Chapter 622

“Nightmare King大人!”

“Spare my life!”

Accompanied by the nightmarish chorus of pleas and cries, the supposedly extinct Dream-Eater Anomalies re-emerged in a new form within the Soulfall Black Abyss, devouring the nightmares gathered around with abandon.

And as both itself and the Dream-Eater Anomalies indulged in their dual “feasts,” the Mirror Diadem atop Nightmare Leon’s head, which had been severed in half, began to show faint signs of restoration.

I’ve warned you already! Watching the cleaners retreating in panic as the insect swarm expanded rapidly, the now infinitely larger Nightmare Leon gave a satisfied cold snort before accelerating his “feeding” speed even further. Most likely, these cleaners were waiting for reinforcements earlier; the longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for him. But now, he couldn’t escape, and if he turned back to fight the “True Self,” he’d easily be slowly “assimilated.”

Thus, there was only one path left for him…to directly consume the nightmares born from the nightmare realm in large quantities, forcibly replenishing the remaining “Nightmare” power, completely becoming the new Lord of Nightmares!

Though completing the “Nightmare” power through this method required consuming an absolutely terrifying number of nightmares, perhaps enough to empty half of the Soulfall Black Abyss, it would all be worth it! Once he could fully transcend the distinction between man and god and become a true deity, he would gain the entire Dream Realm’s acknowledgment. At that point, he’d become entirely immune to assimilation from the “True Self,” becoming a flawless, genuine King of Nightmares!

…

Under Nightmare Leon’s full stimulation, using the million nightmares gathered nearby as “nutrients,” the carpet of insects spreading out from Nightmare Leon began to grow exponentially in numbers. No matter how the cleaners tried to exterminate them, the black-and-gold beetles continued to multiply endlessly.

“These bugs…there’s too many!”

“There’s no way to finish them!”

“We can’t hold them back!”

No! This absolutely cannot continue! Amidst the anxious responses from the cleaners, Leon looked at the seemingly endless black-and-gold beetles before him, gazing afar at the counterfeit whose Mirror Diadem had already been repaired and whose aura was subtly transforming. He couldn’t help but clench his fists tightly.

“Senior Alabaster Maiden!”

“Huh?”

“This time, I’m truly sorry!”

When Leon called out Alabaster Maiden’s name, his figure was still far away. However, when he opened his mouth apologetically, he had already appeared behind her.

Not again… Not again?! Realizing what Leon was about to do, Alabaster Maiden instantly went numb after being grabbed by the arm once more.

Big Brother! This is the third time! What grudge or feud do I have with you? With so many people around, why do you keep targeting me? And can’t you just give me a clean break? If you’re going to eat, then… Ah!

Right under the shocked gazes of the cleaners, Leon, who had previously seemed like a normal person, suddenly grew tens of times larger. His previously clean and fair skin instantly turned bright red.

An immense amount of blood, as if it would never dry up, flowed down his face and dripped incessantly into the black river below. Behind him, an ancient gateway separating life and death slowly unfolded.

Is it possible for anomalies to occur while feeding in the Dream Realm, which is also part of the non-material world?

He actually ate her!!!

Even though they had been warned several times before that Leon would unleash his appetite when pushed to the limit, the cleaners were still greatly shocked upon witnessing him swallowing Alabaster Maiden whole.

However, what shocked them even more was…

It wasn’t enough.

After grabbing the equally enormous Silver Knife and slashing through a large portion of the bug sea spreading to his feet, Leon quickly estimated the reproduction rate of the black-and-gold beetles and immediately frowned.

Then, Leon’s massive bloody figure disappeared instantly. When he reappeared, he was already behind a Level 2 Cleaner from the Aries Division who was fleeing, grabbing him firmly.

“Senior, sorry about this.”

Where exactly are you sorry? You’re clearly not sorry at all! After being scooped up by Leon, the cleaner from the Aries Division, resigned to his fate, mustered his last bit of courage and shouted before being thrown into Leon’s mouth:

“Axima! Quickly take the others and run! Don’t get… Ah!!!”

Following the reminder from the cleaner’s “last words,” the remaining cleaners immediately reacted, relying on the acceleration provided by the [Minoshiru Curse Mercury] to frantically flee in the opposite direction of Leon.

But before they could activate it, Nightmare Leon had already noticed the sudden increase in the strength of the “True Self’s” soul and began forcibly driving the nightmares and black-and-gold beetles together to slaughter them, trying to kill these “nutrients” that would make the “True Self” stronger.

It wasn’t enough to just drive the nightmares; to improve the efficiency of killing and prevent these “nutrients” from being eaten by the “True Self,” Nightmare Leon’s hand once again rested on the Mirror Diadem atop his head.

Uh-oh!

Noticing Nightmare Leon’s move, Leon’s eyes couldn’t help but narrow slightly. He immediately activated the [Unfair Serpent Contract], forcibly switching the entire [Minoshiru Curse Mercury].

With the extreme speed provided by the curse mercury, Leon transformed into a streak of silver light. Whenever he noticed a cleaner struggling, he would rush over to save them first. However, the method of rescue…

Right now, the safest place is inside my stomach! And not just the cleaners, the nightmares along the way count too! Whatever can be swallowed must be swallowed! Nightmare Leon has the Mist Robe protecting him, so I can’t harm him for now. But if I swallow the nightmares before he does, it’ll slow down his continued “evolution”!

So… I must eat! And I must eat fiercely!

Amidst the extremely fearful expressions of the cleaners, Leon, covered in blood, seemed to have gone mad. Like the other Leon on the nightmare side, he grabbed whatever he could find and stuffed it into his mouth, and thanks to the speed boost from the [Curse Mercury], his eating speed was almost as fast as Nightmare Leon’s.

Facing the two Leons’ frenzied feasting, in just a few hours, the entire area nearby was swept clean. The original million nightmares gathered here were devoured without a single drop left.

Except for Armin holding Twin Fish Director’s hand and a trembling conch shell hiding behind them, the surroundings had been eaten into complete silence by the two, leaving only the pitch-black waters of the Nightmare River.

(End of Chapter)