousnesses were completely devoured, they would probably be treated like trash and thrown into Qiu Ren's material world like what happened to the Army.

This scene made Qiu Ren change his mind. He didn't put pressure on the agents from the Dream Hunting Bureau. Instead, he threw them and the dream consciousness into the storyline he had set beforehand.

After finishing these things, he returned to the stand of the headquarters of the Army.

"Why didn't you just kill them?"

Suri recognized those people from the Dream Hunting Bureau. There seemed to be someone she knew. So, she was gritting her teeth in anger when she talked to Qiu Ren.

Qiu Ren looked at the agents from the Dream Hunting Bureau below, who gradually woke up in the storyline he arranged, and asked, "Do you want to take revenge just to kill someone in there?"

"Isn't that the case? Destroy their will and torture their minds. These guys must pay for their betrayal!" Suri's voice was full of coldness.

"They are only… lackeys of those people who made you like this. Even if you kill them, you can't get to the real masterminds."

Qiu Ren tried to use a more practical way to persuade Suri. The people from the Central Research Institute listened quietly on the side.

They were looking for evidence that the group of people Qiu Ren abducted lived in another material world.

This was indeed difficult to tell. After all, they were all humans. None of them had one more eye or one more arm. Even if they did, those things could be created in the Dream Dungeon.

So, how could Qiu Ren prove that these people weren't a bunch of actors Qiu Ren hired randomly but were truly from another material world?

The answer was that he didn't need to prove anything at all, as long as his follow-up plan was achieved and had some results.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Suri understood that with Qiu Ren and the Army's power right now, he could only build a nightmare pollution field in the other material world at best.

However, the government in that world wasn't one to be trifled with. They would send a large number of troops there to try to destroy the nightmare pollution field Qiu Ren constructed sooner or later.

So, Qiu Ren's plan was…

"We can turn this place into a shelter and let the dream consciousnesses that are persecuted by the Dream Makers in the other material world… seek asylum here. Or we can make it a transfer hub to the places of settlement, sending the dream consciousnesses I steal from the other material world to different locations here. Simply put, my ultimate goal is…"

Qiu Ren looked at the unconscious dream consciousnesses and the rest of them below and said, "To steal as many Dream Seeds from the other material world as we can. The more, the better… This is also the purpose of this war—no, this rescue plan."

At the current stage, there couldn't be any physical teleportation between the two material worlds. This war could only exist in Dream Dungeons.

So, there was only one benefit that could be gained in this operation: the Dream Seeds. It was also Qiu Ren's ultimate goal.

"How?" This question was from Director Lu. As an experienced Dream Maker, he could see that the dream consciousnesses below were all at Level C to Level B. One was even at Level A.

The precious Level A Dream Seeds in this world could be used as the carriers of nightmare pollution in the other material world.

"The only way I can think of right now is to unite the local dream consciousnesses. They've also been oppressed by the Dream Makers for a long time, like the Army. It's just that they've never had a way out. If we lend them a helping hand, there will definitely be dream consciousnesses who are willing to step up and fight."

When Qiu Ren said this, he glanced at the immortals of the Heavenly Court. His gaze then fell on a dream consciousness who had already woken up below.

"It'll now depend on which one of them is willing to stay here and become the leader."

Qiu Ren had constructed a complete world of Dream Dungeon and storyline for the agents from the Dream Hunting Bureau and the dream consciousnesses.

The first to wake up was Qiu Ling, while the second was the only Level A dream consciousness among this group of new players… The name of this dream consciousness given by the Dream Makers was Zhao Lian. As for her position?

"Your Highness?"

As soon as Zhao Lian woke up in bed, she was immediately prepared to fight. When she glanced around, she found that someone was already next to her.

"Meow…"

"You're awake?" An enthusiastic voice and the sound of a cat came into her ears.

Zhao Lian's first reaction was to pull out the dagger she carried with her and point it at the person in front of her. However, her move made that person so frightened that she jumped. The cat standing like a human next to her was also startled.

Zhao Lian's gaze was successfully attracted by that calico cat that walked with two legs.

"This new player seems dangerous, meow…"

This cat could even talk. No… The last second of her memory was the scene where she was dragged into a Nightmare Dungeon.

Since she was in a Nightmare Dungeon, it was normal to have this kind of a talking cat.

But could there really be such a cute creature in a Nightmare Dungeon?

Zhao Lian looked at this furry cat. It indeed didn't look like a creature in a Nightmare Dungeon.

"Just… calm down first."

"What's this place?"

Zhao Lian asked the other party nervously. She had heaps of experience fighting in Nightmare Dungeons. She wouldn't be fooled by the illusion in front of her eyes.

"This is Stronghold Town. I'm your new player guide. You can call me Guide…" the Guide said.

