Chapter 407

Unaware that someone was watching his live broadcast at that moment, Leon suddenly collapsed with a loud plop. Veins bulged on his forehead, and sweat poured out from every pore of his body uncontrollably.

“Ow! It hurts like hell!!”

Looking at the Entity who had punched its own toe and now appeared somewhat weakened, Leon, who usually loved to press advantages, for the first time didn’t follow up with another punch. Instead, he staggered to his feet and dragged the Snow Maiden, who had already gone dumbfounded, and they both turned tail and ran.

“You… you…”

After staggering a few steps, the Snow Maiden, who had thought Leon would be eliminated in an instant, turned around with a look of utter confusion. She glanced at the Nightmare King, whose face was contorted with pain, then couldn’t help but turn back again, speaking incoherently: “It… You… Just one punch? And it’s…?”

What do you mean ‘just’ one punch? That punch almost cost me my life, okay? And it only restrained him for less than two seconds! Looking at the fine, hair-like barbs that had emerged both inside and outside [The Howling Hand], gleaming under the sunlight, Leon’s cheeks couldn’t help but twitch violently.

This anomalous item, crafted by the Third-Generation Bureau Director using the soul of the Aquarius Director as material, not only suppressed the divinity of a True God’s physical form and caused damage but also…

At the moment of impact, it simultaneously injected soul toxins into both himself and his opponent, keeping their souls and wills alert while producing an incomparable level of excruciating pain. It was said to be able to briefly bring a dead person with lingering soul back to life through sheer agony.

And I originally thought that with the invincible state given by [Drunk Immortal], I could bypass this terrifying pain. So, just now, I tried it out, preparing to give the Nightmare King some trouble.

But it seems that since soul toxins don’t cause actual harm and instead help maintain awareness, they were considered a kind of “self-buff” and weren’t negated by [Drunk Immortal]’s invincible state.

As a result, that toxic punch nearly took half my life. If it weren’t for the effect of the soul toxin keeping me conscious, I probably would have fainted on the spot from the pain!

…

Damn… What happened with that punch? Even Leon, who had mentally prepared himself, was made dizzy by the poison from [The Howling Hand]. The Nightmare King, who had no such preparation and had just obtained a body not long ago, was truly wracked with pain down to his soul.

If it weren’t for the “weight” of a True God-level soul and the consciousness-preserving effects of the soul toxin, it might have directly resulted in a separation of spirit and flesh, causing his soul to leave his body from the pain.

Actually… Having a body and a soul doesn’t seem to always be a good thing…

Having just gained the coveted blood and soul, and immediately suffering such great sin, a strange thought arose in the Nightmare King’s mind. Then, the newly acquired body became slightly unstable.

No, no, no! Can’t think like that! Mustn’t think like that!

Realizing his thoughts were getting slightly out of control, which also affected the stability of his physical form, the Nightmare King quickly steadied his emotions. The eyes hidden behind the gray mist narrowed slightly.

Can’t fully trust what the Aquarius Director said!

Following his advice, I didn’t use any flashy methods. As soon as I showed up, I directly attacked, wanting to rely purely on my physical strength to slap this dangerous Cleaner to death.

But after several slaps, not only was he still alive and kicking, but he even put on a pair of gloves full of the Aquarius Director’s aura and gave me a solid punch, momentarily suppressing even my divinity.

There’s definitely a conspiracy here!

While the Aquarius Director certainly wants this Cleaner dead, he also doesn’t want me alive. For him, the best outcome is for both me and this Cleaner to perish together, and perhaps eliminating me has a higher priority than eliminating this Cleaner!

Need to play it safe…

Recalling that unbearable pain just now, the Gray Mist Giant decisively ruled out the option of pursuing with his physical form. Instead, it stood still, extending its hand toward the fleeing figure in the distance.

The next moment, blood floated among the pillars, and swords formed dense forests.

As a small patch of skin peeled off the Nightmare King’s arm, Leon’s cold-resistant suit twisted and transformed, instantly becoming an ancient-looking strange armor. The scorching sand beneath his feet strangely turned into a bloody battlefield littered with corpses and filled with shouts of battle cries.

Dozens of robust armored soldiers lined up before Leon. Following the commander’s hoarse commands, they raised their spear-like weapons and lunged at Leon’s head, chest, and abdomen.

“Pu pu pu pu!”

Facing the sudden change in the scene, Leon instinctively wanted to dodge, but it was too sudden. As the blood-stained spear tips reached him, the sounds of blades piercing flesh came from his chest and abdomen, startling him enough to pause his steps…

Then there was nothing.

The moment the spears pierced through the armor and touched Leon’s skin, not only did the spear-wielding soldiers dissolve into bubbles without resistance in the drunken dream state of [Drunk Immortal], but even the surrounding battlefield filled with cries disappeared completely, turning back into rolling sands.

Even forgetting about having an anomalous item can’t interrupt this strange invincible state?

The Gray Mist Giant looked carefully at Leon, who had changed into a set of armor but remained unharmed. After pondering for a bit, it raised its right hand and forcefully grabbed its left arm protruding from the mist.

“Crack!”

The sharp nails with hooks at their ends cut across the withered skin of the Nightmare King’s left arm, emitting a sound similar to shattering glass. Large amounts of dark and frenzied nightmares peeled off like flesh and slipped into the yellow sand beneath the Gray Mist Giant, wriggling and swimming toward Leon.

In dealing with this “physically tough” Cleaner, the best method is to simply swallow him whole, allowing the countless nightmares within to wear down his spirit until his will collapses and his soul dissipates, leaving him as an empty shell devoid of knowledge or awareness.

But considering the strange contamination in his memories, swallowing him directly might risk being contaminated ourselves. Therefore, this process of wearing him down should be done “outside.” This way, even if we get contaminated, we can simply discard it! …

Nightmares return once more.

Leon’s armor twisted and transformed into a convenient hunter’s outfit. The desert became a dark forest. A giant bear standing upright, with a pale crescent moon mark on its chest, swung claws nearly seven to eight inches long and slashed wildly at Leon.

Was it the nightmare of a mighty warrior earlier, and now it’s the nightmare of a hunter?

Listening to the ferocious roar of the bear and smelling the beastly stench carried by the night breeze in the forest, Leon, knowing this wouldn’t break through [Drunk Immortal], simply faced the bear’s claws head-on, colliding straight into it and turning it into a mass of bubbles. He then turned around and shouted to the Snow Maiden behind him:

“Can you still use your ability? If you can, hurry up and continue!”

“Huh? It can still be used…”

Snow Maiden, who had also changed into a hunter’s outfit, asked somewhat stunned: “But my ability comes from him. Using it in front of him will definitely be interrupted, and you’ve just arrived at this layer. Aren’t you going to find the Scorpion Bureau Director?”

“Not looking anymore!”

Changing into a miner’s outfit and smashing through a collapsing mine entrance, Leon continued dragging the coal-covered Snow Maiden forward while urging her:

“This desert is too big! Even if he’s really on this layer, there’s no point searching! Quickly take me further up!”

“…”

Tsk… Looks like he can keep bouncing around for a while longer.

“Snow Maiden?”

Noticing this afterward, the Nightmare King far away frowned slightly as his voice, low and hoarse, quietly reached them.

“Are you betraying me?”

“Huh?! Wait… Haven’t I been slacking off pretty obviously? Why are you getting worked up now?”

Faced with the former boss’s stern questioning, Snow Maiden’s figure involuntarily paused, and a trace of panic appeared in her ice-blue eyes.

“I…”

“I shattered your nightmare core, but I let you pass through dozens of rounds of nightmares. That was already quite lenient towards you.”

The world of flying sand “folded” slightly, bringing the Gray Mist Giant in front of the two. The Nightmare King looked down at Leon and Snow Maiden below, narrowing his eyes coldly: “You survived thanks to my mercy, yet you’re planning to let my target escape right in front of me? Is this how you repay my kindness?”

“…”

Ah, isn’t there a possibility that I wasn’t doing it voluntarily? Facing the Nightmare King’s slowly rising finger, realizing that her former boss was really going to kill her, Snow Maiden, filled with grievances, hastily opened her mouth and explained anxiously: “What the heck are you pretending?”

“What?”

“What??!”

Ah no! That’s not what I wanted to say!

Realizing the words coming out of her mouth were not only different from what she intended but were actually completely opposite, Snow Maiden’s brain buzzed for a moment. She hurriedly explained: “I’ve been annoyed by you for ages!”