"What… Guide?"

"Welcome to the world of Monster Hunter…"

"What monster…" Zhao Lian asked as she realized that this wasn't the crux of the problem. "Where are the people who came with me?"

"Well, please follow me."

The Guide was very enthusiastic, so enthusiastic that it made Zhao Lian a bit surprised.

Zhao Lian thought she would have to threaten the Guide or even fight with her to make her agree with this request.

No creatures in a Nightmare Dungeon could be judged by their appearance. Like this petite, charming Guide, her real form might be a tyrannosaurus that could swallow people in one bite.

Zhao Lian followed the Guide out of the cabin while remaining vigilant.

After walking out of the cabin, she found that this was a bustling stronghold and market. Merchants were carrying goods around, which made the place extraordinarily lively.

However, Zhao Lian felt that these merchants were her own kind. They were all dream consciousnesses… with self-consciousness.

How… was that possible?

Zhao Lian looked around this flourishing market with slight astonishment.

Only Dream Seeds that were Level B or above could have high-level dream consciousnesses that had a complete mind.

In Zhao Lian's world, dream consciousnesses above Level B were all required to "serve in the army" or were used as building materials for constructing dream worlds.

So, she hadn't witnessed the scene of so many dream consciousnesses gathering and living together for a long time.

This place was like a dream city built by the dream characters themselves.

However, she didn't let down her guard. She sensed that the dream characters around her were more or less polluted by nightmares.

The black mist that billowed out everywhere from time to time warned Zhao Lian that this was still an area enveloped by nightmares.

The Guide led her all the way to the center of the stronghold. When she arrived, a man in a researcher outfit, who had a physique that was more like that of a lion than a human, appeared in front of her.

"Welcome! Another new player in the Breeding Center! You can call me Doc." The man sounded bold and unrestrained.

"I don't care what your name is. Where are those people who came with me?" Zhao Lian asked.

"Don't rush… If you want to survive in this world, you must first choose a suitable monster for yourself."

The man who called himself Doc suddenly took out three crystals and put them in front of Zhao Lian. Three baby dragons… that were only as tall as Zhao Lian's knees came out of the crystals.

"Please choose your initial monster."

What initial monster? Weren't those Shadow Beasts?

Zhao Lian could feel that the cores of these three baby dragons were just slightly weaker Shadow Beasts! As a dream consciousness, she didn't want to train Shadow Beasts at all.

Up till this point, Zhao Lian didn't want to hear these people beat around the bush anymore. She created a spear in her hand.

As a Level A dream consciousness, her combat strength wasn't weak.

"Where are the people who came with me? Where are they?" Zhao Lian pointed her spear at that neck of that man who called himself Doc

This determined attitude made Doc sigh gently. He made a "hand gesture" to ask someone to come out. Someone then walked out of the room behind them. It was Qiu Ling.

Qiu Ling was holding a baby fire dragon that was spouting fire in her arms.

She had no choice but to come to Zhao Lian. Qiu Ren wanted to help his sister… Zhao Lian was the strongest one among the hunters. His foolish sister wouldn't be able to deal with her alone, not even with the baby fire dragon she was holding in her arms.

However, Zhao Lian's attitude towards Qiu Ling was out of Qiu Ren's expectations.

"Your Highness, you're… okay?"

Zhao Lian didn't seem to be chasing a prisoner. How she addressed Qiu Ling made Qiu Ren tilt his head slightly.

"General Zhao… How many years has it been?" Qiu Ling also stopped acting foolish and showed rare dignity.

"Three years. The last time I saw you, you were trapped in the Training Academy. You've been gone for too long. Please…"

"Go back? Where… To that cage built by the Dream Maker?"

Qiu Ling's attitude seemed a bit similar to that of Suri.

However, Qiu Ren was amazed that the dream consciousnesses didn't rebel in the environment of that material world.

"We can work with you…" Zhao Lian said this as she looked back and glanced around. When she was certain that nobody else was there, she continued, "To fight… The Dream Makers will definitely make a certain degree of compromise."

"No!" Qiu Ling rejected General Zhao mercilessly and said, "I've already made a decision! I'm staying here… and become a Monster Trainer."

Qiu Ling raised the baby fire dragon that was still spouting fire in her hands.

"Stay here? This… is a Nightmare Dungeon. With your level, the capacity of this Nightmare Dungeon… Wait…"

When Zhao Lian mentioned the concept "capacity," she suddenly froze. She turned around again to look behind and saw those dream characters with self-consciousness.

The capacity of a Level A Dream Seed couldn't carry so many dream characters with consciousness. Even a Level S Dream Seed might not be able to do so… There was only one answer.

This was a Level SS Nightmare Dungeon!

This terrifying answer came to Zhao Lian's mind.