“You always act so high and mighty, as if you’re something great, but in reality, you’re trash, do you know that?”

“???”

“You never do anything, just hiding in that filthy black sewer of yours, too scared to step out. I’ve never seen anyone as cowardly as you! It’s a disgrace to the Dream Realm!”

“All the dirty, hard, tiring work is thrown at us nightmare messengers while you stay hidden in the background. You send us to hold off the Yellow Path Director of the Clearing Bureau… Where’s your face?”

“!!!”

“I’m opposing you today, and what of it? Have some restraint if you have any guts!”

“If you have the ability, catch me and torture me for ten thousand years! If you can do it, during those ten thousand years, if I make a single extra sound, I’ll be your grandma!”

“…”

After delivering this extremely arrogant speech, seeing her former boss’s face as dark as the bottom of a pot, Snow Maiden stiffly turned her neck and glanced at Leon’s direction with a pale face.

Sure enough, that despicable thing was holding that accursed Snake Skin Scroll and giving her an unusually friendly smile. Even though he hadn’t said anything or even moved his lips, Snow Maiden somehow understood the meaning behind that smile perfectly.

‘Work harder, after all, you don’t want to be caught by the Nightmare King and tortured for ten thousand years, do you?’

“…”

Great, maybe there will be an opening for the [Unfair Serpent Pact], and the new employee is pumped with energy, working harder than ever before.

Seeing Snow Maiden, who used to slack off whenever possible and drag things out second by second, now furiously puffing her cheeks and blowing cold air with all her might, Leon couldn’t help but slightly curl the corners of his mouth and gave her an encouraging smile. Unfortunately, it only earned him a look of indignant fury.

Glare all you want. As long as you work honestly, you can glare as much as you want! Whether we can escape this desert depends on you!

Smiling unconcernedly, Leon picked up the unfortunate Snow Maiden horizontally and continued dashing quickly through various nightmares large and small.

The effect of the [Unfair Serpent Pact] is rather singular; it only allows him to “use” Snow Maiden but cannot make her genuinely recognize him or betray information or weaknesses about the Nightmare King.

But the Nightmare King can! By preventing Snow Maiden from explaining herself, confirming the fact of her “betrayal”, filling her with hatred, and cutting off her retreat, as long as she doesn’t want to be caught and tortured for ten thousand years, she will have to take the initiative to work twice as hard.

…

“You don’t really think you can escape, do you?”

Whether unaware that Leon had subtly forced Snow Maiden to completely side with him by leveraging his authority or knowingly choosing to ignore it,

Looking at Leon, who had already changed clothes over a hundred times while weaving through nightmares, the Gray Mist Giant kept sprinkling new nightmares, trying to wear down Leon’s spirit, while coldly saying:

“My nightmares are my home field. No matter how far you run, for me, it’s just a step away. You won’t escape.”

Of course, I know that. After all, you’ve already demonstrated it once. I’m not stupid.

Without responding to the Nightmare King’s provocation, Leon protected Snow Maiden with [Drunk Immortal]’s ability, letting her focus on “printing tickets” undisturbed, while glancing at the long trail of footprints left behind from his escape.

It should be enough by now…

After calculating the number of footprints, Leon raised his right hand, grabbing the [Desire Dream Infiltrator], and then, to Snow Maiden’s shock, turned around and charged toward the Gray Mist Giant.

Huh? What does he intend to do? Not understanding why Leon was charging back, but knowing that getting hit by his punch would surely cause immense pain, the Nightmare King furrowed its brows and prepared to withdraw.

However, at that moment, the Archer Mark on Leon’s right hand faintly lit up, and one of the three small arrows suddenly shot out from his hand, embedding itself into the [Desire Dream Infiltrator].

In the Nightmare King’s bewildered expression, the footprints Leon had left during his escape began to glow with the same red light as the [Desire Dream Infiltrator].

Then, from the footprint closest to the Nightmare King, a blurry figure of Leon rose, raising the hand wearing [The Howling Hand], and simultaneously with the distant real Leon, performed the motion of throwing a punch, striking its toe before disappearing on the spot.

Next came the second, third, fourth… Over a hundred Leon replicas strengthened by secret arts stood up from the footprints he had previously stepped on, each swinging their fists one after another.

(End of Chapter)