"Your Highness, you can't keep staying here… This place is really dangerous!" Zhao Lian wasn't confident that she could keep the person in front of her safe in this Level SS Nightmare Dungeon.

"If you want to take me away, it's very simple. There's only one premise…" Qiu Ling knew how stubborn General Zhao was. She would need some tactics to convince her. "You must have a duel with me. If you win, I'll go with you."

"Your Highness, please don't make such a joke," Zhao Lian said.

Dream characters had their own strengths and weaknesses. Zhao Lian belonged to the type of dream consciousness that was especially good at fighting, while Qiu Ling could be regarded as the mother type. She was the foundation of the Dream Seeds of an even higher level but with almost zero combat power.

"I mean it! However, the duel I mentioned refers to this…" Qiu Ling lifted the baby fire dragon in her hands while talking and blocked her head. This baby fire dragon also cooperatively spouted fire out of its mouth.

"What… do you mean… by this?" Zhao Lian estimated the combat power of this baby fire dragon. She seemed to be able to deal with it easily.

"Of course, a sacred monster duel!" The Guide showed up at this appropriate time and said, "This is a sacred duel that every hunter and trainer is passionate about! So, new player lady, choose your initial monster to experience your first ever monster fight in your life! After that, embark on a monster-hunting journey to tame more monsters!"

"Ridiculous…"

Zhao Lian didn't understand where the passion of this Guide came from at all. But seeing Qiu Ling's determined look, she knew that she wouldn't be able to convince her to go back if she didn't win this duel.

"I'll accept this challenge. However, Your Highness, you must understand that fighting isn't your responsibility, and the same goes for your pet. It can't possibly be a match for me."

She chose a blue one among the three crystals. After the crystal absorbed her blood, Zhao Lian felt that her blood was connected with that of the monster inside.

Zhao Lian successfully summoned the sleeping monster…

She thought the monster sealed in the crystal would be some baby dragon like Qiu Ling's, a creature that looked like it could fight, like a wolf, a tiger, or a lion.

And yet, the monster that came out of the crystal… was a pig covered with moss over its body and had mushrooms on its head.

"What's this?" Zhao Lian really doubted whether the combat strength of this thing was as strong as a normal hound or not.

"It's a baby Mosswine! Its meat… Ah, no… This monster has a very strong ability to search for mushrooms!" the Guide said to Zhao Lian in an impassioned tone.

You definitely wanted to say its meat was tasty just then, right?

"My little fire dragon seems to be a bit hungry already… Let the duel begin!" Qiu Ling said.

The baby fire dragon in Qiu Ling's arms flapped its wings and landed in front of the trembling Mosswine. The Mosswine was so scared that it directly hid behind Zhao Lian's calves.

"That's not fair!" Zhao Lian glanced at the constantly trembling little pig next to her feet and said, "This Mosswine doesn't seem to be a creature that has the same level as that dragon. I request a new monster!"

"That is not acceptable according to the rules." The Guide said apologetically, "You've already chosen your initial monster, and it has become your companion. However, Miss Hunter, you can go to the wild and catch more monsters that are more powerful!"

"I can even… catch wild Shadow Beasts?" A slightly astonished look appeared on Zhao Lian's face.

"Of course. Monster hunting, catching, taming, and thrilling monster battles are forever the main melody of this world. These are Monster Hunting Crystals. Please embark on the journey with the goal of becoming the greatest Monster Trainer!" The Guide threw a bunch of crystals to Zhao Lian.

Zhao Lian made a decision as she looked at the Hunting Crystals in her hands and the trembling little pig.

"Your Highness, postpone this duel temporarily. We'll continue when I tame a Shadow Beast that can defeat your little fire dragon," Zhao Lian said as she turned around and was about to walk out of the stronghold.

"Then… I'll come with you!" Qiu Ling quickly kept up with Zhao Lian and said, "I can't just wait here… until you're strong enough to beat me, right?"

"On the level of combat strength, it's my job to be stronger than you, but… protecting you is also my mission." Zhao Lian looked around this stronghold again. She didn't want to leave Qiu Ling in the stronghold either.

She said after pondering whether Shadow Beasts or human minds were more dangerous, "It doesn't matter if you follow along."

"Great! I'll definitely catch a stronger monster before you. It must be at least an Elder Dragon." Qiu Ling had woken up earlier than Zhao Lian did, so she also knew more about this strange world. "I wonder if I can see a Teostra when I go out this time. A Nergigante is also fine."

Zhao Lian listened to Qiu Ling's excitement, as if she was going for an outing and those terrifying names of the Shadow Beasts, and had no idea what to say.

This Empress had never fought on the front line against the nightmares, so she didn't know how terrifying the Shadow Beasts were. It was uncertain whether the journey in this Nightmare Dungeon could teach her a lesson.